Local Tipperary Toastmasters group kick-start new season with successful meeting

Thurles Toastmasters kicked off the new season with a meeting on September 4 at the Anner Hotel.

Their newly elected President, John Kelly, set a positive tone for the year, welcoming everyone with uplifting quotes.

This was followed by a dynamic meeting that showcased the best of what Toastmasters has to offer.

John then passed the baton to Mairead McGrath, the Toastmaster of the evening.

She highlighted the club's mission: "To provide a supportive and positive learning experience where members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth."

Mairead guided the meeting, introducing the speakers and explaining their speech projects, goals, and objectives.

The meeting featured key roles for the evening:

Olive Collins, the Timer, kept everyone on track with a traffic light system to manage speaking times.

Marie O'Meara took on the role of Grammarian. She introduced the word of the day, "Sparkle", encouraging members to sprinkle it into their contributions throughout the evening. Marie also kept an ear out for notable phrases and crutch words, giving insightful feedback at the end.

Patricia Loughnane led the session as Topics Master, introducing impromptu topics designed to help members think on their feet.

The evening's speeches were a highlight:

John Kelly delivered an inspirational speech titled "The Vision", where he laid out his hopes for the year ahead, focusing on growing the club's membership and helping each member achieve their personal goals. John engaged with the audience, asking what they hoped to gain from Toastmasters, with answers ranging from improving public speaking to broadening personal horizons. His speech, clocking in at a record 22 minutes, was met with positive feedback from the floor.

After some lively table topics, the group enjoyed their second speech of the night by Michael Mullins, who captivated the room with his talk on “The Book of Ebenezer Le Page.” His passion for literature shone through, inspiring many to pick up a new book. Michael’s speech ran for 13 minutes and was followed by constructive feedback from the group.

After a tea and coffee break, the meeting wrapped up with final reports from the Grammarian and General Evaluator, Laurence Lee, who provided valuable feedback for both speakers and evaluators.

The evening concluded with President John Kelly thanking everyone for their contributions and welcoming three new membership pledges.

Thurles Toastmasters meets on every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesday of the month from September to May at 8pm in the Anner Hotel.

Their next meetings are on October 16 and 30, November 6 and 20, and December 4 and 18.