Table Topics and Humorous Speech Contests

                                          Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contest.

The first set of contests in the Toastmaster year are the Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests. Both contests are open to Toastmasters no matter what their level.  Competitors in the Humorous Speech contest deliver a 5 to 7 minute  humorous speech.  In the table topics contest, competitors are asked to speak on a random topic delivered to them by the contest chair. All the competitors speak on the same topic and are lead into the meeting room one by one to answer the topic. The humorous speech and topics contests start at club level and progress through area, division and culminate at District level.

Humorous & Table Topic contests are enjoyable events and an ideal introduction to Toastmasters international.  The  Division final will be held at

Oriel Hse Hotel, Ballincollig, Sunday 23^rd Oct,  14:15 for 14:30 start.

Following are dates of some of the Area Finals:

Area 17;  18th October, Grand Hotel, Fermoy, 20:00,

Area 23;  11th October, Montenotte Hotel, Montenotte Cork, 20:00.

Below is Michael Cronin, Speakeasy Toastmasters Mallow, who won the Division A Humorous speech contest in 2009, and then won the District final in Kilkenny.

Welcome from Division A Governor Ann Dinneen.

"Welcome to the first ever Division A Weblog! 

Thanks to the hard work of Ray Ryan this blog is being set up for the information and interaction of all the Division.  Here, you can promote your events, your contests, your stories.  We look forward to reading of the inspiring stories of how Toastmasters has helped to give a perhaps once petrified person the ability to stand and speak and voice their stories or opinions for the very first time.  How they have gone on to lead in their club and community - another learning side to Toastmasters that we don't often hear about - the training in Leadership that happens almost by default.  Tell it... tell your story and in doing so you may encourage someone out there to take their very first step...to freeing up their 'voice'.
 My thanks to Ray for setting this blog up and I look forward to reading all the 'news' of the Division and its members.
 Ann Dinneen, Division A Governor
District 71
Toastmasters International

Exceptional Evaluations Workshop

Freddie Daniels, District 71 Lt. Governor (Education & Training)  will deliver his evaluation workshop Exceptional Evaluations – 7 Simple Steps to Evaluation Success , at the Cork  International Airport Hotel, 18^th September.  A member of the  Holborn Speakers and Excalibur Toastmaster Clubs in London, Freddie will present an interactive workshop, which will allow you to

1.       Pick the best content to include in your evaluations.

2.       Structure your evaluations more effectively.

3.       Make your points so that both the speaker and the audience get maximum benefit.

Again the  workshop venue  will be the Cork International Airport Hotel, Cork Airport, 18^th September.

Admittance will be 5 euros. Doors will open at 2:30pm for a 3:00pm start, and the workshop will last until 5:20pm.

Toastmaster meeting 2: Cork City & environs

Area 3

Blarney Toastmasters.

Date: Alternate Tuesdays.

Time & Venue: Blarney Woollen Mills, Blarney, 20:00.

Website:  blarneytoastmasters.net

Glanmire Toastmasters.

Date: 1^st & 3^rd Wednesday of the month.

Time & Venue: Sarsfield GAA Pavilion, Glanmire.

Guardian Toastmasters.

Date:  Each Wednesday

Time & Venue:  19:30 , Garda Headquarters, Anglesea St, Cork.

Website:  www.guardiantoastmasters.com

Midleton Toastmasters.

Date: 2^nd & 4^th Wednesday of the month.

Time & venue: 20:00, McDaid’s Pub, Main St., Midleton.

Website: www.midletontoastmasters.org

PMG Toastmasters (Corporate Club, membership restricted to company employees).

Date: Alternate Tuesdays.

Time & Venue: 19;30, Lough Mahon Technology Park, Blackrock, Cork.

Talking Heads Toastmasters(Garryvoe).

Date: Alternate Tuesdays.

Time & Venue: 20;00 Garryvoe Hotel, Garryvoe, Co. Cork.

Website:   www. garryvoetoastmasters.org

Area 23.

Carrigaline Toastmasters.

Date: Alternate Mondays.

Time & Venue: 20:00, Carrigaline Court Hotel, Carrigaline.

Website: homepage.eircom.net/carrigalinetm/

Cork Toastmasters.

Date: Alternate Tuesdays.

Time & venue: 20:00 Montenotte Hotel, Montenotte, Cork.

Website: www.corktoastmaster.org

Crusaders Toastmasters.

Date: Alternate Wednesdays.

Time & Venue:  19;45, Bru Columbanus, Cardinal Way, Wilton, Cork.

Website: www.crusaders.ie

Douglas Sláinte

Date: Alternate Wednesdays.

Time & Venue: 20;00, Rochestown Park Hotel, Rochestown Rd, Cork.

Area 49.

Apple Cork (Corporate Club, membership restricted to company employees but vistors more than welcome!).

Date: 1^st & 3^rd Thursday of the month.

Time  & venue: 17;15. Apple, Hollyhill, Cork.

website: http://d71.org/portal.php?page=1&c=325

Bishopstown Toastmasters.

Date: Each Saturday.

Time & Venue:  11;00, Bishopstown Library, Wilton, Cork.

Website: www.d71.org/portal.php?page=1&c=20

Cork Leeside Toastmasters.

Date: Each Monday

Time & Venue:  18;15, SOHO Bar, 77, Grand Parade, Cork.

Website: www.corkleeside.org

Powdermills Toastmasters (Ballincollig).

Date: Alternate Wednesdays

Time & Venue: 20:00, Oriel House Hotel (Inniskenny Suite), Main St,  Ballincollig, Co. Cork.

Website: www.powdermillstoastmasters.org

Toastmaster clubs 1: Kerry, Limerick County and Cork County.

West Cork (Area 11)

Bandon Toastmasters.

 Dates: 2^nd & 4^th Wednesday of the month.

 Time & Venue:  20:15, Munster Arms Hotel, Bandon.

Website: www.bandontoastmasters.com

Bantry Toastmasters.

Dates: Alternate Tuesdays.

Time & Venue:  20:00, Westlodge Hotel, Bantry.

Website: www.bantrytoastmasters.org

Beara Toastmasters.

Dates: Alternate Tuesdays.

Time & Venue:  20:00, Cametringane Hotel, Castletownbere.

Website: www.iol.ie/~bearatoastmaster

Clonakilty Toastmasters.

Dates : 2^nd & 4^th Monday of month.

Time & Venue:  20:00, O’Donovan’s Hotel, Pearse St, Clonakilty.

Website: www.clonakilty~toastmasters.org

Kinsale & District Toastmasters.

Dates:  1^st & 3^rd Wednesday of the month

Time & Venue:  20:00, Trident Hotel, Kinsale.

Website: www.d71.org/portal.php?page=1&c=285

North Cork(Area 17)

Fáilte Toastmasters (Charleville).

Dates:  2^nd & 4^th Monday of the month,

Time & Venue:  20:30, Charleville park Hotel, Charleville.

Website: www.failtetoastmasters.org

Fermoy Toastmasters

Dates: Alternate Tuesdays,

Time & Venue:  20:15, Grand Hotel, Ashe Quay, Fermoy.

Website: www.fermoytoastmasters.com

Speakeasy Toastmasters (Mallow)

Dates:  1^st & 3^rd Thursday of the month,

Time & Venue:  20:00, Hibernian Hotel, Main St, Mallow.

Website: www.speakeasytoastmasters.com

The Galtees Toastmasters (Mitchelstown)

Dates: 1^st & 3^rd Tuesday of the month,

Time & Venue:   20:00,Firgrove Hotel, Mitchelstown.

Website:  homepage.eircom.net/~thegalteestm

Area 36, Kerry & West Limerick.

Killarney Toastmasters.

Dates:  2^nd & 4^th Tuesday of the month.

Time & Venue:  20:30, Malton Hotel (formerly Great Southern Hotel), Killarney.

Tralee Toastmasters.

Dates : 1^st & 3^rd Monday of the month

Time & Venue:  20:00, O’ Donnell’s  Bar, MountHawk, Tralee.

West Limerick Toastmasters.

Dates:  1^st & 3^rd  Wednesday of the month.

Time & Venue:  20:30, McCoy's Cork Rd, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick.

Toastmaster clubs-Meeting times.

Both of the following posts will include meeting times for Toastmaster Clubs in Counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick.  Important to note:

• Members of the public are welcome to attend any Toastmaster meeting and WILL NOT BE ASKED TO SPEAK!!
• Some clubs charge a modest door fee, usually 5 euro, for tea, coffee, etc, check the club website for further details.

Division A- How toastmasters are organized locally.

Division A is the territorial organization for Toastmasters in the South of Ireland.  Working upwards from the individual club, Areas comprise of three to five clubs, Areas are gathered into Divisions and Divisions are aggregated into Districts.  Division A consists of six areas, and in turn Division A is one of nine divisions which comprise District 71. District 71 comprises Ireland and the UK.

Division and Area Officers are elected for one year, commencing in July. This year’s Division A Leadership team are:

Division Governor:                            Ann Dinneen.

Assistant Division Governors:            Bridget Elliott, Catherine Kelly  & Ray Ryan.

Immediate Past Division Governor:    Maire Corbett.

Division Statistician :                          Sean Corcoran.

 Area Governors:     

            Area 3(East Cork & portion of Cork City): Shay Rochford.

           Area 11(West Cork): Ger O’ Leary.

                                               Assistant Area governor Sandra O’ Hagan.

           Area 17 (North Cork): Conor O’ Brien.

           Area 23 (Mid Cork, Cork Harbour and portion of Cork City): Máire Ní Laoire.

           Area 36 (Kerry & West Limerick): Mary O’ Donoghue.

           Area 49 (Portion of Cork City): Eileen Twomey.

                                                              Assistant Area Govenor Mary O’ Shaughnessy.

What goes on in a Toastmasters meeting?

Expect to find the following at a typical Toastmaster meeting. One of the club members will chair the meeting, acting as “Toastmaster for the evening”. A different club member acts as Toastmaster for each meeting. The core of the meeting consists of prepared speeches. An average of  three to  five speeches are delivered each night. All our speeches are based on manuals from Toastmasters International. The manuals comprise different projects which set criteria, such as organizing one’s speech, and so on. However, speeches can be on any subject once the manual objectives are adhered to.

Impromptu speaking skills are developed in the topics session. A club member, again a different person for each meeting, acts as Topicsmaster. The Topicsmaster asks other club members to speak on an unexpected topic for up to two minutes. Needless to say, non-members will not be asked to speak in the topics session, but are welcome to contribute.

The final part of the meeting consists of the evalaution session. A club member will act as General Evaluator, making observations on how the meeting was organized. The prepared speeches will be evaluated by other club members, who will comment on the features on the speech, and make recommendations on how the speaker can improve. Recommendations are given in a friendly and constructive manner. Finally, all contributions are timed by a Timekeeper.

Debut.

Welcome to the first post in South of Ireland Toastmasters, the webblog for Toastmasters in the south of Ireland! Toastmasters is an international organization which promotes communcation and leadership skills
The blog will feature meeting times and dates for Toastmaster meetings in Counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick, links to other divisions in District 71, which covers Ireland and the UK, and much more. Hope you will enjoy the blog and that you will attend a Toastmaster meeting near you.

Ray Ryan, ACS, CL, Asst. Division A. Governor