Every Meeting a Milestone

I should know that every meeting we hold at Bremer Forum holds mini milestones for people - their first speeches, their first time chairing, their first time through the door - its never the same and never boring!

Last night was no exception - hearing people weaving tales around New Australians - relating fish communities to real ones, ancestory, population growth, gypsies and the real life history of Maria from the Greek Cafe - all rich in their own ways - we even found time for the fun of honouring successes - watch out for our next meeting.

Debate coming up - lets hope we can continue the winning tradition against Ashgrove Forum - there is nothing like good healthy debate between friends.....

Expect surprises at our public speaking meetings

I should always expect to be surprised at our public speaking meetings.

First surprise was our delightful visitor - looking a little lost outside the Ipswich Trades Hall Building ... so pleased that she came. Thanks for inviting her, Toni; we just love visitors - and we look forward to her return.

Jannene's Blind Date speech - kept us in suspense for a while but the info soon pointed to the famous puppeteer (muppeteer) Jim Henson.

Jenny's 10-minute speech defining New Australians was very informative, and great that Jenny shared some of her own ancestry with us.  The title did lend itself to informative speeches tonight - certainly good  for the audience to be reminded of the incredible journey taken by many who now call Australia home. Not sure about you, but I'm still scratching my head at Campbell being able to speak about fish to that title... very clever analogy used but then Campbell gets away with anything.

What great feedback about Campbell's success as MC of the Moon Festival. Only thing he was nervous about was singing in Chinese. Congrats Campbell - you have done us proud.

Congratulations also to Jannene who finally received the engraved trophy for winning our Impromptu Speaking Comp. for the Biennium.  Toni (Biennium Winner) and Wendy (Session 1 Winner) were also presented with their rightful Trophy for Bremer Forum's Prepared Speech Award.

Thanks for the unusual celebration of my Spirit of Forum Award... to have grown people suddenly  stand and start popping party poppers was a bit of a shock but lots of fun. Thanks for that... I felt appreciated.  Some poor soul must have cleaned the mess up - thanks for that also.

President Jannene - pulled another special award out of the box tonight - and Wendy was `pinned' for her bravery in dealing with the chair so calmly - inspite of it being only her 2nd time in the chair - and the meeting procedure she handled so well.

How fortunate we are to have Pam give us feedback - helps to know what we did well - and what we can improve. All part of the Forum experience.

Excited about doing the Public Speaking Workshop out past Laidley in the next few weeks. Toni, Jannene and myself will have lots to report at the next meeting. Hope the cattle are friendly ... and I am looking forward to meeting the students from throughout the Eastern States. 

Another amazing night at Forum over.  Now looking forward to the next one on 8 October...

I never thought I would do that!!

On Saturday I hosted the Moon Festival at the Ipswich State School for the Alpha Chinese School and it turned out to be a great day. However not in a million years would I have been up on that stage, I believe, if I hadn't been attending Forum to gain the skills and confidence. I even managed to sing a few lines of a Chinese love song, and in Chinese, and to top it off not one drop of alcohol had passed my lips.

And I must thank my Forum friends for helping me along the way to make the day easier for me and to point me in the right direction, although I know I don't listen very often.

So I believe if anyone has any doubts or fears about speaking in public, take the first step and walk into the Bremer Forum, free your mind and dissipate your fears.

Inspired... by two great topics

It's great to feel inspired about a topic - I suddenly have two topics that have impressed me in past few days and need the opportunity to learn even more about them by doing a speech on them.  

One of the things I love about Forum is the fact that you have a captive audience to speak to. Another is that you can speak about something you have a passion for - or simply want to know more about. It works both ways... doesn't matter if happens to be the mating habits of the African Dung Beetle ... now don't go googling that ... because I don't even know if it exists. 

New Australians .. is the title this Tuesday 24th. Expecting a great diversity of topics to this title... ... Hmm!  Wonder if I can fit `the mating habits of the African Dung Beetle' into such a title.  I can always try.. as I prefer to think outside the square.

Looking forward to your 10-minute speech Jenny.

Bremer Goes to Conference

Left to Right

Front - Jannene, Leanne

Back - Lorraine, Toni

Forum Communicators Conference 2013

Hooray! GRAND CHAMPION speaker - Toni Risson of Bremer Forum

Toni Risson's outstanding success in the Forum Speaking Awards at Conference reflects not only her own brilliant mind and talent as a speaker but also the fact that Bremer Forum, as an organisation, is on the right track in developing members' speaking confidence and ability.

At the Biennial Conference last weekend for Forum Communicators Ass'n Inc. Toni represented Bremer Forum in both speaking competitions -  Impromptu Speaking (2 minutes and not for the faint-hearted) and Prepared Speech (10 minutes).

The Climax of these speaking awards is The Ruth Don Award  - GRAND CHAMPION - chosen by a panel of experienced Forum Assessors.  Each award carries the name of one of the Forum Founders.

At Saturday's finale, the Conference Dinner, Toni was firstly announced as winner of the Marjorie Puregger Award for Impromptu Speaking, and we were so proud. When they announced our Toni as the Grand Champion, Ruth Don Award, it was a very proud moment for her fellow Bremer members. A well deserved win cheered by all present, in what was a talented array of speakers from throughout the State.

Toni has developed as a brilliant speaker with the ability to captivate an audience both with her choice of topic, her ability to take an audience with her, and with natural expressive delivery.  When Toni combines her talent for adding touches of humour with the ability to construct speeches well - she is dynamic. 

We are so proud of you Toni - congratulations on your success at Conference - and thanks for putting Bremer Forum's name on the Forum map - and more importantly, literally on the much-prized trophies.  WINNERS ARE GRINNERS! - I say.

The Spirit of Forum - Accolades from Your Peers

I am back home and still feeling the fragrance of Forum Conference - Qlds premier public speaking group.

I wanted to do a special post on Lorraine Foran being awarded the Spirit of Forum award. No-one really knows the hours, the heart and the soul that Lorraine pours into ensuring Forum is the best it can be for everyone who attends. She would say that she is one of many, and in part that is true, there are many who perform their roles through being on Dais and participating in various standing committees well. But Lorraine is quite special in this regard and her passion and commitment was recognised and celebrated on the weekend by her peers - how wonderful.

A talented speaker herself, she engages that knowledge and skill to make us the best we can be. Well done Lorraine, we are proud that you lead us into uncharted waters and are such an integral part of our club.

The Spirit of Forum

Until Life Membership is instituted, the highest accolades bestowed upon Forum members are the Badge of Honour and the Spirit of Forum Award. You have to be really, really special to get these.
The former is a life tribute, and the three people who have earned this had been Forum members for over 50 years, so each of us has a way to go before we can aspire to that. The Spirit of Forum is awarded annually to someone who, for a long time, though perhaps not 50 years, has gone above and beyond the call of duty in many aspects of Forum life.
Last night, as Elaine read out the qualifications for this, Leanne and Jannene and I looked at each other and remarked in unison, 'They should give that to Lorraine.' Then, as Elaine described the actions of the person who was going to receive it, we added, 'She's going to give that to Lorraine.'
And she did.
Congratulations Lorraine. Your spirit touches all of us and we are all so proud of you. As Elaine said, numerous people may deserve to be hailed as the Spirit of Forum; but none more than you. How lucky are we to have you for our very own?

Breeding Ground

You head off to conference wondering how you'll cope with speaking to competition conditions, hoping discussion about contentious constitutional changes won't become too heated, and fearing you won't be able to sleep in a strange bed. But when you get to conference you have completely unexpected encounters with information, ideas and people; that's what conference is really about.
As I listened to the best-of-our-best deliver their carefully-prepared 10-minute speeches I learned about fascinating topics like Nurse Edith Cavell and the experiences of Australian nurses during World War One, but what I value most about those speeches are revelations about speech-writing in general. Later, conversations around the 'water cooler' suggested areas of impromptu speaking that have slipped between the cracks in previous sessions. And late-night pyjama parties created opportunities to peep beneath the surface of personalities previously glimpsed only at the microphone.
What did I learn? Well . . . that's a secret because I plan to develop tutorials on some of these insights. So stay tuned. (And because what happens at the pyjama party stays at the pyjama party).
This weekend's conference was a breeding ground for thoughts, ideas and friendships. And I've come home germinating like a pumpkin seed in a compost heap.
We're in for an exciting two years as Forum Communicators rises to meet the challenges of a world vastly different from the one in which founders Ruth Don, Marjorie Puregger and Jessie Groom planted a club to equip women to speak in public and run meetings with confidence. And I know we're in good hands with the new head gardener Margaret Townsley.
Thanks Elaine for a wonderful conference and for all your hard work in tending us for the past two years.
Roll up your sleeves everyone.

Toni - Queen of Conference

How amazing it was to see Toni Risson win both the Impromptu section and Grand Champion Award for her speaking. We have all seen Toni grow as she has participated in Forum over the last few years. Congratulations also to Sara from Dalby club, People's Choice. The calibre of speaking from clubs all across Brisbane and wider Queensland was a feast to our ears. Can I encourage you, now is the time to join and start learning the art of speaking! This could be you when Conference rolls around in two years time.

What a Smorgasbord!

What a smorgasbord of speeches we had on Tuesday night. A plethora in fact. It was wonderful to have the subject of our speeches pre-ordained.... that took the stress off a little. What a thoroughly delightfully entertaining night, where we heard our newest member Tom execute his first 5 minute speech. PLUS an Assessor from Rostrum visited, giving us insightful comments to take home and digest. Perfect !!

What a Great Meeting

Great meeting as usual everyone, and so appreciated Don's assessment of us all. Another highlight was Jannene's fabulous lead into her tutorial about speech preparation - a YouTube clip about Ma and Pa Kettle beating around the bush and getting nowhere! Sounds like me when I try to put my thoughts together sometimes!!

A Wonderful Bouquet

This week's meeting was like a bouquet bursting with blooms of all kinds and colours. Numerous smallish speeches on an array of celebrities enabled those who, like me, know a lot about a little to be enthralled by things like Elizabeth's going up a tree a princess and going down a queen. In a tutorial on speech structure, which likened hearing a speech to inspecting a house, Jannene whetted our appetites by drawing on popular culture, in particular, our beloved Alice's exchange with the Cheshire Cat about knowing where one wants to go. This is an extremely effective device. We got to drool, yet again, over Colin Firth - thanks Rex; I'm glad you know what women want. The comments of outside assessor Don Mansfield highlighted slightly different speech elements and featured insights about members that we may not appreciate are key strengths because they are so familiar to us - sometimes you don't see the forest for the trees. I had the opportunity to refresh my skills at chairing a meeting, even though I forgot the Vote of Thanks (and so did everyone else), and had a last-minute impromptu practice, which was very welcome. And best of all, I saw people pushing themselves beyond their previous successes, and succeeding. Campbell's speech, for instance, reflected a capacity for research gained, perhaps, from writing his 10-minute Carpe Diem speech. Well done everyone. Now remember that special challenge I threw down at the beginning of the meeting . . . .

I Have Returned

Thanks Everyone for another amazing evening on Tuesday - Life Stories is really revealing some gems and insights into the lives of others.  Try out your new mind-mapping techniques for next session focus speeches around the title of New Australians.  As an in-bounder myself I am looking forward to pouring my heart and thoughts into 5 minutes of word wizardry .... watch this space.  El Presidenti (no longer in absentia)

I Agree !!

I really enjoyed the diversity of the speeches the other night. It was good to have everyone speak to a different person although Toni and Tom did have a clash talking about Yoko. But they still produced a slightly different take on her life.

Another confidence boosting follow-up from our assessor Don made it all worthwhile. It was good that he was able to target our strengths and point out to us where we might be able to make things better. After all, if it wasn't for Forum I wouldn't be so calm about being the host at the Moon Festival on the 21st. If I hadn't come here I would have to take my wee flask of whisky in me pocket to get me through :-)

Inspired by another great meeting...

Program for last night was extremely informative - our newest member was overheard expressing his amazement at how much he actually learns in our 1-1/2 hour meetings.  Not only through the experienced feedback on the general meeting procedure and to speakers - and the workshop on `mind mapping' to put your information together for your speech - but the wealth of information in the speeches.  This was certainly a night for all that and more. 

How about the confidence by last night's chairman...  who confessed that taking on the leadership role during the previous session has definitely given her more confidence in chairing meetings.

Great work everyone... a well planned program Jannene - congratulations to you and to all of our members - for the research and effort they put into their speeches.  

Five members heading for Conference and a great weekend of fun, fantastic speaking, food and Forum `Fanatics'.  Good luck to our speaker representing Bremer Forum at Conference - that was a confident impromptu last night - go get 'em Toni. 

How To Give a Vote of Thanks

When I assessed last week, I mentioned that it's a good idea to have a simple outline of a Vote of Thanks in your bag in case you get asked to do one on the night.  This is an example -

VOTE OF THANKS - Speaking segment with a main speaker
Madam Chairman, members and guests...
It gives me great pleasure to be able to give the Vote of Thanks to our speakers tonight.
______________(main speaker is named), has_______ (entertained / informed / persuaded us / offered insight - what you have gained)
All of our Following Speakers have provided us with / shown us how to ____________.
It has been a _____________ speaking segment.  Madam Chairman, I have much pleasure in moving this Vote of Thanks to all of our speakers tonight.

VOTE OF THANKS - to all speakers equally
Madam Chairman, members and guests,
Tonight we have been __________(informed / challenged / entertained) by all of our speakers.  (No one speaker is singled out). 
We heard about __________ (be brief), and we loved every minute of it / have learned so much about __________ (what you have gained). 
Madam Chairman, it gives me great pleasure to move the Vote of Thanks to all of our speakers tonight.

Life Highlights.... Where do we stop?

Hope everyone has their speech ready for Tuesday... Life Highlights....  My subject is so vastly written about it will be very difficult to trim down the highlights to less that 5 hours let alone 5 minutes - but I will have to try.  Should be a very interesting and informative night.  It will be great to catch up again with our old mate Don... who will give us some constructive feedback on our speeches.

Looking forward to seeing you all there...