AP2 Resources for Entertainment from The Entertaining Speaker Manual

why didn't I think of it earlier? I spoke about Susan Boyle and Zoe Tay in my AP2 speech. I should have rounded it up by sharing about Lashunda Rundles, 2008 world champion of public speaking - the first woman to win since 1986 and the first African American woman to ever win this title.

Her winning speech was about speaking up. In an interview, she wrote:

The theme of my speech was to speak up. People sit in silence so much afraid to express themselves and it often diminishes the quality of their lives and those that they love. The fear people have has to be overcome and the purpose has to be the passion.

I chose this theme because growing up, I saw so many people abused because of their silence. I witnessed people be broken because they would not speak in their own defense. Most painfully, I watched my mother die from cancer. When she began to finally complain, it was too late. I am sure that she had symptoms long before she revealed it to us. She was the kind of person who would grin and bear it. She was so giving that she didn’t ever want to feel like she was imposing on anyone. I believe that her silence allowed the cancer to take [her] life because it was about one month from her diagnosis until her death.

In addition, what I learned from her is that our words make a lasting impression on this earth. Her words still live in me and the values she instilled in me live in me and will live on through my son.

http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/lashunda-rundles-2008-world-champion-public-speaking/

Just like Susan Boyle, Lashunda has a special place in my heart. She's my inspiration!

AP2 Resources for Entertainment from The Entertaining Speaker Manual

Objectives: 

(1) Draw entertaining material from sources other than your own personal experience.

(2) Adopt your material to suit your topic, your own personality and the audience.

Time:  5 - 7 minutes

OMG

The plump, plain-looking, middle-aged lady with grey hair ambled onto the stage. When asked by one of the judges what was her dream, she replied matter-of-factly that she would like to be a famous singer like Elaine Page.  You could hear the sniggers from the audience and see the incredulous, cynical looks on their faces. 'What audacity! How unrealistic! Far-off' are probably some of the thoughts that crossed their minds.  But when the lady opened her mouth to sing, her strong powerful vocals took everyone by surprise.  There was collective jaw-dropping.   After her rendition of the song 'I dreamed a dream', the audience erupted into thunderous applause and even gave the singer a standing ovation.  That singer was Susan Boyle, who became an overnight sensation as her performance video on youtube garnered 2.5 million views within 72 hours.

Good evening, fellow toastmasters, that was Susan's OMG - one moment of glory.  When you win a contest, it can open doors of opportunity for you, just like it did for Susan.  She went on to place 2nd in the contest Britain's Got Talent, produce two albums and in September this year, Susan Boyle was officially recognised by Guinness World Records as having had the fastest selling debut album by a female artist in the UK, and was also awarded the record for being the oldest person to reach number one with a debut album in the UK. She is 48 years old.

Boyle's performance has been hailed as a triumph over a youth culture that often dismisses middle-aged women. Her OMG has catapulted her from anonymity to instant fame.  What an inspiration!  There is yet hope for me.

Nearer home, we also have a classic story of rags to riches. Zoe Tay, whom I'm sure all of you are familiar with, joined the biennial talent-search contest Star Search in 1988.  She emerged as the first Star Search champion.  From the daughter of a pig farmer, she became a well-loved local actress who starred in countless serials and has been voted as Top 10 Most Popular Female Artiste for 10 consecutive years.  Zoe Tay's OMG in the Star Search contest certainly and completely changed her life!

There are many in our midst who also enjoy taking part in contests, not singing contests, not acting contests but speech contests! In fact, there is a term for people who are addicted to taking part in contests - they are called contest junkies. Some junkies I know are Wee Meng, Seh Leng, Richard Sng, Wekie Tay to name a few.

Wee Meng once told me that he has collected more than 60 trophies in his 12 years of experience as a toastmasters.  Wow! 60? Anyone would be impressed by not his wife.  All these trophies are taking up so much space and only collecting dust. Can you please stop taking part in contests? Give other people a chance! That's what his wife reportedly said.  Luckily I only have 20 trophies and my husband hasn't said that to me yet.

I have a confession to make - I am a contest junkie too! When I took part in the District 80 Evaluation Contest 2 years ago, it was my first time reaching a district level contest.    Unfortunately, I was the first contestant, I had too many points in my evaluation speech and I made a fatal mistake.  I insulted the test speaker, who happened to be a very important person. He was our International Director.  It was painful to not win anything in a contest but it was certainly an enlightening experience because now I know how to keep my evaluation speech within the time limit and how to insult people tactfully, I mean share constructive and encouraging feedback.

The following year was the most painful time in my journey as a toastmaster because I was appointed as an Area Governor,  and hence banned from taking part in contests. I could only watch others contest while I was itching to be on stage as a contestant. I suffered serious withdrawal symptoms. I would write contest speeches while daydreaming or dream that I took part in a contest and won.

Once my AG stint was over, I jumped straight into the contest ciruit again. Joni was back with a vengeance.  I wanted to challenge myself to reach the District 80 Evaluation contest again and be placed.   On 27 November 2010, during the District 80 Evaluation Contest, I wielded my weapon of alliterative triads and walked away with the champion trophy.  That was my OMG!

Who would have imagined that this once reticent, diffident and bashful girl would become a District 80 Evaluation Champion one day? Not only have I stretched myself beyond what I imagined possible, winning the contest has also opened doors for me. I have been invited by two trainers to join their organisation.  

In conclusion, if you have a chance to take part in a contest, go for it! It can help you discover your talent, open doors of opportunities and even change your life.  Go grab your OMG!

                  x                     x                     x                       x                     

Points for improvement by Lim Seh Leng:

(1) use ONLY material from sources other than your own personal experience as stated in the first objective.

(2) avoid distracting hand-gestures such as finger-pointing and moving the hand up and down

(3) dramatize the speech further for greater impact and more entertainment value

Voted BEST SPEAKER for the evening! 

AP1 The Entertaining Speech from The Entertaining Speaker Manual

Just as I was racking my brains over this project, a friend suggested that I use my PA contest speech for it (http://odysseydiscovery.blogspot.com/2010/10/pa-humorous-speech-contest-2010.html).  Perfect! So after rehearsing the speech a few times, I was ready to go. I had re-titled it "Happily Ever After"

Objectives:
(1) Entertain the audience by relating a personal experience.
(2) Organize an entertaining speech for maximum impact.
Time:  5 - 7 minutes

Unfortunately, the audience at NUS Alumni consisted mostly of young, single people and few could relate to my experiences about marriage.  Absolutely no one laughed at the jokes or funny anecdotes, unlike the audience at the PA contest.  It was quite terrifying and disheartening, like a stand-up comedian facing a silent audience.

My evaluator and mentor Wee Meng suggested gauging the audience needs and learning to change the angle of the speech to engage the audience so they can identify with the speech material better.

PA Humorous Speech Contest 2010

The finals of the PA 7th Humorous Speech Challenge Cup 2010 was held on Sat 2 Oct 2010 at Nee Soon South CC. I had lost all confidence of winning the contest as the other contestants I had heard at the Preliminary round were very competent speakers and my speech seemed lacklustre in comparison.

I decided to write a new speech for the finals but could not summon the energy to do so till the night before the contest.  This is the first time I enter a contest so unprepared.  I had to use the old speech title 'Are You Ready?' as it was already printed in the program booklet even though my new speech title was 'How to Train a Man'. During the speech, I forgot my lines: I lost the 2nd paragraph and some lines in the closing.  Thankfully, I was able to recover quite well.  The audience laughter was loudest during the part about rewards for men, especially the 2nd F.  

Surprise ending? I was placed 2nd runner-up!!! I had left the contest early to go back to work and when I received congratulatory smses from my friends and fellow Katong members, I was astounded, stunned and speechless.  


Here's the speech that helped me win 3rd prize:

HOW TO TRAIN A MAN

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl called Snow White.  She eventually met her Prince Charming and they lived happily ever after.

Good afternoon, distinguished judges, ladies and gentlemen, how many of you believe in happily ever after?

(Wow so many innocent souls out there! or All of you are as cynical as I am?)

When I was a young and innocent little girl, I believed in "happily ever after" but not anymore, especially NOT after I got married because the Prince Charming I had married had somehow mutated into Mr Alarming!! When I asked my married girlfriends, it seems this mutation is quite universal.

Before marriage, my man was absolutely endearing, invariably patient and unconditionally helpful.  For example, he would help me mark my students' assignments (I used to be a teacher) or go the extra mile to buy some food I was craving for.  When we go out on dates, he would tell me how beautiful I looked.  Now I even have to ask him what he thinks of my new haircut because he would barely notice.

Seeing how many celebrity couples have split up and even friends going through divorce, I realised marriage requires hard work. I read up all kinds of marriage self-help books and came to the conclusion: I have to train my man so that we could live, if not happily, at least tolerably together ever after.

Based on the collective wisdom of many authors, the secret to training a man involves CPR. C for consequences, P for punishment and R for Rewards.  

The prelude to this rigorous training is first to establish what kinds of behaviours are off-limits in the marriage.  For example, do not leave your dirty socks or clothes on the floor, place them in the laundry basket.  Do not leave your wet towel lying around, place it on the railing in the toilet.  When I talk to you about my problems, just listen, don't offer solutions.  Of course the list will differ for each couple.  You will find that some actions lend themselves to logical consequences.  If you leave your dirty clothes on the floor instead of in the laundry basket, then they don't get washed.  After a while, he should get the message.  Impose a corresponding consequence for each offending action and keep to it consistently.  

For actions that do not have logical consequences, that's when PR comes in.  You impose your own consequences in the form of punishment or reward.

There are many ways to punish a man but the 3 most effective ways are emotional blackmail, silent treatment and hide-and-seek.

Emotional blackmail includes crying, throwing tantrums or acting hysterical and should be used sparingly only for serious offences for it to be effective.  

Silent treatment involves totally ignoring him for at least 24 hours, if it's only 2 or 3 hours, it won't be effective. In fact, one website eHow.com recommends 1-2 days of silent treatment, and increase to 2-3 days if the offence is repeated.

Hide-and-seek means you hide, he seeks.  This is my personal favourite.  It involves hiding something of great importance to him such as the air-con or tv remote control  When he asks for it, 'Dear, where is the remote control?', just feign ignorance.

Punishment must be painful for it to be effective.  On the other hand, when your man performs well, do reward him as positive reinforcement.  I suggest the 3Fs.

The first F is for food.  It has been said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.  Keep a copy of makan sutra at home and let him know which dish or recipe he will get to enjoy for his efforts.

The second F is for fantasy.  Keep a copy of karma sutra at home and let him know which position he gets to enjoy for being good.  Better still, play dress up as a nurse, schoolgirl or sex siren (on different occasions of course!) to give him the illusion he is making out with different women.  I am sure this will be an effective antidote to unfaithfulness.

The 3rd F is freedom.  Give him freedom to do whatever he wants but within limits of course.  He gets some 'me-time' to enjoy his macho activities like watching soccer or fishing with his buddies.

So there you have it: CPR - the way to train a man.  However, there is a caveat.  There are some things you just can't train a man to do.  For example, it has been socially confirmed and scientifically proven that men can only do one thing at a time.  I can't talk to my husband when he is driving because he will miss a turn and say it's my fault.  According to author Allan Pease, men's brains are specialised, compartmentalised, and configured to concentrate on one specific dedicated task at once.  So no point training your man how to multi-task because he just won't get it.  

In conclusion, marriage is hard work.  Ladies, use CPR everyday to train your man so you can enjoy living with him under the same roof and perhaps even find your 'happily ever after'.

  

Humorous Speech Contests 2010: ARE YOU READY?

Having moved on from the role of Area Governor, I was looking forward to joining the contest circuit again and raring to go.  This speech about parenting had been brewing in my mind for a long time. 

I presented it at my club contest and it was a hit with the audience.  At the PA 7th Humorous Speech contest, I sailed through to the finals with the speech, although I felt it was lacklustre compared to the other speeches.  At the Area Z3 contest, I was 1st runner-up.  


Here's the speech. Enjoy reading it. =)

ARE YOU READY?           
                   

GOOD EVENING ladies and gentlemen,

How many of you here have kids?

How many of you here have kids but wish you didn’t?

(either respond: Looks like I'm the only honest person here tonight. 

Or Wow, I found my soulmates!)

For the lucky ones who do not have kids, who would like to have kids one day?

I’m sure you think babies are cute and adorable right?  Wrong!!

That is a misguided notion, a misconception, a myth.

Babies are cute and adorable only when (1) they belong to someone else and (2) you only need to spend 5 minutes with them.  Try being the main caregiver having to spend hours and hours with a baby day in and day out and you will certainly change your mind.

Potential parents, are you ready for the challenges of parenting? Tonight, allow me to enlighten you regarding the sacrifices and challenges of parenting from a mother's perspective.

First, the sacrifices.  As a parent, there are 3 Ses you must be prepared the sacrifice. The first S is SLEEP.  This unfortunately applies mostly to mothers. Do you know that new mothers develop enhanced sensitivity to sound? This has been scientifically proven to be part of women's maternal wiring. That means mothers wake easily even to the slightest rustle or whimper of the baby. Unlike the husbands who will just continue to snore and sleep on like a baby. The only time they will wake up in the middle of the night is during World Cup season.

The second S is a three-letter word. Yes, SEX!!! Which in all fairness, applies mostly to fathers.  Many husbands have lamented the fact that they are relegated to second place once baby comes along.  And babies are the biggest sex killer of all.  When mothers are exhausted with breastfeeding and feeling unsexy with all the postnatal weight gain, what is the last thing on their minds? That probably explains why the red light district in Geylang has such a thriving business.

The third S is SANITY.  A thousand and one things about bringing up kids will drive you crazy.  You can go crazy when baby cries and cries non-stop and nothing you do will pacify him. Or the food you have painstakingly prepared for baby ends up on the floor instead of in his mouth. Or when your preschooler comes home spewing some vulgarity he has picked up from school.  The list goes on and on. I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I’ve felt like giving my kids away.  That is when you need to do some sanity-restoring activities like take a walk in the park, sing karaoke or join a speech contest to pour out your woes, like what I'm doing now.

Now that you’ve heard about the sacrifices of parenting, are you ready to hear about the challenges? Kids will challenge you in 3 ways: They will test your knowledge, they will try your patience and they will question your values.

Children, being creatures of curiosity, will constantly test your knowledge. Sometimes they will ask you the strangest questions. I’ve been asked by my kids: “Why is the moon following us?”; “What animals have no blood?”; “Why can't I see God?”; “Why is that woman so fat?” and so on. Children basically expect their parents to be experts in all fields be it science, zoology, or theology. Thankfully I can use the impromptu speaking skills I have learnt in Toastmasters when put on the spot.

Children try your patience. Do you know that kids love to dawdle especially when you are running late. The more you ask them to hurry, the slower they get. And when you give an instruction, you expect it to be followed NOW, but kids will take their own sweet time especially at bedtime. Joel, come to bed now. Wait mommy I’m hungry, I need to eat something. Or I’m thirsty, I need to drink some water. No wonder the Bible says, "Love is Patient". I'm sure God designed this verse with kids in mind.

Last but not least, kids will question our values. So often we tell our kids to do as we say, but they do as we do.  Which explains why we must be on our best role-model behaviour at all times!! That is such a tall order.  Once I reprimanded my boy, don't talk so rude to mommy, he asked me, "Then why you shout at grandma last time?" Oh boy, was I guilty.  Another time, while driving, a driver cut in front of me, causing me to jam on my brakes.  My 4-year-old son immediately verbalised my thought, "Stupid driver!!" Our children become who we are so unless we practise the values we preach, our kids will definitely question them.

All these challenges can really get you down and beseige you with feelings of frustration and failure.  I'm sure many parents here will agree with me that parenting is the hardest job in the world!

Now that you've heard all about the sacrifices and challenges of parenting, are you ready for it? Don't worry, I have the perfect solution for you.  To be prepared for parenting, we can introduce hands-on practice, like what we do in Toastmasters.  I happen to have 2 very cute and adorable boys who are 4 and 7 years old.  In the spirit of caring and sharing, I am happy to avail them for hire at a very special rate of $20 per day for a minimum of 3 days.  

If after 3 days of hands-on practice, you find the experience tolerable, or even pleasurable, then truly you are ready for the sacrifices and challenges of parenting, the hardest job in the world.

STAY OR LEAVE?

When a club is floundering, do you stay or leave?  You can't fault others for wanting to leave when they feel the club has no more value for them but I am a stayer.

When I joined Katong Toastmasters Club in November 2008, there were only 8 members.  It was a struggling club and together we built it up by running an intensive 6-week Speechcraft workshop, which brought in many new members, many of whom have left.

People leave for all kinds of reasons.  One member left because he could not withstand the stress of being VPE.  He hated being let down, that people make promises to do their speeches or take up appointments but change their minds last minute with all kinds of excuses.  I can't deny it's exasperating but that's life for you.  Others left due to work priorities.  One left without a word - all smses, emails and phonecalls received no response. Why can't say a decent goodbye? Who's going to hold you at gunpoint and say you can't leave?  Whatever happened to social etiquette?

Another member recently revealed his intention to leave as many of the senior members were gone and the quality of the club was flagging. It was discouraging.  I suggested staying on to make a difference to the club but greener pastures beckon.

So they leave... one by one...

Some stay but don't come... what's the point?  I wish people could be passionate and committed.  If they have made a decision to join a club which requires only monthly meetings, then at least make an effort to attend every month.  3 hours a month... how much commitment does it require to attend a meeting?

If you have signed up for a speech, then commit at least 2 days a month to write the script, edit and rehearse it.  Speakers who take the stage with minimal preparation is really wasting everyone's time and not to mention, wasting their opportunity to learn and improve as a speaker. 

Good speakers are a great way to attract new members. I joined NUS Alumni Toastmasters Club because of great speakers like Lau Kwong Fook and Ler Wee Meng; I wanted to learn from them, speak like them. I joined Katong Toastmasters Club because of good speakers like Justin Quek and Benjamin Gan.  Lacklustre speeches are a real bane.

Let's hope members buck up, make an effort to deliver well-crafted and well-rehearsed speeches and give the impetus for members to stay and for more to join.  After all, we are about public speaking, why speak if your heart is not in it?

NUSS JUNE CHAPTER MEETING

WORD OF THE DAY: GOAL
shifting the goalpost = moving from your original position

                     x x x x x x x x x x

One Table Topic stood out for its use of simile:
People are like teabags, their true strength comes out in hot water.

                     x x x x x x x x x x
 
From Molly's P6 speech, 'Focus on the Big Picture', she encouraged us to "relook, rethink, revise" our priorities and to chase the alternate five Cs:
Commitment,
Compassion,
Contribution to Community
Character

Use of a powerful analogy:
Holding a glass of water in her hand, Molly asked the audience,
"What would happen if you hold the glass for a minute? How about an hour? How about a day?"
Your hand will ache, it will feel pain, it might become paralyzed.  What is the solution?
PUT IT DOWN! Similarly, we hold on to our problems and become paralyzed with the weight of it. We need to put our problems down. 
 

Project Evaluation of AP5

One week after presenting my AP5 The Abstract Concept, I had the opportunity to evaluate the same project speech at NUSS TMC.  Voted Best Evaluator!

The speaker's topic was Marslow's hierarchy of needs.  As I mulled over the points to commend and recommend, I remembered Wekie Tay's powerful use of alliterative triads which helped him clinch the championship at the Area Z3 Evaluation contest 2009.

As I played around with my points, alliterative triads came into play as well, to my absolute delight.

This was what I included in my evaluation.

COMMENDATIONS: 3Es

Encompassing - The speech encompassed different aspects of informative speech such as definitions, examples, visual aids and a quotation.

Explanation - The concept was clearly explained and illustrated with a diagram to demonstrate the hierarchy in the different needs listed.

Example - An example was used to demonstrate how the Marslow's theory of hierarchy of needs can be applied to the workplace environment, showing its relevance to our daily lives.

RECOMMENDATIONS: 3Ps

Placement of laptop - Logistics setup is important.  Place the laptop where you can easily view the slides from it without having to turn your head to view the slide on the projector screen.

Pictures - Include more pictures in the powerpoint presentation as pictures speak a thousand words.  The slides were too wordy.

Personal anecdotes - Include these in your speech to enliven and energise your speech.

In conclusion, continue to use the 3Es to excel in your presentation and consider the 3Ps to make your presentation more powerful, and you will be on your way to becoming an impactful informative speaker.

Journey to ACS Award

Here is a record of the ten speeches I had completed to achieve Advanced Communicator Silver award.

STORYTELLING MANUAL

1 The Folk Tale (7-9 min)
Hansel & Gretel
evaluated by Clifford Ess on 27/1/2005 at NUS Alumni TMC

2 Let’s Get Personal (6-8 min)
The Road to Recovery
evaluated by Michael Wee on 7/8/2008 at Tampines Changkat TMC

3 The Moral of the Story (4-6 min)
One Step at a Time
evaluated by William Chew on 15/1/2009 at Katong TMC

4 The Touching Story (6-8 min)
The Baby That Never Was
evaluated by Ler Wee Meng on 16/4/2009 at Katong TMC

5 Bringing History to Life (7-9 min)
From Darkness Into Light
evaluated by Christine Lim on 14/1/2010 at Kampong Glam TMC
(2nd attempt)


SPEAKING TO INFORM MANUAL

1 The Speech to Inform (5-7 min)
The Power of Repetition
evaluated by Pradeep Kumar on 11/12/2009 at AIA Changi TMC
(2nd attempt)

2 Resources for Informing (5-7 min)
Perfect Your Pronunciation
evaluated by Lau Kwong Fook on 1/4/2009 at AIA Alexandra TMC

3 The Demonstration Talk (5-7 min)
Origami 101
evaluated by Gea Ban Peng on 6/5/2009 at Braddell Heights Advanced TMC

4 A Fact-Finding Report (5-7 min)
Understanding Lower Back Pain
evaluated by Michael Wee on 6/5/2010 at Tampines Changkat TMC

5 The Abstract Concept (6-8 min)
Understanding Acupuncture
evaluated by Ler Wee Meng on 17/6/2010 at Katong TMC

Now on to 10 more speeches for AC Gold award!

AP5 The Abstract Concept

I presented my final project from the Speaking to Inform manual on 17 June 2010 at Katong.  The topic selected was "Understanding Acupuncture".

Took 2 days to memorise the script and rehearsed repeatedly to get the timing right.  The script was too long and I edited it a few times to get a satisfactory length.  Nevertheless, most times I rehearsed, the timing was either dangerously close to 8 min 30secs or exceeded. 

On the day of the presentation, Wee Meng had thoughtfully brought his Powerpoint remote control and I could use Ben's laptop to present my Powerpoint slides.  I believe I went quite fast as the speech ended by 8 minutes! 

I was voted Best Speaker that night.  What joy!  What a sweet ending to my Advanced Communicator Silver journey!

Wee Meng's tips for improvement:
(1) Placement of laptop to allow easy viewing so I don't have to turn back to look at the screen.
(2) Having one slide per point instead of 3 points to a slide.
(3) Instead of having a blank screen for one part of the speech, include some pictures that match the speech content.
(4) Show the slide first, then start speaking, not the other way round.

Malcolm has videotaped Wee Meng's evaluation of my speech:
Katong Toastmasters Club Best Evaluator on 17 June 2010 Katong TMC meeting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amz_40oDGrU

Language Evaluation @ ACCA

On Tuesday 15 June 2010, I went to ACCA TMC to take on the role of LE.  It was my first visit to the club and due to a busy day at work, I only managed to arrive at 8pm.

Richard Sng had helped to present the Word of the Day: galvanise (verb) on my behalf.

This was probably the worst LE I had ever presented.  When I went up, I was so nervous that I did not know how to begin.  I actually felt self-conscious about offending people while presenting the brickbats.  At the end, I had not prepared a climactic conclusion and instead ended lamely by saying "Well done, er (long pause while trying to recall what club this was) Cairnhill Toastmasters Club." when it should have been "ACCA Toastmasters Club"!!

What a fiasco.  This is what lack of practice can do to you.  It's time I buck up on my LE presentation. 

My last LE was in April at Toa Payoh Central TMC.  I managed to present it with powerpoint, making it structured and easy to follow. 

There is always room for improvement.  Don't let a minor setback get you down. 

LESSONS FROM GEESE

OPENING ADDRESS 15 APRIL 2010

Lessons From Geese

Why do geese fly in a V? Because it would be too hard to fly in an S! Just kidding. Scientists have determined that the V-shaped formation that geese use when migrating serves two important purposes:

First, it conserves their energy. Each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of him, resulting in a reduction of wind resistance. As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Not only that, the birds take turns being in the front, falling back when they get tired. In this way, the geese can fly for a long time before they must stop for rest.

The second benefit to the V formation is that it is easy to keep track of every bird in the group. Flying in formation may assist with the communication and coordination within the group. Fighter pilots often use this formation for the same reason.

What are some lessons we can learn from the geese?

Lesson 1:
People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.  Just as in Toastmasters, we are able to accelerate our learning in public speaking because of our shared goals of becoming better speakers and leaders.

Lesson 2:
By staying in formation with those who share our goals, we are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.  Don't suffer in silence. If you need help, ask for it or others will think you are doing fine.  And don't quit when the going gets tough! Get help and then get going.  That's what teamwork is all about.

Lesson 3:
It makes sense to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.

Like the leading goose, my wings are getting tired from flapping. It's time for me to move to the back and let someone else lead the team.  I am happy to announce that Nik has agreed to take on the role of Club President for the new term.  Let's give him our utmost support.

As a club, let's fly together in V formation so we can cover great distances and reach greater heights. Let's be the wind beneath each other's wings and help Katong grow from strength to strength.
I end with this quote:

No problem is insurmountable.
With a little courage, teamwork and determination
a person can overcome anything.
~B. Dodge

AREA Z3 INTERNATIONAL SPEECH & TABLE TOPICS CONTEST

Having been distracted by my trip to China during the March holidays, I came back realising with great alarm that preparations for the Area Z3 Contest have been left pretty much unattended.

Thankfully my good friend Michael Wee had already agreed to be chief judge earlier on and NOL had graciously agreed on the use of their lecture theatre for the event.  NOL President Peter was a real god-sent. He swiftly attended to all my pleas for help by providing names of club members to be appointment holders and even agreeing to sponsor drinks for the event!

Division Z Governor Sau Ying has already ordered the trophies and all I had to do was collect them from Queensway Shopping Centre and pay for them.  Next was buying the tokens and getting them wrapped.  That was promptly settled within two hours during my lunch break. 

One day before the contest, I went down to NOL to hand over the tokens, trophies and cash for food to Lee Hong as I knew I could not arrive early for the event.  On the day of contest, I arrived feeling flustered and out of sorts.  But I was immensely relieved to see that everything had been set up and sorted.  Jerry from NOL had even printed all the contest forms! Only problem was I couldn't find my script.  How on earth was I going to read out the contest rules now?

Thankfully Michael had brought the contest rules manual along and I could read from there.  The rest of it was improvisation.  So much work goes into organising every contest but not many people realise that. It is great to be part of a winning team where everyone chips in to play their part in ensuring the success of a toastmasters event.

The contestants showcased their informative, insightful and inspiring speeches, as well as intuitive, intelligent impromptu speeches on the topic "Winning can be defined as the science of being totally prepared."  We heard about 'encouragement', 'aging is living', 'the greatest obstacle to success', 'chase your dream' and 'pop and blow'.    We listened, we laughed and we even cried!

Here are the results of the AREA Z3 INTERNATIONAL SPEECH & TABLE TOPICS CONTESTS 2010:

INTERNATIONAL SPEECH CONTEST                              
Champion: Kok Yee Keong (Chong Pang)
1st runner-up: Christine Lim (NOL)                            
2nd runner-up: Kenneth Tian (Katong)                     

TABLE TOPICS CONTEST
Champion: Lee Hong (NOL)
1st runner-up: Christian Immanuel (AIA Alexandra)
2nd runner-up: Grace Tan (Katong)

The Area Champions will represent AREA Z3 at the Division Z ISTT Contests 2010 on Sat 17 APRIL 2010 at Kampong Glam CC from 2-5pm.

AP2: LET’S GET PERSONAL

AP2 LET’S GET PERSONAL (6-8 minutes)

ROAD TO RECOVERY

I’m sure many of us have read news stories about babies or young children going under the knife such as those born with a hole in the heart or conjoined twins having to be separated. Whenever I read or hear of such stories, I feel for the mothers. Because I myself have been through it.

It began in January 2007 when my younger son Jayden who was nine months old then came down with fever. I brought him to see the neighbourhood doctor Dr Leong who prescribed the usual fever syrup. His fever subsided after a few days but came back on and off a week later.

“Hmmm… this is not right,” my sister mused. “Something might be wrong. Better bring him for another check up,” she advised. My sister is four years my senior and a mother of two, so I definitely trusted her experience and instincts.

The next day I brought Jayden to see his paediatrician at Mount Alvernia Hospital. Dr Lee, a lady doctor and mother of three, suggested that we perform a urine test as fever could be a symptom of urinary tract infection, or UTI for short. The urine test results confirmed Jayden had UTI so he was put on antibiotics. Dr Lee mentioned that children with UTI can sometimes have other complications and recommended that further tests be done. I was not keen as firstly the tests are very expensive, secondly it can be rather invasive and thirdly, I was thinking, what only like 0.01 percent of children with UTI develop complications, how can we possibly be that unlucky?

A few weeks later I brought Jayden to see Dr Leong for an eye infection and mentioned his UTI problem. Dr Leong advised me to do further testing as every instance of UTI must be taken seriously.

That’s when I decided to do the test recommended by Dr Lee. It was called the micturating cysto-urethrogram test or MCUG for short. Jayden went for his first MCUG at MAH on 2 March 2007. First he was given sedation syrup as the test can only be carried out when the child is asleep. The procedure involves inserting a catheter through his penis into the bladder and then injecting a dye. X-rays are then taken to see if the dye moves up towards the kidney.

To our great horror, the MCUG test revealed that Jayden has vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR). This is a condition that causes urine to move backwards from the bladder, through one or both of the ureters up to the kidneys. Reflux is graded from 1 to 5 representing mild to moderate to severe cases. Unfortunately, Jayden had Grade V reflux and would need surgery to correct the problem causing the reflux, otherwise he would suffer kidney damage eventually.

When Dr Lee broke the news to us, I was devastated. What? My 9-month-old baby has to go under the knife? The thought was more than I could bear. Questions flooded my mind. Why? Why did this have to happen to Jayden? Was it something I had done wrong? Tears flowed down my cheeks as I grappled with the bad news.

My husband, the calm and rational one, meanwhile asked Dr Lee what we had to do next. She recommended a paediatric surgeon Dr Cheah from Gleneagles hospital who was experienced with urology cases. We met up with him and after viewing the x-rays and reports, Dr Cheah told us this was a congenital problem and had nothing to do with what we had or had not done. This assuaged my guilt somewhat. Then he went on to explain how the surgery for ureteral reimplantation would be carried out. It all sounded so complex to me! The most reassuring thing was that the surgery has a 95% chance of success.

With that, we arranged a date for surgery the following week and Jayden was admitted into MAH on 27 March 2007. It was the longest wait of our lives as my husband and I paced outside the operating theatre waiting for the operation to be over (like in the movies, you know). I believed I have never prayed more fervently than that moment in my life. When Jayden was wheeled out, his head was covered with a scarf and he looked completely dazed. I almost could not recognize him!

My poor baby had to be put on a drip and have a catheter attached to his wound to drain out the unwanted blood. It was a draining week staying in hospital with Jayden but each day when we saw progress in his health and well-being, our hearts rejoiced. Our family members and friends, even our church pastor came to visit us every day of the week. Many also expressed their concern and prayer support through SMSes. This show of love really uplifted us and kept us through the entire ordeal.

After the surgery, Jayden has to take antibiotics daily to prevent further urinary tract infection. He was scheduled for a post-op MCUG test 6 months later to determine if the reflux problem has been corrected.  His second MCUG test again revealed Grade V reflux. We were stunned! Does that mean something went wrong during surgery? Even our paediatrician Dr Lee was puzzled.

We immediately made an appointment to see Jayden’s surgeon Dr Cheah. He explained that the muscles of the ureters needed time to become strong and given time, the reflux problem should resolve.  Jayden was to continue with his antibiotics and go for another MCUG review in 4 months' time. 

In February this year, Jayden was scheduled for his third MCUG test at Mount Alvernia Hospital (MAH).  An anxious morning and $395 later, we received the good news - Jayden has no more reflux! Finally Jayden's problem of reflux has been resolved! We are so relieved and thankful. No more antibiotics, no more urine cultures, no more expensive MCUG tests! We have come to the end of the road of recovery.

AP3 THE MORAL OF THE STORY

AP3 THE MORAL OF THE STORY (4-6 minutes)


ONE STEP AT A TIME
Adapted from ‘Encouraging Kelly’ by Seema Renee Gersten from Chicken Soup for the Soul

Shirley loved children and she taught a group of five-year-olds at a kindergarten. One morning during circle time, while Shirley and the children were in the middle of a rousing rendition of ‘Old MacDonald’, the door suddenly opened. A woman walked in and stood by the door to observe the children and Shirley. Shirley’s voice and smile never faltered, but she was feeling nervous. Who is this woman? Why is she here? Shirley wondered. When she looked up again, she was gone.

The rest of the day went well, but by the time the last child was gone, Shirley felt physically and emotionally drained. There was nothing she wanted more than to get home and soak in a bath. Then her principal came in and asked to see her at the office before she left.

All kinds of negative thoughts raced through her mind. Have I done something wrong? Did it have something to do with the woman in my classroom earlier? By the time Shirley reached the office, she was a nervous wreck. She sat perched at the edge of her seat, her heart pounding furiously. The principal told her that the woman was a potential parent of the school and wanted to find out if her daughter would be able to fit into a regular classroom. Her little daughter was born with a birth defect that required her to wear leg braces from the knees. Her balance was poor and she was prone to topple so she would need the teacher to carry her to the playground. The other children would have to be careful when walking near her so as not to cause her to fall accidentally.

The principal then asked how Shirley felt about the girl joining her class. She was stunned. Here she was wondering how she could possibly survive one school year with 12 active five-year-olds and now she was being asked to take on a child with special needs. Not having the heart to say no, Shirley said she would accept the child on a trial basis.

The next morning, while Shirley and the children were having circle time, the door opened and the woman came in carrying her child. She introduced herself as Grace’s mother and gingerly placed her girl at the edge of the carpet. Shirley looked at Grace and said, “Welcome to our class. We are very happy to have you.” Grace smiled back shyly.

The first day went really well. Grace only fell over twice. After several days of carrying Grace to and from the playground, Shirley thought, ‘Why not encourage her to try walking along the hallway for just a bit?’ She asked Grace if she would like to try it and Grace said yes eagerly.

The next day, Shirley sent the children out to the playground with two assistants, and Grace began her first journey down the hallway. She walked all the way to the next classroom, a total of ten feet. Shirley and Grace were both thrilled. But Shirley’s assistants were shocked that she was making the poor girl walk. They thought it was better off to carry Grace to the playground where she could see the other children run and play. But Grace was persistent and keen to try.

And so Shirley and Grace began the strenuous task of walking daily down the hall. On a few occasions, Grace would teeter precariously to her right but each time Shirley reached out for help her regain her balance, she would giggle and say not to worry, she’s perfectly alright. As the days passed, Grace made good progress. Soon her classmates noticed what they were doing and began to cheer Grace as she plodded along. After two months of practice, Grace finally walked all the way to the playground by herself. She broke into a big smile as her classmates came to congratulate her with pats on the back and warm hugs.

Weeks passed and Grace continued to walk to the playground by herself every single day. She became more independent and did not have to be carried that much any more. However, one week in mid-December, Grace was absent for a few days. Shirley called her home and found out that Grace was getting her annual check-up with her doctors. On Monday morning, when Grace’s mother brought her back to school, she asked Shirley if she had been doing anything different with Grace. Shirley wasn’t quite sure what she meant. Then came the dreaded question: “Have you been forcing Grace to walk?”

Shirley was dumbfounded. Maybe she shouldn’t have encouraged Grace to walk to the playground every day. Maybe she had caused permanent damage to her weakened legs. She very softly told Grace’s mom that she had encouraged Grace to walk outside to the playground by herself as Grace was keen to try it. The mother gently lifted Grace’s dress to show Shirley that Grace’s knee braces had been replaced with ankle braces.

“Her legs have gotten more exercise in the past few months than in the past five years of her life.” Grace’s mother said with tears in her eyes. “I don’t know how to thank you for everything you have done for my daughter.”

Grace’s story has taught me that no obstacle in life is too big to overcome. Sometimes we just need a little encouragement and help, and most times, you just have to work at it – one step at a time.

AP4 THE TOUCHING STORY

The Touching Story (6-8 minutes)

Objectives:
(1) To understand the techniques available to arouse emotion.
(2) To become skilled in arousing emotions while telling a story.

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THE BABY THAT NEVER WAS

“Ahhhhh!” I let out a cry that sent my husband scurrying to the toilet to find out what the commotion was about. I thrust the test stick at him and glared accusingly, “Look, positive. That means I’m pregnant! It’s all your fault!” With that, I broke into hysterical sobs.

We had not planned for another baby. It was an accident. How could I possibly cope with 3 kids? The thought of having another baby was simply overwhelming. I would have to buy or borrow maternity clothes, baby apparel, baby cot and all kinds of baby accessories again – things which I had readily and happily given away after the birth of my second child.

Then I also realized, to my great dismay and distress, that I wouldn’t be able to attend the toastmasters convention in Hong Kong in May as I would be 5 months pregnant by then. I would not be able to attend toastmaster meetings for at least a year, nor can I become the next President of Katong Toastmasters Club.

All these worries, big and small, real and imagined, flitted through my mind, sending me spiraling into the deep, dark abyss of depression. A forbidden thought crossed my mind – maybe I should abort the baby. Maybe I could use Traditional Chinese Medicinal methods like Chinese herbal concoctions or acupuncture to abort the baby.

Just as quickly as the thought crossed my mind, my conscience squashed it. How could I murder my own child? How could I even entertain such a thought?

Even if this pregnancy was unplanned for, God must have allowed it to happen for a purpose. No, I must respect the seed of life in my womb. I must nurture it, care for it, and love it. It’s my own flesh and blood! I recalled a saying a friend once shared with me: “Pray not that things will be easier, pray that you will be stronger!” With that, I determined that I would keep the baby and learn to cope somehow.

At my first prenatal check-up, my gynaecologist Dr Esther Ng cheerfully congratulated us and explained the mysterious sightings on the ultrasound screen: “This is the baby’s head, this is the baby’s body and look here, this is the baby’s heart beating away!” This tiny black blot of mass was actually my baby! I was so overwhelmed with emotions that tears just started flowing down my cheeks. Dr Ng was startled. “Oh dear, are you alright? Was it something I said?” I could only shake my head as I was too choked up to speak.

The days that followed were filled with fatigue as I had to work every day, care for my 2 hyperactive 3 and 6 year old boys, and attend lessons 4 nights a week for a part-time course. And for some strange reason, my younger boy Jayden was suddenly sticking to me like glue and insisting that I carry him wherever we went. That really put a strain on me.

One Sunday evening, while I was out shopping with my 16-year-old niece, we chanced upon an OSIM machine called the u robic which was supposed to help you slim your bottom and thighs. My niece was very excited and told me to ask for the price. It was one of those vibrating seats that you sit on and hang on for dear life hoping you don’t get thrown off. Out of curiosity, I sat on the machine to try it out.

That very night, I had spotting. Blood! An unwelcome sight in pregnancy. It wasn’t bright red blood, only a faint, pinkish smear. Nevertheless, it sent a shiver of fear down my spine. The very next day, I went to see Dr Ng for a checkup. I told her about the spotting and the slimming machine adventure. She chided me for using the machine as the vibrations could affect the baby. By now I was getting very worried.

As Dr Ng scanned my uterus, I could see her brows knitted together in concentration. Something seemed amiss. Finally, she said, “I can’t find baby’s heartbeat.” I almost stopped breathing. “Does that mean baby is dead?” I whispered, fearing the worse. Dr Ng did not reply, instead, she suggested that I go for another round of ultrasound examination at the hospital’s x-ray department. So for the next few hours, I waited, did the scan, and went back to Dr Ng’s clinic for the verdict. There was no escaping the truth: the baby had miscarried.

Dr Ng was quick to reassure me that it was NOT because of anything I had done or had not done that caused the miscarriage. Sometimes miscarriages happen because the sperm or egg that made the foetus was not of good quality to begin with. She told me to make an appointment for an evacuation of the uterus at the hospital on either Tuesday or Wednesday. I just nodded dumbly.

That very night, I had the worst stomach cramps in my life. How come no one warned me it would be this painful? I called Dr Ng’s emergency number and asked her if I should be warded immediately. She told me it would cost more to be warded at night and sometimes, patients wait out and miscarry naturally before going to the clinic for clean up. The extra cost of hospitalization deterred me from going into the hospital immediately. I stoically decided to bear the pain through the night before going to hospital the next day.

Clutching a pillow to my tummy, I sat on the toilet bowl and let myself bleed. The profuse bleeding did not let up til 3 hours later. I wondered if I was flushing my dead baby down the toilet bowl. It was a disconcerting thought.

The next day on 17 February, I went to Mt Alvernia Hospital for evacuation of the uterus. It was a procedure carried out under general anaesthesia. The anaesthetician inflicted more pain in my hand than my baby did trying to get out. When it was all over, I woke up in a daze. All that was left was a hollow feeling inside me.

When the women in my family got together to discuss why the miscarriage had happened, my mother blamed it on the fengshui in the house. Why did we go and buy new furniture? My sister said I was carrying my 3-yr-old son too much. But in my heart of hearts, I knew the answer. The baby did not want me, because I did not want it in the first place.

Opening Address Feb 2010

ALWAYS GROW GOOD CORN

I once read this story shared by DTM Aziz Mustajab.

"A Nebraska farmer grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and discovered to his great surprise that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why, sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of the corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbour's corn also improves.

So it is in Toastmasters. Those who choose to be successful must help their fellow Toastmasters to succeed. Those who choose to grow and develop must help others to grow and develop. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all."

May we always help each other grow, develop and succeed in our quest for self-actualization. Here's wishing all of you a roaring year of the Tiger.

The Art of Language Evaluation

"Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides." Rita Mae Brown

Most Toastmasters I know react with fear and trepidation when called upon to perform the role of Language Evaluator (LE). Why? They deem themselves inadequate to evaluate others' use of language. But as with everything else, practice makes better. The more you practice the art of language evaluation, the better you will become.

Why become an LE?

As a language evaluator, you will learn the invaluable skills of listening (Project 1), critical thinking (Project 2), giving feedback (Project 3) and time management (Project 4), as outlined in the Competent Leader (CL) Manual. Those embarking on the CL program will be required to take on the role of LE at least once.

What is the purpose of LE? The purpose of LE is threefold: to

expand - members' vocabulary through "Word of the Day";

commend - good usage of the English language; and

recommend - alternatives to incorrect usage of the English language.

Page 72 in the CL manual gives a good guide to the role of a language evaluator. What I would like to share are the dos and don'ts based on my experiences as an LE.

Dos

1. Listen carefully while taking notes. If you miss out something, leave it instead of fretting over it.

2. Instead of using an A4 sheet of paper for taking notes, I prefer to use smaller pieces of paper (notepad size), one or more for each category. This way I can organise my points easily and present more efficiently with palm-sized notes.

3. Point out impressive or impeccable use of the language. Highlight rhetorical devices such as alliteration, metaphors and triads that other speakers can incorporate in their speeches.

4. Only comment on what you are confident about. If, let's say, pronunciation is not your forte, then don't comment on mispronounced words. If you're not sure about a certain word, check the dictionary or leave it. Check it up for next time.

5. Explain how you will categorise your evaluation (e.g. First, I will comment on the use of the "word of the day", then present some recommendations followed by commendations.) That makes it easier for the audience to follow your presentation.

6. Remind the timer to give you the timing sequence (typically it's green at 8 min, amber at 9 min and red at 10 min). Many beginning LEs make the mistake of going overtime.

Donts

1. Don't read out a whole long list of examples for a category. For example, if you had noted 10 examples of alliteration, choose only 3-4 of the more outstanding ones to highlight. Incidental examples of alliteration such as 'sixty-six' are best left out.

2. Don't assume your audience knows what terms like 'alliteration', 'metaphors' and 'triads' mean. Explain their meaning and significance before giving the examples.

3. Don't focus so much on recommendations that you have no time left for commendations, or vice versa. A language evaluation should be balanced and provide learning points from both the correct and incorrect use of the language by speakers.

4. Don't name names for negative examples (e.g. Mary mispronounced the word 'rendezvous''.) unless you know the speaker well. Some speakers may take offence.

There are probably more dos and don'ts other experienced LEs will add to this list. You will too, as you gain more experience. To leave a good impression, always end off your LE on a positive note, either with a quotation you have prepared beforehand or with a statement gleaned from one of the speakers.

My favourite closing: "May we all learn to live well and live to learn well."

Evaluation of AP1 The folktale

Evaluation of AP1 project from the Storytelling Manual: The folktale
Speech title: The Story of Bukit Merah 

Everyone loves a good story.  I would like to commend the speaker for choosing such an interesting story that explains how Bukit Merah, which means Red Hill, got its name.  It gave us an insight into the history of Singapore.

The second commendation is the use of the questioning technique at the beginning of the speech.  The speaker asked 'Do you know what is the meaning of Bukit Merah?'  to arouse the interest of the audience.

I would like to share 5 recommendations on how the speaker could have made his story come alive by using the acronym ALIVE.

A is for action.  Everyone loves a story that is full of action.  Be animated and energetic and use appropriate gestures to dramatise your story.  For example, when you mentioned the red lava erupting from the hill, you can use a sweeping gesture to demonstrate the intensity of the action. 

L is for language.  Use words that your audience understands.  When you used the word 'rajah', which is a Malay word, explain its meaning.  When you mentioned 'garfish', I had no idea what you were talking about.  Also as the story was in the past, use past tense consistently instead of switching between past and present tense.  Polish your use of the language to make your story easy for the audience to understand.

I is for interest.  How do you maintain the audience's interest throughout your story?  The manual advises that stories be well paced, with few dull spots.  At times, the speaker hesitated during the storytelling, indicating uncertainty.  More rehearsals would have enabled the speaker to deliver with greater fluency.

V is for vocal variety - the all-important ingredient in storytelling.  Vary your volume, rate and tempo more to enhance your story.  The part in the story when 'the red lava of the hill erupted and swallowed the Rajah's advisor', be loud and dramatic to create a climax.

E is for ending.  Give your story a memorable ending by sharing a moral or a take-home message, instead of allowing the story to tail off. 

In conclusion, storytelling is a great skill that is not easy to master.  Continue to use questioning techniques to your advantage.  Learn to leverage on gestures, vocal variety and simple, correct language to sustain your audience's interest and to make your stories come alive.  Always end off with a bang.

Time taken: 3 min 28 seconds

Believe You Can!

Opening Address at Katong TMC on 21 January 2010

Believe You Can


Good evening, fellow toastmasters, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the year 2010. Do you know this is the year that great things CAN happen in your life? How many of you believe that?

In December last year, I went to Guangzhou for my TCM practical. Our club member Zhang Bin happened to be Guangzhou at that time so we met up. Having done some internet research before going there, I told him I would like to visit Baiyun Mountain since I was yearning for the great outdoors. 'Sure, no problem.' he said. 'A walk in the mountain should take us about 3 hours. Let's meet at 9am.'

On Sunday morning, two of my classmates and I met up with Zhang Bin and his girlfriend and the 5 of us set off happily to conquer the mountain. The air was cool and crisp and we started perspiring after climbing up the interminable steps leading into the gardens. 3 hours later, it was 12 noon, time for lunch but we had only climbed up, we hadn't even started coming down yet. Zhang Bin kept saying, 'We're almost there.' At first we believed him. Then we realised in China, when you say 'we're almost there' it could mean anything from 10 minutes to 2 hours. In fact, we were still 2 km away from the exit!

My legs were trembling with fatigue, my muscles were shouting out in pain. I wanted to surrender and say, "No more, please no more!" I had obviously underestimated the grandeur of the mountain and overestimated my own athletic ability. I persuaded my friends to take the tram down but Zhang Bin said no adamantly. 'That would be tantamount to cheating,' he opined.

So with constant encouragement from my friends, and with the 'can-do' attitude, I persisted and finally 5 hours after we have started off, we arrived at the southern exit. It was only then that I saw the map of the mountain and realised its vastness: Baiyun Mountain, made up of 30-odd peaks, measures 7 km from south to north, and 4 km from east to west. The highest peak, Moxing Ridge (Star-scrapping Ridge) stands in the center of Baiyun Mountain, measuring 382 meters in height. And we had not even conquered it!

As a driver in Singapore, I always park as near to my destination as possible. If I had to walk for 10 minutes, I would complain. But in Guangzhou, I walked for 5 hours! That would have seemed like an impossible feat but I did it! It is indeed an achievement! And frankly I would not have been able to do it without my friends by my side encouraging me.

In the same way, in Toastmasters, we can achieve great things, impossible feats because of our dreams, our perseverance and our fellow toastmasters' unstinting support. If not for your support, I would have failed, I would have faltered. There are so many times, as club President, I felt discouraged and disheartened. But because you were there for me, I never gave up. I never gave up myself, I never gave up on you, and I never gave up on the club.

I urge all of you to be that pillar of support and strength to each other in times of need. When the VPE or club President needs you to present a project speech, or be an  appointment holder, or organise a contest, or whatever it may be, accept the invitation graciously. Your support means the world to your fellow toastmaster.  It is also an opportunity for you to learn and to grow.

Fellow toastmasters, are you here to become better speakers? Are you here to become better leaders?  How about champion speakers? Hold on to your dream! Believe you can. Believe in yourself. Get support from your fellow toastmasters and make that dream happen this year!