District 67, Taiwan Joint Christmas Bash

With Christmas around the corner, I googled for any Toastmasters Club Christmas celeberation. And I found "Taiwan".

I attended a Toastmasters Club meeting in Taiwan a long time ago when Toastmasters International was trying to put Taiwan, China and Japan as one single District with all of us Asian Toastmasters disagreeing and saying that they deserve their own Districts. That is the reality today.

Glad to see that Toastmasters Clubs in Taiwan and District 67 is now on the top of the world with their enthusiastic Christmas and Toastmasters spirit.

Part 1 District 67 Joint Christmas Party 2008

What a Joint Christmas Party we had Saturday evening, December 13th.

Trini won the best Toastmaster award and I won the best costume award. Pamela Yang from Galaxy Toastmasters Club and Cecilia King from Legacy Toastmasters Club had their debut clogging dance performance. Incumbent District 67 Governor Marian Hsiao and Shelly Kuo of Prestige Toastmasters Club decided to join golden ladies clogging toastmasters from year 2009.

Golden Ladies Clogging Toastmasters presented a splendid closing clogging dance for seven minutes at Ming-yu Community Center in Taipei. Six Mrs. Santa danced merrily and joyfully to three Christmas songs, including Christmas Time's A Coming, Sleigh Ride, and Country Christmas. We not only won a big round of applause from the floor, but we also attracted many potential toastmasters to the clogging dance world.

Immediately after the Annual Performance of Thousand Cranes Japanese Dance School at Youth Arts Center, I rushed to D67 Joint Christmas Party in Kimono. The moment I arrived at the fourth floor, Toastmaster Kaku of Innovative Toastmasters Club gave a hearty welcome and led me to the party hall without having to wait in a long line. The hall was packed with more than 250 participants.Five Grand Toastmasters Club members performed Hanagasa Ondo and I gave a solo ad-lib Japanese dance to a western song during the intermission.

I was grateful to have the opportunity to mix the old and new, east and west, to add cultural varieties to Taiwanese Toastmasters Christmas party in 2008. It was a huge success beyond my expectations!If there had been the best performance award of the joint Christmas party, I bet golden ladies would claim it, because six golden ladies in red caught all the attention from the floor even at the end of the party. We brought the party atmosphere to the climax. All of us couldn't feel better and more satisfied to encourage fellow toastmasters members to join us to stay fit, healthy, happy like us.

Many thanks go to Sophia Chen of Grand Toastmasters Club for decorating Santa Caps for Grand's Japanese dancers. Sophia accompanied me from early morning till late evening, helping me with the make-up and hairdo. She took many photos of Japanese speaking toastmasters dancers and announcer. She and I were happy to bridge the gap between English and Japanese speaking Toastmasters Club in Taiwan. Master Kiyomi of Thousand Cranes Japanese Dance School will join the big Toastmasters Family from year 2009. Isn't it a good news?

Toastmasters in Taiwan are one of its kinds, we not only have clubs of different languages (English, Japanese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, Spanish...), but we also have talents from all walks of life. Do you want to add colors to your life? How about adding a new year resolution by visiting a friendly toastmasters club near you?

Sherry Li
Taipei, Taiwan

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Part 2: GRAND/NLFD/TTY Joint Christmas Singing Party - Dec 18, 2008

Bayan Baru Dec 18 Club Meeting - Let the Shoes Do The Talk

The Toastmaster of the Meeting was Goh Hock Hai. Vice President Eudcuation Jessica Teo stood in for the President.

Winnie Foo was Table Topics master and several guests participated -making us think on our feet.

Break time was great as members and guests got closer and got to know each other better.

The four shining stars were project speakers - Ice Breaker Sherylnn Teh, P3 Ooi Beng Sun, P5 Chan Kuan Wai and Advanced Project Jessica Teo.

It was a meeting of shoes - formal shoes and informal shoes. Excited shoes, relaxing shoes, stressesd shoes and enjoying shoes. But there was no throwing of shoes.

The shoes walked the talk and talked the walk. Our last Club meeting for 2008 - see you all at the next Club meeting at Sunflower Training center as PSDC is closed on Jan 1, 2009.

Interesting Photos

I) CLUB MEETING
(Club Banner & Thumbs up)

#1
"Encik Ooi & Tajima-san", Bayan Baru Toastmasters, Penang Island, Malaysia





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II) A Toastmaster's Smile

#1
"Smile. You're on Candid Camera"
SK Khor, Intel Penang Toastmasters, Penang Island, Malaysia

Bayan Baru Christmas Luncheon Announcement, Dec 20

Dear BBTMC members,

We have come to the time of the year to be jolly and be happy during this Christmas Season. At the Bayan Baru Toastmasters Club, we come together every year to celebrate all the festivities that come by in the year. What other better way there is than to come together for a Christmas Luncheon.

Make a date with us;

Date: December 20, 2008
Time: 2pm to 6pm
Venue: Berjaya Georgetown Hotel Penang
Your investment: Only RM 40

You are encouraged to bring your family and friends along to join us in this wonderful event. We have carol sing alongs, activities, games for all and prizes to be won and not to forget glorious food to savour. RSVP is fixed at Decmber 14, 2008 for kindly get in touch with our Treasurer Winnie Foo to make payment so that we could finalize the numbers.

Wishing you a Merry and prosperous Christmas to all!

Michael Xavier
Organising Chair

New Zealand - Dunedin District 72 Convention 2008

When I visited New Zealand some time ago, I met with the District 72 Governor Joan Hook and the LGM Suresh Kumar who was Malaysia born. Attended their speech contest and several club meetings. Found that our Kiwi counterparts ran their Club meetings with formality and putting into practise the Robert's Rules of Order and yet the dress code was very informally.

So it was a nice surprise to receive this email from International Director Poh Kim Siong of an update of the recent New Zealand District 72 Convention.



Goldrush!
Goals, Opportunities, Leadership, Direction, Reassurance, Understanding, Support, Help
Dunedin, 14-16 November 2008

The convention opened with a bag piper leading the banner bearers into the auditorium. Dunedin ’s mayor Peter Chin welcomed delegates with a magnificent song in praise of his fair city. He stressed the importance of public speaking and the role of Toastmasters in promoting this in a witty and entertaining speech that had the audience in fits of laughter.

District Governor Chrissy Meyer officially opened the convention using the convention’s gold rush theme to urge participants to open doors of opportunity.



The keynote address from Professor Mark Henaghan, the Dean of Law at the University of Otago was entertaining and informative. He tastefully drew out the parallels between public speaking and sex – why do it if you don’t enjoy it - and urged the audience to consider his ten commandments of public speaking, illustrating his theme with stories taken from his experience in teaching law.

During the convention Immediate Past District Governor Geoff Trotter presented a range of awards to clubs and individuals who had excelled during his term while District Governor Chrissy Meyer presented 11 Toastmasters with their Distinguished Toastmaster award.Table Topics contestants were faced with the subject "We live in a PC world" and all skillfully constructed brief exposes to illustrate their views. David Hatchuel placed first, Mark Baker second and Astarte third.



Humorous speech contestants had the audience in fits of laughter. Adrian Humphries took first honors with 'Wax On – Wax Off' a speech about having his back waxed, Barry Edwards placed second recounting his experiences as the winner of the wooden spoon award in junior rodeo, and Dominic Philips recounted the childhood horrors of being passenger in a car driving up one of Britain’s busiest motorways in the wrong direction.

Sunday's keynote speaker Christian Kasper related some of his experiences in building his company Vouchermate and his success in working alongside key international media companies to develop the business overseas. Using personal stories he transformed what could have been a dry business presentation into an entertaining and informative speech.

There was a diverse range of superb educational. Anna Campbell and Gaelene Woods explained personality types and portrayed that the best speeches are given when they are presented in a way that is true to the speaker's personality type. Gaelene also presented a later educational on speaking from the heart.



Kevin Prohl talked about creating the invisible thread that connects the speaker to the audience. Chris Manly, a Dunedin based drama teacher, explained the fine points of story telling and illustrated them masterfully. (Her description of a pavlova was cruelly evocative with many minutes to go before lunch).

Lindsay Wright’s educational 'Beyond 7 Minutes' focused on techniques for presenting longer speeches. With members of the audience holding up his washing line he illustrated the concept of a theme (the line) holding together a series of inter-related stories (each a piece of washing) and rounded off with volunteers piecing together an effective presentation using this technique (pictured below).District Officers presented educational on membership building and retention and successful clubs.



Chrissy Meyer chaired a well attended district council meeting that dealt efficiently with the business at hand. Past district treasurer Jan Meehan gave a particularly effective visual summary of the district's financial performance for the 2007/8. Chrissy also lead the district officer training on Friday night where area and division governors were briefed on their roles for the coming months and Richard Moffatt, the Division G governor received two bottles of wine for leading his division to a win in the division web site challenge.



There was networking, dancing and general conviviality at the Saturday evening at the dine and dance although some of those who stayed late and then gathered at 6:00 AM on Sunday to watch the Rugby looked a little jaded by the time the conference ended.

Well done to Julie Culpitt and her team for putting together a superb convention.

by Wayne Webley, District 72 PRO

District 72 Official Website

What members said about District 80 Semi Annual Convention@ Singapore....

I have just received this email of photos and comments from our International Director Poh Kim Siong.

District 80 (Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand) is our twin sister District held their recent Semi-Annual Convention during Nov 21-22, 2008 at YMCA Fort Canning Lodge, Singapore.

District 80 Official Website






What members said about District 80 Semi Annual Convnetion @ Singapore ..




CTM - Cozy, Timely & Meaningful convention
ATM - Amazing Time Mingling with all TM delegates
DTM - Don't miss next Time to Meet in HK Convention May 2009

Ivy Chan, ATMB, CL
Division H Governor 2008-2009
Hong Kong




“Learned to be Thankful”

Besides being touched by the Keynote Speaker and Workshop Speakers; inspired by breathtaking District Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests; warmed by caring hospitality of the Organizing Committee, what I learnt most in the Singapore 2008 Semi-Annual Convention is to be Thankful!

I thank so many impassioned Toastmasters friends and distinguished leaders who have given their heart to help us promote and enroll registrations for Macau 2009 Convention. We have received more than 120 registrations in 2 days.

THANK YOU for believing in Toastmasters Conventions, believing in Macau , and believing in Reaching … for your Dreams!

Melanie Hoi
Macau 2009 Semi Annual Convention Chair
Reach For Your Dreams




"Good place, good rest, good food, good performances and good friends! "

Happy to be with brothers / sisters in Singapore Semi Annual Convention. Thanks all for such a good entertaining. See YOU soon in Hong Kong Convention !!

Cheers!
Supin Chaiboonruang, CTM CL
Past Area Governor T4,
President The First Thai TMC Thailand




You demonstrated greatness and humility. You have endeared yourself to the hearts of many. May I salute you, International Director!

Chin Mei Har, DTM
Singapore