Judges Training Workshop - June 20, 2009

At the request of Division N Governor, I recently conducted a judges training workshop at YMCA Penang. The emphasis is on being an honorable judge, overcoming any potential bias during judging and on familiarity with the judging criteria of the different types of speech contest.

International Speech Contest
- 50 percent is on content (speech development, speech effectiveness, speech value)
- 30 percent is on delivery (physical, voice, manner)
- 20 percent is on langauge (appropriateness, correctness)

Humorous Speech Contest
- Similar to International Speech Contest with additional criteria on audience response
- Therefore, technically, a humorous speech contest is even harder to judge than international speech contest

Table Topics Contest
- Has reduced number of criteria than International Speech Contest.
- Easier to judge because same topic given but harder because the time given for speech is shorter

Evaluation Speech Contest
- Criteria are totally different from above 3 contests
- Criteria are Quality of Analysis, Recommendation, Technique, Summation
- No criteria on delivery skills like physical, voice and language

There is a 5th contest which is the Tall Tale Contest. Though each District is restricted to 4 types of contest, any club can hold this contest at club level for variety.

Happy Birthday Deli Toastmasters, Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia

A nice birthday invitation card designed by Deli Club President Henny Wahyuni.



Deli Toastmasters Club was chartered in June 1998. Deli meets every 2nd and 4th Saturday 3pm at Winfield Learning Center, Jln Hasanuddin No.25/9E, Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia.

A Bit of History: Medan First and Deli Toastmasters Clubs

This week, I received an email from Division H Governor Elect Indriani Asfa about sharing the early history of her home club Deli Toastmasters for their upcoming Club Birthday Celebration. So I looked up for some old photos for this posting.

When I was District 51 Governor in 1997-98, the Toastmasters Clubs in Indonesia were all concentrated in Jakarta in Java with a corporate club each in remote Kalimantan and Irian Jaya. I was hoping that Toastmasters International would expand to Sumatra and all major islands in Indonesia. The opportunity soon arrived.

Ibrahim Champion and Hasti came to Penang to seek assistance to form the first Toastmasters Club in Sumatra. Ibrahim is an Australian and both of them were Toastmasters before in Jakarta. They visited my then home club, Butterworth Toastmasters with meeting venue at Tanjung Club in Tanjung Bungah, Penang Island.

Photo 1: Ibrahim Champion mesmerized by Uncle George of Butterworth Toastmasters showing the ropes - a magic trick.



Photo 2: Hasti visiting my parents' house and looking at their travel photos.



Photos 3-7: A Toastmasters demonstration meeting in April, 1998 in Medan. Butterworth Club President Ahmed Bazari and myself flew to Medan to attend this club meeting.





Ibrahim Champion and Hasti were instrumental for the determined initiative, unwavering moral and financial support to ensure that both Medan First and Deli Toastmasters Clubs were chartered in June, 1998 and continued running.

As I had promised, I went back to Medan a second time at the end of June 1998 to attend the joint Charter Night of Medan First and Deli Toastmasters Clubs.