Hello and welcome to the October newsletter!
September was a busy month with a sold-out workshop (Andrew Brammer on Storytelling), two club contests (Humorous Speech and Table Topics) and a lively first meeting back in our home venue The Rugby Tavern.
It’s great to be back in the Tavern, which is looking very smart after the refurbishments, and hopefully there won’t be any more venue changes for the foreseeable future.
I’m also delighted to report that we gained four new members in September, so welcome aboard Marty, Saija, Maureen and Jo! I look forward to getting you all booked in for an Icebreaker soon.
Recent news
As this newsletter is coming out a little later in the month than usual (apologies) we’ve already got some October news…
Humorous Speech and Table Topics contest results
After winning humorous speech and table topics contests respectively at area level, Ola Aralepo and David Jones went on to repeat their success at the Division B final on Saturday. A brilliant result for both of them and a reminder that Bloomsbury Speakers belongs to one of the strongest areas in the whole division!
Ola and David will compete in their respective categories at the District 71 final at the Flourish Conference in Glasgow on 11th-13th November 2011.
New VPE (Vice President of Education)
I’m very pleased to announce that we have a new VPE – Femi Asaolu. Femi is an advanced speaker and will already be familiar to many who have enjoyed his charismatic (and often mischievous!) style in various roles at Bloomsbury Speakers.
Our previous VPE Dave Longley stepped down at the end of September due to other commitments and so it’s great to have someone with Femi’s experience and enthusiasm at the helm. Many thanks to Nazia Soon for taking on the VPE responsibilities during the transition.
(For those new to the club, who are wondering what on earth the VPE does, in a nutshell the role is concerned with making sure that our meetings are well-organised and fully booked with speakers and functionaries and also that the education goals of our members – and the club as a whole – are reached.)
I’m sure Femi will do a fantastic job – expect him to be in contact to encourage you to book your next role! You can reach him at: education@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk
A note on membership fees
Due to unavoidable increases in our base costs (our room hire is increasing and so are the dues we pay to Toastmasters International on behalf of each member), we are increasing our six month and annual membership fees. In a nutshell, the six month fee is going up by £10 and the annual by £25
As a non-profit organisation we have to pass on any costs that we incur but we still think it’s great value for money: a one-day presentation skills or public speaking workshop in London could easily cost £200 – £300.
What’s happening this month?
Well, we’ve already had a club social and the first meeting of October, but here’s what’s on the horizon for the next few weeks.
Regular Meeting – Monday 24th October 2011
This coming Monday’s meeting is filling up very nicely but there are still a few roles and in particular we need some evaluators! If you’ve never evaluated a speech before now is a great opportunity – let Femi know you’re interested and he can give you some tips.
Regular Meeting – Monday 14th November 2011
This is almost four weeks away but we’ve already got three speakers booked so you’ll need to get in quick if you want to bag the remaining slot (although we’ll make a special effort to fit in an Ice Breaker).
Special Christmas meeting
Monday 12th December 2011
This is a special Christmas meeting where we’ll be following the normal agenda but everything will have a Yuletide twist!
Expect mince pies, seasonal table topics and perhaps even a bit of dressing up…
Club Secretary Kate Osborne is taking on the role of head elf to organize festivities so drop her a line with any ideas at: secretary@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk
Tip of the Month
This month’s tip is a bit of wisdom from Scott Berkun, from his book Confessions of a Public Speaker, and it concerns something we all worry about – making mistakes.
Mistakes will happen – what matters more is how you frame your mistakes, and there are two ways to do this:
- Avoid the mistake of trying to make no mistakes. You should work hard to know your material, but also know you won’t be perfect. This way, you won’t be devastated when small things go wrong.
- Know that your response to a mistake defines the audience’s response. If I respond to spilling water on my pants as if it were the sinking of the Titanic, the audience will see it, and me, as a tragedy. But if I’m cool, or better yet, find it funny, the audience will do the same.
Okay, that’s all for now – hope you enjoyed this month’s newsletter. As usual, drop me a line with any ideas to help improve the club and anything you’d like to see in the next newsletter.
I look forward to seeing you at a meeting soon!
Best wishes,
Glen Long
President
Bloomsbury Speakers
