“Spring is the best life coach: It gives you all the energy you want, all the positive thoughts you wish and all the boldness you need”, Mehmet Murat Ildan, Turkish contemporary writer.
With quotes on the theme spring splendor Sybille, Toastmaster of the Evening, structured the evening. We were happy to welcome four guests: Nadja, who had visited Toastmaster clubs a long time ago, Raja, who has been a guest to the Heidelberg club, Mahmut, who came for the first time and Jason, who expected a German speaking club. Sybille explained the structure of the evening and introduced her team. General Evaluator was Oliver, Nadine took over the Timer role and Uli checked the use of filler words as Ah-Counter.
In the warming up phase Sybille gave the joke:
A couple is getting ready for bed after a long day’s work. “I look into the mirror and see and old man”, the husband said. “My face is wrinkly and I am sagging all over. And look at the size of my gut.” The wife was silent. “Hey!”, he said and turned to her. “Tell me something positive to make me feel better about myself.”
“Well, honey,” she replied. “Your eyesight is still very good.” 
Gabi gave the word of the day: invigorate. This word was used frequently in the course of the evening.
Alexja was the Table Topics Master and she asked the following questions:
1. What was your encounter with a stranger giving you unexpected kindness which made you believe in strangers again?
Jeff shared with us an encounter with a lady at a parking lot when he gave her his parking ticket.
2. Let’s put an end to this debate. What came first the chicken or the egg?
Gabi ended the debate and took the egg to make breakfast.
3. Life is about dreams. Swap your life with someone else. Who would that be?
Nadja shared with us how she followed her dreams and succeeded in getting the job she wanted.
4. Make room for new treasures.
Shruthi told us how hard she had worked to complete her master thesis. Now she is done and open again for new challenges.
5. Mountain or beaches – what do you prefer?
Poorana depicts a scene with children he observed in Freiburg. The children playing in “the Bächle” sailing little ships against turbulences.
The warming up session ended with a quote by Emanuelle Soni-Dessaigne: “Give your splendor to everyone.”
We had two prepared speeches.
Caroline gave her Icebreaker with the title “the subject of happiness“, telling the story of a couple who moved to Shanghai in China, a police state, but felt very happy there. Later they had to move to Finland, which is said to be the most happy country in the world. But the couple felt miserable there. So happiness is a very personal thing and you should try to find it in little things.
Her speech was evaluated by Jeff, who praised the speaking skills she already has. He would have liked to learn more about her personal view on happiness and liked the line “happiness perfume”.
Shruthi gave the third speech of level one Presentation Mastery with the title “Think before you act“. She described the difficulty of getting a train ticket and the conflict with a guy taking her seat.
Her speech was evaluated by Gabi who liked her usage of body language, she would have positioned the chair differently. But the description of the guy was the best.
We had two votes, for the best Table Topic speaker and the best evaluator.
The award for the best TT went to Poorana. The two evaluators had a draw, so Jeff and Gabi received an award for the best evaluation.
“Though nothing can bring back the hour of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flowerwe will grieve not, rather find strength in what remains behind”, William Wordsworth, British author.
(thanks to our amazing President Sybille, who not only did this recap, but was Presiding Officer, Toastmaster and teller of a very funny joke!)
Please join us for our next meeting (on-line) on May 9th.
Best Toastmaster wishes,
Jeff, VP-Public Relations.
Here is a photo of the evening:
