Report by: KEVIN WALSH
It was the night which all Irish football fans would dearly wish to forget but never will when the Danes came to Dublin and after waiting over a thousand years took their revenge for the battle of Clontarf. But so happily far away from all that on Tuesday, November 14th, in the riverside Youth Centre, Fermoy Toastmasters Club came together for a memorably pleasant and entertaining meeting. It was a great pleasure to welcome again Robert Hegarty, son of our star member Johanna, who is ever so kind, thoughtful and friendly and a real joy to have with us. Also we were given the opportunity to bid most cordial welcome to very special visitors from Toastmasters in Upstate New York bringing the spirit of the New World to our gathering, that spirit to which Toastmasters International owes its origins. Also it was such a very special pleasure to welcome back our dearest friend Mairead Barry who brought her own uniquely genial, wise and kindly contribution to our meeting.
Our President Kevin O‘Neill called the meeting to order at a moment when World Cup hopes were still high and remarked jokingly on how dedication was ‘severely tested’ as we gathered on that evening so filled with illusory football promise. But then we turned to our beautiful recreation which is all based on friendship and goodwill, on the spirit of generosity and mutual sharing of talent, time and enthusiasm to make such lovely and wonderful meetings. None better then Frank O’Driscoll who then assumed the chairmanship of the proceedings as Toastmaster of the evening, providing an engagingly relaxed introduction and steering the meeting along with cordial grace and humour, setting everyone in the perfect mood for a very nice and very special time. Johanna Hegarty then took on the role of Topicsmaster and presented us with one eager impromptu challenge after another on such a diversity of themes as the ideal Christmas party, the aftermath of the banking tracker mortgage scandal, what you most like and dislike in life, what was your favourite music and the ongoing national disgrace that is homelessness, among so much else. Subjects serious, light, thoughtful and gently provocative in the very best sense, all acting as a powerful mental tonic and instant source of inspiration, getting all of us actively participating with a special emphasis on those members not on the set programme.
You are asked a topic, you rise to your feet to speak for two minutes and it is astonishing how in those few seconds inspiration suddenly flashes into your mind and a bracing creative energy is released in the meeting room that soon has all of us eager to take part and make a contribution, spurred on by the views and responses of our fellow members and dear friends. Guests are never asked to speak although if they wish to do so at the appropriate time, we are most delighted to hear from them. All of us began as guests coming to that first meeting not knowing what this was about and what lay ahead. We embarked on a journey of endless discovery into activities that bring such immense joy, fulfilment and a tangible sense of personal growth and expansion of horizons.
We also enjoyed three outstanding set speeches where participants bring together their skills of voice, word power, gesture and eye contact to deliver highly effective and rewarding presentations. First up was Michelle O’Brien with the engaging subject of How To Breed A Thoroughbred Winner, a speech with an instant resonance in this area with its great equine tradition. With the poise and calm assurance that comes of intimate knowledge of the subject, Michelle delineated those features that make up the champion racehorse: lineage and outstanding past form, the need to obtain a good cross leading hopefully to strong physique and that essential combination of deep pockets with the heights of good luck that brings winners between the finishing posts. A most illuminating and informative speech from Michelle that was later well evaluated by Patricia Neilan who did as all evaluators should by pointing the way to doing things even better, in this case suggesting the use of visual aids with pictures of these splendid creatures that look so regal as befits the sport of kings. Good evaluators turn good speakers into distinguished communicators through praise and positive encouragement.
Our next speaker was Conor McAree who as a good Limerick man brought us on a hugely enjoyable whistle-stop tour around the neighbouring and very beautiful mid-west county of Clare, carrying us in imagination across the wonders of The Burren, the fascinating heritage of Bunratty Castle and Folk Village, glimpsing the majestic cliffs of Moher and the sparkling waters of such lovely seaside resorts as Lahinch to name but a few of the scenic and visual attractions that together with its good-natured and hospitable people make Clare one of the premier tourist regions in the country. As an introduction to the delights of Clare or an incentive to make a return visit, Conor’s engaging presentation could not be beaten for which he received a very fine evaluation from Tim Fitzgerald who complimented him on the outstanding progress he is making in Toastmasters. It is worth remembering that every speaker has a set time allocation – usually seven minutes – so that everyone gets their chance to express themselves while allowing everyone else their share of the time available in whatever capacity. But within that limitation, all the more reason to use that time to its fullest and best.
No one has the endurance of the dogged door-to-door sales representative. And no one has ever spoken about the lives of the salesperson or the cold caller with the power and eloquence of Seoirse Neilan, of the inexhaustible stamina and energy and motivation that is required trying to persuade people to buy unsolicited goods or services, knowing that most people send them away empty-handed but a few will always take the bait. To seek out those few is the doorstep or telephone seller’s arduous task. With the help of his wife Patricia, we were treated to a well-paced, witty and highly entertaining role play with Seoirse acting as a salesman of burglar alarms and Patricia the sceptical householder. The interaction between doubt and reluctance against persistence and quickness of mind was very telling and most effective. Later evaluator Eilish Ui Bhriain praised the enjoyment value of the presentation and the warm rapport achieved with the audience.
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A concluding overview of the meeting was given by Helsa Giles, President of Mallow Toastmasters and an outstanding friend and generous benefactor of our own club here in Fermoy, who spoke so warmly of the ever friendly and welcoming atmosphere of this and all our gatherings. On a night when the lads in green took a heavy drubbing, we had enjoyed another matchless win of achievement and good cheer. A very warm welcome always awaits you at Fermoy Toastmasters which you can check out and enjoy for yourself at our next and penultimate meeting of the year on this coming Tuesday, November 28th, at 8.15 pm in the riverside Youth Centre. For further information, please contact Mary Whelan at 087 7971006 or Kevin Walsh at 058 60100 or log on to our mobile-friendly website toastmastersfermoy.com or find us on Twitter @ FermoyT.