Report by: Kevin Walsh.
The year 2017 now belongs to the ages and the river of time carries us ever forward on the great adventure of life. In the depths of winter we see a beautiful world renewed and reborn as here and there a snowdrop glistens brightly in morning light and early flowering daffodils sound a silent but commanding fanfare of springtime. The glow of Christmas lights has faded away as the promise of returning brightness touches the land with a hint of new vigour. We still have some way before we will hear the humming of the first bees, one of the most wonderful sounds in the world. Next Tuesday, January 16th, the members and friends of Fermoy Toastmasters Club, embrace that happy promise and set out again on a bright and joyful new season with their first meeting of the New Year, in the local Youth Centre beginning precisely at 8.15 pm. After a warm and cheerful Christmas holiday, we face the New Year with warmth of heart and a delightful eagerness. To the dedicated staff of the Youth Centre a sincere word of appreciation for all of their kindness and help to us and the very genial welcome that gives an even added pleasure to our regular gatherings here.
And we all come together at this time and follow these pursuits because we love it to bits. For you will always do well in what you love doing best and there is no limit to what can be achieved and the happiness attained when people assemble and come together in a spirit of mutual goodwill and support. You are certain of a very nice time when you are among nice people. Our meetings give are the source of immense pleasure, joy and comfort. The warm handshakes and the broad smiles, the words of amity and bonhomie, the peals of laughter and the expressions of pleasant feeling as we all gather once more for the latest of our two hour meetings, this is the sure and certain source from which all our activities derive their energy and sparkle and why we are all certain of a rewarding and very happy time.
Now as another year begins we are reminded of the passing of time. But in Toastmasters time is made to work for us and managed so effectively and adroitly that so much is so readily achieved. Meetings themselves last no more than two hours; they begin and conclude precisely on time; three or four set speeches usually lasting no longer than seven minutes each; impromptu topics contributions of no more than an initial two minutes and then one minute add-ons. This careful, ingenious, well-balanced structure and programme is at the heart of all that we do: stimulating our inner powers, dispelling the distractions of every day cares, bringing clarity to awareness of what you know and want to share with your listeners, cutting out all that is superfluous and unnecessary, delivering the truth with simplicity and elegance, in a style that is light and economical and leaves the listeners with something that they will take away with them for a long time to come. There is something delightfully larger than life about standing up to give a speech, to express something of your very best distilled from your own thoughts and feelings, to make it fly on the words of heart and mind, to receive the applause of the audience and the satisfaction of knowing you have done well, is indeed a very lovely and wonderful feeling.
For everyone has something invaluable to contribute and everyone has the strength of their own voice and their own originality, whether as a set speaker, an evaluator who provides assessment and positive encouraging feedback, a participant in the topics session with its refreshing and bracing spontaneity and immediacy. Every meeting has that tonic and salutary effect, filling you with a new energy and vigour, making the spirit rise to the occasion and before you know it proceedings have concluded and it time to head for home feeling rejuvenated and full of a new zest for life and activity. And what you give and gain in Toastmasters does not merely stay there but carries over into other areas of life whether at work, in recreation, with family and friends, enriching the personality, strengthening character and proficiency, imparting a new sense of purpose and fulfilment, all in an atmosphere filled with fun, achievement and friendship.
The expression of ideas and the harvesting of inspiration in friendship and good cheer sums up the life of the club. We each have our personal experiences to recount and to share; we all have our own ideas and insights on life and the wisdom that living teaches us all; everyone has something unique and invaluable to contribute and our inspiration is something that issues from each individual in their own particular form and way. You will be presented with the delightful challenge of all that is fresh and new. And the art of communicating is an act of sharing based on generosity of spirit. And the more that you give to the cultivation of the speaking and listening garden that is Toastmasters, the more that you receive back in a sense of achievement, in the building of personal growth and the enhancement of self-confidence, the higher you climb and the happier and the more renewed you will feel. This is a great joy and a source of immense reward to anyone willing to give it a chance. And do not be put off if for the very first time you feel a little hesitant or unsure. So was every other member before you. We are all following the same path of mutual strength and encouragement. Stick with it and pursue the beautiful living tapestry of this superb art with its emphasis on brevity and clarity of thought and expression, bringing together the power of gesture and appropriate body language, the use of tone and pitch of the speaking voice to underline meaning and to heighten the portrayal of truth, the joy of smiling that warms the heart of the speaker and brings the audience along with you readily, lightly, gladly and so eagerly.
For we are all friends together and we rejoice in our shared achievements and the progress we follow towards our common goals. You will find that the journey is the destination. And we all come together to celebrate the joy of friendship. Indeed, I recently purchased a Thomas Kinkade calendar with its charming scenes of rustic life bearing a quote for January which is most illuminating: ‘My soul is inspired by the gentle music of living’. And thus we are all so happy to be together and at ease with each other in that sweet task of celebrating the joy of life.
We hope that as many as possible can join us for our celebration of life on Tuesday evening next, January 16th, in the Fermoy Youth Centre, beginning at 8.15 pm. 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.