Toastmasters try to figure out how to stay positive

Working together to try to find a solution to the dark cloud of misery that is looming over many people, the West Rand Toastmasters decided to theme their first meeting of the year: Hunt for Happiness.

The first toast of the online meeting, presented by Andre Diedricks, was as a farewell to 2020 and a wish for the new year to be filled with fewer troubles and more blessings; a sentiment that is shared worldwide.

Andre’s toast was followed by a small speech and icebreaker from Stephanie Watkins. Stephanie spoke about how childhood happiness levels change as people grow older and are told ‘no’ a lot more often. She then encouraged all the Toastmasters who had signed onto Zoom to create a joyous atmosphere by laughing loudly and at nothing. The club’s president, Thato Majela, kicked off the impromptu laughter and soon after, all the Toastmasters were sharing their genuine giggles.

All eyes were on Thato for his prepared speech, which he had titled ‘The Beautiful Game’. The inspiration for his speech came from the 2007 movie, More Than Just a Game, which was based on how the prisoners of Robben Island started a soccer league to keep their spirits up and create unity. Thato said that explained how something as simple as a shared love of sport can create peace and friendship among so many people.

The final prepared speech was presented by Lynnette Harris. She had fittingly titled it ‘Calamity Rain’ before telling the story of a horrible day she experienced. She arrived at the office soaking wet from the rain and experienced a hoard of embarrassing circumstances before leaving. On her way home, she was splashed with muddy water when a car sped past her and she was once again soaking wet. Lynette’s speech was based around perseverance, saying that even if we get drenched in water, we need to keep moving forward.

Andre was in the spotlight again as Table Topics Master to call on attendees to present impromptu speeches based around hope for the future.

Michael Glencross shared his hopes that South African citizens would be able to come together as a nation and recognise their commonalities to work together for a positive, shared goal. His speech was followed by Stephanie’s, who said that she didn’t make a specific new year’s resolution because every day has the potential to be a great and happy one if you try. She shared a personal example by saying that she starts off every week by wearing her favourite colour (blue) to keep herself feeling positive.

Three more impromptu speeches were delivered, covering the topics of gratitude, coping with loss, being optimistic about the future and learning from past mistakes.

No awards were presented for this meeting, but Thato concluded the evening’s proceedings by saying that the next meeting would be a contest where the best speaker would be chosen to represent the West Rand Toastmasters Club.

The next meeting will be held on 4 February. To find out more about the club, contact Glen Campbell on 073 538 9560 or at glencampbell@telkomsa.net.