More on the Region II International Speech Competition 

Having conquered District 52, it’s onward & upward for WCTM's Susan Mayberry who will participate in the "International Speech Contest" to be held in  Honolulu on June 24 as the culminating event of the 2006 Region II Annual Conference. The winner of the competition will go to Washington, D.C. in August for the  International Conference and a shot at the title of “World Champion Public Speaker”.   

Competing against seven other District winners, Susan will give a five to seven minute, persuasive speech which she describes as, “speech #10 from the Communication and Leadership Manual….on steroids.” The talk must have value to the audience and must include all of the Toastmaster concepts of organization, structure, and performance skills.  What’s more, it has to be a new speech and not the one that was used to win the District competition. For the Regional, Susan has created a speech entitled, "What on earth are you doing?" which she will try out at WCTM’s upcoming June 8^th regular meeting. 

In preparing for Club, Area, District, and now Regional competitions this year, Susan gives credit to her Toastmaster peers. “The steadfast support and encouragement of my fellow Toastmasters has been a constant source of comfort for me during the competition process,” she remarked. In particular she credits the help of Soraya Deen and Rose Lane from WCTM and Marcia Bruce Bush and John Carter from Advanced Speakers of LA.   

“The contest process has been and remains a terrifying, exhilarating, satisfying, amazing, emotional, and a fantastically accelerated learning process,” Susan said when asked to sum up her Toastmaster competition experience. “I recommend it for everyone!”   

Recap of the May 25^th Meeting 

The space was small but the enthusiasm was great as 35 people packed into the Marriott’s Beverly Hills room for Warner Center Toastmasters’ May 25^th meeting. In recognition of Susan Mayberry's accomplishment, master of ceremonies Rose Lane, DTM presented Susan with a $300 honorarium in support of her trip to Hawaii, voted by WCTM's Board of Directors. “My membership in WCTM is an example of people seeing potential in you that you can’t see," Susan commented.  

Topicmaster Soraya Deen, CTM. launched into a series of questions that probed the Toastmaster experience for the following members: Shelly Bright (“What do you fear most about answering a Table Topics question?”), Tess Asiala, CTM (“What skills have you learned at Toastmasters that you use everyday?”), Maisie Lee (“Do you back down or speak up when you have an opinion?”), Alan Reveles (“How did you feel at your first Toastmaster meeting?”), Chad Celi (“What advice did you give yourself for your first Toastmaster speech?”), Eva Barry (“What is the significance of Toastmasters?”), Rose Lane, ATM-G (“What do people think about Toastmasters that is not true?”) The ribbon for “Best Table Topic” went to Rose Lane.

You may find the answers in a book, but how can you take action and put principles into practice? Toastmasters is dedicated to helping you overcome your fear of public speaking, so why fumble around in the dark with your self-image? Think of your Toastmasters club as a communications laboratory, a forum for experimentation, a place to work on your own, personal style. 

If  this sounds good to you, then come join us for a light buffet and some great speakers at the Warner Marriott Hotel in Woodland Hills. Among  the most prestigious and popular Toastmasters meeting locations in greater Los Angeles, the Marriott provides a wide variety of superb meeting rooms for one of Los Angeles' finest Toastmasters organizations.