Humorous Speech and Evaluation Contest - Winners

Neha Sinha and Michelle Perzan

Neha Sinha and Michelle Perzan proudly pose with their 1st Place Trophies. Neha took the honors for the Humorous Speech category. Michelle was the consensus winner for Best Evaluation.

Allen Prescott took home a 2nd place trophy in each contest.

The evening began when Jody White - DTM delivered a heart speech for the Evaluation contest participants to review, critique and of course Evaluate.

The title of her speech was short and simple: "I Have Learned". Ms White's speech was anything but simple. She brings over fifteen years experience as a Toastmaster to the lectern. She is a Distinguished Toastmaster. That experienced was showcased in a "from the heart" style that was presented with grace, ease and confidence. The audience and the contestants were treated to a range of ideas and concepts that chronicled the impact of the Toastmaster experience on her journey through life.

Jody began with a recent inspiration from one of our members, Lola Jewesimi, that pertained to diet and the chemistry of diets. The speech then moved through more examples of how other Toastmasters inspired her, taught her and continue to do so. The speech was, as they say, food for thought. Pun intended. This author may overuse the phrase but he found it to be profound in its simplicity.

The Evaluator Contestants 

Our contestants were Jeff Morrical CC, Michelle Perzan, Amy Duncan ACB, CL, Allen Prescott, DTM and Shalba Gupta. Jody maintained the same grace, ease and confidence (that is probably among the other things she has learned) as the Evaluators took the stage one by one and offered their appraisals, suggestions and encouragement.

Michelle Perzan walked away with a well deserved First Place Trophy for offering an evaluation of substance and value to Jody. Allen Prescott, DTM took Second Place honors.

The Humorous Speech Contestants

Bryan Clark, Neha Sinha , Peter Gregori, Heleane Stabenau, ACB and Allen Prescott, DTM.


Bryan Clark has positioned himself as a dangerous speaker and seems to relish taking things to the edge. His speech took us somehow through acorns and what to say when your pants are down.

Neha Sinha, with a speech entitled "I Had A Dream" was the winner of this contest. Neha presented a devilish farce, comedy and satire of a Hindu girl standing before the Pearly Gates and reasoning, arguing and persuading with St. Peter !! Free food is mingled in here somewhere.

Peter Gregori insists his lack of recognition in this contest is part of a vast conspiracy to suppress the Revolutionary, Evolutionary Ronco Speech O Matic Speech In A Box.

Heleane Stabenau, ACB shared some of the wonderful moments she has enjoyed while traveling. Her story of the exceptional service and accommodations she experienced while interned, enjoying the life of leisure in Motel Hell.

Allen Prescott, DTM made the case for a Toastmasters version of Miss Manners. His Miss Manners seemed to have a very sharp tongue and a volatile disposition. At times though Allen's Miss Manners seemed to have just the right answer. Allen walked away with the Second Place trophy.

Our First Place winner, Neha Sinha , more than likely will persuade St. Peter if the occasion arises. For this night she had only to convince the judges. She did that very well.

Contest Organizers and Contributors

Our first thank you is to the judges that carefully weigh what is said and how it is said with fairness and impartiality. They do this anonymously. We are grateful for their help and contribution.

Toastmaster: Jonathan Goodwin, CTM.
Chief Judge: Andy Paultannis, CC.
SAA: Lois Rothrock, CC
Timer: Jing Zhang
Ballot Counters: Lorena Spencer, Vrushali Patil
Contest Chair: Debbie Gregori, DTM


Contest Committee

Vrushali Patil, Michelle Perzan, Sher Kadibhai, CC, Debbie Gregori, DTM


Thanks to everyone involved in any way. Let us all extend our congratulations to our winners Neha, Michelle and Allen and wish them the best of luck as they represent Katy Toastmasters in the upcoming area contest. Let's pack the room and cheer them on.

This will take place on Wednesday September 24, 2014 at Memorial City Toastmasters, 920 Memorial City Way, Suite 150 Houston, TX 77024.

2013 Fall Club Contest

By Andy Paultanis

 

Competition.

The Olympics.  The  World Cup, the Stanley Cup, the Ryder Cup, the World Series, the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals and the NCAA National Championships.

Competition isn’t limited to athletics.  Turn on any cable television and most reality shows are predicated on competition from Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, Survivor, Toddlers and Tiaras, to cook-offs, fashion design competitions to MXC (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge).

Who can forget their spelling bees in grade school?  Several members of Katy Toastmasters help score high school academic decathlons and speech debates. 

Competition is important because it brings out the best in those who chose to compete.  Participants compete because it is fun.

Each year Katy Toastmasters has two speech contests in the Fall and Spring.  This year our Fall Club Contest will be on Thursday, August 15^th.   We start early because the winner of the club contest then competes against other Toastmaster Clubs at various stages of Area, Division and District levels. The Fall Club Contest will be "Tall Tales."

Everyone seems to have a tall tale about the gigantic fish that got away, the time they climbed Mount Everest with one hand tied behind their back, the time they saw a Big Foot at McDoanlds, their chance encounter with a Mermaid at Galveston or the time Uncle Bob was abducted by Aliens on Highway Six.

 

My Tall Tale would be more cultural, being from Michigan, about how Paul Bunyan and his blue ox Babe, engaged in a shoving match and created the Grand Canyon in Arizona.  I still believe this to this very day.

 

Below is a link to Toastmasters International with more information about  “Tall Tales”  (thanks Jody White for the link).

Toastmasters Tall Tales

The other venue for the night will be an Evaluation Contest.  One member will give a speech and other members will compete to give the best evaluation of the speech. 

Evaluations of prepared speeches are a critical component to Toastmaster meetings. Prepared speech presentations receive immediate positive and constructive reviews based upon the speech project of a member.

Another component  of the Fall Club Contest is not competition but cooperation.  As with every Katy Toastmaster meeting, it is a team effort of individuals supporting each other by participating in various important roles such as judges, to ballot counter to timers. 

It should be a fun night.  Join us.