Anchorvale CC Toastmasters Club, Singapore (Sengkang): Anchorvale Toastmasters 102th Chapter Meeting

Today’s meeting recap is dedicated to our ever humble and kind Club founder Owen, who was unable to attend.

Like the stormy clouds that had gathered in the skies, a storm was brewing inside Anchorvale Toastmasters. With so many strong speakers blowing in like the powerful winds, the walls shook in fear, almost unable to contain the cackling energy and talent gathered in the room. The atmosphere was electrifying and the tension almost palpable. All the speakers were ready to win.

Like a referee, Dino stepped up to open the meeting with everyone’s stories about April’s Fool, but instead he unleashed the floodgates of everyone’s mouths as everyone excitedly shared how much they enjoyed being lied, tricked and deceived.

Club President Norman, rose to the stage to talk about the importance of stepping up and being responsible of your own Toastmasters journey. He might as well have not spoken at all as everyone clearly was in complete control, almost ready to unsheathe their swords and draw blood with their prepared speeches.

Yuet Cheng, our Language Evaluator of the Day came up next to remind speakers about using the Word of the Day, “Rich” and to use proper English or face the devastating consequence of her wrath.

And so Hemant our Toastmaster of the Day signalled the start of the prepared speeches, and the beginning of the bloodbath.

Prepared Speeches

Bao Long enthralled the audience with a swooning speech about how parents should allow their kids to step out of their parental ‘umbrella’. I have never saw such an apt use of an umbrella before, although it might have been due to the rain earlier.

Refusing to be outdone, his bromance buddy Kelvin stunned the audience when he demonstrated the brilliant use of a … DUSTBIN to remind everyone that the future was in our hands and in our choices.

Everyone wants a picture of rising star, Kelvin

Next, Weite sauntered on stage, flashing her signature zipped smile and setting hearts aflutter. ‘Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish and Keep the Spark Alive’ – that was all the audience could and should remember from her spell-bindingly mesmerizing speech.

At long last, our guest speaker Bei’an swept on stage like a tempest, delivering a LKY–esque rousing speech about the Singapore-Malaysia separation. When he finished, the crowd broke into thunderous applause and carried him outside for a good five minute cheer.\

We teared. We sobbed and we cheered as the prepared speeches drew to a close. Gathering our emotions over pizza, we next had the Evaluation speech segment.

Evaluations

Like a clinical surgeon, Muthu drew first blood with his incisive and on-point analysis of Bao Long’s speech. Note to self: Do not let this guy near a knife.

Not to be outdone, Sathyamoorthi jumped into the fray and eviscerated and exonerated Kelvin’s speech in his all-so-classic Sathya’s style, but not before offering some fruit juice to Kelvin who was moved to tears by this point.

Emotional was the essence of the next evaluation, as Norman gave an assessment of Weite’s speech and promptly broke down, lamenting at how his plight at work was so similar to what Weite had spoke. As Norman was then evacuated to the nearest clinic, Melvyn who was also not feeling well, delivered an all-powerful evaluation of Bei’an speech and then went to join Norman at the clinic.

After two brutal rounds of prepared speeches and evaluations, the audience was still yearning for more. And this was when the all-out royal rumble started, with our fearsome and intimidating Rusman being the Angel of Death/ Table Topics Master.

Table Topics

Kudos to our brave new members!

Thereafter, 8 brave contestants rose to the challenge by Rusman. The list of warriors were Yuet Cheng, Nicholas, Sweta, Weite, Yong Kang, Helena, Sarah and Alice as they were each given a famous person and quote to emulate. It was a fearsome battle of wits, deceit and duplicity as each speaker tried to outwit, outplay and outlast the rest. One by one, the fallen warriors were removed from the arena until Alice from Wonderland emerged victorious

Pretty ladies of Anchorvale!

After a thunderous and intense storm of 3 hours, the 102^nd Chapter meeting finally came to a close and it was time for the audience to go home, relive the actions and lick their wounds sustained today. Regardless, we know that deep down each of them will still return stronger and better, because that is what every Anchorvale member shares – the endless drive and determination to improve always.