Mullingar Toastmasters at 25 years young
Mullingar Toastmasters celebrated their silver anniversary on February 24, exactly 25 years, to the day from the first meeting. It was fitting that it was a silver anniversary as a lot of the members who started the club and are still in it, discussed how the colour of their hair was an indication of the longevity of the club.
Pat Kenny responded to that with: “We were once young and beautiful, now we are just beautiful!”
The meeting was opened by one of the original members and founders of the club, Carol Whyte. With grace and strength, she started with a message of support and love to the people of the Ukraine. It was clear to see where the foundations of the club were built.
The only member who was there on the first night and is still a member of the club, Patrick Cavanagh, delved into his positivity tank and give some great words of wisdom.
Resident author and poet Lorraine Murphy gave a heartwarming, rhyming poem about all members and the value they bring to the club.
Toastmaster on the night, and one of the longest serving members, Geraldine Smith, wove a patchwork quilt of fun and friendship for the evening.
There were 41 people in attendance, including friends and members from Tullamore, Athlone, Blarney, Boston, Cavan and Fingal Toastmasters.
The club had the pleasure of toastmaster royalty as former international president Ted Corcoran and Gerard Mannix attended. They also had current District 71 Growth director Elizabeth Jordan join virtually from the UK.
It was a pleasure to be surrounded by so many old friends of the club and it made for a special evening.
The club was complemented on its current strength, warmth and the quality of its speakers – all foundation stones the club was originally built on. It is great to see them still carrying through over all the years.
If you would like to attend Mullingar Toastmasters, make contact on Facebook: Mullingar Toastmasters, or www.toastmasters.org and: mullingartoastmasters@gmail.com.
Mullingar Toastmasters meetings continue on Zoom on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month 8-10pm.
February meeting
There were four superb speakers at the February meeting. John Waldron, club president, regaled members with the journey ‘from Mullingar to Milton Keynes’. He spoke to us about the great escapades and friends made as he and other members attended Toastmaster conferences over the years. The club eventually hosted one in Mullingar, which was a resounding success.
John acknowledged that there were some of the best speakers in the world but also with great mirth told stories of some not so strong members’ dancing and singing skills. He encouraged all members to go to the conference in England next year but indicated he would not be signing or line dancing.
The second speaker on the night was Anke Von Banau, who gave a hilarious rundown on ‘how women are like tractors’, with a final conclusion that the oldest ones are the best!
The third speaker, Brian McLoughlin, said there are ‘no slow cows in Leitrim’. He described the county as an exotic place, a tourist trap because it has no road signs.
He gave great entertainment of tourists lost in the fog and signs that read ‘Slow cows on the road’.
He said it is not good for cows to be labelled slow!
The final speaker of the night was a guest from Fingal club, Gerry French, two-time humorous speech winner. He took members on a rip-roaring journey of his battle with grumpiness as he enters his older years. He talked of his low tolerance for PDAs (public displays of affection), loved up doves pawing each other, as he described it.
He talked about phones as hand-held anxiety links – ‘I like you, I would like to like your friend’.
He hysterically described phone users as a global village of idiots. He said he wanted to unfriend himself.
His final advice was if you can’t beat them, arrange to have them beaten up!
Topics master, the flamboyant Pauline McCabe, delved into all things Toastmaster, and life – which is what Toastmasters deal with. She delved into the worst jobs ever, virtual meetings and who would you be if you were a cartoon character.
She asked former international president Ted Corcoran for his experience on leadership and advice, and he said that we need to say ‘yes’ to opportunity, never be afraid to ask for advice, and that you are as good as the next person.
Never was there are truer message in the world right now.