Corniche, Doha Qatar --- Any mention of Toastmasters meetings and it automatically conjures up image of prepared speeches, table topics & evaluations within the 4 corners of a room --- which is precisely the routine Filcom International Toastmasters Club wants to break in their first social event.
Yesterday, October 7, 2017, 15 Filcomites boarded a dhow from 7:00 PM till 9:00 PM for their first social event for this term entitled, “Dhow” shall come, & with theme: Breaking the Routine.
At exactly 7:00 PM, as the engine of the dhow revved up, the emcees, Rechelle & Dennis, stood in front, grabbed the mic & welcomed everyone: “Welcome to the first social event of Filcom! Do you see that amazing Doha skyline? Can you hear the waves lapping against the boat? Can you feel the cool breeze blowing on your face? Ladies and gentlemen, we are just starting & we promise that you will enjoy the night as we bring you exciting games, some mouth-watering finger foods & more!”
“We hold this kind of social event for one simple reason --- to break the routine: different setting, no role players to look for your grammatical errors, crutches & timing; no Table Topics & Evaluation sessions to worry about, no business session & all that jazz! We are here to have fun!”, said Kit Barritt, Club President of Filcom International Toastmasters Club, in his opening remarks.
As an entertainment, Joseph Amande gave an inspirational speech with a topic, The Key to Happiness is…” “Please don’t mention my key to happiness in your writing as I will use this speech in the Elimination Round of the ICC Public Speaking Contest on October 27, 2017.”, Joseph requested.
Dennis conducted the first game wherein the group was divided into two. Each person was given a piece of paper with a question written on it. Then, each person in Group A asked their questions to be answered by Group B & vice-versa. After the first question, the first person in Group A moved to the back so the second person became the first, the third became the second & so on, all the while Group B remained stationery. “It was a smart game. At the end of it, I got to talk to everybody!”, explained Shyam.
Pizza, grilled chicken wings, spring rolls, samosa & brownies were served on the table for everyone to partake after an hour, while Despacito was played on the background. Some people danced, while others took photos and chatted.
After a 30-minute break, Tag Saab, a Life Coach, was interviewed by Joseph. “Life Coaching is helping people to empower them by asking the right questions to find the answers that are already within themselves.”, defined Tag. Then, she shared some success stories and tips to become a Life Coach.
It was followed by 2 games conducted by Leo. The first game involved counting & clapping when numbers 3,6 & 9 are present; whereas the second game involved words or phrases about Toastmasters. A word was placed on the forehead of the person asking questions to figure it out in a limited period of time. In the end, the group of Philip won!
Finally, each person was given the chance to talk and share how they found the event. “This is a wonderful idea! Breaking the routine is what we need sometimes. There is nothing in nature that blooms all year long so we should not expect it from ourselves either. We need to find time to unwind and relax. This way, we’ll become more creative and productive!”, concluded by Dennis and Rechell.
Wonderful gathering and well scripted writeup.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shyam! :)
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