Area W2 Toastmasters - Winners, contestants and guests up for a photo grab get-together. Notice they too are scared to go over the "line on the stage"!
Roaring Lions and Tiger Cubs
(written by Vincent Chow, ACB CL)
As Area W2 International Speech & Table Topics Contest kick off to a great start, with usual contenders who won in their respective Club-level contests such as heavyweights Speakers’ Dream Toastmasters and Great Eastern Toastmasters, this also marks the first time when contestants from TAR College Toastmasters, the ones who were once timid tiger cubs who has now grown more confident and are ready to mix in with the big boys and girls.
Area W2 Contest took place at the Great Eastern Office Block, 6th floor from 1PM onwards on 11 February, Saturday. At the same time, Great Eastern was organizing a Chinese New Year annual dinner for the staff and managers next door – The sounds of gong, laughter and CNY disco music clouded the somewhat quiet atmosphere of the contest, as the audience were putting in their fullest attention to listen to captivating speeches by the contestants. Even the CEO of Great Eastern, Dato Koh Yaw Hui dropped by! Dato Koh’s handsome batik shirt makes him the most eye-catching attention among the otherwise plain-looking and coat-hugging audience members like us!
As the trophies were right on the stage, it must be hard for the contestants not to resist doing their best, giving their all in the contests. The International Speech contestants go by as follows:-
International Speech Contest
1. ACS Lawrence Hoo (Speakers’ Dream)
2. TM Jeremy Phang (Speakers’ Dream)
3. TM Lee Yoong Wai (TAR College)
4. TM Michele Chang (TAR College)
5. TM Helen Too (Great Eastern)
6. TM Tan Yong Hao (Great Eastern)
Table Topics Contest was up next, and it was a tight competition between the contestants who spoke on a very long impromptu topic that somehow sounds convoluted, confusing and tongue-twisting but still captures the essence of any table topic – Interpret it in your own meaning and make it simpler using your own personal thoughts and experience. The message, if summarized, would be simply titled ‘Why Worry?’
Table Topics Contestants
1. CC Mark Lee (Speakers’ Dream)
2. TM Michele Chang (TAR College)
3. ACB, CL Vincent Chow (TAR College)
4. TM Jeremy Phang (Speakers’ Dream)
5. TM Jin Peng (Great Eastern)
6. TM Khoo Ai Vee (Great Eastern)
As soon as the contest excitement sizzles out, drumrolls rocked the hall as the results of the winners were finally announced. In the International Speech Contest – ACS Lawrence (1ST), TM Michele (2ND) and TM Jeremy (3RD), followed up by the Table Topics – TM Mark (1ST), ACB CL Vincent Chow (2ND) and TM Jin Peng (3RD).
The champions of both contests, Lawrence and Mark who are both from Speakers’ Dream, will be representing Area W2 in the next Division W-level contest on 17th March, Saturday at Goldhill Club, Kepong.
Good luck to both of them, and to all contestants, you are still a winner in our hearts, and we thank you for encouraging us to take great leaps to become wholesome again, and learning to see the bright side of life.
As Great Eastern motto roars – “Life is Great!”
(Some photos from the Area Contest courtesy of Eric Low from TAR College Toastmasters. For more photos, visit their Facebook page “TARC – Toastmasters are Really Cool”.
Area W2 Contestants just love to fool around! Naughty, naughty!
The roaring lions of Great Eastern Toastmasters!
