What I've learned from Toastmasters in Singapore

Copying the Toastmasters International system of commend, recommend, comment (praise, criticise or 'suggest', praise) here's what I've learned.

COMMEND SINGAPORE - RECOMMEND TO LONDON

1 CLUB COMMITTEE CARDS

Every club committee member has a box of club business cards which list on the front the address, day of the month they meet and time of meeting. On the back the names, phone numbers and emails of all committee members. Very handy when you want to check whether they are meeting on a public holiday, get directions from the nearest train station, or at the last minute warn you'll be late or say you'll be early and volunteer for a role. I believe you can download the template from the Toastmasters International website. I'm bringing some cards back so that HOD and Harrovians in London can copy them. One set of cards can be printed for everybody at a bulk rate reduced price. Every guest can be given at least one card so they know who to call about future meetings. Of course, etiquette decrees that when a guest is given a card he must reciprocate by supplying his or her card.

COMMEND SINGAPORE - RECOMMEND TO LONDON -

2 START WITH INTRODUCTIONS BY EVERYONE

Most Singapore clubs start by going around the room asking every person to state their name, club - or say if they are a guest and not yet a member of any club, role for the evening, and usually a general comment on some theme such as what I associate with Chinese New Year, my favourite colour and why. This fills in time to allow for latecomers, lets guests know who are the VIPs and who's in charge, and enables the President and Toastmaster to note names and address guests by name through the evening. Often meetings take place in a board room around a large oval table so you simply go round clockwise. Guests are then familiar with the organizers and the proceedings. This makes guests speak for one minute about something they know to the whole group. They have time to plan what to say and if called upon to give a table topic they've already spoken once so it's easier for them.

COMMEND LONDON - RECOMMEND TO SINGAPORE

3 TOPICS EVALUATOR

London clubs have a topics evaluator. This means that guests giving an impromptu mini-speech for the first time can be given encouraging praise as well as useful advice.

COMMEND LONDON RECOMMEND TO SINGAPORE

4 INCLUDE TOPICS EVALUATOR IN VOTING

Table topics evaluator has to work had paying attention to several speakers and keeping track of them all. The chance of being winning a ribbon for being voted best evaluator is a reward and an incentive to volunteer and to try to offer enthusiastic encouragement and useful advice.

COMMEND SINGAPORE RECOMMEND TO LONDON

5 TABLE TOPICS SPEAKERS' NAMES ON WHITEBOARD

The names of topics speakers and the topic are written on the board. This makes it easier to remember unfamiliar and hard to spell names and to recall who said what.

COMMEND SINGAPORE RECOMMEND TO LONDON

6 SPEECH TIMES ACHIEVED ON WHITEBOARD

After the speakers' names and table topic subjects the times are added.

Ticks and crosses are added to show who has kept to time and who has gone over time. This is much clearer to the speakers, adjudicators and guests.

COMMEND LONDON RECOMMEND TO SINGAPORE

7 PRESIDENT/VPA/SERGEANT AT ARMS SHOULD HAVE SPARE WHITEBOARD PENS

In the UK at Harrovians we once had no markers but member Lorna produced three colours. She is a teacher and says she always carries whiteboard markers.

COMMEND SINGAPORE RECOMMEND TO LONDON

8 USE COMPUTERS TO PROJECT SPEAKERS' NAMES, TOPICS AND TIMES

In Singapore during building renovations club was switched to a different room and although a board was supplied on request, no markers. However, a small laptop was being used by Gerald Ong who was giving a speech on visual aids, as well as often with him when he visits meetings - same applies to many members of Singapore clubs who go straight from work to meetings or use computers for visuals in presentations. He typed in the names of table topics speakers and their topics and projected the updating list onto the projection screen.

RECOMMEND TO LONDON & SINGAPORE

9 USE MICROPHONES

In Singapore members of the audience are often seated under a noisy air conditioning fan. Many young Singaporeans have faint voices, shy methods of delivery and whisper to papers on the lectern. In addition members of the audience like me have difficulty understanding Singlish phrases and intonation. Use microphones. People need to practise using microphones which will be necessary later if your competition site suffers from traffic noise, building works (intermittent pile drivers), and public announcements. In Toastmasters committee members frequently hold distracting conversations about changes to the programme, replacing missing speakers, shortening topics in order to finish on time, the length of the break, extra speeches on the programme, missing manuals, speeches brought forward because the speaker wants to leave early because they are ill, babysitting, en route to rival meetings, weddings, funerals and for all the audience knows - as they attempt to overhear, Valentine's Day dinners or orgies.

A speaker, a committee members such as VPE, or even the Toastmaster of the evening often speaks too softly and never checks whether those at the back can hear.

Any professional speaker will start by checking sound levels.

Using a microphone, forces the speaker to check whether the audience all around the venue can hear. The speaker who decides not to use one will feel obliged to prove that it's not necessary by asking those at the back to raise their hands if they can hear.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO SINGAPORE & LONDON

10 CONFIRM SPEAKERS & GUESTS WILL BE ATTENDING

Committee members know which day of the month they meet and have other members' numbers in their handphones. But guests are often on unpredictable schedules with business, day trips out of town, unfamiliar untimed routes. They are coping with conflicting information from websites, and confusing club names. Add to the well known fear of giving a speech, the fears of meeting new people, and going to a new venue. Guests may forget which club, which week, which day and what time. The guest might also forget whether they said they would definitely come or politely said they'd love to come, meaning merely that they might turn up. If the journey to the club requires an expensive taxi ride in order to be on time, or payment for yet another dinner, finding that their pocket is out of change, they might go to another venue or jet-ladded, simply go to bed. Confirm by email or text that your guest will be attending, preferably the day before. The best clubs confirm on the day - if necessary offering to meet guest speakers at the local MRT and guide them to the club. If no reply, phone. Some clubs have sent the president or VPE to meet me an hour early and take me to eat at a hawker center, to be sure I would not get lost and to have their programme cofirmed and to have their introduction ready, and even allow for finding out if I would take on additional roles. Once two club members met me in the city centre at an MRT (Singapore train) station near where I was staying and escorted me all the way to the distant club meeting - and back. The meeting agenda can be prepared with a Welcome to Visiting Toastmasters at the end. It certainly makes the visitor feel treasured and warm towards the club.