
Two Nights to Remember – Speechcraft Workshops (Oct 2018)
Another semester has almost completely gone by, and with it another round of Speechcraft workshops.
This semester’s workshops were held on 9th and 10th October 2018. Despite the crunch period of the semester, we were heartened to see current members and newcomers alike eager to learn and improve in the art of public speaking.
Speechcraft workshops are often conducted by experienced and enthusiastic members of the club, and this round was no exception. Participants were eased into the world of table topics and were given opportunities to try their hand at them, all while under the guidance of their friendly facilitators. They were also given a crash course on Tackling Table Topics by Ashan Asmone, CC on Day 1 and Tan Yong Kee, ACB, ALB on Day 2, both of whom put the audience at ease by walking them through the thought processes behind crafting speaking segments on the fly, and even encouraged a handful of the audience to speak in front of the crowd present at the workshop!
No Speechcraft workshop is complete without a segment on organizing speeches, and in this regard, Chin Jun Han, ACB, ALB reprised the delivery of his educational talk on ‘How to Organize Your Speech’ on both days. His ability to condense the complexities of speech-writing into concrete, simple steps allowed the audience a glimpse into the writing process often utilized by our members, and no doubt helped both newcomers and current members alike appreciate the work that goes into crafting a speech!
It also goes without saying that no NUS Toastmasters workshop is complete without the presence of a certain powerhouse, and our beloved club mentor, Wekie Tay, DTM led his educational talks – ‘Taking the Terror Out of the Talk’ and ‘How Communication and Leadership Can Help You Succeed’ – with aplomb. There is no doubt that Wekie’s oratory skills stand as a testament to the journey one can take to build their confidence, and this is combined with his strong conviction and convincing rationale behind his words. It is hardly a surprise that Wekie succeeded in increasing the confidence of the crowd to the point that there was hardly any hesitation from some in volunteering for table topics, or even managed to convince prospective members of the crowd to consider adding value to their learning experience.
All in all, both days of Speechcraft were a joy to attend, as everyone took away some valuable lessons. To those who joined our family after Speechcraft, welcome aboard! We hope that your time with us will be a journey to remember. To those who wanted to attend but were not able to do so due to other commitments, fret not, for we will see you next semester – the learning never stops!