Erin Daldry, DTM presented Laura with the District 72 Humourous Speech Trophy in July 2020.
Today at Christchurch Women’s Toastmasters’ online meeting, Laura Bruce DTM will present an educational speech to help you win the Humourous Speech Contest. The meeting will be an online meeting, and guests are very welcome.
Laura is the 2020 District 72 Humourous Speech champion, so she knows a bit about winning the contest. You may be surprised to learn, however, that most of what Laura knows came from many year’s experience losing the contest. Until 2019 when she won the Christchurch Women’s Club Humourous Speech Contest, Laura had never won the speech contest at club level.
Laura credits Toastmasters with giving her both the skills and the confidence to try stand-up comedy. She made her debut in Scotland but really got stuck into comedy once she relocated to New Zealand in 2019. In December 2020, she was voted “South Island Newcomer of the Year” by members of the New Zealand Comedy Guild.
Prepare to be motivated and inspired by her presentation today!
Christchurch Toastmaster Sheila Hailstone DTM placed 2nd in the 2021 Toastmasters District 72 International Speech Contest.
Congratulations to Sheila Hailstone, right, presented here with her Silver Medal. Sheila, founder and current president of Christchurch Women’s Toastmasters, which meets weekly in Papanui, placed 2nd in District 72 for the International Speech Contest! The medals were presented on 22nd June at a special meeting of Avon Toastmasters in Christchurch.
A Christchurch public speaking group will host a free lunchtime seminar Friday March 26th.
Become a better business speaker: free lunchtime seminar 26th March in Papanui
A local public speaking group is hosting a free seminar for business people.
Sheila Hailstone, MBA, DTM
The 40-minute lunchtime seminar by Christchurch Women’s Toastmasters in Papanui will help anyone who needs to do presentations at work, or speak about their business in public.
Distinguished Toastmaster Sheila Hailstone MBA, a former European Training Manager and CEO, will present this free seminar at Christchurch Women’s Toastmasters’ Open Meeting Friday 26th March from 12.30 to 1:30pm.
The workshop will be held at The Village, 460 Papanui Road at the corner of Frank St. Free parking is available at the rear of the venue. Everyone is welcome.
Attendees will discover tips and techniques to improve their effectiveness when presenting in a business setting, including how to capture your audience’s attention in the first few moments, how to structure your presentation, and how to ensure you are communicating something of value.
Need to do a business presentation but have no time to prepare? Learn how to cut your preparation time and present a powerful, well-structured speech that your clients will remember.
Sheila Hailstone, MBA, DTM
Have something important to say at a networking meeting but the moment it’s your turn, your legs turn to jelly and you just want to sit down?
Come along to this 40-minute lunchtime session sponsored by Christchurch Women’s Toastmasters. You’ll learn helpful pointers that will change your approach and improve your results.
Distinguished Toastmaster Sheila Hailstone MBA, a former European Training Manager and CEO, will present this free seminar at Christchurch Women’s Toastmasters’ Open Meeting Friday 26th March from 12.30 to 1:30pm. The workshop will be held at The Village, 460 Papanui Road at the corner of Frank St. Free parking is available at the rear of the venue. Everyone is welcome.
A member of our club is the reigning District 72 Humourous Speech Champion!
Fancy flexing that funny bone? Friday’s the big day as Christchurch Women’s Toastmasters will hold its 2021 Humourous Speech Contest.
All members of the club are welcome to compete. The Humourous Speech Contest is a 5-7 minute prepared speech that is designed to entertain the audience with humour.
Wondering if it’s worth it to compete? Think again! Last year, CWC member Laura Bruce won the club contest, and went on to with the District 72 Championship!
In this blog post, our President Sheila Hailstone reflects on the launch of her book and how Toastmasters has helped achieve this success. Enjoy!
Christchurch Women’s Toastmasters Club President Sheila Hailstone DTM reflects on the events subsequent to her July 2020 book launch
It’s been quite a month. After a highly successful book launch in July, at Turanga (Christchurch Central Library), I was delighted when the ensuing media publicity resulted in Turanga purchasing 4 of my books for the Canterbury community. It just felt right, as if I was in this amazing circular community bartering system.
I paid the library to hire a room. People came, which created publicity, which resulted in an article in the newspaper. The publicity resulted in people in the community asking the library to purchase the books. The library purchased the books and I sent the money to Breast Cancer Cure to support their work in research. My objective of helping make deaths from this disease history in your lifetime became one step closer. My oncologist purchased the last printed book left over from my book launch. Yes, true! I sent $1900 to Breast Cancer Cure.
No, that’s not going to result in world-breaking research. But as the little boy once said, as he threw one starfish back in the water, on a beach covered in dying starfish, “it made a difference to that starfish.” We have no idea what the smallest action can result in. My efforts are ongoing, I am figuratively picking up more starfish.
My book Dancing Around Canceris on the Amazon Website and both the paper and e-book can be purchased through the Amazon US website. All the profits raised will go to Breast Cancer Cure. A dear friend in Germany, and a fellow cancer sufferer, sent me a message to say her book group will buy digital copies for their next book discussion. So you see more starfish …
I am also investigating getting the book printed here to save the cost of postage. So do let me know if you are interested in getting a copy this way.
We recorded my interview at the library book launch, with CWC Toastmaster and comedian Laura Bruce. I will be putting that on my website this week. So if you missed out you can still enjoy it on… www.cancer-cancan.com . (Remember the hyphen.)
If you’re not a member of our Christchurch Women’s Toastmasters group, why don’t you come and visit us? We meet every Friday at lunchtime. Meet my amazing team of women and find out why we were awarded top community-focused club in New Zealand for the past two years running.
We were delighted to get media coverage of our club’s recent achievements in the Nor’West News this week in Christchurch.
At the District 72 conference, our club won an award for having a positive impact on our community. It’s the second year we’ve won the Jack Duffy Memorial Rose Bowl.
Thanks to the Nor’west News for their interest in our community and our club!
“If at first you don’t succeed, compete, compete, again.”
Also at the conference, Laura Bruce won the District 72 Humourous Speech Contest with a speech entitled, “Smart, Helpful, and a Great Communicator, She’s the Ultimate Assistant”. Prior to this win, the best Laura had ever placed in the Toastmasters Humourous Speech contest was second place in her club contest in Scotland, in 2018.
“My experience with the Humourous Speech Contest should be an inspiration to all Toastmasters,” said Laura. “My first year in the contest [2014] I came second. The second year [2015], I went over time. The third year [2016], I came second. The fourth year, 2017, I was on the District Leadership Team and could not compete. In 2018, I placed again — but again, only second — and so could not progress to the Area contest.
“To finally make it to an Area contest in 2019 — now a member of Christchurch Women’s Club — was such a thrill! I was delighted to proceed to the Division Contest in April. But to win at District is the biggest thrill ever!”
“What I have learned from competing each year since I joined Toastmasters is that persistence pays off. I have also learned that it’s important that your speech be funny, and it’s good to get an early laugh to put your audience at ease.”
“It’s important to remember what you present in the Humourous Speech Contest still has to conform to the structure of a speech. It can’t be a series of one-liners, or a stand-up comedy routine,” she added.
“That being said, a funny story is an ideal starting point for the Humourous Speech Contest. I still remember the District 71 Contest at the Titanic Conference in Belfast in 2014. One of the contestants, a speaker from Ireland, talked about his trip to a water park in Italy. The imagery of his swimsuit making him stick to the water slide, together with the accompanying gestures, was hilarious. He had us in stitches — and he didn’t even win!”
It was a momentous day at the District 72 conference yesterday, as the Christchurch Women’s Club came away with two victories.
Representing her club as well as Division E, Laura Bruce triumphed in the District 72 Humourous Speech Contest, and the Christchurch Women’s Club won the Jack Duffy Memorial Rosebowl for Community Service. This marks the second consecutive year the club has won this accolade.
Congratulations to Laura and to all the members of the club for making their mark and being recognised by District 72 Toastmasters in New Zealand.
Best of luck to Laura Bruce ACG, ALB from Christchurch Women’s Toastmasters Club. Laura, who serves as the club’s Vice President of Public Relations, will be representing our Division at the New Zealand District 72 Humourous Speech Contest on Saturday 23 May, 2020.
Laura triumphed at club contest in September, then at the Area contest in December. She won again at the Division Contest in April, and now progresses to the ultimate arena, the District Contest, tomorrow.
Laura said, “Having never won the Humourous Speech contest at my club before, I am absolutely over the moon to be representing Christchurch Women’s Club at the District 72 Conference contest tomorrow!”
Three of the club’s members — Laura Bruce, Sheila Hailstone and Nicola Tiffin — were successful at Area level contests — a sweep by Christchurch Women’s Club at Area 4 — and all three went on to compete in the Division Contest in April.
“Our club’s motto is ‘supporting women to succeed’,” said Club founder President-Elect Sheila Hailstone DTM. “Laura embodies that drive for success, and we will all be there tomorrow to cheer her on!”
