Club Updates
Sikh Indian Demo – Sat 1 Feb
At the Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Canning Vale, more than 50 people attended an engaging public speaking workshop “Want to improve your speaking skills”. Organised by Gurmeet Singh and Juliana Kelly, and assisted by Judith Allen, Maree Pickens and Murray Rogers, the workshop demonstrated the power of Toastmasters experiential learning.
The attendees learnt about the importance of public speaking to advance their careers, improve their personal relationships and help them promote their Sikh Community. They learnt how to control their nerves when called upon to speak and deliver with confidence (even if the butterflies are going into overdrive). After an educational about impromptu speaking, they enthusiastically participated in Table Topics. They also saw how we give constructive feedback.
As a result of the strong interest in forming a Toastmasters club in this Gurdwara, Gurmeet and Juliana are organising a Speechcraft course in April to help train the first members of the club. We’ve also got interest from the northern suburb based Gurdwara in Bennett Springs for a similar workshop so this promises to be an exciting time to expand Toastmasters into the Sikh Community.
Professional Speakers Association Workshop – Fri 21 Feb
Lynette Delane, Brandon Munro, Phillippa Henderson and Diana Goh are Toastmasters who attended a half day workshop “Building a Keynote Speaking Business In WA” run by renowned international speaker, and former Toastmaster, Gihan Perera. Gihan has been running a keynote speaking business from Perth for 12 years, and is now well-known and highly-regarded in Australia as a professional, reliable and humorous conference speaker.
In this interactive workshop, he explained what it takes to build and run that kind of business, especially if you’re based in WA. Some of the key outcomes from the workshop were to:
- Understand the conference and events industry from the client’s viewpoint, so you can ensure you’re always solving THEIR problems, not yours.
- Learn the three biggest mistakes trainers make when trying to adapt to the keynote stage (Gihan made all of them!)
- Know what clients expect you to charge, set appropriate fees, avoid discounting, and still be flexible enough to negotiate with integrity.
- Discover how to overcome the perceived “tyranny of distance” WA speakers face from those on the remote side of Australia
Habla Hispanic Bilingual – Sat 22 Feb
As a club in formation, Habla Hispanic Bilingual, met in person for the first time. Several guests attended, interested in seeing what the club was about. Experienced Toastmasters like Ross Wilkinson, Leonor Ragan and Maree Pickens visited to help give educationals and evaluations. Now the club is meeting regularly to showcase Toastmasters to the Spanish speaking community – both native speakers and those learning Spanish for love, work and travel.
Help this club showcase Toastmasters experience by visiting either online or in person and earn 20 points per visit for your club in the ‘Growing’ event of the Road to Success - Decathlon
Next meeting: Sat 28 March 9:15 – 11:00am
Venue: Holy Family Catholic Church, Thelma St, Como
See more details about visiting new clubs: https://toastmastersd17.org/visit-new-clubs/
Kaya Indonesian Bilingual Club – Speechcraft Wed 12 March – 2 April
This new club in formation kicked off its Speechcraft course at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce in Rivervale. 12 people have registered and their course fee includes 12 months membership to the new club.
Diana Goh has done an amazing job organising the course, superbly coached by Speechcraft Manager - Juliana Kelly (even while holidaying in Japan!). Diana was well supported on the night by three experienced Toastmasters – Maree Pickens, Henry Yau and Lynette Delane. They were all keen to help this new club succeed in training up their first members and help them grow in confidence and as a club.
The Speechcrafters were very impressive – it was clear they had prepared well, delivered their icebreakers with enthusiasm and a good dose of humour and they were open to feedback. Best of all, they were all looking forward to giving their next speech.
Help this Speechcraft and earn points for your club in the ‘Growing’ event of the Road to Success - Decathlon
See more details about visiting new clubs: https://toastmastersd17.org/visit-new-clubs/
DECM – District Executive Committee Meeting – Sun 8 March
These meetings are for the Executive Leadership team, the Division Directors and the Area Directors to discuss progress against the District Success Plan and make decisions that will help our District achieve its goals.
District Executive Committee (DEC) Meetings are essential for the success of Toastmasters districts. These regular meetings bring district leaders together to align with Toastmasters International's goals, share updates, and make key decisions.
DEC Meetings ensure strategic planning, collaboration, and accountability. Leaders review progress, set objectives, and share best practices, fostering innovation and effective strategies. They also maintain transparency by reviewing financial reports and membership statistics, building trust among members.
In summary, DEC Meetings drive the success of Toastmasters districts by promoting strategic alignment, collaboration, and accountability, ultimately benefiting all clubs and members.
After all that hard work, several attendees headed off to the local Italian restaurant for a drink and spirited chat about the Conference, Decathlon and new club prospects.
Willetton Toastmasters welcomes honoured guest
Willetton Toastmasters continues to grow in profile within the community. Club leaders were invited to a reception with other community leaders during Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s visit to the state in August. The club was even mentioned in Parliament and, by chance, reconnected with Federal MP Sam Lim at the grand reopening of our home venue, Rostrata Family Centre in February.
Willetton Toastmasters had the honour of hosting Mr. Lim, the local representative for Tangney, during our International Speech & Evaluation Contest. After meeting him at the venue’s reopening in late February, we invited him to experience our event firsthand, highlighting how Toastmasters helps individuals “walk the walk and talk the talk.” Mr. Lim enthusiastically accepted and attended the very next day.
At the contest, Mr. Lim expanded on the Test Speaker’s “Manage Change” theme, sharing his remarkable journey from police officer to Member of Parliament. His story of perseverance, adaptability, and commitment to community service left a lasting impact on everyone in attendance.
We were equally delighted to welcome our District leaders, Denise and Vijay, whose visit reinforced the supportive spirit and leadership within our organisation. Their insights and encouragement motivated both seasoned speakers and newer members, showing that every challenge is an opportunity to grow.
The Club Speech Contest also provided newer members with a fantastic platform to step into functionary and contestant roles, gaining hands-on experience in contest participation and public speaking. Our top contestants will proudly represent Willetton at the Area contest in Victoria Park, with the Division Contest also taking place within the Tangney electorate in April.
With each opportunity, new doors open, and we look forward to what’s next!
Fremantle Gourmet celebrates its 200th Meeting – Thu 13 March
On Thursday, 13 March, the Fremantle Gourmet Toastmasters Club celebrated a significant milestone: their 200th meeting. The club, which held its first meeting on 29 March 2007 and was officially chartered on 12 May 2008, marked the occasion with a special event and celebratory cake.
Ross Wilkinson, the club's co-founder, kicked off the celebration by sharing the history of the club, highlighting its growth and achievements over the past 17 years. Steve Barry, another charter member, led an entertaining Table Topics session, inviting past and present members to share their fondest memories and valuable lessons learned.
Heather Wright, the current President, added to the festivities with a fun and educational quiz focused on evaluation skills, engaging all attendees in a lively and informative activity. The evening was further enriched by Maree Pickens, Club Growth Director, who presented the club with an award for winning Bronze in Tier 3 in the recent Amazing Toastmasters Pentathlon. This included a gift bag of Toastmasters merchandise and a voucher for one free ticket to attend the Friday night opening ceremony, keynote speech and Humorous Contest at D17 Conference Marawar 2025: Inspired.
The 200th meeting was a testament to the club's enduring spirit and commitment to fostering communication and leadership skills. It was a night filled with nostalgia, learning, and celebration, reminding everyone of the strong community bonds within Fremantle Gourmet Toastmasters.
Mt Hawthorn Toastmasters international guest
The club was thrilled to host Distinguished Toastmaster Dora Voon, DTM, from East Malaysia. Dora and her husband, David, who is not a Toastmaster, were visiting family in Perth and reached out to visit our club. Both Dora and David enthusiastically participated in the meeting, contributing to the Table Topics and Harkmaster segments.
Dora made a memorable impression, dressed in a bold blue polo shirt celebrating 100 years of Toastmasters. At the close of the meeting, she shared valuable insights from her visits to other clubs during her travels. This visit was a reminder of the international community we belong to and how welcoming all clubs are to members on their journeys.
This wasn’t the first time Mount Hawthorn Toastmasters Club has welcomed visitors from another country. Our members enjoyed hearing Dora's perspective, adding another point of interest for our guests that night. We look forward to welcoming visitors from other clubs in the future!
Save the date Division Contests for International and Evaluation Speech Contests
Area Contests are well underway to select the first place and runner-ups who will represent their areas at the Division Contests. Make sure you register for these events so we can cater well and you can earn points in the Road to Success - Decathlon!
See details here: https://toastmastersd17.org/district-17-events/
Southern Division Contest
Date: Sat 5 April
Time: 1:00 – 4:00pm
Venue: Treeby Community Centre, Treeby
Central Division Contest
Date: Sun 6 April
Time: 10:00 – 12:30pm
Venue: Hillview Intercultural Community Centre, Bentley
Northern Division Contest
Date: Sat 12 April
Time: 9:00 – 12:00pm
Venue: Tim Winton Theatre, Curtin University
