Glen Abbey Toastmasters held the 2024 Evaluation and International Speech Contests on November 27, 2024. With a full house of members and guests, the contest was a great night of listening to evaluations and speeches. Contest Chair Zakaria Sekhri led the evenings two contests.
International Speech Contest
We had three contestants for our International Speech Contest, and we heard amazing speeches about Why Not Me, Time Travel, and Mistaken identities. First and second place winners will compete in the Area Cotnests in January 2025.
International speeches are original speeches of 5-7 minutes. They can be given on any subject, and can be serious, funny, or inspirational. The International Speech Contest is held at the Club, Area, Division, District, and International level, and as it goes all the way to the International level,
Congratulations Kathy Bullock 1st Place – 2024 International Speech Contest
Congratulations Krista Rowan 2nd Place – 2024 International Speech Contest
Evaluation Contest
Thanks to our Test Speaker for the Evaluation Contest – Doug Flowers from Horizon Toastmasters. First and second place winners will compete in the Area Cotnests in January 2025.
Evaluations are 2 to 3 minutes in length. All of the evaluation contestants must evaluate the same speech, so a test speaker from outside the club is brought in to present one speech to the entire group. The contestants are then taken from the room and given five minutes to prepare their evaluations. Then they come back into the room, and one by one, deliver their evaluations. The Evaluation Contest is held at the Club, Area, Division, and District level.
Congratulations Pramela Nair Panthallor 1st Place – 2024 Evaluation Contest
Congratulations Niti Goel 2nd Place – 2024 Evaluation Contest
In October 2024, Toastmasters International turns 100, helping people from around the globe become better communicators and leaders.
You can learn all about Toastmasters turning 100 at the Toastmasters Centennial History Site. In honor of this historic milestone, each issue of theToastmaster Magazine this year will show historical facts, photos, throwback articles, or recaps of Toastmasters firsts.
Toastmasters History
Glen Abbey History
Chartered on March 30, 1992, Glen Abbey Toastmasters has been a vibrant part of the Oakville community for 30 years. Our club has consistently achieved President’s Distinguished Club status in the Toastmasters International Distinguished Club Program every single year since 2003. It is the highest achievement possible for any Toastmasters club and is the marker of a successful club.
Glen Abbey Toastmasters helps people improve their communication and leadership skills through a proven approach that focuses on self development and self confidence in public speaking. We are known for its professional, friendly, supportive, and fun learning atmosphere.
We’re back and better than ever! After a refreshing summer break, our Toastmasters club is excited to resume meetings in hybrid mode—alternating between online and in-person sessions. This format offers the best of both worlds, making it easier for everyone to stay connected and engaged.
Whether you’re joining us from the comfort of your home or experiencing the thrill of in-person speeches, it’s time to bring your energy, ideas, and enthusiasm to the table. Let’s make 2024-25 a year of growth, connection, and powerful storytelling. Get ready, roll up your sleeves, and let’s inspire one another!
We are excited to announce that Glen Abbey Toastmaster’s very own Lori O’Grady took first place during the Mary Heary Tall Tales Contest held at the Oakville Toastmasters Club. She had the audience captivated and laughing along as she delivered her speech titled “Amen”. Congratulations Lori!
This past November, Glen Abbey Toastmasters held our club level speech competition. For our International Speech Contest, members Krista Rowan & Zehra Raza placed first and second, respectively. For our Table Topics Contest, member Zehra Raza placed first and Krista Rowan placed second.
They both qualified and competed in the Area Speech contest. We are thrilled to announce that Zehra placed first in the International Speech Contest and third in the Table Topics Contest! She will go on to compete in the Division level in March.
We are so proud of both Krista and Zehra, as well as all the Glen Abbey Toastmasters who competed. As well, we would like to extend our gratitude to all of our members who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the various competitions ran smoothly.
It was a SPOOK-tacular evening this past Wednesday at Glen Abbey Toastmasters as we hosted our annual Halloween meeting! It was the first time in 4 years that the meeting was held in-person.
It was a fun evening filled with speeches, sweet treats, and a best costume contest! First place went to Tina who dressed up as Snow White. And our runner-up was Chris dressed as Sherlock Holmes! We also had the privilege of hearing from HR expert Ellen Zhang, who held a workshop on interview and salary negotiation tips.
A special thank you to Toastmaster Gordon for hosting the special evening. As well, thank you to all of our members who showed up in their Halloween costumes!
