Lowdown – 6 October 2008
Theme: Nursery Rhymes
NB – This Low Down is condensed because we want all of you to really, really experience first hand the camaraderie of our meetings and the amazing quality and creativity of our speeches. Hoping to see you this coming Wednesday 22 October.
Call to Order by Kirsten Long at 18.20.
Welcome by the president, Andrew Timberlake who welcomed everyone, especially our guests and asked everyone to introduce themselves by quoting and then explaining their favourite nursery rhyme.
The Toast – To Nursery Rhymes
Graham explained the history behind a number of the better known nursery rhymes before proposing a toast to nursery rhymes.
Induction
Danie in an exciting new assignment inducted our newest member, Monica, and requested that she make certain promises, e.g. to attend meetings, prepare for them, actively participate in and constructively evaluate at meetings. In return members were asked to pledge their support to Monica.
Toastmaster
It was lovely to have Agnes Lutukai back participating in a meeting as our highly effective Toastmaster. She requested participants, Clinton, the timekeeper, Richard the evaluation chair, Sue the grammarian and Danie the Hark Master to explain their roles.
Speeches
Monica Ooosthuizen having just been inducted took the bull by the horns and under the title of “Me, Myself and I” creatively, in her CC1, introduced all of us to her, a fascinating person.
Jaco Strydom, in his dynamic CC3 speech entitled Inclusion, Integration and Acceptance brought a lump in the throat to many members as he described the brave successful journey of one mentally and physically challenged boy, backed by his father, to achieve those three words that were the title of Jaco’s speech.
Once again Christa Roux exposed us to her creative sense of humour in a speech entitled “A consumer’s view” in which she challenged the influence advertising and branding has on all our lives and how marriage can challenge a person’s comfort zone by forcing them to change brands!
Danie Roux, at the second, vastly improved, presentation of his speech “Virtues of a knowledge economy worker”, creatively compared and outlined the skills required by people working in the 21st century knowledge economy, which were certainly not the skills eschewed by our grandparents!
Coralie Rutherford presented a business briefing aimed at potential healthcare representatives. She explained how the training course on which they wished to enroll would help them find employment in the challenging healthcare market.
Table Topics
Kirsten Long stimulated our creativity by requesting everyone speak on a specific nursery rhyme, although the writer believes most of these were songs, fairy stories or poems and not actual nursery rhymes, but they did generate fascinating speeches under the following titles:
Sue Munro – the House that Jack Built
Zibu – What are little boys made of
Guy – Grand dads old Jalopie
Lindor – Pop goes the weasel
Agnes – Oh dear what can the matter be
Clinton – If you’re happy and you know it
Danie – Over the hills and far away
Jaco – Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
Evaluation
Richard chaired a rewarding and constructive evaluation session where:
Tiaan evaluated Monica’s speech
Andrew evaluated Jaco and Christa’s speeches
Richard evaluated Danie’s speech
Graham evaluated Coralie’s speech
Grammarian
Sue commended the meeting on the paucity of “Ums” and “Ahs” and Christa’s alliteration. She suggested Jaco work on his “T’s” and Danie on his rolling “R’s”.
Hark Master
Either everyone listened too well or Kirsten’s questions were too easy because sadly minimal cash was generated from this session for the club coffers!
On A Point
Mini-Con 34 / 25 October in KZN
West Rand – Reigning Brains 29 October
Lindor thanked everyone for the opportunity to attend the meeting
Graham asked members to think of creative ways to retain our members
Andrew asked guests for their feedback on the meeting, being tactful this feedback was very positive!
Andrew closed the meeting and wished everyone a safe trip home. He looked forward to seeing them at the next meeting
CORALIE