Claire Lacy wins Humorous Contest

Area W21 Contests

The Area W21 Contests for Humorous Speeches and Tables Topics were held at the Fremantle Bowling Club on Saturday afternoon, September 20, 2008.

Claire Lacy

Our Claire Lacy won the Humorous Contest with her speech Move on Claire. Move on.

I’m never going to have children, she proclaimed, twitching violently. Do you want to know why? Because I was a matron at an all boys school – that’s why. But as her psychiatrist upbraids her, it was only for a month when she was 18. Now you’re 27. Move on, Claire. Move on.

The psychiatrist figured several times as Claire lurched her way through the terrible experiences she had at the boys’ school. It culminated in the terrible night when she was supervising showers, and she accidentally (?) turned the tap to very hot, scalding the boys. Well done, Claire, pronounced the psychiatrist. That’s your subconscious speaking. You have avenged yourself. Now you can move on. The audience knew she wouldn’t as the twitch came back with a vengeance. Claire thought she could, now that she had got it out into the open and confronted it publicly. Now she was ready to resume normal life, get a boyfriend, have children, hold down a job. Until she saw a little boy in the audience and ran screaming from the stage.

David Colson from Gateway was placed second.

Table Topics

Chief Judge Charles Fisher & Gillian Street

Gillian Street from Gateway won the Table Topics, answering the question “Does the end always justify the means?” Gillian recaptured a scene in a St Vinnie’s Op Shop where she bought a $750 pair of fashion shoes for just $3. To get them she had to behave in a disgraceful fashion. But she got the shoes – that end certainly justified the means for her that day.

Steve Barry from Gateway was placed second. Our Amanda Siebert gave an excellent speech, but it suffered in the contest from taking the question seriously. Light and bright seems to be the way to go in Table Topics Contests.

The Contest Organisation

Pascale

Sharon Wayland

The contest was organised by Area Governor Pascale Amberville-Colby and hosted by Gateway. Gateway President Sharon Wayland chaired the Humorous Contest. Three clubs from W21 were represented – Fremantle Gateway, Fremantle Gourmet and Victoria Quay. Amity in Albany will be sending its representatives directly to the Western Division Final

 

 

WA – New Horizons

David Nicholas

District 73 Parliamentarian David Nicholas DTM gave a presentation on forward plans for Toastmasters in WA. David claimed there was no new horizon. It is the same horizon, but now it looks new because it is much closer.

Toastmaster leaders in WA have a vision of a new District for WA alone. In the last few years we have gone from 30 clubs, through 36, and now to 46. At the same time just the one Western Division has grown into Western, Perth and Innercity.

 

 

Public Relations in District 73

Mark Richards

District Public Relations Officer Mark Richards DTM outlined his plans for publicising Toastmasters through the community. Mark is recruiting State based PROs to assist him. There are 2 in Victoria and now he has one in WA – Robyn Richards, cofounder of the new Canning Vale Club.

 

 

 

Western Division

Ross Wilkinson & Claire Lacy

Western Division Governor Ross Wilkinson was on hand to make presentations to the winners. Ross presented statistics which showed that Western Division is leading the District at this point in the Distinguished Club Program. In Western Division and the District as a whole, Area W21 has built up an amazing early performance. Only 3 Clubs in the District are Distinguished – Fremantle Gateway with 5 Goals, Fremantle Gourmet with 6 Goals, while Victoria Quay is Select Distinguished with 7 Goals.

Ross paid special tribute to our 5 new Distinguished Toastmasters in WA. There are Bill Hewitt and Judith Allen from Perth Division. In Western Division there are Alan Smith (Victoria Quay), Ross himself (Fremantle Gourmet) and Jeanette Farrar (Fremantle Gateway).

The Western Division Contest Finals

The Division Finals will be held Saturday afternoon, November 1st, 2008 in the same venue, the Fremantle Bowling Club. Claire and Gillian will represent W21 there.