Toastmasters Meet at Kristin

02/04/2026

What a full and inspiring meeting we had—our Speechathon featured 6 prepared speeches + evaluations, and the energy in the room truly reflected the spirit of resilience.

A big thank you to Falko, who kindly stepped in at short notice to take on the Grammarian role when a member couldn’t make it—your support helped keep the meeting running smoothly. And thank you to Area Director Delia for visiting and supporting us as evaluator. Warm welcome to our guests as well!

✨ Speech Highlights

Hiromi – “Two Tasks, One Goal”
Stepped out of her comfort zone by speaking without notes and embracing impromptu roles. A powerful reminder: growth > perfection.
Grace – “The Power of Yet” (Icebreaker)
From marketing in Vietnam to rebuilding confidence in NZ—turning “yet” into a mindset for growth. Truly inspiring resilience in action.
Rachel – “Labyrinth Movie”
Reflected on timeless lessons from a childhood film—teamwork, resilience through challenges, and valuing relationships over material things.
Melanie – “Leadership from Camping”
Showed how leadership comes to life through communication, optimism, and leading by example (even on a camping trip!).
Fei – “Hidden Treasure”
A heartfelt mentorship journey and the impact of belief, guidance, and “summit thinking.”
Patrick – “What the Mountain Taught Me”
A powerful story of endurance and inner strength, shaped by years of preparation and a defining moment in extreme conditions.

🏆 Awards & Highlights

Best Speaker: Hiromi – for her courageous, note-free delivery and authentic reflections
Word of the Day “Resilient” – beautifully woven into many speeches
Great effort all around, with a few members mastering timing as well!

💡 Learning Moment
A special shoutout to Sherman for his Pathways presentation—practical, insightful, and incredibly useful. It gave a clear big-picture view of how the program supports our growth in communication, leadership, and confidence.

🌿 Looking Ahead
We’ll take a short break over Easter, and our next meeting will be May 7 (first meeting of the new term).

🎉 Proud moment for our club—we received the Kinsley Award, recognising our commitment to quality, growth, and member experience.

Grateful for a community that keeps showing up, supporting each other, and growing together 💛

27/03/2026

🏆 Second Place, First Lesson

Congratulations to Tina for achieving 2nd place in the Area International Speech Contest and 3rd place in the Evaluation Contest.

But if you ask her what mattered most — it wasn’t the moment on stage.

It was the quiet moments before.

Receiving thoughtful feedback from Ingrid.
Exploring the deeper purpose of the speech with Sherman.
Getting a call from Aly, gently challenging what could be done differently — and better.
Listening to refined strategy ideas from Max, and then trying to bring everything together — going through the speech line by line, again and again.

Not just encouragement, but honesty.
Not just “well done,” but “this part could be clearer,”
“what if you tried it this way?”

Those conversations changed everything.

Practice on Thursday.

By Saturday, at 7:30am on the contest morning, there was still one final round of feedback.

Before stepping onto the contest stage, the same speech had already been revised five times.

And that’s when something shifted.

The same speech… can become something completely different.

When someone who had heard both versions said,
Tina, did you change it? I felt this version is better!

When the timer said he almost forgot the yellow light — because he was so engaged,
and several people she had never met came up to her afterwards, sharing that the speech resonated and even moved them to tears,

She felt a sense of surprise — and deep fulfillment.

She knew. The message had landed.

This speech meant something.

Not because of the contest.
But because the story was finally told the way it deserved to be told.
Because it carried a message.

And that was enough.

Because the truth is —
you don’t grow on stage.
You grow in between.

In the pauses.
In the uncomfortable feedback.
In the moments someone cares enough to help you see what you couldn’t see alone.

That’s what makes Toastmasters at Kristin different.

It’s not about being perfect.
It’s about showing up — together.

· We give feedback that’s real, not just polite
· We help each other uncover blind spots
· We practice, fail, adjust, and try again
· We celebrate effort as much as results

And contests?

They’re not just for “the best speakers.”

As Sherman shared, a contest isn’t about competing with others —
it’s about stepping into pressure and discovering who you become in it.

It’s where growth accelerates.
Where confidence is built faster than comfort ever could.

No pressure. No judgment.
Just people who show up — and lift each other higher.

🗓️ Division Contest will be tomorrow!
📅 Saturday , Mar 28th
⏰ 10:00–14:00 PM
📍 Massey University - Student Amenities Centre (Level 2), East Precinct Albany

As to our Toastmasters at Kristin, we’ll see you in our next meeting in May!

📅 Thursday, May 7th
⏰ 7:00–9:00 PM
📍 Tasman Room (2nd floor, LIC Building at Kristin)

18/03/2026

✨ March 12 Toastmasters Meeting Recap ✨

What an inspiring and energetic evening we had!

We enjoyed four wonderful speeches:

A reflection on how two very different personality types can complement each other beautifully in a relationship 💛

A thoughtful introduction to “Name it to tame it,” reminding us how expanding our emotional vocabulary can deepen self-awareness

A vivid story of a challenging hiking journey—full of ups, downs, and moments of growth

And one speech shared a heartfelt story about a father, gently reminding us that sometimes, understanding the people closest to us takes time, patience, and a shift in perspective

🌟 Highlights:

A second speech delivered with growing confidence and presence—amazing to witness!

Our Toastmaster brought fantastic energy and kept the meeting flowing smoothly

A first-time Timer did a wonderful job tracking everyone’s time 👏

Our General Evaluator stepped up to a challenging role and delivered thoughtful feedback

So lovely to welcome a returning member—we’ve missed you!

And we had 6 guests join us! 🎉

So much growth, courage, and connection in one evening. Grateful to be part of this community ❤️

01/03/2026

What an inspiring Toastmasters contest night! 🎤✨

Our club hosted a special evening featuring both the official International Speech & Evaluation Contests, as well as our own Club Speech Contest for members who were eager to step up and challenge themselves.

It was wonderful to see so many people embrace the opportunity to grow and shine.

🎉 Congratulations to our winners:

🏆 Club Speech Contest – 1st Lyn Vu | 2nd Andrew | 3rd Patric

🏆 International Speech Contest – 1st Tina

🏆 Evaluation Contest – 1st Tina | 2nd Andrew | 3rd Steven

A heartfelt thank you to:

• Michelle for her moving and thought-provoking speech (“If not now, when…”)

• Vivien and her team for organising the contest night

• Ingrid, our elegant and energetic Toastmaster

• Chief Judge Sherman Wang, Contest Chairs Kitty Zeng and Hiromi Nonaka

• And all judges, timers, and volunteers who made the evening possible!

For me, speech writing has quietly become a way of observing life more closely. The stories come from everyday moments — and honestly, Ryan probably deserves half the credit. 😄

These nights remind us why Toastmasters is so special — every speech and every evaluation is an opportunity to stretch, connect, and grow.

On to the Area Contest on March 14! 💪✨ Don't miss it!

17/02/2026

Toastmasters at Kristin 2nd Meeting Recap 🎤🌱

Last meeting at Kristin Toastmasters, our theme was “Our Daily Routine”!

✨ Speakers shared their unforgettable mentor stories — expressing gratitude and encouraging everyone to find someone who believes in them.

🪂 One member also shared her skydiving experience, describing how she felt before and after the jump !

💡 Table Topics had us thinking deeply:

What was your childhood daily routine and how did it shape you?

What sport taught you discipline through daily routine?

How have your routines changed at different times in your life?

Which daily routine do you really struggle with?

Everyone took turns standing up and sharing their answers — the energy was amazing!

👏 Special shoutout to Neha, our General Evaluator for the first time! She gave smooth, constructive, and humorous feedback, highlighting strengths, offering challenges, and delivering recommendations with honesty, precision, and deep respect. Truly inspiring!

Congratulations to Neha and Tina for completing their speech project Level 1!

Next time you’re nervous about a role — especially GE — you know who to turn to for advice! 🌟

02/02/2026

Kick-off meeting of 2026 💛
Small things really do make a big difference.

Such a lovely way to start the year at Toastmasters! We welcomed new guests, shared inspiring speeches, and felt so much growth in the room.

A special moment was hearing Angela reflect on our club’s journey since its early days — her encouragement and sincerity meant a lot to us.

Sherman’s speech on Keeping the Commitment made me stop and think: What have I actually committed to? So many things we don’t even notice — yet they shape who we are.

One highlight for me was Max’s evaluation of Ingrid’s speech. He explained feedback so clearly — helping the speaker see that what feels like “over-acting” can be just right for the audience. Thoughtful, practical, and very supportive.

From early arrivals to preparing supper and welcoming guests, the night reminded me again: leadership lives in the small things — and they truly matter.

What’s one small thing you could do that might make a difference for someone today? 🌱

22/12/2025

🎄✨ Last Saturday, our Toastmasters club hosted a truly special Christmas event!

From heartfelt appreciation to Table Topics, speeches, dances, games, and wonderful food, not to mention 100-year Toastmasters commemorative pens for our most dedicated members and officers, the afternoon was full of learning, laughter, leadership, and community spirit! 😄🎉

Beyond speeches, every moment reflected the club’s dedication to creating a supportive and joyful environment.

What makes our club so special isn’t just the speeches—it’s the people and the care they put into supporting each other. 💖

A heartfelt thank you to the organising team — Hiromi, Patrick, Lyn, Vivien, Hong, Ingrid, and Sherman — for preparing such a fun, engaging, thoughtful, and joyful event! 👏👏

Special thanks to Kitty for being a wonderful MC 👏👏 and to Sherman for making the video!

Looking forward to seeing you all in 2026! 🎉

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 🎄✨

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12/12/2025

🎄 Toastmasters Meeting Recap — December 4th, 2025

Theme: “If money wasn’t a problem”

Tonight’s meeting, led by Toastmaster Kitty, was filled with imagination and heartfelt storytelling. We had four speakers sharing engaging and very different perspectives:

🟦 Hiromi opened the night with a fun and educational presentation on three uniquely Kiwi words, including “dairy” and “jandal.” She also mentioned the interesting connection between “jandal” and its Japanese origin. Her clear explanations and use of PPT made the session lively and memorable.

🟩 Andrew shared an inspiring story of his journey as a rugby referee—how he built confidence over time and grew through challenges. His story highlighted resilience, growth, and passion.

🟪 Victoria delivered a fast-paced and expressive speech about the internal conflict of having “two angels on her shoulders,” a vivid metaphor for the inner voices we all experience. Though quick, her energy and emotion came through strongly.

🟥 Edmond closed the speaking session by sharing his experiences growing up in Chongqing, moving to New Zealand, and studying accounting at the University of Auckland. Honest, reflective, and heartfelt.

We also welcomed a new member tonight: Lorraine, who brought her child Lucas to the meeting. Welcome to the club, Lorraine!

It was a warm and lively evening—thank you all for your stories and energy. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season! 🎅✨

02/12/2025

02/12/2025

Toastmasters Recap Meeting on Nov 20 — Theme: I Wish I Knew It Earlier

Our ever-humorous Toastmaster Sherman kicked off the evening by revealing the thing he truly wished he knew earlier: the key to brushing teeth is actually brushing the gum line! 🪥

✨ Prepared Speeches
• Tina brought laughter and heartfelt reflection with her story on bedtime battles and the power of trust and environment in parenting.
• Lyn inspired us with her journey from seeking external validation to finding inner peace.
• Melanie touched our hearts with stories about her gentle giant dogs breaking stereotypes. 🐶💛

🎤 Table Topics
We had three wonderful guests:

Isabella and Jenny both took on Table Topics with courage and sincerity.

Isabella delivered such a complete and genuine response that she won Best Table Topics Speaker! 🌟

💬 Closing Sharing
Jenny’s daughter Kate closed the night beautifully with her thoughtful feedback — so confident and mature!

💛 We also welcomed Hong back, and were happy to see Kitty return from her travels.

Another warm, lively, and enriching evening at Toastmasters.
See you this week for our last meeting on Dec 4th this year! 🙌

13/11/2025

🌟 Toastmasters Meeting Recap November 6th | Theme: “This was unexpected”

We had such an inspiring evening filled with surprises, laughter, and learning!

✨ Prepared Speeches
Aly delivered her Path completion speech — “Progress, Not Perfection”, wrapping up her 7-year Toastmasters journey on a high note. Congratulations, Aly! 👏👏

🗣️ Table Topics Session
Six speakers shared their “unexpected” moments — from family surprises and talking dogs to invisible adventures!

💡 Evaluations & Learning
Our evaluators offered thoughtful feedback on structure, expression, and body language — helping everyone navigate their next steps in speaking.

🏆 Awards
• Best Speech: Aly (for 7 years of persistence!)
• Best Table Topic: Holly (our brave guest speaker!)
• Best Evaluator: Victoria

🎉 Special Mentions
So happy to see BJ recovering well and starting his seventh Path tonight!
And welcome back Steven, plus a big thanks to Rachel for joining the second half after her earlier commitment — great to see you both!

❤️ Loved the positive energy and warm vibe throughout the night!
Next up — our Evaluation Workshop on Nov 25 (7:00pm, Tasman Euro Room). Don’t miss it!