Over to You! – Special Occasion Speeches #1
The Toast – On 6th July, Laura McHarrie officially handed over the running of Toastmaster’s Area 42 to her successor Linda Parkinson-Hardman, simultaniously completing another in the special occasion speeches manual. […]
Wrapping Up … A Toastmaster’s Area Director’s Diary
Wrap up, tie up any loose ends and reflect before gifting! With little over a month to go before the end of the Toastmaster’s year, it is time to do […]
Beat The Clock – A Toastmaster’s Area Director’s Diary
As we draw to the close of the Toastmaster year, nothing stops! The clock keeps ticking! With two months to go we still have a lot to play for; not […]
A Marxism …
“Surround yourself with people who make you happy. People who make you laugh, who help you when you’re in need. People who genuinely care. They are the ones worth keeping […]
A Letter from George – Storytelling #5
Betsy Loveless was beating the back out of a piece of meat with a weighty rolling pin. The occasional trapped rabbit with wild vegetables regularly put food on the family […]
Robert’s Rules of Order
In the last 9 months I have been involved in a number of political (small p) meetings where Robert’s Rules of Order have been applied. Whilst I have been to […]
Passing the Baton – A Toastmaster Area Director’s Diary
What are you doing to ensure the ongoing success of your club? Planning an effective succession strategy for your club’s committee is not easy. We are all busy people, but […]
Variations on the Death of Trotsky – Interpretive Reading #4
Laura McHarrie has chosen and for the purpose of timing edited, a short one-act comedy-drama written by David Ives. The play fictionalises the death of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky through a […]
Variety is the Spice of Life – an Educational Speech
Introduction “Laura McHarrie, is here on her 2nd official visit to the club in her role as Area Director. Laura is close to getting her AC Silver award this year. […]
Entelechies! A Toastmaster’s Area Director’s Diary
Interesting how the half way point creeps up whilst you were snoozing over Christmas and slap bam wallop two clubs in the area have achieved Distinguished Club Status with a […]
The Flood – Interpretive Reading #3
Laura McHarrie has chosen The Flood, one of The Vagina Monologues, a compilation of plays written and performed originally by Eve Ensler in 1996. This is one that Laura thinks […]
David Bowie is … Interpretive Reading #5
For the purpose of this project, Laura McHarrie, self-confessed, Bowie-obsessed, fan from the age of 15 has chosen Tilda Swinton’s after dinner speech at the opening of ‘David Bowie is’. The exhibition has proved to be one of the most popular exhibitions in the Victoria & Albert Museum’s history. Moreover, Tilda Swinton’s contemporary speech has been voted as one of the top 100 speeches given by women ever. With this project entitled ‘David Bowie is’ please welcome Laura McHarrie
Going Public in Dorset – High Performance Leadership part I
Laura McHarrie has chosen this Contest to deliver the first of two speeches in relation to her High Performance Leadership Project. As its name suggests, the aim is for the […]
The Toastmaster Challenge
I’m frightened to death, most of the time, about thinking out loud in public, so I cover the cracks as best as I can with foundation, powder and paint. I’m […]
Chutzpah! – Cheek Charms
Since we are amidst the awards season, it seemed appropriate to discuss harnessing the power of chutzpah! The word has been adopted from Yiddish and means someone who has shameless audacity; […]
A Minute to Win It! – a Toastmasters Speech (8)
A minute to win it …. One of the most commonly used tools cited on the networking circuit is the one minute elevator pitch. Hands up if you’ve heard that? […]
The Verderer – a Toastmaster Speech (7)
This is a story about the guardians of the New Forest. Some of you may well know that I spend a lot of time living in a suitcase somewhere in […]
No Go Sligo :0(
Last May, I spent a weekend in Cirencester with 200 people that I had never met before. I know it seems odd! The Friday evening buffet was a fancy dress […]
Dungeons and Dragons
Many, many years ago – 22 to be exact I played Dungeons and Dragons down the pub with a bunch of Debenhams colleagues for the best part of a year, […]
What’s in a name?
Valery Coburn gave a wonderful seven minute Toastmasters speech on how important your name is. Her take on this was that your given full name was very powerful in terms […]
Slippery Paws – a Toastmasters Speech (6)
There once was a fox and a wolf that set up cave with one another, half way up a steep cliff near to the seashore. Although this may seem odd, […]
Postscrips from Sir Benfro
You have got to listen to this whilst reading this post! Have a nice day by the Welsh band Sterophonics … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rPe0BtYvTA I have just returned from a long weekend […]
Ladies who Lunch
Now you need to know that I am on holiday this week so you must allow me a little leeway in my thought meanderings on this little idiom. This stopping […]
The Five Minute Bio – a Toastmasters Speech (3)
The well-written biography is a fundamental marketing tool for all professionals, whether you are employed or self-employed. Its power is all too frequently overlooked. Let me reiterate the why. Most people […]
Don’t Feel Sorry For Me! – a Toastmasters Speech (2)
I am an insulin dependant diabetic. Most people I meet, know someone who has diabetes. Hands up if that is you! It is not surprising as there are 1.8 million […]
Laura McHarrie @ The Hidden Edge 