HARRY'S HELPFUL HINTS FOR WRITERS AND SPEAKERS

HARRY'S HELPFUL HINTS FOR WRITERS AND SPEAKERS FLINTY'S FREE SPEAK

Newsletter of the

Flin Flon Toastmasters Club 2065

Volume 1, Number 1, December, 2001

EDITOR'S NOTE

Welcome to this first edition of Flinty's Free Speak, the newsletter of Flin Flon Toastmasters Club 2065. It is hoped that this quarterly feature will bring you up to date on events in our club and members' achievements. If you have news items you wish included or suggestions for future issues please speak to me at a meeting, call me at 687-6647 or email me at Harry Hobbs

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Club #2065 welcomes new members Joni Hanson and Penny Argo. Joni divides her time between being a full time mother and is enrolled as a student in Computer Business at Keewatin Community College. Penny works as an Operating Room Nurse and we understand is eagerly awaiting the birth of her first grandchild. It is great to have both of you in our Toastmasters family.

THE GREAT DEBATE

On October 9th our Club and Kelsey Trail squared off for The Great Debate at the Catholic Church in Cranberry Portage. Two debates were held in impromptu fashion. Topics were light and fun was the focus of the evening. Toastmasters King, Frazer, Hobbs and Lynn attended from our Club.

Debate master and judging duties were shared by members not participating in that particular debate. Debaters drew topics and a coin toss decided who would be the Affirmative side and who would debate for the Negative. The first two debate teams ably argued on the locally contentious issue of whether or not the statute of Flintabatty Flontatin should be moved to The Pas and called Trapper Batty Opasquian. The second debate considered whether or not the fish should be the national emblem of Canada.

Our club emerged victorious in both debates even though Kelsey Trail debater Rob Kozak pointed out that the Flin Flon Club didn't seem sure what the national emblem of Canada actually was. Better bone up on your Canadian history next time Harry!

Kelsey Trail is determined that Flin Flon cannot remain the undisputed debating champion and has challenged us to a rematch on April 9th in Wanless. Kelsey Trail will be looking after the arrangements. We will use the same format as we did for the October 9th debate and use topics not picked in the first round. Let's plan on having a good turnout so we can retain our undefeated status.

DISTRICT FALL CONFERENCE

Your newsletter editor had the privilege of attending the District Fall Conference in Winnipeg on November 9th and 10th. The Conference concluded with the District Humourous Speech Contest with myself as one of the judges. All the speeches were great and all were delivered without notes. It was a tough decision for the judges, but in the end former Area Governor of Area 33 and former Thompson Toastmaster Darryl Gervais was declared the winner.

A special highlight for me was receiving the award for Area Governor of the Year for Rural Manitoba and North-western Ontario. Thank you Gloria for your kind words. They were an unexpected surprise.

VISITS OF NOTE

District Humourous Contest winner Darryl Gervais visited the Kelsey Trail Club on November 19th and gave his winning speech. Barb Lyons and Harry visited from our club for an entertaining and stimulating evening. It is great to get out to visit other clubs and compare how they do things. Members of Kelsey Trail made us feel most welcome and Darryl's speech was most entertaining and worthy of his win. Thanks Rob for the gift books. Congratulations to Barb for winning best table topics speaker of the evening!

Our District Governor Joanne McDowall is planning to visit our club sometime in the New Year. Details will be released when they become available.

PROGRAM NOTES

There are still a few vacant spots on the program for Toastmaster of the Meeting. If there are no volunteers, the duty will be assigned. Please contact Bob Frazer if you have not done this duty yet.

NAME THAT NEWSLETTER

Flinty's Free Speak is a working title for this newsletter. Suggestions for a good name for this newsletter are welcome.

MEMBERS NEWS

Certainly members of our club get around and are active not just in the club, but in their workplace and in our community.

Bob Frazer has recently returned from a trip to Mexico. We hope you will give us a talk on your experience, Bob.
Barb Lyons is team leader for the Acute Care Hospital Accreditation team.
Bernie Lynn recently passed the Introductory Payroll Course.
Doreen Beardy was most excited to discover a brother she did not know she had and an uncle she has never met.
Lois Cantin is currently president-elect of the provincial regulatory association for pharmacy, Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association and on the executive of the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities. She recently was in Ottawa where she gave a speech and has taken a well deserved holiday in New Orleans.
Joni Hansen remains very active in music and was a member of the Flin Flon Community Choir who gave two splendid performances locally on Saturday December 8th and Sunday December 9th. The Choir received a standing ovation on Saturday night and came back for two encores. Joni was also part of a trio which included her sisters Susan Lethbridge and Cindy Fahie.
Harry Hobbs remains active at St. Andrew's Church where he preached a sermon on December 9th and is scheduled for another one January 6th.

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 15, 2002
Meetings resume after the Christmas break.
January 29, 2002
Please mark this date on your calendar. Mike Harvie from Shaw Cable will be out to our meeting to tape excerpts for a program about our club to be aired on the local community access channel.
February 12, 2002
Guest night (Tentative)
The date for guest night will be confirmed and details worked out early in the New Year.
Our Area Governor Rob Kozak will be visiting the club in late January or early February to conduct second half officer training.

SEASONS GREETINGS

"It's the time of year when the world falls in love" according to the popular Christmas song. May the spirit of joy and love that is an integral part of this season be with you now and throughout 2002. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all the members of Club #2065 and to your families.

NEXT ISSUE

The next issue of Flinty's Free Speak is slated for late March. Suggestions comments or items for the next issue would be greatly appreciated.
Back to Main Page