Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests 2010

The air was abuzz with excitement and the room was crowded with toastmasters busy networking. It was the night of our club's annual Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests.

NUS Alumni has graciously agreed to organise the contests for us this year, following our collaboration which started two years ago. There were 3 contestants for the Humorous Speech Contest.

First speaker Chew Teck Siong continued his life story which he began in his previous humorous speech in last year's contest with the speech "My Life Part II". He shared snippets of his life in the army and how his recruits feared him as he was the PTI - Physical Test Instructor.

Second speaker Nik Chua, with his speech "Garden of Dreams", shared stories about the pursuit of his dreams and how when a dream dies, another is budding. He inspired us to pursue our dreams with zest and passion.

Third speaker Joni Siah, in her speech "Are You Ready?", shared about the sacrifices and challenges of parenting. She regaled us with anecdotes from her experiences as a mother and walked away with the champion trophy.

For the Evaluation Contest, test speaker Joyce Leong presented a serious and heart-felt speech about cherishing our loved ones before it is too late. She shared stories about her grandmother and how she regretted not spending more time with her.

There were 5 contestants who evaluated her speech.

First contestant Nik Chua commended Joyce on her good use of questioning technique in her introduction to engage the audience; the meaningful message in her speech and the use of emotional personal stories. He recommended the use of more varied tones and emotional expressions to enhance the delivery of her speech.

2nd contestant Joni Siah used alliterative triads to bring across her points - 3 Ss for commendations: smooth delivery, sincerity and effective use of stories and 3 Es for recommendations: expressiveness, energy and effective use of grammar.

3rd contestant Kenneth Tian liked Joyce's use of questioning technique in the introduction and her timely topic. He encouraged her to use more vocal variety and body language meaningfully. He also suggested including more details so as to weave more flesh into the stories.

4th contestant George Goh highlighted Joyce's strong introduction using questions, natural hand gestures and the relevance of her topic about connecting with our loved ones. He felt the speech was touching and had tugged at his heart-strings. Recommendations for improvements included exaggerating emotions, varying the pitch, having a strong climax for the story and use of meaningful eye-contact.

5th contestant Chew Teck Siong commended Joyce for using questions in her introduction to interact with the audience, the use of personal stories which we can relate to and a strong message. He recommended the use of more body language and vocal variety as well as a punchline at the end of the speech to bring home the message.

After the contests, contestants were presented with certificates of participation and all appointment holders given tokens of appreciation for their hard work. The contest chair announced the results of contests complete with 'drum rolls' from the sporting audience:

Humorous Speech Contest

1st runner-up Nik Chua

Champion Joni Siah

Evaluation Contest (1 time disqualification)

2nd runner-up Chew Teck Siong

1st runner-up Nik Chua

Champion Joni Siah

Club President Nik Chua closed the meeting by thanking all the toastmasters for their presence and all appointment holders and judges for making the contest such a resounding success.