Our Very First Zoom Meeting!

Due to COVID-19, we shifted our physical meetings online. We are now able to meet virtually and still carry out our speeches and table topics. Thank goodness for technology!

We started off the night testing out our cameras and microphones, making sure that we could all hear each other comfortably. The meeting was then called to order by the Sergeant-At-Arms, Roann, who asked us to share either the most memorable or recent trip that we had overseas. Each shared their own personal stories either from their younger days or when they almost got quarantined because of the virus, after they arrived back home from travelling.

Joni, the Toastmaster of the Evening, then gave her welcome address, followed by the opening address by our Club President, Hyun Joo, who shared on theme of New Awakenings.

To start off the project speeches, Rubin completed her Level 1 Project 2, Evaluation and Feedback, about how she struggled speaking to her daughter when it came to sex education. Nicholas followed after, with his Persuasive Speech (Level 3 Project 1) on why we should not be too worked up about COVID-19. Lastly, Cherylene performed a wedding toast for her project Delivering Social Speeches (Level 3 Project 3), transforming the entire zoom meeting into a banquet hall.

Willie offered to be our Timer, with his high technology Zoom add-ons, that could display the timing on his screen for everyone to see, showing the green, yellow and red cards when the timing reached each checkpoint in the timing sequence.

Eliz, Swarna and Geri gave splendid advice to the three project speakers, letting them know what they did well in and what they could have improved on.

One key take-away from the evaluations was that: Even in online meetings, we are still able to use our hands and facial expressions to communicate with our audience. Through body language, we could change the entire mood of the speech, making it more lively and less mundane to watch and listen to.

Soon, it was time for Table Topics, led by the Table Topics Master, Malcolm, who gave us very philosophical quotes for those who have not spoken to take on a challenge.

Rosalind, diligently taking note of everyone's "err"s and "ah"s throughout the time, gave her report on the Ah Counter.

Hyun Joo then closed the meeting by speaking about the first Table Topic: For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn't understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.