After our Onam break and the club’s beautiful Onam celebration, it felt good to be back at our regular Trivandrum Toastmasters meeting. It followed nicely from our previous gathering, Meeting 630, and the club’s Onam celebrations.
Meeting No. 631 of Trivandrum Toastmasters Club had a particularly fitting theme: “Let Me Tell You a Story…”
There is something special about stories. They help us connect, make ideas memorable and allow us to share experiences in a way that goes beyond simply conveying information.
Table of Contents
Back to Our Regular Trivandrum Toastmasters Meeting Rhythm.
The weeks leading up to this meeting had been a little different for our club.
Our regular meeting on 29 August was not held because of the Onam festival and the expected attendance was very low. The following Saturday, 5 September, was devoted to our club’s full-day Onam Celebration at the Royal Hall, Sree Mulam Club.
So, Meeting 631 felt like a return to our regular Trivandrum Toastmasters Meeting Saturday rhythm of speaking, listening, evaluating, and learning together.
Let Me Tell You a Story…
The evening’s theme encouraged us to explore the power of storytelling.
The Word of the Day was “Jubilant”, while the Phrase of the Day was “Live Life to the Fullest.”
Both added a positive and energetic touch to the meeting.
Our Toastmaster of the Day was TM Sreekanth, who guided the proceedings around the storytelling theme.
Finding My Beat
The Prepared Speech was delivered by TM Jayakrishnan, titled “Finding My Beat.”
It was a Level 5, Project 1 speech from the Presentation Mastery pathway, with a duration of 5–7 minutes.
DTM Sajeev evaluated the speech.
One of the things I value about Toastmasters is the opportunity to listen to people at different stages of their speaking journey. Every speech has something to offer—not just through its content, but also through the speaker’s way of presenting it.
Thinking on Our Feet
The Table Topics session was conducted by TM Vivek.
Impromptu speaking is one of those Toastmasters exercises that can be both challenging and enjoyable. We are given a topic and very little preparation time, and suddenly we have to organise our thoughts and express them clearly.
It is amazing how much confidence can grow through these small, repeated challenges.
The Evaluation Session
TM Jayapalan served as the General Evaluator and presented his observations on the Trivandrum Toastmasters meeting overall.
The prepared speech was evaluated by DTM Sajeev, who offered constructive feedback and suggestions for further improvement.
The TAG Team reports followed:
- Timer: TM Varghese
- Ah-Counter: TM Reena
- Grammarian: TM Rakesh
The General Evaluator then shared his overall observations before handing the proceedings back to the TMOD, TM Sreekanth, to conclude the meeting and wrap up the theme.
Celebrating Participation
Toastmasters meetings are built on participation. Every role, whether on the stage or behind the scenes, contributes to the success of the meeting.
The evening’s recognitions were:
- Best Role Player: TM Sreekanth
- Best Speaker: TM Jayakrishnan
- Best Evaluator: DTM Sajeev
- Best Table Topics Speaker: TM Subramoni
- Best TAG Team Role Player: TM Rakesh
Another Step in My Toastmaster Journey
What I enjoy most about these Saturday Trivandrum Toastmasters meetings is that no two meetings are exactly alike.
Sometimes I am speaking. Sometimes I am evaluating. Sometimes I am taking on a meeting role or simply observing and learning from others.
And each role teaches something different.
Meeting 631 reminded me once again that communication is not just about speaking well. It is about connecting, listening, observing, responding and continually becoming better at what we do.
Perhaps that is why the theme stayed with me:
“Let Me Tell You a Story…”
Every speaker has a story.
Every meeting creates a story.
And every step in this journey becomes a part of our own story.
For me, Meeting 631 was another small but meaningful chapter in my Trivandrum Toastmasters journey.
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