Extol Toastmasters Club: Extol Toastmasters Meeting No. 404 on 07 Jan 2015 in conjunction with: International Speech & Table Topics Contests

Despite the daunting weather condition, we arrived early full of enthusiam for our exciting International Speech and Table Topics Contests.

The venue was quickly set up and ready for the contests in our usual “Efficient, Effective, Excellent” way!

Assistant Sergeant-At-Arms, Pun Yew Kee and Kwa Ngan Eng, DTM

At 7.00pm, after the briefing of the contestants and role players, Assistant Sergeant-At-Arms, Pun Yew Kee started the meeting.

President Jeannie Carrera, CC and Pun Yew Kee

International Speech Contest Chair, Wong Keng Lan, CC and Pun Yew Kee

After President Jeannie Carrera, CC gave her presidential address, Organizing Chair, Pun Yew Kee introduced the International Speech Contest Chair, Wong Keng Lan, CC who started the ball rolling.

SK Ratnam and Pun Yew Kee

First contestant, SK Ratnam presented a spectacularly inspiring speech about the third person in us and how we can derive happiness, harmony and success by the understanding of this concept.

Obaidullah and Pun Yew Kee

Second contestant, Obaidullah also gave an awe-inspiring speech about equality among mankind with references to Martin Luther King and President Barack Obama and how this equality will unite the world.

Jeannie Carrera Chow and Pun Yew Kee

Third contestant, Jeannie Carrera Chow related an entertaining story reminiscing the time when she was lost as a child of six, the harrowing adventures she experienced and how she was eventually rescued by her pet dog.

All the speeches were within the allocated time frame. Well done, contestants!

Chief Judge, Steven Khaw, CC, CL and Table Topics Contest Chair, Wong Keng Lan, CC

After a break of 10 minutes, Table Topics Contest Chair, Wong Keng Lan, CC commenced the next contest session.


From left: Table Topics Contest Chair, Wong Keng Lan, CC, SK Ratnam, Jeannie, Obaidullah, Tan Joke Boey and PunYew Kee

The Table Topics contestants, SK Ratnam, Obaidullah and Jeannie Carrera presented their speeches based on the title ‘If you can teach something, what will you teach?” within the allocated time frame except Tan Joke Boey who was over enthusiastic and was time-disqualified.

Chief Judge, Steven Khaw, CC, CL and Pun Yew Kee

After the contests ended, Chief Judge, Steven Khaw, CC, CL, the Ballot Counter and Timer went off to compile the contest results.

Organising Chair, Pun Yew Kee and Contest Chair, Wong Keng Lan, CC presented certificates and tokens to all the contestants and role players.

After which, Contest Chair, Wong Keng Lan, CC invited the International Speech contestants to share why they chose the specific speech topics for the contest.

Jeannie and Obaidullah

The three International Speech contestants, SK Ratnam, Obaidullah and Jeannie gamely gave their reasons for choosing the particular topics for the contest while waiting for the contest results.

At last, the suspense ended when Chief Judge, Steven Khaw, CC, CL returned with the list of winners.

The winners for the International Speech Contest were:

Champion: Jeannie Carrera Chow

1^st Runner-Up: Obaidullah

2^nd Runner-Up: SK Ratnam

From left: Table Topics Contest Chair, Wong Keng Lan, CC, SK Ratnam, Jeannie, Obaidullah and PunYew Kee

The winners for the Table Topics Contest were:

Champion: Jeannie Carrera Chow

1^st Runner-Up: SK Ratnam

2^nd Runner-Up: Obaidullah

From left: Table Topics Contest Chair, Wong Keng Lan, CC, Obaidullah, Jeannie, SK Ratnam and PunYew Kee

Congratulations to all the winners! The Champion for both the contests, Jeannie Carrera Chow will represent Summit Toastmasters Club at Area C3 of which she is a member and was the lone contestant on 5 January 2015.

Jeannie Carrera Chow and Pun Yew Kee

Therefore, SK Ratnam will represent Extol Toastmasters Club at the Area C5 International Speech and Table Topics Contest as Obaidullah will be returning to Afghanistan on 26 January 2015. Au revoir, Obaidullah!!

SK Ratnam and Pun Yew Kee

Pun Yew Kee and Obaidullah

Organising Chair, Pun Yew Kee thanked Chief Judge, Steven Khaw, CC, CL, by presenting tokens to him and his panel of judges. Thank you, Steven and the judges.