Monday, October 22, 2012

Division B Fall Contest

What do an Amazon cruise and an umbilical hernia have in common?  Add a cell phone, a women’s bodybuilding competition and a date for the high school dance – is there any correlation?  These were all subjects for humorous speeches in the Division B Fall Contest, held the morning of October 20, 2012 in the conference room at Avaya, in the Fair Lakes area.  With such variety, it was apparent that a good time was had by all.  And did I forget the Table Topics Contest?

The morning opened with a salute by District Governor Mo Hamilton to the Toastmasters movement’s 88th birthday – it was founded on October 22, 1924. Mo, along with Lieutenant Governor Education and Training Juliette Brown and Lieutenant Governor Marketing Mahesh Patil, cut a cake that was served at intermission.

The first contest was Table Topics.  Each of the five contestants was asked the same question: “If you could change one thing about Toastmasters, what would you change and why?”  The contestants were Alison Cramer, Catherine Calvin, Lori Ann Roth, Manuela Constantinescu, and Bill Malthouse; their answers primarily concerned getting more members in clubs and more involvement by these new members, as well as enhanced leadership training.

After the intermission it was time for humorous speeches.  David Brooks told of the angst of finding a date for the high school dance – his daughter’s experience mirroring his own of a generation before.  Kari Keenan discussed the preparation for her first bodybuilding contest, displaying (but not modeling) the special bikini and high heel shoes that are worn in such a contest.  Dan Matz dreamed of a magic device to jam cell phones that can be a nonstop annoyance in a meeting or on board a train.  Jeff Gordon found humor in an umbilical hernia, and Lori Ann Roth recounted the indignities of travel in the Amazon.

There was a hush as the winners were finally announced.  In Table Topics, Lori Ann Roth took third place, Manuela Constantinescu second, and Bill Malthouse first.  In the Humorous Speech contest, Lori Ann Roth again placed third.  Kari Keenan was second, and David Brooks won the top honors.  The next stop for the winners will be the respective contests at the District 29 Fall Conference.

Thanks go to Contest Master Amy Brener, Chief Judge Carolyn Bledsoe, Contest Coordinator Danielle Schulze, and all those who made the contest possible.

Credit: Martin Horn, District 29 Reporter

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