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GLEANINGS FROM THE GROVE
and overwhelmed by the speaker—but it was Yet I have heard many hopeful competitors
not Billy Graham! I was so disappointed and for speech contests receive meaningful and
miffed that I “wasted” my time listening to him insightful evaluations whereby they could walk
as he was billed as one of the great orators of out the door (or sign off online) with one or two
the century. He was awful (I thought) with his somethings to help them speak on a level of
plain speech, simple word pictures, and just greatness and consequential presenting.
dreadful pausing and flow to his message. The Yes, my fellow Toastmasters, we are indeed
other fellow, using the deep dulcet tones of the a privileged few who are doing something to
English language, meaningful and well thought improve ourselves, whether professionally or
out message, and of course what I perceived personally, to be better speakers, better leaders,
as a life changing call to action, was almost and better evaluators. It is (and has been)
without words to describe it. Now, I look back indeed a worthwhile endeavor, a “pathway,”
and realize that the criteria I used to evaluate pun intended, for us to travel on. Toastmasters
the two speeches were flawed. I am still working has helped me grow in so many ways. It has
on my skill as an evaluator. I feel I still have allowed me to experiment with different styles
much to learn about the art of evaluation. But of speaking and bring forth a message, to read
I have attended both online and face-to-face an audience, to know with whom and how to
clubs where the evaluations have been mediocre communicate. You, too, can do the same. You
at best. One time I heard an evaluator bring a can begin to hone the triple skills of speaking,
speaker to tears by a barrage of negative and leading, and evaluation in a friendly, safe
hurtful comments, not even once mentioning environment like your Toastmasters club. You
anything positive or providing their thoughts can even stick your toes in the pool of speech
on how to improve for the speaker. That is contests and get wet a little by competing in your
not an evaluation, but character assassination club contest. And then maybe you, yes YOU,
and has no place in a Toastmaster meeting. can enjoy the full experience of Toastmasters.
VOICES! | JANUARY 2023 29
