Good morning, London Victorians! ☀️

Welcome to your monthly dose of personal growth, toastmaster camaraderie, and public speaking tips. Our new newsletter brings you inspiring speeches and invaluable communication tips from our club.

We know most newsletters collect dust, but if just one person clicks on this and finds something insightful or has a chuckle, then we’ve done our job.

…I see you hovering over that Junk email icon, don’t you dare or you’ll have Liam to answer to…

Now sit back, grab your morning cuppa and enjoy!

📢 Club Update 📢

It was election time: At the same time as the country goes to the polls, Victorians held their own election to vote in a new committee (sorry Rishi and Kier, but this lot are taken) and we are excited to announce the results…

• President: Natalie - Ready to lead us to new heights with her vision and passion.

• Vice President Education (VPE): Gabriel - Bringing innovative ideas to our educational programs.

• Vice President Membership (VPM): Nick - Committed to growing our vibrant community.

• Vice President Public Relations (VPPR) : Sam - Set to amplify our club’s voice and presence.

• Secretary: Kerry - Keeping us organized and on track with her meticulous attention to detail.

• Treasurer: Florian - Ensuring our finances are in tip-top shape.

• Sergeant at Arms: Lucy - Maintaining order and keeping our meetings running smoothly.

• Vice President Mentoring: Avi - Guiding members with wisdom and support.

• Vice President Events: Rory - Planning unforgettable events and experiences.

Congratulations to our new committee members!

🎤 Speaker Highlights 🎤

At our last meeting on the 28th May, we had not 1, not two, but 3 icebreaker speeches. I will give you another stat…how many of those speakers used notes? Not 1, not 2, not 3…if you haven’t already guessed - it was 0.

Charles, Weronika and Saloni knocked their icebreaker speeches out of the park.

Here is how it went down…

Charles began with an inspiring speech about Churchill and the history of leaders, questioning if they are born or made (spoiler: they are made).

Up next was Weronika and with a similar theme of learning from the perspective of others, Weronika gave a speech that taught us about the power of books to open our imagination.

Saloni shared lessons from her own dating app experiences, highlighting that while they can be disappointing, the right attitude can yield positive outcomes (special thanks to Saloni’s date for introducing her to Toastmasters!).

🔦 Member Spotlight 🔦

This month, we spotlight Florian Bay, founder of London Victorians in September 2014. His journey and achievements embody the club's spirit. Here's what Florian had to say…

• How did you first hear about Toastmasters, and what motivated you to join?

  I first heard about Toastmasters in a self-development book in 2007 but only joined in 2013 as there was no Club in Bath where I lived then.

• What has been your most memorable experience or speech at Toastmasters so far?

  Being District 91 Director for UK South in 2019-20, leading 180 Toastmasters Club and ~5,000 members. We had a blast, had to rise up to the immense challenge of pivoting to become an online organisation in 48h and we did it!

• What's one public speaking tip or trick that you swear by?

  1 min of speaking = 100 to 120 spoken words

👥 New Members 👥

We’re excited to welcome our newest members to the London Victorians family! This month, we’re thrilled to introduce:

• Saloni Sardana

• Silvia Martin

• Ifeoma Igwe

• Olivia Amey

• Matt Hoggard

• Lottie Dodd

• Nonika Kotsali

• Artem Storozhuk

• Weronika Zgryska

🎓 Enlightening Insights 🎓

A wise person (likely Einstein) said the key to communication is hearing what isn't said. Stanford's "Make body language your superpower" video teaches effective body language use, reading audience cues, and handling audience boredom or disconnection.

P.S. If you are wondering why everyone looks so happy in the video…it is because it is from 2014.

🚀 What’s Next 🚀

Stay tuned for an event you don’t want to miss….Mohammed Qahtani is coming to town. Who is Mohammed I hear you ask? After several eliminating rounds that took six months and 30,000 participants from 100 countries, Mohammed become victor of the hunger games 2015 World Champion of public speaking.

🎟️ Register Now: Sign-up here

📣 Feedback Zone 📣

Got ideas to elevate our club or jazz up our events and newsletter? Share your thoughts at [email protected] and help shape our future!