Good morning, London Victorians!🎄

Meteorological winter is here and there is only one thing to do - cosy under a warm blanket, reach for that cinnamon spiced latte and let our latest newsletter warm your heart with ever inspiring content from our members.

The 1st of December also means that Christmas is on our doorsteps. Now I don’t want to be a blackhole of misery, but this is one of my least favourite times of year. Before you point at me and shout grinch, I have a very good reason: I will see your lovely faces one fewer time this month…

The final meeting of 2024 will be on December 17th. After that, we’ll take a short break—no meetings on December 24th or 31st. We'll return to action on January 7th, 2025.

📢 Club Update 📢

We’re incredibly proud of our members who represent London Victorians on the competition stage. Not only do they showcase their talents, but they inspire us all by stepping outside their comfort zones and showing what’s possible when we set our minds to it.

A huge congratulations to Florian, whose wit and charm had the audience in stitches at the Division B Humorous Speech Contest on November 23rd. Also, a big shoutout to Sean McKenna, who achieved an impressive 3rd place at the Division H Humorous Speech Contest. Well done to both of you!

Here’s a snap of Sean proudly accepting his certificate—a moment to celebrate!

🔦 Member Spotlight 🔦

This month, we spotlight Kerry, our very on club secretary who brings ongoing organisation and order to our club committee. Here's what Kerry had to say…

• Reflecting on your journey, how has Toastmasters helped you in your personal and professional life?

  Toastmasters has given me the confidence to speak up in large groups within my personal and professional life. It has also helped me to develop my leadership skills at work.

• If you could deliver a speech to any audience in the world, who would it be and why?

  ⁠It would be an educational speech to the younger generations. I like to inform people, and usually learn something too while doing so.

• What’s a public speaking tip or technique you swear by?

  ⁠Flash cards! I write down bullet points for each speech which helps me with my preparation

👥 New Members 👥

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

• Raphael Agbanrin

• Marco Flaccavento

• Claire Macdonald

• Sean Mckenna

• Mudita Srivastava

• Vibesan Illampooranan

🚀 What’s Next 🚀

Our Christmas meetup is being planned! Rory is working on finalizing details—stay tuned for updates.

Save the Date: District 91 Conference: Join Toastmasters from across the region for the District 91 Conference, happening May 2–4 at a venue near a London airport. It’s a fantastic opportunity for learning, networking, and inspiration!

Lots going on folks and much more to come as we enter an exciting 2025 together!

🎓 Enlightening Insights 🎓

Pathways: A Fresh Start for the New Year!

This festive season is a perfect time to set goals for completing Pathways levels! The recently updated Pathways platform is now more user-friendly than ever. If you haven’t signed up yet, visit toastmasters.org/start-pathways. Note that Pathways is separate from EasySpeak (toastmasterclub.org), which is used for role and meeting sign-ups.

📣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!