Toastmistress team in "fine voice"

Taupo Times, Volume 23, Issue 48, 18 June 1974, Page 11

Toastmistress team in

"fine voice"

Never under-estimate .the persuasiveness of women could well be the moral drawn from the results of the first round in the Waikato area debating contest. Three toastmasters' teams — Taumarunui, Taupo and Tokoroa — have now been eliminated, and in the second round the Taupo toastmistress team will meet its Tokoroa counterpart in what promises to be a very close contest. The subject is "That the Farmer is the Most Pampered Person in New Zealand." Taupo is to take the affirmative. There is one change in the team. Joan Williamson, unable to take part in the first debate, will take over from under-study Ruth Olsen. Gretchen Kivell and Isa Gaffney remain as second and third speakers respectively. The debate will be held in Taupo on Thursday, June 20, and is open to the public. Debating commitments and a recent outside assignment at Mangakino have kept the club busy, but enthusiasm is far from dulled and at the latest meeting a full programme provided variety, humour and much food for thought.

The toastmistress was Jill Mclsaac, who won the toastmistress of the evening award for her smooth, running of the meeting, an assignment she was given > at the last minute. Leonie Morine presented table topics on the theme, "These Changing Laws". Participants were asked to speak for two minutes on subjects ranging from the school-leaving age to pay for pensioners. The table topics award was won by Helen Drysdale. A comparison of experiences in two toastmistress clubs — Christchurch and Taupo — was given by Gretchen Kivell in her third speech. She pointed out both differences and similarities in the running of each club and offered some thoughtful suggestions for future meetings. Her speech was evaluated by Isa Gaffney, who won the best evaluation award for the evening. Two highly contrasting oral readings were also presented. Cath Biggar chose an excerpt from "Letter to a Teacher", an account by eight pupils of the School of Barbiana in Italy of the way education favours the rich. Her evaluator was Joy

Alabaster. Ruth Olsen's reading was from "Fortesquieu," a delightful send-up of Vic: torian society. She was evaluated by Dorothy Fisher. The timekeeper was Helen Faville and a wellconsidered and consfructive general evaluation was presented by Helen Drysdale.