Oh, to be in Taupo..

Taupo Times, Volume 23, Issue 60, 30 July 1974, Page 5

Oh, to be in Taupo..

"To be in Taupo is the greatest possible joy — especially as if we weren't here, we'd be in Wellington." Such dry wit was typical of the general evaluation presented by Mollie Mis-, sen, a member of the visiting Australian debating team, at the annual meeting of the Lake Taupo Toastmistress Club last week. Her scintillating speech reduced the meeting to helpless laughter but also, by example, made members even more conscious that as speakers they still have far to go. The first part of the meeting was devoted to the election of a new executive. Officers elected were: President, Leonie Morine; lst vice- president, Durelle Attwood; 2nd vice-presi-dent, Helen Faville; secretary, Helen Drysdale; treasurer, Pat Driver; hostess, Peggy Geddes; club representative, Ava McLachlan. Outgoing officers presented their annual reports and congratulated the club on its progress and development of the year's theme, "One Step Forward." At interval, the meeting was joined by Mike Wilson, of Taupo Toastmasters, with the other three Australian debaters — Robert Hinkley, Jim Coombs and David Krasnostein — and the evening took on a lighter note. Toastmistress was Joy Alabaster, and "table topics" were run by Helen Faville. Members worked in pairs to present mock television interviews on a range of unlikely subjects. Evaluators were Isa Gaffney and Jill Mclsaac, and Gretchen Kivell won the "table topics" award for her impassioned campaign against arranged marriages for cows. Time-keeper was Helen Drysdale. "Ah and urri" counter was Anna Bonke. The meeting ended with a closing thought given by Ann Young.