Pictured at the Toastmasters celebrations were Paul Gannon, president, Castlebar, Tom Flynn, director, Area 27, Dolores Brady, director, Division F, Alma Tremble, president, Ballina, Frances Geoghan, Galway, Ray Hughes, founder member, and Liam Friel, president, Westport Toastmasters Club.

Mayo Toastmasters groups celebrate special anniversaries

TOASTMASTERS from near and far converged on Knockranny House Hotel to join with Westport and Castlebar Toastmasters in celebrating joint anniversaries - Westport 20 years and Castlebar their fifth.

What is unique and sets Toastmasters apart is its sharing of visions, story telling and wordplay. Crafting and refining words into memorable stories along with organisational and leadership skills is a hallmark for all Toastmasters.

Michelangelo was a craftsman of colours and the brush stroke, as can be testified from the Vatican to further afield. Caravaggio equally a master craftsman with his blending of colour from darkness to light. Toastmasters are craftsmen and women who equally have and continue to make their mark on the world of today.

Four prepared speeches on the night were memorable for their own content and how they created lasting memories of this special occasion.

Liam Egan, Westport, in a speech titled What did the Romans ever do for us, for me? told as only Liam can do - it was not about the Romans but about Toastmasters, its benefits and how Toastmasters through the power of words create a magical environment.

Frances Leonard, Castlebar, spoke on the differences between the smooth sheet of paper and the crumpled version. In many ways the story was a reflection of life in its many creations.

Michael Walsh, Westport, in a speech titled I need a plan, wove a journey about him and his family travelling to the Basque country in Spain only to discover the difficulty of finding a hotel to check in to. However, the gods were on his side and he found secure accommodation in an old castle for three nights.

Ann Maloney, Castlebar, told a story about her learning to ride a motorbike in Hanoi, north Vietnam. She described the rules of the road as 'driving like water'.

Ray Hughes, a founding member of Westport Toastmasters, gave a talk on All creatures great and small, about a recruiting sergeant in the British Army coming to Ballinrobe during WWI promising all who signed up they would get a free uniform, boots and foreign travel.

Following an exhortation to the crowd to sign up, a local wit, in response to a question from the recruiting sergeant, asked: “Will you be going yourself?”