WELCOME TO DIVISION BIt’s finally here: The Autumn Event will be funny, it will be challenging, and it will be FUUUUN!
This event is open to all Toastmasters and Guests. It will be preceded by a Corporate Summit in the afternoon with the presence of Margaret Page VP of Toastmasters International and she will join our event too!
Learn more at this link.
Register on EasySpeak
Letter from the Division Director
Brussels, 1st September 2018
Dear fellow Division B Toastmasters,
As each year, the new leader’s team for Division B has been elected and appointed and this an exciting moment where new ideas, new goals and new projects have been discussed and approved.
I see Division B as a complete one where great experienced speakers and leaders are part of, and thanks to their involvement and performances young speakers and leaders can get the inspiration and courage to dare more, to go out of their comfort zone. It was exactly what happened with me in 2014, when I started participating at Division B events, I realized how far I could go thanks to the positive support of other experienced Toastmasters.
The connection created at a Toastmaster Club is like a family where trust and caring are fundamental because members depend on each other; it goes beyond a school team because the supportive spirit goes over the competition.
What we end up achieving in Toastmasters goes far beyond our plans, because of the unexpected support and encouragement of people we meet, and the personal enrichment is indescribable. I believe that in the end, this is the reason that keeps us motivated and determined in pursuing towards the success, everything we do.
I warmly invite all Club Officers to visualize your personal growth that the role offers to you, before planning your club benefits, as only when the win-win balance is set you and your Club really win. And say “YES”, to many opportunities that other Toastmasters will be offering to you during this year, because you will be amazed where the ship will lead you.
REMEMBER that you are not alone, beyond your Club teammates you have a Division team who supports you in achieving your Club goals, while enjoying the journey. Meet the Division B Team
The friendly and supportive environment that reigns on the healthy Clubs will also guide our work that we will be doing, in collaboration with you, this year.
The main activities planned for this year are :
Club Officers Training – 26/08/2018
Autumn event – Oct/Nov 2018
Toastmasters Leadership Institute – Jan 2019
DOT/DECM (District Officers Training/ District Executive Committee Meeting) – 2-3 February 2019
Division Conference – April 2019
Club Officers Training – June 2019
I look forward to seeing you soon, around.
Valbona Zefi ACB, ALB
Director of Division B – District 59
Toastmasters Division B Conferences, which is one of the largest spanning Northern France, Belgium & Luxembourg, are usually a good spot for learning and entertainment.2018 Spring Conference was not any different to previous occasions.
One hundred toastmasters gathered to enjoy a full programme of workshops, evaluations, international speeches, sun, healthy-sustainable lunch and ice-cream! It was energetic, atypical, refreshing and creative like the theme, everybody got ghentrovert! Check the pictures here.
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English Speech Contest:
1- Alexander Pattyn from Toastmasters Fonske Leuven
2- Caylea Young from Green Heart Toastmasters Club of Luxembourg
3- Colm Kehoe from Artful Orators
English Evaluation Contest:
1- Laurence Stijns-Collignon from Casemates Toastmaster Club
2- Laura Jones from Aperitivo Toastmasters – Italian English Toastmasters Club
3- Erik Luijts from Toastmasters Antwerpen
French Speech Contest:
1- Perkis Dondjio from the Club the Orateurs Messins
2- Didier Dehem from Brussels Toastmasters Club
3- Keyla Lumeka from Atomium Toastmasters Club of Brussels
Dutch Evaluation Contest:
1- Philippe Cox from Toastmasters Hasselt
2- Lynn Sommers from Toastmasters Antwerpen
Dutch Speech Contest:
1- Renaat Toppets from Toastmasters Hasselt
2- Lynn Sommers from Toastmasters Antwerpen
German Speech Contest: Caylea Young from Green Heart Toastmasters Club of Luxembourg.
Congratulations to all and break a leg in Rebirth in Athens from 25-27 May, when two Districts will join forces for the BIGGEST District Conference EVER!
Clubs from all over Southern Europe met in Milan for the largest ever D59 SPEAKTOMI District Conference in November 2017. In total, some 450 members including many from Division B, which is one of the largest, spanning Northern France, Belgium & Luxembourg! District Conferences are always fun especially when we get to take home a prize. And herein lies a great story.
Let me first introduce you to our three contestants who proudly took to the stage: Zsuzsanna Corridori (Brussels club) who competed in the Italian humorous speech contest, Carsten Wendt (Brussels club) in the English humorous speech contest and Sydney Schreiber (Berlaymont club) in the Table Topics contest.
Going from Division to District is quite a leap as the stage is bigger, the room is bigger and the audience (and competition) is bigger! And they all leaped and rose to the occasion. Sydney was faced with a difficult question and a large yellow glove! It was a clue in a murder mystery. Never easy to have to switch on creativity on the spot. He did his best. And his voice boomed loud. Carsten got through to the semi-finals which was a great achievement with his humorous tale: he was placed third in the final! Congratulations to you both.
Now, let me tell you Zsuzsanna’s story. And why competing raises your game.
Zsuzsanna was placed third in the Division Contest but since neither of the top two could make it to Milan, she had the opportunity to compete again and raise her game, and raise it she did! Competing against 9 others, many of whom were native speakers, she perfected her speech with several coaches in the run up to Milan, warmed up her voice & body minutes before her performance, and exuded confidence with a winning mindset as she roasted her husband for 7′ with her winning speech, BLA BLA BLA! In the front row sat her husband, who the audience applauded when she pointed him out! Was that the move that got her the vote of the judges? We’ll never know but Zsuzsanna won the hearts of the judges and went on to win the Italian humorous speech against all odds!
Remember: never let where you place in one contest discourage you from winning in another!
Congratulations to all our Division B contestants of the 2017 fall District championship: our Division certainly knows how to make you laugh out loud!
In addition to hearing a world international speech winner in 2001, Darren Le Croix with his keynote SPONGE – and numerous workshops in Italian and French, there were many opportunities to network with old friends, make new ones and mangiare! Our Gala Dinner was in a magnificent location with frescoes and courtyards and Milanese cuisine: risotto a la Milanese and other delicacies all washed down with delicious wines.
On the closing day of the conference, they announced the new Distinguished Toastmasters. And two of them are in our Division: Congratulations to Hilary Peden (Aperitivo club) and Maureen Delaney (Dacia club) who received their DTM award, bringing the number of women DTMs in Belgium to 4.
Now it’s time for REBIRTH IN ATHENS from 25-27 May, when two Districts will join forces for the BIGGEST District Conference EVER!
Congratulations to Laetitia Mampaka: she’s our Division B French Speech Winner at the International Conference in Winterthur, Switzerland, which took place the weekend of 12-14 May. You can watch her winning speech which she gave at the Division Contest here:
Also competing for Division B was Artful Orator Sydney Schreiber with his speech Regrets, I’ve had a Few, and Thomas Vervaet from Toastmasters Gent, who was one of 13 evaluators in the Evaluation Contest.
Many from across Divison B travelled by car, train and air to join other Toastmaster friends, old and new, from across southern Europe.
The Autumn District Conference will be in Milan, Italy from 24-26 November: SPEAK TO MI registration opens today!
Here are the results of the Division B Fall Contest!
Humorous Speech Contest:
Table Topics Contest:
Bruno Trounday (Armada Toastmasters, Brussels) will represent our Division at the Spanish Humorous Speech Contest in Madrid. He is also our Division Champion in Spanish Table Topics.
Congratulations to all contestants! To the winners: ¡Mucha mierda en Madrid!
But first, don’t miss “Strictly Come Speaking”, the glamorous Shower of Feedback meeting of the Artful Orators on Wednesday, 2 November in Brussels! Whether you come to give or receive feedback, you will have fun, learn a lot and enjoy the glamour! Find out more.
Let’s work together and prepare our contestants to shine in Madrid. Division B: Where Winners Are Made!
Today, District 59 Champion Daniel Mouqué was interviewed by BRUZZ, the Dutch speaking TV channel for Brussels, on the eve of his departure for the USA.
▶ Watch to the interview
Earlier today, BRUZZ radio listeners woke up to Daniel giving part of his winning speech live on air! He was interviewed in BRUZZ’ morning show.
▶ Listen to the interview
Daniel Mouqué, our District 59 Champion, was featured on BRUZZ, the Dutch speaking news site for Brussels. The article qualifies Daniel as the first “Brusselaar” to go to the semifinals of the World Championship of Public Speaking!
