A Mini Account of My Favorite Speech Club - The Events that Led To Shifting Gears.
Having an extra-curricular activity has always been a guiding mantra. I didn’t mind “loving on school” solely till 2nd year of medical school and then learning to dispel the myth that medical students didn’t have time for anything else (okay, I admit it’s tough but I’m certain it cuts across everyone if we’re honest). It is proven that we make time for things, especially what you consider important. This led me to write on why students had to be more than students 2 years ago.
An easy personal example is the speech club I joined in my 200 level- the Orators Gavel Club (OGC), a subsidiary of Seaside Toastmasters International. I remember being asked occasionally what we did there and getting comments like “you guys just talk and that’s all?” Not all. We speak, assess one another, and get motivated to keep at it. Friends, I always thought I could speak till I joined OGC. Goodness, I sucked. Thankfully, old things have passed away. My father always reminds me that the “man who knows and knows he doesn’t know, is wise.”
I recently handed over after serving as the President (my third position since I joined) and would love to share a few random experiences/memories I was afforded. My hope is you dare to join a club or get involved with an extra-curricular activity if you still haven’t or if you have, to build on.
Firstly, the visits to Seaside Toastmasters (ST)were always so refreshing and insightful. We got to see how certain things were done and implemented them at the club. The table topics and games sessions were also a delight. Some highlights include participating in the debate organized by ST with a fellow Orator and winning, giving my 10th speech of the Competent Communicator manual. This happened at the 2019 Christmas Carol meeting and that was such a lovely experience.
Re-doing my 4th speech is another one. I like to talk about this often because it’s easy to think the journey of effective oratory is all rosy. No. The first time I gave my speech 4, my assessor was so blunt and critiqued me in a way that in retrospect was pivotal to my headway. That day I almost cried! I couldn’t believe I was asked to re-do this speech. It took a year before I got to it and proceeded to the next speech project. My convenient excuse was that 300 level was exasperating. True, but beyond that, it was finding the courage to give that project another shot. The video clip of the speech warms my heart because as small success as it sounds, it meant a lot. Like Toastmasters often say, “Assessment is the breakfast of champions”.
What about the days our venue was unavailable?
As a control freak (the sanctification process on this one is a testimony for another day), I always want things to go perfectly. Not being able to secure our venue made it feel like the meeting was about to shamble. Yet time and time again, it proved otherwise. Why? Improvisation always came in handy and the meetings were even more fun. So what if a few chairs and tables are absent? The meeting is the people and not space (although the comfort of that furniture cannot be underestimated). Nonetheless, those outdoor meetings became a source of relish. Imagine witnessing the sunset while listening to organic speeches or playing games with colleagues and guests while sharing Maryland cookies and soda! They felt like pseudo-picnics ( a win-win situation if I must say).
The fourth random experience was being a “proud mum” during the Speech contest organized by the Association of Medical Students, University of Lagos (AMSUL). When the last AMSUL executives suggested a speech day in addition to the health week, I was so thrilled. Most of the club members participated and of course, did us proud. It was exciting and I wish I pitched more during my opening remarks but I’m certain the astounding speeches spoke louder than my words.
Lastly, I imagined that the second half of my tenure would be better, then Corona virus happened. *crickets* Truth be told, it seemed like there was nothing we could do and, “why even bother?” Remember what was earlier mentioned about improvisation? Thankfully Zoom came in handy. This is an odd highlight for me because it was data consuming and most of those who would have loved to be regular attendees couldn’t join consistently. Sometimes it seemed I set myself up for disappointments but the positive feedback and the efforts of people to join nonetheless kept us moving. Some folks got word about it and joined in for the first time.
The handover themed Shifting gears, was on the 7th July 2020. Despite the absence of snacks, physical hugs, handshakes, or rounds of applause, my team made it work (although they kept mocking my show of emotions).
If you made it this far into my account, that is so awesome!The OGC showed us firsthand how change happens as well as why progress should be monitored. Growth is really no respecter of age or level because everyone has an equal chance to get better and even help others do the same.
