Milestones
What a year of celebrations and milestones for Canning Vale Toastmasters!
We kicked off January with a cheerful celebration for Robyn’s birthday, setting a vibrant tone for the big year ahead.
March overflowed with major moments. On the 4th, we proudly held our 800th meeting. We celebrated with a Prosperity-themed gathering attended by members and special guests. The meeting featured inspiring speeches and plenty of festivities. Just weeks later, on the 18th, we celebrated our 17th club birthday. Program Quality Director, Maree Pickens joined us to commemorate the occasion and present our Pentathlon achievements.
In April, we hosted an Easter-themed meeting filled with costumes and sweet treats. This was followed in May by a lively Grab Bag Night, where we drew meeting roles, at random, from a bag.
Public Speaking Workshop
July stood out as another highlight month. Keoni Upton, Somesh Ganesh, and Robyn Richards conducted a highly praised public speaking workshop for the City of Canning Youth Consultant Network. They taught essential speaking and presentation skills to nine young attendees. Additionally, we celebrated Sook Sing Lee as our 2024–2025 Canning Vale Toastmaster of the Year.
Robyn Richards – Outstanding Toastmaster of the Year
In September, the District honoured our Secretary, Robyn Richards, as the D17 Outstanding Toastmaster of the Year—a tremendous achievement. During the District Awards Gala, we also recognised long-standing members Lionel Grant and Steve Chatterton for their continued commitment.
October brought an unforgettable evening when we hosted esteemed guest Zoe Luo, a past District 88 Director from Beijing, along with her husband Wayne. The evening was memorable, filled with stories of friendship, cultural exchange and the true spirit of Toastmasters. Joined by past Southern Division Director Sam Craig and District 17 PR Manager Angela Booker, the meeting attracted an impressive attendance of 28 members and guests.
Weekend Retreat
In November, we enjoyed a joint weekend retreat with the Harrisdale Piara Waters Club at a beachside residence in Mandurah. The retreat featured delicious food, relaxation and plenty of karaoke.
Throughout the year, our themed meetings, special events, and member achievements brought energy and variety to our club program. We hosted two Speechathons in August and November, providing members with extra opportunities to progress through their speeches and practice evaluations. Our competition season thrived as well. Our President, Keoni Upton, secured first place at the club, area and division levels of the Table Topics Contest. Frank Crisafio advanced in the Humorous Speech Contest. Earlier in the year, Somesh and Rahul proudly represented Canning Vale at the Southern Division (D17) International Speech and Evaluation Contests after placing at the club and area levels.
It’s been a remarkable year for Canning Vale Toastmasters, full of growth, connection, recognition and plenty of fun. Here’s to even more success in the year ahead!
Ashlyn Poole VPPR