Check out the profile of our candiates for this year’s Toastmaster of the year award. Once you have read the details, vote to who you want to win at the bottom of the page.

We will be presenting the award at our Christmas social on the 15th December.

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Candidate 1:

BARBARA SAPH

Barbara is a quiet powerhouse who has improved Hamwic Speakers beyond recognition.

Last year, as Mentoring Coordinator, Barbara improved the club’s mentoring programme by carefully matching mentors and mentees as they joined so that all members who would like mentors have guidance from day 1.

This year, as VP Membership Barbara sensitively and efficiently managed the membership – designing and developing new guest and member packs so guests can make informed decisions about whether joining is right for them and members have an overview of the vast structure of Toastmasters and can plot their career path within it. Barbara is the brains behind the “lending library” of CC/CL so new members don’t have to wait weeks for delivery of their membership packs from the US.

This amazingly thoughtful and committed member diligently arrives early to every meeting to set up the meeting room and is always the last to leave after clearing everything away. She is the smiling face of Meet and Greet – warmly welcoming first time guests to the club and – in between – designing badges, sign off sheets and information boards to continuously improve the guest and member experience.

Through her dedicated and hard-working contributions, Barbara has embedded a supportive, caring approach to Hamwic’s guests and new members. Whilst doing all of the above, Barbara has efficiently planned her roles and speeches to ensure she is on track to achieve a covetted triennial award this year by completing the CL, CC and ALB certification within the same year.

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Candidate 2:

OLLI JOKAHIO

What makes Olli an outstanding candidate for Hamwic’s Toastmaster of the Year? Olli is a terrific role model for other Hamwic members to emulate. His enthusiasm, commitment and high energy is seen in the numerous ways he’s positively contributed to our club over the past year. Olli has delivered many high quality speeches and willingly taken on various meeting roles that are ensuring he’s nearing completion of both his Competent Communicator and Competent Leadership TM awards. He has entered and won our recent Humorous Speech Club Contest with a very funny speech and gone on to represent Hamwic at the subsequent Area 46 Humorous Speech Contest.

Olli has also successfully raised the wider profile of our club through improved Facebook and Twitter social media presence despite a hectic work schedule. He has also sought to publicise the club with students at University of Southampton and is a highly valued Committee member of our thriving club.

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Candidate 3:

DAVE COLLINS

Dave has been a club member at Hamwic for 6 1/2 years and always leads by example, being Treasurer, Caterer, Office supplier, Mentor, Advisor, confidante. He has performed all of the meeting roles many times, often at short notice when there is a role vacancy at the last minute.

He’s always there early helping set up the room and is always one of the last to leave after helping clear up at the end of a meeting. He does this with a great sense of humour and a smile and when Dave does Table Topics its always whacky and great fun. You never know what is going to happen next!

People don’t often see the serious side of Dave but in Committee meetings he’s the voice of sense and reason taking actions upon himself, always volunteering despite the hugely sensitive and stressful day job he has.

Dave is a great ambassador for our Club; in Club Officer Training sessions he’s always a great proponent of Hamwic, fiercely loyal and obviously very proud to be a member of the Club”.

As a general Toastmaster “all rounder” Dave is a worthy candidate for the 2015-16 Toastmaster of the Year award.