President's Inaugural Address
2005-2006

Friends, also known as ladies, gentlemen, visitors and guests:

Our proud history and values

This club has a proud tradition of equipping its members with communication and leadership skills. My Toastmasters journey started almost three years ago. When I first visited the club, I had to make a judgement: ‘Will this club contribute towards my growth, or should I leave?” I observed the values of this club, and saw:

Professionalism: A dedication to doing things right. I have always found behind-the-scenes guidance on how things are supposed to happen.

Dedication to the goals of Toastmasters International: I observed the results of the speaking and leadership educational programs. I was impressed by how the members displayed their skills. Also, their willingness to sacrifice personal time to present youth leadership courses.

Honesty: This is a reflection of the commitment of the members to the goals of Toastmasters International. Evaluations that are honest and fair: In the time that I have spent in the club I have not experienced members withholding valuable comments just to "keep the peace". Evaluations reflected that we are here to learn and that others are willing to assist us in this process.

In this respect, during business meetings, the members are open and honest in their opinion on matters.

In my opinion, valuing honesty is one of the greatest achievements of this club. It means that members are free to express themselves but in such a way that it contributes towards growth and understanding.

Pride in the club: I am proud to be associated with this club. I inherited this pride from the members of this club. I noticed that whenever club members are asked which club they represent, they smile and they proudly proclaim that they are members of the best and most unique club of all: Forum Toastmasters.

Opportunities to grow and learn: Members are encouraged to learn and are supported by others. This club is able to pull off one of the most important and difficult things in management, allowing imperfect individuals the opportunity to grow. The club does not wait for someone to become perfect before he is given responsibility. The club is able to identify potential and is willing to guide/mentor individuals to grow beyond their own expectations.
 
Camaraderie: It is important to spend time relaxing with fellow members after a long meeting. Learning is not only about work. It is also about enjoying each others’ company. That is part of what makes this club great.
In a nutshell, Toastmasters provides growth in communication and leadership skills in a relaxed and friendly environment. I liked what I saw and wanted to participate in this journey of growth and development.

These values have meant a lot to me as they assisted my personal development. I am not the same person that walked through these doors three years ago. Much of this change is due to my experiences and growth in Toastmasters. I attribute this growth to the selfless dedication of club members.

Club officers

The selection committee has seen fit to nominate the following members as club officers, and they were then elected by the full club:

Vice President Education: Willem Wolmarans
Vice President Membership: Herbert Höpfner
Vice President Marketing/ Public Relations Officer: Nigel Petzer
Secretary: Vuyani de Bees
Treasurer: Frederick Malleson
Sergeant at Arms: Gareth Gregory
These officers were duly elected to assist in running and growing of this club. I am happy and proud of the committee that was chosen. I have already noticed much enthusiasm for the year ahead.

Your roles are two-fold. The first is to grow in leadership skills. I plan to allow each of you the opportunity to learn and grow. I do not want you to follow each and every step as outlined in the calendar for each of these jobs. What I do want, is to allow you the freedom to be creative and to make a difference in the field for which you are responsible.

The second is helping the club to grow. Each job is associated with responsibilities. Forum expects each of us to fulfil these obligations to the best of our abilities.

My role will be to provide support and guidance to each of you.

Goals for the year

I would like to build on the foundation laid by my predecessor Ab Vonkeman during the past year.

Education

The committee will assist me in this process.

Focus areas:

Build on strengths of the club and its members. More about this later.
Continued education of all members (including the Buffaloes).
Make meetings fun. As Brandon Topham said, if you are not enjoying it, you are not learning.
Social events. It is essential that we also meet outside these four walls from time to time. Some committee members have already indicated that they are planning events. I believe that this will contribute to the enjoyment that we derive from Toastmasters.
Membership growth. I want to share the benefits of Toastmasters. I want all members to become committed to growth in membership. The foundations are in place. I am convinced that most visitors will be impressed by what they experience and will consider joining us.
Distinguished Club Program goals. It will be very nice if we achieve a full score. I will expect the relevant committee members to give attention to these goals, but my priority is achieving these other goals that I am discussing.
My overall goal for this year is to continue making Forum a place where you receive quality learning in a friendly and enjoyable environment.

Club theme for the year

I have evaluated my goals for the club for the year. It is my wish that we build on the strengths of the club and its members.

The theme for this year is "Traditions". Normally this is a word that causes me anxiety and discomfort. I do not like to do something merely because it was done in the past. Something has meaning only when it can make a positive contribution. I respect the values of this club. I believe that these values do differentiate us from other clubs. It makes us more effective. The values I refer to are:

Professionalism
Dedication to the goals of Toastmasters International
Honesty
Pride in the club
Opportunities to grow and learn
Camaraderie

These qualities are essential for building a successful club. These are the things that enable growth and development and to make for a fun club environment. They are already in place.

"Traditions" will mean that we focus on the things that make us great. We use what we already have to achieve growth and enjoyment.

You as the members of Forum Toastmasters Club have chosen a competent team to assist me in building the club. This will be a steep learning curve for both me and the committee. We will need your support, understanding, encouragement and sometimes forgiveness.

The journey of this club will be the journey and growth of the committee for the year. I thank you for the trust that you have put in us to make the club successful.