Rheinredner

Rheinredner on tour

The 10th speech project in the educational manual “Competent Communication” is all about inspiring others. Our member Heike – not shy to aim for big goals – was going to appeal to more than abstract values. She knew about the motives of the members, their desire to practice their communication skills to become more competent and confident. But she also knew that quite a few members enjoy seeking new experiences and spending time together.

In the October issue of the Toastmasters Magazine, there was an article about travelling with Toastmasters. The Toastmasters were talking about visits to faraway clubs in Instanbul, Bejing and even Sydney, about the differences and the similarities of the meetings and the “club styles”. Some of the members of our club could have added their experiences to this list, visiting clubs in North America, Poland and Hungary. Well, Heike, a fan of Ireland, was all set and ready to get us on the road to Dublin!

Her research for a suitable Toastmasters club in Dublin lead pretty much straight away to the “Hellfire Toastmasters” (link: www.hellfire.ie). The club is one of the oldest in Europe and was the first Irish club to accept women. But most of all, the pictures posted on their website show a friendly and colorful crowd, a perfect match for the Rheinredner. The only problem, that most Irish clubs have an extensive summer break form June to September, was quickly solved. The Hellfire Toastmasters planned a special club meeting exclusively for the Rheinredner.

As a result of her inspirational speech, 10 Rheinredner packed their bags for an extended weekend in Dublin. Highlight was the club meeting with the Hellfire Toastmasters and the fabulous dinner afterwards. As we had hoped, the Rheinredner and the Hellfire Toastmasters were a perfect match. Now we are looking forward to welcome them in Cologne in the near future. But the stay in Dublin offered even more: literary pub crawl, day tour through Dublin with impromptu speeches at various landmarks and visiting the Guinness brewery.

But see for yourself!