Here is a workshop that may interest you. It is being run by two very good friends of mine, and it promises to be a first-class event.

Find the Storyteller inside

Telling stories as a lure to the future is an ancient strategy of sages, philosophers and great religious leaders. – Diarmuid O’Murchu

This workshop will show you how to ritualise and energize your life though engaging with stories – those of your own and of others. Climb inside stories and tell them from the inside. Listen to them, Shape them. Taste them on your tongue. Reconnect to creativity, memory and imagination. This workshop experience will energize you. You will get a clearer understanding of how we construct our lives as fiction and how this can release us into a more abundant life. You’ll emerge with stories in your heart and on your lips.

Storyshop Programme

Week 1: The Why of Stories

The power of storytelling to send us travelling and bring us home.

Week 2: Archetypal Stories

Myths and Fairy tales – the story underneath the story.

Shapes, patterns and rituals. Engaging symbols.

Week 3: Sourcing Stories through observation

Listen with the ear in your chest. (Rumi)

Inner and outer looking. Our looking ripens things. (Rilke)

Week 4: Structure your own Stories

Story stones to step on: the symmetry of a tale. Beginnings and endings.

Week 5: Practical: telling Stories

How to tell a story: how to breathe, climb inside it; ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t tell it’.

Make up stories, finding your voice, your silences.

Fabric and fabrication.

Week 6: The Circle and the Fire – A celebration of Story telling

Participants tell and receive stories.

The Joy and Call of Stories Will:

• explain the power of storytelling
• give you an understanding of how stories work
• give you practical tools to work with in the telling of stories
• help you develop the ability to tell a good story
• ignite your creativity and imagination

Facilitators

Dorian Haarhoff is a storyteller, writer, mentor and a former Professor of Literature. He is passionate about developing innate creativity and imagination. He believes that stories can heal, build communities and create new worlds.

Kirsten Pearson is a Dialogue facilitator, published poet and the volunteer Project Lead for the Movement for Sharing Life Stories. She promotes story telling as a way to support change, create new realities and transform the potential of our future.

Who will benefit from attending:

Writers, storytellers, readers, travelers, lovers of words, images, silences…therapists, artists, spiritual seekers, coaches, teachers, magicians, tricksters, ecologists…anyone who wants to raise their story IQ.

Dates

• Saturday, 26 September 09: 14:00 – 17:00
• Saturday, 03 October 09: 14:00 – 17:00
• Saturday, 10 October 09: 14:00 – 17:00
• Saturday, 17 October 09: 14:00 – 17:00
• Saturday, 24 October 09: 14:00 – 17:00
• Saturday, 31 October: 14:00 – 17:00

Venue

Novalis Ubuntu Institute – 39 Rosmead Avenue, Wynberg (a white domed building between Wetton and Ottery Road)

Cost

R900.00 (or R150 per week)

Should you wish to pay in instalments of R150 per week, that option is available.

To register

To book, contact Kirsten Pearson on 021 461 3145 or email: kirstenpea@gmail.com

Hi All

The recent Toastmasters Induction Dinner has made it into the Cape Town local papers. Cape Community Newspapers ran an article which was syndicated to most of the local community newspapers.

Correction: I am the second youngest District Governor. Howard Steinberg beat me in 1980.

You can read the article below.

I hope that it brings some new members in.

On Saturday 4 July, we celebrated our incoming Toastmasters district leaders by holding a gala Induction Dinner.

I was installed as District Governor in a ceremony chaired by Past District Governor, Frances Boshoff, after which I presented my incoming address, where I spoke a little about what Toastmasters means to me, and I presented the district theme – Toastmasters, Growing People.

District Governor

The outgoing officers were also released from their duties, allowing them to handover the leadership duties to a new set of officers, and Lois Strachan was installed as the IPDG (Immediate Past District Governor), which means that she will be chairing the PDG advisary committee for the next year.

Anyway, if you missed the dinner, it was a fantastic function, and judging by the noise level, was enjoyed by all. If you didn’t manage to get there, I have a video of my speech, you can watch it below. Anyway, keep talking, and remember that Toastmasters Grow people!

As of two days ago, I am the District Governor for Toastmasters District 74, Southern Africa. Geographically, we are one of the largest districts in the world, covering 9 countries in Southern Africa. I am also the youngest District Governor in D74
ever, but I feel ready for the challenge.

I joined Toastmasters in 2000, with the aim of simply becoming a better public speaker, but it did not take very long to realise that Toastmasters is not just about public speaking. It is about learning to become an effective communicator and leader, and I have been on a remarkable journey
of growth. Through Toastmasters, I have

• Trained in South Africa
• Trained in Malawi
• Trained in Namibia
• Travelled three times to USA, each time carrying a flag of our District
• Spoken in the four largest cities in South Africa
• Opened conferences
• Emceed meetings, conferences and events

Holding the Zimbabwe and Zambian flags at the International Convention in Calgary, Canada

Now, please don't think that I am bragging, because I am not. I am showing
you this list to demonstrate that I have learned to do things that I would never
been able to do in the past, both through the acquired skills, and through self
confidence that I have developed.

Whenever Toastmasters has provided me with an opportunity, I have grabbed it,
which is why I have got so much out of it.

Our district theme this year is "Toastmasters – Growing People". And the more
that I am involved, the more I realise that the best way to grow is help others
to grow. By giving, you receive back tenfold. So, it is with great excitment, a
little nerviousness, and hugh anticipa……..tion that I look forward to the
next year!

In this message, presented to District at Toastmasters Club Officer Training, held on 20 June, 2009 I discuss how the young average in Africa (19), and the troubling economic times provide a huge opportunity for Toastmasters in Africa, and in particular in Southern Africa. It is a message of growth for our organisation.

Excuse the background – the training was in a ballet hall! I guess I have spoken in strange venues. Anyway, the main thing is to listen to the message, and not to watch the background.

Humour tips from Bo Benet of Talking Toastmasters – you can listen to the podcast here.

1. Never take credit for somebody else’s joke
2. Don’t tell the same joke over and over
3. Be appropriate to the audience
4. Keep it short – long jokes are confusing, and prone to mishaps
5. Be smooth – delivery is as important as the content (if not more so)
6. Timing is important in delivery of humour
7. Make sure the humour is relevant to the situation and occasion
8. Do not make jokes at other peoples expense
9. Don’t overdo it. Be fully, but you don’t need to be a stand-up comic
10. Don’t be corny

Hi Friends

You have been asking us when we are going to play next, so now you have an answer, next month! I hope that you will be able to join us (more details below the advert).

Craig

Lois and Craig Strachan will be playing a selection of covers and their own songs Saturday 25 April 1st Pinelands Scout Hall St Stephens Road, Pinelands Doors open at 7:30pm Prebook your ticket for R90, or R100 at the door. Book online www.tuesdayschild.co.za/bookings Email craig@johnwhiffen.co.za, or call 082 789 3899 Bookings limited to 100! Charity Gig! – all proceeds donated to the John Whiffen Golden City Memorial Trust, promoting and supporting personal growth for disabled people through Toastmasters membership.
Download some of our tracks for free now www.craigstrachan.com/tuesdayschildpodcast
The John Whiffen Golden City Memorial Trust is a registered Not For Profit Organisation—NPO 47-931 For further details, please visit www.johnwhiffen.co.za

So, what exactly does the John Whiffen Golden City Memorial Trust do?
Most of you know that that Lois and I have been members of Toastmasters for many years. Toastmasters is one of the best ways to develop communication and leadership skills.

A few years ago, a friend of ours, John Whiffen started a Toastmasters club in Johannesburg, to create  opportunities for the physically and mentally challenged to achieve personal growth and integrate more fully with society through Toastmasters in South Africa. John died tragically in a construction accident in 2004. As a tribute to John, the trust has been setup to continue John’s vision, providing Toastmasters training to people that otherwise do not have a voice.

About tuesday’s child
When Lois was declared blind in Durban in 1992, the first thing she did was to join a rock band. When she moved to Cape Town, she met Craig, and it was not long before they were performing a mixture of original and cover music throughout Cape Town, mostly under the name “tuesday’s child”. The music varied from a quite acoustic duo, through to a full four-piece rock band, with Mike on lead guitar, and Richard on drums.

Tuesday’s child have been played on both national and international radio, and one of their tracks even reached #1 on the SA Rock Digest music charts in 2002. Tracks can be downloaded for free off the band’s website – www.tuesdayschild.co.za

The folks at Good Hope FM have kindly given us an MP3 recording of Lois’ interview from today. You can listen online, or download it.

Download the podcast.

Just a quick update – Lois is being interviewed today on GHFM (Good Hope) at 12:50pm. She will be speaking on Toastmasters, communication and leadership skills.

You can listen online here.

I hope that you manage to listen.

Monday evening was the annual humour-hopabout contest, hosted by Table Bay Toastmasters club in Cape Town. Since I am a Toastmasters district officer, I am usually not allowed to enter contests. However, because this is not an official contest, I was able to enter.

The humour-hopabout contest has been running since 1980 and it always draws fierce competition, a large audience, and lots of laughter. To compete, you need to present a 3-4 minute long humorous speech. I believe that the more you speak, the more you learn (stage time), so I entered the contest.

Well, imagine my surprise when I won the contest with my speech, which examined the lighter side of mobile phones. Clearly, I must be learning something from the Champions Edge. I also re-listened to Darren?s Make em Laugh set the week before the contest, which helped me to focus on and edit my speech.

So, at least for the next year I am the humour champion in Cape Town!

Oh, and I have just realised that this is my 100th post on my blog!

Here is the audio-only version.

Download the podcast.