Lockyer Valley Toastmasters Club

Are you looking for a Toastmasters club, either in-person or online? Go to the Toastmasters International website and click on the ‘Find a club’ portal.

Lockyer Valley Toastmasters Club was well represented in today’s D69 Area 12 Michael Mellick Speech Contest in Toowoomba today. Our President Matt and VPE Carolyn did well in the Interpretive Reading Contest. VPM Graeme and Carolyn represented us well in the Tall Tales Speech Contest. Congratulations to Carolyn for placing 3rd in both contests…. and the other winners were Kait (1st) and Paul (2nd) from Dalby (Tall Tales) and Bob (1st) from Compass and Kait (2nd) from Dalby in the Interpretive Reading. It was an excellent morning of fun and fellowship.

Success is not just measured by the trophies we take home, but by the opportunity to present our message to a welcoming audience and for our speakers to develop greater self-confidence and personal growth.

Have you registered for the Area 12 Michael Mellick Speech Contests yet? It is on Saturday, 28th March 2026 from 8:45am to 12:15pm at the Toowoomba Choral Society Hall on the corner of Bridge and Raff Streets, North Toowoomba. $10 will get you an early cuppa, the contests then brunch. The host clubs, TRC and Lockyer Valley are offering members of each of the 5 clubs in Area 12 the opportunity to nominate 2 of their club 'stars' to compete in the Novice, Interpretive Reading, and Tall Tales Contests. Registrations as per the flyer forwarded to Club Presidents and Secretaries.

Congratulations Cheryl. Well-deserved accolades for your wonderful servant leadership.

The Western Division Legacy Award 2026 was awarded to Cheryl Lukritz (Ipswich, Heart of the City, and City of Ipswich Toastmasters Clubs). The award was implemented in 2025 with funding from Lockyer Valley Toastmasters Club members who wanted to honour the memory of our late charter member, Robert (Wylie) Stevens.

The inaugural recipient was Margaret Marshall (Toowoomba, Business Focus, and Dalby Toastmasters Clubs). Thanks to Immediate Past Western Division Director, John Bushell for working with Lockyer Valley members to set up this award to honour the legacy of not only Wylie, but many esteemed Toastmasters from Western Division who have gone on to their eternal rest.

Cheryl was the Area 29 Director for Lockyer Valley and Rosewood and other Ipswich-based Toastmasters Clubs a few seasons ago. Always we have seen Cheryl put service above self.

Wylie would be thrilled with Cheryl's award as he was also a charter member of Heart of the City Toastmasters with Cheryl.

Please be advised that Lockyer Valley Toastmasters Club has deferred its in-person meetings for the foreseeable future. Members will meet in March 2026 for an informal, social get-together. Then on Saturday, 28th March 2026, the club is co-hosting a FUN speech contest with TRC Toastmasters in Toowoomba for Area 12 clubs. Contests are the Novice, Interpretive Reading, and Tall Tales.

Tonight’s club meeting is cancelled due to the emerging bad weather.

Lockyer Valley Toastmasters will get together on Thursday, 26th February 2026 to celebrate our 399th meeting. The club chartered on 1 September 2008. During that time, members have achieved 4 Distinguished Toastmaster Awards (DTMs), held 6 Area Director roles, 1 Division Director role, and completed hundreds of planned and impromptu speeches... and had fun!

Our next in-person meeting will be on Thursday, 12th February 2026 from 6:15pm for a 6:30pm AEST start and 8:00pm finish. We break mid-meeting, for supper and chat. The venue is the Senior Citizens Centre, 13 North Street, Gatton QLD. You would be a welcome guest so why not come along and hear seasoned, and novice speakers deliver interesting presentations or constructive evaluations.

You are invited to the 2026 Western Division Toastmasters Conference and Speech Contests in Dalby on Saturday, 21st February 2026. Experience 8 of the Division's finest presenting their take in each of the International, Humorous, Evaluation, and Table Topics Speech Contests. See our members, Graeme and Carolyn in action.

Our next in-person meeting will be on Thursday, 22nd January 2026 from 6:15pm for a 6:30pm AEST start and 8:00pm finish. We break mid-meeting for supper and chat. The venue is the Senior Citizens Centre, 13 North Street, Gatton QLD. We will have 2 seasoned speakers present a planned speech from the Pathways learning experience while other members and guests will address select topics off-the-cuff. Then their presentations will be evaluated by fellow Toastmasters with commendations for things said well and recommendations for how the speaker could improve their presentation or response. No pressure... all in a positive, supportive learning environment.