Dundee Toastmasters (DTM)

🌟 Celebrating Dundee’s Newest Distinguished Toastmaster! 🌟

Our latest meeting gave us plenty to celebrate, but the biggest celebration belonged to Julia, who has officially achieved the title of Distinguished Toastmaster!

The DTM is the highest individual educational honour in Toastmasters and is achieved by only a small proportion of members. It represents years of learning, completing projects and pathways, developing as a leader, and giving significant service not only to a club but to the wider Toastmasters community.

Anyone who knows Julia will know how thoroughly deserved this is. She is an experienced speaker, a generous supporter of others and someone who continues to inspire us by taking on new challenges herself.

Even after achieving the organisation’s highest honour, Julia was not sitting back during Wednesday’s meeting. She took on the role of Timekeeper and was absolutely on fire! With several of us known to become rather attached to the sound of our own voices, Julia found a brilliantly humorous way of making sure that nobody could overlook the red light. Her additional “visual reminder” after 30 seconds had passed kept us on time—and gave us some of the biggest laughs of the evening!

Our Toastmaster of the Evening was Peter, whose warmth and personality made him a natural guide through the meeting. Peter has a wonderfully engaging way of connecting with a room, and he brought the different parts of the evening together while making everyone feel welcome.

We also enjoyed three very different prepared speeches.

Georgia delivered only her second speech, Sustainable Water Management Strategies for Golf Courses. Her knowledge and understanding of water use radiated throughout her presentation. It was professional, informative and assured—an impressive achievement so early in her Toastmasters journey. We cannot wait to see where her growing confidence takes her.

Rachael spoke about emotional intelligence, delivering another powerful and thought-provoking speech with real authority. Rachel has an ability to take a substantial subject and communicate it in a way that encourages the audience to examine their own thoughts and behaviour.

Finally, Claire explored the role of Vice President Membership and the idea that it can sometimes be framed as a sales position. The speech challenged the traditional idea of “selling” and instead considered how ethical selling begins with listening: understanding what someone hopes to gain, being honest about what Toastmasters offers and helping them decide whether the club is genuinely right for them. The aim is not simply to gain a member—it is to create a positive outcome for both the individual and the club. A Win-win relationship.

Rachael then led an excellent and suitably thought-provoking Table Topics session.

Magda was asked how best to communicate disagreement and gave a particularly clear, confident and constructive answer—practically demonstrating the very approach she was describing.

Georgia spoke about self-compassion and shared an important message about extending some of the kindness and understanding we give to others towards ourselves.

Peter explored the importance of listening, using expressive gestures and facial expressions that made his contribution especially engaging.

Our guest Timitayo spoke about the importance of being willing to have difficult conversations. Taking part in Table Topics during a first visit is a brave step, but nobody entering the room would have guessed that this was her first meeting. She spoke with excellent eye contact, a confident stance and wonderful composure. We thoroughly enjoyed having her participate.

Our Word of the Day was resilient. Rather shamefully, only our Wordmaster managed to use it during the meeting—but it could hardly have been a more fitting word.

Resilience is not something we either possess or lack. We build it by stepping forward, trying something difficult, learning from the experience and then returning to try again.

Every speech, role and Table Topics answer helps us become a little more resilient.

And Julia’s journey to becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster shows just how far repeatedly stepping forward can take us.

Congratulations, Julia, DTM—a huge achievement and an inspiration to us all. 🎉👏

The Dundee Toastmasters banner visited Dundee Contemporary Arts with Julia.

Julia was our Area Director last year and is someone who is always encouraging others to step outside their comfort zone. Whether that's trying a new speech, taking on a leadership role or simply saying yes to something you've never done before, she's always there to support and encourage.

It seemed fitting to visit one of Dundee's creative landmarks with someone who inspires others to keep learning and trying new things.

The Dundee Toastmasters banner enjoyed another trip around the city, this time with Michele overlooking the Tay Bridge and Dundee skyline.

Michele was our Vice President Membership last year and did a fantastic job simplifying the administration side of the role, making it much easier for both members and the committee. This year she's taken on the role of Vice President Public Relations, so she'll be helping to share even more of what our club gets up to.

One of the things I enjoy most about this banner project is the chance to spend time chatting with our members outside of meetings. It's a great way to get to know the people behind the speeches and hear more about their interests, experiences and what brought them to Toastmasters.

Where should the Dundee Toastmasters banner visit next?

Our Dundee Toastmasters banner made a slightly misty visit to East Haven with Georgia.

Despite it being one of the hottest and sunniest days of the year, the sea haar rolled in as soon as we reached the coast. Not quite the beach photo we expected, but still a lovely spot just outside Dundee.

We had a lovely chat while we were there about Georgia’s work in coastal monitoring, looking at erosion and flood prevention. Georgia is one of our newer members, and it was great to hear more about the important work she does. I’m looking forward to seeing how Toastmasters helps her communicate that work to more people.

You never know where the banner will turn up next.

Tonight’s Toastmasters meeting was a good reminder that structure matters.

At the beginning, things felt a little flat. We did not have the agenda available, some roles had not been assigned, and it was difficult for our Toastmaster to know who was doing what next. For the first time in a long while, I found myself wondering what I was getting from the meeting.

Then the energy changed.

Michelle’s speech on communication was brilliantly thought out, well prepared and really creative in the way she involved the audience. It was not participation for the sake of it either; it made the message land and gave us something to think about.

Rachel also gave such a professional performance. The standard of her talk was excellent, and I can really see what will make her such a strong life coach.

Then Julia, our Toastmaster for the evening, really brought the room back to life.

She gave us a story challenge where each person had to continue the story from the person before. It was funny, unpredictable and got everyone involved. By the networking break, the room was buzzing.

Her Table Topics were equally creative. We had to accept ridiculous awards, then speak as though we were accepting them at a proper awards ceremony. It was silly, but it also stretched us. We had to think quickly, speak with confidence and make something out of very little.

The awards included:

Georgia, Lead Engineer of the Umbrella, for holding it together after an umbrella blew inside out in a gust of wind.

Dimitar, Supreme Inspector of Digital Notifications, for leaving 2,000 unread emails in his inbox and resisting the urge to delete them.

Me, International Laureate in Supermarket Queue Optimisation, for lane-switching to secure faster supermarket checkout access.

Peter, Golden Key for Involuntary Fitness Tracking, for celebratory dance moves that ensure his daily step count is achieved before bed.

Rachael, Senior Director of Theoretical Intellectual Expansion, for buying multiple self-help books which sit on the bookshelf but are never read.

Jonathan, Global Chair of the Low Battery Defiance Committee, for successfully navigating an entire 45 minutes with his phone battery at 1%.

Jakob, Golden Key for Mechanical Lock Verification, for pressing the lock button on a car fob multiple times before being convinced the car is locked.

Iain, Doctorate in Advanced Fridge Staring, for spending over 400 hours staring into the fridge looking for something to eat.

The photo is of some of us proudly accepting our completely imaginary awards. By that point, the meeting had definitely found its energy again.

A special mention to Jakob and Iain, who both got involved despite being guests. That willingness to take part is exactly what makes a meeting more fun for everyone.

By the end of the evening, it had become one of the best meetings I have been to in a while.

It reminded me that the best Toastmasters meetings are not just entertaining. They are prepared, structured and give people enough safety to take a stretch outside their comfort zone.

As we move into a new committee year at Dundee Toastmasters, I would genuinely love to hear from other Toastmasters:

What do you think makes a meeting run really well? What are the small things that make the biggest difference to the experience in the room?

I am only one person with one point of view, and I would love to learn from people who have seen great meetings done in different ways.

On the travels of the Dundee Toastmasters banner, we stopped off at Broughty Ferry Castle.

Broughty Ferry Castle has been standing on the banks of the Tay for hundreds of years, surviving plenty of changes along the way.
Dundee Toastmasters is going through a change of its own. This year I have had the privilege of serving as President, and next year Dimitar will be taking over the role.

One of the things I love about Toastmasters is that it gives ordinary people opportunities to grow. Many members join to become more confident speakers and end up discovering leadership skills they never knew they had.
I'm looking forward to seeing what the club achieves next year and supporting Dimitar as he takes on the role.

At Toastmasters, we LOVE a good celebration because recognising success doesn’t just make our club meetings brighter, it lifts the whole organisation. Every time we cheer someone on, we reinforce their progress, boost confidence, and strengthen that wonderful sense of belonging that keeps our community thriving.

This time, we’re rolling out the extra‑fancy red carpet for two amazing members who have achieved the Triple Crown! 👑

Toastmaster Triple Crown is awarded when a member completes three Pathways levels within 12 months. It’s a lot of hard work and it reflects the member’s dedication, consistency, and yes that they keep showing up to meetings!

Please join us in celebrating our members Claire Downie 👑and Julia Martineau 👑. Some people collect fridge magnets… but these two? They collect LEVELS.

Huge congratulations to you both. You’ve absolutely smashed it! 🎉🔥

Dundee Toastmasters had a busy and enjoyable meeting this week.

Jonathan kept everything running smoothly as Toastmaster for the evening, and we were treated to four very different speeches.

Dimitar delivered a persuasive speech encouraging us to support efforts to keep Stargate running.

Georgia gave her Ice Breaker speech and shared some of her experiences balancing work, a part-time PhD and her interest in studying our coastlines. It was a fascinating introduction and a very strong first speech.

I then spoke about my journey into researching dog nutrition. What started as a need to help my own dog after major surgery led me down a rabbit hole of research, learning and professional development as a dog trainer and behaviourist.

Our final speech came from Magda, who delivered a creative and engaging Ice Breaker built entirely around questions. It was a format that worked brilliantly and had everyone listening closely.

After the speeches, we enjoyed a World Cup-themed Table Topics session, complete with football pitch and question cards .

To top it all off, I was completely surprised with a giant 40th birthday card filled with messages from club members and Toastmasters from further afield. It was a lovely gesture and one I won't forget and am very appreciative of.

Visitors are always welcome at Dundee Toastmasters. Whether you're interested in public speaking, leadership, or simply meeting a friendly group of people, we'd love to see you at a future meeting.

Our next meeting is this Wednesday the 24th of June at 6.45pm in the Argyle Room of the Hampton by Hilton Hotel in the Seagate. It's free to come along and see if you enjoy it and we are a very welcoming group.

The Dundee Toastmasters banner made a stop at Lochee Park with Kipper and Minnie.

When I first joined Toastmasters, I was running Dog Tales but I was incredibly nervous speaking in front of people.

The truth I found is that nobody starts out good at these things. You give a speech that feels terrifying. You complete a project you've never done before. You make mistakes. You learn. You try again. Over time those small experiences start to add up.

Looking back now, I can see how much Toastmasters has influenced Dog Tales. Running classes, delivering workshops, speaking to clients, leading groups of people and building a community around dogs all became easier because I had somewhere safe to practise.

Kipper and Minnie might not appreciate public speaking, but they've certainly benefited from the opportunities it created.

Visitors are always welcome at Dundee Toastmasters.

On the travels of the Dundee Toastmasters banner, we stopped off at the V&A.

One of the things I enjoy most about Toastmasters is that no matter how long you've been a member, there's always something new to learn.

Sometimes it's public speaking. Sometimes it's leadership. Sometimes it's simply learning more about yourself and what you're capable of.

There are always new speeches to try, new roles to take on, new people to learn from, and new challenges to tackle.

That's probably one of the reasons I've stayed involved for so long.

Visitors are always welcome at Dundee Toastmasters.