Auckland Toastmasters Club

Auckland Toastmasters Club Auckland Toastmasters, meets every second Monday night at The Northern Club. RSVP required to attend

Annual Dinner 2026!No timer cards. No agenda. Just a private dining room at a Vietnamese restaurant in Mt. Eden, and one...
17/07/2026

Annual Dinner 2026!

No timer cards. No agenda. Just a private dining room at a Vietnamese restaurant in Mt. Eden, and one night of celebrating each other.

Sarat Rajan opened with the warmth that has defined his year of leadership. Then came the awards — Michael as Speaker of the Year, Nethmie Galla as Evaluator of the Year, Scott Cousins as Rookie of the Year. And then a moment I won’t attempt to describe objectively: Toastmaster of the Year. The applause said everything I couldn’t.

But what came next made the evening unforgettable. For the first time, we created a collection of awards for the members whose years of quiet dedication built the room the rest of us walk into.

Jilnaught Wong — Grand Architect of Speakers
Seeby Woodhouse — Visionary Voice Award
Steve Vale DTM — Career Achievement Cup
Tony Keegan DTM — Timeless Speaker Award
Tony Woodhouse — Honourable Humorist Award
Andrew Cosgrave — Reliable Pillar Award
Murray Beck — Timeless Mentor Award
Victoria Walker — Lighthouse Award
John Fauvel DTM — Legacy of Leadership Award, one of only two Auckland Toastmasters members ever to serve as International President

Laughter, warmth and more than a few happy tears. The timers stayed in their bags and the only thing on the agenda was joy.

This is what Auckland Toastmasters looks like when it celebrates itself. And what a sight it is.

Aida Sakatova
Outgoing VP Public Relations/Incoming President, Auckland Toastmasters Club 3593

My last meeting on 29 June as VP Public Relations. And quietly, the first breath of something new.Denholm Orr opened wi...
09/07/2026

My last meeting on 29 June as VP Public Relations. And quietly, the first breath of something new.

Denholm Orr opened with a confident, engaging tone. Tony Woodhouse followed with his characteristic wit. Alireza Atarodi returned to the stage. Steve Vale DTM brought the authority only years of experience can. Darren Signorino moved the room with his path completion speech.

And then it was my turn — last speaker of the evening, on my last night in this role. I delivered Many Hats, One Heart, my Presentation Mastery Icebreaker, about wearing many roles at once and finding the thread that holds them together. I could not have written a more fitting ending.

Our guests made it even better — one of the most diverse turnouts we’ve seen in months.

And a special mention to our Toastmaster, Seeby Woodhouse. He asked AI what a Toastmaster does. AI told him it’s the person who makes the toasts. So he arrived with a literal toaster and every member raised a toast connected to one of the evening’s speeches. Leadership with a wink. Creativity with a purpose.

This was also Sarat Rajan final meeting as Club President. For a year he led this club with quiet strength and a generosity of spirit that touched every one of us. Sarat — thank you. It has been an honour to serve alongside you.

Winners on the night:

Best Speaker - Aida Sakatova
Best Evaluator – Jilnaught Wong DTM
Best Table Topics – John Fauvel DTM

From 1 July, I step into the role of Club President. The greatest privilege this club has given me yet.

Aida Sakatova
VP Public Relations, Auckland Toastmasters Club 3593

Two June meetings. Two very different rooms! The 2nd was bold. Alireza Atarodi asked what if being wrong is where the r...
09/07/2026

Two June meetings. Two very different rooms!

The 2nd was bold. Alireza Atarodi asked what if being wrong is where the real learning starts. Sophie McEwen made the case for putting the phone down in a world drowning in notifications. Cal Roughan took us somewhere genuinely unexpected with “Punishing Sand by Making it Think”. And Seeby Woodhouse, as Meeting Evaluator, delivered his entire feedback almost like a rap — painting the whole evening in broad, vivid strokes rather than speaker by speaker. Unforgettable.

The 15th went deeper. Angela Tsai (SFHEA) on what it truly means to teach. Jilnaught Wong taking us back to his Zhongshan roots — part history, part identity, entirely captivating. Jenny Yuezhu Li on vocal variety and body language, a masterclass in presence. Hana Tran telling her second-language story so honestly the room went quiet. And Sarat Rajan closing with his path completion speech, Reflect On Your Path, a moment that felt significant for anyone who has watched Sarat grow and lead within this club.

Congratulations to our winners:

2 June:

Best Speaker - Tony Woodhouse
Best Evaluator – Cindy Luo
Best Table Topics – Jenny Yuezhu Li
The Club Thinker Award - Carmen Chan
The Club Humour Award – Seeby Woodhouse

15 June:

Best Speaker - Sarat Rajan
Best Inspiring Speaker – Hana Tran
Best Evaluator – Scott Cousins
Best Table Topics – Murray Beck

One night full of bold ideas. One full of heart. Exactly what this club does best.

Aida Sakatova
VP Public Relations, Auckland Toastmasters Club 3593

What makes a great Toastmasters club?It’s not just the speeches. It’s the people who show up every week willing to step ...
18/06/2026

What makes a great Toastmasters club?

It’s not just the speeches. It’s the people who show up every week willing to step outside their comfort zone, support others, and keep growing.

Reflecting on our May meetings at Auckland Toastmasters, I was reminded how much can happen in just a few hours. We celebrated Icebreakers, leadership projects, inspiring speeches, welcomed new members and said farewell to one of our outstanding leader Alex Freeman, as he begins a new chapter in Sydney.

As VP Public Relations, I have the privilege of seeing these moments up close. Every speech represents courage. Every evaluation represents generosity. Every meeting is a reminder that communication and leadership are skills built one step at a time.

I’m especially proud that our club was recognised as Best Club in Public Relations for District 112. This achievement belongs to every member who shares their story, volunteers for a role, brings a guest or simply shows up ready to learn.

A huge congratulations to our May award winners:

🏆 4 May 2026
• Scott Cousins – Best Speaker
• Walter Poulsen – Best Evaluator
• Murray Beck – Best Table Topics Speaker

🏆 18 May 2026
• Rachel Chang – Best Speaker
• Carmen Chan – Best Inspiring Speaker
• Nethmie Galla – Best Evaluator
• Jilnaught Wong – Best Table Topics Speaker

We were also delighted to welcome new members Rachel Chang and Angela Tsai to the Auckland Toastmasters family.

Thank you to all our speakers, evaluators, role holders and members who continue to make our club a place where people find their voice, develop leadership skills and build confidence.

Looking forward to many more Mondays filled with learning and growth.



VP Public Relations
Aida Sakatova

Better late than never — and honestly, April deserved more than one post anyway. What a month it’s been for Auckland Toa...
11/05/2026

Better late than never — and honestly, April deserved more than one post anyway.
What a month it’s been for Auckland Toastmasters.
First, on 18 April at the University of Auckland Business School, our very own Jilnaught Wong took 1st place in the Division H International Speech Contest and Nethmie Galla took 1st place in the Division H Evaluation Contest. Not one champion — two. And a whole crew of club members showing up on the day to cheer them on. That’s just who we are.

Jilnaught and Nethmie — we are so proud of you both. 🥇🥇

Then two days later on 20 April, we had one of those meetings where everything just clicked. Four guests joined us (Rachel back for round two and Luiza for the very first time — welcome!), the grammarian word was “grotesque” which made for some wildly creative moments, and the speeches? Genuinely something else.
Award winners on the night:
🎤 Best Speaker — Chris Harding
💬 Best Table Topics — Michael Wells
📝 Best Evaluator — Hana Tran
✨ Best Inspiring Speaker — Alireza Atarodi

And a huge welcome to our newest member Carmen — you’re going to love it here.

If you’ve been thinking about visiting, just come. No pressure, no commitment. We meet every second Monday at The Northern Club, 19 Princes Street, Auckland CBD. Message us to book your spot.

VP Public Relations
Aida Sakatova

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19 Princes Street
Auckland
1010

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