A two-week fishing trip with his dad set the scene for a series of humorous events for Mitchells Island’s Jeremy Smith.
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“We went with a group of his mates. Every time one of them tried to have a fish dad would attach something to his line – like a bucket,” Jeremy chuckled.
“There was a bit of alcohol involved too.”
Back from the trip, the Taree Toastmasters member was inspired to write a speech on their time away to enter in a speaking competition.
Titled ‘Five Blokes and a Boat Full of Beer’, the speech has has since propelled Jeremy up three levels in the Toastmasters humorous speech competition.
After winning the Taree Toastmaster’s humorous speech award, Jeremy moved up a level to win the Toastmasters Area 5 contest.
Held at Club Forster, the area competition included speakers from Taree Toastmasters, Great Lakes Speakers, Hastings Morning Talkers, and Port Macquarie Toastmasters.
Jeremy travelled to Coffs Harbour for the next round, where he received third place out of eight contestants in Toastmasters' divisional humorous speech contest for the Oxley Division.
It’s quite a feat considering Jeremy only became a Toastmasters member a little over a year ago.
Jeremy said before joining up, he had always held an interest in public speaking.
Currently studying a masters in teaching, he thought learning the skill would be a good add on for his career.
He was also interested in the club’s teachings on how to run an efficient meeting.
“Really it’s just a fun night out, where you get to do something different,” he said.
Jeremy said he is looking forward to entering further competitions.
“The whole thing was a learning process,” he said.
“Public speaking is something you can never truly master.
“There’s always opportunity for improvement.”
Taree Toastmasters, which trains members to be confident public speakers, meets twice a month, on the second and fourth Thursdays, at 7.30pm at Club Taree.
Visitors are welcome.
For more information, call 0401 210 755, or email simonbrown.1@bigpond.com