Der erste Clubabend im neuen Zeitplan
Am 1. April 2026 veranstaltete die Kölner Sprechbar in Köln ihren ersten Clubabend im neuen Zeitplan: Aufbau ab 18:30 Uhr, Beginn um 19:00 Uhr. Sechs Mitglieder, Gastrednerin Lien und zwei weitere Gäste erlebten einen gemütlichen Abend voller Rhetorik, Kommunikation und Freude am öffentlichen Reden.
Das von Christian K. gewählte Wort des Abends „to fool somebody“ passte zum Aprilscherz. Aleksandr moderierte Stegreifreden über Scherze, Falschmeldungen und den ersten April. Für seine humorvolle und strukturierte Moderation erhielt er den Hammer des Abends.
Gastrednerin Lien von den Düsseldorf Toastmasters sprach in „The Afterlife Package“ über eine Kreuzfahrt, die durch die Geschichten und Lebenslust älterer Menschen überraschend reich wurde. Sie gewann die beste vorbereitete Rede.
Neumitglied Geniya übernahm die Zeitnahme. Meral motivierte mit ihrer Toastmasters-Erfolgsgeschichte zur Teilnahme an Redewettbewerben. Julia sammelte die Stimmzettel und gewann mit der Plastikspinne im Salat die beste Stegreifrede. Christian K. erhielt die Auszeichnung für die beste Bewertung.
Der Abend verband Lachen, starke Reden, spontanes Sprechen und eine warme Atmosphäre. Er zeigte, wie Toastmasters Menschen hilft, Präsentationsfähigkeiten zu verbessern, Redeangst abzubauen und durch Übung und Feedback zu wachsen. Der neue Zeitplan bleibt: Aufbau 18:30 Uhr, Beginn 19:00 Uhr.
On April 1, 2026, Kölner Sprechbar in Cologne held its first club meeting with the new schedule: room set-up from 6:30 pm and meeting start at 7:00 pm. Six members, guest speaker Lien, and two additional guests came together for an evening that Meral rightly described as cosy — but it was also full of rhetoric, communication, and the joy of public speaking. 🎤✨
The word of the evening, “to fool somebody”, chosen by Christian K., was a perfect match for April Fool’s Day. It was used especially well by Aleksandr, who also served as Table Topics Moderator. His topic, “April Fool’s Day”, led to lively spontaneous speaking about pranks, fake news, jokes, renaming the day, or even cancelling it altogether. These table topics showed exactly how a Toastmasters meeting helps people speak freely, build self-confidence, and improve their communication skills in front of an audience. For his strong moderation, Aleksandr not only guided the session with humour and structure, but also received the Hammer of the Evening award.
A special highlight of the evening was the prepared speech by guest speaker Lien from Düsseldorf Toastmasters. In her speech, “The Afterlife Package,” she spoke about a cruise that at first seemed likely to become a dull trip, but instead turned into a rich experience through the stories, energy, and Lebenslust of the older people on board. Her speech was engaging, heartfelt, and memorable — and deservedly won Best Prepared Speech. 🌟
The evening also showed what makes a speaking club so valuable for personal development. New member Geniya stepped in as timer, while Meral motivated the audience with her Toastmasters success story and encouraged everyone to overcome obstacles on the journey to becoming a better speaker and to take part in speech contests. Julia supported the meeting by collecting and counting the ballots and won Best Table Topics Speech with her story about pranking her mother with a plastic spider in a salad. Christian K. evaluated Lien’s speech with insight and clarity and received the award for Best Evaluation Speech.
All in all, the evening combined laughter, strong speeches, spontaneous speaking, and a warm atmosphere. It was a fine example of how Toastmasters International helps people in Cologne improve presentation skills, reduce speaking anxiety, and grow through regular practice and feedback.
And one more reminder: since April 1, Kölner Sprechbar starts with set-up at 6:30 pm and the official meeting begins at 7:00 pm. The club looks forward to welcoming members and guests again very soon. 😊
#Cologne #Toastmasters #PublicSpeaking #Rhetoric #PersonalDevelopment