• 86 • I got together whenever we could to work on his speech. Many of the Toastmaster members came to see him rehearse and give him feedback. With that amount of time and effort spent by everyone, I was quite sure that he would stand a high chance winning that contest. Yet, that evening before the contest, the contest chair made it clear to us that Jeff was not qualified because he had not made enough speeches prior to the contest. Jeff was utterly devastated, and so was I. I felt sorry for this very dedicated young man because his chance of winning that trophy just vanished brutally. Although he lost his eligibility, he was still given the opportunity to give his speech as a performance in the contest. When I saw how well he did, tear just ran down my face uncontrollably. If Jeff were allowed to compete, I knew he would win. I was frustrated and angry with the Toastmasters organization, and I thought of boycotting them from then on. It was my friend, Dr Linda Yung, who saw through this and taught me the true spirit of CCC Toastmastering. Competitions are not important. Winning is not everything. Our objective as advisors is not to create one winner of one competition, but to prepare our students for their own competitions in their lives. There are high highs but also lumps and bumps in life. It’s those hurdles we need to help these youngsters learn to cross. Jeff learned much from all those practices. His English improved; his speech polished; his delivery perfected. And so did our fellow Toastmasters who came to watch him rehearse and give him feedback. Despite what the outcome was, we were already winners. Since then, my attitude towards Toastmastering has changed tremendously. My goal is very simple. I want to make a difference in these youngsters. I am here to help my students become better speakers by first helping them recognize their own strengths and then overcome their weaknesses. Winning the speech contests is no longer on my agenda. I would very much like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the soul of our club, Dr KH Yung. With foresight, Dr Yung established the Language Enhancement Program under which CCC Toastmasters is housed. All the language related college activities he organizes have one plain aim: to provide a more conducive environment and more opportunities for students to enhance their language skills. On a personal note, Dr Yung is not only an infinitely generous friend, but he is also the exemplary teacher in my heart. His tireless dedication to Chung Chi College and CU is the very definition of an educator. If more teachers can learn from his selflessness, his dedication and his commitment to education, there will be one certainty – better students as a result. Because of him bringing Toastmasters to Chung Chi, our message and successful examples have spread all over the campus. Students of other colleges often come to our One of the objectives of the Toastmasters Club is to help students become better speakers.
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