📝 Meeting Summary

What a perfect way to kick off the new year! Our online meeting brought together members ready to embrace change and set meaningful resolutions for 2026. Despite having fewer veteran members than usual, everyone stepped up to make it an incredibly warm and productive evening. The session felt particularly special as we explored themes of transformation, reflection, and fresh starts – fitting perfectly for January!

🎉 Opening & Recent Updates

TM K. welcomed everyone as our Toastmaster of the Evening, setting an energetic tone for the meeting. During the icebreaking session, we heard exciting life updates from members – TM L. shared her wonderful news about getting engaged and planning her wedding later this year! Members also shared stories about busy work schedules, upcoming trips to America, and personal challenges overcome in 2025. The atmosphere was immediately supportive and celebratory, reminding us why this club feels like chatting with friends in English.

🗣 Table Topics Session

Table Topics Master: TM S.

The Table Topics session perfectly captured the spirit of new beginnings with thoughtful questions about 2025 reflections and 2026 goals. TM S. created a comfortable space for everyone to share their personal journeys and aspirations.

One particularly memorable response came from TM K., who spoke about describing his entire year in one word – “Champion!” His enthusiasm was contagious as he shared how his favorite baseball team, the Hawks, won the Nippon Championship. But what made his speech truly engaging was how he connected this to his personal life, discussing the increasing housework assignments from his wife and his goal to learn cooking before retirement. His honest, relatable storytelling had everyone nodding in recognition and appreciation!

🎙 Prepared Speech Session

Speaker: “New Year’s Resolution” – TM N.

TM N. delivered an incredibly honest and relatable speech about learning from past failures with New Year’s resolutions. She opened by acknowledging what many of us have experienced – setting ambitious goals only to fall short. Her vulnerability drew us in immediately.

What made this speech powerful was her self-reflection. She shared how in the past, she tried to do everything at once – wake up early to run, study English for exams, and handle all family responsibilities. The result? Exhaustion and inability to focus on what truly mattered. Through this experience, she learned that goals shouldn’t harm our health or mental wellbeing.

This year, she’s taking a completely different approach. Instead of asking “What should I do?”, she’s asking “What can I enjoy?” Her new goal of joining a marathon competition isn’t just about the challenge – it’s about enjoying local foods and beautiful scenery along the way. Her message resonated deeply: sustainable goals come from joy, not pressure. It was inspiring to hear someone speak so openly about finding balance and trusting themselves to keep going!

🔍 Evaluation & Feedback

Evaluator: TM L.
Provided comprehensive evaluation following the 3-good-points, 3-improvement-points structure. Highlighted TM N.’s effective personal storytelling and clear past-versus-present contrast, while suggesting enhanced use of vocal variety, pauses, and gestures to add more emotional depth to future speeches.

General Evaluator: TM K.
Conducted thorough review of the entire meeting, praising the timely and thought-provoking Table Topics questions. Acknowledged that despite fewer members than usual, everyone contributed to making it a productive and enjoyable session. Commended first-time role takers TM O. (Word of the Evening) and TM M. (Grammarian) for their excellent performance.

🏆 Awards

• Best Table Topics Speaker: TM K. & TM L. (Tie!)

• Best Prepared Speaker: TM N.

• Best Evaluator: TM L.

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