Toastmasters World Tour
Welcome to my Toastmasters World Tour Podcast. I’m your host, Brendan O’Sullivan. Come with me as I embark on a virtual tour of the world chatting to Toastmasters. My tour starts at home chatting to potential Toastmasters at the very start of their journey, contemplating their first Toastmasters club visit. It then takes off to explore the globe on a quest to seek out Toastmasters from all walks of life, from every continent, and from all levels of experience, from novices to the best in the world. Let’s learn from and be inspired by their journeys!
Toastmasters World Tour
"Yes, Please": The 12-Year-Old Who Opened a Toastmasters District Conference | Charlie Priem, Stanthorpe, Australia, Ep 32
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Do you have a fear of public speaking? If you need inspiration for speaking to a large audience, look no further than 12 year old Charlie Priem. He recently performed the opening welcome address at our Toastmasters District Conference. Listen in to learn how he managed that at his tender age, and be inspired.
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I really enjoyed doing it. And I'm pretty proud of myself of achieving that.
SPEAKER_00And so you should be. But most people find public speaking scary. When your mum first asked you to do it, did she have to bribe you with lots of ice cream?
SPEAKER_02Absolutely not. It's like a gift to me. I just when I'm told I have to do with like the speaking, I just say, yes, please.
SPEAKER_00Welcome to my Toastmaster's World Tour podcast. Please join me as I travel virtually around the world and chat to Toastmasters from different countries and all walks of life. Let's explore. I chat to Charlie Preem, who recently, at the age of twelve, gave the opening welcome address at our district conference. Let's learn how he managed that at his tender age and be inspired. Hi Charlie, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER_02Thanks, it is a real honour to be here.
SPEAKER_00You recently did the opening welcome address at the Toastmasters District 69 conference in Stanthorpe. So first of all, congratulations on not only the remarkable achievement of doing that in front of well over a hundred adults, but for doing it so well and with such enthusiasm.
SPEAKER_02Well, I really thanks for that. Um I really enjoyed doing it. And I'm pretty proud of myself of achieving that.
SPEAKER_00And so you should be. But most people find public speaking scary. When your mum first asked you to do it, did she have to bribe you with lots of ice cream?
SPEAKER_02Absolutely not. I love public speaking. It's it's like a gift to me. Um, I just when I'm told I have to do with like the speaking, I just say, yes, please.
SPEAKER_00That's awesome. I love your spirit. I must say, if it was me, even if I wasn't scared, I'd be thinking this is an opportunity to get a bit of ice cream. So how did you feel when your mum asked you to open the Toastmasters conference?
SPEAKER_02I'm a bit excited, but I hate when she said, because she came said to me the week before it happens, I only had a week to practice.
SPEAKER_00Only a week? Oh my goodness, it's amazing. You've done some public speaking before, have you?
SPEAKER_02Yes. Um the f if I'm correct, my first public speaking was in 2023 with one of my English assessments.
SPEAKER_00Mm-hmm. And how did that go?
SPEAKER_02Um, really well. And on the last one that was last year, it was Anzac Day. I had to do a bit of a um poem, and it the poem was already done for me. I just had to say I was one of the people had to say it out.
SPEAKER_00Okay, wonderful. Were you scared at all?
SPEAKER_02Um at my very first one, yes, I was a bit shy, but after you get on and do it after some times, it just you get used to it and you it just you g it just feels like you're at home just practicing.
SPEAKER_00What about with the Stanthorpe Toastmasters conference? Were you scared of doing that at all?
SPEAKER_02Um No, I was not really nervous. Um I actually was excited because I got to be with my mum at of instead of of being in bed. So that was a bit of an advantage.
SPEAKER_00Mm-hmm. Well, you're putting me to shame. I know that I definitely get nervous when I get up in front of all those people. So that's really amazing. Is there anything that scares you?
SPEAKER_02Um something that scares me is uh the snakes around us.
SPEAKER_00Fair enough. What is the bravest thing you've ever done?
SPEAKER_02Ooh, um the bravest thing I would ever done is uh my student leader speech. Um because I recently changed schools last year. And because I just joined beginning of term three, um, I was off sick for most of the term because I was getting used to new school. When I got back, it was like all like student leadership sign-ups. I guess I've always wanted to be one, so I gave it a try, and after some hope and courage, I managed to get senior leader in a prep buddy role. I was almost getting house capped and I was this close.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's amazing. Did you know Toastmasters also has a leadership pathway?
SPEAKER_02Yes, I am knowing that because my mum is the vice president of her Toastmaster Club.
SPEAKER_00Does Toastmasters interest you when you turn 18?
SPEAKER_02Um, yes. And I say I can still get away from bed.
SPEAKER_00And I think before 18, there's something called the Gavel Club. Have you heard of that?
SPEAKER_02Um, no, I haven't.
SPEAKER_00Okay, well maybe you could ask your mum and we could look into that. I think it's not official Toastmasters. I don't know a lot about it myself, but I think it's something that people before they turn 18 can join with people of a similar age and do Toastmasters like stuff. Okay. Did you tell anyone outside your family that you were going to open the Toastmasters conference?
SPEAKER_02Um, my whole year level knew because I because it was still in school, I asked my told my teacher about it so I could have I could use my classroom to like to pract practice in front of everyone. Um it was good because I like to do this practice out of audience. It doesn't matter, be like friends, classmates, or family, it just gives you what you're gonna better face on.
SPEAKER_00So when you told your friends, how did they react?
SPEAKER_02Um Um they were they encouraged me to do it. Um uh when I did it, it was a bit um shocking, like because I'm not really I'm not like the brightest person out there, like I'm not the coolest kid in school. Um so I was actually quite impressed everyone came to encourage me.
SPEAKER_00That's wonderful.
SPEAKER_02Um they went they kept saying my name, going and bang on the desks over and over and over.
SPEAKER_00Can you replicate that? How did they do that?
SPEAKER_02Charlie, Charlie, Charlie.
SPEAKER_00How did that make you feel?
SPEAKER_02Um, I was not s um the my teachers sometimes say my class is unpredictable, so I was actually quite shocked.
SPEAKER_00Must have felt pretty good, I think, too.
SPEAKER_02Um one of my classmates said to um put in some sarcasm into the into the speech, which I did. Um, do you want to hear it?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, what was an example of that? That'd be great to hear.
SPEAKER_02Snail though was well known to their wineries, which they enjoy very much.
SPEAKER_00I think there'd be many adults who would be relating to that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Do you remember how you felt just before you were about to walk onto the stage?
SPEAKER_02Um, I had a bit of a h heavy heart. Um and w sometimes before I went up the uh mic was playing up, so I had to keep switching my the mic I had to go into one mic, then the other. Took a little longer, but we got there eventually.
SPEAKER_00Well done, so you're stuck at it. How do you think you went in delivering your welcoming address?
SPEAKER_02Um, pretty well. I made a little joke after I I should have won one of the rewards.
SPEAKER_00Did anyone say anything to you afterwards about your address?
SPEAKER_02Um Yes, especially my mom.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Um What sort of feedback did you get?
SPEAKER_02Um, law the adults said I did really well. I was like, they were shocked for my age. I can like just go up there and just speak.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because a lot of adults struggle with it. So how did that make you feel getting that nice positive feedback?
SPEAKER_02I'm a bit proud of myself and what I achieved with my family. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So you should. Did you enjoy the experience?
SPEAKER_02Yes, I really enjoyed it. I was just like, their speech out of here.
SPEAKER_00So if you had the opportunity again, would you agree to do public speaking to such a large group of adults again?
SPEAKER_02Um, yes, because my biggest amount is around 300.
SPEAKER_00Oh, really? So this wasn't your biggest crowd?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, the biggest one was is always at Anzac. Because it was a community event. Um, because I'm no longer with that school, I I'm not gonna be doing the speech again. So that was like a one-off.
SPEAKER_00Wow, okay. No wonder you didn't feel too bad. You'd already conquered a bigger crowd.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Is there anything you'd do differently if you did the same address again to a Toastmasters crowd?
SPEAKER_02Um, I'd have m added some more like jokes. Like, for example, I can do like put some bad jokes or dad jokes in it.
SPEAKER_00Can you think of any off the top of your head now?
SPEAKER_02Um I do have one. Why do golfers wear two pairs of pants?
SPEAKER_00Why do golfers wear two pairs of pants?
SPEAKER_02So if they get a hole in one.
SPEAKER_00Oh, of course. Very good. I'll pay that. Charlie, given that you've done this now, do you have any advice for anyone else presented with a similar opportunity?
SPEAKER_02Um, all I would say is like don't be shy, because that's just some people I think it's just trying to over you just get scared. And so I think just if if it's like your first time, I always think to myself the first time is the hardest event uh soon enough it's gonna go easy and all that. So it'll just be easy to s stand up on a big crowd and just speak what you have written down or typed up, like show your thoughts or anything.
SPEAKER_00Do you think this experience will influence what you do in the future?
SPEAKER_02Um Yes. It gives me more confidence to speak up, because I always I like to think like speak up and stand up. Like not like don't let other people boss you around. Just have your own like say. That's what I like to have.
SPEAKER_00It's giving you a voice.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, like your own personal voice.
SPEAKER_00Wonderful. Charlie, when I introduce my podcast, because I'm doing it to different locations around the world, I'll often also introduce that location by talking about three things that that location is famous for. And I've already done that with your mum's podcast about Stanthorpe. Yeah. But what are your three favorite things about Stanthorpe?
SPEAKER_02Oh, that's a bit tricky. Um, I like the Stanthorpe cheese. Um the Groove and Grill and Scoops and Treats, because everyone loves candy. Um, and last is heavily chocolate. They do like big chocolates and all that, like bigger than you can get in the supermarkets.
SPEAKER_00Fabulous. Have you got a particular type of cheese that you like to eat?
SPEAKER_02Um Machuacheda. That's okay. That's my favorite.
SPEAKER_00There was another place you mentioned.
SPEAKER_02Grooving grill.
SPEAKER_00What is that? Is that a like a hamburger joint?
SPEAKER_02It's a burger diner. It's it's based on like the 80s. It's rock and roll. It has like those fancy strip chairs, um, and they have a big jukebox.
SPEAKER_00I've got FOMO now. I feel like I missed out. Next time I'm in Stanthorpe, that'll be the first place I go. And then you also mentioned chocolate. Where do you get your chocolate in Stanthorpe?
SPEAKER_02That's heavenly chocolate, dear Garrine. It's between um Stanthorpe and Tennefield.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_02Um It's it's just you just do a turn off on the highway and it it'll it'll pop up. It's off the highway.
SPEAKER_00Charlie, is there anything you'd like to add today?
SPEAKER_02Ooh, um be with Toastmasters. Um my mum, I thought always thought my mum used Toastmasters to have a break from us when we were little. Three kids.
SPEAKER_00What do you think now? Do you still think that?
SPEAKER_02No, I think she just wants she loves public speaking, so she loves like telling stories and uh she loves teaching younger grades because she is a teacher.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_02I thought she used Toastmasters to explain to the class a bit her class a bit more about what they're learning and uh uh about all and all that.
SPEAKER_00Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure. Thank you so much for coming on the show today. It's been so lovely chatting with you, Charlie.
SPEAKER_02No problems.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for listening to today's show. One of the key elements of Toastmasters is evaluations. This is how we grow and improve, both by encouraging comments for things we got right and points for improvement. We all learn and benefit from these evaluations, not just the person being evaluated. So any feedback in the comments is greatly appreciated. If you have a Toastmaster story you'd like to share or like to be on the show, I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me at Toastmasters World Tour at gmail.com. Thanks for listening.