Ever wondered what differences there are between Toastmaster Club sessions in other countries and the UK? It seems some of our members are on a mission to find out! Farnham Speakers Club member Jessica Hayward was the envy of us all during summer 2011 with her extended visit to the USA. Not only did she speak at an international conference in Portland, Oregon, but she toured the country visiting some of the best theme parks and even managed to squeeze in a visit to a Toastmaster’s meeting in Florida. We met up for a chat about her mega-holiday.
FSC: Jessica, you were away for three and a half weeks! What took you to Oregon this summer?
Jess: I was speaking at the International Conference of Environmental Enrichment hosted by ‘Shape of Enrichment’ at Oregon Zoo.
FSC: Impressive, what did you present?
Jess: My speech was titled “Does olfactory stimulation promote scent rolling behaviours in captive wolves?”
FSC: Woah! That sounds complicated – and daunting!
Who's scenting whom?
Jess: It was a paper I wrote for my BSc in Animal Behaviour and Welfare which I completed in July 2011. Even though I was the youngest presenter there and the least academically qualified I was accepted as if I had studied wolves for years.
FSC: I expect they were impressed by your speaking skills. How did you get your topic into their programme?
Jess: Well I first found out about the conference through college. The last one was in Paignton in Devon two years ago and I went along to that and realised that I would love to present at a future conference. I submitted a topic for consideration and they invited me to do an oral presentation.
FSC: And you realised that this could be more than “just” a conference?
Jess: Yes, I decided to turn the trip into a holiday and visit a lot of other places. It was the perfect opportunity to feed my obsession with Harry Potter and visit the new Harry Potter World at Universal Studios!
FSC: So where else did you go?
Jess: We started in Boston, then went to Portland for the week’s conference, San Diego, Orlando and back to Boston. We visited 10 zoos in total and visited all the parks in DisneyWorld, plus Busch Gardens and Universal.
FSC: Did you notice differences in the way the zoos were run compared to the UK?
Jess: Yes – they give live fish to predators in the USA, it’s not allowed in the UK, on the grounds that it is inhumane treatment for anything with a backbone. In the states giving live fish is seen as a form of enrichment for the larger animal.
FSC: Who did you go with?
Sigh! I'll eat the greens for your photo but I ain't sticking my neck out for ya! Jessica and father, Keith, during their US tour.
Jess: My dad. We had a great time together!
FSC: And you visited a Toastmasters Club while you were there?
Jess: Yes, we turned up on spec, it was a bit of a surprise for them! It was Osceola Club in Kissimmee. Dad and I did table topics and won!
FSC: How was the meeting different from what we’re used to?
Jess: There were only two prepared speeches and the whole session happened within an hour – it was a breakfast club. Much was the same as in our home club… But they did Table Topics from their seats! They said the feeling was that people would be more comfortable that way. I wondered how they could use body language to proper effect without standing up front.
FSC: The whole thing sounds exhausting! Any downsides to the trip?
Jess: Deleting half of one set of photos from my camera before downloading was upsetting – but Dad managed to recover them.
FSC: And what were the absolute highlights?
Jess: The outstanding memory for me will be the time I got to spend in Orlando with my dad for company. Not everyone has the chance to spend so much quality time with their parent. My very favourite moment was our visit to ‘Dick’s Last Resort’, a novelty dining experience in Boston where the theme is about how rude the staff can be to their guests! But it worked, because the food was so delicious.
FSC: Sounds funny! And what, would you say, are your top tips to other Toastmasters about to present a speech at their first international conference?
Jess: I’d say firstly, make the most of your conference and your opportunity while in the country. If presenting, use your local Toastmaster’s club to help you prepare! Also try and get experience in front of a large audience if possible. Lastly – the Q and A – I had lots of questions, but would just say to try and be prepared if possible by having a practice run. At least it showed they were interested and had been listening.
FSC: It all sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Since giving this interview, Jessica has left the UK to spend several months in South Africa working with wild dogs. The next International Conference on Enrichment takes place in the Kruger National Park in 2013. No doubt Jessica will have even more experience to share at that time. We all wish her very much good luck on her continued travels and hope she’ll be back in Farnham soon to tell us all about her adventures in South Africa.
