2019年3月2日(土)、横浜TMCが所属するエリア52のスピーチコンテストが、桜木町駅前の野毛地区センターにて盛大に行われました。このコンテストは、トーストマスターズクラブが毎年夏に開催するインターナショナルコンテストの前哨戦で、各クラブで勝ち上がった代表メンバーがエリアコンテストで戦い、その勝者が次のレベル、ディビジョンコンテストへと勝ち進みます。ディビジョン勝者は5月に開催される全国大会に出場し、その優勝者が夏の世界大会に進む、という流れです。
毎年エリア大会は各所属クラブが受け持ちで開催しますが、今回は我が横浜TMC、そして日本語クラブの関内TMCが共同で開催しました。
The Toastmasters Club Area 52 International Speech Contest was held on March 2, 2019, at Noge-chiku Center near JR Sakuragi-cho station. This contest precedes the Toastmasters International Speech Contest which is held annually in summer. The winners of each club compete at respective Area Contest, then the winners there again proceed to Division Contests. The Division Contest winners will compete at the District (All Japan) Contest in May, and then the winner of the District Contest will go to the World Championship in summer.
Each club that belongs to an Area is required to host an Area Contest in turn annually, and our Yokohama Toastmasters Club co-hosted the Area 52 Contest this year with a Japanese club, Kannai Toastmasters Club.
今までになかった今大会の特徴は、会場が土足厳禁だったこと。スリッパ履きのコンテスタントのスピーチを見るのは初体験でした。コンテスタントたちも、ちょっと勝手が違ったのではないでしょうか。
そしてもう一つの特徴は、ピアノ伴奏があったことです。会場に偶然ピアノが置いてあり、幸いにも使用無料で、これまた偶然ピアニストがメンバー内にいたので、開会宣言時や表彰時にじゃじゃーん! とジングルを入れてもらったのです。通常コンテストではピンと張りつめた緊張感が漂うのですが、ピアノの効果は抜群で、今までになく楽しい雰囲気のコンテストとなりました。即興でピアノを弾いてくださったTM K.K.に感謝です!
In this contest, we had special features that we’d never had before. One is that we were required to take off shoes and wear slippers inside a venue. I’d never seen contestants making speeches in slippers and it was a novel sight to behold. I assume they might have had difficulty moving on the floor.
The other thing was that a piano performance accompanied the contest. There happened to be a piano in the venue and it was free to use it. Luckily and coincidentally, we had a pianist within our members who happened to be there! So, I asked him to play it at an opening and award presentation. He stroked the piano keys tenderly and “Baaang!” them when needed. His piano improvisation gave a cheerful boost to the contest, which is usually filled with tension and nervousness. Thank you, TM K.K. for playing it on the spot!
さて本題のコンテスト。まず英語コンテストが13:15に開会しました。コンテスト委員長・司会は私、TM. T.S.が務め、エリア52所属クラブ (横浜・関内・みなとみらい・オーシャンTMC) から集まった総勢65名の観客が見守る中、6名のコンテスタントの熱き戦いが始まりました。
Following the cheerful “Baaang” of piano came the contest opening. First, the English Contest began at 13:15, and I, TM T.S., facilitated it as Contest Chair and MC. The venue was packed with almost 70 Toastmasters from all clubs that belong to Area 52 (Yokohama, Kannai, Minatomirai and Yokohama Ocean TMC), and six contestants started to compete with each other.
トップバッターは横浜TMCのプレジデント、TM F.のスピーチです。コンテストでトップバッターを務めるのは非常に緊張するものですが、そんな様子はみじんもなく、堂々としたスピーチを披露されました。2番目のスピーカーはオーシャンクラブ代表のベテランスピーカー、TM H.です。さすが全国大会出場経験者、声音やジェスチャーなど、卓越したスキルを披露してくださいました。3番目はみなとみらいクラブのプレジデント、TM A。彼はTM歴は浅いものの、何度もコンテストに出場している強豪です。非常に瀟洒な語り口の、スマートなスピーチを聞かせて下さいました。4番目はオーシャンクラブ代表のTM K、長身を活かしたジェスチャーで、面白いアイデアのスピーチを披露してくださいました。5番目は我が横浜クラブ代表のTM O。彼特有の会場を一気に明るくする笑顔で、楽しいスピーチを聞かせて下さいました。6番目に登場した最後のスピーカーは、みなとみらいクラブ代表のTM O。ベテランならではの卓越したデリバリースキルと流暢な英語で、見事にフィナーレを飾って下さいました。
The first speaker was our Yokohama TMC’s president, TM F. Although it must have been nerve-wrecking to speak first at the contest, he delivered his speech marvelously with confidence. The second speaker was TM H., who was an experienced speaker representing Yokohama Ocean TMC. She had been a finalist at the District Contest before and she delivered her speech with excellent vocal variety, gestures and refined skills. The third speaker was TM A. from Minatomirai TMC. Although his experience as a Toastmaster is short, he is a great speaker who has participated in contests many times before. As though to prove it, he rendered his speech with sophistication and smartness. The forth speaker was TM K. who was representing Yokohama Ocean TMC. Taking advantage of his height, he spread his long arms like an eagle and towered over us, and delivered a unique story. The fifth speaker was TM O. who represented Yokohama TMC. He has an innate talent to bring smiles to anyone who sees him. He used his magic onto the audience and delivered a cheerful speech that left us all smiling and happy. The sixth and final speaker was TM O. from Minatomirai TMC. He has a long-term experience as a Toastmaster and delivered his speech in fluent English with prominent speaking skills.
審査結果を集計するあいだ、座を和ませてくれたのは、みなとみらいクラブ所属のインタビュアー、TM S.によるコンテスタントへのインタビューセッションです。さすが手慣れたもので、コンテスタントへ次々と即興質問を繰り出し、観客を大いに楽しませて下さいました。
While tally counters were tabulating judges’ results, TM S. from Minatomirai TMC interviewed the contestants with his humorous talk and entertained the audience. An experienced Toastmaster as he is, he improvised the question after question and sometimes brought contestants to their wits’ end.
審査委員長から審査結果を受け取り、いよいよ受賞者の発表です。残念ながら1名のコンテスタントが時間オーバーで失格となり、5人の中から受賞者が選出されました。
3位入賞者は、トップバッターとしてスピーチを披露した横浜TMC代表のTM F、2位はオーシャンTMCのTM H、そして栄えある1位の座を獲得したのは、洗練されたスピーチを披露したみなとみらいクラブ代表のTM Aでした。みなさんおめでとうございました!
I received the judges’ result from Chief Judge and finally commenced on the award presentation. Unfortunately, one contestant out of six went overtime and became disqualified. Therefore, winners were selected from remaining five contestants.
The third place winner was TM F., who was representing our Yokohama TMC and courageously made the first speech. The second place winner was TM H. from Yokohama Ocean TMC, and the glorious first place winner was revealed to be TM A. from Minatomirai TMC who delivered a highly sophisticated speech. Congratulations all winners!
休憩をはさみ、第2部、日本語コンテストの始まりです。日本語コンテストは関内クラブが担当し、初コンテスト委員長に抜擢された新人のTM T.が司会を務めました。スーツ姿で決めたTM T、しっかりと司会をこなされました!
After the intermission, the latter half of the contest, which was the Japanese Speech Contest, began. It was hosted by Kannai TMC and facilitated by the first-time Contest Chair, TM T. Neatly adorned in business suits, he played the role of MC smoothly and solemnly.
日本語コンテストの流れも英語と同じで、開会宣言、規則説明のあと、スピーチが始まります。
トップバッターはオーシャンクラブ代表のTM K、爽やかで新鮮なスピーチをして下さいました。2番目は横浜TMCのTM F、英語コンテスト3位獲得直後の彼のスピーチは、更に自信に満ち溢れた堂々たるものでした。3番目のスピーカーはオーシャンクラブのTM A。彼のトレードマークであるマイク要らずの大きな声と、研ぎ澄まされたジェスチャーで、素晴らしいスピーチを披露して下さいました。4番目はみなとみらいクラブ代表のTM T。帰国子男の彼の日本語スピーチを聞くのは初めてでしたが、日本語も非常に堪能で、ユーモアにあふれた面白いスピーチでした。5番目、ラストスピーカーは横浜クラブ代表のTM A、少女時代の辛い体験を真摯に、赤裸々に語って下さいました。
日本語のインタビューは、エリア54ディレクターでもあるオーシャンクラブのTM I.が担当して下さいました。スピーチが終わって緊張の解けたコンテスタント達がにこやかに応答するのが印象的な、楽しいインタビューセッションでした。
Japanese Contest proceeded just as the English Contest did. It started with opening remarks, then the rule explanation was given, and the speech competition began. The first speaker was TM K. from Yokohama Ocean TMC. She was given a ticket to this contest a week prior to it, and gave a refreshing speech with a shy smile. The second speaker was TM F. from Yokohama TMC, who had won the third place award in the English Contest. Isn’t it amazing that he participated in the two contests at the same time? With renewed confidence attained by his third place prize, he delivered his speech marvelously. The third speaker was TM A from Yokohama Ocean TMC. With his signature big voice that doesn’t require microphone’s help, he rendered his speech with refined gestures and movements. The fourth speaker was TM T. representing Minatomirai TMC. He grew up in the U.S. and speaks English like a native speaker, and I’d never heard him making speeches in Japanese. But I found out for the first time that he could speak Japanese fluently as well! In his native tongue, he delivered his speech humorously. The fifth and final speaker was one of our representatives, TM A. from Yokohama TMC, who talked candidly and sincerely about her poignant experience in her youth.
The Japanese Interview Session was conducted by TM I. from Yokohama Ocean TMC, who is also an Area 54 Director. It was a cheerful session in which relaxed contestants answered questions with big smiles.
さて、日本語コンテストの結果は…なんと! 1位が我らがプレジデント、横浜TMCのTM F、2位も横浜TMCのTM A、そして3位がオーシャンTMCのTM Aでした。我が横浜クラブ、ダブル受賞で、TM F.は英語コンテストでも3位入賞でしたから、なんとトリプル受賞ですね! おめでとうございます!
Following the fun Interview Session, the winners of the Japanese Speech Contest were announced. And guess what? Our president, TM F. of Yokohama TMC, won the first place! And the second place went to TM. A from our club as well! The third place award was given to TM A from Yokohama Ocean TMC. Since our president TM F. received two prizes and TM A. received one, our Yokohama TMC won the three prizes in the contest it hosted. What a great achievement! Congratulations winners!
今回のコンテストで気付いたことは、トーストマスターズ会員のチームワークの良さでした。役割を受け持ったメンバーは、細かい指示がなくても自主的に動いてくれます。また、会場設置のボランティアにも大勢の会員が参加してくれました。運営委員、コンテスタント、観客が一体となって楽しめる、素晴らしいコンテストだったと思います。ご協力くださったみなさま、どうも有難うございました!
1位を受賞されたTM AとTM F、エリア52代表として、来月のディビジョンEコンテストでの雄姿を期待しております。頑張ってください!
One thing I learned in this contest was the power of Toastmasters’ teamwork. Those who had roles to play worked on their own accord without specific instructions. Many volunteers helped setting up the venue without coercion. I can proudly say that everybody, including committee members, contestants and audience, enjoyed the contest thoroughly and it was a great success. Thanks everyone for your cooperation!
The two first-place winners, TM A. and TM F., I wish you a big success in the upcoming Division E Contest next month. I’ll be looking forward to hearing your speeches again there!
コンテスト委員長: TM T.S.
Contest Chair: TM T.S.