β‘ Table Topics β Designed by Warren
π Session Design
Warren's "golden quote" format: speakers drew a quote card, had 20 seconds to think, then 2 minutes to explain the quote through their own personal story. He opened by inviting everyone to "stand on the moon and let their dreams come true," and closed by passing the flame to the next host with the line "The strength to try once more."
"A Story That Strengthened You"
A German friend once told him: there are two kinds of things in life β the things you're supposed to do, and the things you don't have to do. Often the things you didn't have to do turn out better. What makes the difference? The people involved. "We are good people, we support each other, so we can conquer difficulties and build our resilience."
Evaluation by Cary (TTE1)
Warm eye contact throughout and a very natural smile β shows real teacher quality. Suggestion: free up both arms instead of holding the mic in one hand and the other in the pocket.
"The Moment You Will Not Postpone"
A year ago in Vancouver, job-hunting as an HR professional competing against native speakers. After repeated rejections she started doubting whether she could even speak English, whether she was fit for HR at all β "maybe this is the end of my career." Driving to a Toastmasters meeting, she treated it as a last attempt. She introduced herself with a joke, the room laughed out loud, and she was named Best Speaker. "That moment I felt: maybe I'm not that bad. Maybe I can speak. Maybe I can make jokes. Maybe I can continue my career."
Evaluation by Yue (TTE2)
Wonderful eye contact and genuine appreciation. Suggestion: balance personal emotion with evaluation objectivity β avoid leaning too far toward personal preference.
"Confidence Comes with Action"
Fired at the end of 2011, spent 2012 sending resumes to at least 100 companies β only a handful even replied with rejections. Considered taking a desktop-support job at a factory. GC was his only positive connection to society during that period: going out, meeting energetic people, giving speeches, taking roles, receiving applause. That's how she rebuilt resilience and confidence, and eventually got out of the low point.
Evaluation by Cary (TTE1)
Powerful use of the stage and the concrete number "over 100 resumes" made the story convincing. Gestures matched the content beautifully. Suggestion: improve time control.
"Making Peace with Fear"
Making peace with fear is hard, but the only way is to take the first step. Most people make New Year's resolutions about losing weight or quitting drinking and give up within two weeks β because difficult things take time. Peace with fear doesn't come overnight; it's a journey. Fear can be anxiety, fitness goals, work performance, or relationships. Nobody has all the answers in one day β you just have to take responsibility and start doing the work, one day at a time.
"We Are All Heroes in Our Own Stories"
As a child, her heroes were Yang Guo and Linghu Chong β people who could save the country and change history. After years of ups and downs β traveling nearly 300 days a year, disconnected from family and friends, career setbacks β she lost the courage to be that kind of hero. Then Su Dongpo gave her strength: demoted three times, each time farther away, yet he still wrote "η«Ήζθιθ½»θ马οΌδΈθηι¨δ»»εΉ³ηγδΉζ ι£ι¨δΉζ ζ΄" and kept loving life β cooking, drinking with friends, writing poems. Now her hero is anyone who lives each day sincerely and shares life's beauty with those around them.
Evaluation by Cary (TTE1)
Remarkable that she could recite Su Dongpo's poetry from memory. Suggestion: keep only one story β she spent too much time on the first one (losing connection with family), leaving too little for a solid conclusion.
"Passion Is Not Something You Wait For, but Something You Build Through Commitment"
His biggest commitment is to his family β his wife and children. Life and workplace pressure in Beijing are heavy, but commitment to the people you love makes you stronger. He made a checklist: spend more quality time with his kids. Recently he bought a 3D printer and works with his son to create and print real objects β that's how he's keeping his commitment.
Evaluation by Cary (TTE1)
Used the time very well. Suggestion: keep up the same energy throughout.
"Only When You Take the Step Can You Reach the Core of the Thing"
Working at a state-owned company. As a student she thought life was simple: study hard, get good marks, get rewarded. At work he found everything different β many colleagues were "born ahead of her," with better backgrounds and better starts, and opportunity allocation wasn't always fair. Her approach: set aside the unfairness you cannot change, accept the boundaries, and focus on building your own reliability and professionalism. "Even without a strong background, I can be a perfect me β and that way I can still stand out and get better."
π€ Prepared Speeches
Pathways: Presentation Mastery Β· L1-4 Β· Evaluation & Feedback
"Self-fulfilling Prophecy"
Picked up where her last speech (Learned Helplessness β "the dog") left off: when the environment gives you no positive feedback, what do you do? Answer: believe in yourself. Self-fulfilling prophecy means "what you believe is what you attract." Backed by science β the RAS (Reticular Activating System), a filter in the brain that only picks up information matching your existing beliefs. Example: you barely notice pregnant women until you are pregnant yourself. Negative loop: believing your partner doesn't care makes you only see neglect, triggering arguments and breakup β "I knew it." Two contrasting personal stories: the group interview she arrived 10 minutes late for yet still nailed (took the stage, led the discussion, got the offer) versus the Singapore role where she had an internal referral and prep help but doubted herself and failed. Three levels to build positive prophecy: Language & Thinking, Behavior & Action (notice small wins), Interpretation & Cognition (read hardship as growth). Closed with "ζζδΉε’οΌεδΈη©ηηζδΉθ²ε½©" β "Even when nobody believes you, be the hero of yourself."
Evaluation by Ninan (IE1)
Congratulated her on visible growth β much more natural and relaxed than her first time on stage. Praised the clear contrast between the two personal stories and the vivid delivery. Two questions for her to consider next time: (1) How did she apply the feedback from her previous speech? The project's purpose is to practice applying audience feedback. (2) Is there a story of how she personally changed after learning this concept? Suggestion: add more gestures to strengthen expression.
Pathways: Presentation Mastery Β· L3-1 Β· Persuasive Speaking
"The End of Life"
Opened with a deceptively simple question: "Is there anything in your life that you are very sure of?" The answer: we will all die. Last month he visited his parents β both 88, living alone, his mother unwell. After lunch one day his father took him to a cabinet he'd cleaned many times but never noticed, pulled out a box. Inside: over 20 pieces of jade, each with a story. One, bought 50 years ago on a business trip from an old man for 50 yuan β nearly half a month's salary β his father believed was authentic. His father told him all the stones would be his one day. That night he photographed them for appraisal: each worth somewhere between 50 and 5,000 yuan, depending on authenticity. A huge gap between the market value and the emotional value his father had poured into them. This made him think about his own treasures β old photos, thousands of paper letters β priceless to him, nearly worthless to others. The real question: when we face the end of our lives, what do we want to leave to the world besides money and jade? He noted that most of our inner flame can only be kept inside us β only a rare few like Su Dongpo leave their spirit behind in poetry and calligraphy.
Evaluation by Bella (IE2)
Called it a profound topic delivered in a vivid way. Loved the opening question β "Is there anything for sure? We will die. No matter how rich, what gender, how pretty β this is the final destiny we all reach." That instantly drew attention: a very strong opening. Also loved the personal story, especially the twist: everyone expected gold or property in the box, and instead it was jade stones. That surprise connected the audience emotionally. Persuasion score: 60%. Praised the gentle approach β unlike commercial advertising which creates anxiety and FOMO, he invited the audience to think about what they want to leave behind. Suggestion for the remaining 40%: add a stronger sense of time urgency β "Life is unpredictable, the only thing we can grasp is right now." Add "tick-tock, tick-tock, we never know what tomorrow will happen" so the audience feels time is limited and thinks about it right here, right now.
π Reports
π Grammarian's Report β Zhang Fan (First Time)
Word of the Day: resilience β example sentence: "Building resilience takes time and practice."
Delivered fluently despite being a new member, and went beyond simply counting word usage β he connected the quotes and ideas of different speakers together and ended with a strong callback. Commended by the General Evaluator as exceeding expectations.
π Ah-Counter's Report β Byron
Praised Hunter for a dramatic improvement: last time over 40 minutes of speaking, this time only 12 minutes β "within two days, you have made huge improvement."
Highlights: one speaker used "and" 30 times in a 4-minute introduction; another used "um" 32 times in 2 minutes; one had a signature overused word β "okay," 15 times in 5 minutes; Julie's signature was "yeah," nearly after every sentence, 22 times, plus 50 filler words and 10 "ands"; Ben overused "yeah," "how to say," and "I don't know"; Zhang Xue's issue was repeated "maybe." Cary's overall usage was much better.
β±οΈ Timer's Report β Hunter
Of 7 Table Topics speakers, only 2 met the time requirement. Timer rules explained at the start: for speeches over 3 minutes β green at 2 min left, yellow at 1 min left, red at time up with 30 extra seconds, then the bell; for speeches under 3 minutes β green at 1 min left, yellow at 30 sec left, red at time up with 30 extra seconds, then the bell.
The General Evaluator suggested using prompt cards or a voice reminder to more actively alert speakers about time.
π General Evaluation β Yunduan
Cary (TTE1): Diligent work, relaxed posture, abundant body language to emphasize points. Always points out speakers' strengths directly, then gives suggestions based on observation β e.g., detailed feedback on Jessie's improved body language. Excellent eye contact with the person being evaluated. No further suggestions.
Yue (TTE2): Great eye contact and genuine praise for Bella. Suggestion: balance personal emotion with objectivity β avoid leaning too far toward personal preference.
Ninan (IE1): Warm congratulations and encouragement for Julie, plus clear, actionable improvement direction tied to the project's purpose. Suggestion: add more gestures to make the delivery more engaging.
Bella (IE2): Recalled speech details clearly and presented the evaluation vividly with large, powerful gestures β worth learning from. Suggestion: watch time control. "You have such powerful inner strength β even though the timer rang the bell several times, you stood here firmly and did your job. I think that is resilience."
Zhang Fan (Grammarian): Beyond expectations for such a new member β fluent English, not just counting words but connecting other speakers' ideas, with a strong ending that echoed back. Excellent.
Byron (Ah-Counter): Presented his report elegantly, with precise and exact counts of words and syllables for every person β very useful data for everyone's improvement.
Hunter (Timer): Only 2 of 7 qualified β suggested using prompt cards or voice reminders to be more proactive.
Camille (Toastmaster): Hosting was fluent and smooth, transitions natural, and she even designed a homework assignment. Beyond expectations β congratulations.
π¬ Memorable Quotes
"Ability decides whether you can do something, but mental strength decides how long you can keep going, and whether you can handle ups and downs."
β Camille
"Stand up, step up, speak up β let everyone hear your voice."
β Warren (quoting Hunter)
"η«Ήζθιθ½»θ马οΌδΈθηι¨δ»»εΉ³ηγδΉζ ι£ι¨δΉζ ζ΄γ"
β Cindy (on Su Dongpo)
"What you believe is what you attract."
β Julie
"Even when nobody believes you, be the hero of yourself."
β Julie
"The majority of our flames can only be kept inside us."
β Liubing
"The strength to try once more."
β Jianghua
"I didn't get my confidence from big wins. I just insist on doing the right things again and again."
β Hunter
π Guest & Member Sharing
"GC is a very warm club. My work is hard and full of pressure, but when I come here I have no stress β I forget about work. Everyone encourages everyone. This stage is a great place." β Lei
"Thank you for all the delicious snacks β I wish I hadn't had supper so I could eat more. And to answer tonight's question about what's for sure: apart from the fact that we will die, one thing for sure is that Wednesday night is the highlight of my week. Thank you everyone for creating this lovely cozy home." β Bella
"We should be resilient and optimistic when we face difficulties, failures, or other obstacles. When you all put your eyes on me, I suddenly got a thought: knowledge in your brain is not enough. You must transform the words into your own way to remember them clearly. Also, tonight's Table Topics questions were unique and hard β very philosophical, real golden quotes." β Jianghua
π§ GC Brain & Club Notes β Eva
Golden Quote Claiming Task (Due This Week)
Visit the club website β Golden Quotes section β "Anonymous Golden Quote Claiming." Password: GC2026 (lowercase). Browse the quotes; click "That's me" or "Not me." Quotes unclaimed within two weeks will remain anonymous; claimed quotes carry copyright and can be used for future learning. Tina will post the exact deadline tomorrow β complete this within the week.
Visitor Guest Book
Thanks to Wa Wa on behalf of District 118 (Guangdong) for gifting commemorative materials. The large notebook now serves as the club's visitor guest book; the small notebook records the daily Golden Quotes as a shared club resource.
"Ask GC Brain" Feature
The website's AI assistant can answer questions about club history β e.g., "Which day was meeting 1104?" β September 23, 2026, theme "The Moon and Sixpence." It can also list which meetings a member has attended. Based on the database updated this year β please use it.