Your passport usually has a phone number for others to call if you are dead, injured, comatose or missing in an emergency. I have had two experiences of urgently trying to find somebody. I shall tell you two stories, about a fire alarm in a building, and an emergency during an online Zoom meeting. You can draw your own conclusions about the necessity of keeping records of who is attending a meeting, and of your members' phone numbers and addresses.
Fire Alarm
The first memorable event was after a physical meeting. We were having a Toastmasters speakers' training meeting in London at the Bridge, a building near Harrow & Wealdstone station. The fire alarm went off in our meeting building.
I After hesitated, then, despite seeing no signs of fire or smoke, grabbed my bag, and we all filed out. Some of us were with our laptops and phones. Others just ran, leaving behind valuables and vital phones and laptops we later needed to contact missing members.
Lesson learned number one. Always keep your phone with you, not on a nearby desk nor in the bag behind you or under your seat, nor in a jacket pocket. If you have to jump out to avoid fire, flood, earthquake, avalanche, gun-toting madman, terrorists, whatever, you need the phone either to call for help, or trace others, or to be found by others seeking you using find my phone or find my friend.
We assembled on the front lawn in three separate groups. Somebody called us all together. We did a tally of who was there. The attendance list was behind in the building. Somebody had taken the precaution of photographing it. But their mobile phone was back inside the building.
Then the owner of the left behind mobile realized the photos were in the 'cloud'. On somebody else's laptop. They logged in and found the list. We were missing one member and one guest.
The fire brigade arrived. They told us nobody was to go inside the building.
They could only spray water, not necessary if no visible fire. Could be an electrical fault. But they had to wait for another engine with breathing apparatus to go into what could be or become a burning building with smoke to check on anybody missing. If no trouble, they had to disable the deafening alarm, and give us the all clear to return.
We located the missing member's number. We phoned. He said he had exited through another door into the back garden. Now we knew there was no sign of fire, nor smoke, and the fire brigade was present, and he knew where we were, he walked around the building to join us.
Lastly, the missing guest. We had to phone the home of an absent committee member to find the contact details of the guest. We phoned him. He lived nearby and had gone home. We were able to tell him, "The alarm is over and we are continuing the meeting. Please come back."
Some useful lessons learned about communication.
Speech Contest - Winners and 'losers'
Now I shall move on to the second story. A contestant in a speaking contest comes first in three contests at club level. She is winner of two contests, out of three, at Area level. At the final level of the year, while waiting for the results contestants are interviewed. She declares that she does not deserve to live (a quote from the first part of her speech, in which she was bullied as a child but later recovered confidence). She is second in the contest.
The person who comes first in the contest, and two other listeners who of the 250? Listeners who know her from their club are anxious to contact her to be sure she is okay.
They have her phone which is engaged or not answering. They have her address. They do not know anybody who lives nearby. They are not allowed out since they are all on Home Stay. However, checking on a potential suicide might be allowed as an emergency.
They do not know which church she attends nor anybody to contact there.
Crisis over, but I realise that if you are worried about finding somebody, often if they don't answer the phone, you don't know what to do to find them. Police and ambulance will only do what the Americans can a wellness check if they have evidence such as a copy of emails or texts.
So what are the lessons to be learned?
1 Rehearse all contestants with how they should contact the other contestants, to congratulate the winners, well done. And tell the runners up, I thought it was touch and go. I hope it will be you at a later date.
At a club, in the usual evening's vote for best speaker, I expected to be awarded the best speech ribbons. At the last moment an extra speech was put in. A woebegone man who had lost his wife in the last week gave a sad little speech about treasuring your loved ones. He won the vote. I voted for him. Nothing I could do could console him for losing his wife. But, at the very least I could give him the momentary smile of winning a ribbon.
At the basic club level, I once came second of two in the club I had just joined, losing to a very senior person. I was disappointed. In the event, he was away on business at the next contest so I went on to compete at Area level
Thinking back, I recall a contest where the person who won against me told a story about himself in hospital. I reckoned I had more drama and props and a more cheerful message. I reckoned he got the sympathy vote. I had to shrug and move on. Now, nearly 20 years later, I have more than 50 ribbons on my walls. That's just the UK. I have more in Singapore.
I thought I had helped my member to compete when she was doubtful that she could win. Looking back, I should have rehearsed with her, and every contestant every time, what she should say in advance of the results.
What are the best sentences I have heard which keep echoing through my mind?
1 I haven't done this job before, but I can do it. I shall go online and find out how to do it.
2 Of course I will help if I am free, let me check my diary.
3 You have to be in it to win it. (Ad for lottery. UK.)
4 You don't plan to fail, you fail to plan.
5 If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing well.
6 It's the journey, not the destination.
7 No such thing as failure. It's a learning experience.
8 I didn't win, but I learned new skills and have found somebody to admire, copy and ask for advice.
9 We can't all win every time. I hope you have enjoyed it and learned and will go on to do even better next time. Thank you for being so gracious to me and helping me celebrate my win.
About Author Angela
Author, Author! About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. (Not related to the actress.)
Author of twenty books, including: Quick Quotations; Who Said What When.
See books and profiles on Lulu.com and Amazon, such as Wedding Speeches & Toasts. Also watch videos on YouTube.
If you want to learn to speak the Queen's English, or Received Pronunciation. join me at my online toastmasters club,
Braddell Heights Advanced. Wednesdays, 7-9 Singapore time, which is seven hours ahead of London, England.
I am also a member of
Singapore Online.9-12 pm, Singapore time, Fridays. I am also a member of
Tampines Changkat Advanced. This Tuesday evening Singapore time
Harrovians, London.
Useful Websites
Toastmasters International Find a Club
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club
https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=upSEBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=quick+quotations
lulu.com/shop/angela-lansbury/who-said-what-when/paperback/product-21713991
learncool.sg
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