Regular Meeting 144, April 21, 2026 (Hybrid)

Table Topics Session

On April 21, I had the pleasure of serving as the Table Topicsmaster, facilitating the impromptu speaking session.

For this session, I chose the theme “April and the number 4,” inspired by the fact that April is the fourth month of the year and often represents a season of new beginnings in Japan.

I prepared the following questions:

• April is a season of new beginnings. What are four things you want to start this month?

• What are four things you want to change this April?

• What are four things you cannot live without?

• What would you do if you had four extra hours every day?

• If you had four wishes, what would you ask for?

• If you had four clones of yourself, what would each one do?

• If your life had four seasons, which season are you in now?

  
  

As we also had non-Toastmaster guests at the meeting, both had expressed their willingness to participate beforehand, so I invited them to speak as well. I truly appreciated their willingness to take on the challenge.

Impromptu speaking is never easy, as speakers need to organize their thoughts and respond on the spot. Some questions asked for “four” ideas, which can be challenging to come up with immediately. While not everyone was able to list all four, every speaker made a genuine effort to respond thoughtfully.

It was truly inspiring to see everyone think quickly, make full use of their time, and deliver their speeches with sincerity. 

In addition, Swan served as the Table Topics Evaluator for this session. He carefully listened to all seven speakers and clearly highlighted both their strengths and areas for improvement. His feedback was precise, constructive, and very insightful—it was truly impressive to observe.

Overall, both the session and the meeting were filled with challenge, effort, and learning, and I sincerely appreciated everyone who took part. Moments like these are what make Toastmasters such a valuable place for growth.

Maho Hummel President, 2025-2026