Honorary member and club founder Christopher Magyar
Long time ago one wise man decided to found a Toastmasters club in Munich, Germany. He didn’t just plant and grow up a club but created a beautiful and open-minded community. The name of that wise man is Christopher Magyar, our honorary member and club father.
Here are few testimonials from our senior members who had a pleasure to meet and enjoy Prostmasters meetings with Christopher.
“From the first day I first joined Toastmasters in Munich till he went home to the USA, Christopher was a role model.
I learned so much from listening to him on stage, talking to him personally, and sometimes over beers.
He was a constant source of knowledge and encouragement to me for all the time he was in Prostmasters.” – Mel Kelly
“I would like to add to that some of the value that he brought to Toastmasters, in Munich and in Europe:
– together with Denise he was instrumental in getting D59 – the first continental Europe district – founded. They did all the prep work (together with the Petillots in Paris – but that’s leading too far) to create a provisional district and then to get districted.
– he was involved in the creation of quite some clubs in and around Munich – not least of all the founding of Munich Prostmasters
– nobody knows how many people he has mentored over the course of the years, but everyone agrees they don’t want to feed them.
– he has delivered countless workshops on leadership, on creating clubs, on humor, on impromptu speaking… He trained people from all 6 continents as they were passing through Munich.
– he and Denise also created the first (analog) newsletter for Prostmasters – which was called “the ProstPost”” – Ineke Vermeulen
“When I think of Christopher, a few words come to my mind:
– the quiet force
– the listening leader
– leading by example
– focused and driven
– the constant gardener
He is extraordinarily knowledgeable in many fields and had the intrinsic drive to hone a new skill during his adult life (the piano) by committing to practice every day and becoming so proficient he performed on stage in concerts. He once committed to practice 1h /day, in 15min chunks if necessary, and he is proof that a little bit, regularly, goes a long way.
I admire his eternal positivity, his enthusiasm for toastmasters and all the time and devotion he brought to creating such a multitude of quality clubs in and around Munich. ” – Mikaela Gallon
“He came,
He saw,
….He built.
Immaculate!
The mark of the man. Be it the way he dressed, the words he chose or the various institutions he founded.
Minimalist yet essential!
I knew him as a person who sometimes whispered a single sentence as feedback after I’d been on the stage. Those sentences have weathered the ravages of the years and I still remember and value them.
A talker of the walk
A walker of the talk
He believed in what he was doing and lived it. Being present at almost all meetings – at the various clubs he was a member in – Christopher had a soft presence. Ask and you would receive …. generously. And if you would casually walk by, not knowing who he was, he was also okay with that.
A Charmer!
A master of various languages he used the skill to much advantage…. 😉
I got to know Christopher more than a few years after he had started our club. So I didn’t see the man who had formed the club – but I saw a man who, after all he had achieved, was willing to sit by the side and let others shine. He took pride in seeing and encouraging the success of others. And he was courageous enough not to rush in when things that were not working out too well. He understood enough to let stumbles happen – knowing that growth was not a straight line. He truly believed that a positive attitude and positive feedback went a long way in bringing out the best in people and institutions.
And given all that he has achieved …… who can argue 🙂” – Kumar Barua