What is Table Topics? A typical Toastmaster club meeting can be broken into two sections. The prepared speech where a member goes through a series of planned speeches. Then there is the Table Topics section. In the Table Topics section, each club member, and guests, volunteer and give a 1-2…
Category: Toastmasters
I joined Toastmasters to improve my public speaking. And my impromptu speaking skills. These posts are a collection of my speeches, and the Table Topics I used. I also include my experiences as a member.
My first exposure to the club was back in the 1980s. I had been working my first job for about two years and an office-mate of mine wanted me to join her and attend a meeting.. I did not know what the club was about, but “Toastmasters” sounded very classy. So I went with her.
We got to the meeting place, and we entered a room with mostly middle-aged people. It was not the crowd I wanted to be in. I was in my 20s. But they were very cordial. They explained what Toastmasters was about, and what I can expect. I sat through the entire meeting. I declined to join the “Table Topics” section. This is where every attendees, including guests, can take part in an impromptu speech. I was tempted to do so, and sometimes I still regret not having raised my hand. And I never went back after that meeting, I was just not ready to commit.
Fast forward a few years and I again wonder about missed opportunities. And my thoughts went back to Toastmasters. I found Town Center Talkers Toastmasters. And this time, I will stay and complete all 10 speeches. Who knows, I might even do more?
What’s Next?
I’ve received my CC certificate, now what? Well, I just attended a club meeting. The first in two months. It has been a busy two months with attending to visitors, going to Doctor’s appointments. Then there are the times you just feel lazy to attend. At the beginning of the…
Competent Communicator Certificate
I finally became eligible for the Competent Communicator certificate. It took over 3 years, but it is done. I filed for the certificate, received it and promptly kept it in a file. No need to hang it out for display but I am attaching a copy of the certificate here. One…
Speech 10: Break Free
A man was walking down the street when he passed by some elephants feeding. As he was walking he saw something that made him stop. He saw that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was…
Speech 9: Feed the World Part II
In Speech 8, I showed you one possible solution to feeding a world growing out of control. Consider becoming vegetarians. And it is possible that in the near future, most people will make the switch from eating meat to eating plants. There are many advantage to this: It is good…
Speech 8: Feed the World
Accompanying Slide (Slide 1) Tonight, I will talk about what everyone can do to (Slide 2) help feed the world! In 1974, (Slide 3) the world’s population reached 5 billion. And world hunger as a problem back then. In 1999, (Slide 4) the world population reached 6 billion. And world…
Speech 7: The World’s Most Commonly Spoken Language
This speech is about the most spoken language in the world. (I did not include this in the actual speech I presented) In 1998, I was working the night shift with two other co-workers. As anybody might tell you, the night shift can be a time where employees can find…
Speech 6: Is Society Ready for Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence! Those two words appended to anything are enough to fill you with fear. Imagine the home of the future. You may have AI-powered refrigerators, ovens, or even showers and toilets. All these devices listen in, and send, information up into the cloud somewhere. What happens to your privacy?…
Speech 5. A Story About Cats
My speech today is about Cats. No, not the award-winning Broadway musical. I’m talking about real, domesticated, cats. The 4 legged animal people either love or hate. Our first feline pet was a little black and white kitten. We decided to train this kitten to do tricks. We would say words…
The Hardest Part in Preparing A Speech
What is the hardest part of preparing a speech? Is it the research? The Practice? Whenever I am preparing a speech, I am reminded of an episode of “How I Met Your Mother”. In this episode, Marshall Ericksen had received a call and had received an offer to become a Judge….