Working with Words
Speech No. 6 in the Toastmasters "Communication and
Leadership"
Manual
Date presented: 13 Feb, 1996
The objectives of this speech were:
- To gain an understanding of the functions and uses of the
spoken word
- To select precisely the right words required
- To communicate your ideas clearly, vividly and
appropriately
- To avoid common mistakes in word use
Time 5 to 7 minutes.
I'm Speechless
I hate to say this, but I feel like quitting Toastmasters. It's not that I
don't enjoy the
meetings - on the contrary, I look forward to them with eager anticipation.
So why this
sudden change of heart?
You'll find the reason on tonight's programme, where it has my name down
for a Hot Spot*
speech.
I'm not blaming anyone! I volunteered to give a speech. I had chosen a
topic months ago
and was looking forward to displaying my command over words. So when I
finally sat down
to set my thoughts on paper, I expected them to simply flow onto the page.
But what happened?
Nothing!
No problem, I thought. I've just chosen the wrong topic. I wrote a snappy
introduction for
an entirely different speech. And then, nothing!
I was becoming just a bit apprehensive, but I forged ahead and tried
another topic. The
blank page told exactly what was in my mind. I felt the goosebumps rise as
the horrible
realisation crept up on me and suddenly grabbed me. This was to be my sixth
speech, but by
some cruel quirk of nature I had been born with only five speeches in me.
What a fool I am! I should have guessed last meeting when I floundered at
Table Topics.
All this time I've been passing as normal among Toastmasters who progress
through their 10
Manual speeches and earn their C.T.M. badge, then they go on to obtain
A.T.M.s and D.T.M.s**
How long would it be before they discover I'm just a 5 Speech
Toastmaster? Oh, the shame
and embarrassment! What is a person like me doing in a Toastmasters Club?
Hold on, I thought, Maybe I could go on bluffing a little longer if I
could squeeze out something - anything - that sounded like a speech.
I grabbed a fresh page. At the top I wrote the title of my speech. I
underlined it. Then I drew a box around it. I decorated the edge with
scallops. I filled in the "O" and the "D".
Underneath I wrote my shopping list.
My tabby cat jumped up and lay across the page. I tied my list to a piece
of string and played with the cat.
The postman offered a reprieve. I took the latest "Reader's Digest" from
the letterbox.
Ah, surely I'd find inspiration there. Each article would have made a great
speech. If only
I had thought of it first. But what can you expect from a 5 speech
toastmaster?
I spent the afternoon reading the Digest.
Next morning I looked at the crossword in the paper. Why hadn't I thought
of that before? Crosswords stimulate the mind and improve the vocabulary.
But this was evidently a trick crossword. The clues were easy enough but it
didn't have the right number of squares for my solutions.
Now I was really worried. Not only had I used up all my speeches, I was
also running out of words.
Frantically I reviewed my 5 speeches. If only I'd known, I could have
spread them over a
longer period. If I'd just used one a year I could have masqueraded as a
Toastmaster for 5
years! And look at the topics I'd chosen. I had squandered my birthright on
frivolous
subjects. I should have made every word count.
It's not fair! Someone should have warned me. There's no mention of such
a possibility
in the "Communication and Leadership" manual.
I reread the manual right through. The basic outline of a speech sounds
quite simple -
for normal Toastmasters.
"Plan your opening" it says. Capture their attention and lead into the
topic. Hmmmm....
I read on.
The body of the speech should have 3 points. But my mind is in such
confusion, I don't
know what the 3 points are!
I'll just have to confess that I'm a 5 speech Toastmaster. I thought I'd
get your
attention by saying I feel like quitting. Then I'd explain that the reason
is because
I've made this awful discovery. Next, I'd tell how I tried to get around it,
and then I'd
tell what I've decided.
I'll conclude by saying if you don't mind having a 5 speech toastmaster
in the club, I
won't quit just yet. At least not until I'm due to give the next speech!
*A Toastmaster in the Hot Spot has to fill in for someone who is unable
to perform
their allotted task that night.
**C.T.M. Competent Toastmaster. A.T.M. Able Toastmaster. D.T.M.
Distinguished Toastmaster.
COMMENTS
This speech is not a good example of working with words. I
had an acute
case of writer's block. This feeble effort was just a better option than no
speech at all.