COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAM SPEECHES

  1. Icebreaker - 4 to 6 minutes - getting over nervousness by introducing yourself to the club.
  2. Be In Earnest - 5 to 7 minutes - continue to get over nervousness by speaking about something you believe deeply in.
  3. Organize Your Speech - 5 to 7 minutes - work on giving a well-organized speech.
  4. Show What You Mean - 5 to 7 minutes - not a "Show and Tell" speech, this project calls on you to work with gestures and body language during your speech. Unfortunately, many members somehow confuse the issue and show up with a bag full of props that they use in a "Show and Tell" style speech. Don't do that.
  5. Vocal Variety - 5 to 7 minutes - work on rate of delivery, volume, speed, pitch, emphasis, etc.

  6. Work with Words - 5 to 7 minutes - work on proper word choice, avoiding jargon and generalizations, etc.
  7. Apply Your Skills - 5 to 7 minutes - go back and practice everything you've learned up to this point.

  8. Be Persuasive - 6 to 8 minutes - give a persuasive speech on a controversial issue.

  9. Speak With Knowledge - 7 minutes, plus or minus 30 seconds - research an issue, write a speech, and then *read* that speech to the audience (as opposed to using notecards or notes or whatever you used for the previous eight speeches)...and have it well-rehearsed, so it doesn't run long or end too soon.

  10. Inspire Your Audience - 8 to 10 minutes - The final speech in the manual calls on you to move and inspire your audience in a well-presented and well-prepared speech.

As you can see, all 10 projects above are wide-open for you to choose whatever topic you like. Even if you pick a controversial subject, most Toastmasters audiences will evaluate you on how well you presented your subject, not on whether they agreed with you or not.