By Elena Fanaberova. (Edited by Glen Long).
This Monday Bloomsbury Speakers hosted its Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contest, with five club members competing in each contest.
Dave Longley acted as contest chair and did a great job of setting the context for competitions from a Toastmasters perspective:
Speech contests are an important part of the Toastmasters educational program. They provide an opportunity for Toastmasters to gain speaking experience, as well as an opportunity for other Toastmasters to learn by observing proficient speakers.
Dave Longley as Contest Chair
Humorous Speech Contest
Glen Long, who had drawn first position when lots were drawn, opened the contest with his speech entitled “Save Our Zoo”, and introduced the world’s first and only “figurative zoo”. As the zoo’s director he talked about several unusual animals including a lame duck, a high horse and the elephant in the room!
Glen Long giving his prepared speech “Save Our Zoo”
Joe Lake spoke next with a speech “Neighbours” in which he talked about an experience while viewing a property – a tall tale involving an encounter with a weird neighbour, a cup of tea and a rather too detachable wig.
Joe Lake giving his prepared speech “Neighbours”
In his contest speech “Getting There” Terry told a story about being almost thwarted in trying to get to his destination by erratic house numbering – but it all ended happily with a beer and a bag of fish and chips.
Terry Freedman giving his prepared speech “Getting There”
Neil Ward, in his speech “Awkward Situations” described one such awkward situation when he was recently in a business meeting and one of the participants told a story how he broke his both arms – because of a kamikaze squirrel! Sadly Neil’s giggling did not impress his business prospects…
Neil Ward giving his prepared speech “Awkward Situations”
Rounding up the prepared speeches, Todd Wade put forward a strong case for reclassifying chihuahuas as “dog rats” to remove the stigma of using them for food and clothing!
Todd Wade giving his prepared speech “Species”.
Table Topics Contest
For the Table Topics contest, each contestant was called to speak on the same topic, with speakers waiting outside the room until it was their turn to speak.
The topics question all speakers had to tackle was:
Some people say that at a very deep level we are all connected to each other, that at a deep level the whole of humanity is related. What do you think?
First speaker Neil suggested that it is true because looking back into the history we can track our kin back to a single place we all come from.
AG giving her table topics speech
AG said there are a number of ways which connect us all, such as genetic links to Africa regardless of where we live and same values, principles about morality, beliefs.
Joe Lake demonstrated the idea in action by describing a three-legged race at school, where only by becoming more in sync with each other could he and his brother eventually win the race.
Todd Wade described how other people’s smiles made him feel connected with the world but questioned the idea that we are all connected, despite the degrees of separation theory.
Glen cited the example of twins separated by long distance yet feeling
the same emotionally and also of blue tits learning to peck the foil at the top of milk bottles at the same time to prove that many species are connected but we have yet to discover the extent of these connections.
Results
When the judges’ ballots had been counted and checked the results were announced.
In the Table Topics contest, Glen was placed first, Todd second and Joe third.
In the Humorous Speech contest, the line-up was exactly the same! Glen first, Todd second and Joe third.
Thanks!
Many thanks to everyone who volunteered their time to help the contest run smoothly – including judges, ushers and vote counters.
Thanks in particular to Dave Longley for pulling it all together as Contest Chair and to Petra Jakubekova of Riverside Communicators for being our Chief Judge!
The Next Round – Area 34 Contest
The Area 34 Table Topics & Humorous Speech Contest is on Wednesday 21 September 2011 at:
10th Floor Meeting Room
55 Broadway
London
SW1H 0BD
This is London Underground’s Head Office located at St James’s Park Tube Station (Circle Line & District Line). Use the Broadway Exit.
Arrive 6:30pm for a 7pm start.
Please note all attendees must email John.Nyaruwa@tube.tfl.gov.uk so that passes may be arranged for them.
