Speech Derby

Teens contest:

Duration allowed	4 to 6 minutes
Eligibility	Below 18 years of age

The speakers in this contest are less than 18 years of age and will be presenting a speech similar to Project 1: The Ice Breaker, in the Competent Communication Manual, whose objective is to begin speaking before an audience and to discover speaking skills you already have. For details about rules see General Rules and Procedures.
Click here to signup for Speaker, judge, ballot counter, timer or Sergeant at Arms or click here to contact the contest chair

    
Young adults contest:

Duration allowed	4 to 6 minutes
Eligibility	Post-Secondary student

This contest is open to college students who are not
yet Toastmasters and will be presenting a speech similar to Project 1: The Ice Breaker, in the Competent Communication Manual, whose objective is to begin speaking before an audience and to discover speaking skills you already have. For details about rules see General Rules and Procedures.
Click here to signup for Speaker, judge, ballot counter, timer or Sergeant at Arms or click here to contact the contest chair

    
Tall Tales with vocal variety contest:

Duration allowed	3 to 5 minutes
Eligibility	Below 18 years of age

Contestants are required to tell a story of highly exaggerated and improbable nature and have a theme and a plot while using vocal variety smoothly and naturally. It is advisable to study the objectives of Project 6: Vocal Variety, in the Competent Communication manual. Props may be employed. For details about rules see General Rules and Procedures.
Click here to signup for Speaker, judge, ballot counter, timer or Sergeant at Arms or click here to contact the contest chair

    
Body language contest

Duration allowed	5 to 7 minutes
Eligibility	Open to All

The contestants shall effectively, smoothly and naturally use stance, movement, gestures, facial expression and eye contact to express his or her message. It is advisable to study project 5: Body Language in the competent Communication Manual. For details about rules see General Rules and Procedures.

Click here to signup
for Speaker, judge, ballot counter, timer or Sergeant at Arms or click here to contact the contest chair

    
Humorous speech contest

Duration allowed	5 to 7 minutes
Eligibility	Open to All

The contestant shall aim to entertain the audience and effectively use body language and voice to enhance the story. The speech must be thematic in nature. For details about rules see General Rules and Procedures.
Click here to sign up , for speaker, judge, ballot counter, timer or Sergeant at Arms or click here to contact the contest chair

    
Table topics contest:

Duration allowed	1 to 2 minutes
Eligibility	Open to all

All contestants shall receive the same topic, availed by the contest chair during the contest. The topic shall be of a general nature, of reasonable length, shall not require a detailed knowledge, and shall lead to an opinion or conclusion. Contestants will receive no advance knowledge of the topic until the moment they are introduced by the contest chair. When the contest begins, all contestants except the first shall leave the room. This contest is open to all Toastmasters and the contestant selection shall be random from the audience. For details about rules see General Rules and Procedures.
Click here to signup, for speaker, judge, ballot counter, timer or Sergeant at Arms or click here to contact the contest chair

Best of Toastmasters 2015 Programme

SPEECH DERBY PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
TIME	EVENT	ACTIVITY/ NARRATION
8:30	Registration opens	Registration
9:30	Call Speech Fair to Order	Call meeting to order kick start session
9:35	Welcome address by CEO	Expectation for the day
9:44	House keeping	Housekeeping
9:50	Transition to Contest	Recognise International TM Clubs present
9:55	Teens Speakers Contest	Highlighted Speech
11:26	Contest Transition	About Toastmasters (Vision, History, Clubs)
11:30	Young Adults Speakers Contest	Highlighted Speech
13:01	Lunch break	Break
14:00	Tall Tale with Vocal Variety Contest	Highlighted Speech
15:31	Contest Transition	TM Tip Session on Leadership & CL Manual
15:40	Body Language Contest	Highlighted Speech
17:11	Contest Transition	Ah Counter Special Event
17:15	Humorous Speech Contest	Highlighted Speech
18:16	Break	Break for Dinner Preparation
DINNER PROGRAMME
19:00	Registration
19:15	Table Topics Contest 30 minutes
19:45	Dinner served
20:05	Award ceremony for day time contests and any other annual awards
20:20	Keynote speaker speech
20:35	Chairman 2015 Speech Fair & Dinner
20:40	CEO Vote of Thanks
20:45	Dance

Table Topics Contest 2015

15^th of April 2015 will forever remain in infamy! Not because it chose to fall just after a long Easter weekend. No. Absolutely not. That motivated me to strictly implement my doctor’s instructions to reduce on consumption of animal products and therefore chapo-dunga na madondo has been my nourishment of choice.

My beef is with a speech contest turned nightmare. What do you do when an adult African male, a.k.a +Joseph Kimondo starts a conversation about money on such a date? I don’t know about you but as for me I stopped thinking and drifted to dreaming about what I could do with sh35bn. Though not quite familiar what a billion is, it did momentarily occur to me that it can buy me a gun to shoot such mockers in the mouth.

But I did well. All the Toastmasters I have consulted insist that had the question and the Judges guide/ballot been relevant to my presentation, I would have won.

Why I’m a Member

This is an excerpt from the Toastmaster of November 2014. It resonates with my reasons for being found in many Toastmasters meetings and in diverse clubs.

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I have been a member for about 27 years. Friends ask what it is about Toastmasters that I like so much. After many years of
asking that same question to myself, here is my response.

I like Toastmasters most of all because of the high-calibre people it attracts. Members come from so many different walks of life. There are CEOs, nurses, accountants, janitors, pastors, business owners, clerical workers, teachers and retirees. But they all have one major unifying characteristic: They want to improve who they are and how they communicate with others. In a world filled with whiners and complainers, Toastmasters work to improve their roles in life, whatever they may be, and they make no excuses. They are willing to face their fears and move forward. That, I believe, is the infectious spirit that has attracted so many people from all over the world, and that is why Toastmasters are my kind of people!

Jack C. Mercica, DTM
Power Speakers
Covina, California

Infamous Handshakes

A handshake is a simple gesture with a load of interpretations. Some people may have firm and confident grips while others have soft and gentle grips. A proper handshake should be firm and last from 3 to 6 seconds. The hands should be vertically side by side with thumbs locked around each other. One should reciprocate the same amount of pressure he receives from the other person. Be aware though that a handshake is a western culture. There are many communities where hand shaking is not allowed.

The hand hug is where you envelope the other persons hand with both your hands. Done to someone you share a close bond with it may be perceived as warm, but may be seen as an assumption of intimacy when done to someone not so close.

The Vice: It squashes the palm and fingers of the other party and makes him or her dread the moment he or she will have to shake your hand (goodbye) again. You may appear to be lacking control and good judgment.

Queens Fingertips: You stretch out your hand from a distance allowing the other person to barely grasp two or three of your fingers. You risk being labeled snobbish if your handshakes turns out this way.

The embedded video demonstrates other handshakes to avoid.