Potential meeting theme?

I listened to Barack Obama's inaugural address at lunch time last week and had an idea for your next Toastmasters meeting ...

What if you could "recreate" the inaugural address with each member presenting a portion of the text? Members could evaluate each other (and the content of the speech) afterwards.

If you do it, be sure to get the word out to the local newspapers and get some publicity for Toastmasters. It would be bit of a challenge, but then again, we are Toastmasters!

Here is a site with the full text ...

http://www.businesspundit.com/obamas-inaugural-address-full-text/

What do you think? Does it sound like it could be fun?

If you do end up using this idea at your club... be sure to submit it at the D53 Meeting Themes wiki (pictures would be great too!).

Dave Wheeler

D53 LGM, 2008-9
Be The Change You Want T0 See!

Quote from http://www.barackobama.com/...

" I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington ... I'm asking you to believe in yours." - Barack Obama

Inspire like Obama?

Can we learn something about public speaking from Barack Obama? Carmine Gallo, pictured to the right, thinks so and he has written an interesting article for BusinessWeek.com.

He outlines 4 techniques...

1) Hold out hope

2) Use Rhetorical devices such as ...
a) Parallel structure
b) Alliteration
c) Rich Imagery

3) Exude Confident Body Language

4) Use Dynamic Vocal Delivery such as...
[hmm.... sounds alot like "vocal variety"]
a) Pacing
b) Volume
c) Pauses

While some of the suggestions sound similar to Toastmasters programs... Carmine also has insights that can take your speaking to a new level!

It is not too early to start planning your contest speech for the Fall '08 contests !

Carmine Gallo, a business communications coach and Emmy-Award winning former TV journalist, is the author of Fire Them Up! and 10 Simple Secrets of the World's Greatest Business Communicators.

Public Speaking techniques... in politics

Putting aside your political preferences, it is clear that the 2008 candidates for president are flexing their public speaking muscles....

Here Barack Obama uses repetition to inspire...




Here Hillary Clinton uses emotion to relate to her audience...



Any comments or other good public speaking examples of politicians that Toastmasters can learn from?

Click on the comments link below to tell us what you think or what you have learned from watching political speeches!