AssignmentInSpeech

Submitted By: Louel Mattew D. Lagasca IV Einstein

I. Speech Samples

a.) Speech of Introduction:

She's been a stalwart member of 'Women in Leadership' for the last ten years. Over that time she's served in every office: secretary, treasurer, chairperson, chief fundraiser, education officer to name a few and in some roles several times over.

Her passionate dedication to promoting public speaking as an important component of empowerment is inspiring. We estimate that she has personally mentored at least 100 new speakers and has set an extraordinary 'yes, you can' example for many more.

We see her as capable, confident and fluent - never at a loss for words. But what you probably don't know is that this women once stuttered, stammered and blushed.

Yes, she was temporarily paralyzed, struck dumb by the mere thought of standing in front of an audience to speak.

How she got from numb to front line spokesperson is the story she will share with us tonight. Ladies, I give you ... Rose Stephenson!

b.) Speech of tribute:

My Mother's name marked her out as the goddess of the rainbow, a messenger for the ancient Olympian gods and carrier of faith, hope and wisdom.

She was Iris. And although the given meaning of her name is rich in imagery and history that wasn't what swayed her parent's to call her that. Instead it was something more immediate.

After her birth my grandmother saw iris flowering out her bedroom window. She was named for the regal beauty of their dark purple flowers.

Iris, the last of a family of five children, arrived during the Depression Years. At two years old her father died and her family were thrust into hard times. Her brothers and sisters were sent out to work as soon as they were old enough. There was no government assistance for widows in those days.

On eve of World War Two she left school to work too. She was thirteen years old and as she said, knew nothing about anything. Soon being a shop girl behind the Woolworth's counter was no longer enough. She wanted to do things, be someone who knew stuff and went places. That hunger drove her to night school and a secretarial course. She even took speech lessons to learn as she said with a smile, 'to talk proper'

Nothing, not even God, was exempt from her desire to break free of limitations imposed by circumstance. Her staunch Catholic upbringing was questioned. The family fall-out from her decision to abandon it was legendary. My Great-Grandmother locked her in her room for several days. Prayers were said and priests brought to the door. However threats of hell-fire and eternal damnation were powerless against her will to know for herself. Finally her family relented, the door was opened and she was reluctantly set free.

By the time WW2 ended Iris had emerged as a competent personal secretary who enjoyed life.

In 1947 she met my father. It was 'love at first sight' and they married six weeks later.

Let's fast forward eighteen years now.

Iris and Graham had five children. I am the eldest and the youngest was two when, in a curious repetition of family history, my father died. This time, in this generation, there was a widow's benefit and although meager, my Mother was very grateful.

Events in times of great shock are tattooed into memories and their images remain despite the wear of years. From those chaotic early days of struggling to find a sense of place without my father, to effectively parent five children on her own, to balance growing financial demands against a small fixed income and more, flow a stream of images, each portraying aspects of Iris I respect and admire.

From my gallery:

The God Books. This what we called them as children. They were philosophical discussions on varying world religions and often baptized in the bath. At the end of the day that was where she read and invariably she nodded off. Sodden books, face down, their leaves splayed out to dry were a common sight.

Flowers. No matter how fraught she was there were always fresh flowers: a bowl of velvet pansies, roses, whatever was in season from her garden. They were, to use her expression, a hyacinth for the soul. She understood 'Man can not live by bread alone.' and beauty was essential.

Money Jars. In the high cupboard above the kitchen bench were a series of labelled jars. 'Food', 'Electricity', 'Phone', and so on. Every time her widow's benefit was paid out each jar got its alotted portion.

Midnight Nursing. My youngest brother and sister suffered chronic bronchitis. Many nights I awoke to find her cradling one, and sometimes both. She'd be wrapped in her old blue dressing gown, her long brown hair hanging loose, crooning and gently rocking them back to sleep.

The Old Ford Cortina Car. It was called Flower Power, sported a huge stylized black daisy on its boot, and was her faithful friend. She drove it everywhere, always, to my brother's embarrassment, at the same speed, slowly.

Carrot Juice. In this Iris was a trend setter. Long before the eat-healthy gurus arrived on the scene advocating 'raw this' and 'juiced that' with a side dish of mung bean sprouts, my mother was buying sacks of carrots for the daily juice-up.

Every morning six glasses were lined up on the kitchen bench, one for each of us. Inevitably they'd been done early and by the time we got to them a top layer of brown scum had formed. Drinking or not drinking the stuff was a battle of wills. Mostly she won.

Her Spinning Wheel. The soft clack, clack of its whirr became a familiar sound track to our lives. Along with the wheel came bags of wool straight off the sheep. The end result was homespun garments for everyone. Later she added learning to use natural dyes and weaving to her skills. The dye brews resembled a witch's cauldron. Into them went onion skins, green walnuts, lichens, flower petals, anything that might yield up its color.

When seen through my teenage eyes much of who she was and what she did was incomprehensible. On a superficial level she was a Mother doing what Mother's did, mothering. Beyond that, despite there being enormous differences between her and other 1960's mothers, I didn't understand or fully appreciate the gifts she brought.

The hindsight of passing years and growing maturity have slowly revealed her real value. I look now and am humbled. I see the enormity of raising five children on her own while hounded by the constant fear of 'never having enough money'. I marvel at the strength of will and determination that kept her going.

I have her hunger and respect for knowledge to thank for my education. I remember a small but significant scene that took place a year or so after my father died. A couple of well-meaning older family friends were discussing our financial situation. 'Of course Susan will leave school and...', one of them began. My Mother cut her short. 'No. That will never happen. We'll manage.' We did, and I got an education, as did those following me.

The freedom to investigate and believe what we wanted to about the BIG questions she actively encouraged. The memory of her own struggle for permission and the right to find her own path was to leave us free. So that while there always the backdrop of her ongoing inquiry into religious beliefs, morality and spirituality it was never foisted on us. Her faith that we would each find our 'right' path and relationship with what it is to be human living in the world held us strongly. We were never in any doubt as to who was ultimately responsible for the lives we would lead. It was us.

Beauty is free. That's another legacy from her. It's everywhere if you have eyes to see it: a sun rise, a child's smile, a flower from the garden, a meal prepared with love, or a tree in autumn. Appreciation of it doesn't increase with the amount of money in your wallet.

And that was Iris, our mother, our flesh and blood version of her overlooked namesake, the goddess of the rainbow. She was our example of persistence, courage, service, faith, hope, love of beauty and the ongoing quest for truth.

c.) Speech of Presentation:

Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to YZU Mini-Oscar Award Ceremony. Each year the club recognizes a member who has good influence over the club and whose dedication and enthusiasm has helped the club move forward!

This year we are giving this award to an outstanding member who during the past has demonstrated himself a respectable toastmaster within the club, the division or even the district level. He joined the club 2 years ago and ever since then, he has seized every opportunity to develop his communication and leadership skills on various occasions. From a shaky and timid C1 speaker to an overall competent toastmaster, this young man has made a tremendous progress within 2 years and created many fine styles for members to follow.

For example, while we were struggling in evaluation skills, he volunteered to serve as Language Evaluator and showed us how to be an evaluator. He, himself even set an example and joined the Evaluation Contest on behalf of YZU club. In fact, he joined every contest and won many awards and FANs. When he won the 3rd place of National Evaluation Contest in 2003, he was only a C3 speaker. Dont ever think he was never afraid of joining a contest. He WAS, but he was not defeated by fear. Instead, he accepted every single challenge and chose to make a breakthrough to surpass himself.

Last year, he took a further step to charter the 1st advanced club - Legend in Taiwan district. Legend under his leadership, not only survived the 1st year but happily moves on its 2nd year. Many advanced programs Legend offers even serve as great inspiration to toastmasters across Division E.

He as a member, a contestant and a leader in many ways plays a leading role to inspire many members to step forward. As his fellow members, we witness his growth; we share his success and we follow his footsteps. The decent style he carries deeply influences us to strive for better and personal growth.

It is my greatest pleasure to present this special award to this special member. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in honoring this gentleman Josh Yang for wining the special recognition as The Most Influential Toastmaster!

Josh, this award is only a token of our appreciation to you. Thank you for being an excellent member. Please stay as COOL as you are! Congratulations! You may kiss your fans now!

d.) Speech to Inform:

Many people today take advantage of the sports and fitness services of their local YMCA, or Y as theyre commonly known. However, even those familiar with the organizations recreational programs may know little about the Ys history or mission. Originally founded in London in 1844, the Young Mens Christian Association has enjoyed many successful years of operation. Today, active in over 10,000 neighborhoods, the YMCA continues its commitment to ensuring that every person, regardless of age, income, or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. The YMCAs focus centers around three areas of concern. Through their youth development programs, local YMCAs aim to help children and teens realize their full potential. Through childcare and early learning programs, they provide a safe place for children to learn the skills and values they will need for a bright future. They also offer swimming lessons, group sports, and other programs to help develop childrens physical health and self-confidence. A variety of camps are also available where children can explore nature, discover new interests, and build lasting friendships. The Ys second focus is healthy living. Their annual Healthy Kids Day is an event meant to encourage parents and kids to keep their minds and bodies active during the summer months while school is out. The fitness facilities, which is the aspect of the Y that most people are familiar with, and a wide variety of educational programs and recreational activities also further the organizations commitment to a healthy lifestyle for all. Because the YMCA is interested in the persons overall health, they also offer groups activities such as cooking classes, Bible study, and foreign language courses. The YMCAs third area of focus is on social responsibility. They are committed to engaging communities to come together and give back. Year-round food programs provide nutrition for children during the summer or after school. They also offer social services, such as employment training and substance abuse counseling. In addition, they serve as an advocate for their communities, influencing public policy on issues such as education and child welfare. Through the generosity of donors and volunteers, the YMCA is able to deliver on its promise to all of the various groups who benefit from its programs. Its commitment to health, youth development, and social responsibility spans not only this continent, but also 120 countries around the world. So, the next time you swim laps in the pool or sweat it out on the treadmill, think about all of the many services this great organization offers to its community and to the world.

e.) Commencement Address

Good morning faculty, families and class of Two Thousand Fifteen. I am honored to be here speaking to all of you today. I want to begin with a quote from Winston Churchill from a commencement speech he gave to his prep school in 1941,

Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy (Churchill, 1941)

I know that quote is timeless because here I am repeating it in two thousand twelve, and why you may askbecause it is very relevant to my story.

Many years ago when I began this journey I had a friend or possible a foe (depending on how you look at it), tell me that I would never be able to accomplish a college degree. Not as a single mother, working full time, with four children including a new born to care for.

Although my journey has taken longer than anticipated I proved that friend wrong, and maybe many others that were not as candid. I also proved something to myself with hard work, determination, and grit anything can be accomplished.

Because life throws so many obstacles and distractions in our paths on a daily basis, it is essential to have supportive and knowledgeable people to go to when needed. The advisers helped guide and encourage me to finish what I started, and fulfill the dreams I had for myself.

I cannot begin to properly thank not only my school family that cheered me on when I passed math class, my church family who always had kind words to say to me to help keep me strong when the storm rose up and made me weary, and my family-family who accepted the long hours in front of the computer when I had to complete research, write a paper, or read the endless text books that helped me get here today.

I want to be a testament to what can be accomplished when one person believes they can achieve what others do not think is possible.

Class of two thousand twelve, do not let people tell you who you are and what you can do, do not let people decide what you are capable of.

In 2005 during a commencement speech, Steve Jobs said, figure out what you love and do it, do not settle (Jobs, 2005). I encourage my fellow class mates to take that challenge, do what you love and do not settle.

The education that we received during our years at (insert college name) have prepared each of us to be diligent, creative, innovative, and successful.

I want to leave you with a quote from former ESPN sportscaster, Brian Kenny, There is no there. That is elusive, there with the job, the beach house, the dream, its not out there. There is here. Its in youright now (Kenny, 2007)

Dont waste the life that God gave you, we are his masterpiece, and we can be anything we aspire to be.

Thank you.