Congratulations to Our Table Topics Contestants!

Four table topics contestants gave us a very fine Club Table Topics contest on September 20 and showed us how impromptu speaking should be done.
The winners are:
First Place - Marc
Second Place - Audrey

Marc will be going on to the Area J41 contest on Thursday, Oct 4 at the Students Council Chambers, MacEwan Hall, University of Calgary. Time will be in the evening. More details as we receive them. Please plan to attend to cheer on Marc as he represents our club.

Unfortunately, the humorous speech contest was cancelled. If you are a paid-up member of CTI and interested in being our representative competing at the Area contest, please email Darlene. We plan to select our rep by vote at a very short business meeting on September 27.

Come Out to the Speech Contests on Sept 20

You are invited to come and join in the fun on September 20 when CTI Techtalkers will host the club Humorous Speech and Table Topics contest. If you work in the building or just want to visit, come and enjoy some laughs with our club.

Any member of CTI Techtalkers is eligible to enter either one or both contests. If you are interested in entering the contests as a contestant or becoming a judge, ballot counter, timer or Sergeant at Arms, let Marc know. Marc has volunteered to be the Contest Chair.

Humorous Speech
Allst you have to do is write and present a 5 - 7 minute speech that will make the audience smile and perhaps even guffaw. Tell a story that tickles your funny bone and it will tickle someone else's too!

Table Topics.
See the tips in the article below "How to Succeed in a Table Topics Contest". Any member can enter whether you have been in Toastmasters 20 years or 2 meetings.

Officials (judges, ballot counters, timers, sergeant at arms)
Without you a contest cannot happen. You will find that it is a great learning experience. Don't worry if you are not sure what to do, an experienced Toastmaster will brief you on your duties before the contest starts.

Let the contest begin!

Note: First Place winners of both contests will be eligible to move on to the Area J41 contest sometime in the first week of October. Winners of the Area J41 contest will be eligible to move on to the Division Contest in the third week of October. The District 42 contest for all of Alberta and Saskatchewan is in Calgary on November 2- 4, 2007.

How to Succeed in a Table Topics Contest

You go to the front of the room during a table topics session excited and sure that you can dazzle the audience for 1-2 minutes. Then the Table Topics Master reads THE QUESTION- and your mind goes completely blank! Has this ever happened to you? Many of us have experienced that awful moment.

If you plan to enter the table topics contest this month, here are a few tips to make sure that you can present your best - even under the pressure of a contest.

1. Jetstart the brain.

• Read the newspaper or watch the news. Keep abreast of current events and think about the 2 or 3 things you might want to say on the topics that interest you.
• Listen to a child. My best ideas come from listening to my grandchildren and hearing what they have to say about school, parenting, the meaning of life.
• Think about one person that you have read about or met that is a role model (or has changed your life) and why.

2. Think about a reponse that you could make if the following values type questions were asked:

• What does friendship (love, faith, marriage, honour, loyalty etc) mean to you?
• What would you do if ...(you had a million dollars, you could vacation anywhere in the world all expenses paid, you could live anywhere in the world, etc)?
• If you could change anything in the past...(your past, world history, work etc), what would it be and why?
• What advice would you give to...(your 10 year old self, your child, your friend etc)?

3. Organize your thoughts:

• When you listen to the question, listen carefully. Before you speak, take a few seconds to think about your main points. If you don't feel you can answer the question exactly as it is presented, remember that it is OK to acknowledge the question and then segway into what you want to talk about.
• Take a slow breath in from the diaphragm for a count of 4 and let the breath out quietly for a count of 4.
• Look at the audience, smile and start.
• Make a strong opening statement, 2 or 3 main points, a story to illustrate your point, wrap your table topic up with a closing statement that pulls us back to the opening and the question.
• If you are one of those gifted people that can do humour on the spot - this is a huge bonus -- especially if it entertains and/or helps you to make a point.

You may find, as I did, that the exercise of thinking about your interests and values is stimulating and worthwhile in itself. Thinking ahead will help you answer any table topic question - even under pressure.

Can't wait to hear you in your next table topics session!