In October our newest member, Craig Collinge, took possession of his Speakers’ Guide.
The Speakers Guide produced by the Association of Speakers Clubs.
Craig had attended a couple of our meetings as a visitor and decided to join us. The Speakers’ Guide is a manual produced by the Association of Speakers’ Clubs and contains a structured step by step guide to writing and delivering a speech. It covers things such as speech construction, use of humour, use of gestures and much more. We now look forward to hearing Craig’s first speech!
Over the last few weeks members have delivered some interesting ‘Tip of the Week’ slots at our meetings. We’ve been advised to take deep breaths as we sit waiting for our turn to speak – this calms and relaxes so that the speaker is able to walk to the lectern with confidence. Another confidence building technique is to look for the friendly face in the audience. Some members of an audience will sit with a blank expression, others will look positively miserable but there will always be some smiling, friendly faces. As you speak, seek out these people with your eyes and their obvious interest in your words will be encouraging.
Also in October, three members of our committee went on a regional training day in Loughborough. We were able to exchange ideas with other Midlands-based speakers and attended sessions on ‘Communicating Confidently with Impact’ and on ‘Publicising a Speakers’ Club’. The day left us brimming with enthusiasm.
Here at Sutton Coldfield Speakers’ Club, we aim to build confidence. Members receive constructive, supportive feedback to help them progress in their speaking career. We all take a turn at chairing the meeting, speaking and evaluating the speeches of other members. This creates a confidence which not only aids public speaking but also enhances other parts of our lives.
Visitors and prospective new members are always welcome. We meet twice a month on Thursday evenings at Aston Wood Golf Club, Blake Street. For further details please contact Pam Collins on 0121 3556390.