When your Vice President of Education asks whether you want to participate in the club contest this August, resist the impulse to turn away. Instead, say “yes.” You’ll thank yourself for doing it! I’ll tell you why you should participate in your club’s Table Topics and Tall Tales contests.
Table Topics is tailor made for busy people. No speech preparation necessary. You are asked a question and you answer it in 1 to 2 minutes. Simple, right? The question is designed to be open ended, so every answer is the correct answer because it is just your opinion. The response needs to be at least one minute in length and no more than 2 minutes 30 seconds. You can speak for a minute or use all your time. Every member in good standing is eligible to participate, whether they have 2 months experience as a Toastmaster or 2 years. By the way, “good standing” means the member has paid his or her dues. So what’s the catch?
When Toastmasters speak, people listen intently. We can say a lot in 1 to 2 minutes. A good speaker can persuade, influence, entertain, enlighten, soothe, rally, charm, explain, and change a listener’s opinion in the space of 1 to 2 minutes. Can you do that? More importantly, can you do that extemporaneously? It takes practice. Challenge yourself this August. Compete!
Tall Tales, on the other hand, is a super fun contest. Have you got a wild and crazy story to tell? Do you have a family legend that gets more embellished every year? Then, the Tall Tales contest is the place to share that story. A Tall Tale is a 3 to 5 minute story that falls into the realm of “you can’t make this stuff up, sort of”. After all, that fish you caught may not have been the length of the boat, but, as you were hauling it in, it sure felt like it! It’s your story to tell and tell it like it felt. This contest also only requires being in good standing.
For Tall Tales, join the contest for the sheer fun of it. Show your creative side, lighthearted side. Telling a good story is worth the effort. The reward is having the audience hanging on your every word and breaking into explosive laughter at the end. Give it a try!
Be a part of your club Table Topics and Tall Tales contests. Say YES!
See you at the District Contest in November!