Saturday, June 17, 2017

Jun 17, 2017 Toastmasters Meeting - The Humorous Speech

Delivered my 5th Advanced Speech Project - The Humorous Speech from the Humorously Speaking manual. Entitled "Facebook Cliffhangers", the speech was evaluated by President Ian Along ACB CL of the CAMANAVA Brunch Toastmasters Club. Venue was at Mary Mother of the Church Parish (MMCP), BF Homes in Las Piñas City.

Shown below are: Duchess Munsayac, Leah Catapia, Richard Balang, Loise Bañez, Russell Santos, Robert Calinao, Ian Along (Pres.CAMANAVA Club), Dolly delos Reyes, Raul dela Vega, Cecil Castañeda, Ching Bognot and Les Aquino.


(photo credits: Duchess Munsayac)

The Humorous Speech-Sample Speech, "Facebook Cliffhangers"

This speech was delivered to the BF Community Toastmasters Club in the June 17, 2017 Toastmasters Meeting.

Facebook Cliffhangers
(The Humorous Speech, Advanced Speech Project #5 in Humorously Speaking Manual, Jun.17,2017, BFComm TMC, MMCP, Las Piñas. Evaluated by Ian Along ACB CL)


INTRODUCTION

(thumbs up) Thank you! (big smile) Good afternoon everyone! Hey, did you guys see the latest release of the Featured Toastmaster in our Facebook page? Have you seen it? (strike pose) Nice photo and just recent! I kept telling TM Leah that she could’ve just taken any of John Lloyd’s photo off the internet. And people won’t know the difference! (pose) But TM Leah wanted no part of it. And I must say, TM Leah did a great job, yes? Let’s give it up for TM Leah for her post on the Featured Toastmaster in our Facebook page!


BODY

Speaking of Facebook, who uses Facebook, by the way? Yes, everyone! Dumb question, I know. All of us have seen many kinds of annoying posts in Facebook. We’ve seen them. One of these types is what I call the Cliffhangers – because they leave you hanging and in suspense. Let me give you an example.

One of my friends, her name is Cathy. She posted something on Facebook which read (flash) “My life is horrible! horrible! horrible!” No picture, nothing. And so we, her friends, were all alarmed!


We were all asking her in Facebook, (typing) “What’s wrong Cat?”, “What happened?” No reply. Finally, after 20 or more inquiries, Cathy posted her reply to our questions on what was wrong with her life. Her reply? (flash) “Se-cret.” ♫ That’s her reply, “Secret!”

I said to myself, (on head) “What the heck!” She posted an alarming message, like there was an emergency and now it’s a secret? Why did she post it in the first place!




See, these are the cliffhangers that you see posted in Facebook every now and then. These posts just leave you hanging on, in suspense. So, intentionally, their messages become 10-bits… in Tagalog, “bitin.” They leave you hanging. They leave you in suspense. That’s a cliffhanger.

And then there are those who level it up. They even have a “call for action.” Consider this. And… this is a true story. My former boss Sarah once posted in her status update, (flash) “I’m at a crossroads in my life right now. Please pray.” That’s the call for action - to pray. So I thought, “Pray for what?” And so I replied in Facebook (typing), “Dear Sarah, I’m worried. What is your prayer intention?” And she replied to me, (flash) “Les, I CANNOT tell you.”

“What?” I was about to pull my hair off! Well, whatever is left of it. She wanted prayers, but won’t tell me what for!


One month later, I see Facebook photos of herself and her family in Switzerland. Apparently, they’ve immigrated there and now living “the good life.” Then I realized that the prayer intention was for the approval for her immigration papers. But before these, she left us hanging and kept people in suspense. Another cliffhanger.




And then there are those who ask suggestions from Facebook friends. (flash) “Help me get a name for my new pet dog.. for my pet cat… pet bird, snake, or kangaroo.” And they even offer a prize (word-of-the-day) for the winning entry. So people (finger) think and (typing) post clever and witty nice names, like Fifi or Browny or Fluffy. Sadly, after a week you won’t hear anything anymore from them. Not even a word about which entry won! Nope, they just kept you in suspense. Cliffhanger.


CONCLUSION

What can be done with these annoying Facebook posts? For the most part, nothing I suppose. Maybe just ignore them. Or how about a big (thumbs-down) dislike button? Oh, there's an angry icon that goes like this (angry face), but that won't really replace the power of a Dislike button. Do you think it will help?


Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook posted a (flash) status about Facebook implementing a Dislike Button. But so far, there’s none. (smile, pause) Who knows, maybe he's just teasing us Facebook users.

Maybe he just left us hanging on.
Maybe he’s just keeping us in suspense.
Or maybe, Mark's post… is another… cliffhanger!

Toastmaster of the Day.




Sample Speeches in Humorously Speaking

Sample Speeches in the Old Program

Sample Speeches in Pathways

Saturday, June 3, 2017

Jun 3, 2017 Toastmasters Meeting - Keep Them Laughing

Delivered my 4th advanced speech project from the Humorously Speaking Manual - Keep Them Laughing. Entitled "Toastmasters Sucks!!!", the speech was evaluated by Area Director Jeffrey Ganaba. This is my first prepared speech with BFComm TMC as a regular member. Venue was at Mary Mother of the Church Parish (MMCP), BF Homes in Las Piñas City.

(Shown below: Duchess, Dolly, Robert, Les, Leah, Russell, Loise, Krissy, Jeffrey, Raul and many guests at the back.)

(photo credits: Duchess Munsayac)


Keep Them Laughing-Sample Speech, "Toastmasters Sucks!"

This speech was delivered at the BF Community Toastmasters Club in the June 3, 2017 Toastmasters Meeting.

Toastmasters Sucks!!!
(Keep Them Laughing, Advanced Speech Project #4 in Humorously Speaking Manual, Jun.3,2017, BFComm TMC, MMCP, Las Piñas. Evaluated by AD Jeffrey Ganaba CC)


INTRODUCTION

Good afternoon Toastmasters. Thank you, Toastmaster of the Day. Just a minor correction though. The title of my speech is not "Toastmasters Sucks." The title is "Toastmasters Sucks!!!" Those were the words I said to myself when I came out from the first Toastmasters meeting I attended many years ago.


BODY

Ten years ago, I was thinner, maybe 30 lbs. lighter. A new Toastmasters club was formed at our office where I was employed previously. All the senior managers in the company were the founding members of that club.

One day, the managers decided to require all engineers and IT staff to join their Toastmasters meeting. I was one of the IT staff. I didn’t want to go. I simply was not interested in public speaking. But we were forced to go, so I attended.


I was an observer in the meeting. When I came out of that meeting, I was totally turned-off. I thought it was a waste of time. Right there and then, I could have said, “My gahd, I hate Toastmasters.”(with Duterte accent) The meeting looked artificial and exaggerated. I’ll tell you TWO reasons why.




First is the constant handshaking.

I discovered that my boss, a grumpy person at the office, was actually an officer of the club. But in the meeting, he was suddenly warm, friendly and welcomed me like I was a long lost friend! He said “Les! Glad you could make it!" He then shook my hand until my entire body trembled.

The other club officers waved their arms to greet me and shook my hand. One of them was even carrying a hammer. Later, for some strange reasons, he banged that hammer on the table - not once, but twice!


Oh it didn’t stop there. There was handshaking every time someone went up to say something in front at the lectern (demo). Finally, more handshaking when everyone had to leave.

It was like they were all running for mayor and were actively campaigning. I don’t know. At that time, it just seemed too artificial for me.

The second one was the constant clapping.

When someone is called, everyone claps. When someone stands to come in front, everyone claps. I thought I was attending a graduation ceremony. At the start, everyone was clapping generously and loudly (demo), with so much gusto. Well, like in graduation ceremony, when the list of graduates is long, the clapping gets tired.




In that meeting, it was the same. I was loudly clapping for all the speakers and then for all the evaluators. By the time the Ah-counter came along to give his ah counter’s report, my palms were already red, tired, and painful from all the clapping.

And all I could give for the Ah-counter was this (demo) – a slow clap. The numerous clapping looked so exaggerated, like it was overacting already.


With these two pet peeves I had, still, I decided to try out, and "answer the call" (theme) of Toastmasters with the basic speeches. It was only later then that I discovered that these two had real purposes in Toastmasters meetings!

The first, the handshaking, is a universal greeting gesture to recognize. In all our meetings, it is an ingenious (word of the day) way to hand over control of the floor from one speaker to another.

Clapping, on the other hand, demonstrated the idea of unconditional support and encouragement that Toastmasters give each other. And this is something that Toastmasters is known for, support and encouragement.


CONCLUSION

So, friends, new members and newbies, don’t be put-off by these seemingly exaggerated motions. They have their place and they are normal and typical with all Toastmasters meetings.

Those past impressions of mine were from 10 years ago... 10 years ago. And… 39 speech projects later… here I am, no longer saying “Toastmasters sucks!”, but now saying, “Toastmasters rocks!”. Good Afternoon. Toastmaster of the Day.




Sample Speeches in Humorously Speaking

Sample Speeches in the Old Program

Sample Speeches in Pathways