Wolverhampton Speakers Club
Achieve Speaking Confidence
Contests
Site last published: 11/04/08
Speaking Contests
As part of our public speaking we can enter competitions, from our own club competitions right up to national competitions. They are not obligatory, but are a really good experience. Here are some of the details - just click the headings ...
Blarney Stone 2008
This year's
competition is to be held on Monday 24th November
at 7.30 p.m. and the subjects are "War", "Want" and
"Wastage".
The competition will be held at the Bell Hotel, Market Street, Stourbridge (corner of Bell Street and Market Street). Click HERE for a map.
The competition will be held at the Bell Hotel, Market Street, Stourbridge (corner of Bell Street and Market Street). Click HERE for a map.
Our Club Contests
At Wolverhampton we
hold our own contests in April and May, and all
members take part. We have three contests ...
The President's Cup is for members in their first year of public speaking, while the Programmer's Cup is for those in subsequent years. However, once a speaker has won the Programmers Cup they automatically join the select few who compete for the Wright Rose Bowl. This system gives everyone a good chance of winning at their own level. In 2008 these contests will be held on 14th and 28th April.
We also have the Bill Murray Cup which is awarded by the club members to the speaker who they consider has achieved most during the year.
Latest - This year's President's Cup was won by Nigel Fletcher:
,
while the Programmers Cup was won by Lorraine Spelman:
and the Wright Rose Bowl was won by Roger Cusworth:
The President's Cup is for members in their first year of public speaking, while the Programmer's Cup is for those in subsequent years. However, once a speaker has won the Programmers Cup they automatically join the select few who compete for the Wright Rose Bowl. This system gives everyone a good chance of winning at their own level. In 2008 these contests will be held on 14th and 28th April.
We also have the Bill Murray Cup which is awarded by the club members to the speaker who they consider has achieved most during the year.
Latest - This year's President's Cup was won by Nigel Fletcher:
,
while the Programmers Cup was won by Lorraine Spelman:
and the Wright Rose Bowl was won by Roger Cusworth:
The Blarney Stone
The Blarney Stone is a friendly,
but hard-fought, speaking contest involving
Wolverhampton Speakers Club and the other two clubs
in the West Midlands Area - Stourbridge Speakers
Club and Sutton Coldfield Speakers Club.
The Blarney Stone, a mounted lump of rock, is itself a treasured trophy.
Each club fields a team of four - a Chairman and three speakers. The Chairman runs the team's presentation and provides links between the speakers, each of which gives a prepared speech lasting from 6 to 8 minutes on one of three pre-announced 'words' - all clubs have the same three words. Words to be spoken to in the past have included "Hatch, Match and Dispatch", "Land, Sea and Air" and in 2007 "Bronze, Silver and Gold".
The winning team keeps the trophy for one year, and the current holders are Stourbridge SC.
The Blarney Stone, a mounted lump of rock, is itself a treasured trophy.
Each club fields a team of four - a Chairman and three speakers. The Chairman runs the team's presentation and provides links between the speakers, each of which gives a prepared speech lasting from 6 to 8 minutes on one of three pre-announced 'words' - all clubs have the same three words. Words to be spoken to in the past have included "Hatch, Match and Dispatch", "Land, Sea and Air" and in 2007 "Bronze, Silver and Gold".
The winning team keeps the trophy for one year, and the current holders are Stourbridge SC.
Local and National Contests
As part of the ASC's
speaking year a National Speaking Contest is held.
The finals are held at the ASC National Conference,
usually held in April, and there are contests for
Speech, Topics and Evaluation.
To reach the finals Speakers must win the competitions in their own District - ours is the Midlands District. In 2007 Brian Micklethwaite from Wolverhampton SC became District Speech Champion and took part in the National Final.
In order to get as far as District Speakers have to win their own Area contest - ours is the West Midlands Area, with out friends at Sutton Coldfield and Stourbridge Speakers Clubs.
To reach the finals Speakers must win the competitions in their own District - ours is the Midlands District. In 2007 Brian Micklethwaite from Wolverhampton SC became District Speech Champion and took part in the National Final.
In order to get as far as District Speakers have to win their own Area contest - ours is the West Midlands Area, with out friends at Sutton Coldfield and Stourbridge Speakers Clubs.
Judging
The other side of
contests is that they have to be judged. Senior
members of the club will often judge ASC speaking
contests - maybe at club, Area or District level.
These are always enjoyable events because we see
others speaking.
Also highlights of our judging are if we are asked to judged speaking contests for young people, notable the Rotary 'Youth Speaks' contest. Two members of our club regularly judge these contents and recently judged the Midland Regional finals. We always find these to be inspirational events.
Also highlights of our judging are if we are asked to judged speaking contests for young people, notable the Rotary 'Youth Speaks' contest. Two members of our club regularly judge these contents and recently judged the Midland Regional finals. We always find these to be inspirational events.