Assignment

In
Speech

Submitted By: Louel Mattew D. Lagasca

IV Einstein

I. Speech Samples

a.) Speech of Introduction:

She's been a stalwart member of 'Women in
Leadership' for the last ten years. Over that time she's
served in every office: secretary, treasurer, chairperson,
chief fundraiser, education officer to name a few and in
some roles several times over.
Her passionate dedication to promoting public speaking
as an important component of empowerment is
inspiring. We estimate that she has personally
mentored at least 100 new speakers and has set an
extraordinary 'yes, you can' example for many more.
We see her as capable, confident and fluent - never at a
loss for words. But what you probably don't know is that
this women once stuttered,
stammered and blushed.
Yes, she was temporarily paralyzed, struck dumb by the
mere thought of standing in front of an audience to
speak.
How she got from numb to front line spokesperson is
the story she will share with us tonight. Ladies, I give
you ... Rose Stephenson!

b.) Speech of tribute:

My Mother's name marked her out as the goddess of

the rainbow, a messenger for the ancient Olympian
gods and carrier of faith, hope and wisdom.
She was Iris. And although the given meaning of her
name is rich in imagery and history that wasn't what
swayed her parent's to call her that. Instead it was
something more immediate.
After her birth my grandmother saw iris flowering out
her bedroom window. She was named for the regal
beauty of their dark purple flowers.
Iris, the last of a family of five children, arrived during
the Depression Years. At two years old her father died
and her family were thrust into hard times. Her brothers
and sisters were sent out to work as soon as they were
old enough. There was no government assistance for
widows in those days.
On eve of World War Two she left school to work too.
She was thirteen years old and as she said, knew
nothing about anything. Soon being a shop girl behind
the Woolworth's counter was no longer enough. She
wanted to do things, be someone who knew stuff and
went places. That hunger drove her to night school and
a secretarial course. She even took speech lessons to
learn as she said with a smile, 'to talk proper'
Nothing, not even God, was exempt from her desire to
break free of limitations imposed by circumstance. Her
staunch Catholic upbringing was questioned. The family
fall-out from her decision to abandon it was legendary.
My Great-Grandmother locked her in her room for
several days.

Prayers were said and priests brought to the door.

However threats of hell-fire and eternal damnation were
powerless against her will to know for herself. Finally
her family relented, the door was opened and she was
reluctantly set free.
By the time WW2 ended Iris had emerged as a
competent personal secretary who enjoyed life.
In 1947 she met my father. It was 'love at first sight'
and they married six weeks later.
Let's fast forward eighteen years now.
Iris and Graham had five children. I am the eldest and
the youngest was two when, in a curious repetition of
family history, my father died. This time, in this
generation, there was a widow's benefit and although
meager, my Mother was very grateful.
Events in times of great shock are tattooed into
memories and their images remain despite the wear of
years. From those chaotic early days of struggling to
find a sense of place without my father, to effectively
parent five children on her own, to balance growing
financial demands against a small fixed income and
more, flow a stream of images, each portraying
aspects of Iris I respect and admire.
From my gallery:
The God Books. This what we called them as children.
They were
philosophical discussions on varying world religions and
often baptized in the bath. At the end of the day that
was where she read and invariably she nodded off.

Sodden books, face down, their leaves splayed out to

dry were a common sight.
Flowers. No matter how fraught she was there were
always fresh flowers: a bowl of velvet pansies, roses,
whatever was in season from her garden. They were, to
use her expression, a hyacinth for the soul. She
understood 'Man can not live by bread alone.' and
beauty was essential.
Money Jars. In the high cupboard above the kitchen
bench were a series of labelled jars. 'Food', 'Electricity',
'Phone',</i> and so on. Every time her widow's benefit
was paid out each jar got its alotted portion.
Midnight Nursing. My youngest brother and sister
suffered chronic bronchitis. Many nights I awoke to find
her cradling one, and sometimes both. She'd be
wrapped in her old blue dressing gown, her long brown
hair hanging loose, crooning and gently rocking them
back to sleep.
The Old Ford Cortina Car. It was called Flower Power,
sported a huge
stylized black daisy on its boot, and was her faithful
friend. She drove it everywhere, always, to my brother's
embarrassment, at the same speed, slowly.
Carrot Juice. In this Iris was a trend setter. Long before
the eat-healthy gurus arrived on the scene advocating
'raw this' and 'juiced that' with a side dish of mung
bean sprouts, my mother was buying sacks of carrots
for the daily juice-up.
Every morning six glasses were lined up on the kitchen
bench, one for each of us. Inevitably they'd been done

early and by the time we got to them a top layer of

brown scum had formed. Drinking or not drinking the
stuff was a battle of wills. Mostly she won.
Her Spinning Wheel. The soft clack, clack of its whirr
became a familiar
sound track to our lives. Along with the wheel came
bags of wool straight off the sheep. The end result was
homespun garments for everyone. Later she added
learning to use natural dyes and weaving to her skills.
The dye brews resembled a witch's cauldron. Into them
went onion skins, green walnuts, lichens, flower petals,
anything that might yield up its
color.
When seen through my teenage eyes much of who she
was and what she did was incomprehensible. On a
superficial level she was a Mother doing what Mother's
did, mothering. Beyond that, despite there being
enormous differences between her and other 1960's
mothers, I didn't understand or fully appreciate the gifts
she brought.
The hindsight of passing years and growing maturity
have slowly revealed her real value. I look now and am
humbled. I see the enormity of raising five children on
her own while hounded by the constant fear of 'never
having enough money'. I marvel at the strength of will
and determination that kept her going.
I have her hunger and respect for knowledge to thank
for my education. I remember a small but significant
scene that took place a year or so after my father died.
A couple of well-meaning older family friends were
discussing our financial situation. 'Of course Susan will
leave school and...', one of them began. My Mother cut

her short. 'No. That will never happen. We'll manage.'

We did, and I got an education, as did those following
me.
The freedom to investigate and believe what we wanted
to about the BIG questions she actively encouraged.
The memory of her own struggle for permission and the
right to find her own path was to leave us free. So that
while there always the backdrop of her ongoing inquiry
into religious beliefs, morality and spirituality it was
never foisted on us. Her faith that we would each find
our 'right' path and relationship with what it is to be
human living in the world held us strongly. We were
never in any doubt as to who was ultimately
responsible for the lives we would lead. It was us.
Beauty is free. That's another legacy from her. It's
everywhere if you have eyes to see it: a sun rise, a
child's smile, a flower from the garden, a meal prepared
with love, or a tree in autumn. Appreciation of it doesn't
increase with the amount of money in your wallet.
And that was Iris, our mother, our flesh and blood
version of her overlooked namesake, the goddess of the
rainbow. She was our example of persistence, courage,
service, faith, hope, love of beauty and the ongoing
quest for truth.

c.) Speech of Presentation:

Ladies and gentlemen,
Welcome to YZU Mini-Oscar Award Ceremony. Each year
the club recognizes a member who has good influence

over the club and whose dedication and enthusiasm

has helped the club move forward!
This year we are giving this award to an outstanding
member who during the past has demonstrated himself
a respectable toastmaster within the club, the division
or even the district level. He joined the club 2 years ago
and ever since then, he has seized every opportunity to
develop his communication and leadership skills on
various occasions. From a shaky and timid C1 speaker
to an overall competent toastmaster, this young man
has made a tremendous progress within 2 years and
created many fine styles for members to follow.
For example, while we were struggling in evaluation
skills, he volunteered to serve as Language Evaluator
and showed us how to be an evaluator. He, himself
even set an example and joined the Evaluation Contest
on behalf of YZU club. In fact, he joined every contest
and won many awards and FANs. When he won the 3rd
place of National Evaluation Contest in 2003, he was
only a C3 speaker. Dont ever think he was never afraid
of joining a contest. He WAS, but he was not defeated
by fear. Instead, he accepted every single challenge
and chose to make a breakthrough to surpass himself.
Last year, he took a further step to charter the 1st
advanced club - Legend in Taiwan district. Legend under
his leadership, not only survived the 1st year but
happily moves on its 2nd year. Many advanced
programs Legend offers even serve as great inspiration
to toastmasters across Division E.
He as a member, a contestant and a leader in many
ways plays a leading role to inspire many members to

step forward. As his fellow members, we witness his

growth; we share his success and we follow his
footsteps. The decent style he carries deeply influences
us to strive for better and personal growth.
It is my greatest pleasure to present this special award
to this special member. Ladies and gentlemen, please
join me in honoring this gentleman Josh Yang for
wining the special recognition as The Most Influential
Toastmaster!
Josh, this award is only a token of our appreciation to
you. Thank you for being an excellent member. Please
stay as COOL as you are! Congratulations! You may kiss
your fans now!

d.) Speech to Inform:

Many people today take advantage of the sports and
fitness services of their local YMCA, or Y as theyre
commonly known. However, even those familiar with
the organizations recreational programs may know
little about the Ys history or mission. Originally founded
in London in 1844, the Young Mens Christian
Association has enjoyed many successful years of
operation. Today, active in over 10,000 neighborhoods,
the YMCA continues its commitment to ensuring that
every person, regardless of age, income, or
background, has the opportunity to learn, grow, and
thrive.
The YMCAs focus centers around three areas of
concern. Through their youth development programs,
local YMCAs aim to help children and teens realize their

full potential. Through childcare and early learning

programs, they provide a safe place for children to
learn the skills and values they will need for a bright
future. They also offer swimming lessons, group sports,
and other programs to help develop childrens physical
health and self-confidence. A variety of camps are also
available where children can explore nature, discover
new interests, and build lasting friendships.
The Ys second focus is healthy living. Their annual
Healthy Kids Day is an event meant to encourage
parents and kids to keep their minds and bodies active
during the summer months while school is out. The
fitness facilities, which is the aspect of the Y that most
people are familiar with, and a wide variety of
educational programs and recreational activities also
further the organizations commitment to a healthy
lifestyle for all. Because the YMCA is interested in the
persons overall health, they also offer groups activities
such as cooking classes, Bible study, and foreign
language courses.
The YMCAs third area of focus is on social
responsibility. They are committed to engaging
communities to come together and give back. Yearround food programs provide nutrition for children
during the summer or after school. They also offer
social services, such as employment training and
substance abuse counseling. In addition, they serve as
an advocate for their communities, influencing public
policy on issues such as education and child welfare.
Through the generosity of donors and volunteers, the
YMCA is able to deliver on its promise to all of the
various groups who benefit from its programs. Its
commitment to health, youth development, and social

responsibility spans not only this continent, but also

120 countries around the world. So, the next time you
swim laps in the pool or sweat it out on the treadmill,
think about all of the many services this great
organization offers to its community and to the world.

e.) Commencement Address

Good morning faculty, families and class of Two
Thousand Fifteen. I am honored to be here speaking to
all of you today. I want to begin with a quote from
Winston Churchill from a commencement speech he
gave to his prep school in 1941,
Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never,
never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never
give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense.
Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently
overwhelming might of the enemy (Churchill, 1941)
I know that quote is timeless because here I am
repeating it in two thousand twelve, and why you may
askbecause it is very relevant to my story.
Many years ago when I began this journey I had a friend
or possible a foe (depending on how you look at it), tell
me that I would never be able to accomplish a college
degree. Not as a single mother, working full time, with
four children including a new born to care for.
Although my journey has taken longer than anticipated
I proved that friend wrong, and maybe many others
that were not as candid. I also proved something to

myself with hard work, determination, and grit anything

can be accomplished.
Because life throws so many obstacles and distractions
in our paths on a daily basis, it is essential to have
supportive and knowledgeable people to go to when
needed. The advisers helped guide and encourage me
to finish what I started, and fulfill the dreams I had for
myself.
I cannot begin to properly thank not only my school
family that cheered me on when I passed math class,
my church family who always had kind words to say to
me to help keep me strong when the storm rose up and
made me weary, and my family-family who accepted
the long hours in front of the computer when I had to
complete research, write a paper, or read the endless
text books that helped me get here today.
I want to be a testament to what can be accomplished
when one person believes they can achieve what others
do not think is possible.
Class of two thousand twelve, do not let people tell you
who you are and what you can do, do not let people
decide what you are capable of.
In 2005 during a commencement speech, Steve Jobs
said, figure out what you love and do it, do not settle
(Jobs, 2005). I encourage my fellow class mates to take
that challenge, do what you love and do not settle.
The education that we received during our years at
(insert college name) have prepared each of us to be
diligent, creative, innovative, and successful.

I want to leave you with a quote from former ESPN

sportscaster, Brian Kenny, There is no there. That is
elusive, there with the job, the beach house, the
dream, its not out there. There is here. Its in you
right now (Kenny, 2007)
Dont waste the life that God gave you, we are his
masterpiece, and we can be anything we aspire to be.
Thank you.