Halifax and Huddersfield Speakers Club
Frequently Asked QuestionsHere we let you into the secrets of what happens at an average ASC meeting. Although no meeting can ever be considered average! We always learn something, whether it's the contents of a persons speech or how to run the evening that bit better next time. Most speakers learn how to improve themselves by being evaluated by other club members who give useful pointers to improve. Who can speak?Positively anyone! All of us are nervous about speaking in front of others, even those with lots of practice still get a case of butterflies, so don't be afraid to get up and get to it. The best way to swim is to jump in the water. It's the same with public speaking - the more you do it, the better you become and the more confident you feel. Why should I speak? What are the benefits?The main benefits from speaking are:
When / Why would speaking be useful?These are just some of the occasions when you can use your speaking skills...
What happens at an normal club meeting?The club president opens the meeting. If unable to attend, the Vice-President or a past president opens the meeting instead. The President welcomes members and visitors and chairs the business session, including apologies for absence from club members. Then the President will officially hand over to the Chairman for the evening. The chairman will run the evening, introduce each speaker in turn and be responsible for the timing for the entire meeting. Most meetings are 2 hours long - the Halifax and Huddersfield club usually have set (prepared) speeches at the beginning. After an interval of 15 minutes this is followed by impromptu speaking, known as a TOPICS session. The Topics Chairman invites each speaker to speak for 2-3 minutes, without prior notice, on a subject he has selected for them and talk about that subject for 2/3 minutes. This ensures that everyone has the opportunity to practice speaking. The Topics Evaluator will give an evaluation for each speech. When / Where do we meet?Please Contact Us for details of where we meet. Feel free to simply turn up and watch what happens. What are the roles / responsibilities of each member at meetings?Chairman: To liase with the speakers in advance and make sure he/she knows what each speaker is doing, checking if any special arrangements are required. The Chairman will introduce each person to the lectern and lead the applause. Speaker: To deliver a speech of their choosing, which will either be to entertain, persuade or inform. Evaluator: To give praise and constructive advice to the speaker based on the amount of experience they have and the performance of the speech. Topics Chairman: To produce a challenging list of subjects, prepared specially for each speaker. Each subject is given with no notice and the speech is usually between 2/3 mins. Topics Evaluator: To evaluate the performance (see Evaluator role) of the Topics Chairman and each Topics speaker. General Evaluator: To evaluate the performance of the President, Chairman, Topics Chairman and the evaluators during the meeting. It is the General Evaluators job to give an overview of the evening in terms of has it been enjoyable, and educational by virtue of the quality of the speeches and the evaluations. What are the roles / responsibilities of members through the year?Each of the following positions is elected at the annual general meeting of the club. A vote is taken for each position and must be backed up by at least one seconder. President: The President represents the club whenever that is required at Area, District and National level. He/she is responsible for the club's affairs being conducted in conformity with the aims and objectives of the ASC. Vice-President: Deputises for the club President when necessary and may take on other duties as required by the club. Education Director: Produces the club programme for each meeting and assigns people to their various roles. The Education Director also arranges educational talks, contests, debates and all other activities to produce interesting and stimulating programmes. Treasurer: Administers the club bank account, collects subscriptions, makes payments, and produces the annual balance sheet. Secretary: Is the main channel of communication between the club and all other sections of the ASC and is responsible for the safekeeping of the clubs records. Publicity Officer: In charge of promoting the club to the local area via posters, press releases, web pages and any other effective methods. |