Speeches, Evaluations and Chairmanship Skills

The How of Public Speaking

When you walk into a speakers club meeting you will recieve a warm welcome from the people who want you to succeed. We provide a safe supportive and friendly environment among friends in an environment conducive to mastering the art of public speaking.  

Our ASC structured program covers all aspects of speaking and presentation skills, including

Another key to learning lies in watching others as they seek to progress absorbing their feedback and you will be suprised how much you can learn

You will concentrate on three areas: Prepared Speeches, Impromptu Speeches and Chairmanship Skills, all underpinned by the ASC foundation stone of caring and constructive Evaluations. More details below….

Elevate your speaking abilities to new levels.
Receive support and constructive feedback as you progress from F1 (Getting Started) to A5 (The Showpiece) and further into advanced tasks.
The ASC works alongside various partners to deliver the best possible learning and development experience for its members. The CPD Certification Service English Speaking Union Scotland Victoria College of Music, London Scottish Poetry Library Rhetoric Game World Speech Day Rotary Great Britain and Ireland RNIB Young Enterprise

Continuing Professional Development
Our ASC Certificates are internationally recognised we have CPD  Accreditation
ASC certificates have been recognised and approved by the Victoria College of Music, London, which is an international awarding body in music, drama and communication.
Showcase your progress in public speaking, communication, and presentation skills to your Company

Enhance your video speaking skills!
Impress your colleagues in your next video meeting with improved eye contact and expressive gestures, perfected in our supportive club sessions. Whilst statying in your own home 

Prepared Speeches

Preparing a speech is like cooking a gourmet meal; it takes a pinch of passion, a dash of drama, and a spoonful of sincerity to taste just right. A good speech is seasoned with clear, concise language and garnished with a strong opening and a memorable closing.

Don't forget to sprinkle in some humour or personal anecdotes – they're the secret sauce that keeps the audience craving more. And just like in the kitchen, practice makes perfect; rehearse your speech to ensure it's cooked to perfection, leaving your audience satisfied but still hungry for your next words. Bon appétit, or rather, happy speaking!

At a club meeting nearly everything is evaluated to give feedback to all.
Your prepared speeches at the start  will be one of the ASC F1 to A5 assignments from “Making a Start” through aspects such as “Speech Construction” and “Use of Voice” to the A5 – “The Showpiece” 

Following on from these are various Advanced assignments: speaking without notes, use of visual aids etc., all designed to perfect and enhance your presentation skills. 

Impromptu Speeches (Topics)

Ah, the impromptu speech, the verbal equivalent of a surprise party for someone who doesn't like surprises. It's like being thrown into a pool to learn how to swim, or in this case, being pushed onto a stage to learn public speaking.
But fear not, with a dash of confidence and a pinch of structure, you can whip up a speech that'll make the audience think you had it prepared all along.
Just remember, if you ever find yourself in the hot seat, keep it short, sweet, and to the point—like a tweet, but one that doesn't start a flame war!

We practise impromptu speeches in the second half of a standard club evening, and we call it “Topics”. And, of course, so that we all get the most from Topics, both delivering a Topic and chairing the Topics session are also evaluated! 

Evaluations

Speech evaluations at your local speaker club are like the secret sauce to becoming a public speaking maestro!
They're not just about pointing out the 'umms' and 'ahhs', but more like a treasure map guiding speakers to the X marks the spot of eloquence. Imagine a friendly pirate crew, where instead of 'Arr matey', it's 'Aha, matey, here's how you can hook your audience better!'
It's all about constructive feedback sandwiches – praise on top, improvement in the middle, and ending with a cheer.
So, grab your metaphorical parrot and eye-patch, and get ready to sail the high seas of oratory excellence! 

The evening ends with a General Evaluation (GE) delivered by one of the more experienced members. They listen carefully, make notes and finally assess the whole evening, focussing in particular on the Chair and the evaluators. The GE also has the final say about the decision of the prepared speech evaluators – should the speaker try that task again or are they ready to move on to the next one? 

Keeping the meeting on track 


Chairmanship 

In a speakers club, chairmanship involves effectively guiding the meeting, especially when managing multiple speakers and impromptu sessions. Our speeches are entertaining and varied, ensuring everyone present has a chance to speak during each meeting. This is where the Chair comes in, keeping everyone involved, engaged, and enjoying the evening.

Key skills include active listening to engage with the speakers and audience, clear communication to introduce speakers and facilitate discussions, and adaptability to handle the unpredictable nature of impromptu speaking.
It's also important to maintain impartiality, ensuring each speaker receives equal attention and opportunity to contribute. Leadership is crucial in steering the session towards its objectives while fostering a supportive environment for all participants.

Above all we are a 

friendly club

We have a little formality when its called for and it is useful to learn the rules about public speaking but above all we think people should 

enjoy the evenings.

Members come from all sorts of backgrounds.  Some are experienced speakers, others are absolute beginners.  What we do know is that whoever you are you will be able to learn something and more importantly help others gain confidence and become more proficient as well.

How much you participate is entirely up to you. There is scope for every ambition.

Struggle to speak up? Confidence limiting you? Struggle to find new clients? Forget Everything You Have Been Led To Believe About Public Speaking. And Forget What Everyone Else Has Told You.

A typical evening

There is no such thing as a typical evening.  They vary so much depending on the chairman and the needs for members to practice different aspects of public speaking.  However when you come you will find that we often follow this sort of format.

Presidents remarks

Presidents warm up

Chairman's introduction

Two speeches of 5 to 8 minutes

Evaluation of the speeches

Topics session

(practice in impromptu speaking)

Evaluation of topics

General evaluation

Club business

President's close

We do other things too:

"From where I started to where I got to by the end of the season were just two different places!  " – Simon Kemp  

If you have a strong desire to overcome 

stage fright, be able to deliver high-impact winning sales presentations to impress your boss or want your boss's job then come and join us and learn the skills required  

Our speech subjects included:

Topics included:


So far  we have heard about:

Kids for Kids - Goats helping people out of poverty in Africa

Ynysenlii - an island paradise off the coast of Wales

A personal account of the first year of Speakers Club

Business Club Presentation

Job Application presentation

Pensions Talks 

Investment Talks

Talks on Key events from the past

Talks on Prominent figures Living and dead  

Topics have included:

A version of Just a Minute - great fun

Selling yourself - with a twist

Jobs that people do with their hands