Meeting Format
There is a little variation between clubs but here is a description of a typical meeting at the Clarkston Speakers Club
7:15 pm Start to arrive
7:30 pm Club business session
7:40 pm Speeches and evaluations
8:45 pm Refreshment break
9:05 pm Topics session with evaluation
9:40 pm General evaluation
9:55 pm Meeting breaks up
Business Session
This is a short period at the beginning of the meeting where office bearers report on any relevant business. Sometimes issues are raised that require discussion.
Speeches & Evaluations
Speeches can vary in length but are usually between 6 - 8 minutes. Evaluations are given on every speech. These tend to be either 2 or 3 minutes in duration and cover the new skill being demonstrated along with all previous skills covered.
Topics Session
Topics sessions are to develop the skill of being able to marshall your thoughts and translate that into a mini impromptu speech following the rules and structures that apply to normal speeches.
The Topics Chairman will give you a topic heading and ask you to speak on this for 2 minutes.
The General Evaluation
At the end of every meeting the General Evaluator gives a reaction to the quality of the meeting, It is easy to slip into bad habits or allow the club to lose some of its direction and dynamism.
This evaluation usually lasts 12 - 15 minutes and can cover any and every aspect of the proceedings.
Roles
Every member of the club takes on different roles throughout the speaking season. This is excellent training for handling similar roles outside of the club.
- Speaker - Speech
- Speaker - Topic
- Evaluator - Speech
- Evaluator - Topics
- Chairman
- Topics Chairman
- Time keeper
- and others