Toastmaster Contests - A Most Wonderful Time

It's getting to be one of my two favorite times of the year as a Toastmaster - FALL CONTEST TIME! The upcoming contests are Humorous Speech and Table Topics.

My first humorous speech championship really changed my game as a speaker. I had written one of my manual speeches about playing the harmonica. People seemed to like it. My Siemens Toastmasters club was having their fall contest, and while I promised to enter, I didn't have time to write the speech I had wanted. The contest chair begged me to enter because otherwise there would not be enough contestants. Well, I won, and that speech took on a life of its own. Soon I made my way through the contests, and I won the championship of TM District 38, which represents about 3,000 members.

A couple of years ago, I entered the Table Topics contest (that is, extemporaneous speaking) to represent the Doylestown (Pa.) Toastmasters, one of the oldest, most historical clubs around. I made my way through the competitions, much to my surprise, because I had a spotty history with Table Topics. When I reached the District 38 championship, the chair for the day was Randy Harvey, past International Champion of Public Speaking. I was taken from the room and returned as the fifth of seven contestants. Randy asked his question:

"If you listen to your heart, it will tell you the truth. What does your heart tell you about the state of the American family?"

Hmm. When you are in this situation, your mind races like a computer processing information and making decisions at unbelievable speed. I knew what I wanted to say, but I didn't know if it would fly with this audience. Then I decided I would say what was in my heart, as Randy had asked. I knew I would rather lose being truthful than win as a phony. Even though it was off the top of my head, the words flowed naturally, and I remember them as though I said them moments ago:

"Mr. Contest Chair, fellow Toastmasters, judges and guests...

I believe that the state of the American family is sound... but not in the form we are used to. You see, as a baby boomer, I grew up with certain models for a family on television. Families with members named Bud... and Beaver... and Princess. Does it sound like your family? No, not mine either."

"But let me tell you about my family. let me tell you about my gay cousin and her partner who went to China to rescue a baby girl who was abandoned by her family. They brought her here to be raised in a secure, stable family. And when they had the opportunity to adopt another little girl of mixed race, they brought her into a loving environment.

"We see around us every day families that are broken apart by divorce, but then are re-formed as new members join them, making the new family stronger than ever."

"So you see, I have more faith than ever in the American family, because it has changed to let all of us be who we really are."

I guess I made the right decision. When I left the stage, Randy whispered "Good job" in my ear. And when my name was called as the champion, I received a standing ovation from the crowd. I will take that as validation for the words I spoke.

I don't compete in the fall contest anymore. I am happy to support others so that they have the same joy that I experienced. I encourage all of you Toastmasters out there to take this opportunity to enter. You will find that you will be exposed to, and learn from, the styles of other speakers you would not ordinarily hear. You will all stretch yourself as a speaker in ways you could not imagine.