Each Club or society has its own protocol. If, however, you are an officer of such a club it’s quite likely that on some occasion you may have to give a speech. You might, for instance, be giving an incoming club officer‘s inaugural speech in a fraternal club or speaking as the outgoing President of a professional organisation. It’s possible that you may, as an official, be speaking at the opening of a clubhouse. Whatever the occasion your speech should sell your club or association to all those present.
This may seem unnecessary if they are already members of the club or society. Yet you are giving them a reminder of the work the club or association actually does. You are telling them what has been accomplished and what lies ahead. Your speech should make them proud to belong.
You should express how honoured you are to be speaking on such an occasion. If you are an incoming officer you should give thanks for being elected and say that you are conscious of the trust that is being placed in your abilities. You should outline your own dreams and plans for the future and what you hope to do. As an outgoing officer you should, of course, express your thanks to those who helped you in your work during your term of office. No matter what the occasion is a few gracious words of thanks to all those involved in running the club or association is absolutely essential. Basically such speeches are about what can be or what needs to be accomplished in the future. So your speech should be both positive and practical. Above all they should express your pride in being a member.

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There are thousands of clubs and societies, many of whom have hundreds of branches. Every year they appoint new officers when old officers resign. That means there are thousands of speeches given in clubs and meeting places all over the country. What a pity that so many of them are badly written and so ordinary. An incoming Officer of a charitable organisation should, of course, thank the outgoing one. He or she should mention the wonderful work done before talking of the challenges ahead. He or she should speak of how good it feels to be appointed President and say what it means to him/her personally to fill that role. Sometimes there is a special project that he/she should mention. A club might, for instance, be building a new clubhouse. an association could be opening a new branch. The speech has to be of particular interest to those present.
An outgoing President of a professional organisation has to draw a line under what has been accomplished during his or her term of office. The new officer may, of course, continue the work he/she has been doing but he may want to strike out in a different direction entirely. So the outgoing President must hand over graciously. His or her speech has to be topical in that it allows for changes, for instance, in tax laws. It should refer to what is happening in the particular organisation at that time.
Whether it’s a football club, a public speaking group or a charitable organisation each has its own interests, challenges and plans. A good speech will encompass all three.

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The idea of Twitter employees having a set time to express their thoughts on the company explains in some way why Twitter has become so popular. After all it’s all about communications and the staff can say what they like about Twitter and tweets. The fact that they do so each in his or her own individual ways must give even more ideas to the bosses who listen in on this Friday afternoon event. So if they come up with another innovative way of getting our thoughts across we’ll know where they got the idea.
We all know the best ideas are simple and what could be simpler than letting people express their feelings to anyone who wants to hear them? The fact that what you can say is limited should be an idea copied by every chairperson of every meeting all over the world. Think of the hours it would save if everyone had to get their point across in 140 characters. Reports, comments or suggestions would have to be snappy and to the point.
There’s only one thing certain about twitter and tweets and that is that it is a very human activity. It has the world talking and the fact that some of the tweets are stupid only reflects on the way we are and what we say to each other anyway. Whether it will be a commercial success is still in doubt. Whatever about that it has touched a chord with us and made us want to answer that question “What are you doing?”. Well obviously we’re tweeting or maybe twittering of course!

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Despite Christmas it seems we haven’t forgotten our pagan roots. When the dark nights close in we try to banish them with flickering candles and festive gatherings. Winter is the time when, whatever the reason, annual dinners are held and people get together to enjoy good food and good cheer.
It isn’t always for selfish reasons. There are benevolent association dinners where workers gather to raise funds for a colleague who has hit on hard times. There are fundraisers for a children’s charity or for sufferers from an illness such as cancer or heart disease. Perhaps the organisers know that in winter we have more time to think of others and suffering seems more poignant in the dark and dreary months.
On the other hand of course there are family re-unions when families travel long distances just to meet each other and to celebrate the festive season. A Christmas wedding is special simply because besides the frills and flounces we have the sparkle and staff motivational speeches perhaps because they have a captive audience. After all most of us aren’t out playing tennis or fishing in the long dark nights of winter. Clubs and societies therefore, choose to have their parties in December or January.
So if you are invited to a dinner or a gathering make the effort, dress up and go. Our ancestors were right. Fun and laughter and good company are the best possible ways to banish the dark devils of those long cold nights.

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Christmas cards convey season’s greetings to those who receive them. What, though, should you say if you are actually addressing people at a seasonal gathering? You might, for instance, be a guest at an annual dinner/party of another company. Obviously your speech should be gracious in tone thanking your hosts for their kind invitation and speaking of the connection between your companies over the years. You may have to as a club or association’s Christmas speech. You will naturally speak of shared experiences of club members over the year and, naturally, wish your members all the compliments of the season. . A retirement association annual dinner is often held at the festive season and you may be asked to address those one time members of your staff. You should speak of their invaluable contribution to the company and stress the positive side of retirement. All such speeches should be light-hearted and jovial in tone as befits the holiday spirit and end with an appropriate toast. Unless you are a riveting speaker make it short. Those attending the function are, after all, enjoying a social occasion and don’t want to listen to long speeches. A card can say it in a few lines. You should be able to say it in a few moments.

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Join NOW! It’s a sign we often see on in newspapers and notice boards at this time of the year. Whether we join soccer or a bridge club it’s certain that that association will have a committee.
You may be one of that rare species who actually want to be a committee member. You might have a burning desire to do something about the club or association and the way it is run. If so you might need club/association committee election campaign candidates’ speeches.
Most of us prefer not to have to do the work involved in running a club. If, however, we find ourselves as the President or Chair we may  find that we have to give occasional speeches.
Maybe we would have to give a womans’/ladies club incoming/inaugural address by the President. We might have to speak at a fundraising function. It could happen that we would have to give a vote of thanks to an outgoing President/Chair of a social/charitable club/association. We might simply have to give a speech at the club/association’s Christmas party.
Whatever the speech it should reflect on the ethos of the association and be gracious in tone. You are, after all, representing the members and they will expect that you speak with conviction, passion and, most importantly of all, according to club protocol.

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Even on vacation you cannot avoid the American Presidential election. Every newspaper, television and radio programme has a programme or an interview about it. It seems most people have an opinion on the candidates although there will always be the “Don’t knows”. The stakes in that election are very high, of course, but there are others where it is prestige rather than power that is at stake. Such is the case where candidates vie for election in a Club or association committee election campaign. This might be for the Presidency of a charitable organization such as the Lions club or for the chairman of a business association.
The American presidential election is, of course, the big one but there are also elections for Mayor in countries all over the world. While his or her influence might not be so far-reaching he or she can make a huge difference locally.
We often forget that electioneering starts at school level with student election to college council campaigns. The stakes may not be as high but the rhetoric and the
heckling are just as exciting and the campaign doesn’t cost millions!

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