“Hark the herald angels sing” is a carol we are hearing lately. After all it’s nearly Christmas. What, though, are angels or what do we think they are? It’s a comforting thought to think that each one of us has a guardian angel whose job it is to keep us from harm. Some, though, might believe that guardian angel is just the name for our own conscience which should also keep us from harm or at least from doing harm to anyone else. Angel stores are springing up all over the place which seems to indicate some sort of spiritual need in us, despite the materialistic world we inhabit. No matter what our religion is, or even if we have none, angels are a fascinating topic of conversation. Whether we believe they have wings or not their history is worth studying. If nothing else you will have an absorbing conversation piece at your next dinner party.

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Employers do it. Bosses do it. So too do C.E.O’s and managers. Whatever their titles they often give retirement speeches and usually have them off pat. For someone who is retiring, though, it is often the first and only time they will give such a speech. Often they will feel a little emotional and won’t know what to say or how to say it. The first thing that they should remember is to be positive. They are starting out on a new adventure, because that is what retirement is these days. Naturally they should say how happy they have been in their work. Naturally too they should mention their colleagues in glowing terms. They might mention certain people who have been particularly nice or helpful to them. More importantly, though, they should speak of their future plans and how delighted they are that they will have the time to do all the things they have dreamt of doing. If family members are present they may speak of how much they look forward to spending more time with them. If applicable they should also thank their colleagues for their parting gift and mention that they will remember them slaving away while they are enjoying days of ease and pleasure.

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Family re-unions can be fraught or fun. Most fall in between the two extremes with perhaps a few tense moments and lots of laughter. It’s good for families to get together. We live in a fast moving world where people move from place to place. So it can be difficult to keep track and keep in touch. Of course we do make a point of travelling for important occasions such as weddings or funerals. Whatever the reason we gather someone should really say a few words of welcome and talk about what family means. After all when all is said and done those present come from the same gene pool and it is interesting to see what they have done in their lives as opposed to your own lifestyle decisions. It’s especially good for youngsters to meet their cousins and to get to know them. So whatever the reason you are gathered take time to say a few words that will make the rest of the family stop and think about family life and what you all mean to each other.

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Children’s Day is the day when we show the importance of children in our lives. Whether we call it Universal Children’s Day or simply Children’s Day it means the same thing. It doesn’t matter either when we celebrate it as long as we do. Children’s Day is a day when we give thanks for our own children and what they mean to us. It’s a day when we remember that not all children live in good homes. It’s a time to make the point that it is up to us to do something to stop child labour and all the horrors of child abuse. Whatever their size, gender, colour or creed children are all unique and wonderful. They are our future and whether we live in Canada, the States or in India or Africa they deserve the best we can give them. So on Children’s Day get the message across that those children are our future. Let’s cherish them.

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The power of a good speech is often underestimated. After all a speaker can cajole, persuade, or move an audience. It can coax them to a certain way of thinking. A speaker can brighten up lives with a funny story. He can be responsible for raising funds for a needy cause. He can persuade people that doing something can be wrong or that they should be doing something else. A speech can, quite literally, change lives. That does not mean that the average speech given at a wedding or a birthday party will change the world but it can certainly give happy memories. A speech should put thoughts into words and perhaps those words will ensure action. They can be used to congratulate graduates or to commiserate with those who have been bereaved. They can motivate staff and inspire students. So whatever the occasion or whoever you are addressing always remember the power of speech.

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It’s 9/11 now but the ceremonies will go on all weekend. If you want to speak you want your speech to be slightly different. You will, like everyone else, have to speak of the horrors of that dreadful day. You will speak of ongoing grief and bravery of the uniformed forces. You will mention the courage of those who suffer daily and the way people have managed to get on with their lives. Your speech, though, should also question values and a way of life that made other people from another culture do such a terrible thing. You will ask what could have been done to prevent the terror or what should be done to prevent it happening ever again. You will have to ask the hard question “Are we ourselves at fault?” It’s a question nobody seems to want to answer but it has to be asked and answered.

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September 10th is world suicide prevention day. There will meetings and seminars attended by those who have been bereaved by the suicide of a loved one. They will express their feelings of grief. They will be speaking of the hurt of not knowing why their loved one committed suicide. They will speak of their frustration at not having been able to prevent it happening. The specialists who will speak at such seminars will speak of depression as being a primary cause. It’s up to us all to accept depression as being as common as the measles or mumps. It’s up to us all to accept it publicly as an illness that can be treated rather than something that has to be hidden. If we suspect anyone of being depressed we should try to help them by listening to their problems and by referring them to their doctors. It’s time we all realised that suicide can happen to any family at any time. We all need to be alert to the signs and to act on them.

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Responsibility is a word that carries a lot of weight. In Military circles it becomes change of responsibility and there is a ceremony that goes with the responsibility. A sword is passed from the outgoing to the incoming NCO as a symbol of that change. Mothers take responsibility for their children’s’ safety of course and teachers do too. Generally speaking, though, only military personnel have the care of a group of soldiers under their command. It is an onerous task when you consider that they may be deployed in a war zone. The troop is, of course, only as good as the NCO in charge and the army has its own ways of selecting the best. The speeches given at such a ceremony reflect the views of the outgoing officer on the camaraderie and discipline of the troop he is leaving. The incoming officer will look forward to achieving equally good results. So each will speak of the responsibility involved and the best method of dealing with it.

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A thesaurus is probably the biggest help to any speechwriter. It can help you, you see, to avoid using the same words repeatedly. Anyone who has listened to someone who does that knows how boring and frustrating it is to listen to it. So by changing your words you can make your speech more interesting and descriptive. If you are describing a man as being the epitome of good manners you can also say he is the embodiment of such manners. In books characters often say something but they can also exclaim or announce the same thing. Instead of just scolding someone you can berate, blame or bring them to book. There is just one problem with using that thesaurus. Unless you are very disciplined you will find that you are browsing, that is, dipping into, examining cursorily or flipping through it. In other words you will forget what you were looking for in the first place. It will be like those old newspapers you start reading when you are clearing out the attic. Both they and the thesaurus will enthral, fascinate and mesmerize you.

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We don’t think much about electricians until our lights fail. Plumbers don’t spring to mind until our toilets block or our house is flooded. In fact we don’t really think of trades people other than as useful members of society. We don’t think of them as graduates. Certainly we don’t imagine them wearing caps and gowns. Yet their work is critical to our society and they study hard to master their trades. It is fitting, therefore, that they too should be congratulated when they finish their apprenticeships and complete their studies. Journeymen of old were highly regarded and the same should apply today. So whether you are a tutor or an employer or a guest speaker when they are celebrating the fact that they have qualified congratulate them and assure them of their importance in life. Speak of the opportunities and challenges ahead. Speak of having pride in their occupation and in the satisfaction of work well done. Speak of changing times and changing demands in their trades. Above all tell them that without them society just wouldn’t function.

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