“Trick or treat?� is the age old request of children at Halloween. Dressed up as witches they knock hopefully on hall doors hoping that you will put some goodies in their bags for them. Then they run home to play the traditional Halloween games such as Snap apple or to roast chestnuts on the fire.
Halloween then is a night for broomsticks and cats and tales of the supernatural. Most of us would firmly deny that there were such things as ghosts. If we were asked “Is there a ghost in the house?� we would laugh and say “Of course not�    Yet there is still a great interest in the whole topic of ghosts.  There are still people who believe in them. There are still experts who study the whole subject. Poltergeists, spirits or headless horsemen whatever their shape or make there are still those who think that they exist.
No self respecting castle would be without its haunted room or its story about a maiden who is seen walking and wailing for a lost lover. Priests are still called to exorcise demons. People claim to hear clanking noises in the middle of the night. Few of us would be brave enough to stay alone all night in a lonely tower that is reputed to be haunted. Every nation has its own stories of ghosts and goblins and things that go bump in the night.
Perhaps it is as well to have an open mind because as Shakespeare says
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy�.

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Illiteracy is not just a personal problem. A parent who cannot read or write cannot help his or her child to do homework. He or she cannot discuss a document with colleagues.
Such people cannot read diversion signs on the road and are thus more liable to have accidents. Every day in a million ways we read instructions or signs or newspapers. Every day we write notes, letters or send texts. All these ordinary pursuits are out of reach of someone who is illiterate.
Worse than that though is the damage that is done to their own personal esteem. They spend their lifetime covering up and some of them do it quite cleverly. They conveniently forget their glasses or have an eye infection and have to ask someone else to read what it says on the packet of pills. They worry constantly about the time when they won’t have any excuse and others will find out the shameful truth.
Life is a challenge.  Illiteracy is only one such challenge and a lot depends on our attitude towards it. Will we meet it head on and overcome it or will we slink away from it and wish it would disappear? That surely won’t happen.  We have to play our part. We have to focus on the important things in life. Surely reading and writing rank very highly on that particular list?
There is plenty of help out therefore those who have literacy problems… There are classes where pupils will be treated in the utmost confidence. So take a night class and find out how much richer the world is for those who overcome literacy problems. Won’t it be great to be able to read the certificate saying you had passed your English test?

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Have you ever thought about friendship and what it means in our lives? Children usually come home from their first day at school to tell their mother they have made new friend. They play with these  friends, fall out with them too and then make it up again.
For many of us our friendships go back to those long ago schooldays.
Later in life we make friends in sports clubs, at university or at work. Maybe we become friends with our neighbours. Isn’t it nice to pay tribute to those friendships at the important times in our friends’lives?  Maybe it’s your best female friend’s birthday for instance.  So why not give a little speech about what she means to you and wish her well? It could be that you are asked to be best man at your friend’s wedding. Wouldn’t it be a pleasure to toast the happy couple? If you lose a friend isn’t it good to be able to share your memories in a eulogy to a friend.
Good friends are listeners when you need them. . They are happy to share in your good news. They give you sympathy and understanding when times are bad and encouragement when you are discouraged. No matter how far away he or she may live a good friend is always at the other end of the phone.
You should work at your friendships because they are precious things. They are about giving as well as taking. A good friend is appreciative. Such a friend lifts you up when you are blue and will talk halfway through the night with you. They make your world a better place. Friends – make them and keep them.

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The news of an impending baby is greeted in many different ways. For some poor people there is consternation as they worry about another mouth to feed. For others there is delight the prospect of a son to inherit the family farm. Yet more worry about the baby’s health especially if there is an inherited genetic problem in the family. For most people though there is a mixture of delight, excitement and a little apprehension thrown in for good measure.
Whatever about planned parenthood there is plenty of work to be done when you know the baby is on the way. Will the mother continue working? What colour will you paint the nursery and what sort of buggy or car restraint will you buy?  Then there is the whole question of what will the baby be named?
Christians baptise their children of course and often a parent or a Godparent will give a Christening or baptismal speech… Jews on the other hand will have a Brit Milah ceremony at which the baby will be named.  Others don’t bother with any ceremony and simply call the child after its father or its grandmother or even a famous film or sporting star. Some of the names given will be so odd or embarrassing that, once the children have grown, they will change it by deed poll.
Whether you have a baby shower or not a baby is usually welcomed for what they are.
When you look at their tiny hands, their wide eyed gaze and feel their soft, soft skin you know every baby born is simply another miracle.

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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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The Irish have a saying that a good beginning is half the work. That certainly applies to conferences.  Whether it’s a business conference or a church conference the way you begin sets the tone for the whole event.
So you need a good welcoming speech. That speech should make your audience or congregation feel as though they are special. It should encourage them to feel that they are participants rather than mere listeners. It should make them feel that this conference is for and about them, their business or their beliefs.
Your speech should be warm in tone. It should lay out the procedures for the conference. It should make people feel involved.  When they listen to you they should feel that they will benefit from the event in some particular way.
It’s hard to convey all this in a short speech, but it can be done. Think of what you would like to hear said to you in that hall or that church. You’d want to feel wanted and needed wouldn’t you? You’d want to feel appreciated for your effort in coming.  In the business conference you’d need to feel that you were getting value for your money. In the church conference you’d want to feel that somehow this conference would make you a better person or would enrich your faith..
Starting a conference is one thing. Ending one is another. Your ending of a business conference speech should sum up the event clearly and concisely. It should make people go home feeling satisfied that they have achieved something, learnt something new or done something worthwhile. Above all, it should make them want to come back to the next conference.

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Isn’t it strange how countries differ when celebrating? The Irish drown the shamrock on St. Patrick ’s Day. The Chinese New Year is celebrated with lots of fireworks while in Jersey they have the battle of flowers.
Some things are the same though whatever the country and whatever their reason for celebrating. One of those things is atmosphere. There is an air of expectancy and excitement. Flags and bunting flutter in the breeze and everyone is in good spirits and enjoying the occasion. Another thing they have in common is parades. Whether it is
the excitement of the Mardi gras or the Marksman’s parade in Hanover in Germany, people march past, often dressed in colourful clothing or aboard wonderfully decorated floats.
Military parades often take place on patriotic occasions. The sound of marching feet or the drone of aeroplanes as they do a fly past capturing the attention of a sometimes silent crowd. They are not as colourful as the others but they can be awe inspiring and they evoke a feeling of patriotism and pride.
Children love festivals and parades and it is traditional to see fathers hoist their offspring on their shoulders for a better view. A parade wouldn’t be a parade if young boys did not climb up every statue along the route to ensure that they saw everything. Bands play and crowds cheer and clap. So whether you are celebrating Workers Day or Independence Day enjoy it and be part of that crowd.

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Tradition has it that the father of the groom is an honoured guest at a wedding.
He has no responsibilities except to be pleasant and enjoy himself. So while the father of the bride may wax lyrical about his daughter he is not expected to speak about his son. Most of them, though, like to say a few words about the boy who has now become a man.
If he is speaking the father of the groom’s speech should be short and simple and come from the heart. Basically all he has to do is to welcome the bride and her family into his.
Other than that though he may feel like telling a few tales about his son’s wayward youth and how much he has improved since his new bride has taken him in hand. He will, of course, mention her beauty and what a lovely person she is. He might like to mention how good it is to see so many family members and friends on such a special day. He will leave it to the father of the bride or the best man to toast the happy pair but he should take the opportunity to end his speech with a relevant blessing or good luck wish. The father of the groom deserves his say. After all, without him there would be no groom!

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The recent hurricanes have wrecked homes, devastated people and cost billions in damage. They have also thrown into relief the work of volunteers.
Volunteers do not, of course, deal only with the major catastrophes. They oil the society in which we live. Volunteering is the lifeblood of football teams, residents’ associations and societies for the elderly. They fundraise for hospitals at home and for schools in the third world. Volunteers bring hope and help and even after their death many donate their organs.
No country could exist without its volunteers. They are quite literally, the backbone of our society. They fill in the gaps left by State bodies and local authorities. Without them the lonely would be lonelier, the hungry hungrier.
It’s been said that such volunteers are the conscience of the middle class and sometimes there is a little truth in this because the middle class do not actually suffer hunger or homelessness themselves. So they volunteer out of a desire to help those less fortunate. However there are millions of volunteers around the world who are poor themselves but who want to help their own neighbours, their own community.  Whoever they are or whatever work they do volunteers are a priceless asset.

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Being a best man may be a privilege but it can also be nerve-wracking. After all sharing in the groom’s bachelor adventures does not qualify you as an M.C.
The best man is, you see, the M.C. at most weddings. Besides remembering the ring and ensuring the groom is on time he also has to see the big day runs smoothly. Added to that he is expected to give a warm and witty speech that is also sincere.
So he needs to do his homework. He needs a best man’s plan that helps him ensure that there are no hitches to mar the big day. He has to arrange transport, ensure the guests are all happy and make sure the couple make their honeymoon getaway safely. Naturally too he will look after the bridesmaids and respond to the groom’s toast to them. Above all his speech should reflect well on the groom, compliment the bride and make all the guests feel an essential part of the big occasion.
The secret then, if you want to be a superb best man, is to adapt the scouting motto of “Be prepared� and ensure that the day goes according to plan.

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