Chapter 16, spring 2016

1. 16
Special Occasion
& Group Speaking

2. Speeches of Special Occasions
 Speeches of introduction
 Acceptance speeches
 After-dinner speeches
 Eulogies and Tributes
 and Speeches of nomination
 Public testimony
 Roasts and toasts
 Mediated speaking

3. Speeches of Introduction
 A short speech that introduces someone
to an audience
• Prepare the audience
• Be accurate and up to date
• Connect with the audience

4. Acceptance Speeches
 Speech given by an individual who is being
recognized, honored, or given an award
• Be thankful and humble
• Be succinct
• Contextualize the award

5. After-Dinner Speeches
 Usually serve as a featured part of an
organized event
• Be entertaining and lighthearted
• Focus on a theme
• Avoid presentation media

6. Eulogies
Eulogies – speech of tribute presented as
a retrospective about an individual who has
died
• Emphasize emotion appropriately
• Provide inspiration
Eulogies – speech of tribute presented as a
retrospective about an individual who has
died
• Emphasize emotion appropriately
• Provide inspiration

7. Tribute Speech
A tribute speech gives credit, respect,
admiration, gratitude and inspiration to
someone who is famous and in his/her
lifetime exemplifies an extraordinary
character and service to humanity.

8. Definition of Famous
For this assignment, famous is defined as a
person who is widely known and is
honored for his/her achievements for the
greater good of humanity.

10. What Is Character?
What Abraham Lincoln Said About Character…
“Our character ismuch morethan just our reputation, what we
try to display for othersto see. It iswho weareeven when no
oneiswatching. Having aGo o d Character meansdoing theright
thing just becauseit isright to do what isright.”

11. The Character of A Person
 Character is defined as personal qualities,
especially the qualities of being brave and
determined when doing something difficult when
serving humanity
 Tribute speeches should offer the audience the
opportunity to reflect and appreciate the person
based on his good character.
 The speech should also stimulate and
strengthen the audience.

12. Famous Person
 When selecting a person to honor, please consider
the following:
 The character of the person
 Personal stories help to build on his/her
character/achievements
 His/her achievements and contributions to humanity

13. Writing Format
 The goal is not to give away major details that the public
would know about the famous person until the
concluding paragraph.
 In writing this speech, it is similar to your informative
speech in that you have an introduction with the
following:

14. Introduction
 Greeting
 Attention Getter(s) (entertain, sing, poetry, quotes,
questions, story)
 Your Name
 Thesis/Main point of why you are honoring him/her
I am here to share the deep respect and admiration
I have for a man who showed exceptional courage
throughout his life.
Special Note: You will not introduce the name of the honoree until
the concluding paragraph

15. Take A Look: Introduction
A great man once said that, “There is no better than adversity. Every
defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own
lesson on how to improve your performance next time.” These are easy
words to say, but it takes a lot of faith and courage to live them. Who
here was afraid to get up here and speak? I know I was, but we all did.
That takes courage. Courage is not just something for heroes and
great people. Courage is anytime when we know full well that
something will be hard, that it will be difficult, and still find the strength
to undertake it. Courage is when we do not shirk from adversity but
stand firm against it, and this is very much the case for the man I’m
here to honor today. Hello, my name is Cyle Thomas, and I am here
to share the deep respect and admiration I have for a man who
showed exceptional courage throughout his life.

16. Body of the Tribute Speech
 In the body of the speech, the main point
is to show illustrations of the man’s
courageous character.
 Stories within the speech build upon his
courageous character (write about stories
that are not common for your audience
members to know)

17. First Paragraph In the Body
The first example of the honoree’s courage was his
desire to seek change not only in the world, but also
in himself. This is because to see our own faults
requires courage to face them as well as courage to
undertake the task of changing them. When the honoree
was a young man, he was arrested and jailed. He
entered the prison system both illiterate and without
purpose. But he would not remain that way; he would in
that same prison find the courage to change. He would
go on to teach himself to read, and find a purpose that
would determine the course of his life.

18. You will creatively introduce your honoree in the concluding
paragraph with a toast and the following:
Toast leading into the introduction of the honoree
 “Catchy” phrases for your concluding paragraph
Here‘s to you..(name of honoree)
I salute you…………………..
To my greatest inspiration ………
I honor you……………………..
I celebrate you………………
Here’s a toast to you………
After you introduce the first and last name of your honoree, share with your
audience members additional details about him/her that are common to the
listener
Restate the main point/thesis

19. Conclusion
That is why I would like to ask everyone to bow
their heads and give a moment of silence for the
courageous character of El-Hajj Malik El-
Shabazz, also known as Malcolm X. In a time
when others were asking for change, Malcolm X
demanded that change, in his words, “By any
means necessary.” He help to create the black
power movement and in doing so, again in his
own words, “Inspired many white people to listen
to Dr. King, by seeing what the alternative was.”

20. Conclusion
He was a fire in a time when everyone was
running around in the dark. Meaning that you
might not like him, but he made you see where you
stood. And though you may not like him, you must
admit that in him was a courage any of us would
be lucky to even have fraction of. I know I would, I
mean I get nervous standing up here speaking and
I haven’t even called one person a devil. That
courage he showed has inspired me and countless
others to not fear our own right to speak, and I
hope that it can do the same for you. Thank you
all.

21. Speeches of Nomination
 Speech that demonstrates why a
particular individual would be successful at
something if given the chance

22. Public Testimony
 Factual information and opinions about
policy issues presented to government
bodies or public institutions
• Narrow your comments down to the basics
• Contribute something original and useful to
the discussion
• Organize your thoughts into key words and
phrases you want your audience to remember

23. Roasts and Toasts
 Roast – humorous and good-natured
ridicule directed toward the guest of honor
at an event
 Toast – brief remarks celebrating the
accomplishments of a guest of honor at an
event

24. Mediated Speaking
 Learn as much as possible about the
structure and format of the event
 Dress appropriately
 Write a brief presentation outline
 Limit your physical movement
 Be assertive, confident, and to the point
 Speak clearly, with good volume
 Avoid jargon and acronyms
 Focus on the audience, no the camera

25. Presenting in Small Groups
 Oral report
 Panel discussion
 Round table discussion
 Symposium
 Forum
 Videoconferencing
 Preparation and practice

26. Evaluating Small Group Presentations
 Preparation as a group
 Coordinated presentations
 Effective listening
 Clear references to the group
 Goal achievement

27. Relevant Websites
 Special Occasion Speeches: How To
 Tips in Preparing Group Presentations