Education Director Resources
Welcome to the Education Director Resources hub — a space designed to support and guide you in your role leading learning and development within your club. As an Education Director, you’re at the heart of fostering member growth through engaging activities, structured resources, and collaboration. This page brings together helpful tools, guidance, and inspiration to help you organise impactful sessions, make full use of The Speakers Guide, and celebrate the achievements of your club members.
Team Speaking Contest
Most club activities focus on individual performance, but the Team Speaking Contest brings a fresh and collaborative twist to speaking practice. This exercise encourages a group of three members to come together and create a multi-part presentation, each delivering a short speech based on one word from a shared three-word phrase — for example, “Red Letter Day.”
The individual speeches should stand alone while also linking clearly with the others to illustrate the chosen phrase as a whole. This not only promotes teamwork, but also challenges speakers to blend their distinct styles into a unified, meaningful performance.
Team Speaking Contests have been successfully run across the Association and provide a fantastic way to build camaraderie, boost creativity, and add variety to club sessions.
👉 For guidance on how to get started, check out our Top Ten Tips on Team Speaking to help your team prepare and shine on the day.
Ranconteur Contest
If you’re looking to shake up your usual club meeting format, a Raconteur Contest offers a relaxed and highly enjoyable alternative — with the added bonus of bringing clubs and communities together.
Invite members (ideally around six) to share a story of their choice — fact or fiction, funny or heartfelt, personal or whimsical. There are no lights, no timings, and minimal rules: just authentic storytelling. As always, ASC guidelines apply, so stories should steer clear of political, religious, or sexual content.
You can invite other clubs to take part and encourage members to bring along family and friends to boost the audience. Make the event special: set the scene, offer refreshments, and create a welcoming atmosphere. A club member can host the evening, introducing each speaker and keeping things flowing.
To wrap up, you might choose to hold a group evaluation or run it as a contest with audience voting — complete with a small prize for the best raconteur.
👉 Here are some general tips to help your club organize a successful Raconteur Contest:
Plan Ahead: Select a date and invite members to participate as storytellers, giving them ample time to prepare their narratives.
Set the Atmosphere: Arrange the venue to create a comfortable and inviting environment, perhaps with appropriate lighting and seating arrangements to encourage engagement.
Diverse Stories: Encourage storytellers to choose a variety of themes—be it humorous, poignant, or thought-provoking—to cater to a broad audience.
Audience Involvement: Consider incorporating an audience voting system to select the most compelling storyteller, adding an interactive element to the event.
Feedback Session: Allocate time for constructive feedback, allowing storytellers to gain insights and improve their skills.
Debating
Debating offers a dynamic and enriching experience that differs from most other ASC activities. Though it may feel daunting at first, participants quickly gain confidence as they develop the vital skills of quick thinking, active listening, and structured speaking. Debating enhances all areas of public speaking—requiring speakers to research their arguments, craft persuasive cases, and respond effectively to opposing views in the moment. While it’s best to steer clear of religious or political motions, choosing relevant and thought-provoking topics helps generate lively, engaging debates. A well-organised debate allows for broad participation, from main speakers to floor contributions, and even chairing the session—often with a bit more intensity than a typical meeting! Ultimately, debating is not only exhilarating and educational, but also unites club members in the true spirit of shared learning and mutual respect.
Hints & Tips for Organising a Debate
Choose an Engaging Motion
Pick a topic that’s thought-provoking but not divisive—aim for something current, quirky, or relatable that will spark discussion without controversy.Assign Roles in Advance
Identify your main speakers (Proposition and Opposition), a chairperson to guide the debate, and perhaps a timekeeper. Give speakers time to prepare their structured arguments.Encourage Floor Participation
Let all members know they’re welcome to contribute during the floor debate section—this boosts engagement and gives newer members a chance to speak.Offer Guidance on Format
Provide a basic structure for speeches (e.g. introduction, main points, rebuttal, conclusion). This helps everyone feel more confident and stay on track.Practice Impromptu Skills
Remind participants that quick thinking and active listening are key—consider a warm-up exercise beforehand to get everyone in the right mindset.Set a Respectful Tone
Emphasise respectful disagreement and encourage handshakes or applause at the end—this keeps the debate constructive and enjoyable.Debrief Afterwards
Consider a short evaluation or discussion after the debate to reflect on what worked well and what could be improved. This helps reinforce learning.Make It a Club Highlight
Promote the debate in advance and make it a special event—invite visitors, maybe even involve another club, and consider offering a small prize or certificate.
Storytelling
Storytelling for Education Directors
Storytelling plays an essential role in enhancing the speaking experience for members at all levels. As an Education Director, you are in a unique position to introduce and guide your members through the power of storytelling, which promotes connection, empathy, and understanding. Storytelling is not just about relaying an event—it’s about creating an immersive experience that helps your members grow in their speaking and communication skills. By encouraging your members to engage in storytelling, you’ll help them:
Develop effective presentation skills in a less formal, yet impactful way
Provide a more relaxed starting point for new members to begin speaking publicly
Build transferable communication skills that benefit both professional and personal life
Offer informal opportunities for group feedback, encouraging peer learning
Challenge experienced members with a new form of public speaking that requires creativity and engagement
How to Prepare for Storytelling
As an Education Director, your role is to support members in crafting and delivering engaging stories. Here’s how you can help them:
Choose an Appropriate Story – Encourage members to select a story that resonates with them. It could be a personal experience, a fictional tale, or a significant event. Remind them to avoid any content that could be offensive or uncomfortable for the audience.
Set the Context – Teach members to introduce their story effectively. Help them understand the importance of providing background information, setting the scene, and introducing characters. This helps the audience connect to the story right from the beginning.
Avoid Tangents – Guide members to stay focused on the main narrative. While it’s easy to get caught up in additional details, remind them that sticking to the core of the story will keep the audience engaged.
Stick to the Script – While improvisation and adjustments are encouraged during delivery, remind members to stay true to the main structure of their story. Over-explaining or adding unnecessary details can take away from the original impact.
Keep It Concise – Help members understand the importance of brevity. While stories can vary in length, teaching them to keep it punchy and to the point will make their storytelling more impactful.
Practice Delivery – Encourage rehearsal, both in terms of speech and physical gestures. The more a member practices, the more confident and engaging they’ll become. Remind them that practice helps them refine their performance.
How to Tell a Great Story
Here are some essential tips you can share with your members to enhance their storytelling skills:
Get Excited: Encourage enthusiasm and energy. Storytelling is a performance, and a passionate delivery will capture the audience’s attention.
Be Expressive: Teach members to use facial expressions and gestures to communicate the emotions in their story. This helps the audience connect on a deeper level.
Keep It Short: While it’s important to be expressive, it’s equally crucial to keep the story concise. A short, well-told story is often more memorable than a lengthy one.
Use Emotions: Encourage members to tap into a wide range of emotions to bring their stories to life. Whether it’s joy, sorrow, excitement, or fear, emotions create an emotional bond with the audience.
Maintain Eye Contact: Remind members that eye contact builds connection. Looking at the audience helps them feel involved in the story.
Use Vivid Language: Guide members to use descriptive language that paints pictures for the audience. Words like “a blazing sunset” or “her heart raced” are more powerful than vague descriptions.
Move and Gesture: Teach members to use their space and body language to enhance their performance. Being active and animated will make their story more dynamic.
Use Dramatic Pauses: Pauses are a tool for building tension and allowing the audience time to process. Teach members to use these moments to enhance the emotional impact of their storytelling.
Invite Interaction: Encourage members to ask questions or invite the audience into the story. This can help create a deeper connection and evoke empathy or understanding.
Final Thoughts for Education Directors
As an Education Director, storytelling is a fantastic tool for developing a range of speaking skills. By helping your members embrace the art of storytelling, you’re not only improving their presentation skills but also fostering a sense of community and understanding within your club. Encourage creativity, passion, and practice, and you’ll see your members grow as communicators and storytellers.
Poetry
Poetry for Education Directors
As an Education Director, you play a key role in helping your members develop their poetry reading skills. Poetry is a unique form of speaking because the impact it has on the audience is highly dependent on the delivery. A poem’s meaning and emotion are deeply connected to how it is read aloud. Your guidance in helping members prepare, practise, and present poetry will make a significant difference in their performance.
How to Prepare a Poem for Reading
Here are steps you can share with your members to ensure they give a compelling and thoughtful poetry reading:
Read the Poem Aloud to Yourself: Encourage members to read the poem quietly to themselves first, then aloud. This helps them familiarise themselves with the words and rhythm of the poem. Practising aloud is crucial, as the flow of the poem may sound different when spoken.
Understand Every Word: Remind members to look up unfamiliar words to ensure they know their meanings and how to pronounce them correctly. This prevents stumbling during the reading and improves confidence.
Appreciate the Emotion Behind the Words: Help your members explore the sentiment of the poem. Understanding the emotions the poet intended to convey is key to delivering the poem authentically. Encourage them to think about how they personally connect to the poem’s meaning.
Feel the Rhythm and Flow: Every poem has its own natural rhythm and cadence. Encourage your members to read through the poem slowly at first, paying attention to the natural pauses and stresses. This helps them grasp the poem’s rhythm and how to deliver it smoothly.
Pacing and Emphasis: Instruct your members to speak slowly and clearly, allowing the audience to follow and absorb the meaning. Encourage them to experiment with emphasis on certain words to bring out the poem’s full meaning, but also remind them not to overdo it. There is a fine balance between creating emotional impact and sounding overly dramatic.
Respect the Punctuation: Teach your members to pause where the punctuation suggests. This is important because pausing at the end of every line (instead of at natural sentence breaks) can disrupt the flow of the poem. Encourage them to let the poem breathe and flow naturally.
Stay Relaxed: Remind your members that poetry reading is meant to be an enjoyable experience, not a stressful one. Practising regularly will help them feel more confident and relaxed when performing.
How to Deliver a Great Poem
Once your members have prepared the poem, it’s time for the performance. Here are some delivery tips you can share to enhance their readings:
Show Emotion: Encourage members to engage with the poem emotionally. Whether it’s joy, sadness, or nostalgia, their emotion will come through and resonate with the audience. However, remind them to avoid being too dramatic or forced in their delivery.
Maintain a Natural Flow: Although the poem may have a structured rhythm, remind members to let the words flow naturally. Poetry reading is about finding a balance between structure and spontaneity, so they shouldn’t feel constrained by every line or syllable.
Be Mindful of Pace and Pauses: Encourage your members to vary their pace throughout the poem. Slower sections can create tension or highlight important points, while faster delivery can evoke excitement or urgency. Pauses can also add weight to key moments in the poem, giving the audience time to absorb the message.
Use Eye Contact and Gestures: Remind your members that poetry reading can be as much about the delivery as the words. Encourage them to use eye contact to engage with their audience. Gestures can also add meaning and help emphasise the emotional undercurrent of the poem.
Enjoy the Experience: Help your members to remember that poetry is a personal expression. If they enjoy reading the poem and connect with the words, it will naturally be conveyed to the audience.
Final Thoughts for Education Directors
As an Education Director, your role is to inspire and nurture the poetic talents of your members. By encouraging them to understand and connect with the poems they read, you’ll help them improve their presentation skills, deepen their emotional expression, and enhance their overall public speaking abilities. Poetry is a fantastic tool for members to practice vocal delivery, pacing, and emotional expression in a supportive, creative environment. With your guidance, your members will gain greater confidence and skill in performing poetry.
Historical Speeches
Historical Speeches for Education Directors
As an Education Director, incorporating Historical Speeches into your club meetings is a powerful and engaging way to enhance members’ speaking skills while exploring some of the most iconic and impactful speeches in history. By taking on the challenge of delivering a historical speech, members are encouraged to step outside their comfort zone, delve into the context of the speech, and bring someone else’s words to life.
What to Expect from Historical Speeches
The beauty of historical speeches lies in their diversity. The speeches chosen can range from famous addresses by well-known figures to lesser-known speeches that hold historical significance. This exercise allows members to:
Challenge themselves by delivering someone else’s words, exploring how their own speaking style changes when performing a historical speech.
Investigate the historical context behind the speech and understand the emotions, intent, and rhetoric behind the words.
Improve their delivery skills, such as tone, pacing, and emotional expression, by aligning with the original speaker’s intent while also making the speech their own.
Tips for Education Directors
Here are some ideas for organising and guiding your club members through Historical Speeches:
Select the Speeches: Encourage your members to explore a range of historical speeches. You might start with famous ones like Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” or Winston Churchill’s speeches during World War II, but also consider lesser-known gems like Greta Thunberg’s “Our House is Falling Apart” or Hilary Clinton’s “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”. Sources like “Famous Speeches”, “Speeches that Changed the World”, or “Future Speeches” books can provide interesting options.
Encourage Research: A deep understanding of the historical context is crucial for a successful performance. Encourage your members to not only learn the words of the speech but also to explore the background of the speech – the circumstances in which it was delivered, the speaker’s intent, and its impact. This helps them embody the emotions and gravitas of the speech in a way that resonates with the audience.
Understand the Delivery: A historical speech can be delivered with a variety of emotional tones and physical expressions. Encourage your members to consider the delivery style of the original speaker—was it passionate, calm, authoritative, or urgent? It’s important for members to balance staying true to the original tone while bringing their unique personal touch.
Focus on Rhetoric and Persuasion: Many historical speeches use strong rhetorical devices like repetition, appeals to emotion, and powerful imagery. Help your members identify these devices in the speech and practice delivering them in a way that maximizes their impact on the audience.
Practice the Timing and Pacing: Historical speeches often come with dramatic pauses and powerful moments. Work with your members to rehearse at the right pace, ensuring they use pauses effectively and maintain the right rhythm to create impact.
Evaluation and Feedback: After the speeches, conduct group evaluations where you focus not only on content and delivery but also on the challenges of embodying someone else’s words. This can be an insightful exercise in understanding different delivery styles and perspectives. You can also encourage members to give each other feedback, focusing on the historical and emotional aspects of the delivery.
Examples of Historical Speeches
To inspire your members, here are a few iconic speeches you can suggest for Historical Speeches sessions:
“Our House is Falling Apart” – Greta Thunberg to EU Leaders, 2019
“Women’s Rights are Human Rights” – Hillary Clinton at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995
“Tryst with Destiny” – Jawaharlal Nehru’s Address to the Constituent Assembly of India, 1947
“In the Event of Moon Disaster” – Prepared for Richard Nixon in case the Apollo 11 mission failed, 1969
These speeches offer a wide range of emotions, contexts, and challenges that will help your members grow as speakers.
The Educational Value
Encouraging your members to deliver historical speeches offers numerous benefits:
Cultural Awareness: Understanding and delivering speeches from different cultures, historical contexts, and global movements expands your members’ awareness and empathy.
Public Speaking Skills: Rehearsing and delivering a historical speech helps hone vocal delivery, body language, and emotional expression.
Confidence Building: Delivering such impactful speeches can significantly boost members’ confidence, as they connect with powerful words that have resonated through history.
Final Thoughts for Education Directors
As an Education Director, you can guide your members in selecting and preparing for Historical Speeches that will challenge them and build their speaking abilities. This activity allows them to dive into the depths of history and to use their voices to communicate messages that have shaped the world. By encouraging exploration and practice, you’ll help your members improve their overall public speaking skills while expanding their horizons and understanding of historical events and figures.
Speaking Online
Speaking Online for Education Directors
As an Education Director, integrating online speaking into your club’s activities can greatly enhance the flexibility and accessibility of your meetings. With the advancement of digital technology, it’s now easier than ever to connect with members virtually, making it possible to host full or partial online meetings, workshops, and training sessions. However, speaking online brings with it a unique set of challenges that need careful consideration to ensure a smooth and effective experience for your members.
Key Considerations for Online Speaking
When organising online sessions, consider these important aspects that will help your members feel confident and prepared while speaking:
Camera Framing and Appearance: Ensure your members know how to properly position themselves in front of the camera. Being properly framed means they should be clearly visible from the chest up, with their face and upper body clearly in view. You may need to guide them to check the angle of their webcam before their speech begins.
Lighting: Proper lighting is crucial when speaking online. Encourage your members to avoid sitting with their back to a light source, as this can create shadows or make them appear dimly lit. Instead, they should aim to have soft, even lighting coming from in front of them to enhance their visibility.
Audio Setup: The quality of sound plays a vital role in online speaking. Suggest that your members use an external microphone (e.g., a desktop mic or headset) for clearer audio. Built-in laptop microphones are often less effective, so investing in a better microphone can significantly improve sound quality.
Gestures and Body Language: Online speaking presents a challenge when it comes to non-verbal communication. Remind your members to be mindful of their facial expressions, ensuring that their emotions and engagement come across clearly. Hand gestures can also be an effective tool, but they should be positioned within the camera frame for visibility.
Vocal Variety: Since online speaking reduces some of the physical presence, it’s important for members to use vocal variety effectively. Encourage them to vary their pitch, pace, and tone to maintain engagement and emphasize key points in their speech.
Running an Online Meeting
Whether the entire meeting is online or only partially so, there are key logistical elements to consider:
Chairing the Meeting: Just like in a physical meeting, there needs to be someone in charge (the Chair) to manage the flow of the meeting, ensuring that speakers are invited to present in turn. This helps avoid people speaking over one another and maintains order throughout the session.
Mute Function: Encourage your members to mute themselves when they are not speaking, and only unmute themselves when they are invited to speak. This reduces background noise and helps maintain clarity during the meeting.
Timekeeping: Time management can be challenging in online meetings. Ensure that the timekeeper’s signals are visible to the speaker. One way to do this is by having the timekeeper visible on the screen in a small window or in the corner of the speaker’s view. This allows speakers to adjust their delivery accordingly.
Equipment for Partial Online Meetings: If your club is holding a hybrid meeting (partly in person and partly online), consider the equipment you’ll need. A separate webcam, rather than the built-in camera on a laptop, is essential for clearly showing the current speaker. If possible, use a projector or large screen to ensure that in-person attendees can see the remote participants clearly.
Online Mentoring and Committee Meetings: The benefits of online speaking extend beyond regular club meetings. As Education Director, you can also facilitate online mentoring sessions, committee meetings, and other activities. This provides an additional level of flexibility for your members, enabling them to participate in speaking and learning activities no matter their location.
Encouraging Members to Adapt to Online Speaking
As the Education Director, it’s important to help your members adapt to the unique nature of speaking online. Here are some tips to guide them:
Practice: Encourage your members to practice speaking online before the actual event. They can rehearse in front of a camera or take part in mock meetings to get used to the environment.
Technology Familiarity: Ensure that all members are comfortable using the technology before the meeting. This includes knowing how to mute/unmute themselves, turn their camera on/off, and adjust their microphone or audio settings.
Minimize Distractions: Remind your members to minimise any distractions in their environment before they speak. This might include turning off notifications, closing unrelated apps, or informing household members of the meeting time.
Engagement: Remind your members that online speaking doesn’t mean they should be less engaged. Encourage them to maintain eye contact with the camera, smile when appropriate, and use their voice and gestures to connect with the virtual audience.
Conclusion
As the Education Director, incorporating online speaking into your club’s activities not only keeps your meetings flexible and accessible but also challenges your members to adapt to new speaking environments. By preparing for the technical aspects of online speaking and offering guidance on effective delivery techniques, you can help your members excel in virtual settings just as they would in person.
Seminars
Seminars for Education Directors
As an Education Director, seminars are a fantastic way to bring new learning opportunities to your members, particularly for those at advanced stages of their speaking journey. They allow you to tap into the diverse range of talent and experience within the Association, while also engaging external experts who can offer fresh perspectives and insights. Hosting a seminar offers not only a great learning opportunity but also an inspiring environment where your members can grow and challenge themselves.
Key Features of ASC Seminars
The ASC has developed a signature approach to seminars, which includes interactivity, playfulness, and curiosity. These elements make seminars dynamic and engaging, ensuring that learning isn’t just about sitting and listening but also about participating and experiencing the material firsthand. As Education Director, it’s crucial to ensure that your seminars follow this approach, which includes:
Interactive Techniques: Instead of simply presenting information, encourage the use of games, group discussions, and hands-on activities that help engage members and put theory into practice. This approach fosters a deeper understanding of the topics covered.
Exploring Topics from Different Perspectives: Incorporating diverse viewpoints and examining topics from various angles helps keep seminars fresh and exciting. This variety also supports critical thinking, allowing your members to consider issues in new and innovative ways.
Respectful Discussion: Creating an environment where members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and feedback is vital. It is important that discussions remain respectful, encouraging open dialogue and differing opinions. This will allow your members to learn from each other and expand their understanding.
Practical Exercises: Providing your members with practical exercises that they can apply to their own speaking will help them integrate what they’ve learned. Whether it’s a group task, role-playing activity, or a simulation of a speaking situation, these exercises allow members to hone their skills in a supportive, low-pressure environment.
Using External Expertise to Enhance Seminars
Another key benefit of seminars is the opportunity to bring in outside experts. The ASC has built relationships with knowledgeable professionals who can contribute to the learning experience. These external partners can deliver seminars on specific topics or provide fresh perspectives that will further enrich your members’ learning.
As Education Director, consider the possibility of inviting guest speakers or facilitators who can bring unique insights into specific areas such as advanced speaking techniques, storytelling, persuasion, or leadership communication. By incorporating their expertise into your seminars, you offer your members a chance to learn from the best in the field.
Organising and Delivering a Seminar
When organising a seminar, it’s essential to ensure that it is both informative and engaging. Here are some tips for you to consider:
Set Clear Learning Objectives: Ensure that the seminar has specific goals or outcomes. Whether the goal is to improve storytelling, develop better impromptu speaking skills, or explore advanced techniques in persuasion, clear objectives will help keep the seminar on track and provide direction for both the speakers and attendees.
Promote Engagement: Encourage participants to ask questions, share their experiences, and engage in exercises. This creates a more inclusive environment where members can learn from each other.
Provide Follow-Up Resources: After the seminar, ensure your members have access to any materials, notes, or resources discussed during the session. You can also provide them with suggested reading or exercises to reinforce the learning.
Evaluate and Reflect: Gather feedback from attendees about what worked well and what could be improved. This will help refine future seminars and ensure that they continue to meet the needs of your members.
Conclusion
Seminars are a cornerstone of the ASC’s educational approach, providing a valuable opportunity for advanced learning. As Education Director, you have the chance to curate and deliver these events in a way that challenges and inspires your members. By incorporating interactive techniques, diverse perspectives, and practical exercises, you can ensure that each seminar offers a fulfilling and enriching experience. Additionally, partnering with external experts to provide new insights can elevate the learning experience, offering your members access to a broad range of knowledge and expertise.
Games and Activities
As an Education Director, using interactive games is a great way to keep meetings engaging and help members develop key speaking and listening skills. These games add variety to club sessions and make learning fun. Here are a few examples:
Evaluating Evaluation: Members practice providing constructive feedback on each other’s speeches, improving both speaking and listening skills.
Know It All Shawl: A fast-paced game that encourages quick thinking and the ability to speak on a variety of topics with ease.
Ditch the Dull: This game challenges participants to make a dull statement engaging, fostering creativity and communication skills.
Debating Dichotomies: Participants take opposing sides on a topic, honing their debating and critical thinking abilities.
Speaking Statues: Members practice body language and presentation skills by holding a position and delivering a speech or monologue.
These games provide a mix of impromptu speaking, debate, feedback, and performance, allowing members to challenge themselves and grow in a fun, supportive environment.
Fun Nights
While the core of ASC meetings centres around structured speeches and leadership roles, it’s refreshing to occasionally shake things up! Fun Nights offer a light-hearted alternative, giving members the chance to build confidence, try something new, and enjoy creative challenges in a relaxed setting.
These sessions might include festive storytelling at Christmas, spooky tales by candlelight for Halloween, or even a tall tales evening full of wild, almost-believable adventures. You could run a balloon debate, where speakers take on the role of famous figures and argue why they shouldn’t be thrown from a sinking hot air balloon!
For the topics section, try something like Just a Minute, where speakers must talk without hesitation, repetition, or deviation—or Lucky Dip, where they speak about a mystery object pulled from a bag. Whatever the format, Fun Nights bring energy, laughter, and a great opportunity to connect while still building speaking skills.
Setting Up Fun Night Activities
Festive Tales (e.g. Christmas stories or seasonal themes)
Preparation: Let members know the theme well in advance so they can prepare a 3–5 minute story—personal anecdotes, festive mishaps, or light-hearted reflections all work well.
Setting the Mood: Decorate the venue with seasonal touches and maybe play some quiet background music as members arrive.
Hosting Tip: Encourage relaxed delivery—props or festive dress can add to the fun!
Spooky Story Night (Perfect for Halloween)
Preparation: Invite members to prepare eerie, dramatic, or mysterious stories (fact or fiction) and emphasise atmosphere over polish.
Atmosphere: Dim the lights, use candles or torches (safely!), and bring along Halloween-themed props.
Hosting Tip: Start the evening with a short example story to set the tone.
Tall Tales Meeting
Preparation: Encourage speakers to craft an outrageous story with just enough believability to keep the audience guessing.
Prompt Ideas: Give optional starting phrases like “You’ll never believe what happened on my way to work…” or “I once met a dragon in…”
Hosting Tip: Consider voting at the end for “Most Believable Lie” or “Wildest Tale.”
Balloon Debate
Preparation: Ask 3–5 members in advance to prepare a 2-minute speech in the role of a famous person (real or fictional), justifying why they shouldn’t be thrown out of a crashing hot-air balloon.
Props: Consider a printed balloon illustration or even have participants wear name labels to represent their character.
Hosting Tip: Let the audience vote who “survives” after each round!
Just a Minute (Topics Game)
Setup: Prepare a list of fun or quirky topics. Explain the rules: speak for 1 minute without hesitation, repetition, or deviation. Anyone can challenge by clapping or calling out.
Tip: Have a timekeeper and someone to judge challenges to keep it fair. Keep the pace brisk!
Lucky Dip
Setup: Fill a bag with random objects (rubber duck, whisk, sunglasses, etc.). Each speaker pulls out an item and speaks for 1–2 minutes about it.
Tip: No need to prepare in advance—this works well with newer members too.
These activities don’t require a huge amount of preparation but do benefit from a clear explanation at the start, a supportive chairperson, and a sense of playfulness. As Education Director, your role is to create the conditions for everyone to feel comfortable experimenting and having fun while still developing their speaking skills.
After Dinner Speech
After dinner speeches may feel like a throwback to another era, but they continue to be a valuable and much-appreciated skill—especially for weddings, celebrations, and formal gatherings. These speeches combine humour, storytelling, and sentiment to leave an audience entertained and uplifted.
As Education Director, encouraging members to try their hand at after dinner speaking offers a fresh challenge, and can be a great way to practise charm, warmth, and timing. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to build confidence in speaking to unfamiliar or mixed audiences in a more relaxed, social setting.
Whether delivered at a club event or as part of a themed evening, these speeches offer something a little different—and very memorable.
