4 picked for speech contest

PALMER — Representatives have been selected to represent Palmer Toastmasters Club at the area level of the Yukon Alaska Council of Toastmasters Speech Contest season.

Meschelle Kolb and David Driscoll will deliver Humorous Speeches and Bret Kolb and David Driscoll will compete in the impromptu speech contest Table Topics. The local-level speech contest is at 2 p.m., Sept. 21 in the lower level conference area of the Matanuska Telephone Association Building, 480 Commercial Dr., in Palmer.

The four are some of the nearly 700 members from 34 clubs across the Yukon and Alaska competing for a spot in Alaska’s largest speech competition for adults.

Participants practice and give their presentations in local clubs and polish their skills as they advance to area, division and district levels.

The competition culminates with the Championship of Humorous and Impromptu Speaking Oct. 19 in Anchorage.

“Speech contests are an exciting part of the Toastmasters communication and leadership program,“ said John Lau, president of Toastmasters International. “They challenge members to fine-tune their skills in front of a larger audience. In a club, members are evaluated; in a contest, they are judged against their peers.”

For the past 75 years, the International Speech Contest has been a dramatic part of the Toastmasters experience, capped off annually by the championship round held at the organization’s international convention.

To be eligible, participants must be age 18 or older and present a five-to seven-minute speech in English on any topic with the focus of making the audience of all ages laugh. Judging criteria include speech content, originality, organization, transitions, gestures, style and timing.

The Sept. 21 contest is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and registration is encouraged. For more information or reservations, contact Diana@StraubStrategies.com or 841-7245, or visit yact.org.