Compilation of Speeches

1. SPEECH
(COMMENCEMENT)
(ORIENTATION)
(PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT)
(CEREMONIAL)
SUBMITTED BY: IPE-01-301P
Alice Joy Acorda
Peter Luke Cabusao
Jhenz Capispisan
Pritz Gianni M. Dalida
Hyra H. Henson
SUBMITTED TO: Prof. Josephine Battung

2. COMMENCEMENT
SPEECH

3. Graduation Speeches
Opening Remarks
1. Good morning everybody!
We have assembled here this morning for an august occasion; to witness and participate in a
grand celebration of a few bright, strong, vigorous, and promising men and women who
finished a course, a race, and a learning episode. To some of us, this is a magnificent
spectacle; to a few, it is intensely personal; because the laborer who brings home his wages
knows the value of what he got by his sweat; and the laborers here are many, the labors have
been many, especially on the part of the learners, but also greatly on the part of the teachers,
administrators, sponsors, and numerous others who gave this momentum its particular shape.
So, isn’t this a significant academic juncture; especially when we see that this package of the
conference has unfolded under its cover of prayers and passion with the deeply embedded
motif of Encountering God? We’re having mind-opening revelations, heart-strengthening
visitations, and spirit-enriching manifestations. From the early unveiling of our eyes to the
morning through the time we invite our faculties to sleep in the night, we move and live and
have our being in God. We are at a solemn and spiritual point; it’s the 45th Graduation
Ceremony of Central India Theological Seminary; and I take this pleasure and privilege to
welcome you all to witness the marvels of what God can do and has done with humble things
within the Body of Christ. It is not just an academic celebration; it is a spiritual jubilation
over the fact that another initial and preparatory training episode is over and that the Lord of
the Harvest doesn’t fail to successfully recruit laborers for His harvest. Honorable Faculty,
distinguished leaders, guests, students, and all friends, it gives me great pleasure to have you
all at this commencement exercise this morning. May the Lord’s cup of blessing retain its
overflowing flow over us this morning! God bless us all!

4. 2. Good evening everyone.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to Parents, Families and friends of the graduates, the
Board of Education, Administration, Teachers and Support staff of the Mahtomedi Area Public
Schools, and finally to the graduates themselves.
Congratulations! Just think, it was only 13 short years ago that you walked into that Kindergarten
classroom. And now here you are today, ... Graduates of the class of 2009.
From this point onward, I believe, your life will change in one very important way. Up to this
point you have had a lot of people making decisions for you. Now, it's up to you.
I understand that you have already made many decisions about your life. I also understand that
there are still a lot of hoops that you have to jump through to reach your goals, and that those
hoops do not necessarily represent options to you. However, compared with your life up to this
point, you will be making more decisions.
How you will determine what those decisions are, and how you will make them will matter.
Poet Mary Oliver writes,
"Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
"What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
That is quite a question. One I would suggest is worth remembering every minute of every day.
How is this moment best spent and this moment and so on as the moments lead to days, and then
to years, and together they make up your life.
But how to choose. T.S. Eliot provides one possible answer to this question: "Only those who risk
going too far can possibly find out just how far one can go."
"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out just how far one can go."
Now, I would like to go on record here that I am not advocating what I might call life threatening
risks or not-very-smart risks. I am talking about risks that encourage you to step outside your
comfort zone and help you grow an individual or as a contributor to society.
For example: Even though you may be headed into the field of engineering, don't forget that you
always wanted to write that book.
Or, even though you going to school to be a graphic artist, don't forget your fascination with
mysteries of quantum physics.

5. Yes, you plan to be an auto mechanic, a pilot, a doctor. But what about your dream to to be in that
play.
Even within the boundaries of your job, keep in mind that every moment is an opportunity to
open doors that appear to be sealed shut. Take a chance that what is on the other side is where
you need to go.
It is very likely that you will change your job several times and that your life will take unexpected
turns:
Remember,
Every moment counts,
Keep the doors open,
Go too far.
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
Thank you and congratulations
Closing Remarks
1. Ladies and Gentlemen,
May blessing from our almighty God be bestowed upon all of you. Good morning
I want to congratulate you, and all of us for an hour of fruitful work
it is really a privilege for me to end this activity and it gives me a great pleasure to deliver
the closing remarks of our very first speech festival i was delighted to deliver this
remarks coz u know what i am really optimistic when it comes to this
The credit goes to all of you. It is very important to me that this is not about me. It is
about us. It is about how we show our ability during our speech fest. That is really very,
very important. I hope you realize that the more you step up to the plate and lead, the
more you make sure that it doesn’t have to come from somewhere else.
And now me i take the freedom of this moment to the performer that you all look good
but i do believe and i know that we believe that if we do our very best we will all look
great.
What i would propose and hope that maybe we could get some energy around is how
you create a good performer but then you did it well and it was good.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this speech festival i hope it’s the beginning of continuing this
activity and I hope that it captures your passion as it does mine.

6. Finally allow me to close this speech festival
thank you and God bless you all.
2. Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Before we close this evening’s ceremonies, I’d like to take this last opportunity to say, on behalf
of the faculty, staff, and administration of Edison College, congratulations to both the graduates
and the family and friends who have helped us arrive at this moment.
And I would also like to invite everyone present to take one last good look around. I invite you to
breathe in this marvelous scene. Each one of us here has followed a unique path to this moment.
So exactly what tonight means to each of us will be just a little bit different, and that’s how it
should be. We are individuals, of course.
But I’d like to draw attention to something else about this moment which arises specifically from
the collective nature of our gathering. Perhaps you’ve felt it at times this evening already. There
is a great value created by our coming together like this.
This is really no secret. We human beings have done this kind of thing for a long time, thousands
of years at least. It’s something we do because it serves an important purpose. We come together,
in big groups like this one, to engage in a ritual or a ceremony. And the purpose is to make
something difficult to define into something tangible…so we can get a grip on something that is
otherwise hard to hold on to.
Recognition Speech
1. We are gathered here today to recognize those who have excelled academically in the past
school year. I am honored to have been asked to take part in this very special event. We no
doubt have three groups in attendance here today - those who excelled and will receive
awards, those who worked hard and came up short of an award and. sadly. those who did not
try at all. While we are pleased to take part in recognizing academic achievements, we
encourage everyone to find where your interests and abilities are and to pursue them. With
that, on to the presentation of awards.

7. ORIENTATION
SPEECH

8. Orientation Speech
1. Good morning students and families. To all of the students here, congratulations, you have
completed your first college assignment. You made it to the Orientation on time, possibly
with the help of your parents, and that is an accomplishment already. I know that even though
all of you are physically present in this room right now, you are all not feeling the same way.
Some of you are so anxious for these speeches to be over, so you can get up out of your seats
and start exploring different parts of the campus. Some of you are really excited to be here
and to begin what is going to be the best four years of your life. Some of you are probably
wishing you were back home right now hanging out with all of your friends because you’re
graduating seniors, and well, you’re kind of a big deal. But all of you are here and even
though it may not seem like it right now, you all have something to look forward to, trust me.
2.
Greetings to my faculty and staff colleagues, returning students, and guests, and a very warm
welcome to the Colorado College Class of 2015 and their families!
First, to the parents and other family members that have accompanied our new students to campus
– thank you. Thank you for entrusting us with the education of your sons and daughters and
thank you for the investment that you are making in their futures. We are delighted that you
could be here and hope that you enjoy your visit to this beautiful campus and place. I look
forward to talking with you later today at the parents’ reception. I trust that you understand if I
will focus my remarks on our new students as if my only chance to address the entire first year
class.
As you might know, I am also new to Colorado College. I arrived as the 13th President (13 is now
my lucky number) in July – just a few months ago. Like you, I came to Colorado College
because of its commitment to the liberal arts, its excellent faculty and staff, its amazing student
body, its innovative block plan, and its truly inspiring location. Also, like you, I traveled quite a
journey to get here.
Many years ago, back in 19XX, I was a first-year student at a small liberal arts college just like
you. I moved into my dorm room, unpacked my bags, participated in all of the orientation
activities, and listened to a welcoming speech. And like some of you, I worried that I didn’t
belong and felt dreadfully homesick.
I was a farm girl from rural Iowa. The small town that was my home was made up of about 500
people and I swear that over 100 of those folks were Tiefenthalers. My maternal grandparents
lived across the road and my paternal grandparents about a mile away. I was surrounded by

9. extended family and lots of love. I was part of a very tight community and leaving it was very
hard.
3.
Topic: Fashion
Audience: New design school students
Motivation: Get students to see beyond fabric and needles and view this as a meaningful art
Setting: First-year orientation, 50 students
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Sophilo School of Design.
Jean Cocteau once said, ―Style is a simple way of saying complicated things.‖ But the things style
is expressing and the ways in which they are expressed are constantly changing. Just look at the
fashion of the last century:
=In the early 20th century, women relished in the liberation provided by Coco Chanel’s relaxed
designs, which allowed for movement that had previously been restricted by corsets and over-thetop embellishments. In the 1930s,Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn scandalized polite
society by wearing trousers in public, which gave women even more freedom in the realm of
fashion. The 1940s brought war to Europe and wartime cutbacks to the fashion world. Thanks to
cloth rationing, men were suddenly rid of traditional three-piece suits, and fashion became a lot
more casual. In the 1970s, new laws required that women be treated the same as men in the
professional and educational realm, making dresses and skirts a nonessential item for many.
Even if you just grab what’s comfortable and throw it on before you run out the door, the clothing
you wear was designed for you based on the culture you live in, and your style choices tell the
world what kind of person you are. When you create, you give the people wearing your clothing
the power of expression. Whether it’s on the sale rack at Target or in the Chanel vault, someone
will find a way to make that piece their own, and it will make them feel like a million bucks.
This is what we hope you accomplish here at Sophilo. We want you all to learn and grow as
designers, but we also want you to grasp the effect that your designs can have on the world at
large. You’re inspiring people to express themselves using your clothing. You’re going to be
creating a woman’s very favorite pair of jeans or the tailored shirt that makes a man feel great
about himself. When you’re designing, make sure you’re creating things you love—because if
you love them, there will be others who love them even more.

10. PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
SPEECH

11. 1. Professionalism in Sports
Motion: Professionalism detracts from sportsmanship
Side: Negative
Opening speech of the captain
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,
Having been enlightened by the affirmative side on the definition of the motion, I’d like to
redefine it in a broader, more up-to-date way.
―Professionalism‖ refers to the practice of paying players who participate in certain sports. More
and more sports are becoming professional. Why? Because paid players have the time to pursue
excellence, in fitness and ability to reach high levels of skill.
I’d like to remind our opponents that professionalism also includes setting up professional bodies
and employing people who have expertise of the profession, people like professional trainers.
The word ―sportsmanship‖ involves both attitude and behavior. Dear opponents, I’ll shake hands
with you, whether my team wins or loses. That shows sportsmanship, right? But genuine
sportsmanship goes beyond gestures of courtesy. It refers to fairness, honesty and politeness
in a competition. Respect for the rules and for other players is important. If we win this
debate and gloat over our victory, we show poor sportsmanship. If we lose and curse our
opponents and adjudicators, we also show poor sportsmanship. If we think we are likely
to lose and give up trying, that’s poor sportsmanship too. Or if we resort to dirty tricks
like spying over our opponents, needless to say, poor sportsmanship again.
In defining sportsmanship, our opponent has missed one very important point. Jill Oser
says, ―sportsmanship is about competing and training and getting to your peak ability.‖
Please note the phrase ―getting to your peak ability‖. This is precisely what
professionalism helps players achieve.
Sportsmanship is seen and admired in professional games despite some aberrations.
Don’t you admire the skill and sportsmanship of Pele? Not many admire John McEnroe
and enroll in His School of Sportsmanship, do they?

12. Professionalism strengthens rather than detracts from sportsmanship. Professional players
win the game with their expertise; they need not fall back on dirty play. Also, foul play
endangers their livelihood, so participants are less likely to do it and ruin their careers.
Professional bodies help lay down rules and ensure that players abide by these rules.
Professional trainers help sportsmen strengthen their expertise, thus enabling them to
perform to the best of their ability.
Even if the affirmative side thinks that sportsmanship is not always practiced, we can tell
you that there are many factors contributing to these failures, factors like nationalism,
ideology and pursuit of personal glory. Professionalism is definitely NOT one of these
factors.
Now let’s look at the verb phrase ―detract from‖. It means diminish, make less
impressive. Professionalism means that sport is no longer the privilege of an elite
minority who do not need to earn an income. This used to be the unfair, unsporting
situation.
Professionalism enables many people to compete at a higher level in sports because they
are openly and honestly paid. They do not need a private income to have the time to
practice and reach a higher level. Nor do they have to resort to involvement in dishonest,
unsportsmanlike sham amateurism.
The ideals of professionalism are also found in other walks of life where they also
enhance sportsmanship or fair play.
Professionalism does not diminish sportsmanship. It is simple logic that great skill and
high standards enhance fair play, honesty and excellence.
First speaker’s speech
Good afternoon,
Who is more admirable, Michael Jordan or God? A survey conducted on 500 American
kindergarten children shows their preference. Michael Jordan first, God second, if lucky.
What makes them admire this professional football player? His phenomenal performance
in game 5 of last year’s NBA Finals when he displayed the loftiest heights of
sportsmanship. Despite suffering from diarrhea and flu, he played and played to support
his teammates and thrilled the paying audience. At the end of the game he could barely
stand.

13. Michael Jordan also said, ―I am no longer so concerned about money although it is
important. As a professional player, I am an integral part of the game. I cannot abandon
my love for the sport.‖ It is crystal clear that his professionalism has by no means
detracted his sportsmanship. On the contrary, he has enhanced it.
Professionalism, besides enhancing sportsmanship in an individual player, also promotes
the virtues in the viewers. What makes Tiger Woods an international icon? Yes,
excellence, youth and ethnicity, but hard as it may be to imagine, he is much more. In an
age of commercially hyped, trash-talking, in-your-face sports star, he is someone who
combines great athleticism with decency, politeness, respect, in short, sportsmanship.
Wood’s pride does not extend to the braggart denigration of the competition and the
naked promotion of self. He is a paragon, a gentleman athlete that has touched many
people’s hearts with his graciousness. By the way, he is a professional.
Sporting behavior and professionalism does not lie only in decent attitude towards a
game. So you wish to conquer the French Open my friend? And I too, what a fine thing
that would be! But first mark the conditions and the consequences of being professional,
and then set to work. You will have to put yourself under discipline, to eat by rule, to
exercise at the appointed hour, like it or not, in cold and heat. Then in the conflict itself
you are likely to dislocate your wrist or twist your ankle, or to be severely thrashed, and
above all these things, to be defeated. To meet the basic requirements of being a
professional, to willingly put yourself under this drudgery, believe me, this is
sportsmanship all right.
Admittedly, there are bad boys and girls on the battlefield. Andre Agassi and Deion
Sanders have mastered this very lucrative chest-beating glory seeking. Dennis Rodman
has taken it to his conclusion with his groin-kicking, body-piercing anarchism. The bad
boys, however, did not transform into monsters once they turned professional. According
to John McEnroe’s coach, he was notorious as an amateur at playing tennis instituted
with his favorite (clasp)… oh, I’d better not say it here. But apparently, his
professionalism didn’t aggravate his behavior, he was already as bad as can be. Bad boys
saw bad manners and quick tempers as the ticket to celebrity. This is beyond
professionalism.

14. Second speaker’s speech
Good afternoon,
Quite on the contrary, professionalism can in fact enhance and promote sportsmanship.
For example, in sports, rules and penalties are much stricter in professional competitions
when compared to amateur ones to encourage fair play. May I ask if a higher level of fair
play detracts from sportsmanship. Surely it enhances sportsmanship. A professional body
also strictly monitors the participants, and disciplinary actions are taken on professionals
who fail to reach the standards of professionalism.
Let’s look at the example of Doctor Bristol’s example of responsibility towards a
professional body. Again may I ask whether maintaining the qualities and honorable
conduct of a professional is detracting from or enhancing sportsmanship? Some people
have earned the title of professional, through the standards, attitudes and qualities that
they have in their respective fields. In other words, the status, and respect that
professionals gain reflects trustworthiness, honesty, dependability, and the capability to
fulfill the responsibilities and demands of some professions, which is: sportsmanship. So
you see, being a professional is all about having sportsmanship. How on earth, then, can
professionalism detract from sportsmanship if being sporting is what you need to be
qualified as a professional!
It is undeniable that personal glory is often present in a professional athlete, but does this
necessarily mean that it must take one to such an extreme point that he chooses to violate
the rules of his sport? On the contrary, one would aim at a higher standard of
sportsmanship in order to achieve more popularity, approval, status and even money.
What personal glory has Dennis Rochman gained for his unimpressive display of
sportsmanship: a notorious reputation and a drop in salary is all he’s gained! Again, look
at the personal glory Tiger Woods has gained for his genuinely higher standard of
sportsmanship. The pressure, attention and expectations that professionals are under
means that their livelihood depends on how sporting they are. They can’t afford dirty
play that’s going to affect their livelihood. The fact is that dirty play does not build up as
you cross the line between amateurism and professionalism.

15. Summing up speech of the captain
Five minutes is not sufficient time to clarify the misconceptions of the affirmative side,
but I’ll try to do it with professionalism and sportsmanship.
First of all, the key word ―professionalism‖. Our opponents have confined the
interpretation of the word to the practice of paying players who participate in certain
sports. But we can’t deny that professional bodies, professional trainers and professional
knowledge are also a form of professionalism, and indeed, this form of professionalism
strengthens fairness and excellence. This point has been thoroughly elaborated and
reinforced by my team members.
Second, the other key word ―sportsmanship‖. Our opponents have two problems here.
One problem is their failure to understand that getting to one’s peak ability is a form of
sportsmanship. Our team has illustrated this point laboriously throughout this debate. The
other problem is their failure to see that sportsmanship is well and alive in professional
sports. Just to quote two recent examples. In the 1998 Semi-finals for the French open,
even though the chair-en-pire said the ball was out, Carlos Moya insisted that it was in.
All he wanted was a fair game. In the Finals, Alex Correja was defeated by Moya.
Instead of flinging his racket in anger and disappointment, he leapt over the net to his
opponent and congratulated him, saying, ―I’m so glad you won even though it meant I
had to lose.‖ Isn’t that sportsmanship demonstrated by professional players?
Third, the opposing team has quoted evidence of professional sportsmen cheating in
order to win. Let mw remind you that cheating and foul play are not the monopoly of
professional players. Many amateurs are found guilty of dirty play. We should not be so
biased as to say that honesty and fairness are alien qualities to professional players.
To sum up, professionalism enhances rather than diminishes sportsmanship. Professional
sportsmen, with the pay they receive, can afford the time to concentrate on sports as a
career, and thus they can perform to the best of their ability. They are less likely to break
the rules because of heavy penalties and repercussions on their careers. They are more
likely to behave sportingly to live up to the title of professional, and they would also aim
at a higher standard of sportsmanship in order to gain more popularity, approval, status
and money. Professional bodies lay down rules to promote sportsmanship, and ensure
that fairness is done to all sportsmen. Professional trainers help sportsmen strive towards
even higher standards in sports, even breaking records. We have also given evidence that
professional sportsmen do practice sportsmanship, and if sportsmanship is declining, it is
due to other factors. Professionalism is certainly NOT a factor.

16. Dear opponents, open your eyes and look around – Aren’t the trainers of our teams
professional teachers? Aren’t the adjudicators professionals in the field of English
language training? We have no doubt about our professional teachers helping us to
perform to the best of our ability. We have no doubt about our adjudicators ensuring
fairness in this debate. Their standards are those of professionals. We also have no doubt
about us debaters behaving with generosity and courtesy, whether we win or not. Here is
an example of professionalism enhancing sportsmanship, brought to you live.
2.
Public Transportation: Making the Right Investments
Thank you for that introduction. I appreciate the opportunity to visit with you today.
I am here on behalf of [name of coalition], a group of local businesses and community
organizations that believe public transportation is vital to the future of [community].
But in a larger sense, our mission isn’t about public transportation. It’s about people. It’s about
jobs. It’s about the quality of our lives, and the quality of our environment.
Because public transportation is about all these things -- and more. In a time of tough fiscal
choices, it is a wise investment in the future. During a shaky economy, it’s a pathway to
prosperity. Amid rising concern about global warming, it’s a source of cleaner air.
And above all, public transportation is an investment in a better quality of life: less aggravating
hours stuck in traffic, more places for families to be together, and more time to do it.
With all those benefits, it’s no surprise that demand for public transportation is on the rise. In
1999, Americans rode 21.2 billion miles on buses -- enough to circle the earth nearly 850,000
times. They could have traveled the globe more than 350,000 times on commuter rail -- it
accounted for 8.8 billion miles. And Americans traveled 445 million miles in vanpools -- the
equivalent of more than 17,000 trips around the world.
Here in [community], [insert local statistics].
That’s the good news. But here’s the challenge: Rising usage means growing costs for public
transportation systems, including ours. And if we’re going to make the most of the opportunities
public transit has to offer, we need more -- much more -- public investment.
I chose that word "investment" carefully, because public transportation truly is an investment in
the literal sense -- something that costs money up front but yields a profit down the road.
And public transportation does. Nationwide, we spend around $15.4 billion on public
transportation a year, and we get more than $60 billion back in economic benefits.
Every dollar we invest in running public transportation systems boosts business sales by another
three. A $10 million investment in building public transportation systems creates more than 300
jobs, and the same amount spent on running them creates nearly 600 more.

17. Those are a couple of reasons why public transportation is a critical building block for economic
development. It helps the right people to get to the right jobs, without wasting otherwise
productive hours in the process. It helps get customers in the door as well.
And if you think public transportation makes money for businesses, just take a look at what it can
do for your own pocketbook.
It costs between $4,800 and $10,000 a year to own a car, depending on what you drive and how
far you drive it. It costs $200 to $2,000 to take public transportation. Think about that the next
time you see the fellow at the gas station climbing the ladder to change the gas prices on the sign
again.
Those are serious savings -- for government, for business and for individuals. But the most
impressive savings public transportation yields are the ones you can’t measure in dollars and
cents. They’re the ones you can count up in minutes, hours -- even days -- wasted on the roads.
The automobile used to be the great symbol of American freedom. But for a typical commuter, it
symbolizes something very different today: being trapped in traffic.
According to a recent study, drivers in a third of cities spent more than 40 hours a year in traffic
that was stopped dead. Think about that. Not moving slow, not even stop and go. Just sitting still.
Forty hours. That’s a work week. It’s a weekend with your kids.
And make no mistake: You may not be moving when traffic stops, but your car is working harder
than ever. As a result, it’s pumping pollutants into the atmosphere.
Every year, public transportation prevents the emission of more than 126 million pounds of
hydrocarbons, which cause smog, and 156 million pounds of nitrogen oxides, which can cause
respiratory illness. [Insert local statistics, anecdotes if available.]
Public transportation also helps the environment by conserving energy. It reduces gasoline
consumption by 1.5 billion gallons a year.
Taken together, those benefits add up to a better quality of life for our community. Rather than
random, explosive growth, public transportation can serve as an anchor for thoughtful,
manageable and -- ultimately -- more livable communities.
Public transportation helps to preserve open space, enhancing our community’s appearance while
conserving recreational places where families spend time together. It means less noise and fewer
cars zooming -- or, for that matter, crawling -- through pedestrian neighborhoods.
And call me old-fashioned, but I think public transportation makes for a way of life that is just
plain better suited to [community]’s values. People who take public transportation walk to the bus
stop together, rather than retreating to the isolation of their homes. They get to know each other
face-to-face on the train, instead of holing themselves up in the solitude of their cars. And I can’t
help but think those encounters might contribute -- in some small way -- to a sense of community
that’s been eroding for a long time.
Public transportation is about more than these opportunities. It helps people overcome obstacles
as well. Many people with disabilities couldn’t get around without public transit. The nation’s

18. welfare-to-work initiative couldn’t have gotten off the ground either -- an astonishing 94 percent
of welfare recipients don’t own cars. They depend on public transportation to get to work.
Here in [community], more investment in public transportation can mean more jobs for our
people, more sales for our business and a better quality of life for everybody. Not bad for a
program that pays for itself.
Still, the benefits of public transportation may be clear to you and me, but that doesn’t mean our
public officials agree. They’re besieged with requests for funds every day. And if we want to
stake a claim for our quality of life, we have to speak out compellingly, and we have to speak out
together.
Here’s what we need in [community]. [Insert details of local needs as appropriate.]
If you agree with [name of coalition] that more public investment in public transportation will
improve our quality of life, I hope you’ll take a few specific actions.
First, if you’re a business owner, organization leader or just an individual who cares about our
community, join [name of coalition]. [Insert info on how to join.]
Second, write letters to [insert names of public officials] and ask them for more funding for
public transportation in [community].
[Insert other action items as appropriate.]
I hope [community] can count on your support. Our public transportation system needs you. But
this is about more than transit. It’s about traffic. It’s about more than public transportation. It’s
about people -- jobs -- the economy -- the environment -- and more.
Ultimately, it’s a question of where [community] is headed. We can choose to remain stalled in
traffic -- in more sense than one. Or we can hop on public transit. It’s the quickest route to work
and play. It’s also the fastest ticket to [community]’s future.

19. 3.
Business Anniversary Speech
Speaking: A founder and board member of a video game developing and publishing company
Mayor
Lawson,
Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Exactly ten years ago, on a stormy January morning, I signed the papers that made it official: I
had founded a company. A company that, in many ways, was just an extension of my childhood
passion for gaming. Many people predicted I would not last a year in this world, that I was too
idealistic to cope with everyday business life, and that I would get things in a "virtual" mess in no
time.
Fortunately, these people were wrong. But it was not me who proved them wrong; not me alone,
anyway. Almost everyone in the audience today – with the exception of Mayor Lawson,
obviously – came to work with this company at some point over the last ten years, and has stayed
faithfully by my side ever since. Together, we have made VideoDoe a success. Together, we have
made sure that we can gather here today and celebrate our first milestone anniversary.
Ten years is both a long time and a very short time. Compared to a giant such as Microsoft, our
company is still adolescent. On the other hand, ten years in a sector that is constantly and rapidly
advancing is an achievement we can be proud of. It means we have managed to establish
ourselves in this sector. We've claimed our rightful place here.
Ten years ago, I was a young man with a dream that was simple enough: I wanted to create video
games. So I employed a creative team and a software engineering team, set up a financial
department, and expected everyone to eliminate the impossible from my ideas and turn them into
something that would not only be new and exciting and magical, but that would also sell.
Miraculously, it worked out...

20. CEREMONIAL
SPEECH

21. Inspirational Speeches
1. Shame on you. This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you’re going to let it be the
worst. And I guarantee a week won’t go by in your life you won’t regret walking out, letting them
get the best of you. Well, I’m not going home. We’ve come too far! And I’m going to stay right
here and fight for this lost cause. A day may come when the courage of men fails… but it is not
THIS day. The line must be drawn HERE. This far, no further! I’m not saying it’s going to be
easy. You’re going to work harder than you ever worked before. But that’s fine, we’ll just get
tougher with it! If a person grits his teeth and shows real determination, failure is not an option.
That’s how winning is done! Believe me when I say we can break this army here, and win just
one for the Gipper. But I say to you what every warrior has known since the beginning of time:
you’ve got to get mad. I mean plum mad dog mean. If you would be free men, then you must
fight to fulfill that promise! Let us cut out their living guts one inch at a time, and they will know
what we can do! Let no man forget how menacing we are. We are lions! You’re like a big bear,
man! This is YOUR time! Seize the day, never surrender, victory or death… that’s the Chicago
Way! Who’s with me? Clap! Clap! Don’t let Tink die! Clap! Alright! Let’s fly! And gentlemen in
England now abed shall know my name is the Lord when I tell our enemies that they may take
our lives, but they’ll never take our Independence Day!
2. If I'm going to blow up the rules for Famous Speech Friday, it will be for this speech. I saw it
broadcast live 45 years ago, and it stands among the best impromptu speeches I know. Normally,
this series brings you famous speeches by women, but I find myself unable to let this one pass
unnoted this week: Yesterday was the 45th anniversary of the speaker's own assassination, an
indelible memory for me.
If there's a speech that exemplifies the great insight I heard from speaker coach Peter Botting at
the International Speechwriting Conference in London--the idea that "big ideas don't need big
words"--it's this one. Anyone might follow this speech, which deals with the minutiae of the
moment and hints at a larger vision of what this means for America. It quotes Aeschylus but stays
close to the emotions of the crowd. It's a quiet speech, not at all anxious, but appropriate in its
sadness, regret and respect for the events of the day.

22. Messages
Birthday Message
Another year older, another year wiser. Well, at least you are growing up to be what you were
meant to be – the hottest girl around. Happy birthday, gorgeous.
Condolence
May you get the strength to handle the situation in the best way possible. Your dad was a great
human and I am sure that was the most wonderful dad in this world. However, at this time it is
important that you help you family come over with the situation, so that you can make him proud.
Christmas Party
It's an old shepherd's legend that on Christmas Eve, at midnight, all the animals fall on their knees
and speak - praising the newborn Jesus.
Many see other things. What's important to recognize is that Christmas reveals itself to each of us
in a personal private way - be it secular, or sacred. Whatever Christmas is - and it's many things
to many people - we all own a piece of it. Just like Father Christmas' bag, inside there are gifts for
everyone.
May your holiday be filled with warmth and joy and may you recognize the greatest happiness in
the eyes of those whom you love!
Happy Christmas!