toastmasters evaluation writing a speech with purpose

Writing A Speech With Purpose Project Speech

Table of Contents

Objectives Of The “Writing A Speech With Purpose” Project

The purpose of this Pathway Level 1 Project 2 is to learn or review basic methods for writing a speech with a defined purpose and to present a well-organised speech on any topic. 

In this project, resources from the Toastmasters International, take a step beyond the previous Ice Breaker project in teaching toastmasters who are taking this project on how to write a script for public speaking.

Toastmasters undertaking this project are asked to think through and define the purpose of their speech, namely, a general purpose and a specific purpose. They are also instructed on how to organise the main points of their speech in a variety of styles.

Writing A Speech With Purpose – Daniel Sun’s Pathway Project

Speaker: Daniel Sun, CC

Pathway: Engaging Humour

Level 1, Project 2, Writing A Speech With Purpose

Title: Make It Yours!

Date: 20 April 2023

In this project, my general purpose was to entertain my audience (as well as to enjoy myself while delivering it) since I am taking the Engaging Humour Pathway. It is also a direction that I am taking in developing my style of delivering speeches.

My specific purpose was to explain and demonstrate to my audience how any song can be modified totally into another song with a different mood and a different style, and yet still retain a degree of the original traits of the song.

Inspiration Behind Preparing This Speech

After my first pathway project on Ice Breaker, I was planning on a topic, “Magicians or Conmen”.

However, during these last two weeks, the statement “make it completely yours” kept ringing in my mind.

I could identify this statement was from my childhood’s favourite movie, “Phantom of the Paradise” directed by Brian De Palma, and the exact scene and circumstance that the statement was uttered.

Phoenix sings “Old Souls” in the film, “Phantom of the Paradise”

In that movie, Swan (the record company boss) told Beef (the rock singer) to transform a song written for a girl into a song that suits his persona.

In recent years, I have also learned that two contemporary songs were originally classical pieces.

One was Bach’s “Minuet in G major” and another was Beethoven’s “Fur Elise”.

I decided that I could use these two classical pieces as an illustration of how any piece of music could be modified and transformed into totally something else, while I use the statement from the movie, “Phantom of the Paradise” as an opening to my speech. Moreover, “Make it completely yours!” is a powerful statement. Personally, I also like to begin and end my speech or writing with the same statement, a technique I learned from my favourite writer, Alan Moore.

Resources from Toastmasters International gave a few way to organise the script such as in a chronological manner, a particular/general/particular style, and quite a few others. Nevertheless, these instructions are not exhaustive and they are meant to help beginners who seldom write scripts nor speak publicly.

Instead, I have decided to organise my main points of my scripts into giving two examples (illustrations) first and from those two illustrations, moved on to generalised them into a principle. It is one of many techniques I employed in teaching during my teaching career.

specific → general

concrete → abstract

illustration → principle

It is easier for the audience to see how a principle is applied in a concrete manner first and from thence, generalise the specific they have understood into a principle.

Appended below is the script to my Level 1, Project 2, prepared speech entitled, “Make It Yours!”

Speech Introduction

Make it yours! Make it completely yours!

Club Presidents, Distinguished Toastmasters, fellow toastmasters, ladies and gentlemen.  

“Make it completely yours!” was a statement made in one of Brian De Palma’s film, “Phantom of the Paradise”.

It was one of my childhood’s favourite movies, still a favourite of mine. Has anyone here heard of that movie? Oh, come on! It was only less than 20 years ago. (This is a joke. The movie was released in 1974.)

In that film, Winslow Leach, who became the phantom, wrote a cantata for Phoenix, a girl he liked.

Beef sings his own version of “Old Soul” in the film, “Phantom of the Paradise”

However, Swan, the record company boss, stole those songs and gave them to a proto glam rock singer, Beef. “You better get yourself a castrato to sing this,” said Beef, “this score is written for a chick.”   To this, Swan, the boss replied, “You can sing it better than any chick. Make it completely yours.”

Concerning How Most Of Us Sing

Ladies and gentlemen, is it possible to make a song sung by the original artiste into totally something else? By that, I do not mean just you or I sing the same song in a karaoke, nor another artiste singing a cover version of that song. The song may retain some of its original characteristics, but on the whole, it has become quite something else.

We seldom think it possible because we tend to sing a song just the way we have been hearing it. Even as we sing it, subconsciously we keep hearing the song sung in its original manner in our head.

So, is it possible to make it completely yours? The answer is: Yes!

Let me give you two examples.

Bach’s Minuet In G Major

Bach’s Minuet in G major

Bach’s Minuet in G Major. It is originally in triple time, that is, 3 beats in a bar. (Sing a few bar of Minuet in G major.)

Does anyone find the tune familiar?

In August 1965, in celebration of Singapore’s independence, the Afro-American trio, Toys, released the song, “A Lover’s Concerto”.

It was Bach’s Minuet in G major, changed to a contemporary up-beat tempo in quadruple time, that is, 4 beats in a bar.

How gentle is the rain That falls softly on the meadows Birds high up in the tress Serenade the flowers with their melodies   Oh-oh, see, there beyond the hill The bright colours of the rainbow Some magic from above   Made this day for us, just to fall in love   Now, I belong to you From this day until forever Just love me tenderly   And I’ll give to you every part of me

“A Lover’s Concerto” by Toys

Has anyone heard that before?

Alright! I was only joking about celebrating Singapore’s independence. Nevertheless, it was coincidental that “A Lover’s Concerto” was released in August 1965.

Beethoven’s Fur Elise

Let me give you another example where you can hardly identify the original piece of music if I do not tell you.

Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” performed by Lang Lang

I believe anyone who is alive would have listened to Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” or in English, “For Elise”. (Sing a few bars of Fur Elise.)

Do you know that this piece of music has been modernised too. It was sung by late Roman Tam, 罗文, and the title of the song is 心里有个迷, released in 1985.

For the sake of those who were born after the year 1985, let me give a short demonstration. I will try to do my best.

心里心里有个谜，难解难计， 心里心里呢个谜，藏在心底。 呢个呢个心里谜，完全系围住你， 呢个呢个心里谜长令我入迷。 热爱之花在我心中， 开出灿烂，发出美丽。 为你相思，为你着迷， 我深心里爱得美丽。

心里有个谜 – 罗文 (Late Roman Tam)

Now, how many of you here have heard that before?

In Roman Tam’s rendition of “Fur Elise”, it was fast paced and the rhythm more syncopated, whereas the original “Fur Elise” was only moderate in its tempo,  

Internalisation And Externalisation

So how do you make something yours, completely yours?

To make it yours, like everything else, you will have to first internalise it, then externalise it, just like the way you eat food.  

When you eat something, you chew on it, appreciate its flavour, ingest it, absorb, and assimilate all its nutrients, making them into a part of yourself. That is internalisation.

The externalisation, pardon me, is not what some of you are probably thinking. No, that is called egesting. You egest the leftover waste materials, not the essence of what you ate. The sad thing is most people egest more than they can internalise and externalise.

So, how do we internalise and externalise a song?

After listening to a song, most fundamentally, we remember its tune, its rhythm. We appreciate its beauty, let its mood touch our souls, our emotions. And we continue to hear it replayed in our head again and again, subconsciously. That is the process of internalisation.  

The most fundamental structure of a song is its melody, then followed by its rhythm. If you insist, you can include the lyrics.

However, the component of a song that is most often changed is the lyrics, particularly when it is sung in a different language.

So, when you have totally internalised a song, the first thing is you put your own emotions into the song when you sing it.

If you are creative enough, you can modify the melody and the rhythm to suit yourselves, and turn it into something else, something that is completely yours. That is what some artistes do.

All in all, to make something completely yours, you first internalise it, then you externalise it. When you eat pork, you do not become a pig. When you eat beef, you do not become a cow. When you eat mutton, you do not become a goat. And when you eat chicken … , what do you become? I am not sure about that. May be some people do become one. So, make it yours! Make it completely yours!

Back to you Toastmaster!

After Thought

林子祥  (George Lam) performing  十分十二寸 to a live audience

During the preparation of this project, I wanted very much to include 林子祥 George Lam’s (also known passionate in Hong Kong as Ah Lam) famous 10-minute medley, 十分十二寸 (10-minute 12-inch single), into the content of my speech.

Personally, I did not fancy George Lam initially. I found that his singing was bordering on screaming and he sounded to me like his voice was breaking and was in danger of going out of tune.

However, after listening to his medley, 十分十二寸, I had a total change in my impression of him and his singing style. I began to appreciate his singing style and his songs.

In that medley, George Lam, combined Hong Kong’s most popular Cantonese songs into a non-stop 10-minute fast-paced medley.

He totally and completely transformed all those songs into a style of his own.

In my opinion, he made many of those songs sound better than when they were sung by the original artistes.

George Lam’s (林子祥) 十分十二寸 music video

It was the epitome of making it yours, completely yours!

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Writing a Speech with Purpose

Evaluation and Feedback-Writing a Speech With Purpose

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to learn or review basic methods for writing a speech with a defined purpose and to present a well-organized speech on any topic.

Overview: The member completing this project is working to write a speech with purpose. The speech they create must be wellwritten and clearly focused. Their goal is to meet their expressed purpose statement with a well-executed speech.

About this speech: The member will present a well-organized, well-delivered speech. The speech may be humorous, informational, or any style the member chooses. The speech content and style should work well together

This project includes:

■  Researching a topic

■  Writing a Speech With Purpose

■  The Speech Outline Worksheet

■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

Online Presenters Toastmasters

Strategies for Effective Evaluation

Have you ever been shy to sign up for that open evaluator role at next week’s meeting?

Have you ever given an evaluation and secretly wondered whether you were focusing on the right things?

Have you ever unintentionally made a speaker upset or self-conscious based on what you said during an evaluation?

If we’re being honest, most Toastmasters can probably answer “Yes” to each of these questions, even if the events occurred in unintentional or subconscious ways.

Being an evaluator is one of the most challenging and rewarding roles in Toastmasters. However, we must make a conscious effort to hone our skills and conduct ourselves according to the values of our organization. Members need highlights to recognize what a speaker did well, constructive criticism on what can be improved, and positive reinforcement to try again and again. Oh by the way, you have to accomplish all of that in two-to-three minutes with just a few minutes of preparation time.

The Purpose of the Evaluator

Fortunately, Toastmasters International provides us with a clear purpose statement for evaluators.

“Your purpose as an evaluator is to provide honest reaction in a constructive manner to the person’s efforts, using the evaluation guides provided. You are not a judge or an authority on speaking or leadership. When you evaluate, you are simply giving your own reaction to the person’s speaking or leadership efforts. An evaluation is an opinion, nothing more. This opinion should mention the effect on you, what the speaker or leader did well, areas where the speaker or leader could improve, and specific recommendations for improvement” Toastmasters International, 2011, p. 3

Let’s build a giant vacuum to suck up all of the air pollution over the world’s major cities and spew it out into space!

Let’s fire people from cannons on the outskirts to major hot spots in the city to reduce car traffic during rush hour.

I bet you have an opinion about these last two statements. That’s right, an evaluation is merely an opinion. Since you have opinions about things, you too can be an evaluator. In fact, anybody can be an evaluator! The first problem is solved. You should never be afraid to sign up to be an evaluator.

The Components of Evaluation

One might look to the skies on a dark, clear night, place a fist under the chin, and ponder what goes into an evaluation. Thankfully, we once again have clear guidelines on what is to be included in a Toastmasters evaluation. An evaluation is a two-to-three-minute speech. Therefore, it should have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Within the body of the evaluation, you should always include these components (Toastmasters International, 2011).

• What the speaker did well
• Areas in which the speaker can improve
• Specific recommendations for how the speaker can improve

What to Focus On

A more nuanced portion of evaluation comes in deciding what to focus on. With so many distractions in the world today ( What should I wear? Which Disney Princess am I? LOLcats? ), it is extremely important to focus on the right things during an evaluation. This article comes with a superb built-in table summarizing precisely what should be commented on and avoided during an evaluation.

First, every Toastmasters project comes with a clear set of objectives. As the evaluator, your responsibility is to assess how well the speaker achieved these goals. These are well-documented, so you only have to take a glance at the evaluation sheet prior to the speech.

Second, it is a good idea to talk with the speaker beforehand. You can find out any specific goals the speaker has for improving their speech and then focus your evaluation on those. For example, the speaker may be trying primarily to work on a specific aspect, such as gestures, filler words, or vocal variety.

Third, make sure to focus only on what is observed, not your personal assumptions. For instance, “I noticed that you were rocking back and forth during the speech” (an observation) is acceptable, whereas “You were rocking around because you are a nervous ne’er-do-well” (an assumption) is not acceptable. You don’t really know why someone exhibited a certain behavior during a speech and should never make assumptions related to that. The person may have had to go to the bathroom really bad, but was holding it in while the previous speaker went over time by 10 minutes, causing them to rock back and forth while they earnestly tried not to spill on themselves during their own speech. Focus on what you see, not your assumptions about what you see. Now you know what to focus on and knowing has been said by a 1980s cartoon to be half the battle.

How to Be Kind

A yet more nuanced factor of evaluation is making sure to provide feedback for improvement, while maintaining good feelings and relationships with our peers. When we offend people during an evaluation, it’s often because we have made an assumption about them or their behaviors. It is essential to focus on the objectives of the speech and behaviors that can be observed. Never pass judgement on the speaker themselves or comment on any conclusions you personally make inside your own head about the speaker. Instead, focus on making constructive suggestions for future improvement. Remember that everyone is at a different point along their Toastmasters journey. Our purpose is to continually improve through practice. Being mindful about of your purpose as an evaluator and the feelings of others helps ensure that you will not offend a fellow Toastmaster or start World War III by accident.

How to Add Value

While it is important to be kind and considerate in your delivery, it is equally important to provide value in your evaluation. Take special note that evaluation even has the world “valua” in it, which is pretty darn close to the world “value.” The key to providing a high-value evaluation is not just observing areas for improvement, but providing specific, feasible recommendations for how speakers can improve in the future. Here are a couple examples.

• “I noticed that you were rocking back and forth during your speech, which became a bit distracting for me. The next time you speak, try taking the stage with a firm, comfortable stance with your legs shoulder-width apart and your back up straight . This may help keep you centered as you make your introductory statement.”
• “I noticed that you used a very similar tone of voice for your grandmother whether she was baking cookies or saving your life after the stove caught fire. I imagine that the fire would have been a stressful emergency. Therefore, the next time you tell this story, you might try to change your tone of voice to express the intensity of emotion that your grandmother felt during this moment.”

Do you see the bold text? That signifies the value-added portion of these example statements. Without specific suggestions like these, an evaluation may have “valua,” but it most certainly does not have value.

Bonus Strategies for Evaluation

In addition to the fundamentals of evaluation, it is often helpful to apply specific strategies in different situations. Many such strategies have been developed and they come with more acronyms than my editor would allow me to list in this article. Here are a few places where you can find helpful evaluation strategies.

• Use the excellent Pathways evaluation resource format (Toastmasters International, 2016)
• Generally, it is preferable to give bad news first, followed by good news (Legg & Sweeny, 2014)
• Seek out one of the many alternative frameworks for structuring evaluations, which are well-documented (Denno, 2018)
• Look back fondly on a summary of all the tips included in this article and share them with others (Quick, 2019)

The idea behind applying a strategy is that you go into your evaluator role with a clear understanding of what you are paying attention to. For instance, the Pathways format (you excelled at, you may want to work on, to challenge yourself), HSF (heard, saw, felt), and GLOVE (gestures, language, organization, voice, enthusiasm) will yield drastically different feedback, because they focus the evaluator on different aspects of a speech. Strategies like these help us focus our evaluations on the most important aspects for the current situation.

The Evaluation Audience

Lastly, let’s consider one more question. Who is the evaluation for?

If you said, “the ants crawling out of the crack in one corner of the wall and traversing the carpet to steal the donuts on the table in our meeting room,” you have not taken this question seriously and have instead opted to humor yourself.

On the other hand, if you said some combination of the speaker, the evaluator, or everyone present in the meeting, you have proven yourself a serious professional with regard to the posed question. Indeed, the evaluation is not just for the speaker, but for everyone! Therefore, it is recommended that you:

• Prioritize items that will help all members learn and improve in your oral evaluation speech during the club meeting
• Share personalized, detailed feedback in a private follow-up conversation with the speaker

Unleash Your Inner Evaluator

You see, it’s just like the sappy ending to a movie from a few decades ago. The tools you needed to be an effective evaluator were inside you all along. Don’t hesitate, go forth and evaluate!

• Denno, R. (2018). Evaluation maven manifesto project. Retrieved from http://www.ewoliving.com
• Legg, A. M., & Sweeny, K. (2014). Do you want the good news or the bad news first? The nature and consequences of news order preferences. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 40 (3), 279-288. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net
• Quick, J. M. (2019). Effective evaluation for Toastmasters. Retrieved from https://www.toastmeister.com
• Toastmasters International. (2011). Effective evaluation. Retrieved from http://www.toastmasters.org
• Toastmasters International. (2016). Evaluation resource. Retrieved from https://www.d25toastmasters.org

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DISTRICT 89 TOASTMASTERS

Hong Kong, Macau, Fujian, Hainan and part of Guangdong, China

Evaluation Forms  ( EN / 繁 / 简 )

Pathways Resources

Submit Your Education Achievements on BOTH Base Camp & Club Central.

Please visit toastmasters.org to receive additional information about the new learning management system. https://www.toastmasters.org/education/pathways/pathways-updates.

Dear Toastmaster,

You may already know that the Pathways learning experience is moving to a new Learning Management System (LMS) in the first half of next year. Toastmasters International is preparing to transfer your education data from the existing LMS to the new one well in advance of the transition to support a successful launch.To ensure that your education achievements transition to the new LMS correctly,  you need to check that they are all submitted on BOTH Base Camp and Club Central. If you were identified as someone who may not currently have everything submitted in both places, Toastmasters sent you an email.  In this space, your district is including the information that was sent to those selected members.Learn how to check your submissions in the below 4-minute screencast video. Then, if you discover that an achievement was submitted to one platform but not the other, ask your Club President, Vice President Education, or Club Secretary to make the missing submission on your behalf.

Watch video

The above video show members how to take the following steps:

• In My Home, find the “Education and Achievements” section.
• Review your education awards on the Achievement Board. These are the awards you received recognition for from Toastmasters International.
• Now compare to your achievements on Base Camp by navigating to the Paths and Learning page in your curriculum.
• If a path is not complete, verify each level completion by opening the path.
• For completed paths, navigate to the “Completed Paths” section.

If you discover any achievements submitted on Club Central but not Base Camp (or vice versa), ask your club officer to make the needed submission on your behalf.  If you did not check that this was done by the Toastmasters recommended deadline of December 15th, we recommend that you do so immediately to ensure your data is correct in the new LMS.

The following video is for club officers to review to help their members make any corrections to be ready for the new system.

 Pathways is a competency-based program that has eleven specialized learning paths. Each learning path has five levels of achievement that increase in complexity and contain at least fourteen projects with a mix of required and elective projects.

For the new level 1 projects added in october 2021, demonstration videos for vocal variety, body language, and gestures have also been provided..

• FIND-A-CLUB
• Path: Motivational Strategies
• Pathways Paths and Projects

Motivational Strategies

This path helps you build your skills as a powerful and effective communicator. The projects focus on learning strategies for building connections with the people around you, understanding motivation and successfully leading small groups to accomplish tasks. This path culminates in a comprehensive team-building project that brings all of your skills together—including public speaking.

LEVEL 1 (10/2021)

Level 1 (pre 10/2021), level 1: mastering fundamentals, level 1 projects (required).

This foundational project is designed to introduce you to your club and the skills you need to begin your Toastmasters journey.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to introduce yourself to the club and learn the basic structure of a public speech.

Overview:  Write and deliver a speech about any topic to introduce yourself to the club. Your speech may be humorous, informational, or any other style that appeals to you.

This project includes:

■  A 4- to 6-minute speech

WRITING A SPEECH WITH PURPOSE

This foundational project is designed to help you write and deliver your first Toastmasters speech or the first speech in your new path.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to learn or review basic methods for writing a speech with a defined purpose and to present a well-organized speech on any topic.

Overview:  Select a topic that appeals to you. It can be anything. Be sure your topic is narrow enough to be an effective 5- to 7-minute speech.

Clearly define your topic and consider your goal for your speech. Before you organize your speech, identify and express your purpose in a single sentence. Practice your speech and refine its organization. Present your speech at a club meeting.

■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

INTRODUCTION TO VOCAL VARIETY AND BODY LANGUAGE

This foundational project is designed to help you learn the basics of presenting with engaging vocal variety and compelling body language.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to practice using vocal variety or body language to enhance a speech.

Overview:  Learn or review the importance of vocal variety and body language. Present a 5- to 7-minute speech on any topic at a club meeting. The primary focus of the evaluation is your vocal variety or your body language and gestures. You will identify the skills you are working on for your evaluator before you deliver your speech and be evaluated on those skills.

EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK

This project addresses the skills needed to give and receive feedback. You will learn about giving, receiving and applying feedback.

Purpose:  This project comprises three assignments – the delivery of two speeches and an evaluation. The purpose of this project is to present a speech on any topic, receive feedback, and apply the feedback to the second speech.

Overview:  Choose any topic for your first 5- to 7-minute speech. After your speech, carefully review your feedback. At a different club meeting, present a second 5- to 7-minute speech in which you incorporate feedback from your first speech. You may choose to present the same speech again or a new speech. Your second speech should reflect some or all of the feedback from your first speech. To complete this project, serve as an evaluator at a club meeting and deliver constructive feedback about another member’s presentation.

This project includes: ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech ■  Another 5 – 7 minute speech that incorporates feedback from the first speech ■  Serving as a speech evaluator

RESEARCHINIG AND PRESENTING

This project addresses topic selection strategies, suggestions for research and methods for producing a well organized speech.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to learn or review basic research methods and present a well-organized, well-researched speech on any topic.

Overview:  Select a topic that you are not already familiar with or that you wish to learn more about. Be sure your topic is narrow enough to be an effective 5- to 7-minute speech. Research the topic and begin organizing the information, as described in this project. Practice your speech and continue to refine its organization. Present your speech at a club meeting.

■  Researching a topic ■  The Research Worksheet ■  The Speech Outline Worksheet ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

Level 2: Learning Your Style

Level 2 projects (required).

This project focuses on recognizing your preferred communication style and understanding how your style impacts your interactions with others.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to learn about different communication styles and identify your primary style.

Overview:  Complete the Discover Your Communication Style questionnaire to help you identify your style. Deliver a 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting about your communication style and its impact on your professional and/or personal relationships. If you are uncomfortable discussing your communication style, you may speak about the communication styles you have encountered and how they impact you. Your speech should not be a report of the content of this project.

This project includes: ■  The Discover Your Communication Style questionnaire ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

ACTIVE LISTENING

This project covers the difference between hearing and listening, and steps for exploring the ways listening helps build strong, lasting connections.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to demonstrate your ability to listen to what others say.

Overview:  At a club meeting, fulfill the role of Topicsmaster. As Topicsmaster, comment on each speaker’s Table Topics® speech to demonstrate your active listening skills. For example, you might say, “Thank you. That was a compelling opinion on the benefits of gardening. I understand you feel strongly that everyone needs to spend some time doing something they love.”

This project includes: ■  Serving as Topicsmaster at a club meeting

INTRODUCTION TO TOASTMASTER MENTORNG

This project introduces the value of mentorship and the Toastmasters view of mentors and protégés.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to clearly define how Toastmasters envisions mentoring.

Overview:  Write and present a 5- to 7-minute speech about a time when you were a protégé. Share the impact and importance of having a mentor. This speech is not a report on the content of this project.

Note: Every member in Toastmasters Pathways must complete this project.

This project includes: ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

Level 3: Increasing Knowledge

Level 3 project (required), understanding emotional intelligence.

This project addresses elements of emotional intelligence. It is designed to help you understand your own emotions and the emotions of others.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to cultivate an understanding of how your emotions impact your relationships. It is also designed to help you identify how others’ emotions impact your emotional state.

Overview:  For a minimum of two weeks, keep a journal about your emotions and how they impact you and others. Discuss the impact of tracking your emotions in a 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting.  (Note: You are not required to share the intimacies of your experience.)  Finally, submit the signed Project Completion Form to your vice president education to indicate you completed your journal.

This project includes: ■  A journal you maintain for a minimum of two weeks ■  The Project Completion Form ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

LEVEL 3 ELECTIVES [CHOOSE 2]

Connect with storytelling.

This project addresses storytelling techniques and descriptive skills to help make every speech relatable and interesting.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice using a story within a speech or giving a speech that is a story.

Overview: Choose an established story, a story about your life, or a fictional tale of your own creation. Deliver the 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting.

This project includes:  ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

CONNECT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE

This project focuses on different audience types and how to address them effectively.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice the skills needed to connect with an unfamiliar audience.

Overview: Develop a 5- to 7-minute speech on a topic that is unfamiliar to the majority of your audience. Because you deliver this speech in your Toastmasters club, you are familiar with the audience members’ preferences and personalities. Selecting a topic that is new or unfamiliar to your club members will allow you to practice adapting as you present. As you speak, monitor the audience’s reaction to your topic and adapt as necessary to maintain engagement.

CREATING EFFECTIVE VISUAL AIDES

This project addresses effective methods for choosing the best visual aid for your presentation along with the creation and use of each type.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice selecting and using a variety of visual aids during a speech.

Overview: Choose a speech topic that lends itself well to using visual aids. Create at least one but no more than three visual aids to enhance your presentation. Deliver your 5- to 7-minute presentation at a club meeting.

This project includes:  ■  Creating one to three visual aids  ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES

This project addresses the skills needed to compose a speech for a social occasion including a toast, eulogy, an acceptance speech and a speech praising an individual or group.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice delivering social speeches in front of your club members.

Overview: Develop two different social speeches—each 3 to 4 minutes—and present them at two separate club meetings. You may choose any two types of social speeches that appeal to you or that you would like to practice.

This project includes: ■  The Social Speech Basics resource ■  Two 3- to 4-minute speeches

EFFECTIVE BODY LANGUAGE

This project focuses on how to recognize body language used when speaking publicly and how to use gestures to enhance speech content.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to deliver a speech with awareness of your intentional and unintentional body language, as well as to learn, practice, and refine how you use nonverbal communication when delivering a speech.

Overview: Prepare a 5- to 7-minute speech on a topic that lends itself to expression through your movement and gestures. Video record your presentation and get feedback from your mentor or another reviewer before speaking to your club. If you do not have access to a recording device, perform your speech in front of a mirror and make adjustments before your scheduled speech.

FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE

This project addresses strategies for improving your personal interactions by understanding the impact of your attitudes and thoughts on daily interactions.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice being aware of your thoughts and feelings, as well as the impact of your responses on others.

Overview: Keep a daily record of your moods and attitudes for a minimum of two weeks, noting when you feel positive or negative, your successes and efforts, and three things for which you are grateful. Record and evaluate any changes in your behavior or the behavior of those around you. At a club meeting, share some aspect of your experience. You may choose to schedule a 2-to 3-minute report or a 5-to 7-minute speech. After completing your speech, submit your signed Project Completion Form to your vice president education to indicate you completed the journal.

This project includes:  ■  Recording your daily moods and attitudes for a minimum of two weeks  ■  A 2- to 3-minute report or a 5- to 7-minute speech  ■  The Project Completion Form

INSPIRE YOUR AUDIENCE

This project addresses how to present a speech in an enthusiastic and inspiring fashion to establish a strong rapport with your audience.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice writing and delivering a speech that inspires others.

Overview: Select a topic with the intent of inspiring your audience and prepare a 5- to 7-minute speech for your club.

KNOW YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR

This project focuses on understanding what makes you laugh and how to share that with an audience.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to begin developing a collection of humorous stories and to present a speech that includes humor.

Overview: Give a 5- to 7-minute speech on a topic of your choosing. Your speech should include at least one anecdote or story intended to entertain or bring humor into your presentation.

This project includes: ■ A 5- to 7-minute speech

MAKE CONNECTIONS THROUGH NETWORKING

This project focuses on how to network effectively and understanding the importance of being a professional ally to people in your network.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to develop and practice a personal strategy for building connections through networking.

Overview:  Prepare for and attend a networking event. After the event, present a 5- to 7-minute speech to your club. Your speech can include a story or stories about your experience, a description of what you learned, or a discussion on the benefits of networking. Your speech may be personal to you or informational about networking. If you attend a non-Toastmasters event, you must sign the Project Completion Form and give it to your vice president education.

This project includes: ■  The Prepare to Network resource ■  Attending a networking event ■  The Project Completion Form ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW

This project addresses the skills you need to identify and speak about personal strengths and present yourself well in an interview of any type.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice the skills needed to present yourself well in an interview.

Overview: Determine which type of interview you would like to practice, such as a job or expert interview. Prepare by reviewing your skills and abilities. Complete the resources in the project and give them to your interviewer before your presentation. You determine which member of your club interviews you, but your interviewer must be someone other than your evaluator. In a 5- to 7-minute role-play presentation at a club meeting, practice answering interview questions to promote your skills, abilities, and experience.

This project includes:  ■  The Identifying Your Skills Worksheet  ■  The Interviewer Instructions resource  ■  A 5- to 7-minute role-play interview at a club meeting

RESEARCHING & PRESENTING (10/2021 became elective)

Understanding vocal variety.

This project addresses the importance of vocal variety when giving a speech and provides activities to develop and nurture its use.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice using vocal variety to enhance a speech.

Overview: Learn or review the importance of vocal variety. Use the exercises in this project to improve your vocal variety skills. Then, present a 5- to 7-minute speech on any topic at a club meeting. The primary focus of the evaluation is your vocal variety.

USING DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE

This project addresses the difference between literal and figurative language along with how to determine when to use each to create vivid descriptions.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice writing a speech with an emphasis on adding language to increase interest and impact.

Overview: You may speak on any topic. Develop a 5- to 7-minute speech describing the topic in detail and present it at your club meeting.

USING PRESENTATION SOFTWARE

This project addresses the use of presentation software—from identifying topics that benefit from the use of technology to effective slide design and presentation.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to introduce or review basic presentation software strategies for creating and using slides to support or enhance a speech.

Overview: Select a speech topic that lends well to a visual presentation using technology. Use the content of this project and your own research to help you develop your slides. Give a 5- to 7-minute speech using the slides you developed. Your speech can be humorous, demonstrative, or informational, and it may include stories or anecdotes.

This project includes:  ■  Developing presentation slides  ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech 

Level 4: Building Skills

Level 4 project (required), motivate others.

This project focuses on how people are motivated. It is designed to help you build your leadership skills by effectively motivating team members.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to practice the skills needed to motivate team members through the completion of a project.

Overview:  Build a team of three to four people to help you create and complete a project to benefit your club. Use the information in the project to develop motivational strategies for each team member. After the project, you may choose to ask team members and at least one club officer to complete a 360° evaluation to give you feedback on your communication and leadership. Deliver a 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting about your experience. Your speech is not a report on the content of this project.

This project includes: ■  Building and motivating a team to complete a project that benefits your club ■  The Team-Building Activities resource ■  The 360° Evaluation resource ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

LEVEL 4 ELECTIVES [CHOOSE 1]

Building a social media presence.

This project addresses how best to use different types of online communication. You will create and maintain an online profile to promote yourself or an organization.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to apply your understanding of social media to enhance an established or new social media presence.

Overview: Use this project and your own research to build a new social media presence or enhance an existing presence. You may focus on a personal goal (such as connecting with old friends or promoting a blog) or on a professional goal (such as promoting a business or organization). Use the tools you identify as best for you and your purpose. After you achieve your goal, deliver a 5- to 7-minute speech to your club about your results, experience, and the benefits of social media. Submit the Project Completion Form to your vice president education to receive credit for completing the project.

Note: With the vice president public relation’s approval, you may choose to create a social media presence for your Toastmasters club.

This project includes:  ■  Establishing or enhancing a social media presence  ■  The Project Completion Form  ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

CREATE A PODCAST

This project addresses the skills you need to develop a podcast, create interesting content and organize a cohesive program. You will learn how to record and upload it to the internet.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to introduce you to the skills needed to organize and present a podcast.

Overview: Use this project and your own research to create a podcast. Record a minimum of 60 minutes of content. You are free to divide the episodes as you choose. Each separate episode must be at least 10 minutes, but may be longer if it fits your topic and style. After you record all content, play a 5- to 10-minute segment in your club. Introduce the segment in a 2- to 3-minute speech..

This project includes:  ■  Recording 60 minutes of podcast content  ■  A 2- to 3-minute introduction speech

MANAGE ONLINE MEETINGS

This project addresses how to effectively conduct online meetings and webinars, prepare and organize necessary visual aids, and lead with confidence.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice facilitating an online meeting or leading a webinar.

Overview: Conduct a 20- to 25-minute online meeting with fellow Toastmasters or a 20- to 25-minute webinar with visual aids for fellow Toastmasters. You determine the topic of your meeting or webinar. Research and use software that best fits your needs and geographic area. Invite your evaluator to participate in the online meeting or webinar. If you complete your assignment with non-Toastmasters, you must receive approval from the vice president education and invite your evaluator to attend.

This project includes:  ■  The Online Meeting Agenda resource  ■  The Online Meeting Basics resource  ■  Planning and conducting a 20- to 25-minute online meeting or webinar

MANAGE PROJECTS SUCCESSFULLY

This project focuses on skills needed to effectively manage a project, develop rapport with stakeholders and cultivate strong relationships with a team.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice developing a plan, building a team, and fulfilling the plan with the help of your team.

Overview: Form a team of three to four people and choose a project. Create a plan for your project and present the plan to your club in a 2- to 3-minute speech. Work with your team to complete your project. Present a 5- to 7-minute speech about your experience. This speech may be humorous, informational, or any type of speech that appeals to you. It should not be a report about the content of this project, but a reflection of your experience applying what you learned.

Note: When considering projects to complete, refer to future projects on your path. You may be able to use the assignment in this project to help you prepare for the completion of an upcoming project.

This project includes:  ■  Building a team  ■  Creating a project plan  ■  The Project Plan resource  ■  A 2- to 3-minute speech about your plan  ■  Completing the plan with your team  ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech about your experience

MANAGING A DIFFICULT AUDIENCE

This project covers common behaviors of difficult audience members and how to address each behavior in a calm, effective and professional way.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice the skills needed to address audience challenges when you present outside of your Toastmasters club.

Overview: Prepare a 5- to 7-minute speech on a topic of your choosing. You may write a new speech or use a speech you presented previously. You will be evaluated on the way you manage audience disruptions, not the content of your speech. Before your club meeting, send the Role Play Assignments resource to the Toastmaster and vice president education. As you present your speech, respond to different types of difficult audience members that disrupt you. The process of speaking and responding to audience members will take 12 to 15 minutes.

This project includes:  ■  A role play assignment for club members  ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to practice the skills needed to effectively use public relations strategies for any group or situation.

Overview:  Create a public relations plan for a real or hypothetical group or situation. If it involves your club, it must be hypothetical unless you communicate with the vice president public relations and club president. Share your plan in a 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting. This speech is not a report on the content of this project, but an example of how you will or might apply what you learned.

This project includes: ■  Creating a public relations strategy ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION

This project addresses how to prepare to answer questions and provide information clearly, concisely and with confidence.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to learn about and practice facilitating a question-and-answer session.

Overview: Select a topic of which you are particularly knowledgeable. Prepare and deliver a speech on this topic, followed by a question-and-answer session. Together, the speech and question-and-answer session must be 15 to 20 minutes. Use your time effectively to ensure both segments are completed.

This project includes:  ■  A 5-to 7-minute speech  ■  A question-and-answer session after the speech

WRITING A COMPELLING BLOG

This project addresses the basics of developing a compelling blog and successfully engaging a readership.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to review or introduce the skills needed to write and maintain a blog.

Overview: Post a minimum of eight blog posts in one month. Your blog may be new or one you have already established. You must receive approval from the vice president education to blog on behalf of your club. Deliver a 2- to 3-minute speech at a club meeting about the impact of your blogging experience. You may choose to have your blog evaluated by members of the club. Submit your signed Project Completion Form to the vice president education to receive credit for this project.

This project includes:  ■  Maintaining a blog and posting at least eight times in one month  ■  The Blog Evaluation Form  ■  The Project Completion Form  ■  A 2- to 3-minute speech

Level 5: Demonstrating Expertise

Level 5 projects (required).

This project addresses the benefits of team building. It is designed to help you build a sense of collaboration and trust within a team completing a project.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to practice the skills needed to build a cohesive team and host an event

Overview:  Build and work with a small team to design and host a team-building event, either in your Toastmasters club or another environment. Any non-Toastmasters event must be approved by your club’s vice president education and attended by a member of your club leadership team. Before the event, deliver a 2- to 3-minute report at a club meeting to share your plans. After the event, deliver a 5- to 7-minute speech to your club. The content of the speech is up to you, but needs to be about your event, the impact of leading on you and your team, or the impact of building a team on you as a leader.

This project includes: ■  Working with a small team to design and host a team-building event ■  The Team-Building Activities resource ■  The Team-Building Event Evaluation resource ■  A 2- to 3-minute report ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

REFLECT ON YOUR PATH

This project is designed to give you an opportunity to share your experience at the end of your path.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to reflect on your growth during the completion of an entire path.

Overview:  At a club meeting, present a 10- to 12-minute speech to share your experience completing your path. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on how far you have come, summarize the skills you have learned and developed, and to celebrate your achievements. Your speech can be humorous, informational, or any style that that appeals to you and supports your speech content.

This project includes: ■  The Your Toastmasters Journey resource ■  A 10- to 12-minute speech

LEVEL 5 ELECTIVES [CHOOSE 1]

Ethical leadership.

This project addresses the importance of recognizing the effect of decisions that impact ethics, best practices for making ethical decisions and developing an ethical framework.

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to develop a clear understanding of your own ethical framework and create an opportunity for others to hear about and discuss ethics in your organization or community.

Overview:  Define an ethical framework for yourself. To do this, you may need to complete personal research beyond the contents of this project. Then, organize and moderate a 20- to 40-minute panel discussion about ethics, followed by a question-and-answer session. If you have never facilitated a panel discussion, review the “Moderate a Panel Discussion” elective project.

■  The Ethical Framework resource

■  Organizing and moderating a panel discussion as well as a question-and-answer session

HIGH PERFORMANCE LEADERSHIP

The focus of this project is to design and complete a project with well-defined goals, lead a team and be accountable to a guidance committee.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to apply your leadership and planning knowledge to develop a project plan, organize a guidance committee, and implement your plan with the help of a team.

Overview: Select a project to complete with a team of at least three other members. Form a guidance committee and meet at least five times through the duration of the project. Deliver a 5-to 7-minute speech at a club meeting to introduce your plan and vision. After you implement the plan, deliver a second 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting to share your experience developing and completing your plan.

This project includes:  ■  Selecting, leading, and completing a project with a team  ■  Forming and meeting with a guidance committee at least five times  ■  The Guidance Committee Introduction resource  ■  The Meeting Agenda resource  ■  The Project Plan Overview resource  ■  The Project Plan resource  ■  The Vision Plan resource  ■  The Event Planning Worksheet  ■  The 360° Evaluation resource  ■  Two 5- to 7-minute speeches

LEAD IN YOUR VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION

This project focuses on the skills required to lead in a volunteer organization and the importance of recognition and reward in motivating volunteers.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to apply the skills needed to successfully lead in a volunteer organization.

Overview: Serve in a leadership role in Toastmasters or another volunteer organization for at least six months. You may complete this project based on your employment, but a volunteer organization is preferable. Ask members of the organization to complete a 360° evaluation of your leadership skills. Create a succession plan to aid in the transition after you leave your position of leadership. After your six-month term, deliver a 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting to reflect on your personal experience.

This project includes:  ■  Serving in a volunteer leadership role for a minimum of six months  ■  Conducting a 360° evaluation of your leadership skills  ■  Creating a succession plan  ■  The Succession Plan resource  ■  The 360° Evaluation resource  ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

LESSONS LEARNED

This project addresses how to identify the discussion points of a large group meeting, encourage a culture of contribution and voicing opinions, and facilitate productive discussion that yields results.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to learn about and apply the skills needed to run a lessons learned meeting during a project or after its completion.

Overview: Facilitate a lessons learned meeting for a team with which you are completing or have completed a project. This meeting is separate from your regular Toastmasters meeting. Organize and facilitate a discussion. Record the results into a document you and your team members can use to facilitate the current project or future projects. If you haven’t already, give team members an opportunity to complete a 360° evaluation of you as a team leader. (Use the 360° Evaluation resource.) Finally, present a 5- to 7-minute speech in your club about the lessons learned meeting or your leadership experience.

This project includes:  ■  Facilitating a lessons learned meeting  ■  Documenting the results of the lessons learned meeting  ■  The 360° Evaluation resource  ■  The Lessons Learned Response Log  ■  The Metrics Log  ■  A 5- to 7-minute speech

MODERATE A PANEL DISCUSSION

This project addresses the skills needed to successfully moderate a panel discussion and how to be an effective participant on a panel.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to apply your skills as a public speaker and leader to facilitate a panel discussion.

Overview: Plan and moderate a 20- to 40-minute panel discussion. The panel discussion can be on any topic and may take place at a club meeting or outside of Toastmasters with the approval of your vice president education. Toastmasters who participate as panelists do not receive credit in Toastmasters Pathways. When you have the opportunity, volunteer to act as a panelist for another member completing this project.

This project includes:  ■  Planning and moderating a 20- to 40-minute panel discussion  ■  The Panelist Basics resource  ■  The Project Completion Form

PREPARE TO SPEAK PROFESSIONALLY

This project is designed to help you define the attributes of professional speakers and apply that understanding to your own skills as a speaker.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice developing and presenting a longer speech

Overview: Write and present an 18- to 22-minute keynote-style speech. Exemplify the point of view or message you would convey as a professional-level speaker. You may choose to use visual aids if they fit your speech and your style. Your speech may be humorous, informational, or any style that appeals to you and supports your speech content. If you receive advance approval from the vice president education, you may present your speech to a non- Toastmasters group.

This project includes:  ■  The Speech Outline Worksheet  ■  An 18- to 22-minute keynote-style speech

Ready to Aim Higher?

Completion of this path puts you well on the way to achieving Toastmasters highest honour – the  Distinguished Toastmaster Award . To reach that goal, you need to:

• complete one more path
• serve a term as a club officer
• serve a term as a district officer
• become a club mentor or club coach
• be a club sponsor, conduct a Speechcraft Course or Youth Leadership Program

Final step to complete DTM –  DTM Project

Good luck with your journey!