Between October 2012 and June 2013, I intend to complete all 10 manual speeches in the Toastmaster International Competent Communicator Manual under a Peter Pan theme!
Below is the title and description of each speech project. I’ve also included the date of when it will be done (or when it was done). Click the title of any speech to see more details about the speech project, including the video if it has been completed.
Project #01: Ice Breaker – “Hello, My Name is Peter“
DATE: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 ****COMPLETED*****
Rather than doing a speech about myself, I decided to do this speech as if I was Peter Pan giving his first manual speech! It was fun to pretend to be him, as I explained what life was like in Neverland, what it was like not growing up, and the conflicts he had with Captain Hook.
Project #02: Organize Your Speech – “Peter & Wendy, by JM Barrie in 5-7“
DATE: Tuesday, December 4, 2012 ****COMPLETED****
I chose to tell the story of “Peter of Wendy” (later re-titled to “Peter Pan”) because any good story has a beginning, middle and end built right in. If you don’t remember the story of Peter Pan, or if you need a quick refresher on the story, you can become reacquainted in about 15 minutes. Unfortunately, I failed at trying to condense it to a 5-7 minute timeframe!
Project #03: Get to the Point – “Bad Parenting & Lost Boys: Is There a Correlation?“
DATE: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 ****COMPLETED****
As described in the book “Peter & Wendy”: “When a boy falls out of his [crib] and is unclaimed by his parents, he is sent to Neverland.” This has led me to believe that the Lost Boys are basically a gang of kids that had parents who did not love them. In this speech I point out the similarities between the Lost Boys and homeless children. At least the Lost Boys were lucky to have Neverland.
Project #04: How to Say It – “Mermaids Demystified“
DATE: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 ****COMPLETED****
What do we really know about mermaids? The top half is a human female, and the bottom half is a fish. Other than that, most people don’t know much more. Are they really friendly? What about mermen – do they exist? Are they real or mythological? Check out this video to learn all about mermaids!
Project #05: Your Body Speaks – “The Trouble with Women in Neverland“
DATE: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 ****COMPLETED*****
The story of Peter Pan only mentions of these women in Neverland: Tinker
Bell, Wendy, Tiger Lily, and the mermaids. Obviously this island is
very male dominated, and feminists have expressed this inequality with
dissatisfaction. Have the feminists ever given credit to any men for
trying to make the world a better place? How come men don’t seem to want
to grow up? This video takes a light hearted look at the “real” gender
issues in Neverland, with Don explaining the trouble with women in
Neverland, and BJ Olsen explaining the trouble with men in Neverland.
Project #06: Vocal Variety – “Hook and Steve Irwin: Surviving Crocodiles“
DATE: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 ****COMPLETED****
Peter Pan cut off Captain Hook’s hand and fed it to a crocodile. The crocodile has been looking for rest of Captain Hook ever since. Steve Irwin, the late host of “The Crocodile Hunter” was an Australian conservationist who was very knowledgeable about crocodiles. What advice would Mr Irwin have given to Captain Hook? The speech contains a lot of information about crocodiles and is presented in a very entertaining manner.
Project #07: Research Your Topic – “108 Years of Peter Pan“
DATE: Thursday, January 10, 2013 ****COMPLETED****
Peter Pan first came out as play on Dec 27, 1904. The legacy of Peter Pan has grown worldwide! Researching the history of Peter Pan was enjoyable, and speaking about it was even more fun. Watch the video to learn where the idea of Peter Pan came from, who the author was, and who really owns the rights to Peter Pan to this day (it’s not Disney).
Project #08: Visual Aids – “Tinker Bell-The Fabulous Fantastic Famous Fairy“
DATE: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 ****COMPLETED****
Fairies are mentioned in a lot of literary works. If you ask people to name one fairy, a name often mentioned is “Tinker Bell”. She is that popular! This speech will tell you everything you want to know about Tinker Bell: How she got her name, who the model was for the Disney animation, and other interesting facts about Tinker Bell. For visual aids, my friend Kristine Campbell let me showcase her collection of Tinker Bell artwork.
Project #09: Persuade with Power – “Join Captain Hook’s Navy Now“
DATE: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 ****COMPLETED****
In the book “Peter and Wendy” (better known as “Peter Pan”), Captain Hook tried unsuccessfully to encourage the Lost Boys to join his crew. He threatened the boys by giving them a choice: Join Captain Hook, or walk the plank! When the boys decided to walk the plank, all I could think is how poor Captain Hook’s persuasion skills are. In this speech, I use the softer skills of selling. No threats! Well, maybe only if the grammar is poor!
Project #10: Inspire Your Audience – “Why I’ll Never Grow Up and Why You Shouldn’t Either“
DATE: Tuesday, June 4, 2013 ****COMPLETED****
Dave Barry, columnist and humorist, said it best when he said, “You may be only young once, but you can always be immature!” There is a distinct difference between being irresponsible and being immature. There is also a difference between being a dreamer and being stupid. Not growing up is a way to keep a lot of fun in your life. This speech brings inspiration and wisdom for staying young. Peter Pan would be so proud!