How to Use This Manual
As soon as you receive this manual, read all the material up to and including Lesson One. Become thoroughly familiar with the content. Complete this before you receive your first assignment. Be sure to bring this manual with you to every meeting, having it available at all times and referring to it often.Take Speeches in Order
Each lesson is complete within itself. Yet it is fit into an overall scheme, a master plan, and each must be taken in order. It is not intended that the lessons be learned and conquered in one effort. This is one reason they are called lessons and not merely speech numbers. This is not a "How to Be an Eloquent Speaker in 10 Easy Lessons" manual – it is a handbook to be referred to and used over and over many times to help you develop your personality.
Lessons Are Building Blocks
| Ask God to help you perform your part so as to be the most help to all the others. |
Each lesson is designed as a building block to fit into a whole. After you complete Lesson Two: "Have Purpose," every speech you give thereafter should have purpose. After you complete Lesson Three: "Be Crystal Clear," every speech you give thereafter should be crystal clear.
If, at any time, one of these main factors of speech-making is lacking in your presentation, go back and repeat the lesson you need to learn. Don’t feel that to "go back" is to retreat. It is only to make your foundation sure.
Purposefully review from time to time. Measure your accomplishments with the goals in the "purpose" section of each lesson. Be sure to use and review your personal evaluation sheets constantly. If one particular weakness shows up consistently, redo the lesson that will help correct it.
Use Manual Before Preparing
When the time arrives for you to give a speech, be there. Be ready. Be thoroughly familiar with the purpose set forth in the manual for the speech you are giving. Don’t just glance over the manual at the last minute before you give the speech. Don’t even begin to prepare until you have read what is required of you. When you have prepared, read over again the lesson you are trying to fulfill and see if your speech will be what is required.
You will discover many excuses for postponing your first few speeches. Drop excuses such as: "I can’t find time to prepare; I can’t think of any subject; I can’t decide what to say; my mother-in-law is visiting me the evening of the meeting." Give your speech when it is assigned barring only major catastrophes!
The entire club is only the collection of its individual members. If you are not an active, participating member you not only cheat yourself of an opportunity to learn, but you hurt others who might learn from you and from the smooth and efficient running of your club. There are 12 or more active parts assigned for each meeting. If one of the cylinders of an engine does not perform when its turn comes, the entire engine and its efficiency is affected.
Be Speech-Conscious
All the principles and many of the exercises and suggestions in this manual can be applied and used 24 hours a day. Voice exercises, English and vocabulary, how to think logically – you must work on all these things every waking hour.
Above all, approach this whole endeavor prayerfully. Pray for help. Pray about each speaking and evaluating assignment you have. Pray about the meetings ahead of time, and ask God to help you perform your part so as to be the most help to all the others.
May God guide your every effort in this club.
Club Goals and Purposes The Spokesman Clubs are sponsored by the Worldwide Church of God. Their membership is open to members of the church – and others, as the director’s discretion.Develop Whole Personality
These clubs are designed to contribute to the development of the whole personality. Development of a pleasant and effective voice is encouraged. Proper appearance in dress, posture, manner and facial expression is stimulated by the club program.
Development of sincerity, friendliness, enthusiasm and humor is encouraged by specific speech opportunities and helpful criticisms. The qualities of poise, wisdom and quick thinking on one’s feet are stimulated.
The development of Christian character based on the qualities of love,
wisdom, sincerity and humility is certainly a foremost goal of Spokesman Club. Jesus
Christ stated, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew
12:34). Since, in the end, you say what you are, this presents a tremendous challenge to
all club members to truly become an instrument in God’s hands.
The mastery of self-will and vanity, made necessary by constantly speaking before others; the self-discipline required to properly prepare effective and helpful speeches regularly – these factors contribute toward the development of strong Christian character.
The many opportunities for actively and outwardly showing love and a spirit of service in all phases of the club’s program is a continuing stimulus to become more like Christ – and to live according to His basic precept: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
Christian Fellowship
A second main purpose for Spokesman Clubs is to provide opportunities for Christian fellowship and recreation. The regular club meetings, together with occasional club outings, provide these opportunities. Special evenings, which can be held two or three times a year, are enjoyable and uplifting for the club members and their spouses or dates.
| The development of Christian character is a foremost goal of Spokesman Club. |
Spokesman Clubs do not sponsor churchwide activities, because those are a function of the local church.
Whether in the regular meetings or in special programs, Spokesman Clubs provide their members with a wonderful opportunity for zestful, stimulating, Christian recreation and fun.
In Summary
The Spokesman Club program, then, serves to develop the whole personality and provides opportunities for Christian fellowship and recreation with other Christians. In these ways, Spokesman Clubs contribute to the overall growth of their members and to the development of the whole man.
Constitution and Bylaws Club NameThe full name of a Spokesman Club will include the name of the city of the local church, followed by the words Spokesman Club. If more than one club is established in a city, the official name may include the name of the city in which your local church is located, and the section (A, B, C, etc.) followed by the words Spokesman Club. Example: Houston "A" Spokesman Club.
Purpose
The purpose of the Spokesman Clubs is stated in the beginning of this manual. In short, that purpose is to provide training in effective organization of right thoughts and ability to put them across in plain, understandable speech.
Membership
| Spokesman Club teaches organization of right thoughts and ability to put them across in plain speech. |
Any member of the church is eligible to apply for membership. At the pastor’s discretion individuals who are attending services but who are not yet baptized also may become members of Spokesman Club.
Application for membership should be made directly to the pastor or the club’s director.
New members are admitted by the director on the basis of available openings. Members must attend regularly and demonstrate effort to improve their speaking skills in accordance with the goals of the club. Misconduct is always grounds for dismissal from the club.
Size Limitations of Club
The maximum membership of a Spokesman Club will be limited to 30. When a club has grown to this maximum and there are yet additional applicants who qualify, the club shall be divided into two clubs. If it is impossible to divide the club, then a waiting list must be maintained.
Leaves of absence or honorary inactive membership are not allowed in Spokesman Clubs. The person who wishes to drop out of a club for an extended period of time must be dropped completely, and at the time he wishes to re-enter, must make a new application for admission.
Guests
Clubs should encourage attendance of outside guests for the following reasons:
- They add an extra challenge to the members who have an opportunity to speak before a larger and varied audience.
- Potential club members have a chance to look over proceedings and become acquainted with club activities.
- Church members at large have a chance to enjoy fellowship with members of the church who are actively improving themselves.
Members who wish to invite guests should obtain permission from the director, president or vice president, who in turn will notify the sergeant-at-arms if additional facilities are needed.
When groups are to be invited to attend club meetings, the president should decide, with the director’s approval, who should be invited and when. This is done during the business portion of the meeting.
Membership Dues
Local membership dues are assessed of the members in accordance with the needs of the individual club. The amount assessed should be arrived at by the club during the business session and must meet the approval of the local director.
This amount should include the cost of all equipment and speech materials, hall rental and other expenses.
Special assessments may be levied for designated purposes from time to time according to the general desire of the club and with approval of the director.
Spokesman Club Officers
The director, who is often the local pastor, directs the club program. He is directly in charge of the local club just as the pastor is in charge of the local church.
All club officers are appointed by the director and are replaced at his discretion. New officers are appointed once each year, but the director may choose to reappoint anyone to the same office two or more years in a row.
Not only does much of the success of the organization depend on the officers, but how much they personally benefit is determined by the seriousness with which they fulfill their assignments. Each officer in the club should count his official duties as a vital part of his training in the club. He should familiarize himself with his official duties in addition to the general outline of meetings (see "Meetings").
When a person accepts the responsibility of an office, it is that person’s duty to give faithful service. It is only natural for a person to aspire to an office in the club, but anyone who seeks such a position for honor, or for selfish purpose alone, is thereby shown to be unworthy of it. The good officer serves the members in the club, and while serving, the officer also gains priceless benefits.
Duties of President
| The good officer serves the members in the club, and while serving, also gains priceless benefits. |
The president, as the club’s leader, must enthusiastically carry out educational and program plans and cause all decisions to be put into practice. The president must set an example of effervescent energy, tact, resourcefulness, inspiration, love, joy and wisdom in every action and relationship. If the president does not have these, the club will also lack them.
The president presides at all meetings of the club except when the president or director calls the vice president or some other member to the chair.
The president should start all meetings on time and carry them through on a definite schedule.
The president accepts responsibilities as leader of the club and prepares by studying the purposes and goals, being acquainted with the business to be handled and conducting all meetings and affairs of the organization in a businesslike manner with attention to time limits.
Duties of Vice President
The vice president shall assist the president in every possible way, presiding when necessary. The president should arrange for the vice president to gain practical experience in presiding by occasionally calling the vice-president to the chair if the need does not otherwise arise.
Duties of Secretary
The secretary is responsible for making an accurate record of each club meeting on a minutes-report form. After reading the minutes report at the next meeting, the secretary will give the original to the director.
The secretary is also responsible for making club assignments and taking attendance each meeting. The secretary should make the director aware of any members who attend irregularly.
Duties of Treasurer
The treasurer is responsible for handling club financial matters – collecting dues and maintaining accurate records of club expenses. The treasurer should be able to give a correct treasury report at any time.
Duties of Sergeant-at-Arms
This officer is responsible for seeing that the club room is ready for the meetings before the arrival of the members. Tables and chairs should be properly arranged, and equipment such as the speaker’s stand, timing light, gavel and award cups should be ready for use. The sergeant-at-arms looks after ventilation and the general comfort of members during the meeting. Since this officer is the club’s official greeter, the sergeant-at-arms must be on hand to welcome all visitors and have them sign the guest register.
The sergeant-at-arms is also responsible for maintaining a supply of materials.
Meetings
Meetings may be held weekly, every other week or once a month. These meetings should be conducted according to the following general outline:
- Vocal exercises
- Reading of the minutes
- Business
- Tabletopics
- Evaluation by director
- Recess
- Five prepared six-minute speeches with a two-minute evaluation after each
- Evaluation by director
- Presentation of awards
- Lecture
Special Nights that will be held two or three times a year can be either regular non-dinner meetings or dinner meetings, and the format of the meetings may be altered at the discretion of the director.
Awards
At each meeting, award cups for the "Most Effective Speech," the "Most Improved Speaker" and the "Most Helpful Evaluation" may be presented. This is done for the purpose of pointing out the importance of doing one’s best. No other awards or fines are to be used as part of the club procedure.
Equipment and Supplies
The Worldwide Church of God does not supply materials for Spokesman Clubs.
Certificates of Merit
Upon satisfactory completion of the 12 speech lessons, a Certificate of Merit may be issued.
Get the Most Out ofthe Club Program Each part of the club program is valuable in helping you improve your personality, leadership and speech skills. Stay awake. Be on your toes. Make every second count during every meeting.
Conversation
Ability to carry on interesting, positive conversation is part of a good personality. You should use the few minutes you have before and after club meetings and during the 10-minute break to develop skills in this area.
If you are awkward at starting and contributing to such conversation,
make a special effort to overcome. Ask questions that encourage others to talk. You may
also cultivate a habit of always having something worthwhile to say. Replenish your fund
of knowledge at all times by keeping your eyes and ears open for important subjects
helpful to others.
Once you have begun to improve your conversational skill, use it on your family at home, going to and from your job and before and after church services.
Business
The club’s business session helps develop qualities of leadership. Be aware of the problems and the needs around you. Don’t leave it to someone else to come up with all the ideas.
If you are active in this part of the program, even if many of your ideas are not adopted, you are learning and gaining experience in leadership.
Short Topics
An effective speaker can express ideas briefly and convincingly. "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver" (Proverbs 25:11). You will be called on to express your ideas on a given subject to help develop this skill. This will give you experience in collecting your thoughts and presenting your ideas logically and effectively without feeling any embarrassment or awkwardness.
The short topics session also prods you to keep informed on important subjects such as news, speech techniques and Bible questions.
Speeches and Evaluations
The value you receive from this portion of the program doubles and redoubles as you gain experience. You not only learn to speak by speaking, but in evaluating others’ speeches you gain an unexpected bonus. Improvement is encouraging, and your skill begins to snowball.
| Don’t limit yourself. You can grow only as you put forth effort. Be diligent. Step out in confidence. |
Here is how it works: In concentrating on other people’s speeches, you not only give them ideas on how to improve, but you learn how to improve yourself. As you learn the essentials of a good speech you put it to double practice – to improve your speaking and to help your neighbor.
This concentration on what makes for improvement in speaking promotes rapid growth. In showing the other person how easy it is to overcome weaknesses, you discover how easily you can overcome your own. Progress is often surprisingly fast.
Other invaluable knowledge and experience is gained from speech contents, speech preparation, analyzing materials to separate good from bad, considering how to best reach your audience and practicing ways to help others and receive help from others gracefully and with appreciation.
Other Opportunities
In the club program you learn by doing. Learning opportunities are many and varied. Bible knowledge is put to work. Dress, etiquette, patience and self-control are practiced. Club officers learn skill in leadership and government. All learn how essential it is to get to know one another and how we can lend a helping hand.
Don’t limit yourself. As a club member, you can grow only as you put forth effort. Be alert. Be diligent. You cannot afford to shrink back. Instead you must step out in confidence, trusting God to help you develop a more effective personality and find success in your personal growth.
Standard Programs
| 6:00 - | Meeting begins. The director brings the club to order and calls on someone for the opening prayer. (One minute) |
| 6:01 - | Vocal exercises. The director, or someone he chooses, leads the club in a short vocal exercise session. The director then introduces the president. (Two minutes) |
| 6:03 - | Minutes. The president, after opening remarks, introduces the secretary for the reading of the minutes. (Two minutes) |
| 6:05 - | Business. The president begins the business session, handling old business first and then new business. (Ten minutes) |
| 6:15 - | Tabletopics. The president introduces the topicsmaster for the evening. (Twenty minutes) |
| 6:35 - | Evaluation. The topicsmaster introduces the director for the evaluation of the business session and tabletopics. (Ten minutes) |
| 6:45 - | Recess. The director dismisses the club for a 10-minute recess. Snacks may be available. |
| 6:55 - | Speeches and evaluations. The president introduces the toastmaster for the speaking session. (Fifty minutes) |
| 7:45 - | Tallying impression slips. The president calls for the impression slips to be passed to the timer and asks the secretary to read the assignments for the next meeting. The president then introduces the director for the final evaluation. (One minute) |
| 7:46 - | Evaluation. The director evaluates the speaking session. (Ten minutes) |
| 7:56 - | Awards. The director then calls for the previous trophy winners to present the awards for the evening. (Four minutes) |
| 8:00 - | Lecture. Spokesman Club directors give instruction on speech techniques or personal instruction to help the members in overall growth. |
| 8:10 - | Meeting ends. The director dismisses the club. |
Special Meetings
At several times during the year, Spokesman Clubs may hold special meetings. The director will appoint five speakers for these meetings, and after the opening prayer, the meetings will begin with the speeches, followed by an evaluation of each by the director. After a 10-minute recess, the director will give a lecture for the benefit of club members and guests.
Guest Nights
Two or three nights can be scheduled during the year in which all club members are encouraged to bring guests, such as dates, spouses, teenagers, widows, etc. The format for these meetings will be set by the director, except these will have no business session.
Certificates of Merit
The last meeting of each club year (often in May) should be a special occasion. It may be a Guest Night, a combined club meeting, or the entire congregation may be invited as guests at a dinner meeting. Certificates of Merit can be awarded to members who have completed the prescribed speech program.
If practical, the officers for the coming year will be announced at this time. Clubs normally recess for three months during the summer.
Copyright 1989 Worldwide Church of God
