
Friday night at the conference focuses on that tightrope of the table topics contest. While the contest ends at the district conference and there is not the same ‘prep’ as the International Speech contest, I think this contest is the best ‘toastmaster skills’ test. Contestants are given a topic and must speak impromptu on it. In those two minutes each must be relaxed, smooth, on topic, and offer that one insight that stands out.
In both these contests, while winning is always the most fun, it is the growth the competition offers to the speakers and to us as the audience that is most important. We are all part of a journey of growth where these contests serve as guideposts.