| You've got the task of preparing a 40th birthday | | | | - Main Idea 2: Youth/Young adulthood - Collecting |
| speech. | | | | baseball cards, learning to skate board, getting his |
| You want it to be a 3 minute dazzler to mark the | | | | first real job |
| milestone occasion however right now the job | | | | - Main Idea 3: Present/Character/ Future - Along |
| feels like a millstone. | | | | came Sally (wife) and children, joy, fatherhood, |
| There are lists of things to say and equally large | | | | responsibility, promotion in job |
| lists of things not to say but not a lot about how | | | | Lastly write your notes next 'Conclusion': quote |
| to actually write the speech. | | | | (you're going to look up some amusing or witty |
| And that's where having step by step outline and | | | | quotes on being 40 and weave one in here) and |
| a 40th birthday speech sample to look at would | | | | final toast. Example. 'Ladies and gentlemen, let's |
| be good. | | | | raise our glasses to Bob. May you have another |
| As of now you can quit tearing out your hair. | | | | happy energy filled 40 years!' |
| Instead grab a piece of paper and a pen. We're | | | | OK. This isn't a speech yet but it is an outline. To |
| going to go through the steps needed for you to | | | | make the transition from this to a whole 40th |
| have a completed 40th birthday speech that you'll | | | | birthday speech you are going to go back through |
| be proud to deliver. | | | | and flesh out your notes making each idea link |
| Let's start by getting down to basics with a few | | | | smoothly to the next. |
| questions first. | | | | The easiest way I know of doing this is to say it |
| - Who is your audience? Is it family? Is it family | | | | out loud as if you're just chatting with a friend. |
| and friends? Is it a mix of family, friends and | | | | I'll give you one example and then you can do the |
| work colleagues? Are they a mix of ages? | | | | remainder for yourself. |
| - What type of celebration is it? Is it a formal | | | | We'll pick up |
| dinner party? Is it informal? | | | | Main Idea 1. 'I remember when Bob was 3 he |
| - Are you the only speaker or one of several? | | | | wanted to be a fireman. He'd spend all day |
| The tone and what you put in your speech will be | | | | making siren noises and putting out imaginary fires |
| guided by your answers to the questions above. | | | | with the garden hose'. |
| Obviously you'll leave out anything that could be | | | | What's needed is a bridge or transition to get |
| misunderstood or inappropriate for your audience. | | | | from this idea to the next, 'collecting baseball |
| Now let's get the building blocks of your 40th | | | | cards, learning to skateboard and so on. |
| birthday speech together. | | | | How about this? 'Fortunately for Aunty Betty's |
| On your paper write down these 3 headings with | | | | ears his next passion was quiet and neither did it |
| large enough spaces in between for notes. | | | | leave puddles in the yard. It was baseball cards. |
| | | | Bob collected hundreds of them. He bartered for |
| 1. 1. Introduction | | | | them, begged for them and stuck them all over |
| 2. 2. Middle - Main idea 1, Main idea 2, Main idea 3 | | | | his bedroom walls. Now he was Denny McLain |
| 3. 3. Conclusion | | | | with the roar of crowds as he stepped up to the |
| Using your knowledge of the audience, the | | | | plate cheering him on. Baseball was struck out by |
| birthday person and the occasion, begin filling in | | | | skateboards. Yehaa! We skated all over the city |
| the blanks. | | | | and Aunty Betty bought out the entire supply of |
| For instance next to 'Introduction' you might write: | | | | band-aids from the supermarket...' |
| Hi and welcome to Bob's 40th birthday celebration. | | | | Now you have the idea, repeat it through all the |
| We're delighted to have you all with us. | | | | parts of your outline. |
| And now move on to the next heading: Middle. | | | | It's important to say each segment outloud and |
| This is where you're going to put the most | | | | experiment with links until you find the one that |
| important points (main ideas) you want to make. | | | | sounds right. |
| As a birthday speech is generally only 3 minutes | | | | When you've finished linking say the whole speech |
| long you've got enough room for three. What you | | | | aloud several times. Listen carefully and edit |
| choose is up to you. Mostly though they're a mix | | | | where necessary. |
| of good natured fun about the birthday person, | | | | The process is simple. It works and that's how to |
| what they mean to you and perhaps a word or | | | | write a unique 40th birthday speech you'll be |
| two of wisdom. | | | | pleased to deliver. |
| So your 'Middle' notes may look like this. | | | | PS Do you want to see a finished sample before |
| - Main Idea 1: Childhood - I remember when Bob | | | | you begin your own writing? You'll find links to |
| was 3 he wanted to be a fireman. He'd spend all | | | | handy pages of witty and wise birthday |
| day making siren noises and putting out imaginary | | | | quotations too. |
| fires with the garden hose. | | | | |