In The Year 2020...

This is a table topics segment I conducted at a toastmasters club during year-end 2012. It is the first time I used a futuristic theme. Typically such themes can be quite demanding on the speakers' ability to think out of the box at that moment. Nonetheless, it was great fun for those who let their imagination went wild.

We are now less than 30 days away from 2013, and how time flies! Now is the time to start planning for the future, to hope and to dream about what it might be like. Therefore, tonight's table topics shall be about the future... And when it comes to imagining the future, the sky's the limit.
 
I have with me what I think might be the world in say 2020. I have 10 topics, categorised under science and technology, and humanity and society. Each topic will start with "In the year 2020,"

It is now up to you to create the future.

A. Science & Technology
Man has landed on Jupiter and colonised it. Describe how we get there.
Man can travel between space in a blink of an eye. Where would you choose the live? Where would you choose to work?
Time travel is now possible. Which era will you travel back to?
Robots become our domestic helper. What is the one feature your robot must have?
Apple just launch its iPhone 20. What is the one feature that is absolutely essential to you?
 
B. Humanity & Society
Man has mutated to X man. Which super power would you like to have?
All babies are conceived in test tubes. Is there still a need for marriage?
Man can speak the language of animals, which animal would you like to communicate with?
Woman rules the world instead of man. What are some of these famous women?
There is only one world order, one government. Who will be the president of this new world order?

The above quotations and table topics are entirely mine.

Friendship Table Topics

The famous American professional boxer, Muhammad Ali, once said "friendship is not something you can learn in school, but if you have not learn the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learnt anything." Anyone can make a guess, who is Muhammad Ali's best Friend? It was Joe Frazier, a fellow boxer during his time.

Fellow toastmasters and guests, we have come to tonight’s table topics’ segment. I am your table topics master for tonight, and in line with tonight's theme of "friends", we are going explore friendship and especially our very own best friend in our lives. The table topics segment is open to members and especially guests for a chance of impromptu speech. This helps us to listen, analysis and think on our feet. Good training in a fun way.

Each speaker will be given a topic to speak for 2 mins. At the end of 1 min there will be the green card, 1.5 min the orange card and after 2 min the red card. At 2:30 mins there will be a bell to tell you the time is up.

I have here with me 10 special quotations about friendship tied to the ends of a friendship band. So, when you come up here, you will first share with us who your best friend is. Then you will pick one of these quotation and your topic would be "Sarah and I are best friends because ....". The time will start when you are ready to speak. So, who shall go first? Don't worry, I guarantee that none of the quotes are more than 10 words long. 

This is a table topics segment following the theme of "Friendship" for a toastmaster club's meeting. The outcome - not enough time to do even 4, and I was graded downwards for 'wasting' time on the introduction?!

Life is Like a Box of Chocolate

My very first table topics master role at my home club. The chocolate idea was a success as the words are simple and easy to related to any incidents in life. This idea is also appropriate for a segment that allows for a large number of speakers. We ended up having closed to 10. 

Forrest Gump, in the movie of the same name said "Life’s like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

Fellow toastmasters and guests, we have come to tonight’s table topics’ segment. I am your table topics master for tonight, and I bring to you a time of chocolaty fun. The table topics segment is open to members and especially guests for a chance of impromptu speech. This helps us to listen, analysis and think on our feet. Good training in a fun way. We are looking for about 5 to 6 speakers to participate in this segment.

Each speaker will be given a topic to speak for 2 mins. At the end of 1 min there will be the green card, 1.5 min the orange card and after 2 min the red card. At 2:30 mins there will be a bell. 

Now… without further ado, let’s start. So what is the topic for tonight? As I promised, it will be chocolaty. I have with me a box of chocolate and underneath each of the pieces is a word that describe the taste and experience of eating chocolate. The topic for the speaker tonight is to share a life experience/story/incident/event base on the meaning of this word. The speaker will come up and pick a chocolate to review the secret word underneath it. The time will start when the speaker is ready to speak.

And at the end of the speech, you can have the chocolate!

So, who shall go first?