Special Occasion Speech Assignment
Time Limit: 2-4 minutes          Point Value: 50 points           Due Date: _________________

Out in the real world, you are most likely to be called upon to give a speech at some special occasion: a banquet, reception, birthday, funeral, or some other type of gathering.  To practice this kind of speech, your next assignment is to write a special occasion speech.

Option A:    Introductory:  A speaker is coming to your school, college, church, group meeting, etc., and your job is to provide the opening remarks for whatever the event is and to introduce the speaker.
        *    Have your speaker be a real person: either someone famous or someone you know from your community.
        *    Have the event/group be something that you would actually participate in.
        *    Have your speaker be someone who has made an important contribution to society and someone who has a REAL message for your audience.
        *    Make sure your speaker and his/her topic are school appropriate.

General Organization and Points to Include:
1.    Welcome the audience
2.    Intro yourself and  the event
3.    Intro the person
4.    Give specific accomplishments, credentials, details about this person
5.    Intro the topic of the person’s speech
6.    Provide closure to your remarks
7.    Welcome the speaker to the stage

Option B:     Commemoration/Tribute: You are at a banquet, reception, birthday or retirement party honoring someone close to you. OR You are at a memorial service remembering someone who was special to you.
        *    Have your honoree be a real person: either someone famous or someone you know from your community.
        *    Have your honoree be someone who has made important contributions to society.
        *    This is NOT a roast!  It is a sincere tribute to your honoree.  Be school appropriate

General Organization and Points to Include
1.    Welcome the audience
2.    Intro yourself and the event
3.    Intro the person
4.    Explain your connection and appreciation of that person.
5.    Describe the qualities and actions of that person that has made them special/deserving of this award/tribute.  Be specific.  Tell a story.
6.    Describe the impact the person has made on others/society/you.  Again, be specific.
7.    Have a concluding sentence of thanks/appreciation/gratitude
(If you give a speech at a memorial service/wake, your points may be slightly different.)