RESOURCES

Links:

Parliamentary Procedure: A cheat-sheet chart of motions. (Robert's Rules of Order)

Club Constitution: The rules and bylines of Wilton MC.

Ways to improve your public speaking

• Face the chamber, not your paper to keep people focused
• Use body language to explain your points to ease nerves and show confidence
• Avoid “um”! Pause and breathe instead to calm yourself and maintain a professional tone
• Open your speech addressing a specific section of the bill to focus your argument
• When responding to a question, do not be afraid to admit that you are not sufficiently knowledgeable on a certain topic to answer fully, but be honest and professional
• Be civil, especially when addressing questions
• Charisma helps people trust you and helps you gain support
• Do not doubt yourself! People respect a truthful and sincere speaker
• References to historical incidents, research, current events, and ideological terms appeal to the audience and add flair to an argument
• Do not make up facts! These can be used to poke holes in your argument
• Play Devil’s Advocate every now and then! It helps you develop versatility in debate
• To cleverly respond to an argument made in a point to a speaker, ask a point to the speaker that actually refutes the previous point-maker’s argument

Example:

• Point to speaker: “How does the speaker feel about citizens who will lose their jobs at the loss of weapons factories?”
• Speaker replies.
• Next point to speaker: “Would the speaker agree that the prosperity and security of the entire nation is more important than the jobs that a few Americans will lose at the close of a couple of factories?”
• Speaker replies.