422 18.2 Speaking for Special occaSionS and purpoSeS
Our Russian hosts were most appreciative. The rest of us were impressed.
Mary’s toast was a resounding success because she spoke sincerely about her
audience and the occasion.Award Presentations
Presenting an award is somewhat like introducing a speaker or a guest:
Remember that the audience did not come to hear you, but to see and hear the
winner of the award. Nevertheless, making an award presentation, a speech
that accompanies the conferring of an award, is an important responsibility. An
award presentation has three distinct components, described in the preceding
How To box.Nominations
A nomination speech is similar to an award presentation. It too involves not-
ing the occasion and describing the purpose and significance of, in this case,
the office to be filled. The person who is making the nomination should explain
clearly why the nominee’s skills, talents, and past achievements serve as quali-
fications for the position. And the actual nomination should come at the end of
the speech.
When Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen nominated Barry Goldwater
for the Republican presidential candidacy in 1964, he emphasized those personalPresent an Award
- Refer to the occasion of the presentation. Awards are often given to mark the anni-
versary of a special event, the completion of a long-range task, the accomplishments of a
lifetime, or high achievement in some field. - Talk about the history and significance of the award. This second section of the
speech may be fairly long if the audience knows little about the award; it will be brief if the
audience is already familiar with the history and purpose of the award. Whatever the award,
a discussion of its significance will add to its meaning for the person who receives it. - Name the award recipient. The final section of the award presentation will be naming the
person to whom it has been given.
• Tell why the person won. The longest part of this segment is a glowing description of
the achievements that elicited the award.
• Decide when to reveal the name. If the name of the person getting the award has
already been made public, you may refer to him or her by name throughout your
description. If you are going to announce the individual’s name for the first time, you
will probably want to recite the achievements first and save the drama of the actual
announcement until the last moment.
How To