It’s great to see so many people here to honor our good friend and neighbor, John Smith. Even though we are of different age groups and have all kinds of jobs and interests, we certainly all have one thing in common: our admiration of a man who never quits until the job is done.
That man is none other than John Smith.
Early in your talk, tell a story about the person that no one else knows. | | About 10 years ago, I first met John at a Little League game shortly after we moved here and my wife and I were watching Timmy play. Our son was about 8 years old at the time. Anyway, this woman sitting near us was complaining loudly about the sun. My wife and I were almost annoyed because you expect sun in an afternoon baseball game and we were glad the game wasn’t rained out. But the woman wouldn't stop grumbling about how awful the sun was and how we just needed some clouds. John was also sitting nearby. |
Not one to just listen, John went over to the lady and said, “I can’t do anything about the weather but maybe this will help.” He handed her an umbrella that he had gone to his car to get and urged her to use it as a shield from the sun. She was ecstatic. She then explained that she was there to see her grandson play and some friends who gave her a ride had come early. She was a skin cancer patient but had rushed to leave with her friends and so forgot to bring her sun protection. |
Be sure the point of your story is obvious . . . in this case that your first impression was of this person as a compassionate man. | | Had John done nothing, the rest of us would have continue to listen to her complaining – which was not something we wanted to hear – and that bright sun might have given her more problems down the road. I was so impressed with what John had done that I knew that this was someone I wanted to know. So I introduced myself. John and I have been close friends ever since. |
As all of you know, John is a native of Charleston. In fact, he’s helped many in this room get to know this city, telling us about the joys and quirkiness of Lowcountry life. He knows the high and low places – not that there are that many high places in the Lowcountry. |
Also give some mention in your talk to the qualities that everybody knows and appreciates about the person. | | John can tell you when the first settlers came and where the pirates stashed their treasure. He knows where to eat, what to drink, when to play and where to escape . . . something that many of us do far too seldom. He knows the local news before it's on TV, and he keeps his hand on the pulse of the community better than anyone else I know. |
Tell what sets this person apart from ordinary people and typical behavior. | | We all know something else about John. He doesn’t just look around and see things that need attention. He takes action. We all see the same things that John sees. There are jobs that need to be done, problems that need to be solved. And as we look at those and think about our busy lives, we most likely say to ourselves, “Somebody will that care of that.” We mean well but we just don’t get around to doing anything. John is the person who does something. When we look at this community center – which was only a dream five years ago – many of us were in that camp that said “We really do need a place where neighbors can meet, where children can play after school and where senior citizens can get some support and companionship. Somebody needs to do something.” Well, that somebody was John Smith. He saw possibilities where the rest of us saw need. |
What vision did this person have that allowed him to go after a difficult goal? The dichotomy between and emphasizes why he is unique. | | He saw ty where the rest of us saw s. He didn’t say, “Let somebody else do it.” He said, “I’ll take that on.” With the hustle of the Energizer Bunny, John started talking and raising money. All John’s talk and enthusiasm gave the rest of us what we needed most – and that was leadership. |
Use metaphors to paint a picture for your listeners. Conclude with some grand summary of the person and their actions. | | He was the quarterback in a drive that took us from a dream to a reality….the reality of this fine building we will enjoy for years. So John, on behalf of everyone here, I’d like to say thanks for being a man of action and not just words. You got us started, rallying many people to work together to complete this community center. It would never have happened without you. |
End by giving others a chance to express appreciation. | | So join me in giving John a round of applause and a big thank you. |
Examples of other tributes can be found on the graduation pages of university websites where almost every graduation ceremony features the presentation of special awards or honorary degrees. Although these are written tributes that are usually read (something you will not do), the texts offer some good examples of ways to work in the merits of the honorees along with interesting details of their lives.
A great speech honoring volunteers comes from non other than the Great Communicator, Ronald Reagan, who spoke about senior citizen volunteers and their impact on society.
Celebration Speeches The perfect tribute Tribute to a special volunteer Graduations Mother's Day Father's Day Checklist for speaker s Conquer your fear Yo ur retirement speech Honoring a retiree Toast tips Engaging your audience
Helping you shine when the spotlight is on you.
Last Updated: July 3, 2024 Fact Checked
Delivering the speech, sample speeches, expert q&a.
This article was co-authored by Deb DiSandro and by wikiHow staff writer, Ali Garbacz, B.A. . Deb DiSandro is the Owner of Speak Up On Purpose, an organization dedicated to improving and teaching public speaking. Deb has over 30 years of experience as a national speaker and has presented at the Erma Bombeck Writer’s Conference and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. She was awarded the National Speakers Association Member of the Year 2007 and has been published in Writer's Digest, Daily Herald, Women's Day, and Better Homes & Gardens. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,209,131 times.
Introducing a guest speaker is quite an honor. As the introducer, you get the audience excited about the talk they’re about to hear and play a crucial role in connecting the speaker to their audience on a more human level. Writing the perfect introduction speech requires some research and rehearsal on your part, but rest assured that you’ll be left with a speech that’ll leave your audience wanting more. Keep reading for our complete guide to writing the best introduction speech. Also, take a look at the samples we’ve included to get help you get started.
Before introducing your guest speaker, introduce yourself in case there are people in the audience who don't know you. Then talk about the speaker’s background and qualifications, and give the audience a high-level overview of what they might learn from the presentation. See if you can include a short, personal anecdote about the speaker, like "I read their book and really loved it," for example. Try to keep your introduction to less than 3 minutes, and finish it by welcoming your speaker and telling the audience their name. For more advice on introducing a guest speaker, including how to research them in advance, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No
Judith Williams
Jun 6, 2016
Lorenz Fernando
Mar 18, 2018
Aayisha Sakeer
Jan 30, 2018
Aug 9, 2021
Tyler Danty
Oct 2, 2017
Don’t miss out! Sign up for
wikiHow’s newsletter
Two unique maid of honor speeches to help you prepare a perfect maid of honor speech of your own
By: Susan Dugdale
What's the best way to share the happy couple's love story at the wedding reception on their big day?
The bride's your great friend, an amazing person. You love her to pieces which is why you said 'yes' when she asked you to speak on her wedding day.
However, maybe this is the first time you've given a maid of honor toast. Perhaps, in addition, you find public speaking, talking in front of a crowd and making eye contact as you do, a little bit nerve wracking.
You're in the right place. The goal here is to empower and enable you to write and deliver the best maid of honor speech you can. Begin by reading the speeches!
This example is written from the point of view of a childhood friend: someone who's shared the best and most difficult of times with the bride. The friendship between them is enduring and the speech is sincerely heartfelt: full of personal stories everybody will relate to.
Said aloud, it is approximately 5- 6 minutes long.
"Some one very wise, and obviously someone who knew Sonja and Mark said, “Don't marry a person you can live with. Marry somebody you can't live without."
That's what we're witnessing today – the union of two people who belong together. A perfect match!
My name is Maria and I'm delighted to be the Maid of Honor for my very dear friend Sonja.
We've been close friends since we were little girls and, as we are hitting our 30s, it feels like forever. I can scarcely remember life without her.
Sonja and me, we've gone from crayons to perfume together, with stops in between for learning to read and write, ride a bike, play with dolls, dress up, climb trees, scrape our knees... We’ve done our high school homework, got into trouble for staying out late, turned 21 together… And now here we are, all grown up.
A big night these days is a glass of wine, staying in and watching Netflix together.
From the time we were 13 and had to run to escape a mad, snarling, barking dog I knew Sonja was truly there for me. I was slower than her but she did not leave me behind. And she's been there to pick me up ever since.
Like when I've misplaced my confidence and haven't been able to find it. (Is it under the sofa? No! Behind the kitchen door? No!)
Or when I’ve needed someone to talk to about a personal life situation, for instance, another crappy boyfriend.
Over the years Sonja has been my touchstone, my wise go-to sister, and although there have been times when we have been physically apart that has never been true of our hearts. She is part of my identity, of who I am.
So when she asked me to be her Maid of Honor, the honor was all mine. Naturally I said yes.
Another “yes”, a previous and much more important one, is the reason we're here today.
Mark, that was one you received.
All Sonja's family members and friends, like me, take her best interests to heart. They look out for her, and I know, that like me, they are delighted that you and she have agreed to live your lives together.
Mark, your care, and love of Sonja over the last few years has demonstrated to us all you are indeed the right man, who was in the right place, at the right time. We've seen the good times you've shared together but most importantly we've also witnessed how you handled the tough ones.
You were there to shelter, cherish and nurture her through the period when her Father passed. And I know that meant everything to her. I feel certain not only he but also her brother, Matthew, would willingly give their blessing to your union from up above.
As for me, you definitely had my wholehearted approval when you asked one of my “ boyfriends”, (now very much past tense), aside for a man-to-man chat about respect and loyalty. From that time, I knew I have gained a brother.
In Sonja you have a hard-working, forgiving, loving big-hearted woman. As her friend, her sister, I am grateful you see, appreciate and know that.
I searched for a special gift of wisdom to pass on and found this – a recipe for love and marriage. It makes sense to me, and I hope it does to you too.
"As you walk through life together remember even though you both share many qualities that are very much the same, you are each unique, and it is your differences that helped bring you together.
Give your love openly and honestly. Always respect and accept what the other has to say, even when you do not agree. Take time to enjoy everyday and share together, and remember that each day is a new beginning."
Sonja, I am looking forward to all the celebrations we're going to have together down the years because although we no longer live on the same street, our roots are very deep.
Please make a note that I intend to speak at your 50th anniversary!
Cheers to the newly weds! Best wishes! I love you guys!"
To be successful this maid of honor speech relies heavily on its delivery.
Along with stories establishing the depth and importance of the relationship between the bride and her Maid of Honor it includes a good natured, gentle 'roast' of the groom.
The MOH has taken it upon herself to poll guests and family members on his suitability for the bride. She is now making the results public.
Although the groom is being teased we know he's respected, admired and loved by those who know the couple well, which includes the person delivering the speech, the bride's best friend.
The speech will take between 5-6 minutes to deliver.
Once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.
That's what we're celebrating today: a story of true love, a dream come true, the union of two people who belong together.
My name is Felicity and it's my privilege to be Sarah’s Maid of Honor.
Sarah is my Best Friend. I know it's a cliché. However clichés become clichés for a very good reason, because they're true. She's my BFF: Best Friend Forever.
For her I would wear the gaudiest, frothiest taffeta maid of honor dress possible and still smile. Fortunately I don't have to.
Through Sarah I've learned that being a best friend isn't a competition between those who have been in your life the longest.
Neither is it about regular daily contact. Or about talking, Or being under the same sky, in the same city. Or even sharing the same tastes.
But it is definitely about sharing the same heart space.
Over the years she's been my touchstone, always encouraging me to be the best of myself: a work still in progress. I look forward to checking off the score card with her when we're much, much older.
We've seen each other through all those milestones of growing up: the ones we want to remember, as well as the ones we'd prefer to forget but don't. Amongst them are memories I'll always cherish: going on a bike tour of Paris in the rain, getting completely soaked and laughing about it, gorging ourselves on gastronomic delights in Greece. And ticking off the typical tourist “when in Rome” items: walking up the Spanish Steps and tossing coins in the Trevi fountain together.
Sarah you know, and see me clearly. Just like I know and see you. And today you've changed the course of your life forever with two words: I do.
Sam, you'll have understood by now just how much this woman is loved, not just by me but by all of us here. Inevitably that means when a suitor comes along they have to pass not just one test, but multiple ones.
There's the initial hurdle, getting her on your side. Once that's safely over there's more and these, as anyone married knows, can be quite formidable.
Friends, mothers, fathers, family, don't share quite the same blinkered infatuation. We stand back. We watch, and yes, we judge.
We have a “not-so-little” check list and we want every point on it passed, with honors.
Now I'd done a comprehensive survey of the interested parties and tallied the scores. They read like this.
On the “always has her back “ index you did extremely well. This one was a very important indicator. Knowledge of what it is “to have someone's back” is paramount. You passed with flying colors on the sub-set, “has spine” too.
Availability. The question behind this point had two parts, both equally weighted. Are you there for Sarah when she needs you? We looked at physically, as well as emotionally, present. Again, top marks.
Positive influence. Does this man extend and enhance the best in Sarah?
Now this one was a little trickier. Separating the vested interests and keeping ourselves honest is a challenge when so much is at stake. Change can be confronting even if it is for the better. But yes, we agreed, that Sam definitely brought Sarah more of all that is good. His presence enables her to grow.
Health. Really? Need we go there? Look at them! They eat so well, exercise so well – we're thinking of setting up a charity to donate the excess health they generate to those who need it. These two are the ultimate King and Queen of eating green. Their example inspires!
Our last was “laughter”. Does this man make this woman smile, make her laugh with joy and share her humor? Sam, no one makes Sarah laugh the way you do.
In conclusion, you are quite simply, the best. We thank you for understanding, valuing and loving her as we do.
I want to acknowledge someone else in the line up looking out for Sarah, someone very dear to her who, although not physically present, is here in our hearts: Betty, Bette, her grandmother. I'm sure she would approve too.
And now a toast. Please raise your glasses.
To Sarah and Sam, and a lifetime of love! May your happily ever after begin here.
Often the hardest part of preparing a speech is getting started. These prompts will help you find the right words to say about the bride and her new husband on their special day.
Grab a piece of paper and answer the questions as quickly as you can. Let you mind go. Don't stop to edit, to check your spelling or to write full sentences. You can do all of that later.
Focus, for now, on generating ideas.
Before you go ahead in the writing process check the content you've generated.
Remove any:
Click the link for: a 5-part printable maid of honor speech outline , with examples, step-by-step guidelines and a complete maid of honor speech for a sister.
If you find yourself stuck, not knowing how to conclude your speech have a look here: how to end a Maid of Honor speech .
There are twenty example endings of varying types. Some are funny. Some use Biblical and other quotations and some are straight from the heart.
Find one you like, and then adapt it for your own use.
It's vital to allow enough time to thoroughly test and rehearse your speech before you deliver it: that's about three weeks.
Testing has two parts.
The first part is making sure the content covers all you think it should and flows easily from one segment to the next. This is where another pair of ears are very useful. Sometimes what we think we're saying and what we actually are is quite different. Get the opinion of someone whose judgment you trust.
The second part is testing your speech for timing. Set a timer and say it out loud at about the pace you would use if you were delivering it for real. Ideally you want it between 3 - 6 minutes long. If it's too long, look for places to cut it.
For more about how many words in a 3 minute, 4 minute, 5 minute, 6 minute...speech and speech rate .
Once you have the words sorted, it's time to work on how you'll deliver them.
Delivery makes all the difference between an average, ordinary performance, and an extraordinary one. Please make the time to rehearse.
Trying to 'wing it' without preparation leaves you wide open for all sorts of unnecessary glitches to suddenly pop up and throw you sideways. Don't tempt it! How to rehearse a speech well: 7 steps to brilliance! ☺
Classic wedding poems and readings : find a segment of a poem or a quote to use
Subscribe for FREE weekly alerts about what's new For more see speaking out loud
A complete one stop resource to scuttle fear in the best of all possible ways - with laughter.
©Copyright 2006-24 www.write-out-loud.com
Designed and built by Clickstream Designs
Today I am going to tell you what every fan wants to know. No, wrong. I am not going to tell you how to get laid at a con. I’ve been watching this weekend, and some of you have figured that out all on your own. Shame on you. And the rest couldn’t be less interested. SMOFs and former worldcon chairmen would rather talk about ice machines anyway, and hucksters would rather count their money. Besides, what makes you think I know? I’m not going to tell you how to play poker against Mike Glicksohn either, or discourse on how to win the coveted Balrog Award, or reveal the secret handshake that will get you into the secret pro parties of the Hugo Losers Club. Hell, can’t even get into those any more. They threw me out because of some small technicality about Noreascon II. And I’m certainly not going to tell you how much money my good friend Ken Keller spent on that play at MidAmericon. Lots of fans want to know these things, to be sure, but not nearly as many as want to know what I’m going to tell you. You may claim otherwise, but I know the truth. What all of you want is to be a big-name sci-fi guy, like me. So I’m going to tell you the secret of my success as a writer! Some of you may think I do this because I want to help you, just as older writers helped me. Wrong. Nobody helped me anyway, did it all by myself, and besides, who needs more competition? Some of you may think I do this in order to enrich the field I love, which has been so good to me. The more good new writers we have, the better SF will get. Wrong. The worse SF gets the more my stuff stands out. Some of you may think I do this because I was hard up for a topic for my Guest of Honor speech. No comment. Actually, I can tell you my secret with impunity, because it’s too late for you, all of you. You’re too old. To use my secret as it have have to start real young. So maybe people can’t be big-name sci-fi guys, but you can bring your children up to be just like me if you follow my instructions. So listen carefully and take notes and maybe some year you can sit beaming In the audience as one of your offsprings carries off a Hugo, a Nebula, or even the coveted Balrog Award. First, you have to have children. I won’t discuss this procedure much. The first step here goes back to that other question — getting laid at a con. Secondly, you must bore them. I was born and raised in Bayonne, New Jersey, queen city of the east coast. Bayonne produced Sandra Dee, Ed McMahon, and me. Bayonne is very close to sinful Staten Island, vibrant cosmopolitan Newark, and the swinging streets of Jersey City and Hoboken. I never got to see these hot spots, however. I never left Bayonne until I went away to college. This was essential for my development as a writer. You see, all of us have a deep inner need for stimulation, excitement, adventure, especially when we are growing up. Some of us do exciting things, meet exciting people, go to exciting places. These poor chaps get used to reaching outwards for excitement, and grow up to be normal human beings, instead of writers. I was luckier. In Bayonne, the most exciting things you could do were watch the oilslicks float past on the Kill Von Kull, or play stickball in a parking lot. The most exciting place you could go to was Secaucus, where they were rumored to have pig farms. As for meeting exciting people, well, there was Ed McMahon, Sandra Dee, and me, and nobody was much impressed by me when I was only twelve or so. I did see Sandra Dee drive by once in a big limo with a police motorcycle escort, when she was in town visiting her mother. Luckily I didn’t get a good glimpse of her, or the sheer thrill of it might have entirely burned out my budding talent. Being thus denied the adventures that others found in the world around them, I reached in instead of out, and found adventures in my own head. This is a very scientific principle. People in sensory deprivation tanks fantasize more than people driving in the Indianapolis 500, with the possible exception of Bobby Unser. Growing up in Bayonne, my head was positively yeasty with daydreams. All writers have minds that are constantly in ferment, bubbling away back there, inventing things and people and sagas. We have a technical term for this. We call it imagination. People are always saying to me, where do I get my crazy ideas? From Bayonne, that’s where. These days, most people are on completely the wrong track. They buy their kids creative playthings and television sets and stimulate the hell out of their little kiddy minds, and what do they get for their trouble? Accountants! No, the way to start a little would-be writer is first bore him or her silly, so if you want to raise a big-name sci-fi guy, you must not live any place like San Francisco, or New Orleans, or Paris. Instead, go directly to Bayonne. Do not pass GO and do not collect $200. Or, come to think of it, stay in Wichita. Boredom being satisfactorily accomplished, we can move on to the third step: reading. Reading is not as essential as boredom in the childhood of a writer, but it is recommended. Like riding a bicycle, it is something most easily accomplished in childhood. I never learned to ride a bicycle until I was 25 or so, but I did learn to read. My decade of professional experience in the field has convinced me — although I will confess that I don’t have the hard statistics to back me up — that writers have learned to read at some point along the line. A few have only learned to read wiring diagrams, but this is a broad field, so what the hell . . . Learning to read didn’t come easily for me, though. I went to school, of course, and there at Mary Jane Donohoe School we had teachers who were supposed to teach us how to read. They were tough teachers too. One of them, I remember$ had her desk at the back of the class, so we faced the other way and we never knew where she was. Today, when you flunk a test, teacher maybe puts a frownyface on your test paper. Back in old MJD, they sent you back to the previous grade for the afternoon, to sit with the babies, and was a punishment to reckon with. No, the problem wasn’t the teachers, it was the books. The Readers. Why they called them Readers I don’t know; Non-Readers would be more accurate, since that’s what they produced. Dick and Jane and little Sally, that’s what we read about. Who the hell wants to learn to read just so you can find out what happened to Dick and Jane and little Sally? They lived in this house. I don’t know where the house was, but it certainly wasn’t in Bayonne, New Jersey. Maybe it was in Wichita, come to think of it. They were three of the most goddamned boring kids you’d ever want to know. Probably they all grew up to be writers. I remember one story when they made boats out of wood and sailed them in this pond. Their pond didn’t have any oil slicks, so it couldn’t have been Bayonne. I think Dick had a blue boat and Jane had a yellow boat and Sally had a little red boat. Little Sally’s boat sank. She was real upset for a while, and then they all went home to watch Spot run. Years later, I remember seeing Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster, drowning that little girl in a pond. I loved that scene. I pretended that the little girl was Sally. Now If they’d put Karloff into those Readers, they might have had something. Clearly, then, you can’t rely on schools to teach these prospective writers to read. You’ll have to do it yourself. Fortunately, there’s an easy way. Comic books. Every would-be writer needs comic books. I certainly did. I can still vividly recall my discovery of comic books, followed closely by the revelation that this reading stuff was actually good for something. Comic books had it all over Readers. Comic books had pictures and so did Readers, but in comic book pictures somebody was flying or punching somebody, while in my Reader little Sally was crying about her little red boat. Batman dressed much neater than Dick did, and even in my prepubescent days I had this vague feeling that Wonder Woman had it all over Jane, although I couldn’t put my finger on the reason. I did know that watching Spot run was a real drag when I could watch Krypto the Superdog fly instead. Besides, I knew that if the two of them ever met in my neighborhood, Krypto would bite Spot’s goddamned head off. Comic books were my salvation. I read all of them I could get my hands on, and my reading got better and better, and my teachers soon began to marvel that I read with such “expression” while the rest . . . of . . . my . . . class. . . read . . . like . . . this. I could have told them the reason. You a lot more expression for, “ BOILED EGG!!!” than you do for, “See Spot. See Spot run. Run, Spot, run.” So if the schools don’t do it, remember comic books. Maybe your kid won’t be as quick as I was, and regular comic books won’t do, but even that’s no problem in this day and age. There’s always the undergrounds. should do it every time. Now we are three steps down the road. We have the kid, and the kid is bored, and the kid has learned to read. What’s next? Turtles! Turtles are the key to the whole process, really. If there is one absolutely indispensable ingredient, it has to be turtles. Accept no substitutes. Let me tell you about turtles. From age four until I went away to college, 1 lived in an apartment In a federal housing project. The project had rules. One of them was NO PETS. No dogs, no cats, no parakeets, no canaries, no ferrets, no ducks, none of that shit. Is that fair, I ask you? Letting all those little kids grow up without pets? Certainly not. Later on, birds got OKayed, and I had a couple of parakeets, but not in the beginning. So I had to make do with what was allowed. You know what was allowed? Turtles. So I had turtles. I had lots of turtles. Now, if you are going to get turtles, be sure you get the right kind. Mike Glicksohn had a turtle, one of those big box tortoises. For all I know he has still him. What have you seen Mike Glicksohn write recently? No, if you get the kid a box tortoise it’ll grow up to publish fanzines. What you want, for a future fiction writer, is a bunch of those little green turtles they sell in dime stores. You remember the kind. People used to paint flowers on their backs, and they sold them in these little round plastic bowls with a divider down the middle. Half of the bowl you filled with water that turned scummy the minute you added turtle food, and half you filled with colored gravel (I liked blood red gravel best), and in the middle there was this plastic palm tree. I understand you can’t get that kind of turtle any more, by the way. The government prohibited their sale. They say they cause all kinds of plague and fungoid rot and such, but I think that’s just a front. What they do is turn people into science fiction writers, and the feds decided they had to put an end to . To get back to my turtles, I kept them in this toy castle on a table. The castle yard was just big enough to accommodate two of those plastic turtle-bowls side-by-side, and the walls were high enough to keep the turtles in when they climbed out of their shallow bowls, which they were doing all the damned time. Keeping the turtles confined was very important, because if you didn’t they would invariably crawl under the refrigerator during the night, and six months later you’d find them there, all black with their eyes sunk in. Why they always headed for the refrigerator I never could fathom; you’d think every once in a while one might crawl under a bed, or under the stove, or under your kid sister, but it never worked out that way. The turtle food wasn’t even refrigerated, so that couldn’t be it. You may be wondering what small green turtles have to do with writing. I’m getting to that. Turtles are great creative aids, you see. Especially lots of turtles kept in a toy castle. For two reasons. One, they are very boring pets. Turtles never anything, you know. Sometimes they pull their arms and legs and heads into their shells. Sometimes they stick them out. This wears very quickly on even the least imaginative child. They sleep a lot. About the most exciting thing a turtle ever does is crawl under the refrigerator, drawn there like a swallow to Capistrano or a lemming to the sea or Ed Bryant to a shark, but they always do that at night when you can’t watch ’em. If you had a dog or something, it might jump on you, or bark and leap around until you followed it to where somebody was stuck in quicksand, but you never have to worry about that with a turtle. If you ever get stuck in quicksand, don’t send a turtle for help. He’ll head off and get distracted by a dump and crawl under an abandoned refrigerator. So turtles are real nothings as far as entertainment goes. Also, second key attribute, they die a lot. My turtles died all the time. And I never painted them or carved my Initials into them or anything like that, I swear it! I think it was that damned turtle food they had to eat. Or maybe it was just boredom. Maybe outside Bayonne turtles live longer. So there I was, you see, with a brain feverish with fantasy from years of living in Bayonne, a reader despite the best efforts of little Sally, with these boring pets that never did anything but die. I didn’t want to take the blame for them croaking, so I had to think up some other reason to explain those deaths. Well, it was real simple. They lived in a castle, didn’t they? So clearly they were all kings and princes and knights and stuff like that. And they died in ! And that was how I started writing. I had that castle for years. A lot of turtles came and went. They all had grand adventures, intrigues, duels, feuds. They vied for control of the kingdom of the turtles. They poisoned each other. They formed alliances with neighboring kingdoms, and conquered neighboring kingdoms, and led revolutions. They started a turtly space program. They had great kings and weak kings, noble warriors and cowards, all that good stuff. Every one of them had a role in the saga. Well, after a while, it got hard to keep track of all this stuffs so I started to write it down. My first epic. Pages after pages after pages of turtle sword and sorcery. The manuscript still exists, by the way. I never throw away anything. And no, Ken, you cannot publish it in TRUMPET, though I have no doubt that should I die an untimely death it will see publication. Lin Carter will find it in my trunk and finish it as a collaboration. And hell, maybe I’ll finish it myself. WATERSHIP DOWN was big, DUNCTON WOOD was big, why not TURTLE CASTLE? Turtles, you see, are just what is needed for a young writer to put it all together. Now the job is almost done. The bored kid has started putting words on paper. He’s a writer. Or she’s a writer. In time, they’ll get better. If they ever slow down and stop writing, just buy them some more turtles. Still, one more thing is needed. A lot of writers write only for themselves. You know the sort. They keep journals, they live in little private fantasy worlds, they never think of sending anything out to an editor. This will never do. You can’t be a big-name sci-fi guy unless you begin mailing stories to editors and getting money for them. Usually, this last stumbling-block is caused by a lack of confidence; the neophyte writer doesn’t think his or her stuff is good enough, so the years go by, the decades go by, and the writer stays at home, polishing, revising, honing. You know why? Because the poor fool has started reading good books, that’s why! If you’ve got him reading Tolkein and LeGuin and Jack Vance, John Irving and Larry McMurtry, Stephen King and William Shakespeare, you’re doing him in! The kid will read all that good stuff and know he can never measure up. I read LORD OF THE RINGS early in high school, and didn’t write for a year. No, giving a child writer, or even a childish writer, good books to read is a literary crime of the first magnitude. If you want to help, give him . He needs to read really poor stuff, derivative, clumsy, amateurish, stuff with idiot plots and thin cardboard characterization and stiff wooden dialog. Give him stuff with wiring diagrams in it, and expository lumps, and lots of adjectives. It may take a while, but sooner or later that kid will sit straight up, throw the book across the room, and shout, “I can write better than that!” Then he will mail his first story to an editor. It happened for me just that way, when I read a really godawful piece of amateur superhero fiction in a comic fanzine. Fan fiction will do it every time. If you can’t find any fan fiction, try a box of old Roger Elwood anthologies, the complete works of John Norman, or a subscription to ISAAC ASIMOV’S SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE. And who knows? A year or so later, you may find yourself at Ambercon, proud parents of a Guest of Honor! |
What to say in a funeral service welcome speech.
A funeral service welcome speech sets the tone for the gathering and provides comfort and guidance to those attending. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the loss, express gratitude to those who have come to pay their respects, and offer words of hope and support. A well-crafted welcome speech can help bring people together in shared remembrance and provide a sense of closure. This guide provides key elements to include in a funeral service welcome speech and examples to help you find the right words.
Begin the welcome speech by greeting the attendees and introducing yourself. A warm and sincere greeting helps set a comforting tone and acknowledges everyone’s presence.
It’s important to acknowledge the grief that everyone is feeling and recognize the loss that has brought everyone together. This acknowledgment shows empathy and creates a sense of shared experience among attendees.
Take a moment to express gratitude to everyone who took the time to attend the funeral service. Acknowledging their support can provide comfort to the family and reinforce a sense of community.
Sharing a brief reflection or a personal memory of the deceased can help attendees connect with the speaker and remind them of the impact the deceased had on their lives. It can be a lighthearted story, a meaningful moment, or a simple observation that captures the essence of the deceased.
After acknowledging the grief and sharing a memory, it’s important to offer words of comfort and hope. Remind attendees that they are not alone and that it’s okay to grieve while also cherishing the memories of the deceased.
Before concluding the welcome speech, provide a brief overview of the service to let attendees know what to expect. This helps guide the flow of the service and keeps everyone informed.
End the welcome speech by thanking attendees once again and offering continued support to the grieving family and friends. A strong conclusion helps leave a positive and comforting impression on the attendees.
A funeral service welcome speech is an important opportunity to bring comfort, express gratitude, and set the tone for a meaningful service. By greeting attendees warmly, acknowledging grief, sharing memories, and offering words of hope, you can create a supportive and unifying atmosphere for all who are gathered to remember and honor a loved one.
© The Funeral Program Site - Funeral Program Templates and Cancer Ribbons
Explore our personalized collection, featuring lung cancer ribbons and numerous other cancer ribbons for worthy causes. Experience our curated collection of cancer awareness ribbons, featuring specialized lung cancer ribbons and an extensive range of ribbons for meaningful causes.
Colon cancer ribbon (dark blue) pack of 10, breast cancer ribbon (personalized pink) pack of 10, melanoma awareness cancer ribbon (black) - pack of 10, liver cancer ribbon (emerald green) - pack of 10, ovarian cancer ribbon (teal) - pack of 10, lung cancer ribbon (pearl white) - pack of 10, leukemia, kidney cancer ribbon (orange) - pack of 10, personalized bone cancer ribbon (yellow) - pack of 10, thyroid cancer ribbon - pink, purple, teal (pack of 10), cervical cancer ribbon (teal-white) pack of 10, pink cancer ribbon heart pin - pack of 10, green cancer ribbon heart pin - pack of 10, purple cancer ribbon heart pin - pack of 10, yellow cancer ribbon - pack of 10, testicular cancer ribbon (orchid purple) - pack of 10, prostate cancer ribbon (lt. blue) - pack of 10, leukemia cancer ribbon (orange color ribbon) - pack of 10, kidney cancer ribbon personalized (orange color ribbon) - pack of 10, hodgkin lymphoma cancer ribbon personalized (violet) - pack of 10, featured cancer ribbons.
Our featured cancer ribbons offer 3 lines of personalized text as well as a center embellishment if desired.
Memorial Keepsakes
Lung cancer ribbon
Lung cancer ribbon pins are a great accompaniment on any man's or women's lapel. A stylish addition to any outfit, this lapel pin is perfect for both men and women. Enhance your style with our elegant lung cancer ribbon pins, a versatile accessory for any lapel. Crafted with care, this pin is suitable for both men and women, adding a touch of sophistication to any outfit.
cancer ribbons
Cancer ribbons available in many different sytles and colors at The Funeral Program Site. Discover the diverse options of cancer ribbons, available in different styles and colors, at The Funeral Program Site.
Cancer ribbons are personalized to perfection with your 3 lines of text and embellished in the center of the criss cross with a variety of accents. These cancer ribbons are customized with precision, allowing for 3 lines of text and adorned with a variety of accents at the center of the criss cross.
frequently asked questions about cancer ribbons
How many lines can i personalized on the cancer ribbon.
3 Lines. 2 lines on the left side (as you are facing it) and 1 on the right. Sometimes we do need to break up the lines on the right side depending on how much text you submit.
10 ribbons. 10 ribbons equals a quantity of 1 at our online store.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
Lavender is the designated color ribbon for all cancer. By choosing to support All Cancer Awareness with a lavender colored Ribbon purchase, you are making a meaningful difference. Explore our extensive selection of Cancer support and awareness products today!
Cancer ribbon awareness has become a significant global movement, uniting people from all walks of life to show support for those battling cancer and to promote awareness of the various types of cancer that affect millions worldwide. These ribbons, each color-coded to represent a specific type of cancer, serve as powerful symbols of hope, strength, and solidarity. For example, the pink ribbon is universally recognized for breast cancer awareness, while the gold ribbon stands for childhood cancer.
By wearing these ribbons, individuals can raise awareness about the importance of early detection, support ongoing research efforts, and show compassion for those affected by cancer. It is a simple yet profound way to convey a message of empathy and encourage conversations that can lead to greater understanding and support. The impact of cancer ribbon awareness extends beyond individual support; it plays a crucial role in fundraising and advocacy efforts. Many non-profit organizations, such as the American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, use these ribbons as part of their campaigns to raise funds for cancer research, patient support services, and educational initiatives.
The visual impact of these ribbons serves as a constant reminder of the ongoing battle against cancer and the collective effort needed to overcome it. As more people become aware of what each ribbon represents, the movement continues to grow, spreading messages of hope, support, and determination across the globe. In addition to their fundraising and advocacy benefits, cancer awareness ribbons foster a sense of connection and unity among individuals who have been affected by cancer, either personally or through a loved one.
Wearing a signature criss cross cancer ribbon shows your support for any worthy cause of your choice. Show your solidarity with various charitable causes by wearing our distinctive criss cross cancer ribbon. Demonstrate your dedication to making a difference by sporting our unique criss cross cancer ribbon. Join the movement and raise awareness for various charitable initiatives.
Cancer ribbons featured video.
Funeral invitation card design.
A funeral invitation card is a meaningful way to invite loved ones to commemorate the life of the deceased. The design of the invitation should reflect the tone of the...
Choosing the right funeral songs for your mom can be a deeply emotional and meaningful way to honor her memory. Music has the power to express love, grief, and celebration...
Funeral planning can be a costly process, and for many families, finding ways to honor a loved one without overspending is a top priority. Fortunately, there are various options available...
Losing a parent is one of the most profound moments in life, and funeral planning is an essential step in honoring their legacy and saying a meaningful goodbye. Planning a...
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Sample Speech by a Chief Guest or Guest of Honor. Ladies and gentlemen, Distinguished guests, Faculty members, Dear students, I stand before you today with a profound sense of honor and privilege to be invited as the chief guest at this prestigious event. As we gather here, I am reminded of the countless hours of hard work, dedication, and ...
Deliver a powerful commencement speech that inspires your audience. Get expert tips, examples, and advice to craft a memorable address.
If you have a guest of honor at the event or function at school or college, here is How to Introduce and Honor Chief Guest in a Function.
Find here how to write the best maid of honor speech! Make it unforgettable with our 40+ maid of honor speech examples, quotes, and toasts!
Learn how to write a memorable maid of honor speech with this free template, tips and examples from The Knot, the ultimate wedding planning resource.
Our sample introductory speeches are based on less-is-more. Your introduction speech should welcome and honor your guest speaker, not steal their limelight. Return from Sample Introductory Speeches to Words of Wisdom Speech Introduction - Tips and Techniques for Effective Introduction Speeches Introduce Yourself - Impact and Impression
Welcome Speech for Guest Have you ever been to a seminar or a lecture wherein you get to be the guest of honor? Better yet, were you given the opportunity to welcome a guest speaker for a seminar? How did it go and what did you do? Welcome speeches are used to simply welcome a guest speaker to an event.
A flawless maid of honor speech can't be hastily written on your phone at the reception—it takes time and a lot of practice. Here's how to write a maid of honor speech that will garner a standing ovation.
Learn how to write a maid of honor speech that will make the bride and guests smile. Follow our easy template and tips to create a memorable toast.
How to Start a Bridesmaid or Maid of Honour Speech As maid of honour, you have a unique opportunity to celebrate your friend on her wedding day. Putting those first words onto paper will be the most challenging part of writing your maid of honour speech.
Anchoring Script for Welcoming Guests in the Function. Welcome Script 01. Good morning/evening/afternoon to all dignitaries, guests, and delegates with great joy and immense exultation. I feel privileged to extend my warm welcome to all presented here for the celebration of Emerge [write the year here].
You want to deliver the world's best maid of honor speech. But... how? We have a tips, sample toasts, and a workbook to get you started.
Your complete guide to writing a man of honor speech. Plus, public speaking tips.
Introduction Speech Speeches of introduction acquaint an audience with a speaker or guest of honor, providing relevant background information, highlighting achievements, and establishing a connection between the speaker and the audience.
The maid of honor traditionally delivers a speech during the wedding reception. If you've been tasked with this important job, consider this your ultimate guide to writing and delivering a perfect ...
Writing a tribute to honor someone who has made a remakable contribution or accomplished something extraordinary to improve a community is an honor. This page gives you an example of a sample tribute with an outline you can use to make your own speech.
Introducing a guest speaker is quite an honor. As the introducer, you get the audience excited about the talk they're about to hear and play a crucial role in connecting the speaker to their audience on a more human level. Writing the perfect introduction speech requires some research and rehearsal on your part, but rest assured that you'll be left with a speech that'll leave your ...
2 unique maid of honor speech examples to help you craft the perfect maid of honor speech to celebrate the happy couple on their wedding day.
Welcome Speech for Chief Guest - A welcome speech for a chief guest is a formal address given to introduce and honour a distinguished guest at an event.
Guest of Honor speech. Delivered at Ambercon 3. Wichita, Kansas. May 31, 1981. Today I am going to tell you what every fan wants to know. No, wrong. I am not going to tell you how to get laid at a con. I've been watching this weekend, and some of you have figured that out all on your own.
Crafting a Meaningful Welcome Speech for a Funeral Service. A funeral service welcome speech sets the tone for the gathering and provides comfort and guidance to those attending. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the loss, express gratitude to those who have come to pay their respects, and offer words of hope and support.