Editor: John Graves      April 28, 2005      Warner Center Toastmasters      guests welcomed
                                                                       "Good Words"

Anthony Shipley  

Here is a selection of ideas for Table Topics collected "off the internet from Toastmasters from everywhere". The credit for the ideas must go to the Toastmasters and clubs from which they originated. 
— email astech@iinet.net.au

Discuss a weird place to live and defend the place as a nice place to live:
Next to a nuclear power plant. In a swamp. Bottom of the Grand Canyon. Top of the Matterhorn.

Everyone writes down a secret about themselves that no one knows about. Each speaker takes one of the notes, reads it, and states who they think wrote the note and why.  

Put everyday stuff into a bag and let each speaker select an item to discuss. However, the year is 2525 and the speaker is an archeologist. They will explain their opinion as to what the item was back in the 20th century and how it was used.

Interesting pictures are selected from magazines. Each speaker picks one at random and discusses what is going on in the picture. eg. A man is sitting at a desk reading, while another person is looking out the window.

Each speaker is required to tell an amazing story about themselves. The members then vote for each speaker as having told the truth or not. The speaker who fooled the most people either way, wins topics. 

Have each member write down on a piece of paper the job that they would consider the best job in the world for them. Then pass the papers to the person on the left. Call on members to stand and explain why the job on the paper in front of them is the best job in the world.

Make a list of "accomplishments" (best underwater basketweaver, best nuclear power plant designer, best TV remote control switcher, etc.) and print them on pieces of paper. A speaker selects the award and must "award" it to another member. That member must get up and "accept" the award.  
— Dave Schneider davidr@primenet.com

A recent Table Topic at our club was one of the best we've ever seen. Our member handed out small plastic containers with cotton wool soaked in a scent ... dettol, perfume, etc. and asked the participants what memories this scent evoked. One member said the dettol reminded him of boot camp!   — Sandy Scott scott@neptune.lia.co.za  

One idea someone else suggested during a discussion from a recent officer training I attended was to have the speaker pick a fortune cookie and use the "fortune" as the topic to talk about. Afterwards the speaker can eat the cookie!   
 — Vincent Li  vli@newshost

Give each person a "Dear Abby" question and have them give their advice. These could made up by the Table Topics Master or real ones clipped from the advice columns. — Norma Whetzel, EPA and Galloping Governors Toastmasters  

The Tabletopics master provides each participant with a very obscure (but actual) word from the dictionary, and the participant comes up with a convincing definition.    — Don Cogan, Clear Lake Toastmasters 

Another technique that's fun is to expound at length about you have no idea how to answer the question. You might try explaining why you were really hoping you wouldn't be called upon or what your fears were about answering the question.     
— Joe San Filippo, Las Cruces Toastmasters

We had been having trouble doing proper introductions of speakers: they were getting so boring. So I asked the Table Topics Master to make up enough topics for the entire club and write each one on a card. I did an educational session on introductions and had each person write information about herself on a card. Then the Table Topics Master handed out her table topics, and each person passed her card with her bio information to the person on her right. Then, in turn, each person introduced the person to her left and her table topic, using the cards. Everyone got a turn to give a table topic and to introduce another person.  wordsupply@aol.com