Club 18
About Club 18
Join our meetings to improve your public speaking skills. Click on the “Send Email” link above to learn more.
We meet on the first, third and fifth Friday of the month (February to November) on Zoom. Our face to face meetings are temporarily suspended due to the world oil crisis. On the third Friday of each month, we also meet in person at West Ryde.
Meeting Agenda
- Chairperson recites the Rostrum Promise:
I promise to submit myself to the discipline of this Rostrum Club and to endeavour to advance its ideals and enrich its fellowship. I will defend freedom of speech in the community and will try at all times to think truly and speak clearly. I promise not to be silent when I ought to speak. - Wordmaster: three unusual words are presented. All are invited to offer a definition – real or made up. See if you can put all three words in one sentence.
- Subject of the Day: prior to the meeting, speakers prepare a three to five minute speech. See Subject of the Day Schedule below.
- Frontiers Development Program: speakers choose their own subject and learn a new public speaking skill. For members only. Learn more here.
- Short notice topics: Chairman announces two topics of current interest. Speakers choose a topic and have up to two minutes to speak on it.
- Coach’s Report: review of the meeting and feedback for each speaker (including the Chairperson).
- Round Robin: If time permits, each speaker is prompted to speak for one minute. The prompt is the final sentence of the preceding speaker.
Subject of the Day Schedule
The subject of the day is for speakers to prepare speeches of three to five minutes prior to the meeting.
| Meeting Date | Venue | Subject of the day |
| 6 February | ZOOM | Doing things differently |
| 20 February | ZOOM | Equality in men’s and women’s sports |
| 6 March | ZOOM |
Natural disasters |
| 20 March | ZOOM | Affordable housing |
| 3 April | NO MEETING | GOOD FRIDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY |
| 17 April | ZOOM | ANZAC Day: Lest we forget |
| 1 May | ZOOM | Artificial intelligence is making us less intelligent |
| 15 May | ZOOM | My favourite outdoor activity |
| 29 May | ZOOM |
Parliamentary Debate There should be video surveillance in all public places (Each participant speaks either for or against the statement.) |
| 5 June | ZOOM | Mankind is anything but kind |
| 19 June | ZOOM |
Freeman Seamons Competition Heat 5 minute speech The best medicine |
| 3 July | ZOOM | Behind the smokescreen |
| 17 Jul 2025 | ZOOM | Memories from music |
| 31 July | ZOOM |
Parliamentary Debate Political donations should be banned (Each participant speaks either for or against the statement.) |
| 7 August | ZOOM | Information overload |
| 21 Aug 2025 | ZOOM | Who is my neighbour? |
| 4 September | ZOOM | Spring cleaning |
| 18 September | ZOOM | On the soapbox |
| 2 October | ZOOM | Online scammers |
| 16 October | ZOOM | Putting off the day |
| 30 October | ZOOM |
Parliamentary Debate Australia should introduce an inheritance tax (Each participant speaks either for or against the statement.) |
| 6 November | ZOOM | Great architecture |
| 20 November | ZOOM | Should I get a tattoo? |
Frequently Asked Questions
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