Page 18 - 2016.01.19Voices!
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Veteran Contestant, Bruce
Rottink, says “Do It!”
by Leanna Lindquist, DTM Program Quality Director
Bruce Rottink visited Feedbackers Toastmasters trol of your body right. . .Now! and. . .Now!”
Club last week. Cleon Cox stood up and shared After I won the District Humorous Speech
that his good friend has been the District Contest in 1997, I quit competing in Humorous
Champion for all four contests. Yes, all four; for a couple years to give other people in our
International, Table Topics, Evaluation and club a chance. Then I came up with a speech
Humorous Speech Contests. Contest season has (“The Bus Speech”) which provided tips on
started. I asked Bruce some questions that might how to survive a bus ride, and used it to win
entice you to take the contest plunge. Bruce is a the 2006 District 7 Humorous Speech Contest.
member of Lake Oswego Toastmasters Two months after the District contest, I was
heading home when our city bus broke down,
Q: What was your first contest and what and we had to wait for a replacement bus. I
motivated you to compete? seized the opportunity to walk to the front of
the bus, and deliver “The Bus Speech” to the
A: My first speech contest was the Evaluation passengers. The “Bus Speech” is the only one
Contest. I’d recently joined Toastmasters, I’ve ever given which years later, people have
and when the 1990 speech contest season asked me to repeat.
rolled around, I thought “Well this is what
Toastmasters do, and I’m a Toastmaster Q: Do you have any advice for our members
so….” I made it to the Division who are considering entering a contest?
Contest in Salem that year, a
good 45 minute drive away. A: Do it! It is a great learning
I did not even place, and my experience. You may have a chance
ego was crushed. As I pulled to speak in front of your largest
out of the parking lot in audience ever, filled with people
Salem, I vowed to never enter you do not know. I still remember
another speech contest, ever! competing in my first District Contest
By the time I got home, that in Medford. As I mounted the stage I
same ego had kicked into thought “Yikes this is a lot of people!”
gear, and I’d decided I was But competing at this level will help
going to come back next year you get used to large audiences. Also,
and do better. when I am a competitor, I pay closer
attention to the other speakers than
Q: Do you have a favorite contest? I ever have before in my whole life! I always
learn a lot from them, and it is inspiring.
A: The Humorous Speech Contest is my fa- Whenever I’m in a District speech contest that
vorite by a country mile. As the younger I have not won, I usually stay awake for hours
sibling in the family, I resorted to humor in afterwards preparing my next “contest speech.”
order to survive my childhood. I love mak- Keep trying! I am proud to say that I probably
ing people laugh. In an odd way, humor have the largest collection of District-level 3rd
is the ultimate power trip. Since laughing Place and Runner-Up trophies in District 7, ten
involves the convulsing of certain muscles, in total.
when you make an audience laugh, you are
in essence thinking, “I’m going to take con- Q: Do you have tips for preparing for a contest?
A: Bruce’s tips:
18 Volume 2 Issue 6 - JANUARY 2016
