Humorous Speech Contest

Speech Timing

Required time: 5–7 minutes

Official Rules

• 1.Speech must be 5–7 minutes
• 2.Humor must be appropriate for all audiences
• 3.No offensive or discriminatory material
• 4.Speech must be original and not previously used in contest
• 5.Self-deprecating humor is encouraged; humor at others' expense is not

Winning Tips

• ★Rule of three: set up a pattern and break it for laughs
• ★Callback humor (referring to earlier jokes) scores well
• ★Timing is everything — let laughter settle before continuing
• ★Practice in front of different audiences to test what lands
• ★Be authentic — forced humor is obvious to judges