• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Att: School Captains... ::FORMAL SPEECHES:: (1 Viewer)

l-mercedes-l

Has left the building :D
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Messages
167
Location
Thanks to everyone who went out of their way to he
Gender
Female
HSC
2005
Im struggling with writing my speech for the formal and i was wondering if anyone had any ideas, thoughts etc about the speech for the formal... I feel like i need to say something really profound and meaningful and memorable...

any ideas/advice from current or past captains/speeches etc would be appreciated :D

thanks guys!
 

fleepbasding

HSC TUTOR
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
1,134
Location
Sydney- Inner West
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
I'm no school captain, but I consider myself pretty advanced in the area of cheezy speeches, so here are some ideas from me.

Talk about all of them coming into school in year 7, all tiny and apprehensive, maybe mention a few students specifically (in a non-mean way) bla bla bla... just a little nostalgia trip, and then say something like "It is hard to believe we've transformed into the mature etc young men and women we are today... (You can phrase it in a more inspirational way, this is just the outline)

If you're into the whole funny or comedic speeches (that also have a serious/sincere meaning), you could try an extended metaphor. For example, our own captain started a recent farewell speech with "(Insert school-name) is like a zoo", so then he had that to structure his speech around as he went through the various animals (students), trainers (teachers) etc... It worked a treat!

Say stuff like "We've made it!" all the time, or atleast once in your speech.

Beyond the content of your speech, just try to deliver it in a lively, animated and sincere manner, because that will be the most memorable aspect of any speech. Make sure it doesn't sound like a typical prepared speechm there's nothing worse than that (as you probably know).

Goodluck, I hope this has helped you a bit!
 

l-mercedes-l

Has left the building :D
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Messages
167
Location
Thanks to everyone who went out of their way to he
Gender
Female
HSC
2005
fleepbasding said:
I'm no school captain, but I consider myself pretty advanced in the area of cheezy speeches, so here are some ideas from me.

Talk about all of them coming into school in year 7, all tiny and apprehensive, maybe mention a few students specifically (in a non-mean way) bla bla bla... just a little nostalgia trip, and then say something like "It is hard to believe we've transformed into the mature etc young men and women we are today... (You can phrase it in a more inspirational way, this is just the outline)

If you're into the whole funny or comedic speeches (that also have a serious/sincere meaning), you could try an extended metaphor. For example, our own captain started a recent farewell speech with "(Insert school-name) is like a zoo", so then he had that to structure his speech around as he went through the various animals (students), trainers (teachers) etc... It worked a treat!

haha thanks... im intrigued about the zoo though...

ive googled 'graduation speeches' and have spent the last hour enjoying a never ending tack-fest of 'journey' metaphors which are for an obvious reason innappropriate for our cohort!... alot of them are American and sooooooo cliched that the phrases like

Some american graduation speech said:
"To our parents, mentors and friends, your love and support through this journey of ours means the world to us. Thank you for helping make our dreams come true and for celebrating tonight with us, the Marysville Alternative class of 2003. "
are actually becoming funny again.

because of limited time, they dont want us to crap on all night i think it needs to be very consise...

Should i try and talk about the possibilites etc or focus mostly on the experience... sorry but it just sprang to mind... its the journey not hte destination that matters... haha the journey metaphor is so perfect... damn AOS
 

fleepbasding

HSC TUTOR
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
1,134
Location
Sydney- Inner West
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
l-mercedes-l said:
haha thanks... im intrigued about the zoo though...

ive googled 'graduation speeches' and have spent the last hour enjoying a never ending tack-fest of 'journey' metaphors which are for an obvious reason innappropriate for our cohort!... alot of them are American and sooooooo cliched that the phrases like


are actually becoming funny again.

because of limited time, they dont want us to crap on all night i think it needs to be very consise...

Should i try and talk about the possibilites etc or focus mostly on the experience... sorry but it just sprang to mind... its the journey not hte destination that matters... haha the journey metaphor is so perfect... damn AOS
Use, the journey metaphor as a half-joke, to make everyone groan!

Talk a little bit about the possibilities, but focus primarily on the experience, because it is the experience that you are farewelling.
 
Last edited:

physician

Some things never change.
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Messages
1,432
Location
Bankstown bro
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
lol, u had to remind me!

great! giving a speech is another reason why i dont want to go to the formal anymore lol

I had to do a speech on graduation day!

I was only told like 5 minutes beforehand, so yeh, half the stuff i said didnt even make sense but annnnnnnywayyyyyyyys!

Some great ideas there Fleepbasding.

ahhh, hmmm let me see!

nop Im out of ideas, but I too would appreciate some help!... although i think what Fleepbasding said is pritty much enough to get anyone started!

The last time i told a joke in a speech, I had to inform everyone that it was time to start laughing

"U can laugh now...haha"... some of my freinds caught on pritty quick, but alot of ppl only realised 10 minutes later!
 
Last edited:

l-mercedes-l

Has left the building :D
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Messages
167
Location
Thanks to everyone who went out of their way to he
Gender
Female
HSC
2005
physician said:
The last time i told a joke in a speech, I had to inform everyone that it was time to start laughing
haha thats why im trying to steer clear of anything that could go either way or be misinterpreted. my boy captain is great but makes bad jokes when he gets nervous.

Are you planning to give your principle/year advisor etc a gift... in which case are you going to spend some time thanking them etc.

ive been reading SOOOO many corny graduation speeches [try googling "Graduation speeches" - theres some shocker out there which ought to make you feel better]

i just dont want to be remembered as the idiot who said that stupid thing at the formal... im sure you get what im saying!
 

physician

Some things never change.
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Messages
1,432
Location
Bankstown bro
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
lol, I totaly understand where ur coming from!

In our yr 10 formal, one girl got up to either give a speech or read a poem or something, she had a nervous break down and said Sh*t out loud on the microphone and went bak to her seat, and might I add the whole hall was packed with teachers, students, parents and the principle (it was also a combined yr 10, 12 formal)... we got a laugh out of it, but I mean even that was a good memory, As long as u get ppl laughing (whether it be with u, or at u) the point is to get them laughing lol!...those are the memorable moments...

l-mercedes-l said:
Are you planning to give your principle/year advisor etc a gift... in which case are you going to spend some time thanking them etc.
we'll be giving our yr advisor a gift, but that would prolly be after the speech!
but yeh, i'll be speaking about my yr advisor and how he's been there for so long (etc etc, all the cliched stuff lol)...lol, weve put him through alot... when speaking about ur yr advisor its always good to reflect on a past experience uve had with them for example "remember the time when we went to (i'll use the metaphor fleepbasding was talking about) zoo?... u thought bob was stuck in the cage, until we realised that was just a chimp, that looked like bob... ".....or "I remeber back in yr 7......"

soooooooo, yah just be realistic in a creative way!...if that makes sense!
 

fleepbasding

HSC TUTOR
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
1,134
Location
Sydney- Inner West
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
Some other ideas ot base a extended metaphor/simile on could be...

football (or any sports) team
theme park
human body ("and the principal is the dick"... ha ha ha, proceed at your own peril with this one...)
a sailing ship
a tree (growing etc, leaves, roots bla bla)
spider-web (students (flys) getting trapped and eaten by the spider (pricipal) and his babies (teachers)... don't do this one! ha ha)
a guiness world record attempt?
a marathon
an atheletics carnival

Only do these if you know you can make it funny, but at the same time they should be insightful, and should get quite sincere towards the end. good luck with the speeches, whatever format/style you both adopt.
 

l-mercedes-l

Has left the building :D
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Messages
167
Location
Thanks to everyone who went out of their way to he
Gender
Female
HSC
2005
fleepbasding said:
Only do these if you know you can make it funny, but at the same time they should be insightful, and should get quite sincere towards the end. good luck with the speeches, whatever format/style you both adopt.
ive been thinking about the sentiments i want to leave and they are:
-greatfulness for experiences/opportunities
-thanking my teachers etc for their support and optimism
-encourage my year group to become successful people.

i want to use some short anecdotes from the past few years too... things that have happened

just a bit scared about using a metaphor etc for it... i dont think i can be funny without being corny and i wont risk that!

The other thing is this is the first year to graduate and the first time our school has done the HSC. theres no traditions!!!!
 

physician

Some things never change.
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Messages
1,432
Location
Bankstown bro
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
miss_gtr said:
(purposely leave out the principal-mention teachers, mentors, coordinator, TUCKSHOP LADIES and most of all parents) .
lol, Thats what I did, except it wasnt on purpose...!!! I only realised as soon as i sat back down!!!...honest! I forgot to mention the principle and the deputy lol !
 

l-mercedes-l

Has left the building :D
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Messages
167
Location
Thanks to everyone who went out of their way to he
Gender
Female
HSC
2005
miss_gtr said:
lol god i hate my principal, and he is leaving at the end of the year...leaves when i fucking leave.
i hate him because:
i always have this spot in history, and for some reason he always comes to my study, and while i get a book from the shelf he shoves my books to another table and sits IN MY SEAT.
ive been at the school for six years, and he can't remember my name... he is like "you...can you bring this to the office for me?"...... i ignore him and walk off. Bastard. theres only 42 of us, you'd think he'd remember our names.
he always has white foam on the corner of his mouth. mr cum-mouth.
he gives crap speeches at the end of mass-graduation thing. every year he talks about what the advanced english class studied, and he tries to make it like he really cares, but he kept saying "shhhhhhhrrrizzLecki." instead of Skryznecki. Then he said it again at the formal. Repeated offender.
He is OUR school principal yet he struts around the school with a blue mug, with the emblem of a public primary school... we are like catholic-privatish. Tool.
He gave me an afternoon detention one time because i drew a rude picture and was part of a "nasty letter writing, rumour spreading scheme"...hardly. I just DREW a bloody picture. Pig.
He is balding.
He is short
He annoys me.
Feel better now?
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top