by Glenn Pike, DTM, 
Valley Toastmasters and District 3 Historian

Brian Cavanaugh, ATM, won First Place in the 1996 District 3 International Spring Speech Contest, Saturday evening, May 17, at the Fountain Suites Hotel in Phoenix. He did it last fall. Brian also won District 3's Humorous Speech Contest at the previous Conference, in Prescott. 

He has been there before. Brian was a dual contestant at the 1989 Region III Conference following First Place wins in District 3's Fall 1988 and Spring 1989 contests. 

This year, Brian becomes one of a very few regional contestants in Toastmasters history to compete more than once in both the Humorous and the International Contests during the same conference. This remarkable accomplishment has been in the making since Brian entered his first speech contest approximately ten years ago, and discovered he enjoyed the experience 

Since then, Brian has competed at and been a finalist at more District 3 Speech Contests than any other Toastmaster in District 3's 57 year history. 

Brian has reached the District level NINE times, placed Third once, and won First Place-SIX TIMES. No other District 3 contestant during that same per period has won First Place more than once. 

Brian first reached the District level in 1987 as a contestant in both the Spring and the Fall contests. One year later, he returned for the Fall contest and began his series of First Place wins: Fall '88, Spring '89, Spring '91, Fall '93, Fall '95, and Spring '96. 

How does he do it? How does Brian get an idea and develop it into a winning speech? 

"I start by just thinking about things until I find an idea that I get involved in, something I can relate to. I find a lot of the ideas are emotional to me," said Brian. "Once I get enthused with the idea, I look for a clever, unique way to deliver it." 

Brian first reached the District level in 1987 as a contestant in both the Spring and the Fall contests. One year later, he returned for the Fall contest and began his series of First Place wins: Fall '88, Spring '89, Spring '91, Fall '93, Fall '95, and Spring '96. How does he do it? How does Brian get an idea and develop it into a winning speech? "I start by just thinking about things until I find an idea that I get involved in, something I can relate to. I find a lot of the ideas are emotional to me," said Brian. "Once I get enthused with the idea, I look for a clever, unique way to deliver it." His first District win came from an idea of using the basic manual as a speech. It lead to the idea of basic training in the army, which lead to the idea of giving it as a drill sergeant which lead to the idea of wearing a military type uniform (his boy scout uniform).

Brian poses with past District  Governor Terri Sparks, DTM, and past International Director  ?  The "Red Hot Mama"  following a winning District presentation in 1996.

 

His first District win came from an idea of using the basic manual as a speech. It lead to the idea of basic training in the army, which lead to the idea of giving it as a drill sergeant which lead to the idea of wearing a military type uniform (his boy scout uniform). 

"I'm trying to become a better communicator," he says. "The challenge is to take an idea that is important to me, make it creative, do it differently, and to not limit myself. To do that I try to find ideas in everything. I have learned to listen to other people. What I hear that I like often winds up in a speech. I have found stories to be important people can see themselves in their life experiences. 

Brian increased the use of repetition in his recent First Place District speech. "We have a tendency to let our thoughts drift," he said. "I accept that and I have been using repetition to keep pulling attention back in to the subject." 

Brian had an opportunity to use repetition again in Albuquerque at the Region III contest as he represented District 3 twice by competing not only in the Humorous Contest, but also in the International Contest where he took second place. (Brian was defeated by Jana Barnhill who went on to a second place finish last month in the World Championship of Public Speaking.)