What constitutes a good Torch presentation???
To put it succinctly, what is looked for is a 30 to 35 minute talk on a subject of general interest to our members, which will have a thesis interesting enough to generate some lively (but polite) argument and discussion both immediately afterwards and later over dinner. It may be read, spoken from notes, delivered with or without slides...whatever you are most comfortable with.
It is best if your presentation has a clear thesis. Don’t be shy about taking a position, if appropriate, on any issues you may be discussing, both your presentation and the discussion afterward will benefit. Having a clear focus will also make it easier for you to pare down lots of research or thoughts to fit the time limits of a Torch presentation.
While your topic is expected to be something in an area of your interest and/or expertise, it is generally considered bad form to use your talk to directly promote something, especially if you have a clear monetary interest, or to base it solely on the work you do for a living. It is also not considered appropriate to present what is essentially a personal travelogue or a book report based on a single source.
If you want to use Power Point, use it to highlight major topics or to present necessary graphics, not as a detailed text to be read as your talk. You will need to contact the program chairman if you don’t have your own data projector and laptop so the necessary equipment can be rounded up.
Remember, you likely know more about your topic than anyone else in the room, so enjoy the opportunity to do a deep dive into the subject and share that knowledge with your eager listeners. That's what Torch is all about!
Some additional guidance from an official Torch source:
From the Torch website:
What is a Torch presentation?
The highlight of the usual Torch club dinner meeting is a presentation by a member of that club, or by a guest. Topics range as widely as do the interests and expertise of the club's membership. Papers on cold fusion, the Bretton Woods Agreement, the poems of Emily Dickinson, and physician-assisted suicide recently published in Torch magazine all began as presentations by members of local Torch clubs.
Members of local clubs attend meetings not merely to listen passively but to discuss the presentation and explore the issues it raises, sometimes challenging the speaker or each other, always enjoying the stimulation that comes from participation. The dinner conversation that follows the paper offers an opportunity to engage some of your community's most invigorating and invigorated minds.
To put it succinctly, what is looked for is a 30 to 35 minute talk on a subject of general interest to our members, which will have a thesis interesting enough to generate some lively (but polite) argument and discussion both immediately afterwards and later over dinner. It may be read, spoken from notes, delivered with or without slides...whatever you are most comfortable with.
It is best if your presentation has a clear thesis. Don’t be shy about taking a position, if appropriate, on any issues you may be discussing, both your presentation and the discussion afterward will benefit. Having a clear focus will also make it easier for you to pare down lots of research or thoughts to fit the time limits of a Torch presentation.
While your topic is expected to be something in an area of your interest and/or expertise, it is generally considered bad form to use your talk to directly promote something, especially if you have a clear monetary interest, or to base it solely on the work you do for a living. It is also not considered appropriate to present what is essentially a personal travelogue or a book report based on a single source.
If you want to use Power Point, use it to highlight major topics or to present necessary graphics, not as a detailed text to be read as your talk. You will need to contact the program chairman if you don’t have your own data projector and laptop so the necessary equipment can be rounded up.
Remember, you likely know more about your topic than anyone else in the room, so enjoy the opportunity to do a deep dive into the subject and share that knowledge with your eager listeners. That's what Torch is all about!
Some additional guidance from an official Torch source:
From the Torch website:
What is a Torch presentation?
The highlight of the usual Torch club dinner meeting is a presentation by a member of that club, or by a guest. Topics range as widely as do the interests and expertise of the club's membership. Papers on cold fusion, the Bretton Woods Agreement, the poems of Emily Dickinson, and physician-assisted suicide recently published in Torch magazine all began as presentations by members of local Torch clubs.
Members of local clubs attend meetings not merely to listen passively but to discuss the presentation and explore the issues it raises, sometimes challenging the speaker or each other, always enjoying the stimulation that comes from participation. The dinner conversation that follows the paper offers an opportunity to engage some of your community's most invigorating and invigorated minds.