assigned speaking engagement, including any reports  that  must  be  submitted  by  speaker). l  Administration  (if  not  included  under  the  above paragraph,   state   clearly   any   financial responsibilities,   who   publishes   applicable orders,  etc.) In preparing your planning directive, completeness and word choice will have a strong influence on the ease with  which  you  obtain  qualified  speakers.  Give  the speaker as much assistance as possible. Reflect those items in your directive. DEVELOP A SPEAKER FILE After  defining  the  bureau  guidelines,  develop  a roster of speakers who are qualified and express a desire to  speak  on  Navy  associated  subjects.  Consider everyone  in  the  command–officers,  enlisted  personnel, Navy civilians, retired and Reserve personnel. A public affairs  representative  can  find  capable  speakers  through the use of questionnaires, personal interviews and staff and  command  assistance. Many of our younger petty officers and nonrated men and women are extremely articulate, and more important, they have a rapport and voice among high school and college students which older officers and petty  officers  seldom  match.  Such  young  men  and women  should  be  sought  out  and  used  in  speakers bureaus, and opportunities for them to speak should be solicited  vigorously,  particularly  among  younger audiences. Another   group   of   “natural”   speakers   are   the instructors in the various Navy training programs. These men  and  women  have  an  authority  and  a  ring  of authenticity that officers cannot duplicate; they were selected for their ability to speak Naval personnel of any minority race are frequently the most effective speakers to send to groups composed chiefly of their own race. Recruiting  speakers  requires  a  determined  effort. There are a variety of methods through which you can seek  volunteers.  Some  of  these  methods  are  discussed in the following text. Command Assistance Informing incoming personnel of the command’s speakers program can be accomplished during initial interviews with the officer in command or the person designated  to  give  indoctrination  briefings.  The command  public  affairs  office  is  normally  included  on the individual’s check-in sheet. This is a perfect time to sell the bureau to prospective speakers. If incoming personnel  express  a  desire  to  participate,  follow  up  with a personal letter such as the example in figure 6-11, Enclose a speaker biographic data form, such as the one contained  in  figure  6-12.  You  can  make  your  own modification of this form as well as the others discussed in this chapter. Review Personnel Data To  gain  more  insight  about  potential  speakers, request a continuing list of incoming personnel be sent to  the  public  affairs  office  with  key  items  of  data (department  or  division  assigned,  previous  assignments, unusual duty, etc.). Send a letter requesting participation when the name of a potential speaker crosses your desk. Advertise You can advertise your speech program by doing the following:   (1)   sending   letters   to   neighboring subordinate commands requesting they assist you by inviting  qualified  members  of  their  organization  to participate (fig. 6-13); (2) sending form letters to all personnel  urging  participation  (including  the  biographic data sheet, as shown in fig. 6-12); and (3) publishing information in the command newspaper, newsletter, Plan of the Day, SITE system, Toastmasters  International and so forth. Toastmasters is an international organization that gives its members training and experience in public speaking.  Local  clubs  exist  in  most  cities  where  naval activities are located. Many Navy personnel participate in  these  clubs,  and  such  participants  are  often  excellent candidates for the speakers bureau. Contact the club chairman  and  ask  for  the  names  of  qualified  naval participants. Incentives Speakers  often  need  incentives  to  participate. Publicize  the  bureau  and  what  it  is  accomplishing.  Give recognition  to  speakers  and  give  certificates;  publicize awards  and  commendations  for  speakers  in  newspapers, bulletins,  and  so  forth.  Such  recognition  can  often  make the task of recruiting much easier. 6-31