Anniversaries are almost certainly productive of more speeches than any other

event. Unfortunately, it is also true that anniversaries spawn more dull and half-
hearted speeches than any other event. But, with a little preparation, this does
not have to be the case. Indeed, anniversaries are natural occasions for very
engaging talks. Why? Everyone loves to reminisce, pore over old family albums,
listen to old rock 'n' roll, to watch the black-and-white relics of television's Golden
Age. Few things are more delightful than memory. There are, then, only two
secrets to delivering a successful anniversary speech: First, make the occasion a
collective reminiscence. But, second, don't stop there. Evoke the past, relive it—
then look to the future.

Anniversary speeches are among the simplest talks to structure. At their most
basic, they have only two parts: the past and the future. Why, then, do so many
of these talks go so wrong? Speakers fail to make the memories real. They feel
obliged to make a few "profound" observations, which usually translate into
abstract clichés bolstered by hollow adjectives. Replace these with the flesh and
blood, the sights and sounds of real memories, real things described with verbs
and nouns, and lots of proper names and brand names. Evoke the fabric of real
life. Let your listeners see what you are talking about.

Always remember What can we Say & What sentences not to say

What To Say

Travel back through time. When XYZ, Inc., was founded in a Muncie, Indiana,
garage, what were the hit songs, the popular TV shows, the most talked-about
books, the hottest movies, the price of gasoline, the price of Coca-Cola®, a loaf
of Wonder Bread®, a DuMont® television set?
Celebrate the founder, owner, and the early guiding light. Give a capsule
biography of her or, better yet, zero in on a few revealing anecdotes.
Dramatize the changes that have occurred in the industry, the school, and the
organization. Highlight changes that the company, college, club—whatever—
played a role in.
To this panorama of change, counterpoint the qualities that have remained
constant: commitment to excellence, concern for people, regard for the
community, and so forth.
Remind your listeners that they partake in a tradition and heritage.
Urge your listeners to maintain what is good and enduring about the past, even
while they move forward to face the challenges of the future.
Suggest that, as good as things were in the "good old days," there are even
better, more challenging, more rewarding, more exciting days to come.
What Not To Say
While it is very effective to use statistics sparingly, do not overdo it by reciting
long lists of facts and figures gleaned from old annual reports.
Do not lament the passing of the Good Old Days.
Do not patronize or belittle the accomplishments of the past.
Do not fail to look forward to the future.
Avoid high-flown rhetoric. "Four score and seven years ago" worked well—once.
But that was it.
Avoid being so personal, dwelling exclusively on insider anecdotes, for example,
that you alienate the majority of your audience.

Sentences To Use

It has been fifty years since Ebenezer Hardwick turned his Thirteenth Street
garage into Hardwick Rejuvenator, Inc.
When it all began, milk was 35 cents a gallon, you could buy three apples for a
nickel, most houses were priced in the four-figure range, and a Ford Model T cost
$300.
We have come through the adventure of our first decade.
Congratulations on your first hundred years.
It is a pleasure to stand between the past and the future and to con-template the
history we have made and have yet to make.
We are here to recall the past and look ahead to the future.
Even the most optimistic of people back in 1955 would not have dared to predict
the phenomenal growth we have achieved.