Whether a eulogy at a funeral or a toast at a wedding dinner, special occasion speeches are unique to the occasion.  They can be humorous, serious, informative, and persuasive; it all depends on the purpose of the occasion.  Other examples of special occasions include speeches at banquets, award dinners, retirement parties, anniversaries, graduations, or tributes.  Introducing a speaker, accepting an award or accolade, presenting someone with an award or honor, are also examples of special occasion speeches.
 

Pay attention to the assigned readings for this week in order to cover all the basics (Ch. 18 – Speaking to Entertain).  You will use a manuscript (your full speech written out). However, you will be expected to maintain eye contact and have a conversational delivery, rather than just reading the speech. As it can be difficult to deliver a speech using a manuscript (so many words in front of you can cause you to get lost), I suggest maybe using a larger type font so you can see it more easily while speaking.