The year of 2026

One speech, then a debate

The first meeting of 2026 had only one prepared speech on the books, so the two empty slots became a debate instead. The suggestion, made two days before: “there’s only one speech, so let’s turn it into a debate.” The motion: is vegetarianism a better lifestyle choice than eating meat?

Recruiting was uneven. The team arguing for vegetarianism never filled past its first speaker, while three signed up against. Someone raised the fairness problem the afternoon of the meeting; the fix offered was “four people, two against two,” but the last version of the agenda still had an empty slot. One member declined outright: “I haven’t prepared anything for this topic.”

Kristin delivered the evening’s one prepared speech, “The story of Pizza.” Jason, who was Table Topics Master, brought actual pizza to the venue, having promised in the group that afternoon that there would be pizza and butter cookies.

Behind the scenes

Roles were still moving hours before the gavel. The Hark Master signed up, then withdrew the day before (“something important came up for tomorrow, I might not make it, so I’m giving up the role now”), and nobody picked it up. Several facilitator slots went to the meeting unfilled.

The club’s running 100-yuan bounty (finish a speech plus a meeting manager or debate turn in one week and you collect) paid out to two members after this one.