To script or not to script is a topic that inevitably surfaces this time of year, as nonprofits move into the gala and event season. My experience is that the opinions on either side of this coin are firm. But it’s not a matter of either or. There is an and to consider.

But first, what, precisely, is at issue? The issue is about control. Proponents of the scripted speech want to maintain control of the message and its length, and for good reason.