Figurative alternative to “have the conch” (the right to speak)

Question

Conch noun
Remote Control. From the shell in Lord of the Flies, the person holding it having the authority to speak at council meetings.

I may be pushing the envelope in my own usage (I'm happy to say "I have the conch" simply to (re)assert my right to speak and be heard in any discussion context, not just "council meetings"). But for no particular reason I just wanted to convey that without the somewhat literary reference. I couldn't think of an alternative metaphoric usage.

Did we have a generic term for such a symbolic "talisman/totem" before conch?

Answer 1

There is the talking stick used by various groups of North American indigenous people

The talking stick, also called a speaker's staff, is an instrument of aboriginal democracy used by many tribes, especially those of indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast of North America. The talking stick may be passed around a group or used only by leaders as a symbol of their authority and right to speak in public.

[Wikipedia]

According to the article, the practice has been adopted by other groups, such as the Boy Scouts of America.

Answer 2

I believe having the floor is in common usage, in British and American English at least. However, this doesn't usually actually involve any physical token.

"Ladies, gentlemen! Some decorum please! The Honourable Member for Easthampton has the floor and will now begin to bring his point to a close".