Public
One of the key skills Toastmasters learn is to run a meeting so that it starts on time and finishes on time. Doing this requires both proper planning of the agenda, and speakers who can work within the allotted time limits.
As timer you are responsible for monitoring the time for each meeting segment and speaker. You’ll also operate the timing lights, so the speakers know how long they have been talking. Serving as timer is an excellent opportunity to develop the ability to listen and stay focused while you multi-task. You will also have the opportunity to give a brief oral report.
On meeting day arrive at the meeting a few minutes early so you have time to set up and test the timing equipment. Be sure you understand how to operate the stopwatch and signal device, make certain the timing equipment works and sit where the signal device can be seen by all.
Before the meeting starts, make sure you know the timing for each speaker/meeting segment. If the timing is not clearly indicated on the agenda you should speak with the chairperson for clarification.
During the meeting, listen carefully to each program participant and turn on the green, yellow and red signals at the appropriate times. When each speaker finishes, record the participant's name and time on the timer’s report.
Near the end of the meeting, you will be asked to provide a timekeepers report by the General Evaluator. When you are introduced, stand by your chair, provide a brief description of your role, (5-15 seconds) and then report the timings for the meeting. Normally you should announce:
- The time taken for the (Invocation and) Toast
- The time taken by the Jokemaster
- The minimum and maximum speaking time for table topics
- The time taken for the business meeting (if applicable)
- The time taken for the educational segment (if applicable)
- The time for each prepared speech
- The time for each evaluation
At the conclusion of your report return control to the chairperson and be seated.
The Towns of York normally awards a ribbon to the best table topics speaker, best evaluator and best prepared speech as selected by a vote of the members in attendance. The Timer/Ballot Counter is responsible for counting the votes and providing the chairperson with a list of the members who are eligible for awards.
After the last evaluation, the membership will complete their ballots and several members will assist by collecting the ballots and delivering them for counting. If this doesn't occur, you should interrupt the meeting an ask that the ballots be collected. Once the ballots have been collected, you should ask members sitting nearby (often they will begin to help without being asked) to assist in sorting and counting the ballots. Once counted, you should clearly print on a small slip of paper Best Table Topics, Best Evaluator, and Best Speaker, and the names of the members who won the vote. If there is a tie, list all names. Either deliver these results to the Chairperson yourself, or ask someone sitting with you to do it on your behalf if you are to busy to do it in a timely manner.
After the meeting is finished, return the stopwatch and timing lights to the sergeant at arms, and give your completed timer’s report to the secretary so it can be inc;uded with the club minutes.
Tips and Other Important Points
- Be certain to sit where the timing signal can be clearly seen at the front of the room and by as many other people as reasonably possible.
- During table topics, turn the lights so that the table topics speaker can see them.
- If for some reason you have not been able to get the correct timing for a prepared speech, interrupt and ask the Toastmaster for the speech timing before the speaker has the opportunity to take the floor. Ideally you can and should avoid this situation by speaking with the Toastmaster or Chairperson before the meeting begins.
- The end of the meeting is very busy for the Timekeeper/Ballot Counter. Not only must you count the ballots, but you need to time the last few roles and give your report. To avoid delaying the meeting you should ask nearby members for help (often this will happen without asking) to sort and count the ballots.
- If you don't have time to take the results of the ballot to the Chairperson, ask someone to help.
- Have fun!
Telling a joke successfully is a skill that many people don’t feel they have because they have never taken sufficient time to learn and practice. While you may not aspire to be a stand up comic, your ability to use humour skillfully or tell a joke will enhance your presentations and your social skills. Appropriate, skillfully timed hurmour helps build rapport and puts people at ease in tense or serious situations.
If you read the material that comes from Toastmasters, you will notice that the Jokemaster role is not mentioned. That is because the Towns of York (and many other Toastmasters clubs) have created this role to provide an additional speaking opportunity that is adaptable to both new and experienced members.
As Jokemaster, your task is to deliver a clean and tasteful joke or short entertaining story that fits with the theme of the meeting. The Jokemaster role serves as the appetizer to warm up the meeting with laughter while providing you with an opportunity to concentrate on practicing this essential speaking skill.
Humour should be of good taste. Objectionable language, racist, sexist and "toilet humour" are unacceptable at Toastmasters meetings. As Toastmasters, we need to be aware of the feelings of our fellow members and be sensitive to them. As a result most jokes about religion and politics should be avoided. Jokes that may be suitable at a party might not necessarily be suitable for a Toastmasters meeting. If you are in doubt, get another joke.
Prior to the meeting, prepare for your role by preparing and practicing a joke suitable for a Toastmasters meeting that takes no more than 2 minutes to tell, and (if it is within your comfort zone) a 5-15 second explanation of the Jokemaster role for new members and visiting guests.
As Jokemaster you will normally be called near the start of the meeting just after the Invocation and Toast. Once you are introduced, stand, thank the Chairperson, and perform your role. When you are finished pass control of the meeting back to the Chairperson before being seated.
This role can expand and contract based on the skill level of the participant and the timing of the meeting. For the very new and/or timid speaker, simply stand and read a joke. For the more experienced, you should concisely explain your role as Jokemaster (5-15 seconds) and/or include a short preamble that integrates your humour into the meeting. When this role performed by an experienced member, it should ideally be a 1 to 2 minute mini-speech that uses humour as a way to emphasize the theme of the meeting.
As your experience and confidence increases you should focus on gestures, timing, adding vocal variety, and carefully choosing the words. A written joke is different than a spoken joke. If you take a joke from the internet, wordsmith it into a "spoken" joke to make it more "story-like". Simply changing a phrase like "A man was walking down the street and..." to "George was walking down the street and..." can make a big difference.
Mastering the art of humour and joke telling requires practice, practice and practice. Take the time to practice, just as you would for a speech so that you can present your joke without reading. Be dramatic: act out the part enthusiastically, and use all the skills of vocal variety and body language to enhance the story line and lead effectively to your punch-line. Be sure to rehearse the punch line especially if it’s complicated or a tongue twister. Your joke telling success all rests right there in the delivery of those words.
Tips and Other Important Points
- Prior to the meeting you should find out what the theme of the meeting will be by contacting the chairperson.
- The timing for this roles is between 1 to 2 minutes (Total time 3 minutes ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM)!
- Like any other presentation, you must "know your audience". Your humour should relate to the theme of the meeting and be clean, tasteful, and politically correct. Toastmasters is not the place for off-color humour. Keep in clean and inoffensive.
- Challenge yourself based on your skill, experience level and the amount of time you have available for preparation - you will grow and have the most fun if you make your role a GENTLE stretch.
- Until you’re experienced, stick with something short, and that is easy to follow or you’ll lose people and the ending will be anti-climactic. It take a great deal of skill to pull off telling a long, complicated story with a hopefully funny ending.
- The best jokes are often ones that you have learned from personal experience.
- Your humour can be joke, anecdote, or personal humorous story that leaves everyone feeling good. You do not need to find the funniest joke ever told, nor do you need to deliver a joke so perfectly that the members are rolling on the floor laughing.
- Old books are often a better source of good humour than the Internet because chances are that less people in your audience will have read or heard the joke before. A recent entry from a "joke e-mail list" is most likely fresh in the minds of many of the audience and could fall flat as a result. If you are going to use material, from a "joke list", search the archives and pick something that is several years old.
- Relax and have fun and remember to SMILE!
- If the agenda is very light, then there is a bit of room for creativity or impromptu commentary. If the meeting is full or likely to run overtime, keep your delivery focused by reducing any setup preamble to a bare minimum.
As Quizmaster your task is to create five or six questions to test the audience’s listening skills, and then ask the audience the questions you have developed. This role will non only help you develop both your listening and facilitation skills, but it also provides the opportunity for everyone at the meeting to actively practice and test their listening skills as well.
Facilitation is different from delivering a speech because you need to be comfortable standing in silence in front of an audience waiting for an answer and being in the moment.
Being in front of an audience in silence can be a bit scary at first, since a few seconds can seem like an eternity. However once you master the art of being in silence it will make you a better speaker because it will allow you to eliminate fillers like "ums" and "ahs", and get back on track if you have a short memory lapses.
Upon arrival at the meeting, have paper and pen ready to make notes. During the meeting, jot down simple questions based on what was said during the meeting.
Sample Questions:
- Where is the area contest going to be held?
- During Susan’s speech what was the name of her husband?
- What award did Ross’ win?
- Who said “_______.”?
Near the end of the meeting, you will be called to stand and conduct a short "question and answer" period. Once you are introduced, thank the your introducer (the Chairperson or General Evaluator), concisely explain your role as Quizmaster (10--15 seconds) , and then pose your questions to the entire audience.
You should allow approximately 5 to 10 seconds per question and answer. Expect the audience to rapid ly called out answer, and when you hear the correct answer do your best to acknowledge the person who answered the question. If no response is given, or all the responses given are incorrect, simply provide the answer and move onto the next question. When your time is up, briefly thank the audience for their participation and pass control of the meeting to the person who introduced you before being seated.
Tips and Other Important Points
- The questions should be based purely on the audience’s ability to listen and pay attention.
- It is good to ask questions on important points that were covered during the meeting. For example, "According to Hildegard's educational session, why is it important to stay on time?"
- The questions are not about testing the audience’s skills with details, and should not be trivial, but instead should concentrate on the key points or important details made by the speakers.
- Use your imagination to make the role both entertaining and a good review of important points covered during the meeting.
- Challenge yourself based on your experience and skill level - for example, work with point form notes or possibly even no notes at all.
- Relax and have fun!
- If the meeting is running overtime, keep your report short by asking fewer questions.
As Grammarian your tasks are to count the number of times the word of the day was used, comment on the use of the English language during the course of the meeting and point out interesting words and phrases. Being Grammarian is truly an exercise in expanding your listening and concentration skills.
Have a blank piece of paper and pen ready so that throughout the meeting you can make note of any creative word or phrase usage or errors in grammar or word usage. Write down the number of times the “Word of the Day” and “Theme of the Meeting” were used.
When called on by the General Evaluator during the evaluation segment of the meeting, stand by your chair and give a brief (5-15 seconds) explanation of the duties of the grammarian for the benefit of new members and guests, and then give your report. At the conclusion of your report, return control to the General Evaluator and take your seat.
Tips and Other Important Points
- Your report should take approximately 1 minute to 1 1/2 minutes
(2 minutes ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM). - If you notice errors in word usage or grammar, you should comment on it in your report, but not mention the name of the person who made the error.
- If the meeting is running overtime, limit your report to about 1 minute.
- Relax and have fun!
The main duty of the Toastmaster is to act as a genial host for the formal speaking portion of the meeting. The Toastmaster creates an atmosphere of interest, expectation, and receptivity by introducing program participants in a way that excites the audience and motivates them to listen. The skills developed as Toastmaster will serve you well should you be called upon to be a master of ceremonies at a wedding, social or business function.
This task is usually assigned to a member once they are familiar with the club and its procedures, and is an excellent role to prepare for the Chairperson role.
Before the Meeting
- Prepare a brief description of your role for the benefit of any new members and guests (30 seconds ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM - 10-15 seconds is ideal). This is a leadership role that provides experience with facilitation and acting as a master of cerimonies. The Toastmaster should NOT make a lengthy speech or steal the speakers thunder.
- Contact the Chairperson to find out how many speakers are on the agenda, and if there are any planned deviations from the usual meeting format and plan accordingly if necessary.
-
Call all speakers in advance to remind them that they are speaking. Interview them to find the information necessary to introduce them properly, and if they will have any special setup requirements or have specific material that they want included in their introduction.
Your introduction should contain the following points:- The name of the speaker.
- The speech title.
- The manual and the name/number of the project within the manual that the speaker is presenting.
- A brief summary of the objectives of the speech.
- The time allowed for the speech.
- A short bit of biographical information on the speaker (such as how long they have been a member, job, family, hobbies, education, and why this topic for this audience, or other relevent points) that will serve to set the context for the speech.
- Call the general evaluator to confirm the assignment. Ask the general evaluator to call the other members of the evaluation team (speech evaluators, topics master, timer, grammarian, etc.) and remind them of their responsibilities.
- Prepare introductions for each speaker. A proper introduction is important to the success of the speaker’s presentation.
- Prepare remarks which can be used to bridge the gaps between program segments. You may never use them, but you should be prepared to avoid possibly awkward periods of silence.
- In the event you are short of speakers make some calls and do your best to fill the empty roles.
On Meeting Day / During the Meeting
- Arrive early so you have time to check with the Chairperson and speakers for any last minute changes, and do any last minute preparation.
- Sit near the front of the room and have your speakers do likewise for quick and easy access to the lectern.
- When you are introduced by the Chairperson (normally right after the break) come to the lectern and shake hands with the chair, and settle in as the chairperson returns to his/her seat. Preside with sincerity, energy, and decisiveness. Take your audience on a pleasant journey and make them feel that all is going well.
- Make your opening remarks, and then introduce the first speaker.
- After the speaker has finished, quickly come back to the front of the room to remain control. Make brief bridging remarks and then move on to the next speaker.
- After your final speaker, introduce and pass control to the General Evaluator.
Tips and Other Important Points
- Remember that performing as Toastmaster is a valuable experience that will help to improve your poise and comfort in front of an audience. The assignment requires careful preparation in order to have a smoothly run meeting.
- As you gain experience and the ability to "be in the moment", you should attempt to make your bridge remarks based on something that occurred during the speech or that helps tie the speech into the context of the meeting as a whole.
- Always lead the applause before and after each speaker and as the General Evaluator come to the front of the room to take control from you at the end of your role.
- Relax, have fun and breathe!
The General Evaluator as the name implies evaluates anything and everything that takes place throughout the meeting. You are responsible for the evaluation team, which consists of the Evaluators, the Grammarian and the Timekeeper/Ballot Counter. For obvious reasons this task is not usually assigned to a member until he or she is quite familiar with the club and its procedures.
Before the Meeting
- Prepare a brief description of your role and benefits of evaluation for the benefit of the guests (30 seconds ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM - 10-15 seconds is ideal).
- Download a checklist from the website to help you prepare your report during the meeting.
- Contact the Chairperson to find out if there are any planned deviations from the usual meeting format and plan accordingly if necessary.
- Contact the Toastmaster to find out how many speaker are on the agenda and what projects they are presenting so that you can best assign evaluators.
- Call all of the evaluators to brief them on their job and to tell them whom they’re evaluating and what evaluation format you will be using. During the briefing, find out how comfortable they are evaluationg, and if appropriate emphasize that evaluation is a positive, helping act. As conscientious Toastmasters, their goal must be to help fellow Toastmasters develop their skills. Emphasize that evaluations should enhance or at least preserve the self-esteem of the speaker. Suggest each evaluator call his or her speaker to talk over any special evaluation requirements.
- In the event you are short of Evaluators make some calls and do your best to fill the empty roles.
On Meeting Day / During the Meeting
- Attempt to arrive early to give yourself time to settle in and notice how the "pre-meeting "is handled." How the room setup is handled and guests are greeted should be part of your evaluation.
- Greet all evaluators as they arrive at the meeting and ensure they have the speaker’s manual and understand their duties. If an evaluator is not present, you will have a chance to approach members as they arrive at the meeting and ask someone to fill in. If you need help, ask the Vice President Education or a long standing memeber for assistance.
-
When the meeting starts be ready to take notes and begin preparing your report as you obsevere the meeting.
- Take notes on everything that happens (or doesn’t but should). For example: Is the Club’s property (trophies, banner, educational material, etc.) properly displayed? If not, why? Were there unnecessary distractions that could have been avoided? Did the meeting and each segment of it begin and end on time?
- Cover each participant on the program. Look for good and unacceptable examples of preparation, organization, delivery, enthusiasm, observation, and general performance of duties. Remember, you are not to reevaluate the speakers, though you may wish to add something that the evaluator may have missed (only if there is a very pressing need).
- Since there’s no evaluation of the Jokemaster other than whether or not people laugh or the joke falls flat, you may wish to comment briefly comment during the wrap-up if appropriate.
- After the prepared speeches are finished you will be introduced by the Toastmaster who will shake hands and pass control of the meeting to you when you reach the lectern.
- Give yourself a few seconds to settle in at the front of the room while the Toastmaster returns to his/her seat and then begin with a brief (10-15 second) explanation of your role.
- Call the first evaluator and remain at the lecturn during the evaluation. When control is returned to you should thank your Evaluator and then repeat the process until all the evaluations are complete.
- After the completion of the evaluations, you should remind the audience to vote for best evaluator and prepare their ballots for collection.
- While the ballots are being collected you should call the Grammarian to deliver his/her report. Remain at the lecturn during the report and wait quietly for contol of the meeting to be returned to you.
- Thank the Grammarian and then call on the Timekeeper to provide the Timekeeper's report. Again remain at the lecturn in silence until control is returned to you.
- Thank the Timekeeper and wait for him/her to be seated before you begin your General Evaluator's report.
-
Wrap up by giving your general evaluation of the meeting, using the notes you took as suggested above. You may wish to comment on the quality of evaluations. Were they positive, upbeat, helpful? Did they point the way to improvement? You will not have time to cover everything,pick what you perceive to be the most important points.
- At the conclusion of your report you should return control to the Chairperson. by making a simple remark like "That concludes my report, and I now return control to the Chair" and then waiting by the lecturn and shake hands with the Chairperson before you return to your seat.
Tips and Other Important Points
- To ensure a successful meeting, contact the Toastmaster ahead of time to find out who the speakers are and what projects they will be working on so you can make the best possible Evaluator assignments. If you have a cancellation or are short of Evaluators, make a few calls and attempt to obtain a replacement if the person hasn't aranged for their own replacement. In the event of difficulty contact the VP Education for assistance/guidance.
- Arive early to give yourself time to get settled and arange for any last minute replacements.
- Keep your opening remarks brief (about 10-15 seconds) - you should NOT make a lengthy speech.
- The General Evaluator normally introduced by Toastmaster, and atthe conclusion of the evaluation segment of the meeting, you will return control to Chairperson.
- Evaluation should be is a positive experience designed to help people overcome weak habits and add power to good ones. It is just as important to praise the postitive since what you focus on expands and will tend to crowd out the negative. Keep your evaluation balanced and rememer to end on a positve note.
- Your report should take between 2 to 3 minutes and since you won't have time to cover everything you should concentate on the highlights.
- Relax, and have fun!
---
Where did this come from? Do we want to leave it?
The usual procedure is to have one evaluator for each major speaker, but this is not necessary. You are free to set up any procedure you wish, but each evaluation should be brief, yet complete. Methods for conducting the evaluation sessions are limitless. Review the Effective Speech Evaluation manual for ideas.
As Table Topics Master your role is to prepare the topics and run the topics session.
Before the meeting
- Ask the Chairperson how much time is allotted to Table Topics and the theme of the meeting.
- Choose a theme for your tabke topics session that supports the theme of the meeting.
- You should prepere approximately 20 questions for your session even though you may not have time for all of them. When choosing your questions; select ones that will inspire the speakers to expound on them, give their opinions, and have fun. Make questions as concise and understandable as possible so the speaker will know exactly what you want them to talk about.
- Prepare props or any other materials you plan to use.
During the meeting
- When you are introduced by the chairperson, come to the lecturn and give a brief description of Table Topics (2 to 3 minutes) using your own words that incudes:
- the benefits of Table Topics and the importance of the table topics session;
- how long participants should speak;
- drect that the Speakers, Evaluators, General Evaluator, Toastmaster and Chairperson not participate so that those who have breif or no roles will have an opportunity to speak (Unless the aganda is very light. If there is time they may participate (speakers should go last) after everyone else who wants to speak has had their turn);
- encourage speakers to use the “Word of the Day,” in their response; and
- the voting procedures.
Pass the envelope with the questions to the first speaker during your explanation so that he/she has time to prepare. Keep your remarks brief but enthusiastic. Your job is to give others a chance to speak, not to give a speeech yourself.
- After your opening remarks, invite the first person to speak, and then keep the program rolling and then call to prevent the meeting running overtime.
- At the end of the session remind the members to vote for “Best Table Topics Speaker” and prepare their ballots for collection. their votes to the Timer/Ballot Counter.
- At the end of the session, return control of the meeting to the Chairperson.
Tips and Other Important Points
- Remind the members that they will be voiting for the best table topics speaker at the beginning of the session so they will be prepared, and then again at the end of the session to cast their vote.
- Avoid long and detailed questions that will confuse the speaker or obscure topics that require specialized knowledge. The aim of Table Topics is to challenge the speaker, not make him/her fail. The session should be fun and lively.
- The time for each speaker will depend on meeting attendance and the time available for table topics. If the agenda is full and the meeting well attended, then restrict speakers to 30-60 seconds. Otherwise allow 1-2 minutes per speaker.
- Watch your total time! Check the printed agenda for the total time allotted to Table Topics and adjust the number of questions to end your segment on time. Even if your portion started late, try to end on time to prevent the meeting running overtime.
- Relax and have fun!
After you have presented a few speeches, you will be asked to serve as an evaluator and will evaluate one of the prepared speeches. In addition to your oral evaluation, you will also give the speaker a written evaluation using the guide in the manual.
Evaluation is the quintessential toastmasters skill. It requires the ability to listen, think analytically, formulate feedback and write a 2 to 3 minute speech all within the space of a few minutes. To provide good feedback requires that you understand what makes a speech successful. The process of evaluating will force you to think about these things which will make you a better speaker as well as developing the skill of giving feedback in a constructive and supportive manner.
Evaluation requires careful preparation if the speaker is to benefit. Prior to the meeting talk with the speaker to find out the manual project he or she will be presenting. Review the goals of the speech and what the speaker hopes to achieve and which skills or techniques the speaker hopes to strengthen.
When you arrive at the meeting, find for the speaker and get his or her manual so you can study the project objectives and the evaluation guide in the manual proir to the beginning of the speech. Then during the speech record your impressions along with your answers to the evaluation questions.
When introduced, stand and give your oral evaluation. Begin and end your evaluation with a note of encouragement or praise. Though you may have written lengthy responses to manual evaluation questions, don’t read the questions or your responses. Your oral evaluation time is limited. Don’t try to cover too much in your talk – possibly one point on organization, one on delivery, and one on attainment of purpose with a statement about the greatest asset and a suggestion for future improvement. The club has an Evaluation worksheet that you can download from the website that you can use to aid you in preparing your oral evaluation.
Praise a successful speech and specifically tell why it was successful. Don’t allow the speaker to remain unaware of a valuable asset such as a smile, a sense of humour or a good voice. Don’t allow the speaker to remain ignorant of a serious fault or mannerism; if it is personal, write it but don’t mention iduring your evaluation. If the speaker uses a technique or some gestures that receive a good response from the audience, tell the speaker so he or she will be encouraged to do it again. Give the speaker deserved praise and tactful suggestions for improvement in the manner you would like to receive them when you are the speaker. Be as objective and supportive as possible and gauge your comments to the speaker’s skill level,and progress to date.
After the meeting, return the manual to the speaker and provide any additional information or encouragement to the speakerthat you didn't have time for during the oral evaluation.
Tips and Other Important Points
- Your oral evaluation should normally take between 2 to 3 minutes
(3 1/2 minutes ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM). - Until you are very familiar with evaluation techniques take a few minutes prior to the meeting to review the Effective Speech Evaluation manual which you received in your new member kit.
- You should focus the majority of your evaluation on the positive-what the speaker did well. Most people are far more critical of themselves than they should be. Positive feedback by the evaluator helps to balance this out and provides motivation to continue.
- Pick one or two areas for growth that are approprate based on the speaker's experience and give specific feedback as to how the speaker can improve next time. Do not give any more negative feedback than the speaker can reasonably work on as it only serves to demotivate.
- Remember that good evaluations may give new life to discouraged members and poor evaluations may dishearten members who tried their best.
- If the meeting is running overtime, limit your oral evaluation to under 2 minutes.
- Relax and have fun!
A major portion of each meeting is centered around three or more speakers. Their speeches are prepared based on manual project objectives and are usually five to seven minutes in length, although some projects (especially those in the Advanced Communication Program) manuals are longer.
Preparation is essential to success when you are the speaker.
Before the Meeting
- Check the meeting schedule to find out when you are to speak and make sure that you are prepared.
- Review your manual and carefully prepare a speech based on the manual guidelines. In order to get the most benefits from the program, Normally you should present the speeches in numerical order because each project builds on the skills learned in the previous projects.
- Contact the Toastmaster to let him/her know which project you will be working on as well as provide any information necessary to prepare a suitable introduction. If you wish, you may ask that the Chairperson deliver an introduction that you have prepared.
- Contact the General Evaluator to obtain your Evaluator’s name.
- Speak to your Evaluator and discuss with the objectives of your speech as well as your personal goals and concerns. Emphasize where you feel your speech ability needs strengthening.
On Meeting Day / During the Meeting
- Attempt to arrive early to give yourself time to settle in and:
- give your manual to your Evaluator before the meeting start;
- If you didn’t write your own speech introduction, make certain that the Toastmaster has prepared a good one for you.
- prepare any props or equipment;
- sit near the front of the room so you have quick and easy access to the lectern; and
- carefully plan your approach to the lectern and speech opening.
- Give your full attention to the speakers at the lectern. Avoid studying your speech notes while someone else is talking.
- When introduced, smoothly leave your chair and walk to the lectern as planned. Shake hands with the Toastmaster and give yourself a few seconds to settle in at the front of the room while the Toastmaster returns to his/her seat.
- As you begin your speech, acknowledge the Toastmaster and the audience. ("Mister/Madam Toastmasters, fellow Toastmasters and welcome guests").
- After you have finished you should acknowledge the Toastmaster ("Mister/Madam Toastmaster") and then wait for him/her to return to the lectern and regain control of the meeting
- Once the Toastmaster is back at the lecturn, shake hands and then return to your seat.
- During your evaluation, listen intently for helpful hints that will assist you in building future speeches.
After the Meeting
- Meet briefly with your Evaluator to get your manual back, discuss any questions you may have concerning your evaluation, and get any additional feedback that wasn't included in your oral evaluation.
- Pay attention to any suggestions you may receive from other members after the meeting since they are often as valuable as the feedback you receive during your evaluation.
- Have the Vice President Education initial the Project Completion Record in the back of your manual.
Tips and Other Important Points
- Remember to bring your manual to the meeting.
- Rehearse your speech ahead of time to make sure that you are within your time limits. If the speakers don't respect their time limits it will result in a meeting that runs late even if the Chairperson has done a good job of preparing the agenda .
- When finishing your speech, never thank your audience; your audience will thank you for the time and preparation that you have put into your speech!
- After the meeting remember to get your manual back from your evaluator and have it initialed by the VP Education.
- Relax, have fun and breathe!
Anyone is allowed to come out and visit us at our Toastmasters Meetings! Here's a little info that will make your visit a little easier.