Meeting Roles and
Responsibilities
When you are
Evaluator ...
When you in the
Hot Seat ...
When you
are Invocation/Pledge ...
When you are
Jokemaster ...
When you are
Listener ...
When you
have a Planned Absence ...
When you are
Vote Counter ...
When you are
Toastmaster...
The job of Toastmaster is to act as a
Master of Ceremonies and is one of the most important assignments. If the Toastmaster does
not perform his/her duties well, a whole meeting can be jeopardized. Therefore, this task
is generally assigned to a member who is quite familiar with club procedures.
The primary duty of the Toastmaster
is to act as a genial host and conduct the entire program. The speaker introductions
should prepare the audience to listen with anticipation and attention, which makes it
easier for the speaker to do his/her best. This creates an atmosphere of interest,
expectation and creativity.
Suggestions to help the
meeting run smoothly:
· Establish a theme for the meeting and notify
all meeting participants by the Sunday evening prior to the meeting.
· Follow meeting agenda.
· Briefly introduce your theme and begin
meeting.
· Introduce speakers by giving their first and
last name, brief personal background (or anecdote related to theme,) title of speech,
objective of speech, evaluator and time requested.
· Remain standing until speaker arrives at
lectern and greet him/her with a handshake, then be seated.
· Lead applause before and after each speaker.
Since the meeting is run on a time
schedule, the Toastmaster must coordinate the time of all activities. This includes
telling the Table Topics Master to adjust the number of questions based on the number of
speakers presenting, and to limit the Toastmasters comments if necessary.
Top
When you
are Table Topics Master...
Toastmaster has a tradition that
every member should have the opportunity to speak at each meeting. We make every effort to
insure this with the Table Topics portion of the meeting.
Points to remember:
· Table Topics Master and Grammarian should
coordinate with the Toastmaster so that the meeting theme, word of the week and table
topics have continuity.
· Check with Toastmaster to see how many Topics
you should write to determine if a longer or shorter session will be necessary.
· At the meeting, begin with a brief explanation
of the purpose of Table Topics. Also point out that in order to qualify of the Best Table
Topics award, participants must use the word of the day and speak from within 1 to 2
minutes.
· It helps if this portion of the program is
light in nature.
· Topic or question should be brief and
relatively easy for response. The goal is not to stump the participant.
· Invite a guest to participate if they
desire.
· Always lead the applause
· As you conclude Table Topics, remain at the
lecture to shake hands with the Toastmaster.
Top
- Pass the ballot bag around the room when the Toastmaster, Topics Master, or General
Evaluator calls for an election.
- Count the ballots, casting your own vote only to break a tie [in your report, do not
announce that you broke a tie or everyone will know how you voted].
- Write the name and date on the back of the ribbon, and give the ribbons to the
Toastmaster when asked near the end of the meeting.
When you are Timer...
One of the lessons to be practiced in
speech training is that of expressing a thought within a certain interval. All Table
Topics, Speeches and Evaluations are timed.
At the request of the Toastmaster,
the Timer explains the purpose of the function and how the lights will indicate
information to the speaker.
Table Topics:
Green: |
Turned on at 1 minute - SPEAKER QUALIFIES |
Yellow: |
Turned on at 1 minute 30 seconds. |
Red: |
Turned on at 2 minutes - SPEAKER DISQUALIFIES at 2
minutes 30 seconds. |
Formal Speeches:
Green: |
Turned on when the speaker has qualified. 5 minutes in a
5 -7 minute speech* |
Yellow: |
Turned on 1 minute before maximum time. 6 minutes in a 5
-7 minute speech* |
Red: |
Turned on when the speaker has spoken for the maximum
time. 7 minutes in a 5 -7 minute speech* |
*NOTE: The Speaker has
+ or - 30 Seconds to qualify (4 minutes 30 seconds to 7 minutes 30 seconds in a 5 -7
minute speech
Evaluations:
Green: |
Turned on at 2 minutes - SPEAKER QUALIFIES. |
Yellow: |
Turned on at 2 minute, 30 seconds. |
Red: |
Turned on at 3 minutes - SPEAKER DISQUALIFIES at 3
minutes 30 seconds. |
Points to remember:
When reporting, it helps to announce
the requested time and the actual time (minutes and seconds) spoken.
Top
When you are
Grammarian...
Grammar covers many areas and the
Grammarian has an important and difficult job. The habits that are brought forth are often
years old and of completely unconscious nature. The Grammarian's task is to make the
members conscious of these habits.
Points to remember:
· The "Word of the Day" should tie in
with the theme of the meeting.
· At the request of the Toastmaster, explain the
purpose and function of Grammarian and present the "Word of the Week" by giving
a definition, correct spelling and possible uses of the word in a sentence. (Write the
word of the week and brief definition on the large pad on the easel prior to the meeting,
and conceal it until you are introduced.)
· At the conclusion of Table Topics, report the
names of participants who used the "Word of the Day" in their answer.
· At the end of the meeting you will be asked by
the Toastmaster to make additional comments about forms of speech that you feel the
membership should practice. Listen for:
|
 |
Misuse of
words |
|
|
Incorrect
pronunciation |
|
|
Clichés
(over-used phrases or words) |
|
|
Poor
sentence structure |
|
|
Excellent
used of language |
|
Top
When you are Ah-Counter...
o
The purpose of
Ah-Counter is to call attention to the members' Ah's, Um's, Xerox words (double words e.g.
the the) etc. Notification of such errors is normally given by ringing a bell or
using a clicker to draw the speakers attention to the infraction.
o Points to remember:
o At the Toastmasters request, explain the
purpose and function of the Ah-Counter's duties
o Keep written track of all infractions, even if
you missed ringing the bell.
o Discourage any attention by members to the
sound of the bell. Let the bell be a reminder, not a crutch. Do not ring the bell
for guests or during formal speeches.
o At the end of the meeting, you will be asked
by the Toastmaster to report on the number of infractions for everyone who participated
that day. By club policy, Members are charged $.10 per infraction with a maximum of $.50.
o The Ah-Counter's duties begin at the opening
of the meeting (you do not have to wait to be introduced) and stop at the very end of the
meeting.
Top
When
you are a Speaker...
A major
portion of each meeting is centered around three or more speakers. Their speeches are
either prepared or impromptu and typically last from five to seven minutes.
The
Speaker:
o Is responsible for finding their own
replacement if they are not able to speak and for notifying the Toastmaster of the change.
o Must use a manual.
o Should inform the evaluator about what
particular elements they are working on, i.e., voice, gestures, elimination of notes, etc.
o Should provide the evaluator with their manual
in order for the evaluator to make written comments about the speech.
o Will tell the Toastmaster how many minutes are
required for the speech.
o May at some point be requested to give an
impromptu speech. Every effort should be made to fulfill the request and gain from this
experience.
Top
When
you are General Evaluator...
The
General Evaluator is just what the name implies, an evaluator of anything and everything
that took place throughout the meeting. You are responsible for coordinating a team of
Evaluators.
Remember:
o Notify your scheduled evaluators by Sunday
before the meeting to be sure they are prepared. Have them contact their assigned speaker
for instructions and manual purpose.
o Remind evaluators to collect the speakers'
manuals in order to provide them with written comments.
o Introduce evaluators by giving their first and
last name, a brief anecdote related to the theme, and the name of the speaker they are
evaluating.
o The General Evaluator's general meeting
criticism and positive points can cover the meeting starting time, functionaries,
Toastmaster, the President, the manner in which guests were greeted, anything and
everything.
o This is an ideal time for you, as the General
Evaluator, to speak your mind on some subjects concerning the conduction of meetings, even
though they may not be pertinent to that meeting.
o Call for all reports Timer, Ah Counter,
Listener, and Grammarian
o Give your evaluation of the meeting.
Approxiately 3 minutes is sufficient
TopWhen you are an Evaluator...
Each
Evaluator will review one of the formal speeches of the meeting. The purpose of this
constructive criticism is to bring to the awareness of the speaker the effects of the
speech, speech habits, and progress to date. The comments presented by the Evaluator cmust
be presented as your opinion and be encouraging.
Ten
Commandments of Effective Speech Evaluation
Read the project objectives and evaluation
guidelines.
Confer with the speaker before the speech.
Listen carefully.
Recognize the speaker's strengths.
Provide verbal reward for improvement.
Suggest positive directions of growth.
Recommend alternative actions.
Reinforce the speaker's commitment to
self-improvement.
Be positive and supportive.
Make the speaker feel good about themselves.
Suggestions:
o Before the meeting, ask the speaker which
particular elements they would like you to look for.
o Choose a few major points and focus on those
in your evaluation.
o Be clear and concise. Practice being a
diplomat.
o Start sentences with the 1st person. ex.
"I thought..., If I were to speak..., How I saw your presentation..." as oppose
to "YOU did this.."
o Observe: Appearance, Approach to the Lectern,
Opening and Closing, Speech Structure, Gestures and Eye Contact, Vocal Variety, Adherence
to Manual Objectives.
o If you feel the speaker did not fulfill the
manual requirements, suggest the speaker repeat it.
o Try not to rely on "I'm looking forward
to your next speech" as a conclusion for your evaluation.
o As you finish your evaluation, remain at the
lectern and shake the hand of the General Evaluator.
Top
When
you are in the Hot Seat...
It goes
without saying that unexpected times pop up in our lives, many beyond our control.
Because of this and in order to keep our meetings flowing we need members to fill in for
others that don't show. For whatever reason. The Hot Seat is responsible to
fill any role in the meeting INCLUDING a Speaker. When you are the Hot Seat
Top
When
you are to do the Invocation/Pledge...
The Invocation or Inspiration sets the mood for and enhances our
meetings, while this Speaker position is not only entertaining, it’s where the
serious development of our public speaking skills happens.
Each member has a mentor, and your mentor can give you lots of
additional tips regarding both your content and performance for this position.
Top
When
you are the Jokemaster...
- Provide a joke or funny story to end the meeting on a positive note.
ADVANCED PLANNING:
- Rehearse your joke or story so you can deliver it using gestures and vocal variety
instead of reading it.
Top
When
you are the Listener...
- Listen for interesting tidbits of information from all of the speakers.
- Formulate questions and ask them during the "Listener's Report" when called
upon by the General Evaluator. Be sure to adapt the number of questions to the time
available; if we are running late, just ask one or two quick questions.
Top
When
you have a Planned Absence...
If you
know you will miss a meeting be sure to notify the Toastmaster well in advance. If
you you know week ahead. Contact the Vice president of Education and have you name removed
from the schedule during that time/
Top
When
you are the Vote Counter...
- Collect the ballots when the Toastmaster, Topics Master, or General Evaluator calls for
an election.
- Count the ballots, casting your own vote only to break a tie [in your report, do not
announce that you broke a tie or everyone will know how you voted].
- Write the name and date on the back of the ribbon, and give the ribbons to the
Toastmaster when asked near the end of the meeting.
Top
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