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Meeting Roles and Responsibilities
In Toastmasters, you learn by participating. During Club meetings you will participate in many roles, and each one is a learning experience. Following are the roles you will be called upon to fulfill and tips for doing a good job. Roles and responsibilities may vary from club to club, so check with your Vice-President of Education or mentor when you are assigned a role.
SPEAKER
A major portion of each meeting is centered around three or more speakers Their speeches are prepared based on manual projects objectives and should last from five to seven minutes for projects in the basic Communication and Leadership Program manual and eight or more minutes, depending on the assignment, for projects in the Advanced Communication and Leadership Program manuals.
Preparation is essential to success when you are the speaker.
Prior to the meeting -
Check the meeting schedule to find out when you are to speak. In order to get the most benefits from the program, prepare a speech based on a manual project. Present the speeches in numerical order because each project builds on the skills learned in previous projects.
Before your meeting ask the general evaluator for your evaluator's name. Speak to your evaluator and talk about the manual speech you'll be giving. Discuss with the evaluator your speech goals and personal concerns. Emphasize where you feel your speech needs strengthening. Remember to bring your manual to the meeting.
When you enter the room -
Arrive early. Check the microphone, lighting , etc. before everyone arrives. Protect yourself from all of the problems that can ruin your talk.
Sit near the front of the room for quick and easy access to the lectern.
Carefully plan your approach to the lectern and speech opening.
Be sure that you give your manual to your evaluator before the meeting starts
If you don't write your own speech introduction, make certain that the Toastmaster of the meeting has prepared a good one for you.
During the meeting -
Give your full attention to the speaker 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.
As you begin your speech, acknowledge the Toastmaster and the audience (Toastmaster and guests).
When finishing your speech, never thank your audience. Simply return control of the meeting to the Toastmaster of the meeting. Always wait for the Toastmaster to return to the lectern, then return to your seat.
During the evaluation of your speech, listen intently for helpful hints that will assist in building better future talks. Pay attention to suggestions from other members.
After the meeting -
Get your manual from your evaluator. At this time discuss any questions you may have concerning your evaluation to clarify and misinterpretations.
Have the Vice-President of Education initial the Project Completion Record in the back of your manual.
Resources
Communication and Leadership Program manual (Catalog No. 225), included in your New Member kit.
Your Speaking Voice (Catalog No. 199), the included in Your New Member Kit.
Gestures: Your Body Speaks (Catalog No. 201), included in your New Member Kit.
They're All Around Us (Catalog No. 1616).
EVALUATOR
After every prepared speech, the speaker receives an evaluation. After you have presented a few speeches, you'll be asked to serve as an evaluator and will evaluate one of your prepared speakers for the meeting. In addition to your oral evaluation, you'll also give the speaker a written evaluation using the guide in the manual. The evaluation you present can make the difference between a worthwhile or a wasted speech or your speaker. The purpose of the evaluation is to help the speaker become less self-conscious and a better speaker. This requires that you be fully aware of the speakers skill level, habits, and mannerisms , as well as his or her progress to date. If the speaker uses a technique or some gestures that receives a good response from the audience, tell the speakers so he or she will be emerged to use it again.
Prior to the meeting-
Review carefully the Effective Speech Evaluation manual which you received in your New Member Kit.
Talk with this speaker to find out the manual project viewer she will be presenting. Review the goals of the speech and what the speaker hopes to achieve. Find out exactly which skilled or techniques the speaker hopes to strengthen through the speech.
Evaluation requires careful preparation if the speaker is to benefit. Steady the project objectives as well as the evaluation guide in the manual. Remember, the purpose of evaluation is to help people develop their speaking skills in various situations, including platform presentations, discussions, and meetings. Achievement equals the sum of ability and motivation. By actively listening and gently offering useful advice, you motivate members to work hard and improve. When you show the way to improvement, you've opened the door to strengthen their ability.
When you enter the meeting room -
Look for the speaker and get his or her manual.
Meet briefly with the general evaluator to confirm the evaluation session format. Then confer with the speaker one last time to see if he or she has any specific things for you to watch for during the talk.
During the meeting -
Record your impressions of the speech in the manual along with your answers to the evaluation questions. Be as objective as possible. Remember that good evaluation may give new life to discouraged members and poor evaluations may dishearten members who try their best. Remember, always leave the speaker with specific methods for improving.
When introduced, stand in 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 suggestions for future improvement.
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 humor, or a good voice. Don't allow the speaker to remain ignorant of a serious fault or mannerisms; if it is personal, write it but don't mention in allow. Give the speaker to deserve praise and tactful suggestions in the manner you would like to receive them when you are the speaker.
After the meeting-return the manual to the speaker. Add a verbal word of encouragement to the speaker, something that wasn't mentioned in the oral evaluation.
Resource -
Effective Speech Evaluation
(Catalog No. 202), included in your New Member Kit.
Timer
The Toastmaster of the meeting will call on you to explain the timing rules. One of the lessons to be practiced in speech training is that of the expressing a thought within a specific time. The timer is the member responsible for keeping track of time. Each segment of the meeting is time. You should explain your duties and report to the Club clearly and precisely. This exercise is an excellent opportunity in practicing communication instructions-something that we do every day.
Prior to the meeting-
confirmed schedule program participants with the Toastmaster and general evaluator.
Confirm time required for each prepared speech with the speaker.
That he write your explanation in the clearest possible language and readership. For the benefit of guests, be sure to emphasize timing rules and howl timing signals will be given.
Upon arrival at the meeting-
get timing equipment from the Sergeant at Arms. Be sure you'll understand how to operate to stop watch and signal device and make certain that timing equipment works. Sit where the signal device can be seen easily by all.
During the meeting -
When introduced, explained the timing rules and demonstrate the signal device. Throughout the meeting, signal each program participant as indicated below. In addition, signal the chairman , Toastmaster, and table topics master with red when they have reached their allotted or agreed upon time.
Record each participants name and time used.
When called to report by the topic master, Toastmaster, and/or general evaluator, stand by your chair, announced the speakers name and the time taken. State those eligible for awards if your Club issues awards. Generally topic speakers should be +- 15 seconds of allowed time; prepared speakers must be +-30 seconds of a loud time; the ah counter and grammarian must be +-15 seconds of allowed time; all others +-30 seconds. However, these times made very Club to club.
After the meeting-
Return the stop watch and timing signal device to the Sergeant at arms.
Give the completed timers report to the Secretary for recording speech times in the minutes is this is done in your club.
TABLE TOPICS MASTER
The Toastmasters program has a tradition -every member speaks at a meeting. The table topics session is that portion of the meeting which ensures this tradition. The purpose of this period is to have members " think on their fee" and speaker for a minutes or so. The topics master prepares and issues the topics; originality is desirable as much as possible. Each speaker may be given an individual subject or a choice of subjects may be presented from which the member can draw at random.
Prior to the meeting - Check with the Toastmaster to find out into the meeting is scheduled. It is so, prepared topics to carry out that mean. If no theme is scheduled, choose a wide selection of topics. Review The Toastmaster magazine and other publications for ideals. Do not repeat the previous weeks table topics ideals or items.
Find out who the prepared speakers, evaluator, generally evaluator, and Toastmaster are so you can call on the other members first. Only if time permits at the end of the Topics session should you call on program participants (speakers last).
When choosing your specific questions: select one that will inspire this speakers to expound of on them, give their opinion, etc.. Don't make the questions too long or complicated. Phrase than in such a way that the speaker clearly will know what you want them to talk about.
Keep your comments short. Your job is to give others a chance to speak, not to get a series of mini-talks yourself.
Remember, table topics has a twofold purpose: first, to get everyone in the room and opportunity to speak-especially those who are not on the program-and, second, to get people to learn to "they density on their feet."
During the meeting -
When introduced, briefly state the purpose of the topics session.
Set the stage for your topics program. Keep your remarks brief but enthusiastic. If the club has a " Word of the Day," encourage the speakers to use award in their response.
Keep the program rolling; be certain everyone understands the maximum time they have for their response and how the timing lights/device works (if the timer hasn't already done so).
State to question briefly-then call on a respondent. This service two purpose: first, it holds everyone's attention-each one is thinking of a response should he or she'd be called onto speak; and second, i.e. to the value of the impromptu element by giving everyone an opportunity to improve his or her " better listening and thinking" skills.
Call on speakers at random. Avoid going around the room in the order in which people are sitting. Give each participant a different question. Don't ask 2 people the same thing unless you ask each specifically to give the "pro" or "con" side.
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, track the end on time to avoid the total meeting running overtime.
If your club present a "Best Table Topics Speaker" award, at the end of the table topics session ask the timer to report those eligible for the award. Then asked the members to vote for "Best Table Topics Speaker" and pass their votes to the Sergeant at Arms or vote counter. If the club has a table topics evaluator, asked for his or her report and then return control of the meeting to the Toastmaster .
General Evaluator
Toastmaster
Grammarian
Ah Counter
Jester
Invocation
Word of the Day
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