Special
Resource Page for Burnt Toast Toastmasters
(Meets Thursdays, 12-1 PM, 5201 Ruffin Road, Suite #B,
DPW Training Room #1 and 2)
Click on any of the following functionary positions below for a description of its duties.
7:00 PM Call
to Order
Presiding
Officer:
____________
Introduce Inspiration
____________
Introduce Jokemaster
____________
Introduce Drawing
Dynamo
____________
Educational
Tip
____________
Welcome Guests, Business Meeting, Introduce
Toastmaster
7:15 Toastmaster:
____________
Describe purpose of meeting, role of Toastmaster,
etc.
Introduce Grammarian
____________
Introduce Timer
____________
Introduce Uh
Counter
____________
Introduce One
Minute Toastmaster ____________
Introduce Table Topics Master
____________
7:20 Table Topics Master: Describe purpose of Table Topics, give reminder for word of day and time limits, give topics, obtain Grammarian and Timer report, call for vote and return control of meeting to Toastmaster.
7:30 Break: Thanks to our Host ____________
7:40 Toastmaster: Introduce Speakers
Speech
Speaker
Evaluator
1. #__ "[Title]"
____________
____________
2. #__ "[Title]"
____________
____________
3. #__ "[Title]"
____________
____________
Call for timer’s report, vote for the Best Speaker and Most Improved, introduce General Evaluator
8:00 General
Evaluator: ____________
Describe purpose of General Evaluator, introduce each
evaluator, call for reports from Timer, Grammarian, and Uh-Counter, call
for a vote, provide feedback of meeting, return control to Toastmaster
8:20 Toastmaster
____________
Select Drawing Dynamo, present awards, return control
to Presiding Officer
8:25 Presiding Officer: ask for guest comments
Closing
Thought ____________
8:30 Adjourn meeting
Before the Meeting
Note any guests; try to say hello
and note their names.
During the Meeting
Follow the agenda. You will
be speaking at the beginning and end of the meeting, including the business
portion of the meeting at the beginning.
Give any guests a chance to introduce
themselves and to comment on the meeting at the end. Invite them
to come back and to join the club if they seem at all interested.
At the end of the meeting, take note
of any members who have not had a chance to speak. Give them the
opportunity to do so; everyone should have a chance to speak at every meeting.
That is why people join and keep coming back: practice.
You have command of the gavel and
overall responsibility for the meeting. If you have changes to suggest,
negotiate them with the Toastmaster.
During the Meeting
Present the item and give the price
for tickets: one for 25 cents, three for 50 cents, and seven for a dollar.
All proceeds go to the club treasury to pay for ribbons and other club
supplies.
You are in charge! It is YOUR meeting. You can rearrange the agenda, try something different, etc. You may find that members are subject to unexpected commitments at the last minute, so you can adjust the meeting format in any way that meets the need. You can also assign tasks to any member present in order to fill all the jobs.
Prior to the meeting
Reminders and introductions:
Check with the Table Topics
Master and agree on a Theme for the meeting so that may be used in developing
the Table Topics.
Contact each of the planned
Speakers at least a few days in advance to remind them that they are scheduled
to speak. Interview them to find out the title, manual project number,
time requested, objectives of the speech and some background on them to
make your introduction.
Contact the General Evaluator
and confirm their responsibilities. Ask the General Evaluator to contact
all members of the Evlauation Team (Time, Speech Evaluators, Topics Master,
Vote Counter, Ah Counter, Grammarian) and remind them of their responsibilities.
Prepare introductions for each
speaker, it is an important part of your role as TM.
Prepare remarks to "fill the
gaps" between program.
Evaluators: Let evaluators know whom
and which manual speech they will be evaluating. Also give this information
to the General Evaluator.
During the meeting
Agenda: Pass out a printed meeting
agenda. If a meeting participant does not arrive, assign someone else at
the beginning of the meeting. Remember--you are in charge; if members are
shy about volunteering, then ask individuals to do it, assigning the role
to someone if needed.
Introducing speakers: When introducing
a speaker, mention the manual and speech #, speech objective, speech title
and target duration.
Shaking Hands: Whenever transferring
the meeting to a speaker, evaluator, etc., hand the meeting off with a
handshake. Allow the participant to pass in front of you (not behind you)
as they take the floor. When they are done, they should return the meeting
to you with a handshake, allowing you to pass in front of them. In other
words, the person taking the floor moves to the front and is closest to
the audience. This clarifies who is in charge at any given moment.
Clapping: After making an introduction,
you start the clapping and keep it up until the participant has reached
the front of the room and has shaken your hand. Clapping is for welcoming
and thanking the participant. You set the supportive tone!
Time: Part of your job is make sure
we start and finish on time. Ways to adjust the overall meeting time include
limiting the number of Table Topics, asking the Table Topics Master, Grammarian,
AH Counter, and General Evaluator to be brief, and abbreviating your own
introductory remarks.
Guests: If guests or new members are
present, please briefly explain the purpose of each participant as part
of their introduction. For example, "the purpose of the evaluator is to
give the speaker immediate feedback and to give the evaluator training
in critical listening and impromptu speaking."
After the Meeting
Make sure that the Vice President
Education knows who spoke during your meeting and which manual speeches
they gave.
Like the Ah Counter, the primary purpose
of the Grammarian is to teach us to listen! You do not need to be an expert--what
you do need is the heightened awareness of language that comes from critically
examining the use of language throughout a meeting. You have the opportunity
to listen for (1) errors or awkwardness and (2) examples of excellence
(e.g., well-stated metaphors, correct use of the Word of the Day, descriptive
language). Try to offer the correct usage in every instance where there
was a misuse instead of only explaining what was wrong. The scope of this
job is up to you; you may confine your remarks to the prepared speakers
or comment on everyone's use of language.
Before the meeting, bring a "Word
of the Day" (any word you chose; you can check with the Toastmaster or
Table Topics Master to see what the Theme of the meeting is, and pick something
appropriate) along with a definition and an example in a sentence.
During the Table Topics portion of
the meeting make sure you note which of the Table Topics speakers use the
word. Only they will be eligible for the best table topics award
at the end of the meeting.
During the Meeting
Time all functionaries and use the
lights/bell to keep the meeting moving on time.
Describe your duties when called upon
by the Toastmaster. Your job is to keep the meeting running smoothly
in a timely manner. Part of sharp communication skills is the ability
to get one's message across succinctly. Explain the three lights:
green means you have spoken for the minimum time; yellow, you have a little
time left, and red means wrap it up. If you speak for much longer
(15-30 seconds) over the limit, then you will hear the bell, which means
shut up and sit down (in a nice way). Don't be shy about using the
bell. If someone is taking too long, they are cutting into someone
else's time, or causing the meeting to go over time. They also may
not be aware of the time they are taking, and it is your job to help them
to become more aware. Ring that thing!
During Table Topics, contestants get
the lights as follows:
green (45
seconds); yellow (1 min); red (1 min 15 seconds); bell (1 min 30 seconds)
Make sure you record which speakers
qualified and which didn't. The Table Topics master will ask for
your report.
After each prepared speech, record
the length of time each speaker took. The General Evaluator will
ask you to report this.
The Ah Counter is present to help cure the annoying habit of "vocalized pauses," ah, uh, mmm, etc.
Before the meeting
Pay attention to the names of all
participants and write them down during members introduction to aid you
in your report at the end of the evening
During the meeting
Record the use of "ah" and other crutch
words used by the members. When requested by the General Evaluator
give a quick report.
Levy a fine of 5 cents for the use of each "ah" and other
crutch words used by the members (max $1.00, and guests are exempted from
any fines).
Table Topics is the part of the meeting that allows unscheduled audience members to participate. Optimally, everyone present should have an opportunity to speak during a meeting. The Table Topics master prepares and issues the topics. Each speaker may be given an individual subject, or a choice of subjects may be presented from which the members can draw at random. Check with the Toastmaster ahead of time to discuss the meeting theme. Prepare topics around that theme.
Here is your chance to be creative!
You can have us rise to any challenge you care to present. Please remind
the participants to practice "mini-speeches" that have an opening, body
and conclusion. Remind the participants that Table Topics is simply an
exercise in thinking on your feet -- it does not matter what you
say -- what matters is that you stood in front of a group and spoke. Suggestion:
you can have us focus on particular speaking skills, e.g., gestures, in
order to use Table Topics as a skill-building workshop. Also remind participants
that their goal is to speak until the green timing light comes on. Finally,
they do not have to address the topic--going
off on a tangent is fine as long as the result is a mini-speech
with opening, body and conclusion.
As Table Topics Master, you get to be flexible! We vary the number of Table Topics in order to ensure that the meeting ends on time. It is always a good idea to have a few extra ideas just in case -- try to think of six to eight (ten max) ideas.
Maximum number of Table Topics: Everyone in the room who is not otherwise on the agenda speaks (this could be quite a number of people, say, up to ten if one of the speakers does not show up. The average number seems to be five). It is wonderful when everyone seated in the room has a chance to stand in front.
Minimum number of Table Topics: About three.
It's a good idea to end the Table Topics part of the meeting on time. You can ask the Toastmaster to tell you "just one more" or "just two more." The Toastmaster is keeping track of the time (and can ask the Grammarian and General Evaluator to be brief). You can also turn and ask the Toastmaster if there is time for one or two more while you are up front.
Other things to think about:
- You can give more people an opportunity to participate if you keep your own remarks brief. You do not have to say very much when introducing each topic.
- State the topic twice, then call on a person by name. That way, everyone has to think about what they might say if called upon. Go ahead and make everyone sweat!
- Try to decide whom to call on ahead of time. Look around the room before the meeting starts to figure out who is not already on the agenda. This way you don't make the mistake of calling on someone who is already on the agenda. If you are not sure of a name, ask the person. You may also ask guests if they want to participate. Also, if you can't call on everyone, try to pick the newest members first.
During the Meeting
Set up the food you brought.
Be gracious and engage in gentile conversation with any guests or fellow
members. Eat quickly as there is never enough time at the break before
it is time for the prepared speeches.
Preparation is essential to success when you are the speaker. Every speech should be well-prepared and rehearsed to ensure quality. Remember, club members learn from one another's speeches. Every speaker is a role model.
Prior to the meeting
Contact your evaluator ahead of time
to inform him or her which manual speech you will be giving. Discuss your
speech goals (both those in the manual and your personal goals) and any
concerns you may have.
Remember to bring your manual to the
meeting so that your evaluator can fill in the Evaluation Guide for your
speech.
Give the Toastmaster of the Day an
introduction, including the following information:
Name of manual, speech number,
speech name.
Speech title.
Requested time.
Formal speech objectives.
Your personal speech objectives.
Anything else you want your
audience to know.
Get in the habit of writing your own introduction. This is a useful thing to do for any conference or meeting you attend at work or on the outside in which you will be introduced by someone else.
Example 1:
Today Molly Brown will be giving manual
speech #3, "Organize Your Speech." The time is 5-7 minutes and her title
is "Backpacking in the Hetch Hetchy Valley." The objectives are (1) organize
your thoughts into a logical sequence and (2) have a clear opening, body
and conclusion. Molly would also like you to check for nervous mannerisms
and whether she establishes eye contact with the entire room.
Example 2:
Today Molly Brown will be giving Speech
#1, "The Technical Briefing," from the Advanced Manual on Technical Presentations.
The title is "Clean Water--What Happens When You Turn On the Tap?" and
the time is 8-10 minutes. The objectives are (1) using a systematic approach,
organize technical material into a concise presentation and (2) tailor
the presentation to the audience's needs, interests, and knowledge levels.
Molly will be giving this speech to an audience of high school girls interested
in environmental engineering. Please pretend you are a high school science
class and judge Molly's content based on that knowledge level. Molly would
also like to know whether she engages your enthusiasm and interest, and
how to do this better for high school students.
During the meeting
Arrive early to make sure the room
and any equipment you will be using are ready. Take a seat near the front
of the room. Before the meeting starts, give your manual to your evaluator.
After you are introduced, take control
of the meeting by shaking hands with the Toastmaster of the Day. As you
begin your speech, acknowledge the Toastmaster and the audience.
Plan your speech closing as carefully
as your opening; it's the finishing touch that will bring on the applause.
Wait for the Toastmaster of the Day at the lectern, shake hands to return
control of the meeting, and return to your seat.
During the evaluation of your speech,
listen intently for helpful hints that will assist in building better future
talks.
After the Meeting
Get your manual from your evaluator,
and discuss any questions you may have concerning your evaluation.
Have the Vice President Education
(or the senior officer present) initial the Record of Assignments in the
back of your manual.
As evaluator, you will give an oral evaluation of a speech during the meeting and a written evaluation in the speaker's manual. The purpose of the evaluation is to help the speaker become less self-conscious. This requires that you become fully aware of the speaker's skill level, habits and mannerisms as well as his or her progress to date. If there is a technique the speaker uses or some gesture made that receives a good response from the audience, tell the speaker so he or she will be encouraged to use it again.
Prior to the meeting
Interview the speaker to find
out which manual project she or he will be presenting. Discuss the speaker's
goals. Study the objectives of the project and the evaluation guide in
the manual. Good preparation will allow you to give a more effective evaluation.
Review the Effective Speech
Evaluation manual.
During the meeting
Get the speaker's manual so that you
can fill out the Evaluation Guide.
Here are some key points from the
Art of Effective Evaluation Workshop, one of a series of Leadership Workshops
made available to us through Toastmasters International.
Evaluations are the key to how we improve as speakers. Feedback lets us know how we are improving and gives us ideas for changing our behavior. Each speech iterates this cycle.
The evaluator has three roles.
Motivator. Fuel the speaker's
desire for improvement. Encourage and inspire the speaker.
Facilitator. Show the speaker
how to improve. (Give constructive criticism: suggest alternatives to areas
that you think could be tried differently next time. It is safest
to use "I" language when doing this. For example, "I found the noise
your pen was making as you were clicking it throughout the speech distracting.
You could try keeping your pen in your lapel pocket or placing it on the
lecturn while you are speaking." This kind of criticism is easier
to accept than "Everyone thought the pen noise was terribly distracting."
Did you poll everyone in the room? How would you know?)
Counselor. When evaluating someone
who fears speaking, do whatever it takes to get that person back for his
or her next speech!
Self-esteem is the key to personal growth. Self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves. We all need affirmation that we are doing well every time we try a new activity (such as public speaking). The Toastmasters program should build and protect self-esteem. Evaluators should be genuine, recognize strengths, recognize improvement, motivate, avoid value judgments, provide positive direction/suggestions, and avoid white-washing.
Ten behaviors of an effective evaluator are:
1.Show that you care. (Be sincere. Do not
white wash).
2.Suit your evaluation to the speaker (e.g.
their level of experience and personal style).
3.Learn the speaker's objectives (easy!
ask them!)
4.Listen actively. (Be alert. Get inside
their head. Listen with your eyes. Match content with delivery).
5.Personalize your language. (e.g., "I think,"
"This is the effect your speech had on me")
6.Give positive reinforcement. (Avoid hollow
flattery. Reinforcing strengths is very powerful! Builds self-esteem.)
7.Help the speaker become motivated. (Recognize
potential. Focus on what they did well that met speech objectives).
8.Evaluate the behavior--not the person.
9.Nourish self-esteem. (End evaluation on
a positive note. Recognize strengths).
10.Show the speaker how to improve. (Give examples
of how to do better. Try to give two to three suggestions and examples).
After the Meeting:
Return the manual to the speaker.
(You may wish to borrow it for a day to fill in the evaluation form more
fully. This is between you and the speaker.)
Add a verbal word of encouragement
to the speaker.
Before the Meeting
As general evaluator you are responsible
for facilitating the evaluation process. In preparation for the meeting
you should contact all the participants that you are responsible for introducing
(a formal introduction such as the Toastmaster would give is not necessary
to introduce these participants). Review the sections of this guide for
the various roles of the meeting that you will be evaluating.
Prepare a brief explanation of evaluations.
At the Meeting
Your duties at the meeting include:
Introducing
Speech Evaluators
Reports from
Ah Counter, Grammarian, and Timer
Deliver general
comments on meeting.
Return control
to the Toastmaster.
During the meeting, you must be attentive.
Your role is to be a active observer of the meeting. You gather information
on the performance of the members during the meeting. Your job includes
listening and observing during the meeting and explaining the purpose of
evaluations in the Toastmasters program.
The job of an evaluator is not as
easy as it might seem. Your job is to deliver your opinions on the
performance of members in their various roles in a toastmaster meeting
but first and foremost on the Evaluations provided by the speech evaluators.
These evaluations must be constructive and positive in nature. Your responsibility
is to outline the strengths of members' performances. You must also point
out areas where members could improve their skills.
Let your evaluation team make your
job easier. Do not waste effort covering ground they have already covered.
Your comments should be short and to the point. Observe the time
restrictions as they are outlined on the agenda. You should do everything
possible to keep the meeting running on schedule. Your comments may be
short if your program is running behind schedule. If this is the situation,
focus on the important comments you wish to make and end as close as you
possibly can to the schedule. If the meeting is running behind schedule,
you may want to focus on areas the club can work on to ensure the program
is running on time.
Treat the role of general evaluator
as a learning experience for yourself as well as for the club. It gives
you an opportunity to practice your listening skills. It allows you to
learn more because of increasing your listening skills. This is an extremely
important portion of the Toastmasters program.
This guide adapted from:
Cairo Toastmasters
http://members.nbci.com/cairotoastm/guides.htm
Hardhats Toastmasters http://hardhats.tripod.com/agenda.html
Parliament Hill Toastmasters http://webhome.idirect.com/~sauffret/ph_tm/roles
Toastmasters International
Tips for better public speaking http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.htm