Meeting Roles and Responsibilities

Toastmaster
The Toastmaster of the day runs the educational and business portions of the meeting. The Toastmaster's main responsibilities are to follow the agenda and to keep the meeting running on time.

If you are the meeting's Toastmaster, contact the speakers before the meeting to find out their speech assignment number and purpose, the duration and title of their speech and introductory remarks. You should arrive early to make sure the room has been set up by the Sergeant-at-arms and to welcome members and guests as they come in.

The Toastmaster opens the meeting on time by reading an invocation or famous quote. This sets the tone for the meeting. Following the invocation, the Toastmaster proceeds with the introduction of guests. The remaining meeting format and Toastmaster responsibilities during the meeting can be found on the left margin of our meeting agenda.

The introduction of speakers should include:

• Speaker's name
• Speaker's background, if provided
• Speech title
• Purpose of the speech
• Speech timing requirements, as specified in the Communications and Leadership manual or in the Advanced manual, if it is an advanced speech.

Throughout the whole meeting, keep the following points in mind:

• Always shake hands with everyone that comes up to the podium.
• Request that all meeting participants explain their roles for the benefit of guests.
• Decisively keep the meeting on schedule.

The following table summarizes the set of skills the Toastmaster will develop, required preparation before the meeting, and a list of do's and don'ts.

Skills Rehearsed	Preparations before the meeting	Do...	Do not...
Leadership Interpersonal Communication Introductions Impromptu Speaking	Invocation or quote Prepare speaker introductions Check agenda, fill roles if cancellations. Check room setup. Greet guests, answer questions. Provide meeting explanation to guests.	Arrive early. Welcome guests. Project enthusiasm. Build audience enthusiasm for speakers. Keep the meeting on schedule. Ensure timer knows timing for all speakers. Step in if a role-holder forgets a responsibility.	Assume guests are familiar with our meetings. Let a meeting participant "hijack" the meeting. Keep things moving along. Allow a member to disrupt or disturb a speaker.

Table Topics Master
The Table Topics Master leads the "impromptu speaking" portion of the meeting. The Table Topics Master determines the timing of each topic's response.

Typically, speakers are given 1 to 2 minutes to respond. In this case, two or three topics should be selected (remember, this is a 50-minute meeting!). Occasionally, the Table Topics Master may decide to shorten the topic duration to one-minute, in order to allow more members to speak. In this case, the number of topics could be doubled to five or six topics.

If you are the Table Topics Master, you have the option of selecting topics or questions that revolve around one common theme or select unrelated questions. You may also create a question that requires setting up a situation or that may require a brief narrative to set the stage for the questions. Regardless of what strategy you use, all questions or topics should be challenging, but not extremely difficult to answer. Remember that the focus should be on getting as many members as possible to think on their feet and speak extemporaneously in a confident manner.

After you are introduced by the Toastmaster, shake hands with him or her and explain your role to guests. Then explain the timing requirements to the Timer, repeating when the flags should be raised, if necessary (especially for one-minute table topics when the yellow flag is raised at 30 seconds, the red flag at one minute, and the green flag is not used).

Ask for volunteers from the audience or call on one of the members that do not have an assigned role (you may ask members with an assigned role, if there are not enough members to go around). As a courtesy to guests, ask ahead of time if they would like to participate in Table Topics. Only called on them if they had indicated their consent. The only member that should not be called is the Master Evaluator who is evaluating the whole meeting and needs to concentrate on this task.

Shake hands when the speaker approaches the podium and when he or she has finished speaking. Ask the next question and pick another person. You may not repeat the same question. It defeats the purpose of this exercise.

This table summarizes the set of skills the Table Topics Master will develop, required preparation before the meeting, and a list of do's and don'ts.

Skills Rehearsed	Preparations before the meeting	Do...	Do not...
Leadership Prepared remarks Impromptu Speaking	Select topics Consult with Toastmaster regarding number of topics Prepare your topic introductions	Explain your role to guests. Pick out members without a meeting role or other opportunity to speak. Invite guests to participate. Keep topics accessible and relevant to all members. Vary difficulty of topics and match to selected speakers. Lead the applause for all speakers. Watch the clock!	Rely only on volunteers. Those who do not volunteer may be the ones who can benefit the most from participating. Limit your selections to people you know. If you don't remember a name, ask! Call on the Master Evaluator.

Timer and "ah" Counter
The Timerseats at the back of the room, directly opposite the podium with a watch or clock (second hand or counter preferred) and the colored flags. The Toastmaster should provide the timing requirements for prepared speecheds and Table Topics Master should do the same for Table Topics (especially if they are different from the 1 to 2 minute standard).

Once the green flag is raised, it should remain up until it is time to raise the yellow flag or until the speaker has seen the flag (especially, during prepared speeches and evaluations). Similarly, the yellow flag should remain up until it is time to raise the red flag or until the speaker has seen the flag.

A speaker has 30 seconds only to wrap up his or her speech after the red flag has been raised. Otherwise, he or she faces disqualification for vote purposes. Main speakers, table topics speakers, and evaluators are allowed to end their speech 30 seconds earlier than the lower time limit and still not disqualify. For example, a speech with a five to seven minute time limit may legitimately end at 4-1/2 minutes and still qualify for an award.

The standard time requirements are as follows:

• Table Topics - 1 to 2 minutes.
• Speeches - as specified in the manual.
• Evaluations - 2 to 3 minutes.

Deviations from these standard times are announced by the Toastmaster or Table Topics Master.

This table summarizes the set of skills the Timer exercises and develops, required preparation prior to the meeting, and a list of do's and don'ts.

Skills Rehearsed	Preparations before the meeting	Do...	Do not...
Listening and observation Impromptu Speaking	Stopwatch and colored flags	Explain your role to guests. Keep track of the watch. Raise flags at the appropriate time. Listen for filler words and phrases.	Get so involved in the speech that you forget your job!

Grammarian
The Grammarian listens for any grammatical mistakes made by speakers or mispronounced words used during the meeting. The grammarian also introduces the word of the day, its meaning, and usage (synonyms and antonyms are recommended). The "word of the day" should be used by all speakers during the meeting. The intention is to expand our vocabulary and improve word usage.

The grammarian's report should be fair and balanced. In addition to pointing out grammatical errors and other areas for improvement, the grammarian should also point out the speaker's areas of strength, good phraseology or word usage.

The following table summarizes the set of skills the Gramarian develops, required preparation for the meeting, and a list of do's and don'ts.

Skills Rehearsed	Preparations before the meeting	Do...	Do not...
Listening and observation Impromptu Speaking	Word of the Day	Explain your role to guests. Include positive remarks.	Avoid giving feedback.

Vote Counter
The Vote Counter counts the ballots for Best Table Topics, Best Speaker, and Best Evaluator. The Vote Counter records the results for each category and reports the results at the end of the meeting when requested by the Master Evaluator.

The following table summarizes the skill-set the Vote Counter develops, required preparation for the meeting, and a list of do's and don'ts.

Skills Rehearsed	Preparations before the meeting	Do...	Do not...
Listening and observation Impromptu Speaking	Ballots on the Table	Explain your role to guests. Keep ballots separate for each category. Have the results ready on time.

Speaker
The Speaker comes prepared with a speech that meets the goals specified in the Communications and Leadership manual. Advanced speakers who have completed their CTM (Competent Toastmaster) educational track must refer to the requirements set forth in their advanced manual (assignment goals, timing, etc.).

Make sure you practice your speech ahead of time. This is very important! Not only will you feel more confident in front of the club members (or any audience), but you will make sure that you meet the timing requirements for the speech, which are specified in your manual. If you exceed the upper time limit by more than 30 seconds, take out sections of your speech that, in your judgement, are not as important as others. If your speech is too short (more than 30 seconds on the lower time range limit), add on to your speech.

If you have identified areas for improvement, mention them to your evaluator so that he or she can keep an eye on those areas and provide specific feedback. Bring your manual with you so that your evaluator can write his or her remarks. Also, the VP of Education needs to sign the Record of Assignments form in the back of the manual for every speech you complete.

When you come up to the podium or lectern, shake hands with the Toastmaster. You may start your speech by addressing the club members as "Fellow toastmasters and guests...". This eases the transition into your speech. When you are finished with your speech, do not say "thank you"! The audience should be thanking you for the privilege of listening to your speech! Instead, you may call the Toastmaster by name or say "Mister/Madam Toastmaster".

This table summarizes the skill-set developed by the featured speaker, required preparation for the meeting, and a list of do's and don'ts.

Skills Rehearsed	Preparations before the meeting	Do...	Do not...
Writing and Organization Elements of good speech delivery: Good eye contact Smooth hand and body gestures Conquering nervousness Speaking with sincerity and conviction Good diction, speech rate, and pitch	Practice your speech. Time your speech. Discuss goals and areas of improvement with evaluator. Call upon your mentor to offer help and advice	Bring your manual with you. Practice your speech with your mentor. Shake hands with Toastmaster at the beginning and end of your speech.	Say "thank you" when finished. A strong ending avoids the need to say "thank you".

Speech Evaluator
The Speech Evaluator makes sure that the speech meets every specific objective of the assignment. This is a very important role. A good evaluation can greatly improve the speaker's public speaking abilities.

An effective evaluation starts with good preparation. As the evaluator, you must understand the objectives of the speech assignment. Prior to the meeting, the evaluator and speaker should discuss goals and areas the evaluator should focus on. For example, the speaker may be concerned about her hand movements not appearing too abrupt. You will keep an eye on this aspect of the speaker's delivery and make suggestions for improvement.

Another aspect of an effective evaluation is the ability to balance areas of strength with areas for improvement. An evaluator should not only point out weak areas, but also point out what the speaker does particularly well. Encourage the speaker to continue to cultivate these areas.

Avoid using accusatory phrases, such as, "You should have", "You failed to", or "You didn't". Instead, use personalized statements like, "I believe...", "My reaction was...", or "I suggest that...". When offering your evaluation, think about "what I saw", "what I heard", and "what I felt". Above all, evaluate the speech, not the person! The ultimate aim is to support, help, and encourage the speaker in order to build self-esteem as a public speaker.

During the speech, make notes and fill out the evaluation guide as accurately as possible. The time allotted for your verbal evaluation is 2 to 3 minutes. Keep track of the time by looking at the timer in the back of the room and the colored flags as they are raised. Highlight your comments from the evaluation guide. You do not have to say everything you wrote. You have an opportunity to give more feedback after the meeting is over. This is a chance to give other feedback that you want to keep personal because of its possible, sensitive nature. Be considerate and fair. Do not dwell on the negative, but do not whitewash your evaluation, either. Return the evaluation guide with your written comments to the speaker at the end of the meeting.

This table summarizes the skills the speech evaluator will develop, required preparation for the meeting, and a list of do's and don'ts.

Skills Rehearsed	Preparations before the meeting	Do...	Do not...
Listening and observation Organization Impromtu comments based on written remarks	Review speech objectives. Contact speaker to review objectives and speaker's concerns. Request speech title to include in evaluation form.	Explain your role. Review speech criteria with audience. Offer suggestions for improvement. Mention areas of strength. Provide positive, helpful feedback. Fill out the evaluation form accurately. Talk with speaker afterward, if needed.	Criticize speaker, only the content of the speech. Use accusatory phrases. Personalize your statements, e.g., "I noticed...". Be overly negative or critical.

Master Evaluator
The Master Evaluator evaluates the meeting. This is why this role is also known as the Meeting Evaluator. The order of the evaluation is specified on the left margin of the meeting agenda.

As Master Evaluator, before you start the full meeting's evaluation, request the times and "ah" counts of each of the speech evaluators from the Timer. Ask the Grammarian, to give his or her report for each of the evaluators. After both reports are given, ask the members and guests to cast the ballots for best evaluator.

You will then proceed to evaluate the meeting, from the time it started through the individual evaluations. Cover every event of the program with one exception: you do not have the evaluate the featured speakers again. You have a maximum of three minutes to give a complete report, so use this time wisely!

You evaluate the Toastmaster, Table Topics Master, Timer, Grammarian, Vote Counter, and the individual Evaluators. You will comment on how effectively the meeting was run, the facilities, and how the protocol of shaking hands was followed. Plan and word your comments carefully so that good points are highlighted and weak points are criticized sincerely. Always add your recommendations for improvement.

Your responsibilities also include awarding ribbons for Best Table Topic, Best Speaker, and Best Evaluator. This is the fun part of the evaluation. Shake hands with every winner while awarding the ribbon and congratulate them with a big smile!

A word about the dreaded BONE! As Master Evaluator, it is your prerogative to award it or not award it. The bone calls attention to the main protocol gaffe that occurred at the meeting. It is given in a lighthearted, fun way with the purpose of calling attention to some aspect of the meeting that needs to be improved and all members should be aware of. Call it "reverse conditioning". If you decide to award it and, especially if guests are in attendance, make sure you explain that the bone is awarded in jest and in the spirit of great fun and cooperation. It is not intended to penalize anyone's actions. If you feel awkward awarding it, don't do it.

The following table summarizes the skills developed by the Master Evaluator, required preparation prior to the meeting, and a list of do's and don'ts.

Skills Rehearsed	Preparations before the meeting	Do...	Do not...
Leadership Listening and observation Impromtu speaking	Bring meeting evaluation checklist.	Explain your role. Highlight what went well with the meeting. Offer suggestions to improve the meeting. Have fun with awards and BONE. Keep an eye on the clock.	Be overly negative or critical. Forget to get reports from Timer and Grammarian on evaluators!