Roles Information

Meeting Roles

Ah Counter

One of the skills Toastmasters practice is expressing a thought within a specific time. As timer you are responsible for monitoring time for each meeting segment and each speaker. You’ll also operate the timing signal, indicating to each speaker how long he or she has been talking. Serving as timer is an excellent opportunity to practice giving instructions and time management – something we do every day.

Here’s how to succeed as timer:

• Before the meeting, contact the Toastmaster and general evaluator to confirm which members are scheduled program participants. Then contact each speaker to confirm the time they’ll need for their prepared speech.
• You’ll also need to write an explanation of your duties, emphasizing timing rules and how timing signals will be given. For the benefit of guests and new members, be sure to use the clearest possible language and rehearse your presentation.
• On meeting day, retrieve the timing equipment from the sergeant at arms. 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.
• The Toastmaster of the meeting will usually call on you to explain the timing rules and demonstrate the signal device. Stand by your chair to do so and then be seated.
• Throughout the meeting, listen carefully to each program participant and signal them. Generally Table Topics speakers should be +/- 15 seconds of allowed time; prepared speakers must be +/- 30 seconds. However, these times may vary from club to club. In addition, signal the chairman, Toastmaster and Topicsmaster with red when they have reached their allotted or agreed-upon time. Use the timer’s report or a blank piece of paper to record each participant’s name and time used.
• When you’re called to report by the Topicsmaster, Toastmaster or general evaluator, stand by your chair, announce the speaker’s name and the time taken. Mention those members who are eligible for awards if your club issues awards.
• After the meeting, return the stopwatch and timing signal device to the sergeant at arms. Give the completed timer’s report to the secretary so he or she can record it in the minutes (if this is done in your club).

Take on this role and the new habits formed will serve you well in your private life and your career. People appreciate a speaker, friend or employee who is mindful of time frames and deadlines.

General Evaluator 

 If you think of a club meeting as a project, then you can see the general evaluator as a kind of project manager. As GE, your responsibilities include:

Ensuring the speech and leadership project evaluators know their responsibilities

• Supervising the timer, grammarian and Ah-Counter
• Evaluating everything that takes place during the club meeting
• Making sure each activity is performed correctly

Several days before the meeting, contact the person who will be Toastmaster of the meeting and confirm the meeting program. You should also develop a checklist to follow during the meeting so you don’t have to keep all the details in your head. Some clubs have a prepared checklist. If your club doesn’t have one, ask the Toastmaster to help you create your own checklist.

When discussing the meeting program with the Toastmaster, ask what evaluation format to use. Typically, an evaluator is assigned to an individual, but sometimes evaluations are done by panels. The general evaluator may set up any evaluation procedure he or she chooses, but it should fit into the meeting program. Remember, too, that every evaluation must be brief and complete. Review the Effective Evaluation manual for different evaluation formats.

You’ll also need to contact members serving as:

• Timer
• Grammarian
• Ah-Counter
• Individual evaluators

Remind them of their assignments, and brief evaluators on their responsibilities, the members they will evaluate and the evaluation format to use. Make sure the evaluators understand that evaluation is a positive, helping act that enables fellow Toastmasters to develop their skills. Point out that an evaluation should enhance the speaker’s self-esteem and encourage evaluators to prepare thoroughly for their role. Recommend that they call the member they’ve been assigned to evaluate to discuss specific project objectives.

Your final task before the meeting is to prepare a brief verbal explanation detailing:

• The purpose, techniques and benefits of evaluation so guests and new members will better understand the function of evaluations.
• How evaluation is a positive experience designed to help people overcome flaws and reinforce good habits in their presentations.

On meeting day:

• Arrive early.
• Make sure all evaluators are present and that they have the appropriate speaker or leader’s manual.
• If an evaluator is absent, consult with the vice president education and arrange for a substitute.
• Ask each evaluator if he or she has any questions about the project objectives to be evaluated, verify each speaker’s time and notify the timer if there are any changes.
• Take your seat near the back of the room. This will ensure you have a good view of the meeting and all its participants.

The Toastmaster of the meeting usually introduces the general evaluator before the Table Topics portion of the meeting. But your club may have a different order for introductions, so check with the Toastmaster or VPE before the meeting if you’re not sure when you’ll be introduced.

When you’re introduced:

• Stand by your chair and deliver the explanation you prepared.
• Identify the grammarian, Ah-Counter and timer and have these members briefly state the purpose of their jobs.
• Request the word of the day, if your club has one, from the grammarian and then be seated.

During the meeting, use your checklist and take notes on everything that happens (or doesn’t, but should). For example: Is the club’s property (e.g. trophies, banner, educational material) properly displayed? Were there unnecessary distractions that could have been avoided? Did the meeting, and each segment of it, begin and end on time?

Study each participant on the program, from the person giving the invocation or thought for the day to the last report by the timer. Look for good and less than desirable examples of preparation, organization, delivery, enthusiasm, observation and general performance of duties. When it’s time to begin the evaluation portion of the meeting, the Toastmaster will introduce you, again. This time, you’ll go to the lectern and introduce each evaluator. After each recitation, thank the evaluator for his or her efforts.

Finally, give your general evaluation of the meeting:

• Use your checklist and the notes you took during the meeting.
• Phrase your evaluation so it is helpful, encouraging and motivates club members to implement the suggestions.
• You may wish to comment on the quality of evaluations. Were they positive, upbeat, helpful? Did they point the way to improvement?
• When you’ve completed your evaluation, return control of the meeting to the Toastmaster.

Being general evaluator is a big responsibility and it is integral to the success of every single club member. People join Toastmasters because they have a goal – they want to learn something. The club is where they learn. If the learning environment isn’t focused and fun, members won’t learn what they joined to learn. Your observations and suggestions help ensure the club is meeting the goals and needs of each member.

And what do you get out of the deal? You get the chance to practice and improve your skills in critical thinking, planning, preparation and organization, time management, motivation and team building!

Language Evaluator

Before the Meeting

One benefit of Toastmasters is that it helps people improve their grammar and word use. Being grammarian also provides an exercise in expanding listening skills. You have several responsibilities: to introduce new words to members, to comment on language usage during the course of the meeting, and to provide examples of eloquence.

• It should be one that will help members increase their vocabulary – a word that can be incorporated easily into everyday conversation but is different from the way people usually express themselves.
• Adjectives and adverbs are more adaptable than nouns or verbs, but feel free to select your own special word.
• Print your word, its part of speech (adjective, adverb, noun, verb) and a brief definition in letters large enough to be seen from the back of the room.
• Prepare a sentence showing how the word is used.

At the Meeting

Before the meeting begins, place your visual aid at the front of the room where everyone can see it. Also get a blank piece of paper and pen ready to make notes, or get a copy of the grammarian’s log, if your club has one, from the sergeant at arms.

When introduced:

• Announce the word of the day, state its part of speech, define it, use it in a sentence and ask that anyone speaking during any part of the meeting use it.
• Briefly explain the role of the grammarian.

Throughout the meeting, listen to everyone’s word usage. Write down any awkward use or misuse of the language (incomplete sentences, sentences that change direction in midstream, incorrect grammar or malapropisms) with a note of who erred. For example, point out if someone used a singular verb with a plural subject. “One in five children wear glasses” should be “one in five children wears glasses.” Note when a pronoun is misused. “No one in the choir sings better than her” should be “No one in the choir sings better than she.”

Write down who used the word of the day (or a derivative of it) and note those who used it correctly or incorrectly. When called on by the general evaluator during the evaluation segment:

• Stand by your chair and give your report.
• Try to offer the correct usage in every instance of misuse (instead of merely announcing that something was wrong).
• Report on creative language usage and announce who used the word of the day (or a derivative of it) correctly or incorrectly.

After the meeting, give your completed report to the treasurer for collection of fines, if your club does this.

Table Topic Master

With TABLE TOPICS™, the table topics master gives members who aren’t assigned a speaking role the opportunity to speak during the meeting. The Table Topics Master challenges each member with a subject usually based on the theme of the meeting, and the speaker responds with a one- to two-minute impromptu talk.

Some people underestimate the Topicsmaster role’s importance. Not only does it provide you with an opportunity to practice planning, preparation, organization, time management and facilitation skills; your preparation and topic selection help train members to quickly organize and express their thoughts in an impromptu setting.

Preparation is the key to leading a successful Table Topics session:

• Several days before the meeting, check with the Toastmaster to find out if a theme meeting is scheduled. If so, prepare topics reflecting that theme.
• Confirm who the prepared speakers, evaluators and general evaluator will be so you can call on other members at the meeting to respond first. You can call on program participants (speakers last) at the end of the topics session if time allows.
• Select subjects and questions that allow speakers to offer opinions. Don’t make the questions too long or complicated and make sure they don’t require specialized knowledge.
• Phrase questions so the speakers clearly understand what you want them to talk about.

Remember, too, that your job is to give others a chance to speak, so keep your own comments short.

Table Topics usually begins after the prepared speech presentations, but there are variations from club to club. Ask the Toastmaster or vice president education if you’re unsure of when your portion of the meeting begins.

When the Toastmaster introduces you, walk to the lectern and assume control of the meeting:

• Briefly state the purpose of Table Topics and mention any theme.
• If your club has a word of the day, encourage speakers to use that word in their response.
• Be certain everyone understands the maximum time they have for their response and how the timing device works (if the timer hasn’t already done so).

Then begin the program:

• Give each speaker a different topic or question and call on speakers at random.
• Avoid going around the room in the order in which people are sitting.
• Don’t ask two people the same thing unless you specify that each must give opposing viewpoints.
• State the question briefly – then call on a respondent.
• You may wish to invite visitors and guests to participate after they have seen one or two members’ responses. But let visitors know they are free to decline if they feel uncomfortable.

Watch your total time. You may need to adjust the number of questions so your segment ends on time. Even if your portion started late, try to end on time to avoid the total meeting running overtime.

Time Keeper

One of the skills Toastmasters practice is expressing a thought within a specific time. As timer you are responsible for monitoring time for each meeting segment and each speaker. You’ll also operate the timing signal, indicating to each speaker how long he or she has been talking. Serving as timer is an excellent opportunity to practice giving instructions and time management – something we do every day.

Here’s how to succeed as timer:

• Before the meeting, contact the Toastmaster and general evaluator to confirm which members are scheduled program participants. Then contact each speaker to confirm the time they’ll need for their prepared speech.
• You’ll also need to write an explanation of your duties, emphasizing timing rules and how timing signals will be given. For the benefit of guests and new members, be sure to use the clearest possible language and rehearse your presentation.
• On meeting day, retrieve the timing equipment from the sergeant at arms. 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.
• The Toastmaster of the meeting will usually call on you to explain the timing rules and demonstrate the signal device. Stand by your chair to do so and then be seated.
• Throughout the meeting, listen carefully to each program participant and signal them. Generally Table Topics speakers should be +/- 15 seconds of allowed time; prepared speakers must be +/- 30 seconds. However, these times may vary from club to club. In addition, signal the chairman, Toastmaster and Topicsmaster with red when they have reached their allotted or agreed-upon time. Use the timer’s report or a blank piece of paper to record each participant’s name and time used.
• When you’re called to report by the Topicsmaster, Toastmaster or general evaluator, stand by your chair, announce the speaker’s name and the time taken. Mention those members who are eligible for awards if your club issues awards.
• After the meeting, return the stopwatch and timing signal device to the sergeant at arms. Give the completed timer’s report to the secretary so he or she can record it in the minutes (if this is done in your club).

Take on this role and the new habits formed will serve you well in your private life and your career. People appreciate a speaker, friend or employee who is mindful of time frames and deadlines.

Toastmasters of the Morning(TTM) 

DUTY:

1. ACT as a genial host & conduct the entire program smoothly

2. Introduce the other members of the program, to create an atmosphere of interest expectation and receptivity in LESS THAN ONE MINUTE

ACTION:

1. ARRIVE early in order to finish any last-minute details
2. FILL UP and/or CUT DOWN the time if the gap is too big and/or too tight
3. Always LEAD the applause before & after the speaker starts/finishes
4. Remain STANDING near the lectern after the introduction till the speaker has acknowledged you and assumed control of the meeting, then be seated.
5. Whatever the GE, Session Masters forget, you do it.（e.g. write down names of participants for joke session, forget to call upon timer, Ah counter….）

CONCLUSION:

1. Thank every participant and guest for a smooth meeting
2. Remind assignment takers to stay after the meeting to help cleaning up the room
3. Collect script from manual speakers
4. To welcome back the Club President to continue the Club Business session

A Reminder to the Toastmaster of the Meeting

You will be the TME soon. So please email or call the GE and prepared speakers about 2 weeks before the meeting, and the other assignment-takers about 10 days before the meeting (of course the early the better). If any of them cannot come for the meeting, please tell the VPE immediately.

In order to collect introduction information, you can ask them one or two questions. For example, “Which person do you admire most and why?” When you introduce a prepared speaker, please try to connect that person’s features/information with his/her speech title. And please do remember to tell the audience the objectives of that speech.

Please remind the GE to contact the evaluators as early as possible, better 10-14 days before the meeting, too. And ask the GE to tell the VPE if any evaluator cannot come. GE can remind IEs to evaluate based on the present speech objectives, not the future speech objectives.

Please tell the president how to introduce you.

You must already know that TME needs to introduce what Toastmasters is about, especially when we have new guests.

Try to type what you will say and rehearse it in advance. Thank you for your good preparation and your dedication. With your effort, you will be an outstanding TME and we will have a happy and successful meeting!

Speech Evaluator 

People join Toastmasters to improve their speaking and leadership skills, and these skills are improved with the help of evaluations. Members complete projects in the Competent Communication and Competent Leadership manuals and you may be asked to evaluate their work. At some point, everyone is asked to participate by providing an evaluation. You will provide both verbal and written evaluations for speakers using the guide in the manual. You’ll always give a written evaluation for leadership roles, though verbal evaluations for leaders are handled differently from club to club. Sometimes verbal evaluations are given during the meeting and sometimes they are given privately, after the meeting. Check with your vice president education (VPE) or the Toastmaster if you’re not sure of your club’s method.

Evaluation requires careful preparation if the speaker or leader is to benefit. Study the project objectives as well as the evaluation guide in the manual. Remember, the purpose of evaluation is to help people develop their speaking or leadership skills in various situations. By actively listening, providing reinforcement for their strengths 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 strengthening their ability.

When you arrive at the meeting, speak briefly with the general evaluator to confirm the evaluation session format. Then retrieve the manual from the speaker or leader and ask one last time if he or she has any specific goals in mind.

Record your impressions in the manual, along with your answers to the evaluation questions. Be as objective as possible. Remember that good evaluations may give new life to discouraged members and poor evaluations may dishearten members who tried their best. Always provide specific methods for improving and present them in a positive manner.

If you’re giving a verbal evaluation, stand and speak when introduced. Though you may have written lengthy responses to manual evaluation questions, don’t read the questions or your responses. Your verbal evaluation time is limited. Don’t try to cover too much in your talk; two or three points is plenty.

Begin and end your evaluation with a note of encouragement or praise. Commend a successful speech or leadership assignment and describe specifically how it was successful. Don’t allow the speaker or leader to remain unaware of a valuable asset such as a smile or a sense of humor. Likewise, don’t permit the speaker or leader to remain ignorant of a serious fault: if it is personal, write it but don’t mention it aloud. Give the speaker or leader deserved praise and tactful suggestions in the manner you would like to receive them.

After the meeting, return the manual to the speaker or leader. Add another word of encouragement and answer any questions the member may have.

By giving feedback, you are personally contributing to your fellow members’ improvement. Preparing and presenting evaluations is also an opportunity for you to practice your listening, critical thinking, feedback and motivation skills. And when the time comes to receivefeedback, you’ll have a better understanding of the process.