MEETING
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
In Toastmasters, we learn by participating.
During our meetings, members are called upon to perform a variety of roles to
keep the meeting flowing smoothly. Responsibilities rotate each week, but the
primary roles are:
Toastmaster
The main duty of the Toastmaster is to act as the host of the meeting and keep
the program running smoothly, including introducing all of the participants.
Prior to the meeting, the Toastmaster contacts all of the speakers and other
key participants to confirm their attendance and find out some background
information. The Toastmaster also prepares some brief remarks that can be used
to bridge the gaps between program segments. During the meeting, the
Toastmaster presides over the program and creates an atmosphere of interest,
energy and enthusiasm.
Speaker
A major portion of each meeting is centered around the speakers. Their
speeches are prepared based on the baic Communications and Leadership Program
manual following a series of ojectives. Each speech runs about 5-7 minutes,
depending on the assignment.
Table Topics Master
In Toastmasters, a primary goal is for everyone to have an opportunity to
speak. Table Topics is the portion of the meeting that makes this possible.
The purpose is to have members think on their feet and speak for 1-2 minutes.
The Table Topics Master prepares a number of interesting and thought provoking
questions prior to the meeting. During the meeting the Topics Master calls on
members (and guests if they want to participate) and asks them a prepared
question, giving members 1-2 minutes to respond.
General Evaluator
The Evaluator is responsible for introducing the Evaluators for each speech,
along with providing a brief report about the overall quality of the meeting.
Some things the General Evaluator watches include whether the meeting began on
time, how well meeting protocol was followed, and any outstanding things that
made the meeting great or areas that could be improved.
Evaluator
After every prepared speech, the speaker receives an evaluation. In addition
to a written evaluation, the Evaluator gets up and delivers a 2-3 minute
verbal evaluation. The purpose of the evaluation is to help the speaker
identify the things they did well and some areas of improvement for next time.
Another vital role of the Evaluator is to provide encouragement to the speaker
to help keep them motivated and enthusiastic.
Table Topics Evaluator
Very similar role to that of the Evaluator . After every Table Topics session, the TT participants receive feedback regarding their performance. Each Table Topics performance is, in essence, a mini-speech that should contain an Opening, Body, and Closing. In addition to the TT structure, the TT Evaluator should note the strengths and potential improvement areas for each participant.
Timer
One of the lessons to be practiced in speech training is how to express a
thought in a specific time. The Timer keeps track of each speaker to make sure
they stay within the time boundaries. The Timer operates a signal (Green,
Yellow and Red Lights) that give each speaker a visual clue about the time
remaining. For example, on a 5-7 minute prepared speech, the Timer will turn
on the green light at 5 minutes, the yellow light at 6 minutes, and the red at
7 minutes. Once the red light comes on, the speaker has 30 seconds to wrap up.
Ah Counter/Grammarian
The purpose of the Ah Counter is to note words and sounds used as a "crutch"
or to fill silent pauses during a speech. The biggest crutch words include
"Um, And Um, You Know, So, Er and Ah." The Ah Counter also keeps track of
repeated phrases like "I, I" or "this means, this means." At the end of the
meeting, the Ah Counter gives a report on the number of times each speaker
used a crutch word or sound. The second part of the role is that of
Grammarian. The Grammarian watches for proper use of sentence structure and
grammar, along with the use of particularly creative words.
Ballot Counter
The purpose of the ballot counter is to collect and count the ballots, and
then present a certificate to the meeting's winner of the participation award. Awards are given to the best Speaker, Evaluator, and Table Topics participants. .