Mt Victoria Toastmasters Club

Summary of the role of ‘General Evaluator’

• Evaluates the evaluators.
• Evaluate table topics evaluator.
• Evaluates everyone in the meeting who have not already been evaluated.

Consider the following questions when you are required to evaluate:
- Have you motivated the speaker?
- Did you given appropriate commendations and recommendations (based on speech objectives)?
- Did you identify what, why and how in your recommendation/s to the speaker?

Before the meeting

• Ring/Email the chairperson to check on any special issues about the meeting (not always necessary).
• Review agenda to see what is likely to come up.
• Prepare paper for taking notes.

At the start of the meeting

• Arrive in good time; see if chairperson and ASA arrive in good time to prepare room.
• See if there have been any changes to the agenda.
• Did the meeting start on time? Did the ASA greet guests and obtain their contact details?

During the meeting

• Write notes on performance of all those who are not otherwise evaluated: Chairperson, ASA, Timekeeper, Grammarian, Table Topics Evaluator, speech Evaluators.
• Did the meeting run according to the agenda? If not, were deviations explained and well managed?
• Did people explain their roles and then act according to those explanations?
• Was the atmosphere positive and helpful?

Presenting the evaluation

• Avoid spending too long evaluating any one role
• Don’t include too many recommendations for any one person – one or two will be enough for a person to take in and focus on
• Be positive, but do provide constructive suggestions for improvement. (Not “The meeting was poorly controlled”, but “The meeting might have flowed more smoothly if Peter had reminded people to keep to the times on the agenda.”)
• Speak in the third person – address the audience, not the individual.

What a strange title for this role! But the ASA plays a very useful role to make sure our club nights are enjoyable and go smoothly. Here are some guidelines for the ASA at our Mt Vic club nights…

Summary of the role of Assistant Sergeant at Arms

• Host for the evening and support for the chairperson.
• Responsibility for ensuring that room is set up.
• Responsibility for having equipment available.
• Welcome guest/s (record contact details in the visitor’s book).
• Ensure guests are looked after by other toastmasters.
• The supper is prepared and served efficiently.
• The room is left tidy and clean afterwards.

Before the meeting

• Ask the chairperson who has the key and who will be opening up.
• Obtain milk before the meeting.

Before people arrive

• Arrive at least 15 minutes before start of meeting – try to get physical arrangements finished before anyone else arrives.
• Arrange the chairs into rows with a space down the middle of the floor.
• Check that special equipment is there; find it, if necessary.
• Get equipment boxes from cupboard in kitchen.
• Set out the banner, visitor’s book, pen, name tags, Timekeeper’s lights and Chairperson’s gravel.
• Set out the tea, coffee, milo, sugar, milk, cups and biscuits and ensure there is sufficient for everyone. If supplies are low – advise the Sergeant at Arms.
• Ensure the hot water heater is switched ON.

At the start of the meeting

• Greet guests at door; invite them to enter their contact details in the visitor’s book.
• Remember to hand out name tags to those who have them.
• When called on by the Chairperson: Welcome the guests – by name. Include special mention of guests with specific roles such as General Evaluator, Contest Judge or Area Governor.
• Sit near the door to greet latecomers (quietly).

During the supper break

• Bring the hot water kettle to the supper table.
• Unwrap biscuits and serve the supper.
• Ensure that the guests are being looked after.

At the end of the meeting

• Farewell visitors.
• Tidy room and move the chairs back around the edge of the room; pack up the equipment box.
• Ensure that the timer and all the name tags are packed away in the plastic box.
• Put things back in the box that they came out of -this makes it easier for the ASA at the next meeting.

Here’s some guidelines for performing the role of timekeeper, at Mt Vic club meetings.

Summary of the role of Timekeeper

• Manages the lights that tell speakers how much time is taken.
• Make notes of actual times taken.
• Report on timing issues at the end of the meeting.

Before the meeting

• Arrive at least 10 minutes early, so you can be set up before the meeting commences.
• Ensure that you have lights, stop-watch, a copy of the agenda and a pen to record the times.
• Ensure that you know how to operate the lights and timer.

During the meeting

• Listen to the introductions to confirm the time targets. If timing is not clear from introduction or agenda, ask for clarification.
• Remember: green light at “minimum” time, orange at “target” time, red light at “maximum”.
• It can be hard to remember to watch the time if the speaker is good – but do try to stay focussed!
• Record the times of all the introductions, speeches, general business and evaluations.

Reporting the time taken at the end of the meeting

• Decide upon your own format for reporting.
• If time is short, just give a quick report on the exceptions.
• If there is more time, general comments and a fuller report as appropriate
• Note that during contests, speech times are made known to the Chief Judge onlv, using the Timekeepers Record Sheet

Note: Timing for Contests

• Two timekeepers are required – one to handle the timer and the other to manage the lights.
• The Timekeeper with the timer records the speakers’ times and hands the sheet to the Chief Judge.
• Timing becomes extra important during contests, as contestants are disqualified for speaking more than thirty seconds under the minimum time or for more than thirty seconds over the minimum time.

Here’s some guidelines for performing role of ‘the Grammarian’ at our Mt Vic club meetings.

Summary of the role

• Offer a language-based challenge to members.
• This may require speakers to use a selected word or phrase throughout the meeting.
• Also comment on speakers’ use of grammar.
• This may include figures of speech (see below), pronunciation, word usage and on other issues.
• Report on over-use of “Um” and “Ah”.

Before the meeting

• Decide what idea you want to emphasise at the meeting e.g. word or phrase or grammatical usage etc
• Prepare a brief introductory speech (about one minute in length).
• Prepare any aids you may need – for example, write the word for the evening on the whiteboard and on a large piece of paper to put at the back of the room.

During the meeting

• Make notes on what you hear. Your write-up should include notes on the word or phrase for the evening’s challenge, but may include any language-related issues that you see as interesting and/or important.

Presenting the Grammarian evaluation

• Give a brief speech on your observations.
• Remember to provide structure and to make your feedback constructive – use the Commend – Recommendation – Commendation format.

Figures of speech

ALLITERATION Repetition of initial letters e.g. dealing ¬destructions devastating doom
EUPHEMISM using a gentle expression instead of a harsher one e.g. income shift for tax or gender realignment for sex change
HYPERBOLE Exaggeration for effect e.g. That music is so loud it can be heard across the sea
INNUENDO Where something is hinted at and not directly stated
IRONY Where one thing is said but the opposite is intended e.g. Your friend turns up in ripped jeans. With a smirk, you say, “I see you have put on your best clothes!”
MALAPROPISM An amusing inaccuracy in word usage e.g. hydrostatics for hysterics
MEIOSIS Deliberate understatement for effect

ONOMATOPOEIA Words which echo the sound that they suggest e.g cukoo, murmur, tingle
OXYMORON Combining contradictory words e.g. honest lawyer, green science, accurate horoscope
SIMILE Comparison using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’ e.g. Her eyes were like emeralds
GOBBLEDEGOOK e.g. “optimum group dynamics”

Anna has put together a helpful outline of the different roles we have at our toastmasters meetings, tailored for how we typically run the meetings at Mt Vic Toastmasters.

The aim is to give you a quick-reference list to make the role easier for you, and to help you do it well.

The role of the Table Topics Evaluator

• Evaluates the table topics speakers
• Evaluates the Table Topics Master

Consider these questions when preparing your evaluations for speakers:

• have you motivated the speaker?
• did you give appropriate commendations and recommendations (based on speech objectives)?
• did you say what, why and how for their recommendation to the speaker?

Before the meeting

• Prepare format for making notes on each speaker in quick succession. Use the Table Topics Sample Evaluation as a guide – see the next page.

During the table topics session

• For each speaker, write down who the speaker is; their topic and comments in the commendation – recommendation – commendation format.
• Note: you don’t have to mention every speaker.
• Write down general issues about the session as a whole.
• Prepare your notes about the Table Topics Master in the same format as: commendation – recommendation – commendation style.
  You may like to use the template as a guide.

After the table topics session

Review your notes.

• Prepare your evaluation as a full speech i.e. introduction – body – conclusion – ensure it has a good structure.

Presenting the table topics evaluation

• Deliver your evaluation. It’s fine to refer to your notes.
• Remember to try a template or prepared format, to help you along!

Anna has put together a helpful outline of the different roles we have at our toastmasters meetings, tailored for how we typically run the meetings at Mt Vic Toastmasters.

The aim is to give you a quick-reference list to make the role easier for you, and to help you do it well.

Summary of the role

• Prepare and run the impromptu speaking session. This is usually held at the beginning of each meeting.
• Explain the purpose of impromptu speaking.
• Interjections are allowed and even encouraged throughout this session.
• Ensure speakers who do not have a role get the opportunity to speak.
• Choose topics that are easy to speak to.
• Use topics that help create a good atmosphere (fun & variety).
• Advise the audience of the time they have for their speech.

Purpose of table topics

• To ensure that everyone gets the opportunity to speak at the meeting.
• To give members practice at thinking and speaking on their feet.

Before the meeting

• Try to get agenda organised and emailed out to everyone in plenty of time so you can prepare a list of possible table topic speakers ahead of time. You may even want to tailor your topics to specific members’ known interests.
• Prepare a good selection of topics. There should be enough for all members who are not scheduled to speak, plus a few extra for any guests who may like to speak.
• Think about the theme – try to have a topic that is related and stimulating.
• Liaise with the Chairperson if you wish to organise something different from the usual 10 – 15 minutes the start of the meeting.

At the start of the meeting

• Arrive at least ten minutes early, so you are prepared before the meeting commences.
• Ensure that you have a copy of the agenda, so you know who is scheduled to speak and who may be available for table topics. Don’t forget to include the names of possible late comers on your list of possible speakers you can use for your session.
• When there are guests who are not members of the club, ask them beforehand if they would like to speak. Perhaps give them a topic to think about so that they will feel more comfortable – especially if it is their first time speaking to an audience.

Running the Table topics session

• Introduce the session and its purpose.
• Call on as many people to speak as possible – while keeping an eye on the time available.
• Give preference to people who are not already scheduled to speak or evaluate. Remember that club members may get to speak a lot, but can miss out on impromptu speaking opportunities.
• Describe the topic to them before calling on a speaker – this keeps up the tension!

Anna has put together a helpful outline of the different roles we have at our toastmasters meetings, tailored for how we typically run the meetings at Mt Vic Toastmasters.

The aim is to give you a quick-reference list to make the role easier for you, and to help you do it well.

Summary of the role of Chairperson

• Organise and manage the meeting.
• Confirm all the speakers rostered for that night.
• Confirm all the other roles e.g. Grammarian rostered.
• Prepare the agenda (here is an Agenda Example for Mt Vic TM that you can use as a template).
• Introduce a theme for the evening.
• Ensure the room is left clean and tidy.

Before the meeting

• Email the club members using the Yahoo Group email distribution address list at least a week before the meeting to remind them of their scheduled role. If speakers are not available, ring around other members, failing that contact the Vice President Education.
• Check and arrange for any special equipment required by any of the speakers.
• Check and confirm everyone’s availability for their scheduled role. Note that with the exception of members who have speaking roles, all other members are responsible for organising their own replacements and advising the chairperson of the replacement.
• Prepare the agenda, allowing time for introduction of speakers as well as actual speech. Allow one minute extra on each item – for example allow eight minutes for a seven minute speech
  Print or photocopy at least 20 copies of the agenda.

Before people arrive

• Arrive at least 20 minutes before the start of the meeting.
• Ensure the room is set up for the meeting.
• Help greet any visitors.
• Place copies of the agenda on chairs for people to pick up on arrival.

At the start of the meeting

• Start the meeting on time.
• Greet everyone and introduce the theme of the meeting.

During the meeting

• Manage the flow of the meeting; rearrange the meeting order in response to any unexpected changes.
• Provide continuity between speakers.
• Keep an eye on the time; ensure that the meeting is progressing through the agenda as planned.

During the Break

• Restart the meeting on time.

At the end of the meeting

• Help farewell visitors.
• Help make sure that the room is left clean and tidy.