Meeting Roles & Responsibilities

The content of this page was compiled by William Paterson University Toastmasters, and customized to fit the needs of Wordsmiths Toastmasters roles:

Toastmaster

The main duty of the Toastmaster is to act as the host and coordinate the entire educational program of the meeting. For obvious reasons this task is not usually assigned to a member until he or she is quite familiar with the club and its procedures. Program participants should be introduced in a way that excites the audience and motivates them to listen. The Toastmaster creates an atmosphere of interest, expectation, and receptivity.

Prior to the meeting -

Check the meeting schedule prepared by the VP of Education to find out the theme for the meeting
Contact and confirm all persons with assigned roles
Ask for introductions from all speakers
Prepare remarks which can be used to bridge the gaps between program segments
Prepare the meeting's Agenda
Email Agenda in advance to club members
Make copies of Agenda and bring to meeting

At the meeting -

Arrive early
Ensure that all meeting support materials are in place
Check with the speakers for any last minute changes
Sit near the front of the room

During the meeting -

Preside with sincerity, energy, and decisiveness
Take your audience on a pleasant journey and make them feel that all is going well
Lead the applause
Follow the agenda and keep the meeting on time

Two tips sheet for the Toastmaster downloadable below.

General Evaluator

The General Evaluator is just what the name implies—an evaluator of anything and everything that takes place throughout the meeting and during the week prior to the meeting. The responsibilities are large, but so are the rewards. The General Evaluator is responsible to the Toastmaster. At the conclusion of the evaluation segment of the meeting, control is returned to the Toastmaster. The General Evaluator is responsible for the coordinating with the evaluation team, which consists of speech evaluators, Timer, Grammarian, and Ah Counter.

Prior to the meeting -

Check with the Toastmaster and review the meeting format
Contact members of the evaluation team and brief them on their jobs
Suggest that the speech evaluators contact their speakers prior to the meeting
Prepare a brief but thorough talk on the purpose, techniques, and benefits of evaluation
Evaluation is a positive experience designed to help people overcome weak habits and add power to good ones

Upon arrival -

Ensure each speech evaluator has their speaker's manual and understands the project objectives and how to evaluate it
Greet all evaluators who are present
Verify each speaker's time and notify the timer
Sit in a position in the room to allow yourself full view of the meeting and its participants

During the meeting -

Brief the audience on your team's means and methods of evaluation, and introduce your evaluation team
Take notes on everything that happens
Create a checklist from which you can follow the meeting
Cover each participant on the program (except speakers and Table Topics participants)
Introduce each evaluation phase
Thank each evaluator for his/her efforts
Wrap up by giving your general evaluation of the meeting

Tips for General Evaluator downloadable below.

Grammarian/Ah Counter

Being Grammarian is truly an exercise in expanding your listening skills. You have two basic responsibilities: first, to introduce new words to members; and second, to comment on the use of language during the course of the meeting.

The purpose of the Ah Counter is to note words and sounds used as a "crutch" or "pause filler" by anyone who speaks during the meeting. Words may be inappropriate interjections such as "and, well, but, so, you know." Sounds may be "ah, um, er." You should also note when a speaker repeats a word or phrase such as "I, I" or "This means, this means."

Prior to the meeting -

Select the word of the day (a word 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)
Print your word, its part of speech, a brief definition, and an example of its use in a sentence on paper, blackboard or whiteboard at the front of the room

Upon arrival -

Write the word of the day so that it can be seen from the back of the room
Obtain the Grammarian evaluation form(s) from the Sergeant at Arms and have a pen ready to make notes

During the meeting -

Introduce the word of the day
Briefly explain the role of the Grammarian/Ah Counter
Listen for examples of colorful or interesting word usage
Write down any awkward use or misuse of the language
Write down who used the word of the day and who used it correctly and incorrectly
Listen for "crutch" words and long pauses used as fillers
When called on by the General Evaluator, report on creative language and crutch word usage and announce who used the word of the day

Timer

One of the lessons to be practiced in speech training is that of expressing a thought within a specific time. The Timer is responsible for keeping track of time during the meeting. Each segment of the meeting is timed. You should explain your duties and report clearly and precisely on time elapsed for each role during the meeting.

Prior to the meeting -

Confirm scheduled program participants with the Toastmaster and General Evaluator
Confirm time required for each prepared speech with the speakers
Obtain the timer's form from the Sergeant at Arms
Obtain the stopwatch and timing signal cards from the Sergeant at Arms

Upon arrival at the meeting -

When introduced, explain the timing rules and demonstrate how the green, yellow, and red cards will be used
Throughout the meeting, signal each program participant as indicated
Signal the Toastmaster and Table Topics master with a red card when they have reached their allotted or agreed upon time
Record each participant's name and time used
When called to report, announce the speaker's name and the time taken

After the meeting -

Return the stopwatch and timing signal device cards to the Sergeant at Arms
Give the completed timer's report to the Secretary

Speaker

A major portion of each meeting is centered around three or more speakers. Their speeches are prepared based on manual project objectives and should last from five to seven minutes for projects in the basic Communication and Leadership Program manual, and eight or more minutes, depending on the assignment, for projects in the Advanced Communication and Leadership Program manuals. Preparation is essential to success when you are the speaker.

Prior to the meeting -

Check the meeting schedule to find out when you are to speak
Prepare a speech based on a manual project
Present speeches in the order in which they appear in the manual, because each project builds on skills learned in previous projects
Before the meeting, find out who will be evaluating your speech
Speak to your evaluator and talk about the manual speech you'll be giving. Discuss with the evaluator your speech goals and personal concerns. Emphasize where you feel your speech ability needs strengthening
Remember to bring your manual to the meeting

When you enter the room -

Arrive early. If needed, check any needed technical equipment (for example, overhead projector) before everyone arrives. Protect yourself from all of the problems that can ruin your talk; have a backup plan in case the equipment fails.
Sit near the front of the room for quick and easy access to the lectern
Carefully plan your approach to the lectern and speech opening
Be sure that you give your manual to your evaluator before the meeting starts
If you don't write your own speech introduction, make certain that the Toastmaster has prepared one for you

During the meeting -

Give your full attention to speakers at the lectern
Avoid studying your speech notes while someone else is talking
When introduced, smoothly leave your chair and walk to the lectern as planned
As you begin your speech, acknowledge the Toastmaster and the audience (Toastmasters and guests)
When finishing your speech, never thank your audience. Simply return control of the meeting to the Toastmaster of the meeting. Always wait for the Toastmaster to return to the lectern, and then return to your seat.
During the evaluation of your speech, listen intently for helpful hints that will assist in building better future talks. Pay attention to suggestions from other members.

After the meeting -

Get your manual from your evaluator
Discuss any questions you may have concerning your evaluation to clarify any misinterpretations
Have the VP of Education initial the "Project Completion Record" in the back of your manual

Tips for speakers downloadable below.

Speech Evaluator

After every prepared speech, the speaker receives an evaluation. After you have presented a few speeches, you will be asked to serve as an evaluator and will evaluate one of the prepared speakers. In addition to your oral evaluation, you will also give the speaker a written evaluation, using the guide in the manual. The quality of your evaluation can make the difference between an inspirational or lackluster experience for your speaker.The purpose of the evaluation is to help the speaker become less self-conscious and a better speaker. This requires that you be fully aware of the speaker's skill level, habits, and mannerisms, as well as his/her progress to date. If the speaker uses a technique or some gesture that receives a good response from the audience, tell the speaker so that he/she will be encouraged to use it again.

Prior to the meeting -

Review carefully the Effective Speech Evaluation manual which you received in your New Member Kit
Talk with the speaker to find out the manual project he/she will be presenting
Review the goals of the speech and what the speaker hopes to achieve
Find out exactly which skills or techniques the speaker hopes to strengthen through the speech

Remember, the purpose of evaluation is to help people develop their speaking skills in various situations, including platform presentations, discussions, and meetings. Achievement equals the sum of ability and motivation. By actively listening 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.

Entering the room -

Look for the speaker and get his/her manual
Meet briefly with the General Evaluator to confirm the evaluation session format
Confer with the speaker one last time to see if he/she has any specific things they want you to watch for during their speech

During the meeting -

Record your impressions in the speaker's manual
Be as objective as possible
Leave the speaker with a specific method for improving
When introduced, approach the podium to deliver your oral evaluation
Begin and end your evaluation with a note of encouragement or praise

Though you have written lengthy responses to manual evaluation questions, don't read the questions or your responses. Your oral evaluation time is limited. Don't try to cover too much in your talk. Make one point on organization, one on delivery, and one on attainment of purpose, closing with a suggestion for future improvement and a statement about their greatest asset.

Praise a successful speech and specifically tell why it was successful. Don't allow the speaker to remain unaware of a valuable asset such as a smile, a sense of humor, or a good voice. Don't allow the speaker to remain ignorant of a serious fault or mannerism; if it is present, write it but don't mention it aloud. Give the speaker the deserved praise and tactful suggestions in the manner you would like to receive them if you are the speaker.

After the meeting -

Return the manual to the speaker
Add a verbal word of encouragement

Tips for Evaluators downloadable below.

Table Topics Moderator

The Toastmasters program has a tradition that every member be given an opportunity to speak during the meeting. The Table Topics session is that portion of the meeting which ensures this tradition. The purpose of the Table Topics segment is to have members "think on their feet" and speak for a minute or so. The Table Topics Moderator prepares topics and runs the Table Topics segment of the program. Each speaker may be given an individual subject, or a selection of topics from which to draw.

Prior to the meeting -

Check with the Toastmaster to discover if a theme meeting is scheduled
Based on the theme, generate ideas for table topics in advance of the meeting
Find out who does not have an assigned role at the meeting so that you can call on those members first
Select questions that will inspire the person to speak extemporaneously
Keep the questions simple and short
Phrase the questions so that the speaker clearly knows what you want them to talk about
Keep your comments short

Remember, Table Topics has a twofold purpose: first, to give everyone in the room an opportunity to speak, especially those who are not on the program; and, second, to get people to learn to "think and speak on their feet."

During the meeting -