Taking on this role improves organization, time management and public speaking skills. The Toastmaster is the meeting's director and host. A member typically will not be assigned this role until they are thoroughly familiar with the club and its procedures. As Toastmaster, you:

The Toastmaster of the Day keeps everything running smoothly. They manage the meeting, adhering to the agenda and ensuring that transitions between speakers are seamless and the session stays on time. We often think of the role as a master of ceremonies, but it is much more than that.

Taking on this role improves critical thinking, confidence and public speaking skills

Every speaker is a role model, and club members learn from one another's speeches. As a meeting speaker, you:

• Prepare, rehearse and present a speech during the club meeting.

• Arrive early to make sure the microphone, lectern and lighting are working and in place.

• Discuss your goals, strengths and weaknesses with your evaluator prior to giving your speech.

Taking on this role improves organization skills, time management and facilitation skills. The Topicsmaster delivers the Table Topics^® portion of the meeting, which helps train members to quickly organize and express their thoughts in an impromptu setting. As Topicsmaster, you:

• Select topics in advance of the meeting that allow speakers to offer opinions.

• Give members who aren't assigned a speaking role the opportunity to speak during the meeting by assigning impromptu talks on non-specialized themes or topics.

• Don't ask two people the same thing unless you specify that it is to generate opposing viewpoints.

Taking on this role improves critical thinking, organization, time management, motivational and team-building skills.

The General Evaluator evaluates everything that takes place during the club meeting. In addition, the General Evaluator conducts the evaluation portion of the meeting and is responsible for the evaluation team: the speech evaluators, Ah Counter, grammarian and timer. As General Evaluator, you:

• Ensure other evaluators know their tasks and responsibilities.

• Explain the purpose and benefits of evaluations to the group.

• Identify and confirm meeting assignments with the timer, grammarian and Ah-Counter.

• Confirm the club meeting program and/or checklist with the Toastmaster.

• During the meeting, take notes and report on all club proceedings to evaluate things such as timeliness, enthusiasm, preparation, organization, performance of duties, etc.

Taking on this role improves vocabulary, grammar, critical listening skills and evaluation skills

The grammarian plays an important role in helping all club members improve their grammar and vocabulary. As grammarian you:

• Introduce new words to meeting participants and monitor language and grammar usage

• Write down the language and grammar usage of all speakers, noting incomplete sentences, mispronunciations, grammatical mistakes, non-sequiturs, malapropisms, etc. Example: "One in five children wear glasses" should be "one in five children wears glasses."

• At the end of the meeting, give your complete report when called on.

• Optional: Introduce a "Word of the Week" that helps meeting participants increase their vocabulary; display the word, part of speech, and a brief definition with a visual aid and prepare a sentence showcasing how the word should be used. Note who uses this word or any derivatives thereof correctly or incorrectly during the meeting.

Taking on this role improves active listening, critical thinking and positive feedback skills.

Evaluation is the heart of the Toastmasters educational program. You observe the speeches and leadership roles of your fellow club members and offer evaluations of their efforts, and they do the same for you. As evaluator you:

• Ask those you've been assigned to evaluate what they will present and what they wish to achieve.

• Provide objective verbal and written evaluations for speakers.

• When giving any evaluation, offer praise as well as constructive criticism.

Taking on this role improves observational and listening skills

The purpose of the Ah-Counter is to note any overused words or filler sounds used as a crutch by anyone who speaks during the meeting. Words may be inappropriate interjections, such as and, well, but, so and you know. Sounds may be ah, um or er. As Ah-Counter you:

• Request a copy of the Ah-Counter’s log from your sergeant at arms. If a log is not available, be prepared to take notes.

• When introduced during the club meeting, explain the role of the Ah-Counter.

• In the Ah-Counter’s log, record overlong pauses, overused words and filler sounds relied upon too often by all speakers. Examples include: and, but, so, you know, ah, um.

• During the evaluation portion of the meeting, report your observations when called upon.

Taking on this role improves time management skills.

One of the skills Toastmasters practice is expressing a thought within a specific time. The timer is responsible for monitoring time for each meeting segment and each speaker. As Timer, you:

• Acquire the timing/signaling equipment from the sergeant at arms and know how to operate it.

• Explain the timing rules and demonstrate the signal device if called upon to do so.

• Throughout the meeting, listen carefully to each participant and signal them accordingly.

• When called to report, announce the speakers' names and the time taken.

• After the meeting, return the timing/signaling equipment to the sergeant at arms.

Taking on this role improves time management skills.

“Listening well can help you understand other people’s attitudes and motivations, which is essential in building cooperative and productive relationships, as well as discerning which relationships you’d be better off avoiding,” Murphy wrote in a New York Times editorial this year.

Whether in a conversation or a club audience, use the touchstones of good listening. Among tips in the “Active Listening” project:

• Give the speaker your full attention; remain relaxed and engaged

• Respect the speaker’s point of view

• Reserve judgment

• Avoid interrupting

• Give nonverbal cues to show your interest