Recommended: Completion of six speeches.

The function of Toastmaster is critical to the success of our meetings. To be a successful Toastmaster you need to be prepared. Enthusiasm will carry you a long way as Toastmaster but please note that it helps to be equally well informed. Being a Toastmaster is a challenging duty but it can also be a very rewarding experience.

The week prior to the meeting:

Confirm the roles for the next meeting with the Vice-President of Education. On the Wednesday prior to the meeting night, phone or email everyone to confirm attendance and to advise them of the theme. It is your responsibility to prepare an agenda and bring enough copies to the meeting for every member plus extras for guests. On the Saturday before the meeting, phone everyone you haven’t yet had confirmations from, and get the speech information from the speakers. This would include the following: title of speech, allotted time, which manual and speech number.

If several people will be absent, certain roles could be eliminated, such as the Toast and Smile Story. The roles of Grammarian and the Um and Ah Counter could also be combined if necessary.

Download: Agenda Template

At the Meeting:

Notify the Chair of any last-minute agenda changes before he/she opens the meeting. After you take the gavel from the Chair, give a few opening remarks to set the tone for the meeting and then introduce your theme. Introduce the people who fulfill various tasks in the order stated on the agenda. Be both enthusiastic and informative in your introduction of each speaker. For the first few duties, remain standing at the lectern until control is returned to you. Throughout the meeting, express thanks to each person after they have fulfilled or explained their duties and lead the applause.

The generally used order of operations is listed below, but remember you are in charge; feel free to mix things up a bit. Putting the Table Topics first or even running the entire meeting backward are ways to liven things up and move us out of our comfort zone. As Toastmaster, you have the authority to run the meeting the way you choose to.

• Introduce the person giving the Toast;
• Request an explanation of duties from the:
  • General Evaluator
  • Grammarian
  • Um/Ah Counter (if separate from the Grammarian)
  • Timer
• Introduce the person giving the Thunderbird 101 segment;
• Introduce the person giving the Smile Story;
• Announce that this is now the prepared speech part of the program. Some well-chosen words will be in order;
• Announce the speaker’s evaluator who will read the speaker’s objectives;
• Announce the speaker and lead the applause;
• Thank the speaker and lead the applause;
• At the end of each speech, announce a one-minute pause for members to write comments to the speaker;
• Repeat until all the speakers have given their presentations;
• After the 1 minute pause for notes for the last speaker, ask for a vote on whom the audience felt best met the objectives for their speech;
• Announce a break for refreshments — usually 15 minutes, but can be adjusted to compensate for a late-running meeting. Ask the timer to give a one-minute warning for everyone to return to his or her seat;
• During the break, count the ballots for the Best Speaker;
• At the end of the break use the gavel to reconvene the meeting;
• Introduce the Table Topics Master. Pass control over to the Table Topics Master. You may now be seated;
• Thank the Table Topics Master, and lead the applause;
• Ask for a vote on the Best Table Topics speech;
• Introduce the General Evaluator and hand the meeting over to him/her;
• Count the ballots for the Best Table Topic speaker and, when appropriate, for the Best Evaluator;
• Thank the General Evaluator and lead the applause;
• Introduce the Quizmaster and lead the applause;
• Award the trophies; and finally
• Return control of the meeting to the Chair.

Before introducing each speaker, have the speaker’s evaluator read the objectives of the speech. Introduce the speaker with a bit of information about them, ending with the speaker’s name and speech title. Lead the applause as the speaker approaches the lectern. When the speaker arrives at the lectern, repeat their name and the title of their speech. When each speaker is finished, lead the applause and express thanks.

Announce a one-minute pause at the end of each speech for members to write signed comments for the speaker. If two or more people have spoken, call for a vote for Best Speaker after the last speaker has finished. If a speaker is giving an educational session from the Better Speaker, Successful Club, or Leadership Excellence series, they do not have an assigned evaluator, nor are they part of the voting for Best Speaker.

Introduce and turn over the meeting to the General Evaluator. While the General Evaluator is speaking, count the ballots for both the Best Speaker and the Best Evaluator. When the General Evaluator is finished, lead the applause; accept control of the meeting and thank the General Evaluator.

Introduce the Quizmaster. While they are at the lectern, you may be seated and you may participate in the session. When they are done, you lead the applause and return to the lectern.

Announce that you will be awarding trophies. Give the appropriate trophy and ribbon to the best speaker, best evaluator and best table topics speaker. Ask the Grammarian to come forward and award the Grammarian trophy. Advise the members that your duties as Toastmaster are complete and return control of the meeting to the Chair.