A Toastmaster Wears Many Hats
ROLES OF A MEMBER
D
URING YOUR T OASTMASTERS EXPERIENCE,
you will have an opportunity to serve in many capacities. By participating in all functions, you will receive well-rounded experience in communication and leadership.
When you are the
SPEAKER
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.
A
DURING THE MEETING
Give your full attention to the 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, 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.
PRIOR TO THE MEETING
Check the meeting schedule to find out when you are to speak. In order to get the most benefits from the program, prepare a speech based on a manual project. Present the speeches in numerical order because each project builds on the skills learned in previous projects. Before your meeting ask the general evaluator for your evaluator’s name. 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...