This document provides guidance for Area and Division Governors on conducting quality speech contests. It discusses the benefits of speech contests, the roles of Area and Division Governors, and elements of effective contest preparation and planning. Key recommendations include forming teams of experienced Toastmasters to organize contests, ensuring all judges are trained, gaining experience in roles at lower contest levels before taking on roles at higher levels, using planning guides, scripts and forms from District resources, and providing training and mentoring to contest organizers. The document emphasizes communicating clearly, following contest rules, and promoting contests to clubs.

1. AREA AND DIVISION GOVERNOR
TRAINING
Plan and Conduct
Quality Speech Contests
Jerry Barrett August 2, 2014

2. Session Agenda
Speech Contest Benefits
Role of Area and Division Governors
Speech contest preparation
A bit about Speech contest rules
2

3. Speech Contest Benefits
Contestants – Experience and Growth in a
Competitive Setting
Audience – Education and Entertainment
Clubs – Showcase for Membership Building
District Officers – Opportunity for Members to
participate beyond the Club
Organizers – Leadership Skill Development
Opportunity
Toastmasters – Public Relations Opportunity
3

4. Role of Area and Division Governors
Be knowledgeable about
 Contest Planning
 Contest Rules
 Contest Roles
Act as a resource for Club Contests, not
as a Contest Chair
Form teams of trained, experienced, and
well-coached Toastmasters to organize
and conduct Area and Division contests
4

5. Describe what is needed for a
HIGH QUALITY Speech Contest
Ideal Contest
5

6. Contest Quality Elements
Trained, coached, and experienced Staff
Well planned and promoted event
Abides by Official Rules
Contest Evaluation
6

7. District Direction
All Key Role Players Experienced
All Judges Trained
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Area and Division Governors provide
training and active mentoring when
above two quality elements are not met.

8. Role Player Experience
Serve in that role at
Club before Area
Area before Division
Division before District
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Direction: Key Role Players have
experience in that role at lower level
contests
Key Roles
Contest Chair
Chief Judge
Judge
Toastmaster

9. Judge Training
Direction: All Judges Trained
Sessions at District Sponsored Events
TI On-line videos
(http://www.toastmasters.org/Members/OfficerResources/eLearning/SpeechContestModule.aspx)
 Session 2: When You’re the Judge
 Session 3: The Judge’s Guide and Ballot
TI Training Presenter’s Guide (1190)
(http://www.toastmasters.org/1190)
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10. District Direction
All Key Role Players Experienced
All Judges Trained
10
Area and Division Governors provide
training and active mentoring when
above two quality elements are not met.

11. Contest Planning
Planning Guides
Scripts
Contest Forms
Agendas
Promoting Contests
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12. Contest Planning Guides
D55 Website – Calendar & Events –
Contests – Info for Contest Organizers –
Planning Documents (http://www.tmd55.org/planning-documents.html)
Excel, Word, PDF versions
 Task List
 Materials to Bring
 People / Roles
Project Management Aspects
 Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!
 Follow up, Follow up, Follow up! 12

13. Contest Scripts
D55 – Calendar & Events – Contests – Info
for Contest Organizers – Scripts
(http://www.tmd55.org/scripts.html)
Meeting Scripts
 Toastmaster
• One for each type of Contest
• Thoughtfully merge scripts for Multi-type and Multi-Area
contests
 Presiding Officer
Briefing Scripts
 Chief Judge
 Contest Chair
13
USE THE
SCRIPTS!

14. Contest Forms
Inform Your Clubs that Forms and rules
are free downloads from the TI website
D55 – Calendar & Events – Contests –
Info for Contest Organizers – Contest
Forms (http://www.tmd55.org/contest-forms.html)
Contest Chair is responsible for
organizing forms into folders and bringing
them to the contest.
 Team with Chief Judge on this task
14

15. Contest Forms – bring to contest
Judges Guide and Ballot
 “Regular” and Tie-Breaking
 Unique for each type of Contest
Time Record Sheet
Counter’s Tally Sheet
Notification of Contest Winner
Speaker’s Certification of Eligibility and Originality
Contestant Biographical Information
Certificate of Participation
Certificates for 1st
, 2nd
, and 3rd
place
Contest Winner Announcement Script
15

16. Contest Agendas – Area Contests
Do include (in addition to order of events):
Area Designation
Area Governor’s Name
Date/Time/Place
Types of Contests
TI Logo
Club Names
Contestant and
Role Player Names
Plug for Division Contest
and District Conference
16

17. Contest Agendas – Division Contests
Do include (in addition to order of events):
Division Designation
Division Governor’s Name
Date/Time/Place
Types of Contests
TI Logo
Contestant and
Role Player Names
Plug for District Conference
Area Governor Names
17

18. Contest Agendas – Don’t Includes
Do NOT include
Judges’ names
 Okay to list Chief Judge’s name
Education level of contestants
Club that contestant represents
Test Speaker name or speech title
18

19. Contest Promotion
Club visits
 Encourage members to become contestants
and contest officials.
 Encourage club to conduct contests.
• August for Fall, February for Spring
 Promote above-the-club contests.
Fliers
 Create one!
 Use it when communicating with your clubs!
District website
 Subset of flier information will be uploaded.
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20. Contest Flier
Include:
Attention-getter
Area(s) or Division Designations
Contact Name, Email/Phone
Date/Time/Place/Building/Room
Types of Contests
Map / Directions
Security information
Parking information
TI Logo
Club Names
20

21. Rules
Read the Rulebook – Rules
& Checklists
 Governors, Contest Chairs,
Chief Judges, Contestants
Downloadable from TI
website
(http://www.toastmasters.org/interactivespeechcontestrulebook)
When notifying Contestants
2 weeks ahead of the
Contest, offer to send them
the rulebook. 21

22. Rules - Eligibility
Confirming Contestant & Judge Eligibility
 speechcontests@toastmasters.org or
 Phone 949-858-8255, ask for Member
Services
22

23. Rules – How Many Judges?
Club
 5 Voting Judges (unless impractical) + Tie Breaking Judge
Area
 5 Voting Judges, or equal representation from clubs in the
Area + Tie Breaking Judge
Division
 7 Voting Judges, or equal representation from the Areas in
the Division + Tie Breaking Judge
Note: No more escape clause “unless impractical” for
Area and Division contests
District Guidelines to Increase Fairness
 Find judges outside the Club/Area/Division
 Two judges per contestant or the numbers above,
whichever is higher
23

24. Rules – Notification of Winners
p5, Selection Sequence, A2
“Should an area or division contest winner be
unable to participate in the next-level
contest, the highest placed available
contestant will advance to that level.”
Which means that the Chief Judge will rank-
order ALL qualified contestants on the
Notification of Winners form, not just the top
two.
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25. Contest Evaluation
Contest Evaluator assigned for every
Area and Division Contest event.
Short, lessons learned meeting held at the
conclusion of the contest event with the
Contest Chair, Chief Judge, Toastmaster,
and Contest Evaluator
Evaluation form used as a guide for the
meeting; will be sent to Contest Chair
before the event, or download it from the
Contest Forms page.
(http://www.tmd55.org/uploads/1/1/9/1/11914028/contestevaluationform_v03.pdf)
25

26. Call to Action
Read and adhere to the Official rules
Use Resources available on D55 and TI websites
Take the on-line Judge Training and/or attend
Training session(s)
Abide by District Direction on training and
experience when selecting key role players
Mentor/Coach/Assist Role Players and Contest
organizers
Promote contests!
Use the District Scripts!
Communicate and Follow-up
26

27. You will be sent a follow-up email with links
to this presentation, handouts, and other
documents. Some documents may be
attached to the email.
If you have any questions or comments,
contact Susan McClure –
D55ChiefJudge@tmd55.org
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28. 28
Handout – Next Two Slides

29. Conducting Quality Speech Contests
CALL TO ACTION
Read and adhere to the Official rules
Use Resources available on D55 and TI websites
Take the on-line Judge Training and/or attend
Training session(s)
Move toward District Direction on training and
experience when selecting key role players
Mentor/Coach/Assist Role Players and Contest
organizers
Promote contests!
Use the District Scripts!
Communicate and Follow-up
29
Jerry Barrett July 14, 2012

30. Conducting Quality Speech Contests
RESOURCES
District 55 Website
 tmd55.org – Calendar & Events – Contests – Info
for Contest Organizers
Toastmasters International Website
 Search on “Digital Content Speech Contests”
 Search on “Judge Training”
District Chief Judge – Susan McClure
 (D55ChiefJudge@tmd55.org)
District Contest Chair – Lisa Park
 (D55ContestChair@tmd55.org)
30
Jerry Barrett July 14, 2014

31. 31

32. Types and Frequency of Speech Contests
Five Types
 International Speech
• Mandatory in the Spring
• Only contest to go above District level
 Evaluation
 Humorous Speech
 Table Topics™
 Tall Tales
District can hold up to four contests per
year
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33. What are the elements of a
SPEECH CONTEST?
Speech Contest Elements
33

34. Speech Contest Elements
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Speeches/Speakers
Judging/Judges
Contest Control/Chief Judge
Timing/Timers
Ballots/Ballot Counting
Toastmaster/Emcee
Awards/Presentation/Awards Maker
Contestant Interviews
Certificates of Participation
Thank-you’s for Contest Officials
Room/Place
Time/Duration
Programs/Agenda
Room Control/Sergeants-at-Arms
Meeting Control/Presiding Officer
Refreshments/Refreshments Owner
Lots of Applause
Contest Team Lead/Project
Management
Contest Notification/Promotion/Flier
Dignitaries
Audience!!

35. Rules - Other Role Players
Ballot Counters – three
Time Keepers – two
 One runs the watch and fills out the form
 The other operates the timing signals
• Be sure signals are visible to the contestants
 Good idea: have two watches
Sergeant-at-Arms – number not provided
 Implied: one for Evaluation contest and one for
Table Topics contest
 Suggestion: One for every unlocked door
There is nothing wrong with having more
than the number listed in the rules.
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