Toastmaster of the Day

The main duty of the Toastmaster is to act as the host and make introductions

Participants should be introduced in a way that encourages the audience to listen to them. The Toastmaster creates an atmosphere of interest, expectation, and receptivity. Usually this task will not be assigned to you until you are familiar with the Club and its procedures.

Before the Meeting

̇ Check with the Vice President Education to find out if a special theme has been set for the meeting and if there are any program changes.

̇ Call the Table Topics Master to discuss his or her duties. Provide the Table Topics Master with a list of program participants to ensure these people will not be called on for responses.

̇ Call all Speakers in advance to remind them that they are speaking. Ask for their speech title, manual project number, purpose to be achieved, time requested and something interesting which you can use when introducing them (job, family, hobbies, education, why this topic for this audience etc.).

̇ Call the General Evaluator to confirm the assignment.

̇ Prepare introductions for each Speaker. A proper introduction can add to the success of the Speaker’s presentation.

̇ Prepare remarks which can be used to bridge the gaps between program segments. You may never use them, but you should be prepared to avoid possibly awkward periods of silence.

̇ Remember that performing as Toastmaster is one of the most valuable experiences in your Club work.

The assignment requires careful preparation in order to have a smoothly-run meeting.

At the Meeting

̇ Arrive early in order to finish any last-minute details.

̇ Check with the speakers for any last-minute changes.

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.

̇ Study the Agenda carefully so that you do not miss any Timekeepers Reports or invitations to vote.

̇ Always lead the applause before and after each presenter.

̇ After your introduction of another presenter, remain standing near the lectern until you have shaken hands – signifying your hand over of control of the meeting – then be seated.

̇ When another presenter has finished, shake hands again to signify that control of the meeting is returning to you.

Introducing Speakers

Try these quick tips for delivering thoughtful speaker introductions:

• Don’t steal the show by making the introduction too long (60 seconds or less is sufficient), or by speaking on a topic that is in no way related to the speaker.

• Grab the audience’s attention with a great opening. This can be an inspiring quote, a humorous anecdote, or an impressive milestone the speaker has achieved.

• Briefly mention the topic the speaker is addressing, but don’t reveal too much about his or her speech.

• Establish the speaker’s authority and expertise. This information will help solidify with the audience the speaker’s credibility as a subject matter expert.

TOASTMASTER OF THE DAY SCRIPT

When introduced by the President, please state the following:

“Mr./Madam President, fellow Toastmasters, and guests. Thank you for that wonderful introduction.

“As Toastmaster of the Day, it is my responsibility to introduce today’s speakers. After the speeches have concluded, I will ask for the Timer’s report, introduce the General Evaluator, ask the Ah-Counter for their report, and ask the Grammarian for their report. I will then return control of the meeting to the President before we conclude today.

“Thank you, Mr./Madam President.”

Before the Meeting

YES NO Were all speakers contacted and all speech titles obtained?

Were members assigned meeting roles and made aware of their responsibilities?

YES NO

When Introduced

YES NO

YES NO Did you acknowledge the President’s introduction and recognize your audience? Were the Timer, Grammarian, and Ah-Counter introduced?

YES NO Were all speakers properly introduced?

During the Meeting

YES NO Did you ensure the Timer understood their duties?

Did you ensure the Grammarian understood their duties?

Did you ensure the Vote Counter understood their duties?

YES NO

YES NO

YES NO Did you ensure the Ah-Counter understood their duties?

YES NO Has the General Evaluator assigned Evaluators and obtained the names of all assigned meeting participants?

YES NO Have you acquired a Speaker Introduction Form from all prepared speakers?

After Speeches

YES NO Was the Timer introduced and did they give their report?

Was the General Evaluator introduced so they could conduct the evaluation session?

YES NO

YES NO Was the Ah-Counter introduced and did they give their report?

YES NO Was the Grammarian introduced and did they give their report?

Was the gavel and control of the meeting returned to the President?

YES NO

For a downloadable PDF of this checklist to use during the meeting, go to: http://www.toastmasters.org/~/media/E693A363A9344DBD93530BC9F9D7AA07.ashx