The spring contest season is on the horizon ....
And before we all get too busy with holiday shopping and parties, it might be a good idea to put our Area and Division Contests on the schedule for 2007. This will also help the clubs in your area plan their club contests.
The deadlines are:
Club contests by March 17th, 2007
Area contests by April 7th, 2007
Division contest by April 28th, 2007
District Contest ON May 19th, 2007 at the Sheraton Hotel in E.Hartford, CT.
I can probably get a location for the Division A contest in the Danbury, CT area, but if there is someone who would like to host it somewhere on the NY state side of Div.A (and have the "home court advantage"), I would be happy to work with them to make it happen. We just need to get it on the schedule SOON.
Please let Dave Wheeler, Division A Governor, know when you have a date for your contests and he will post it on our Division blog at www.areaA4.blogspot.com.
Best wishes for a great holiday season !
Dave Wheeler
Division A Governor, 2006-7
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Div Govs Offer The Leadership Exchange
Leadership Exchange and Officer Training - Winter Dec 06 , Jan/Feb 07
Division Governors Offer The Leadership Exchange
by LGET Will Ryan, DTM
Here comes winter training.
Between December 1, 2006 and February 28, 2007, the Division Governors will be hosting biannual training and development sessions for club officers. This year we have a new name for winter training - The Leadership Exchange - inspired by a suggestion from Jim Parsons, Area F1 Governor. Thanks, Jim.
Webster's online dictionary lists these definitions. (My interpretations relative to The Leadership Exchange follow the definitions):
Exchange = Reciprocal giving and receiving.
We will share winning leadership strategies and in so doing, all attendees will give and receive. Something offered, given, or received in an exchange. Leadership Exchanges will work well when club officers attend with a give attitude and come to the event prepared to share their experiences in club leadership. A place where things or services are exchanged.
Our winter gatherings will surely be places to exchange ideas that work. In the same time frame, Area Governors will be conducting make-up Exchanges for those club officers who are unable to attend the Division sessions.
Each year Toastmasters club officers gather twice for training and development. During the summer, we assemble an expert faculty to offer many courses designed for all club offices. We call this annual gathering the Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI). The breadth and depth of subjects is impressive, and feedback indicates that we're on target, offering courses that club officers need and want.
The Distinguished Club Program (DCP) identifies ten goals that 80 years of experience indicate, when achieved, result in very strong clubs. Goal #9 says, "A minimum of four club officers trained during each of two training periods." If your club was not able to have four officers trained during the summer, your club is ineligible for a DCP point for training. But remember, it's the learning that really counts, and statistics show that well-developed club officers lead strong clubs. So attend your Division's Leadership Exchange, and be prepared to give and receive by sharing your experiences with fellow club officers.
If you're a club officer or a club leader, put your Division's Leadership Exchange on your calendar and BE THERE!
Editor's note: You may want to "exchange" your questions and your ideas on Officer Training, The Leadership Exchange, or any Toastmasters educational programming with your Lt. Governor Education & Training, Email Will Ryan, DTM . Don't be shy.
The dates for the two Division A Leadership Exchange events are:
Jan.24th, 2007 at 7:30pm
Hosted by Socially Speaking Toastmasters, Brookfield, CT
at Brookfield Congregational Church (basement, door in back)
160 Whisconier Road, Intersection of Routes 25 & 133, Brookfield, CT, 06804,
Jan.27th, 2007 at 9:30am
Hosted by Marist Toastmasters, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY
3399 North Rd, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601 (building and room TBD)
Contact your area governor for more information or questions.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Feb.& March Membership Drive (and an added bonus)
District 53 is putting their money where their mouth is ... and for an organization that is based on communications that is pretty important !
As part of the "Talk Up Toastmasters" membership drive that Toastmasters International runs in Feb/March, District 53 will award any club that adds 5 or more new members a credit for $10 toward Toastmasters materials !
If a club meets this target in Feb/Mar and achieves Distinguished status by April 30th, the total credit would be $60 ! (Which would go a long way toward a full sized banner for your club or other valuable Toastmaster materials.)
Do you think you can do it?
Of course you can!
Now is the time to put your marketing and public relation ideas in motion so that they can bear fruit by the Feb/Mar timeframe. For example, some clubs are running SpeechCraft workshops to draw in new members while others are reaching out to their local newspapers or TV stations to get their meeting times announced. And, of course, if you don't already have a club website, be sure to create one! (FreeToastHost.com is a great resource!)
If you have any questions on this program or need more ideas to boost membership, feel free to contact your Area Governor or myself at the email address below:
Dave Wheeler
Division A Governor, 2006-7
Email: theshot92@gmail.com
P.S. Did you know that Division A was tied (with Div.D) for the most clubs receiving Smedley Awards in all of District 53? The Smedley Award is given by TI for adding 5 or more new members in the August / September timeframe and it was achieved by IBM East Fishkill Speakers Club, BI and Cartus Magnus. Can we do it again in Feb/Mar? Can we do better than Division D? (I bet we can!)
As part of the "Talk Up Toastmasters" membership drive that Toastmasters International runs in Feb/March, District 53 will award any club that adds 5 or more new members a credit for $10 toward Toastmasters materials !
If a club meets this target in Feb/Mar and achieves Distinguished status by April 30th, the total credit would be $60 ! (Which would go a long way toward a full sized banner for your club or other valuable Toastmaster materials.)
Do you think you can do it?
Of course you can!
Now is the time to put your marketing and public relation ideas in motion so that they can bear fruit by the Feb/Mar timeframe. For example, some clubs are running SpeechCraft workshops to draw in new members while others are reaching out to their local newspapers or TV stations to get their meeting times announced. And, of course, if you don't already have a club website, be sure to create one! (FreeToastHost.com is a great resource!)
If you have any questions on this program or need more ideas to boost membership, feel free to contact your Area Governor or myself at the email address below:
Dave Wheeler
Division A Governor, 2006-7
Email: theshot92@gmail.com
P.S. Did you know that Division A was tied (with Div.D) for the most clubs receiving Smedley Awards in all of District 53? The Smedley Award is given by TI for adding 5 or more new members in the August / September timeframe and it was achieved by IBM East Fishkill Speakers Club, BI and Cartus Magnus. Can we do it again in Feb/Mar? Can we do better than Division D? (I bet we can!)
Monday, November 06, 2006
Fall Conference 2006 - Humorous Contest
Division A was represented by Bruce Goulart in the Humorous Speech Contest and he did a GREAT job !
Pictures below show Bruce during the contestant interview session. (There was no flash photography permitted during the speeches so we could not take a picture of his speech.)
After the contest, Bruce went home, got a few hours sleep and then ran the New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 5th. His time was 4 hours, 45 minutes for the 26.2 mile race.
Wow! Congratulations Bruce ! I'm sure you now have material for the next speech contest !
Pictures below show Bruce during the contestant interview session. (There was no flash photography permitted during the speeches so we could not take a picture of his speech.)
After the contest, Bruce went home, got a few hours sleep and then ran the New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 5th. His time was 4 hours, 45 minutes for the 26.2 mile race.
Wow! Congratulations Bruce ! I'm sure you now have material for the next speech contest !
Fall Conference 2006 - Pat H. places 3rd in Eval Contest
Division A was well represented at the Fall Conference held on Saturday, November 4th, in Albany, NY.
In the Evaluation Contest, Pat Hendrickson placed third. (See photos below of the contestant interview and Pat accepting her award).
Congratulations to Pat for a job well done !
In the Evaluation Contest, Pat Hendrickson placed third. (See photos below of the contestant interview and Pat accepting her award).
Congratulations to Pat for a job well done !
The Power of Enthusiasm ...
Seth Godin's blog post about enthusiasm (click here to read it) got me thinking about how much our attitude impacts our experience of Toastmasters.
For example, the Fall 2006 Conference last weekend was attended by a LOAD of enthusiastic Toastmasters and it was an incredible experience! (More on that in later posts). If you missed it, the next district conference will be held in May 2007!
What are you enthusiastic about? How can you bring more enthusiasm to your Toastmasters club? If you do, you will find that more things get done, they get done quicker and more easily and everyone has more FUN !
If you have some great examples of enthusiasm (or the opposite of enthusiasm) and the consequences / results of same, please email them to us at theshot92@gmail.com !
Speak UP !
Dave Wheeler
Division A Governor, 2006-7
For example, the Fall 2006 Conference last weekend was attended by a LOAD of enthusiastic Toastmasters and it was an incredible experience! (More on that in later posts). If you missed it, the next district conference will be held in May 2007!
What are you enthusiastic about? How can you bring more enthusiasm to your Toastmasters club? If you do, you will find that more things get done, they get done quicker and more easily and everyone has more FUN !
If you have some great examples of enthusiasm (or the opposite of enthusiasm) and the consequences / results of same, please email them to us at theshot92@gmail.com !
Speak UP !
Dave Wheeler
Division A Governor, 2006-7
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Are you still "In the pool"?
I read a great blog post today that...
1) Highly recommended Toastmasters (which got it off to a good start) and
2) Presented a bit of wisdom that all Toastmasters could use. (After you read the post, the title of the entry will make more sense.)
Let me know what you think !
Click here to read the post at Scott Ginsberg blog, "HELLO, My Name is...".
Post by Dave Wheeler, Division A Governor, 2006-7
1) Highly recommended Toastmasters (which got it off to a good start) and
2) Presented a bit of wisdom that all Toastmasters could use. (After you read the post, the title of the entry will make more sense.)
Let me know what you think !
Click here to read the post at Scott Ginsberg blog, "HELLO, My Name is...".
Post by Dave Wheeler, Division A Governor, 2006-7
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Press Coverage for Marist Toastmasters
David Gavin, Area A5 Governor, forwarded a copy of the following article about Marist Toastmasters that appeared in the Marist College newspaper.
click here to read it !
Note: Marist is already an official Toastmasters club, but they are working on becoming an official school club since that provides additional benefits and could attract more potential members.
Congratulations to David and Marist Toastmasters for getting this PR for their club!
click here to read it !
Note: Marist is already an official Toastmasters club, but they are working on becoming an official school club since that provides additional benefits and could attract more potential members.
Congratulations to David and Marist Toastmasters for getting this PR for their club!
Monday, October 23, 2006
Videos and other links...
WestConn Toastmaster's VP-Education, Croix Sather, forwarded the following links that you might like ....
http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ Click a speakers profile and get an example of a presentation
http://andydooley.com/Comedy/videos.html
(this looks like a contest speech!)
http://www.fivestarspeakers.com/ Click a speakers profile and get an example of a presentation
http://andydooley.com/Comedy/videos.html
(this looks like a contest speech!)
Ideas for beginning your speech ...
The beginning of your speech is CRITICAL to its success. Either your audience "gets on your bus" or they don't. You have to interrupt their internal dialogue about all the other things going on in their life and get them to engage with you and your speech. Otherwise, they will be planning their shopping list or what to have for lunch and missing at least half of your speech (if not more).
Kathy Sierra posted a great article on her blog that really hits it on the head ...
Check it out by clicking here !
What did you find that you are going to use in your next speech? Is there something that you could even apply to a CONTEST speech? The contest that are coming up in the Spring are the Tall Tales and International Speech contests and they both would benefit from a strong opening!
Enjoy !
Dave Wheeler
Division A Governor, 2006-7
Kathy Sierra posted a great article on her blog that really hits it on the head ...
Check it out by clicking here !
What did you find that you are going to use in your next speech? Is there something that you could even apply to a CONTEST speech? The contest that are coming up in the Spring are the Tall Tales and International Speech contests and they both would benefit from a strong opening!
Enjoy !
Dave Wheeler
Division A Governor, 2006-7
Friday, October 20, 2006
Fall Conference Update ....
Treat yourself to a celebration and conference on communications and leadership. Pay heed to Stephen Covey's 7th habit of highly effective people, namely Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal." Register for the 50th Anniversary Celebration and the District 53 Fall Conference. Do it Today and save!
What: 50th Anniversary Celebration
When: Friday, November 3, 2006
Join the 50th Anniversary Celebration - District 53's Fiftieth Birthday Bash!
There will be 50's music played throughout the evening, door prizes, continuous video displays of club memorabilia from years gone by, many surprises, and dancing to the hits of the 50's, 60's, and beyond.
Questions? Contact Frank Kane, 50th Anniversary Chair,
Phone: (860) 228-3261
Email: frankk53@sbcglobal.net
http://www.district53toastmasters.org/anniversary.html
http://www.district53toastmasters.org/50thAnniversaryRegistration.pdf
What: District 53 Fall 2006 Conference
When: Saturday, November 4, 2006
* Enhance your Communication or Leadership skills with a choice of 9 outstanding Educational Seminars
* Evaluation Speech Contest (10:00 AM)
* Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon
* District 53 Council Meeting
* Humorous Speech Contest and Dinner Banquet
Where: Holiday Inn Albany-Turf on Wolf Rd, Albany, NY
Stay Overnight: Call the Holiday Inn Turf before October 12 at (518) 458-7250 and mention "Toastmasters International Block" to get a special discounted room rate of only $99.00!
Visit Holiday Inn online at www.hialbanyturf.com/contact.asp
http://www.district53toastmasters.org/conferences.html
http://www.district53toastmasters.org/eduSessionsFall06.html
http://www.district53toastmasters.org/Fall06ConfRegistration.pdf
Conference Co-chairs:
Email: fall53conference@district53toastmasters.org
Jabbar Fagan Phone: (518) 447-8267 (w)
Sandra Buxton Phone: (518) 746-2560 (w)
Registration Chair:
Sarah Gebbie-Measeck
Phone: (518) 747-7390 (h)
Email: sarahgebbie@yahoo.com
Education Program Chair:
Jeff Sobel
Phone: (518) 355-3731 (h) (518) 356-7598 (w)
Email: fall53program@district53toastmasters.org
****** information provided by Rich Couture, DTM ************************
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Division A Fall Contest results !
The Division A Evaluation and Humorous Speech Contests were held on October 11th at 7:30pm, hosted bythe WestConn Toastmasters at the Wooster School Library in Danbury, CT.
Humorous Speech Contest Results
1st place - Bruce Goulart, WestConn Toastmasters, Club #599
2nd place - Carole Hurst, Orange County Toastmasters, Club #9315
Evaluation Speech Contest Results
1st place - Patricia "Pat" Hendrickson, Catskill, Club #9542
2nd place - Geoff Crew, IBM Poughkeepsie Speechmakers, Club #315
3rd place - Cynthia Slater, Diversity USA Toastmasters, Club #3401
pictures will be posted soon.
Humorous Speech Contest Results
1st place - Bruce Goulart, WestConn Toastmasters, Club #599
2nd place - Carole Hurst, Orange County Toastmasters, Club #9315
Evaluation Speech Contest Results
1st place - Patricia "Pat" Hendrickson, Catskill, Club #9542
2nd place - Geoff Crew, IBM Poughkeepsie Speechmakers, Club #315
3rd place - Cynthia Slater, Diversity USA Toastmasters, Club #3401
pictures will be posted soon.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Pictures from Area A1 / A5 Contest !
Area A1 Governor (and ContestMaster), Colleen Yarter with Area A1 Evaluation Winner, Geoff Crew.
ContestMaster Colleen Yarter with Area A5 First Runner-up, Toni Bass, Arlington Rotary Toast (5614), Evaluation Winner, Susan Doyle, Arlington Rotary Toast (5614) and Area A5 Area Governor, David Gavin.
This happy (and very humorous) group includes....
Area A1 Humorous Contest Runner-up, John "Gasbag" Paulus, IBM East Fishkill Speechmakers ( 9977), Area A1 Governor /ContestMaster Colleen Yarter, and "Cursed" Alison Easton, Richard "Changes" Bessner, Area A1 Humorous Contest Winner Adam "Stag Warrior" Izzo, Voices of the Valley ( 4396).
Area A1 / A5 Fall Contest winners !
The winners from Area A5 are:
Area A5 Evaluation :
1st ~ Susan Doyle, Arlington Rotary Toast (5614)
2nd ~ Toni Bass, Arlington Rotary Toast (5614)
The winners from Area A1 are:
Area A1 Evaluation :
1st ~ Geoff Crew, IBM Poughkeepsie Speechmakers ( 0315)
2nd ~ Adam Izzo, Voices of the Valley ( 4396)
Area A1 Humorous
1st ~ Adam Izzo, Voices of the Valley ( 4396)
2nd ~ John Paulus, IBM East Fishkill Speechmakers ( 9977)
Area A5 Evaluation :
1st ~ Susan Doyle, Arlington Rotary Toast (5614)
2nd ~ Toni Bass, Arlington Rotary Toast (5614)
The winners from Area A1 are:
Area A1 Evaluation :
1st ~ Geoff Crew, IBM Poughkeepsie Speechmakers ( 0315)
2nd ~ Adam Izzo, Voices of the Valley ( 4396)
Area A1 Humorous
1st ~ Adam Izzo, Voices of the Valley ( 4396)
2nd ~ John Paulus, IBM East Fishkill Speechmakers ( 9977)
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Area A2 / A4 Fall Contest Results
Here are the results from the Area A2 / A4 Fall Contest ....
Bruce Goulart, Humorous Winner, Area A4, club 599
Croix Sather, Evaluation Winner, Area A4, club 599
Cynthia Slater, Humorous Winner, Area A2, club 3401
Cynthia Slater, Evaluation Winner, Area A2, club 3401
Bruce Goulart, Humorous Winner, Area A4, club 599
Croix Sather, Evaluation Winner, Area A4, club 599
Cynthia Slater, Humorous Winner, Area A2, club 3401
Cynthia Slater, Evaluation Winner, Area A2, club 3401
Reminder: District 53's 50th Anniversary...Reserve your Room & Register
From: Roger Brown
Date: Oct 4, 2006 10:16 AM
Subject: Reminder: Reserve your Room & Register
Date: Oct 4, 2006 10:16 AM
Subject: Reminder: Reserve your Room & Register
Celebrate District 53's 50th Anniversary Year
WHEN: Friday, November 3, 2006 from 6:30 PM – 11:00 PM
(The night before the Fall Conference)
WHERE: Holiday Inn
Albany-Turf on Wolf Rd (ARPT)
205 Wolf Road, ALBANY NY 12205
COST: $39.00 per person for evening program and dinner.
There is a choice of 3 Dinner Entrées:
__ Pan Fried Chicken Breast, __ Prime Rib of Beef, or __ Eggplant Parmesan. In addition to the entrée, the dinner includes appetizer, salad, dessert, and coffee/tea.
Stay Overnight: Enjoy the Fall D53 Conference the next day, Saturday, November 4, 2006.
Reserve your room today, call the Holiday Inn Turf before October 12th at (518) 458-7250
and mention "Toastmasters International Block" to get a special discounted room rate of only $99.00!
Hotel parking is free for all attendees. Visit the Holiday Inn Turf online at http://www.hialbanyturf.com/
"IT'S NIFTY TO BE 50"
There will be 50's music presented throughout the evening, door prizes, continuous video displays of club memorabilia from years gone by, many surprises, and dancing to the hits
of the 50's, 60's, and beyond. Music provided by our own District 53 DJ's. Please bring your club banner for display.
Questions? Comments? Contact:
Frank Kane, 50th Anniversary Chair
Phone: (860) 228-3261
Email: frankk53@sbcglobal.net
Area A3 Contest Results !
Area A3 held their Fall Contests on Monday night, Oct. 2nd at the Gardnertown United Methodist Church in Newburgh, NY and everyone in attendence agreed ... it was alot of FUN !John Capen gave the target speech for the Evaluation Contest entitled "Humor for Health" and the contest was won by Patricia "Pat" Hendrickson (see picture to the right)
The Humorous Speech Contest was won by Carole Hurst who advances, along with Pat, to the Division A Contest on Wed. Oct. 11th at Wooster School Library at 7:00pm. A picture of Carole is shown below.
The Division Contest is hosted by West Conn Toastmasters (www.westconntoastmasters.org) and contestants should arrive at 7pm. Directions are available on the WestConn Toastmaster's web site (see link above).
Hope to see you there !
Monday, September 18, 2006
Neat Idea from the Saratoga (NY) area
At the recent District 53 Executive Committee meeting, the group of Area Governors from the Saratoga, NY area showed us their "chart" for tracking members progress towards their goals. They created a racetrack and each member had a "horse" with milestones on the way to the "finish line". For example, one "racetrack" was the Competent Communicator award with 10 speeches on the way to the finish.
A neat idea !
See below for a close-up of the banner ...
Area A3 Speech Contest set...
Area A3 has scheduled their Fall contests (Humorous and Evaluation).
It will be held Monday October 2, 2006 at 7:30pm.
It will be held Monday October 2, 2006 at 7:30pm.
The location is at the United Methodist Church in Gardnertown, NY and will be hosted by Orange County Toastmasters.
Gardnertown United Method Church
1191 Union Avenue
Newburgh, NY 12550-1633
Phone: (845) 564-4134
Contact Dave Wheeler, John Capen or Carole Hurst for more information.
Dave Wheeler can be reached via email at theshot92@gmail.com
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Running A Toastmasters Speech Contest
Running a Toastmasters Contest for the first time can be a bit intimidating ...
There seem to be tons of rules; many, many roles (some of which you might not be familar doing and much less managing or leading others in those roles).
On top of all that there are excited (and probably tense)contestants and loads of audience members who you might not know ... especially if you are running an Area or Division contest.
What do you do??? Where do you start???
If it is Summertime and you are preparing for the Fall Contests, you can attend training at TLI. There is always at least one session on running a contest and you will pick up some great information as well as a good handle on the paperwork and protocols.
Of course, if you are like me, you've put it off and the contest is next week and you have to pull things together NOW !!!!!
So, let's dig in ...
Running a Toastmasters contest is really very simple. You only need 3 things for a successful contest.
... except for the fact that I have no idea what any of those things mean !
:() <-- That's the symbol for "OH NO!!!"
District 53 to the rescue !
The linked text below gives you the handout developed by Dave Wheeler for training Area Governors in District 53. There are links to different formats depending on how you want to print it out.
Contest Survival Guide
(11 x 17 two sided format ... good for folding and holding all your forms).
Contest Survival Guide
(8.5 x 11 single sided format ... good if your printer does not do two sided.)
Contest Survival Guide ... tall version of "People" page
(if you have ALOT of people in your contest or your contest is a combination of multiple clubs or areas.
Now, from this point on, I will assume you have the Survival Guide in front of you ...
First, the "People" roles that are most critical...
Contest Master and Chief Judge.
These two people are the team that will make a successful contest meeting. It also allows the division of labor so that neither person has to do everything. If you are running a contest, most likely you are filling at least one of these two roles.
Next, recruit the key role players including Judges, Timers, Counters and Sergeant at Arms. You can use Judges for both contests and you should be sure to pick a mix of people from different clubs or areas so that there is no chance for biased voting. Shelly Hathaway, District 53 Chief Judge, has put together a table of "Requirements for Contest Roles" and you can download them by clicking here.
If you are having an Evaluation Contest, it is important to recruit your "Target Speaker". This speech should be a reasonable length (5-7 min. is good) and can be from a manual (although you won't tell the audience or the contestants that it is from a manual). This is a great opportunity for a speaker to get a number of evaluations of their speech and it can be a great experience for the Target Speaker.
Now, before we get to the Contestants... let's get our forms !
All of the forms listed in the Survival Guide can be ordered from Toastmasters. Most of the forms are not allowed to be posted on web sites due to copyright laws, but if you search long enough you will probably find them (or some old, out-of-date versions). The best bet is to purchase a set of the listed forms from TI's online store.
Now that you have all your forms... you need to start getting the room and contestants ready!
Contestants can start by filling out the Biographical Information (BI) and Eligibility and Originality (E/O) forms if they have not done it already. The Survival Guide has check boxes to make sure you get the forms from all the Contestants.
The Chief Judge should review the Technician and Judge Briefing Guide that was provided by District 53's Chief Judge, Shelly Hathaway. (Click here to download it in PDF format.) This covers the "Judges Briefing" portion of the agenda shown on the Survival Guide.
Next, the Contest Master should review the Contestant Briefings Guide ... also provided by District 53's Chief Judge, Shelly Hathaway. Click here to download it in PDF format. The Contest Master should also review the Fall 2006 Contest Script provided by Shelly Hathaway. Click here. There are also some additional "Good Ideas" on the back page of the Survival Guide that you should review before you get started with the pre-meeting activities in the AGENDA.
Now, all that is left is to run the meeting according to the agenda provided in the Survival Guide with the guidance provided by the Briefing Guides and the Contest Script.
If you have learned the material presented here, it should be very staightforward to use your Toastmaster skills to run the Contest as you would a Toastmasters meeting.
Good luck and enjoy the process !
Contributed by Dave Wheeler, Division A Governor, 2006-7 (Survival Guide) and Shelly Hathaway, District 53 Chief Judge, 2006-7
Most of the linked documents in this document are in PDF format and, if needed, free viewer / reader software can be downloaded at www.adobe.com
There seem to be tons of rules; many, many roles (some of which you might not be familar doing and much less managing or leading others in those roles).
On top of all that there are excited (and probably tense)contestants and loads of audience members who you might not know ... especially if you are running an Area or Division contest.
What do you do??? Where do you start???
If it is Summertime and you are preparing for the Fall Contests, you can attend training at TLI. There is always at least one session on running a contest and you will pick up some great information as well as a good handle on the paperwork and protocols.
Of course, if you are like me, you've put it off and the contest is next week and you have to pull things together NOW !!!!!
So, let's dig in ...
Running a Toastmasters contest is really very simple. You only need 3 things for a successful contest.
- PEOPLE,
- FORMS, and the
- AGENDA !
... except for the fact that I have no idea what any of those things mean !
:() <-- That's the symbol for "OH NO!!!"
District 53 to the rescue !
The linked text below gives you the handout developed by Dave Wheeler for training Area Governors in District 53. There are links to different formats depending on how you want to print it out.
Contest Survival Guide
(11 x 17 two sided format ... good for folding and holding all your forms).
Contest Survival Guide
(8.5 x 11 single sided format ... good if your printer does not do two sided.)
Contest Survival Guide ... tall version of "People" page
(if you have ALOT of people in your contest or your contest is a combination of multiple clubs or areas.
Now, from this point on, I will assume you have the Survival Guide in front of you ...
First, the "People" roles that are most critical...
Contest Master and Chief Judge.
These two people are the team that will make a successful contest meeting. It also allows the division of labor so that neither person has to do everything. If you are running a contest, most likely you are filling at least one of these two roles.
Next, recruit the key role players including Judges, Timers, Counters and Sergeant at Arms. You can use Judges for both contests and you should be sure to pick a mix of people from different clubs or areas so that there is no chance for biased voting. Shelly Hathaway, District 53 Chief Judge, has put together a table of "Requirements for Contest Roles" and you can download them by clicking here.
If you are having an Evaluation Contest, it is important to recruit your "Target Speaker". This speech should be a reasonable length (5-7 min. is good) and can be from a manual (although you won't tell the audience or the contestants that it is from a manual). This is a great opportunity for a speaker to get a number of evaluations of their speech and it can be a great experience for the Target Speaker.
Now, before we get to the Contestants... let's get our forms !
All of the forms listed in the Survival Guide can be ordered from Toastmasters. Most of the forms are not allowed to be posted on web sites due to copyright laws, but if you search long enough you will probably find them (or some old, out-of-date versions). The best bet is to purchase a set of the listed forms from TI's online store.
Now that you have all your forms... you need to start getting the room and contestants ready!
Contestants can start by filling out the Biographical Information (BI) and Eligibility and Originality (E/O) forms if they have not done it already. The Survival Guide has check boxes to make sure you get the forms from all the Contestants.
The Chief Judge should review the Technician and Judge Briefing Guide that was provided by District 53's Chief Judge, Shelly Hathaway. (Click here to download it in PDF format.) This covers the "Judges Briefing" portion of the agenda shown on the Survival Guide.
Next, the Contest Master should review the Contestant Briefings Guide ... also provided by District 53's Chief Judge, Shelly Hathaway. Click here to download it in PDF format. The Contest Master should also review the Fall 2006 Contest Script provided by Shelly Hathaway. Click here. There are also some additional "Good Ideas" on the back page of the Survival Guide that you should review before you get started with the pre-meeting activities in the AGENDA.
Now, all that is left is to run the meeting according to the agenda provided in the Survival Guide with the guidance provided by the Briefing Guides and the Contest Script.
If you have learned the material presented here, it should be very staightforward to use your Toastmaster skills to run the Contest as you would a Toastmasters meeting.
Good luck and enjoy the process !
Contributed by Dave Wheeler, Division A Governor, 2006-7 (Survival Guide) and Shelly Hathaway, District 53 Chief Judge, 2006-7
Most of the linked documents in this document are in PDF format and, if needed, free viewer / reader software can be downloaded at www.adobe.com
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