When You Are the Toastmaster

 

The job of Toastmaster begins a few days before the meeting.  Each speaker should be called for background information: name and number of speech and the manual it comes from, objectives of the speech (what the speaker is trying to accomplish), timing of the speech, and its creative title.  You might want to remind the speakers that a title is much like an attention-getter; it piques the audience's interest and immediately draws them in.

 

The information is then used at the meeting as an introduction as you call each speaker up to the lectern.

 

Example:

   "Ima Talker is working on speech # 4 in the Communication and Leadership Manual, Show What You Mean."

    Her objectives are to learn the value of incorporating gestures and body movement into a speech and to develop a sense of timing.

    This is a 5 to 7 minute speech entitled

           'People Who Live in Tin Houses Shouldn't Throw Can Openers.'

    Please welcome Ima Talker."

 

As Toastmaster, you are the host, and we are counting on you to conduct the meeting in a timely and interesting manner.