Planning

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Planning Judging Contests
shelly.l.hathaway_at_pfizer.com 860.715.6442
(work) 860.235.9284 (cell)

• Shelly Hathaway, ATM-G/CL
• District Chief Judge
• August 5, 2006

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Course Objectives

• At the conclusion of this course, you will
• Be able to construct a task plan and program for
  a Club or Area speech contest
• Understand the protocol, duties and
  responsibilities of the various participants
  (e.g., speakers, judges, counters, timers) in a
  speech contest
• Understand the responsibilities of the host club

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Why Do Contests?

• To provide an opportunity for proficient speakers
  and those Toastmasters who are interested in
  competitive speaking to gain contest experience.
• To provide an interesting educational program for
  Toastmasters and the general public. This program
  can create a community awareness of the
  opportunities in the Toastmasters program.
• To provide an opportunity to those Toastmasters
  who are not participating in the contest to learn
  by observing proficient speakers.

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Why Do Contests?

• To provide participants with the opportunity to
  create an original, highly improbable, humorous
  tale (Tall Tales)
• To encourage development of evaluation skills and
  to recognize the best as encouragement to all
  (Evaluation)
• To recognize the value of humor in speaking
  (Humorous)
• To encourage development of impromptu and/or
  extemporaneous speaking skills (Table Topics)
• To provide an opportunity for speakers to improve
  their speaking abilities and to recognize the
  best as an encouragement to all

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OPPORTUNITY!

• Improve
• Grow
• S T R E T C H

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Pre-Planning

• Program and Protocol
• Awards, Trophies, Certificates
• Facilities
• Lectern or Platform
• Microphone
• Lights and Cameras
• Props and Visual Aids
• Publicity

Please refer to Contest Plan spreadsheet for
chronological steps and documents or items needed
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Contest Roles

• Contest Chairperson / Committee
• MC / Toastmaster
• Contest Chief Judge
• Counters Timers
• Judges Tie-Breaking
  Judge
• Speakers
• Host Club

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Contest Chairperson
(and/or Contest Committee)

• Plan carefully and conduct professionally
• May want to form contest committee but is
  ultimately responsible for all duties
• Determine budget for event and make sure any
  bills for event are promptly paid
• Arrange time/location of contest, handle
  logistics and provide refreshments
• Identify Chief Judge
• Promote contest to community and identify
  contestants
• Prepare contest program and script

(continued)
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Contest Chairperson
(and/or Contest Committee)

• Have contestants fill out forms prior to contest
  send forms and information to contestants
• Recommended that Speech Contest Rules,
  Biographical Information and SCEO (Speakers
  Certification of Eligibility Originality) forms
  be sent to each contestant 2-6 weeks prior to
  contest
• Also, send reminder of time and place of contest
  and pre-contest briefing
• Ensure all forms and items are present at contest
  (e.g., technician forms, timer supplies, trophies
  and certificates)
• Forward appropriate forms for winners and
  alternates to Contest Chairperson (or other
  designated party) for next contest level

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MC / Toastmaster

• Brief contestants on contest rules (see Speech
  Contest Rulebook, TM Doc No. 1171) and draw for
  speaking order
• Acquaint contestants with the exact speaking area
  coordinate speaker props/special needs/timing
• Preside over contest follow script
• Make sure to obtain speech titles beforehand
• Announce each speaker and title of speech twice
  slowly do not mention anything else prior to
  speech
• Make no comments following speech except that
  there will be one minute of silence for judges

(continued)
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MC / Toastmaster

• Interview contestants after both contests (use
  Biographical Information, TM Form No. 1189 as a
  guide)
• Fill out Certificate of Participation (TM Form
  No. 504A) in advance and present to contestant
  after interview
• Announce winners (or this could be done by Chief
  Judge)

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Chief Judge

• Contest rules know these well! (Refer to
  Speech Contest Rulebook, TM Doc No. 1171
  and Speech Contest Manual, TM Doc No. 1173)
• Select Counters, Timers and Judges, including
  Tie-Breaking Judge
• Verify speaker eligibility and originality
• Ensure SCEO (TM Form No. 1183) is present
• Call World Headquarters for assistance on
  eligibility
• Brief all technicians and judges on roles prior
  to the contest include disqualifying remarks
• Instruct judges to sit close to the contest area
  and not to take timing into account

(continued)
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Chief Judge

• Explain rules to audience at start of contest
• Chief Judge does not vote unless appointed as
  voting judge
• As Chief Counter, oversee counting process
• Collect Time Record Sheet and Tie-Breaking Judge
  ballot
• Verify Judge ballot collection and counting
  results at contest end
• Provide list showing placement of all contestants
  to Contest Chairperson
• Supervise resolution of all disputes and
  protests, if any protests limited to judges and
  contestants and lodged with Chief Judge or
  Contest Chairperson prior to announcement of
  winner and alternate(s)

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Counters Timers

• Timers
• One timer handles the timing device (have colored
  timing cards as backup) and ensures timing device
  is in full view of each contestant
• Both track time using Time Record Sheet (TM Form
  No. 1175)
• One timer delivers to the Chief Judge the written
  records of elapsed time (circle any disqualifying
  times)
• Counters
• At conclusion of contest speeches, collect
  ballots from Judges
• Leave the room and post each speakers points on
  the Counters Tally Sheet (TM Form No. 1176)
• Do not include Tie-Breaking Judges ballot in
  tally unless there is a tie

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Judges

• Be members in good standing
• Insofar as practical, Judges at Area and Division
  speech contests
• Should have been a Toastmasters member in good
  standing since July 1st of previous year
• Must have completed at least six (6)
  Communication Leadership manual projects if
  judging International Speech contest
• Be fair and judge ONLY according to criteria
  listed for contest (it is best that judges be
  selected from Clubs or Areas not represented by
  contestant)
• All Judges will judge all contestants
• Select a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner from among
  the contestants of speech contest

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Tie-Breaking Judge

• Same for Judges except
• Identity known only to Chief Judge
• Ranks all contestants numerically on the
  Tie-Breaking Judges ballot
• Submits ballot to the
  Chief Judge

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Speakers

• Must be a member in good standing of a club
  in good standing (dues must be current
  and submitted to World Headquarters prior to
  contest date)
• Cannot be a District officer, District Conference
  committee member or District Conference presenter
  
• Present substantially originally speech
• Complete Biographical Information (TM Form No.
  SCEO 1189) and SCEO (TM Form No. 1183)
• Provide to Chief Judge
• Important to provide prior to contest, especially
  for Area level and above when information is more
  difficult to obtain readily

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Host Club

• Working with Contest Chairperson and/or Committee
• Identify location for contest
• Ensure facility allows refreshments
• Visit location and get acquainted with speaking
  area

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Special Situations

• Humorous Speech Contest
• Evaluation Contest
• Tall Tales
• Debate
• Protests

Please refer to Requirements for Each Contest
Level spreadsheet for what roles are needed, how
many and possible prerequisites
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General Guidelines

• No name tags for Judges especially, do not
  identify Tie-Breaking Judge
• No one allowed in or out of contest area during
  speeches
• Use a script!
• Interview ALL contestants
• Not just contestants there is time for
• Dont treat this time as a break ssh!
• Have ALL roles filled beforehand

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General Information

• Area level and above must hold a contest (this
  does not mean clubs are allowed to let this
  slide)
• Contests can be switched last minute if
  contestant for first scheduled contest has not
  shown up contestant will not be disqualified
  until the MC officially starts the contest in
  which that contestant is competing

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Other Helpful Tips

• Do as much as you can prior to the contest
• Identify contestants yet to provide paperwork
• Prepare folders as follows
• Script Checklists
• Contestant Info
• Contest Program
• Contest Forms
• Certificates
• District Conference
• Have a registration table at contest
• The better organized, the more smoothly your
  contests will run

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Contests What When

• Evaluation and Humorous Speech
• Club hold by September 16
• Area hold by October 7
• Division hold by October 21
• District November 4
• Tall Tales and International
• Club hold by March 17
• Area hold by April 7
• Division hold by April 28
• District May TBD

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Conclusion

• You now
• Know how to construct a task plan and program for
  a Club or Area speech contest
• Understand the duties and responsibilities of the
  various participants in a speech contest
• Questions?