My Toastmasters Experience: Contest Checklists!

Contests are not difficult, but there are many things happening, far more than the 7 plus or minus 2 that our short term memory can easily handle. Since I have been coordinating and chairing several contests, I have been creating and honing a set of checklists to help keep them successful. They have served me well, so I will share them here so all can make use. And if you have any suggested edits I will be happy to include them!

1-2 Weeks Prior or Earliest Reasonable Time

Secure venue
Order trophies
Confirm roles
Provide rulebook to contestants and judges
Provide Judges Training book to judges
Provide link to video tutorials
Verify elibigility of contestants and judges

Venue

Sequester location for Evaluation & Table Topics
Speaking area
Timers table or other reserved seating
Audio / Visual equipment

Roles

All roles must be performed by paid members of a Toastmasters club.

Contest Master
Chief Judge*
3-5 judges*
Tiebreaker judge*
2 timers
3 ballot counters
Contestants
Test speaker for evaluation (not a member of a club with any of the contestants)

* Judges additional requirements:

Judges at Area and higher must have finished 6 speeches fromtheCompetent Communication Manual or Levels 1 & 2 from a Pathways path.
Judges at Area and higher must be physically present.
Judges at Division and higher must not be a member of the same club as a contestant. (I don't see this listed in the rules, but it is in the Judge's Code of Ethics on the Judge's Eligibility Form.)
Judges at InternationalSemifinals and higher must be an ATM-B or an ACB or have fully completed a Pathways path. (Like anyone coordinating at this level would even look at my checklist!)

Materials

Timing lights
Timing cardss
Stopwatches (2)s
Batteriess
Lecterns
Banners
Gavels
Envelopess
Pens!!s
50/50 ticketss
Trophies!s

Print

Tiebreaker judge forms

Contestant Briefing

Collect eligibility forms
Remove TM titles
Get speech titles
Confirm name spelling and pronunciation
Test speech for Evaluation
Evaluation contestants must use official notes sheet, no other materials (besides pen/pencil)
Sequester for Table Topics and Evaluation
Timing, technical failure +30s
Originality
Speaking area
Sergeants-at-arms

One for each door
At least one to monitor sequester for Evaluation and Table Topics
At least one to collect and return contestants' Evaluation notes

Speaker's responsibility to prepare props during minute of silence
Disqualification
Disputes
Announcement of winners
Draw for order

Functionary Briefing

Judges

Collect eligibility forms
Speech not speaker
Presentation not content
Be objective
Do not consider timing
Speaking area relevance is your discretion
Report dispute on originality to Chief Judge immediately
Must fill in 1st, 2nd, & 3rd (unless < 3)
Must sign ballot
Disputes for originality

Failing to cite does not disqualify, but may affect scoring

Destroy forms
Do not discuss

Timers

Start on first communication with audience (unless delay is excessive)
One handles the stopwatch
One handles the lights or cards
Green starts displaying at 1/2/5
Green stops and yellow starts at

1.5/2.5/6

Yellow stops and red starts at 2/3/7
Red displays until speaker finishes
Record time on timer sheet
Indicate technical failure on timer sheet
For evaluation contest, one timer accompanies contestants to sequester in order to time the 5-minute preparation period
Immediately interrupt announcement of winners if time-disqualified speaker is announced as a winner

Ballot Counters

Designate to specific judges for collection
Each verify arithmetic (1st-3, 2nd-2, 3rd-1)
Immediately interrupt announcement of winners if order is wrong

Tiebreaker judge (briefed SEPARATELY and not present here)

Must list EVERY speaker IN ORDER
Same requirements for other judges

Program

Call to Order
Recognition of Dignitaries

Skip any dignitaries who are contestants

Announcements

50/50
Food

Purpose of contest
Summary of contest rules

Timing

+30s on failure

Speaking area
Remain present or not
Disputes limited
Results final (unless wrong and immediately interrupted)

Announce order of contestants
TURN OFF DEVICES
Do not interrupt! (or enter/leave)
Test speech (Eval only)
Dismiss contestants (Eval & TT)
5 minutes prep time (Eval only)

Acknowledge target speaker
Announcements
Table Topics

For each contestant

1 minute of silence
Name, Title/Table Topic/Contestant #,Title/Table Topic/Contestant #, Name
Presentation

2 minutes of silence
Direct judges to complete and sign ballots
Direct timers to deliver sheets to Chief Judge
Direct ballot counters to collect ballots and join Chief Judge
Intermission or interviews or next contest!

Announce dignitaries that were contestants (unless they are also in next contest!)
Do not interview contestants who are also in next contest

Address disputes
Chief Judge fills out Notification of Winners form
Acknowledge contestants
Acknowledge functionaries

Food
50/50
Ballot counters
Timers
Judges (anonymous)
Chief Judge
Contest Master
Contest Chair

Announce next level contest time and place
50/50 drawing
Finish ALL other announcements and business
Announce winners

Announce if any disqualifications have taken place
3rd place (only if 5 or more participants)
2nd place
1st place

Timing

Make sure timing lights work
Make sure timing cards are on hand
Make sure you know how to start, stop, and reset stopwatch(es)
Know the timing windows for the contest

Table Topics: 1-2 minutes
Evaluation: 2-3 minutes
Speeches: 5-7 minutes

Time one minute of silence before each speech, use red card/lights to signal time has elapsed.
Time two minutes of silence (or as directed) after final speech, use red card/lights to signal time has elapsed.
Time speeches

Begin with first communication of any type to the audience by the speaker or a speaker's assistant
Stop timing when speaker definitely ends the speech and returns control to the Contest Master.
DO NOT GET ENGAGED IN THE SPEECH. Watch the stopwatch.
At minimum time display green and keep displaying until:
Halfway between minimum and maximum time stop displaying green, display yellow/amber, and keep displaying until:
At maximum time stop displaying yellow/amber, display red, and keep displaying until speaker finishes.
For contestants (not test speaker), record time on timer form.

After final speaker, give timer sheet to the Chief Judge

Counting Ballots

Know who the judges are and where they are sitting before the contest starts
After final speaker, once judges have finished scoring, collect ballots from the judges you are responsible for.
Each ballot counter individually records and scores every judge's ballot
For each ballot

Make sure it is valid

Judge has signed the ballot
1st, 2nd, and 3rd are all named (unless fewer than 3 contestants)

On counter form, enter 3 points for a first place vote
On counter form, enter 2 points for a second place vote
On counter form, enter 1 points for a third place vote
Add up points for each contestant

Compare results with other ballot counters to ensure all are in agreement.
List top three point recipients as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place at bottom of form.

Ask Chief Judge to break ties from the tie-breaker ballot.

No indication of disqualified contestants appears on the ballot counter forms
Give form to the Chief Judge

Chief Judge

After final contest speaker

Collect timer sheets
Collect tie-breaker judge's ballot
Accompany ballot counters to location for counting ballots
Make sure all ballot counters agree
Remove disqualified contestants from consideration
Use tiebreaker judge's ballot to break ties if needed

Tied contestants are listed in the relative order they appear on tiebreaker judge's ballot
Tiebreaker judge's ballot may NOT be used to change order of contestants that are NOT tied

Record winners on Results Form

Indicate if any disqualifications
Do not list 3rd place if less than 5 contestants

Fill out contestant names on 1st, 2nd, 3rd place certificates (if any)
Deliver Results Form and Certificates to Contest Master when time to announce winners
Fill out Notification of Winners form

Include EVERY contestant that qualified
List EVERY contestant in order, breaking ties as needed with the tiebreaker judge's ballot

Disputes for Originality

The process for handling disputes is briefly described in 7B of the official rules. This is how I would handle a dispute.

Handle in private!!!
Standard is specified in 4D of the rules

Must be substantially original
No more than 25% "may be devoted to quoting, paraphrasing, or referencing another person’s content" and such content must be so identified

Disputer can only be a Judge or Contestant
Only judges, Chief Judge, disputer, and disputed present
Disputer explain the dispute
Disputed provides response
Disputer & disputed dismissed. Chief Judge leaves.
Remaining judges discuss and vote. Majority must agree in order to disqualify.
Judges notify Chief Judge.

After

Notification of winners form delivered to chair of next level contests
Destroy other forms
Restore venue
Return borrowed materials

My Toastmasters Experience

Monday, September 4, 2017

Contest Checklists!