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Toastmaster Clubs in New Zealand generally hold four speech contests each year. These are:
- Evaluation Contest
- Humorous Contest
- International Contest
- Table Topics Contest
This page gives a summary of the rules for the above four contests. Please refer to the current year's Speech Contest Rulebook for full details. The Club's President or Vice President Education should have a copy of the Rulebook. Alternatively contact your Area Governor.
Clubs may also hold club and inter-club Oral Reading Contests. However these contests are not conducted at District level. Go to Contest Resources to download Oral Reading Rules and Judging Criteria, and the latest Contest Rule Book.
For information on how to organise and run a speech contest, go to Running Contests.
These notes explain what a contestant needs to know when competing in speech contests, and you'll find links to resources, tips and speech scripts at the bottom of the page.
Note: These notes have been taken from the Speech Contest Rulebook published by Toastmasters International (see download link below).
Read Those Eligibility Rules
Before your club holds its contest, check to see that all contestants are eligible to participate. Each year someone is disqualified at the division or district level contests because no one had bothered to confirm his or her eligibility earlier. Don't let this happen to your contestant! Rules are mailed to club presidents in October each year and all District Officers have a copy of the Rule Book.
Check the Rules on the Toastmasters International website:
Judges Requirements
From the Speech Contest Rule Book: All judges shall be members in good standing. Insofar as practical, all judges at area, division, and district International speech contests shall have been a Toastmasters member in good standing since July 1 of the previous year and have completed at least six Competent Communication manual projects.
Purpose
To encourage the development of evaluation skills and to recognise the best as encouragement to all, and to provide an opportunity to learn by observing the more proficient evaluators who have benefited from their Toastmasters training.
Eligibility
All Toastmasters who are members in good standing of the Club in which they are competing are eligible to compete. The Club also must be in good standing. New, dual, or reinstated members must have dues and membership application current with Toastmasters International.
The following are ineligible to compete in this contest:
- incumbent international officers and directors;
- region advisors or region advisor applicants;
- district officers (governor, any lieutenant governor, secretary, treasurer, public relations officer, division governor, or area governor) whose terms expire June 30;
- international officer and director candidates;
- immediate past district governors;
- district officers or announced candidates for the term beginning the upcoming July 1;
- presenters of educational sessions at the area, division, and/or district event at which the contest will be held;
- presenters of educational sessions at the International Convention.
- An individual is not permitted to be a judge at any level for a contest in which they are still competing.
The Test Speech and Evaluation
You will listen to a test speech of 5-7 minutes duration, usually taken from the Competent Communication manual. You may make notes during the test speech using your own writing materials.
At the conclusion of the test speech, you will have exactly 5 minutes to prepare your evaluation. You will then hand your notes to the contest sergeant at arms for safekeeping.
At the end of this time, all except the first speaker go to a separate room to wait until called.
You will be handed back your notes immediately before your evaluation speech.
The speech timing is 2-3 minutes. You will be disqualified if you speak less than 1 minute 30 seconds or more than 3 minutes 30 seconds.
Timing
Timing begins with the first definite verbal or non-verbal communication with the audience.
Green light at 2 minutes for 30 seconds. Yellow light at 2 minutes 30 seconds for 30 seconds. Red light at 3 minutes and remains on until evaluation concluded.
Judging Criteria
- Analytical Quality - 40%
Includes effectiveness of evaluation, careful analysing strengths and weaknesses of speaker's presentation. Make clear and logical comments. Identify specific strengths and weaknesses.
- Recommendations - 30%
Offering specific recommendations for improvement, practical, helpful, positive
- Technique - 15%
Refers to the manner in which your comments and recommendations are presented. Sensitive to feelings and needs of speaker, yet inspirational and encouraging.
- Summation -15%
Concluding your evaluation, briefly summarising your comments and suggestions, being positive and encouraging.
For information on how to prepare contest-winning evaluations go to Evaluations, a resource by Kim Chamberlain, District 72's Evaluation Champion for 2002, and also check the Evaluating Contest Speeches page for more ideas.
Purpose
To provide an opportunity for speakers to improve their speaking abilities and to recognise the best as encouragement to all; to provide an opportunity to learn by observing the more proficient speakers who have benefited from their Toastmasters training; and to recognise the value of humour in speaking.
Eligibility
All Toastmasters who are members in good standing of the Club in which they are competing are eligible to compete. The Club also must be in good standing. New, dual, or reinstated members must have dues and membership application current with Toastmasters International.
The following are ineligible to compete in this contest:
- incumbent international officers and directors;
- region advisors or region advisor applicants;
- district officers (governor, any lieutenant governor, secretary, treasurer, public relations officer, division governor, or area governor) whose terms expire June 30;
- international officer and director candidates;
- immediate past district governors;
- district officers or announced candidates for the term beginning the upcoming July 1;
- presenters of educational sessions at the area, division, and/or district event at which the contest will be held;
- presenters of educational sessions at the International Convention.
- An individual is not permitted to be a judge at any level for a contest in which they are still competing.
The Speech
You can select any topic which must be substantially original. Any quoted material must be identified during the speech. Avoid potentially objectionable language, anecdotes and offensive material. The speech must be thematic in nature (opening, body and close) not a monologue (series of one-liners).
Timing
The speech timing is 5-7 minutes. You will be disqualified if you speak for less than 4 minutes 30 or more than 7 minutes 30 seconds.
Timing begins with the first word uttered by you, but if you engage in definite verbal or nonverbal communication with the audience prior to reaching the speaking position and uttering the first word, timing begins then.
Green light at 5 minutes for one minute. Yellow light at 6 minutes for one minute. Red light at 7 minutes and remains on until speech concluded.
Judging Criteria
- Content - 55%
Includes Speech Development (15 points), Effectiveness (15 points), Speech Value (15 points) and Audience Response (10 points)
- Delivery - 30%
Includes Physical presentation (10 points), Use of Voice (10 points), and Manner (10 points).
- Language - 15%
Includes Appropriateness of language and choice of words (10 points), and Correctness of language (5 points).
Purpose
To provide an opportunity for speakers to improve their speaking abilities and to recognise the best as encouragement to all; and to provide an opportunity to learn by observing the more proficient speakers who have benefited from their Toastmasters training.
Eligibility
To be eligible to compete at any level of the International Speech Contest, an individual must:
- be a member in good standing of the Club in which he or she is competing. The Club also must be in good standing. A new, dual, or reinstated member must have dues and membership application current with World Headquarters.
- have completed at least six manual speeches in the Competent Communication manual prior to the Club contest (see special rules for newly chartered clubs).
- maintain eligibility at all levels of any contest (see conditions in rulebook)
The following are ineligible to compete in this contest:
- incumbent international officers and directors;
- region advisors or region advisor applicants;
- district officers (governor, any lieutenant governor, secretary, treasurer, public relations officer, division governor, or area governor) whose terms expire June 30;
- international officer and director candidates;
- immediate past district governors;
- district officers or announced candidates for the term beginning the upcoming July 1;
- presenters of educational sessions at the area, division, and/or district event at which the contest will be held;
- presenters of educational sessions at the International Convention.
- An individual is not permitted to be a judge at any level for a contest in which they are still competing.
Speech subject
The subject which must be substantially original, is selected by the contestant. Any quoted material must be so identified during the speech presentation.
Timing
The speech timing is 5-7 minutes. You will be disqualified if you speak for less than 4 minutes 30 seconds or more than 7 minutes 30 seconds.
Timing begins with the first word uttered by you, but if you engage in definite verbal or nonverbal communication with the audience prior to reaching the speaking position and uttering the first word, timing begins then.
Green light at 5 minutes for one minute. Yellow light at 6 minutes for one minute. Red light at 7 minutes and remains on until speech concluded.
Judging Criteria
- Speech development - 20%
Includes structure, organisation, support material
- Effectiveness - 15%
Relates to achievement of purpose, interest, audience reception
- Speech value - 15%
This includes original and logical ideas used
- Physical delivery- 10%
This is your appearance and use of body language
- Voice - 10%
Your voice volume and flexibility
- Manner - 10%
Manner includes your directness, assurance and enthusiasm
- Appropriateness - 10%
This means the appropriateness of the speech to your purpose and the audience
- Correctness - 10%
Includes grammar, pronunciation and word selection
Eligibility
All Toastmasters who are members in good standing of the Club in which they are competing are eligible to compete. The Club also must be in good standing. New, dual, or reinstated members must have dues and membership application current with Toastmasters International.
The following are ineligible to compete in this contest:
- incumbent international officers and directors;
- region advisors or region advisor applicants;
- district officers (governor, any lieutenant governor, secretary, treasurer, public relations officer, division governor, or area governor) whose terms expire June 30;
- international officer and director candidates;
- immediate past district governors;
- district officers or announced candidates for the term beginning the upcoming July 1;
- presenters of educational sessions at the area, division, and/or district event at which the contest will be held;
- presenters of educational sessions at the International Convention.
- An individual is not permitted to be a judge at any level for a contest in which they are still competing.
The Topic
All contestants will receive the same topic, which shall be of a general nature, and shall speak for two minutes. The topic shall be of reasonable length, shall not require a detailed knowledge and should lead to an opinion or conclusion.
Timing
Timing begins with the first definite verbal or non-verbal communication with the audience.
Green light at 1 minute for 30 seconds. Yellow light at 1 minute 30 seconds for 30 seconds. Red light at 2 minutes and remains on until speech concluded. If you speak for less than one minute or more than two minutes 30 seconds, you will be disqualified.
Judging Criteria
- Speech development - 30%
Opening, body, close, organisation, smoothness
- Effectiveness - 25%
Logic, directness, enthusiasm, achievement of purpose
- Physical - 15%
This relates to your appearance and body language
- Voice - 15%
Voice volume and flexibility
- Language - 15%
Appropriate to speech, purpose and audience, used good grammar, pronunciation and word selection
A speech is a live performance, not to be captured in writing. Many speeches involve actions, the use of props and clothing, audience participation, balloon popping, ohps, ... even songs.
Often a speech involves impromptu elements that cannot be caged into a fixture. And there are speakers who choose not to write down a script of their speech. They work from memory or brief notes, and no two renditions of the same speech will be identical.
However there are plenty of useful tips and advice which you can use when preparing for Toastmaster speech contests, and the some full speech scripts on club and District websites.
For information on how to prepare for a speech contest, go to J A Gamache's website. He was third placegetter in the 2001 World Championship of Public Speaking. Read the following articles about preparing and delivering a contest speech, and his winning speech. And why not subscribe to his public speaking tips newsletter for even more tips.
When Darren LaCroix had to give a speech in front of a large crowd, he fell on his face - literally! And that's one reason why he won the World Championship of Public Speaking in 2001. In "Take this Job and Love it", Darren describes how he prepared for and competed in the championship.
In an interview with Ann Hardison, District 3's 1997 Humorous Contest Winner, Ann describes how she went about preparing for the contest.
Andre Taylor's "In the urban jungle" had his audience in stitches and the judges in amazed admiration. Find out what he talked about in his winning humorous speech. Also on this page is a description of a winning International speech by a fellow club member.
An article by Scott Roeben CTM, published in the March 2001 Toastmaster Magazine entitled "Go for the Gold: Surefire Ways to Win your Next Humorous Speech Contest" gives some valuable advice and tips if you're considering entering the humorous contest.
In "The Art of Using Humor in Public Speaking" Anthony L Audrieth explains that humour in public speaking is an art not to be taken lightly. This article is 24 pages printed, so make sure you have plenty of paper in your printer tray before hitting the Print button. But it'll be worth it!
Download and read Jim Key's World Championship-winning speech notes on the Jim Key website (http://www.jimkey.com) where he shows us how he used his staging notes to choreograph the delivery of his speech.
Check out District 26's "How to Plan, Promote and Conduct Toastmasters Contests", and download some of their excellent scripts and forms.
The March 2009 Toastmaster Magazine has several articles on Speech Contests:
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How I conquered my contest fears
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No One loses in this speech competition
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Filled with Funny - humorous speech contest tips
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Thinking like a Loser - how to conquer the psychology of the contest
Contest Speech Title Tip:
The title of a speech is important, because it is the bridge between the introduction and your opening. It has the power to attract or detract attention from the audience. Some things you might consider when creating the title are:
- Relevance to speech
- Attention grabber
- An element of mystery
- Stimulate the imagination
Check the list of useful tips from seasoned Toastmasters when preparing and organising contest speech evaluations from individuals and groups on the Evaluating Contest Speeches page.
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Contestant Tips
Do you have some useful tips for speech contestants,
or links to resources?
Email webmaster@toastmasters.org.nz with your tips
for inclusion on this page. |
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