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Toastmaster Contests
What are Toastmaster contests?
Contests are held annually for Humorous, Table Topics, Evaluation and International.Contests provide Toastmaster members with a suitable forum to showcase their skills and stimulate new, higher levels of speaking achievement.
St Georges devotes two evenings per year (Humorous and Table Topics around the middle of the year and International and Evaluation towards the end of the year).
Winners of the club competitions compete in the Area (P13) competition and the winners at Area level compete at the annual District Convention (D73). As you can imagine, competition at this level is usually of a very high standard indeed.
The winner of the International Competition, represents D73 in the competitions that determine the annual World Champion of Public Speaking.
Serious stuff?
Yes, some take it very seriously indeed. Some World Champions and winners at other levels become professional speakers and trainers. A successful public speaker can make significant money although as always, the scope is much greater overseas.
What is involved?
Nothing you haven’t seen already, 7 minute speeches for the two Speech competitions, 2 minute Table Topics and 3 minute evaluations in the Evaluation event.The Evaluation contest uses a test speaker from another club who delivers a manual speech (level unspecified). Each evaluator then delivers an evaluation using the normal format. The evaluators don’t get to hear the evaluations that precede their own. Judges then determine a winner based on set criteria and submitting a ballot slip to a Tally Counter who does the requisite sums.
This same judging procedure is used in all competitions, the only real difference being that the higher the level of competition, the more judges are employed.
The Humorous, Table Topics and International competitions are as their names imply. To compete beyond club level in the International event a competitor needs to have completed 6 manual speeches from their C&L Manual, but this need not deter anyone from trying their skills at club level. This restriction applies to the International Competition only. Typically a successful International speech is of a motivational nature and nowadays has an element of humour. Humour is obviously a necessary ingredient of the Humorous event and often is a big help in the Table Topics Contest.
It is embodied in the great Toastmaster myths that the Evaluation Contest and the Table Topics Competition are “easy” because they require no preparation. This might be true if you are a seasoned veteran Toastmaster but it isn’t the case for the newer arrivals, quite the reverse. Evaluations are seldom successful if the evaluator is careless with criteria or format and successful Table Topics rely on a knowledge base from which the speaker can draw. But then, if you’ve done a Table Topic you already know that.
Before participating in a competition, indeed before delivering any speech, ensure that you study the objectives first. As Stephen Covey puts it; “start with the end in mind”. Read the judging criteria thoroughly and ensure that your entry will measure up.
New members will be unfamiliar with competitions. Indeed a number of members have only given one or two speeches and may find the whole competition scene complex and even daunting. Rest assured, the events can be a lot of fun and great entertainment.
For those in two minds as to whether to enter or not, just remember that Toastmasters is all about personal growth through the continual exercise and flexing of your speaking skills and you should seize every opportunity to do this.
It is not about winning so much as the thrill of the chase - just doing it!
Not ready to compete?
There are always other roles that need to be filled. Judging, Ushers, Tally Counters or just supporting your fellow members.Show me
A great example of a great competitor is Darren Fleming from Adelaide Toastmasters competing in the District 73 Table Topics Contest.| Members Only Area (Login Required) | Committee Only Area (Login Required) |