The Roles in a Nutshell

Transform your talent with Toastmasters

Who participate in Toastmasters
Taking on a role, you will learn to:

Conduct effective meetings Boost team collaboration

Practice time management Guide successful teams

Enhance their listening skills Take and implement feedback

Sharpen their presentation skills

What is the role of Toastmaster?

• Prior to Meeting:
• Fill Roles
• Set theme and word of day
• Obtain introductions to supporting roles and
speakers

• Day of:
• guide everyone comfortably and happily through the
session
• emcee (also known as master of ceremonies) 
• Efficient administrator
Ah Counter

• The purpose of the Ah-Counter is to note • It’s important to deliver the Ah-Counter
any overused words or filler sounds used report in a positive, supportive way—just
as a crutch by anyone who speaks during like any other evaluation.
the meeting,
Ah Counter – Introduction of Your Role to the Club
• Greetings Mr./Madam Toastmaster, fellow Toastmasters, and guests. The purpose of
the Ah-Counter is to note words and sounds that are used as a “crutch” or “pause
filler” by anyone who speaks. During the meeting, I will listen for overused words,
including and, well, but, so, and you know. I will also listen for filler sounds, including
ah, um, and er. I will also note when a speaker repeats a word or phrase, such as “I,
I” or “This means, this means.” At the end of the meeting, I will report the number of
times that each speaker used these expressions.
Grammarian

• The most effective grammarians take a holistic, or

comprehensive, approach, looking at the speaker’s whole
message in addition to the small pieces that comprise it.
They focus on how a speaker’s words communicate the
message, not just whether someone confused “you and I” for
“you and me.”
• Point out speakers who strengthen message with powerful
language and vivid descriptions.
Grammarian – When
Introduced

• Mr./Madam Toastmaster, fellow

Toastmasters, and guests. As
Grammarian, it is my responsibility
to pay close attention to all
speakers, listening carefully to their
language usage. I’ll take note of any
improper language, as well as any
outstanding words, quotes, sayings,
or thoughts. As Grammarian, it is
also my duty to introduce the Word
of the Day.
Timer

• When serving as timer, keep track of each speaker’s time

• TOOLKIT:
Keep track of every speaker’s time
• Be sure that you have signal cards (I recommend you
include G, Y, R also, since some are colorblind)
• Timer/clock or stopwatch
Timer – when introduced
(Note: you will be introduced before
each section of the meeting)

• Greetings Mr./Madam Toastmaster, fellow Toastmasters, and guests. As

Timer, I will time the Table Topics® speakers, formal speeches, and the
evaluations. I will also alert each speaker of the time they have left, using
the green, yellow, and red cards, which denote specific times remaining.

• Table Topics Speakers should limit their remarks to no more than 2 minutes.
• At 1 minute, I will raise the green card. • At 1 minute and 30 seconds, I will
raise the yellow card. • At 2 minutes, I will raise the red card. Those giving
speeches should limit their remarks to their specific speech times,

• Ice Breaker speeches should be 4-6 minutes in length. • At 4 minutes, I will

raise the green card. • At 5 minutes, I will raise the yellow card. • At 6
minutes, I will raise the red card. Most other speeches should be 5-7
minutes in length. • At 5 minutes, I will raise the green card. • At 6 minutes, I
will raise the yellow card. • At 7 minutes, I will raise the red card.

• The individual evaluations should be between 2-3 minutes. • At 2 minutes, I

will raise the green card. • At 2 minutes and 30 seconds, I will raise the
yellow card. • At 3 minutes, I will raise the red card. Thank you Mr./Madam
Toastmaster.”
Table Topics Master

• Best to keep with the theme of the meeting (coordinate with

Toastmaster of the Day)
• Choose members who do not have a speaking role
• Offer guests a chance to participate
Table Topics Master
•The most effective questions are open-ended, meaning
they can’t just be answered with a “yes” or “no.” If you must ask
a closed question, add “why” at the end.
•Questions shouldn’t ask for specialized
knowledge, like “How do airplanes fly?” Rather, something
like “What was the best airplane ride you’ve ever taken?”
•Be sensitive to people’s circumstances.  “You wouldn’t
want to ask a question about losing a job if someone just got laid
off.”
•Keep it general.
• Too specific: What did Fred Rogers of “Mister Rogers
Neighborhood” contribute to children’s TV? (Some members
may not have seen that show.)
• Better: What constitutes good children’s television? (Most
everyone has seen some children’s programs.)
Evaluator

• Prior to the meeting, contact the speaker • Obtain a copy of their evaluation form.
you will be evaluating to coordinate areas You may given written and oral feedback
they would like to focus on.
Evaluator

• A good club speech evaluation should be • Obtain a copy of their evaluation form.
full of universal feedback, backed up You may given written and oral feedback
by specific examples from the speaker’s
speech
General Evaluator

• Review and assess the club meeting

—from the time people arrive to the
end of the program’s educational
component—and report their
findings. The general evaluation
should highlight how members have
performed in their meeting roles,
including preparation, organization,
timeliness, enthusiasm, and carrying
out the duties themselves.
General Evaluator

"The goal is not to be perfect by

the end. The goal is to be better
tomorrow."
—Simon Sinek

Cheat Sheet
A closer look into Pathways