MEETING ROLES
Toastmasters learn by practicing. During club meetings, members of VETC will participate in many roles, and each is a learning experience. Roles and responsibilities will vary from club to club; below are those at VETC. If you have any questions or comments, please email the VP of Education.
SERGEANT AT ARMS
The Sergeant At Arms ensures the meeting runs smoothly through strong planning, organization, and time management. Arrive early to set up the room, equipment, materials, and refreshments. Open the meeting on time, manage room flow from the back, and keep speakers moving efficiently. After the break, call the meeting to order, support the Toastmaster, and manage ballots for Best Table Topic, announcing the winner with energy.
TIMER
VETC has a grueling agenda that can only be completed on time with the help of the Timer. The Timer operates a laptop computer that displays green, yellow and red to let each speaker know their elapsed time. The Timer also records the times of each speaker. The Timer will report all of the times during the reports section of the agenda.
GRAMMARIAN
As the Grammarian you announce the ‘word of the day’ and watch for good or bad grammar and vocabulary usage. You report on usage of your ‘word of the day’ and provide examples of good and bad grammar during the reports section of the agenda.
AH COUNTER
As the Ah Counter you count, record and ‘ding’(call bell) ineffective filler words that speakers use such as um, er, y’know, ah, anyway, like and so. This role helps both you and VETC’s members purge these ineffective words from their vocabularies.
HUMOURIST
As a humorist, your role is to help everyone relax by telling a humor story or a joke not longer than 2-3 minutes(a personal story is always a plus) and discourage the reading of jokes. Whatever the form of humour, it must not be offensive, sexist, racist or sexual.
GREETER
The Greeter welcomes every guest at the door with a warm, professional introduction and asks a few simple questions to learn about them. During the meeting, the Greeter introduces new guests when called upon by the Toastmaster, using brief notes to remember names and details.
VIDEOGRAPHER
The videographer records those prepared speeches whose speakers want them recorded. At the end of each meeting these speakers can review their performance to gain the considerable benefits of self-evaluation.
TABLE TOPIC MASTER
The Table Topics Master challenges members with short, clear, unknown questions, giving them two minutes to deliver impromptu speeches. This role builds quick thinking, organization, and time management skills. Choose simple, opinion-based questions that don’t require specialized knowledge, explain the purpose, theme, and timing, keep transitions tight by filling the hot seat, watch the clock, and adjust the number of questions to finish on time.
GENERAL EVALUATOR
The General Evaluator practices critical thinking, planning, and leadership by evaluating the meeting. Assess each role and the overall tone, offering constructive, encouraging feedback. Ensure the meeting stays focused, upbeat, and productive so members can learn and grow, helping VETC achieve its goals.
EVALUATOR
Evaluate to motivate! Speech evaluators provide practical, positive feedback using the sandwich method: praise, suggestions, and encouragement. Study the speech objectives and evaluation guide, listen actively, reinforce strengths, and offer constructive advice. Record impressions in the speaker’s manual to help them improve and grow.