Table Topics Contest Rules

To provide an opportunity to learn by observing the more proficient speakers who have benefited from their Toastmasters training.

To encourage development of impromptu and/or extemporaneous speaking skills and to recognize the best as encouragement to all.

Each Club in good standing may select a contestant to compete in the Area contest.  A Club may choose its contestant by whatever means the Club desires.  If a contest is held, it must comply with all these rules and the contest result is final.  The Area speech contest winner then proceeds to the Division contest (if applicable).  The Division winner then proceeds to the District contest.  Should an Area or Division contest winner be unable to participate in the next contest level, the highest placed available contestant will advance to the next level.

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.

A member must maintain eligibility at all levels of any contest.  If at any level it is discovered that a contestant was ineligible to compete at any previous level, the contestant must be disqualified even if the ineligibility is not discovered until a later level and has been corrected.

The following are ineligible to compete in this contest: incumbent International Officers and Directors; District Officers (Governor, any Lieutenant Governor, Division Governor, Area Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, or Public Relations Officer) 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 District event at which the contest will be held.  An individual may not be a judge at any level for a contest in which they are still competing.

Toastmasters who are members in more than one Club and who meet all other eligibility requirements may compete in each Club Table Topics Contest in which membership in good standing is held.  However, should they win more than one Club Table Topics Contest, they can represent only one of the Clubs at the Area level.  No contestant can compete in more than one Area Table Topics Contest, even if the two Areas are in different Divisions or different Districts.

A contestant must be a member in good standing of the Club, Area, Division, or District being represented when competing in a speech contest at the next level.

Each contestant must complete the Speaker’s Certification of Eligibility and Originality (Form 1183) and submit it to the Chief Judge prior to the contest.

Each contestant must be present to compete.  Participation by audio and video tape and teleconference is not permitted.

All contestants shall receive the same topic, which shall be of a general nature, and shall peak for two minutes.

The topic shall be of reasonable length, shall not require a detailed knowledge and should lead to an opinion or conclusion.

A contest Chairman, contest Sergeant at Arms, Chief Judge, at least five Judges, a Tiebreaking Judge, two Counters, and two Timers are appointed.  These appointments will be as far as is practical at Club levels, but required for Area through to District and Regional levels of this contest.  All Judges will judge all contestants.

Before the contest, contestants and the contest Sergeant at Arms are briefed on the rules by the contest Chairman.  Judges, Counters, and Timers are briefed on their duties by the Chief Judge. Contestants will then draw for their speaking position with the contest Chairman.

If a contestant is absent from the briefing, the alternate speaker, if present, may be included in place of the primary contestant.  When the contest Toastmaster is introduced, if not present, the primary contestant is disqualified and the alternate officially becomes the contestant.  Where the primary contestant arrives and makes his present known to the contest Chairman and has all required paperwork in good order prior to the introduction, and missed the briefing, disqualification shall not occur and the primary contestant may speak in the drawn order, but waives the opportunity of a briefing.

All contestants will speak from the same platform or area designated by the contest Chairman with prior knowledge of all the Judges and all the contestants.  The contestants may speak form any position within the designated area and are not limited to standing at the lectern/podium.

• A lectern/podium will be available.  However, the use of the lectern/podium is optional.
• If amplification is necessary, a lectern/podium fixed-mounted microphone and a portable microphone should be made available, if possible it is suggested that the fixed-mounted microphone be nondirectional.  The selection and use of a microphone is optional for each contestant.
• All equipment will be available for contestants to practice prior to the contest. Contestants are responsible for arranging for their preferred setup of the lectern/podium microphone and other equipment in a quiet manner before being introduced by the Toastmaster.

Introduce each contestant by announcing the contestant’s name twice.

There will be one minute of silence between contestants, during which the Judges will mark their ballots.

Announcement of contest winners is final unless the list of winners is announced incorrectly, in which case the Chief Judge, Ballot Counters, or Timers may immediately interrupt to correct the error.

Speeches shall be two minutes long. Contestants who speak less than one minute or more than two minutes 30 seconds will be disqualified.

Time will begin with the contestant’s first definite verbal or non-verbal communication with the audience.  This usually will be the first word uttered by the contestant, but would include any other communication such as sound effects, a staged act by another person, etc.

• A green signal will be turned on a one minute and remain on for 30 seconds.
• An amber signal will be turned on at one minute and 30 seconds and remain on for 30 seconds.
• A red signal will be turned on at two minutes and remain on until the speech is concluded.

Any sightless contestant may request and must be granted a form of warning signal of his or her own choosing.  Acceptable warning signals would include, but not limited to: a buzzer, a bell, or a person announcing the times at five, six, and seven minutes.  If any special device and/or specific instructions for such signal is/are required, the contestant must provide same.

In the even of technical failure of the signal, a speaker is allowed 30 seconds extra overtime before being disqualified.

Prior to announcing results, the Chairman should announce if time disqualification(s) occurred, but not name the contestant(s) involved.

Protests will be limited to Judges and contestants.  Any protest will be lodged with the Chief Judge and/or contest Chairman prior to the announcement of the winner and alternate(s).  The contest Chairman shall notify the contestant of a disqualification regarding eligibility prior to that announcement before the meeting at which the contest took place is adjourned.

The contest Chairman can disqualify a contestant on the basis of eligibility.

All decisions of the Judges are final.

In contests with four or fewer participants, a second place and first place winner will be announced.

Districts conducting Table Topics Contests should announce the date of the District contest and establish dates by which the Division, Area, and Club contests must be completed.
 

Table Topics Judge's Form

Judging Guideline Items & Points
 

TABLE TOPICS CONTEST -- JUDGE'S GUIDE
	Suggested Point Values
Judging Items	Excellent	Very Good	Good	Fair	Remarks
Speech Development	30	29-33	22-17	16-0	Opening, body, close, organization, smoothness
Effectiveness	25	24-18	17-11	10-0	Logic, directness, enthusiasm, achievement of purpose, audience response
Physical	15	14-11	10-6	5-0	Appearance, body language
Voice	15	14-11	10-6	5-0	Flexibility, volume
Language	15	14-11	10-6	5-0	Appropriate to speech, purpose and audience. Good grammar, pronunciation and word selection
Total Points	(100 points possible)