Listed below are some explanations about important roles other than that of Toastmaster of the Evening. These explanations might help serve as guidelines when and if you decide to volunteer for one of these roles:
Invocator
This role is basically to start the meeting off with a short (1-2 minute) inspiring message, story, or episode from your life that encourages people to think positively and confidently.
Officer of the Evening
Right before the break, the Officer of the Evening welcomes guests and encourages them to get to know the members during the break, and to ask them any questions about Heights Toastmasters.
Table Topics Master
The Table Topics Master prepares ahead of time a series of questions that may or may not relate thematically to a partcular meeting’s theme to ask paid members only, not guests. The Table Topics Master is encouraged to ask those (paid) members who do not have major, formal speaking roles (such formal roles as Toastmaster of the Evening; General Evaluator; Individual Evaluators) to respond to the questions. The questions should be short, accessible, appropriate (i.e., that are not prurient, nor which ask respondents to delve too deeply into their personal lives). The idea behind Table Topics is to help members gain confidence in improvising a spontaneous, structured response to a question that does not allow time for preparation. The Table Topics Master is encouraged to make a list of paid members who do not have formal speaking roles and to scan the room to see who has not spoken.
General Evaluator
The GE basically evaluates the whole meeting. The GE is introduced early in the meeting by the Toastmaster of the Evening to explain his or her role and to introduce the Timer and Ah-Um Grammarian to explain their roles. Throughout the meeting, the GE makes notes and observes the pacing and protocols of the meeting. The GE first asks the individual evaluators to give their report. After they do so, then the GE asks for the Timer and Ah-Um Grammarian to give their evaluations. The GE is free to respond in any way s/he sees fit as long as s/he reports on things that need to be mentioned i.e., distractions; mistakes; role of the Toastmaster of the Evening; highlights; things that went especially well, or things that didn’t go especially well. The role of the GE is to review the whole meeting to help improve future meetings.
Individual Evaluators
The individual evaluators perform what might be considered the most important role during a meeting. They are solely responsible for providing constructive criticism to members who make formal speeches. The individual evaluators prepare for and perform their roles this way:
1. They talk beforehand with the person they are evaluating to discuss the speech: What does the speaker want evaluators to look for during the speech? What is the number of the speech? The purpose and goal?
2. During the speech, the evaluator should make extensive notes. I often use the booklet itself, but also scrap paper to take notes on the content and delivery style of the speech. These notes may guide the evaluators in presenting the oral evaluation after speeches are made.
3. During the oral presentation, evaluators are encouraged to observe the following sequence:
a) Explain to the members the speech number, purpose and goal of the speech.
b) Follow the questions noted in the booklet in responding, or present a subjective, impressionistic evaluation which covers the criteria listed in the booklet.
c) In critiquing the speaker, try to deliver the criticisms in tactful language: “something that the speaker might consider doing in her next speech . . . “; or, “In future speeches, perhaps the speaker might consider not using notes . . . . “