Contest Chair

• Know who are the Contestants
• Get speech titles
• Make sure the Chief Judge has the signed Top 3 Certificates
• Make sure the Participation Certificates are completed and signed and then given to whoever is going to present them (If the Contestants are being interviewed, presenting each with a Participation Certificate is a good way of ending each interview.)
• Check the lights (or timing device) and stop watches are ready
• Have numbers for the draw.
• Contestants Briefing: Round up all the Contestants. If any are not there, carry on regardless as latecomers forfeit the right to be briefed. If a Contestant arrives after the contest has started to be introduced they also forfeit the right to participate.
• Explain Room layout: Speak from anywhere in the room
• A lectern is provided, but its use is optional
• Timing: Explain that timing will begin with the first definite verbal or non-verbal communication with the audience. Explain when the green, yellow and red lights will appear. Explain the timing parameters for disquaification (see http://d71.org/kb.php?mode=article&k=27). Show where the timing lights will be and check that Contestants will be able to see them
• Eligibility & originality: To be eligible, a Contestant must be a member in good standing of a club in good standing
• Any quoted material must be identified as such during the speech.
• In the event of a protest, any protests must be lodged with the Contest Chair or Chief Judge before the results are announced.
• Check that eligibility certificates are filled in Draw for the speaking order: Ask each Contestant to pick a number. Write down the order of the Contestants.
• Check on name pronunciations
• Before the Contest beginsCheck the Chief Judge is organised and ready.
• Arrange with the Sergeant at Arms that there will be no entry or exit during the speeches
• Before the presentation to the winners If the Chief Judge informs you of time disqualifications, this should be announced without naming any Contestants. The Contestants who were disqualified may be told privately afterwards.

Chief Judge

• Appoint a Tie-breaking Judge
• Know who the Judges are
• Know who the 2 Timers are
• Know who the 2 Counters are
• Have a Counter form for each Contest
• Have all the forms for the Judges and Tie-breaking Judge
• Have the Top 3 Certificates
• Have a copy of the rules!
  
  Upon arrival at the Contest
  · Grab people to fill the places of any officials who have not turned up
  · Get the Top 3 Certificates signed
  · Collect from each Contestant an 'Originality and Eligibility' form
  
  Timers
  Brief them, either with the Judges and Counters or separately:
  · Given them their forms, one each for each Contest
  · Timing will begin with the first definite verbal or non-verbal communication with the audience
  · Ensure that the lights operator knows when the green, yellow and red lights should go on and that the red light should stay on for the remainder of the speech
  · Ask a Timer to give a signal to the Contest Chair at end of the 1 minute silence after each speech and 2 minutes silence after the final speech
  
  Counters
  · You can give them the Counters forms either at the beginning or when you leave the room with them to do the counting
  · Brief them before the Contest, ensuring they know what to do and how many Judges forms are to be collected
  
  Judges
  · Give them each a judging form for each Contest
  · Brief them before the Contest (see http://d71.org/kb.php?mode=article&k=10)
  
  Tie-breaking Judge
  · The identity of the Tie-breaking Judge should not be disclosed
  · Can be you
  · If not you, give him/her the Tiebreaking judging form for each Contest
  · Brief him/her before the Contest separately from your briefing of the other Judges (see http://d71.org/kb.php?mode=article&k=10)
  
  During the Contest
  · Listen and look out for any potential breach of the rules, taking notes on points which may be the subject of a protest
  · Prevent any breach of the rules if practicable
  
  When all the Contestants have performed in each Contest
  · Make sure the Counters collect all Judges slips
  · Collect forms from both Timers
  · Collect Tie-breaker Judge's slip
  
  Leave the room with both Counters for somewhere quiet, then:
  · Look at the Timers forms and disqualify any Contestant who is outside the permitted time parameters
  · Supervise the counting and make sure the result is double-checked and agreed by all 3 of you
  · If any position is tied, see who is placed higher on the Tie-breaking Judge's slip (for example, if 2 people have tied for 1st and the Tie-breaker slip has them 2nd and 3rd, person who is placed 2nd on the Tie-breaking Judge's slip is adjudged winner)
  · Fill in the names on the Top 3 Certificates
  · Return to the contest room and give the certificates to the Contest Chair (or whoever will present the awards) and inform that person of any time disqualifications
  
  Protests
  · Any protest must be lodged with you or the Contest Chair by a Contestant or Judge before the results are announced
  · Call a meeting of all the Judges (but not the Tie-breaking Judge - unless it is you!) to discuss it
  · Any Contestant who has a protest made against them must be given the opportunity to put their case to the Judges
  · Disqualification requires a majority vote of the Judges
  · If in doubt read the rules
  
  Results
  · Give the Top 3 Certificates to the Contest Chair or whoever makes the presentations
  · Listen carefully as the results are announced and be prepared to interrupt to correct any error
  
  Contest rules are at:
  http://www.toastmasters.org/NonNavigableDocs/Rules_1_2.aspx

Judge

Your job is to rank the best three Contestants.

- On the voting slip at the bottom of the judging form, you print clearly the full names of the three best Contestants in order, starting with the best of all, without any tied positions.

- As soon as you have completed the voting slip, tear it off and hold it up so that a Counter can see that it is ready to be collected.


Tiebreaking Judge

Your job is to rank all the Contestants.

- On the voting slip at the bottom of the Tie-breaking judging form, you print clearly the full names of all the Contestants in order, starting with the best of all, without any tied positions.

- As soon as you have completed the voting slip, tear it off and give it to the Chief Judge. It is a good idea to ensure you are sitting near the Chief Judge so that this can be done discretely. (Note: the official TI Tiebreaker judging form states incorrectly that you should give the slip to a Counter.)


Guidelines for all judges

- Ignore the actual timings of the speech. Even if you have reason to believe that the speech you consider the best exceeded the time limit, you should still place it first.

- Rate the Contestants objectively according to their performance at that Contest only.

- Your scores on the judging form are for guidance only. Do a 'reality check' on them before filling in the voting slip.

- Sign the voting slip and print your full name clearly in the space provided.

- Submit only the voting slip at the bottom to the Chief Judge, not the whole form.

- Never discuss your vote, or any judging consultations in the event of an objection, and dispose of the remaining part of the judging form in a way that no-one associated with the Contest could see it.


Example Judging Criteria

International Speech Contest

CONTENT

SPEECH DEVELOPMENT (20%)
Structure, Organisation, Support material

EFFECTIVENESS (15%)
Achievement of purpose, Interest, Reception

SPEECH VALUE (15%)
Ideas, Logic, Original thought

DELIVERY

PHYSICAL (10%)
Appearance, Body language

VOICE (10%)
Flexibility, Volume

MANNER (10%)
Directness, Assurance, Enthusiasm

LANGUAGE

APPROPRIATENESS (10%)
To speech purpose and audience

CORRECTNESS (10%)
Grammar, Pronunciation, Word selection


Evaluation Contest

ANALYTICAL QUALITY (40%)
Clear, Focused

RECOMMENDATIONS (30%)
Positive, Specific, Helpful

TECHNIQUE (15%)
Sympathetic, Sensitive, Motivational

SUMMATION (15%)
Concise, Encouraging


JUDGE'S CODE OF ETHICS

I. Judges will consciously avoid bias of any kind in selecting first, second, and third place contestants. They will not consider any contestant's Club, Area, Division, or District affiliation. Nor will they consider any contestant's age, sex, race, creed, national origin, profession, or political beliefs. They will demonstrate the utmost objectivity.

2. Judges will not time the speeches and will not consider the possibility of under time or overtime when judging a contestant's speech.

3. Judges will support by word and deed the contest rules and judging standards, refraining from public criticism of the contest and revealing scores and ranking only in accordance with official policy.