| Overview
Just because you have have not
been assigned a specific role such as
Speaker,
Toastmaster,
Counter, or
Speaker Evaluator, it doesn't mean you
are without an important function during the meeting.
On the contrary, a
successful meeting depends on the full participation of all
members—to offer toasts, to respond to Table Topics, and to
help evaluate the Speakers, the Toastmaster, and the meeting—and all
are expected volunteer to help out wherever needed.
Prerequisites
Membership and attendance at
least one CATM meeting.
Before the Meeting
- Prepare a brief toast
to deliver. Expect that you will be called upon if you do not
volunteer and rise to offer a toast. If the Toastmaster has
selected a special theme for the meeting and it is published in
advance, your toast should be set to match.
- Read CATM's
Responding to Table Topics. Rather than just "getting
through" this segment, why not be prepared for it? Make the
knowledge that you will be called upon into an opportunity to
excel.
- Even though you are
not scheduled to be a Speaker at this meeting, you should
prepare your next speech well in advance of the date you are to
deliver it so you can have it ready as a standby.
- A day or two before
the meeting, contact the Toastmaster to see if any roles have
opened up. Scheduling changes due to work and travel and family
obligations are frequent, and it is helpful to the club and to
your progress that you be prepared to take advantage of
last-minute Speaker roster openings.
Upon Arrival at the Meeting
- Consult with the
Toastmaster and offer to fill in for anyone with a role who had
to cancel.
During the Meeting
- Be sure to follow
appropriate Toastmasters conventions when rising to speak.
- Follow the formal
speeches and the Toastmaster's performance and offer positive,
constructive comments and observations during the open floor
portion of the meeting.
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