Humorous Speech Contest Script -2018-19 General Introductions for entire contest event: [All the Contest master speeches are in standard font. Instructions are in brackets, bold and underlined.] The Chief Sergeant-at-Arms calls the meeting to order and introduces the Contest Chair. If the Contest Chair is doing the Contest Master role, go straight ahead. If not, introduce the Contest Chair with some details. He/She then introduces the Contest Master, with name only, not club or other affiliations. Contest Chair/ Master Script: Good afternoon/ evening! Welcome to all Toastmasters and guests to the Humorous Speech Contest of (Name) club of Area (-), Division (-), District 82. OR Area (number), Division (-), District 82. OR Division (-), District 82 OR the finals of District 82 The winner will proceed to Area/ Division/District, to be held on [Date and venue ]. A few housekeeping issues before we proceed: 1. All electronic devices such as pagers or cell phones should be placed on Silent mode or turned off entirely. 2. No flash photography of the contestants during the contest is allowed. There will be photo opportunities later, during the contestant interviews. Videography of the speeches requires written consent of the contestants. (Note: Mention if there is an official photographer or videographer). 3. Restrooms are located [Behind the doors, to the right/ etc.] [Note: Please check during rehearsal for exact directions.] 4. Once the contest has begun, the Sergeant at Arms will secure all the doors. Members of the audience are asked to refrain from leaving or entering the room during the contest. After the contest, please remain seated till the contestant interviews are over and ballots collected. We will now begin the Humorous Speech Contest.
I would like to read the purpose of the contest as defined by Toastmasters: To provide an opportunity for speakers to improve their speaking abilities and to recognize the best as encouragement to all. To provide an opportunity to learn by observing the more proficient speakers who have benefited from their toastmasters training. To recognize the value of humour in speaking. Let us go over the rules for the Humorous Speech Contest: It has been confirmed that all contestants are eligible. To be eligible a contestant must: Be a Toastmaster in good standing of a club in good standing, Not presently be an International, District Officer, nor have declared the intent to run for such offices. All speeches are to be original, and quoted material so identified. The speech must be thematic in nature (having an opening, body and closing) and must not be a monologue or series of one-liners. Speakers may choose to stay in the room or be outside during the contest till their name is called. Should they choose to leave the room during the contest, the Sgt@Arms will escort them to and from the room. Contestants will inform the Contest Chair of where they are at any given time and must be present when their name is announced by the Contest Master. Please note that no one will be allowed in or out of the room once the contest has begun until the last speaker has spoken. The time of the Humorous Speech is to be 5-7 minutes. Any speaker speaking less then 4:30 minutes or more then 7:30 minutes will be disqualified. The timing lights will be activated as follows. Timekeepers, can you please activate the lights to demonstrate? Green Light at 5:00 Yellow Light at 6:00 & Red Light at 7:00 The red light will stay on until the speaker has finished speaking. No notice shall be given should a speaker go over time. The timing starts with the first word uttered or when the speaker uses any form of gesture, smile or non-verbal communication to the audience.
Any contestant who speaks for less than 5 minutes or more than 7.30 minutes will be disqualified. Judges have been instructed not to consider time in their ranking of the speakers. There will be one minute of silence between speakers so that judges may mark their ballots. At the end of the contest, all are to remain silent until the Chief Judge or Tally Counters have collected the Judges Ballot Sheets. The Chief Judge has confirmed that all judges have been briefed and are qualified to judge this contest. There is a secret tie breaker judge known only to the Chief Judge. Protests may be entered only by the contestants or judges to either the Chief Judge (Name) or the Contest Chair (Name). [Note: Use full title and wait for the two to stand and be visible to the entire audience. Lead the applause and continue till they are seated.] Announcement of the contest winners is final unless the list of winners is announced incorrectly, in which case the Chief Judge, ballot counters, or timers are permitted to immediately interrupt to correct the error. Are there any questions? [Note: Wait for a few seconds, in case there are.] I will now read out the names of the contestants. I request you to please hold your applause till all the names have been read out. The order of the contestants was randomly selected by a draw of numbers before the start of this meeting, and is as follows: [ Note: Read out each name slowly and clearly, pausing between the name and surname or initials, if any. Check if the names are being projected on to the screen and pace according to the names appearing, if possible] Contestant No. 1 Name Contestant No. 2 Name Contestant No. 3 Name Contestant No. 4 Name Contestant No. 5 Name Contestant No. 6 Name Contestant No. 7 Name Contestant No. 8 Name Contestant No. 9 Name
Contestant No. 10. Name Chief Judge can you please confirm that the judges have been briefed and are ready? Ladies and Gentlemen, Toastmasters- are you ready for the Humorous Speech contest? I would now like to introduce the contestants in the order they have drawn numbers. [NOTE: Never say last or final contestant for the final speaker. Say next contestant or Contestant Number.] [Start with the contest- format Contestant # Contestant 1 Name, Speech Title, Speech Title, Name] Name, Speech Title, Speech Title, Name (After the first speech is done): Could we please have one minute of silence for the judges to fill out their ballots? (Note: repeat this sentence when calling for silence after every speech) Contestant 2 Name, Speech Title, Speech Title, Name Contestant 3 Name, Speech Title, Speech Title, Name Contestant 4 Name, Speech Title, Speech Title, Name Contestant 5 Name, Speech Title, Speech Title, Name Contestant 6 Name, Speech Title, Speech Title, Name Contestant 7 Name, Speech Title, Speech Title, Name
Contestant 8 Name, Speech Title, Speech Title, Name Contestant 9 Name, Speech Title, Speech Title, Name Contestant 10 Name, Speech Title, Speech Title, Name [Once all the contestants have spoken, announce 2 mins silence. Could we please have silence until the judges have completed their ballot sheets? And can the Tally Counters collect the Judges Ballot Sheets when they are completed? [Note: Watch the Chief Judge who will be aware when all the Judges Ballot Sheets have been collected. Note: the Chief Judge will also collect the Timers Sheet.] After the two minutes silence AND the Chief Judge & Tally Counters have left the room: Thank you everyone. (Time to hand out the Participation Certificates). Photographs are allowed at this stage. THANK THE CONTESTANTS AND HAND OUT THE PARTICIPATION CERTIFICATE AT THIS TIME. [Interview questions are based on the participants profile and interests; avoid talking about their speech.] [Note: This is a filler for the time the result are being calculated. Use the time sparingly- short and crisp if another event is coming up, longer if the results are taking longer. If the results are being announced much later, thank the participants, the role players, judges and the audience and wind up.] Announcement of results: [Note: Call the Chief Judge and the Area/Division/District Director if present and announce results in their presence] Ladies and Gentlemen: the results of the 2018 club/area/ Division/ District results are as follows:
I am happy to announce there were no disqualifications due to time/ sad to announce time disqualifications [Note: DO NOT MENTION NAME(S) OF DISQUALIFIED CONTESTANTS] [Note: DO NOT PROMPT OR SOLICIT SUGGESTIONS FROM AUDIENCE FOR NAME(S) OF WINNERS. JUST ANNOUNCE AS IS.] [Note: THE CHIEF JUDGE OR TIMERS CAN CORRECT YOU IF YOU GET ANY NAME WRONG DUE TO TIME DISQUALIFICATION OR HUMAN ERROR] In third place: Name In second place: Name And the winner of the Humorous Speech contest for the 2018 club/area/ Division/ District is------ The winner and runner-up will proceed to Area/Division/ District contest, to be held on [Date and venue ]. I would like to congratulate all the contestants for competing today. Special thanks to the Chief Judge and all the Judges, Contest assistants/officials, and participants without whom this contest would not have been possible. Until next time, thank you and Goodbye/ good night. [Note: Remember to collect the results form from the Chief Judge and send it to the Contest Chair of the next level]