Every year, your District leaders strive to plan quality contests. At the same time, we try to share responsibility with and empower burgeoning leaders. One way that we do this is by inviting promising Toastmasters to be either Contest Chair or Chief Judge for Area and Division level contests. For those who may not know, I'll briefly describe what each role taker is responsible for.
Contest Chair
The Contest Chair is the primary organizer for the contest. She makes the agenda and acts as the Toastmaster during the contest, essentially MCing the event. The Contest Chair is also responsible for contacting contestants at least two weeks prior to the contest, conducting the contestant's briefing, and arranging for refreshments.
The best way to prepare for this role is to read the most up-to-date version of the Toastmasters Speech Contest Rulebook, which you can find by following this link:
https://www.toastmasters.org/~/media/3117F77BBF4D430B8A403ECECDD5F99F.ashx.
If you are ever Contest Chair, make sure to read the rulebook thoroughly. Doing so will allow you to avoid any misunderstandings as well as complete your job confidently. Should any conflicts or questions arise that the rulebook does not cover, you can visit Toastmasters Speech Contest FAQ at:
http://www.toastmasters.org/Footer/FAQ/Speech%20Contests
I'm the kind of person who learns best by making my own to-do lists, so I have a self-made worksheet that I have used to help me be Contest Chair in the past. This to-do list is not a substitute for reading the rulebook, but it can make the job seem a little simpler and more straightforward. If you are interested in being Contest Chair and want to learn more, check it out:
contest_chair_-to_do-_list.pdf |
Chief Judge
Rather than organize the contest, the Chief Judge organizes the role takers. Several roles need to be filled in order for the contest to be successful. These roles include judges, a tie-breaking judge, counters, timers, and a Sergeant at Arms. After finding people to take each role, the Chief Judge is responsible for ensuring that all role takes know how to complete their tasks. This is especially important for the judges; a Chief Judge should conduct a Judges' Briefing in which he reviews the criteria and instructions for judging a contest. It's important for the Judges' Briefing to take place in a private area as judges must remain anonymous before, during, and after the contest.
Like being Contest Chair, the best way to prepare for being Chief Judge is to thoroughly read the Toastmaster Speech Contest Rulebook. Here is the link one more time for your convenience:
https://www.toastmasters.org/~/media/3117F77BBF4D430B8A403ECECDD5F99F.ashx.
I also have another self-made to-do list to help new Chief Judges get familiar with their role. Please check it out:
chief_judge_-to_do-_list.pdf |
Serving as a Contest Chair or Chief Judge is a great way to grow your leadership and give back to Korea Toastmasters. You can even get credit for these roles in you CL manual. If anyone is interested in learning more about how to perform these roles and/or in being a Contest Chair or Chief Judge in the future, please comment below. Division C is always looking for new and upcoming leaders; if that's you, then please let me know!