Being General Evaluator is a big responsibility.  It is integral to the success of every single club member. People join Toastmasters because they have a goal – they want to learn something. The club is where they learn. Your observations and suggestions help ensure the club is meeting the goals and needs of each member.

This role is responsible to the Toastmaster, ensuring the evaluation team (speech evaluators, Ah-Counter, Grammarian, Quizmaster) is set to perform their duties.  This role provides excellent practice in leadership skills, such as critical thinking, planning, preparation, organization, time management, motivation and team building.

Prior to Meeting Day

Verify your team knows their upcoming meeting assignments (by text, phone or email).  

• If a member is new to a role, ask if they have questions or need support.  Provide your insights or experience and remind them that a full description of the role is available on SimplySpeakingToastmasters.org (here!) in the Members Meeting Roles section. 

• For an evaluator is new, brief them on their responsibilities and evaluation techniques.  Emphasize their evaluation is a positive, helping act to help fellow Toastmasters develop their skills. Remind them they are evaluating the speech not the speaker and that their words should enhance the speaker’s self-esteem. 

• Encourage all evaluators to prepare thoroughly for their role.  Recommend they contact the speaker they will be evaluating and review techniques for evaluation available on the club and Toastmasters International websites.

Prepare a brief verbal explanation detailing the purpose of the General Evaluator, so guests and new members better understand the function of evaluation. Highlight how evaluation is a positive experience designed to help people overcome flaws and reinforce good habits in their presentation. 

Meeting Day

Arrive by 6:45 pm, and ensure all evaluators are present and have the appropriate evaluation form. Also, get the General Evaluator Log from Sergeant at Arms.

• If an evaluator is absent, consult with the VP of Education or Toastmaster of the Day and arrange for a substitute.

• Verify each speaker’s time and notify the timer if there are any changes.

Take your seat near the back of the room, so you have a good view of the meeting and all its participants.  Use your log and take notes on everything that happens (or doesn’t, but should). For example:

• Is the club’s property (e.g. timer lights, banner, and ribbons) properly displayed?

• Were there unnecessary distractions that could have been avoided? 

• Did the meeting and each segment of it begin and end on time?

Study each participant on the program, from the person giving the inspiration to the last report by the timer. Look for good and less-than-desirable examples of preparation, organization, delivery, enthusiasm, observation and general performance of duties.

GENERAL EVALUATOR PRESENTATION

When it’s time to begin the evaluation portion of the meeting, the Toastmaster will introduce you. Go to the lectern, shake hands with the Toastmasters. If you’ve not already been asked to describe your role, provide the 30-second description you prepared during this time.

There are five distinct sections of the General Evaluators part.

1.       Evaluations. One at a time, introduce each evaluator. After each recitation, thank the evaluator before introducing the next evaluator. 

2.       Timers Report and Vote. Ask for a Timers report on the evaluators. After the report ask the club to cast their ballots for the evening’s best Speaker, Table Topic and Evaluators. Ask the Sargent of Arms to collect ballots. 

3.       Evaluate the Evaluators. After the votes have been collected, give one-minute evaluations of each evaluation. You may wish to comment on the quality of evaluations, if they positive, upbeat, helpful? Did they point the way to improvement?

4.       Reports. Introduce the reports of the Ah-Counter, Grammarian and Quizmaster. If they weren’t asked earlier in the meeting to describe their role, ask them to give a 15-second explanation. 

5.       Evaluate the Meeting. In three minutes (it will be timed), give your general evaluation of the meeting.  Use your Log and the notes you took during the meeting. Phrase your evaluation so it is helpful, encouraging and inspires club members to implement suggestions.