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Timer - Roles and Responsibilities

 

Per the definition of the role by Toastmasters International:  One of the skills Toastmasters practice is expressing a thought within a specific time. As Timer you are responsible for monitoring time for each meeting segment and each speaker. To perform as Timer, you:

 

  • Acquire the timing/signaling equipment from the Sergeant-at-Arms and know how to operate it.

  • Explain the timing rules and demonstrate the signal device if called upon to do so. 

  • Throughout the meeting, listen carefully to each participant and signal them accordingly.

  • When called to report, announce the speaker's name and the time taken.

  • After the meeting, return the timing/signaling equipment to the Sergeant-at-Arms and give your timer's report to the secretary.

 

Bring the following to the meeting:

 

 

Before the meeting:

 

  • Verify with the Toastmaster that the time allocation in Agenda for the various roles in the meeting is accurate.

  • Make sure that you have the Green, Yellow and Red Flags to prompt the speakers about the time used up by them.

 

During the meeting:

 

  • Explain your role at the beginning of the meeting when called upon to do by the Toastmaster.  Use the standard roles and responsibility sheet available in the club for this purpose.

  • Typically, you will be timing the following roles.

    • Prepared Speakers

    • Table Topics Speakers 

    • Evaluators

    • General Evaluator

  • Usage of flags:

    • Use Green Flag when the speaker has reached the minimum required time.

    • Use Yellow Flag when the speaker has reached the mid time allocated for the speech.

    • Use Red Flag when the speaker has reached the maximum allocated time.

  • Prepared Speakers:

    • The speaker will have 30 seconds grace period before and after for prepared speeches for qualifying.

    • Each speech has a time limit as per the manual.  No changes from it will be entertained.

    • Present Timer Report when called upon to do so by Toastmaster after the speeches are completed.  Announce which speakers are qualified.  You may also share the exact duration used by the speaker.

  • Table Topics Speakers:

    • The Table topics speaker gets 30 seconds grace period only after the allocated speech time.

    • Green Flag on 1 Minute, Yellow Flag on 1:30 Minutes, Red Flag on 2 Minutes.  Disqualified after 2:30 minutes.

    • Present Timer Report when called upon to do so by Table Topics Master after the speeches are completed.  Announce which speakers are qualified.  You may also share the exact duration used by the speaker.

  • Evaluators:

    • The evaluators will have 30 seconds grace period before and after for qualifying.

    • Present Timer Report when called upon to do so by General Evaluator after the evaluations are completed.  Announce which evaluators are qualified.  You may also share the exact duration used by the speaker.

    • Make sure that the General Evaluator is also timed (no voting, qualifications though for this role) to make sure that the task is completed on time.

Note: If there are any edits, share your inputs to VP of Education.

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