Contest Master Script - International Speech Contests

Good morning/afternoon/evening everybody,

I am ________________ your contest master for International Speech Contest. I welcome you all once again.

The purpose of International Speech contests is to provide an opportunity for speakers to improve their speaking abilities and to recognize the best as encouragement to all.

The __first and/or second_____ winners will represent our _Club/Area/Division in the Area/Division/District level Contest to be held on dd/mm/yy  at (location, time) ___________________________________.

Today for this contest, we have ______ speakers. I am sure the audience is going to have a good time listening to some electrifying speeches.

Let me set the rules for the contest.

1.       I request the audience to maintain absolute silence, and no movement during the progress of speech. I once again request ever one to please check and switch your mobile phones, or put them in silent mode.

2.       No flash photography or recording is allowed while the contestants are giving their speech. A chance will be given to take photograph while contestant interview.

3.       Contestant can go out during other contestant’s speaking order, and practice.

4.       Sgt @ arms, once the contestant is on stage, no one will be allowed to come inside the room.

5.       The speaking area for the contestants will be …

________________________________________________________________

6.       The time allotted for every speech is 5 to 7 minutes. Any contestants who speak less than 4 min and 30 sec and beyond 7 min and 30 sec will be disqualified. The timing device is right in front, and I would request timer to operate the device as I read out the timing signal rules. Green at 5^th min, Amber at 6^th min, and Red at 7^th min. Please note that the red signal will be up till the speaker completes his/her speech. No signal will be given to intimate the exceeding of time limit.

7.       Any disqualification with respect to time will be notified at the end of contest, and no names will be announced for the disqualified contestant.

8.       Protests can only be raised by either contestants or judges to Chief Judge to Contest Chair prior to the results declaration.

9.       Judges decision is final.

10.   It is customary that only when the contest master is recognized by the contestant, will he be allowed to sit. Please do recognize me as Contest Master.

11.   One minute silence will be given for judges to mark their ballot. And 2 minutes silence will be given after the last speaker for judges to tally their ballots.

12.   The contestant speaking order has already been chosen. For benefit of Judges, Role players and audience, I will now read out the speaking order of contestants.

Instruction to Contest Master: Read the speaking order and say each contestant’s name the same way (no bias or preferential treatment). Read it out very clearly.  Be sure to pause after each name to provide the audience/judges time to write the contestants names (or better yet, you can read each contestant’s name twice)

1.  ______________________________________    

2.  ______________________________________    

3.  ______________________________________                    

4.  ______________________________________                    

5.  ______________________________________                    

6.  ______________________________________                    

7.  ______________________________________    

8.  ______________________________________    

9.  ______________________________________                    

10.  ______________________________________

13.   Sgt @ arms, are the doors secured? Chief judge, are all the judges briefed? Shall we begin the contest?

Ladies and gentlemen, the International Prepared Speech contest shall begin.

Instruction to Contest Master: Follow this exact same format for all the contestants. For ex., you’ll have to say “Contestant #1, David John, Topic: Walking in the woods …. Walking in the woods, David John”

Contestant # _____

TM ____________________________   Topic: _______________________________________  

Topic: _________________________________ TM_____________________________

Contestant # _____

TM ____________________________   Topic: _______________________________________  

Topic: _________________________________ TM_____________________________

Contestant # _____

TM ____________________________   Topic: _______________________________________  

Topic: _________________________________ TM_____________________________

Contestant # _____

TM ____________________________   Topic: _______________________________________  

Topic: _________________________________ TM_____________________________

:   :   :   :   :   :   :

After all the contestants have delivered their speech …

Let us give 2 minutes for the judges to mark their ballots. Timer, please indicate to me when 2 minutes have elapsed.  

Audience… Please remain silent until the judges have completed their ballots, and the tally counters have left the room with the ballots.

After 2 minutes have elapsed …

Fellow toastmasters, thank you for your patience!

We shall now begin Contestant Interviews.

Call each contestant up and award certificate of participation. Ask each contestant the name of their club and how long they have been a Toastmaster. Ask one or two questions to each contestant based on the available time. DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SPEECH. ASK questions only from the bio data form filled by the speaker>>