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8 SPEECH CONTEST RULEBOOK

1. PURPOSE
A. To provide an opportunity for speakers to improve
their speaking abilities and to recognize the best as
encouragement to all.
B. To provide an opportunity to learn by observing the
more proficient speakers who have benefited from
their Toastmasters training.
2. APPLICABILITY
These rules, unless otherwise noted, apply to all Toastmasters
speech contests which select contestants for the
annual International Speech Contest, which is conducted
in English only. These rules may not be supplanted or
modified, and no exceptions may be made.
3. SELECTION SEQUENCE
A. Club, Area, District. Each Club in good standing may
select a contestant to compete in the Area contest. A
Club may choose its contestant by whatever means
the Club desires. If a contest is held, it must comply
with all these rules and the contest result is final. The
Area speech contest winner then proceeds to the
Division contest (if applicable). The Division winner
then proceeds to the District contest. Should an Area
or Division contest winner be unable to participate in
the next level contest, the highest placed available
contestant will advance to that level. NOTE: The
District contest chairman informs World Headquarters
of the name and address of the winner and
alternate in the District contest. Information concerning
the Regional contest is then mailed to the winner
and alternate.
B. In those Areas with four assigned Clubs or less eight
weeks prior to the Area contest, Districts have the
option to allow the two highest placed available
contestants from each Club to compete in the Area
contest. Should additional Clubs charter prior to the
Area contest, the two highest placed available contestants
from each Club may compete. In those Divisions
with four assigned Areas or less, Districts have the
option to allow the two highest placed available
contestants from each Area to compete. In Districts
with four assigned Divisions or less, Districts have the
option to allow the two highest placed available
contestants from each Division to participate in the
District contest.
The decision whether or not to allow two contestants
to advance from Club to Area, from Area to Division,
and/or from Division to District must be made and
communicated throughout the District prior to the
commencement of the contest cycle – i.e. prior to any
International
Speech Contest
Rules
SPEECH CONTEST RULEBOOK 9
Club contests being held. Once the decision is made,
it must be implemented consistently throughout the
District in all Areas and Divisions affected. If a District
decides to allow two contestants to advance from
Club to Area, its decisions regarding the number to
advance from Area to Division and/or from Division to
District need not be the same.
C. Each Region shall select a winner and an alternate. The
contest chairman, usually the first-year Director, informs
World Headquarters of the name and address of
the winner and alternate in the Regional contest. Information
concerning the International Speech Contest is
then mailed to the winner and alternate. Eight speakers,
one from each Region, compete in the International
contest. A ninth speaker, selected in a special speech
contest among Districts outside of North America, also
competes in the International contest.
4. ELIGIBILITY
A. To be eligible to compete at any level of the International
Speech Contest, an individual must:
1. Be a Toastmaster in good standing of a Club in good
standing.
2. Have completed at least six manual speeches in the
Communication and Leadership Program manual
prior to the Club contest.
3. If a new, dual, or reinstated member, have dues
current with Toastmasters International.
4. A member must maintain eligibility at all levels of
any contest. If at any level it is discovered that a
contestant was ineligible to compete at any previous
level, the contestant must be disqualified even
if the ineligibility is not discovered until a later
level and has been corrected.
B. Only one kind of exception may be made to the
requirements listed above. A charter member of a
Club chartered since the previous July 1 is eligible to
compete. (The Club must be officially chartered prior
to the Area contest.)
C. The following are ineligible for competition in any
contest: incumbent International Officers and Directors;
District Officers (Governor, any Lieutenant Governor,
Division Governor, Area Governor, Secretary,
Treasurer, or Public Relations Officer) whose terms
expire June 30; International Officer and Director
candidates; Immediate Past District Governors; District
Officers or announced candidates for the term
beginning the upcoming July 1.
D. The winner of the contest finals held each August
during the International Convention is not eligible to
compete again at any level.
E. Toastmasters who are members in more than one Club
and who meet all other eligibility requirements may
compete in each Club contest in which membership
in good standing is held. However, should they win
more than one Club International Speech Contest, the
contestant may represent only one of the Clubs at the
Area level. No contestant can compete in more than
one Area International Speech Contest, even if the two
Areas are in different Divisions or different Districts.
10 SPEECH CONTEST RULEBOOK
F. A contestant must be a member in good standing of
the Club, Area, Division, District, or Region being
represented when competing in a speech contest at
the next level.
G. Each contestant must complete the Speaker’s Certification
of Eligibility and Originality (form 1183) and
submit it to the chief judge prior to the contest.
5. SPEECH SUBJECT AND PREPARATION
A. Subject for the prepared speech shall be selected by
the contestant.
B. Contestants must prepare their own five- to sevenminute
speeches, which must be substantially original
and certified as such in writing to the chief judge by
the contestants prior to the presentation of the speeches
(on form 1183, Speaker’s Certification of Eligibility
and Originality). Any quoted material must be so
identified during the speech presentation.
C. All contestants will speak from the same platform or
area designated by the contest chairman with prior
knowledge of all the judges and all the contestants.
The contestants may speak from any position within
the designated area and are not limited to standing at
the lectern/podium.
1. A lectern/podium will be available. However, the
use of the lectern/podium is optional.
2. If amplification is necessary, a lectern/podium
fixed-mounted microphone and a portable microphone
should be made available, if possible. It is
suggested that the fixed-mounted microphone be
nondirectional. The selection and use of a microphone
is optional for each contestant.
3. All equipment will be available for contestants to
practice prior to the contest. Contestants are responsible
for arranging their preferred setup of the
lectern/podium microphone and other equipment
in a quiet manner before being introduced by the
Toastmaster.
D. Every participant must present an entirely new and
different speech for the Regional and for the International
contests than given in any contest that same year.
Up to and including the District contest, contestants
may use the same speech, but are not required to do so.
E. Winners of each District contest shall present a detailed
outline of their winning speech in the District
contest to the chief judge of the Regional contest.
Winners of the Regional contest will prepare and mail
to World Headquarters outlines of their District and
Regional winning speeches, which will be given to the
chief judge at the International contest.
6. GENERAL PROCEDURE
A. At the Club or Area level contests, a contest chairman,
chief judge, at least five judges, three counters, and
two timers are appointed. These appointments will be
as far as practical at the Club level, but required for the
Area level.
At the Division or District level contests, there should
be at least seven judges or equal representation from
SPEECH CONTEST RULEBOOK 11
the Areas composing the Division or District in addition
to a contest chairman, chief judge, three counters,
and two timers.
At the Regional or International contest, there should
be at least nine judges or equal representation from
the Districts or Regions respectively; no judge shall be
a member of the Club represented by a contestant. In
addition to these judges, five qualifying judges, a
contest chairman, chief judge, three counters, and
two timers are appointed.
All judges will judge all contestants.
B. Before the contest, contestants are briefed on the rules
by the contest chairman. Judges, counters, and timers
are briefed on their duties by the chief judge. Contestants
will then draw for their speaking position with
the contest chairman.
C. If a contestant is absent from the briefing, the alternate
speaker, if present, may be included in place of the
primary contestant. When the contest Toastmaster is
introduced, if not present, the primary contestant is
disqualified and the alternate officially becomes the
contestant. Where the primary contestant arrives and
makes this known to the contest chairman and has all
required paperwork in good order prior to the introduction,
and missed the briefing, disqualification shall
not occur and the primary contestant may speak in the
drawn order, but waives the opportunity of a briefing.
D. Introduce each contestant by announcing the contestant’s
name, speech title, speech title, and contestant’s
name.
E. There will be one minute of silence between contestants,
during which the judges will mark their ballots.
F. Contestants may remain in the same room throughout
the duration of the contest.
G. In contests with five or more participants, a third place
winner (if wanted), a second place winner, and a first
place winner will be announced. In contests with four
or fewer participants, a second place and first place
winner will be announced.
H. Announcement of contest winners is final unless the
list of winners is announced incorrectly, in which case
the chief judge, ballot counters, or timers may immediately
interrupt to correct the error.
7. TIMING OF THE SPEECHES
A. Speeches will be five to seven minutes. A contestant
will be disqualified from the contest if the speech is
less than four minutes 30 seconds or more than seven
minutes 30 seconds.
B. Upon being introduced, the contestant shall proceed
immediately to the speaking position. Timing will
begin with the contestant’s first definite verbal or
nonverbal communication with the audience. This
usually will be the first word uttered by the contestant,
but would include any other communication such as
sound effects, a staged act by another person, etc.
C. Timers shall provide warning signal lights to the contestants,
which shall be clearly visible to the speakers
but not obvious to the audience.
12 SPEECH CONTEST RULEBOOK
1. A green light will be turned on at five minutes and
remain on for one minute.
2. An amber light will be turned on at six minutes and
remain on for one minute.
3. A red light will be turned on at seven minutes and
remain on until the conclusion of the speech.
4. No signal shall be given for the overtime period.
5. Any sightless contestant may request and must be
granted a form of warning signal of his or her own
choosing. Acceptable warning signals would include,
but not be limited to: a buzzer, a bell, or a
person announcing the times at five, six, and seven
minutes. If any special device and/or specific instructions
for such signal is/are required, the contestant
must provide same.
6. In the event of technical failure of the signal, a
speaker is allowed 30 seconds extra overtime
before being disqualified.
D. Prior to announcing results, the chairman should
announce if time disqualification(s) occurred, but not
name the contestant(s) involved.
8. PROTESTS AND DISQUALIFICATIONS
A. Protests will be limited to judges and contestants. Any
protest will be lodged with the chief judge and/or
contest chairman prior to the announcement of the
winner and alternate(s). The contest chairman shall
notify the contestant of a disqualification regarding
originality or eligibility prior to that announcement
before the meeting at which the contest took place is
adjourned.
B. Before a contestant can be disqualified on the basis of
originality, the contestant must be given an opportunity
to respond to the judges. A majority of the judges
must concur in the decision to disqualify.
The contest chairman can disqualify a contestant on
the basis of eligibility.
C. All decisions of the judges are final.
9. TRAVEL ALLOWANCES
A. Toastmasters International shall pay the travel expenses
of each North American District’s contestant
participating in the International Speech Contest at
Regional and International levels. Neither Toastmasters
International nor its Districts shall reimburse these
contestants for any other expenses.
B. Toastmasters International shall reimburse the travel
expenses of each North American District’s contestant
who participates in a Regional or International
speech contest as follows:
1. Air, Bus, or Train – Full reimbursement, round trip
at the lowest rate (coach air fare, or discount fare
if applicable) between the commercial airport or
passenger terminals nearest the Regional Conference
or Convention site and the home of each
contestant.
SPEECH CONTEST RULEBOOK 13
2. Car – On the basis of reimbursement at 32 cents per
mile by the most direct route not exceeding the
lowest air fare rate (coach or discount if applicable).
3. Any other mode of transportation – Actual costs
incurred not exceeding the lowest air fare rate
(coach or discount if applicable).
A person riding with another person receiving reimbursement
is not entitled to reimbursement.
C. Reimbursement will be made by World Headquarters
as soon as practicable on receipt of certification of
attendance at the Regional Conference or Convention
speech contest by the District Governor and on receipt
of ticket receipt(s) for air, bus, or train travel, or
mileage for car travel.
D. Hotel or room accommodations are not included in
allowances for contestants, unless otherwise stated.
10. INTERNATIONAL TAPED SPEECH CONTEST
A. Members of undistricted Clubs and Provisional Districts
are invited to participate in the International
Taped Speech Contest. Tapes must be in English.
B. The Toastmasters International Speech Contest Rules
are to be followed as far as they are applicable.
Naturally, there is no Area, Division, District, or
Regional competition, nor are there any travel allowances.
To enter, Clubs should conduct a speech contest
and submit a tape of the winning speech. Only one
taped speech per Club may be submitted.
C. The tape shall be made using the following procedures:
1. Use fresh tape and record on a standard audio
cassette before a live audience. Video tapes will
not be accepted.
2. Time the speech carefully to comply with the
speech contest rules.
3. Clearly mark the audio tape and container with the
participant’s name and Club number and be sure to
enclose a completed Certification of Eligibility and
Originality form.
4. Tapes must be received at World Headquarters on
or before 5 p.m. Pacific Time March 31 to be
eligible for competition.