Contest Guidelines

Contest Chair (Evaluation)
Just Before the Contest...

  • # Congratulate contestants for accepting the challenge of being a contestant.
  • # Explain that the Evaluation contest will occur first.
  • # Explain that they will be escorted out of the room after the Test Speaker has completed the speech to a room where they will have 5 minutes to prepare their evaluations.
  • # When 5 minutes are up, their notes will be taken away by the Sergeant-at-Arms(SAA)and will be given back to them when it is their time to present.
  • # MAKE SURE TO SAY THE FOLLOWING: "When you are escorted into the contest room by the SAA, stand just inside the door until you are formally introduced. After you are introduced, approach the Chair and shake his hand but DON'T say any words or the Timers will start. Just shake the hand and, when you're ready, begin your evaluation and that's when the Timers will start."
  • # Mention that the timers have been instructed to begin the clock when you say your first word or utter your first gesture to the audience.
  • # Show where the timing lights are and turn them on so the contestants can see what they look like.
  • # Cover the timing rules for the Evaluation contest:
  • * Green light comes on at 2 minutes
  • * Yellow light comes on at 2.5 minutes
  • * Red light comes on at 3 minutes
  • * The red light STAYS ON until the participant has finished
  • * You MUST speak no less than 1 minute, 30 seconds but no more than 3 minutes, 30 seconds or you will be disqualified
  • # Ask if there are any questions.
  • # Draw for speaking order by placing numbers in a hat or a pint glass and having the contestants blindly draw for speaking position.
  • # Write the names and speaking position on a piece of paper for annoucing to the judges and the audience during the contest.
  • N.B.Correct Speaking Order is really critical
  • During the contest...and be brief
  • # Welcome the group.
  • # Provide an upbeat introduction and overview of what the audience will see during this contest.
  • # Mention the first place winners of this event will go on to the Area contest to compete against 4,5, or 6 other club contestant winners on xyz date and then have the opportunity to compete at the Division levels and finally the District.
  • # Introduce the Chief Judge.
  • # Mention that Contestants, judges, timers and counters have been briefed and the contestants have drawn for speaking order.
  • # State that judges will not consider timing as this is accounted for separately.
  • # Request that the audience take a few seconds to check their pagers, cell phones and other devices with alarms and turn them off for the duration of the contest.
  • # Be firm that no one should leave or enter the room while a contestant is speaking.
  • # State that it is very important to provide an "equal platform" for each contestant and by adhering to these requests, they'll have one. This means no leaving the room, no doors slamming, no dropping changes on the floor, etc. I always like to say "If someone's cell phone goes off during a speech, we'll have to recruit someone to activate his cell phone for every speech!" That always draws a chuckle.
  • # REMEMBER to announce which contestants will be presenting in which order and repeat the order twice in a clear manner.
  • # Announce that the contest may now begin!
  • # To begin the first event, consider this verbiage:
  • "We will start this evening with the Evaluation Contest. At this time, I would like to introduce our Test Speaker, Name, Title of Speech, Title of Speech again, Name."
  • NOTE: There should be no other introduction of the Test Speaker than name, title, title and the name.
  • # After the Test Speaker has finished, congratulate the speaker and request that your Sergeant-at-Arms now escort the Evaluation contestants out of the room.
  • # When the contestants have exited, explain that they are being taken to a room (the bar downstair) where they cannot hear what is going on within the contest room and that they will have 5 minutes to consider their evaluation content. Then, they will be brought in one by one to offer formal evaluations of the speech they just heard.
  • # To burn up some of that 5 minutes, prepare 5-10 Table Topics to call on audience to do a 0.5/0.75/1 mins Table Topics until 5 mins is up. Ask the Timers to time the Table Topics events.
  • # When 5 mins is up, call for the first contestant using this format: "Our first Evaluation contestant is: Person's Name. Please help me welcome Person's Name."
  • # When the contestant walks to the front of the room, meet the person with a handshake and walk away. Do NOT encourage the contestant to say anything to you like "thank you" because the timer will start!!
  • # After a contestant has completed the evaluation, offer another handshake and say: "May we please have one minute of silence while the judges mark their ballots?"
  • # When you feel a minute might be approaching, announce to the judges to finish up so that we can move on to the next contestant.
  • # When the timer signals that 1 minute has arrived, move right into introducing the next contestant by saying: "Judges, please prepare for our next presenter."
  • # Introduce the next Evaluation participant:
  • "Our next Evaluation contestant is: Person's Name. Please help me welcome Person's name."
  • # After the final contestant has presented, request 2 minutes(N.B. It is 2 mins at the end) of silence for the judges just like the judges received for all of the contestants. When the minute is up, say: "Now we request continued silence until all judges have cast their official votes for best evaluation. Judges, please raise your ballot in the air when you have completed your votes and our Chief Judge and counters will collect the ballots."
  • # After all ballots have been collected, say:
  • "Let's give all of the contestants another round of applause!!"


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