Timer

Last Revised: August 21st, 2019

On the day of the meeting, you arrive early, and touch base with the Toastmaster to confirm speaking time slots that are listed on the agenda are correct. You also locate the timer. If the time has a dead battery or is not working, you obtain green, yellow, and red sheets of paper from the Sergeant-at-Arms and use them as flags.

Refer to the meeting agenda for the times of each participant. Use the timer programs to automatically change the light color for you. Ask a nearby member how to use the timer program. It’s very easy. You simply press the “program” button until the maximum time for the role you’re given appears on the screen. For example, if timing table topics, the maximum time is 1:00 so toggle the program button until you see that. If you’re timing a speech which should be 5-7 min, click until you see 7:00 appear on the screen. The green, yellow, red, and flashing red will appear at the appropriate times. Press the start button to begin timing and keep the timer facing the speaker so they can see the lights when they illuminate.

Early in the meeting, at the Toastmaster’s request, you concisely describe your duties. You have sixty seconds maximum. You are encouraged to be brief, or you will eat into time reserved for Table Topics. Avoid giving the exact time each light will come on for each type of event. Instead, simply explain, “The green light means that you have met your time requirement; yellow, you must wrap up soon; red, you must wrap up now; and if the red light flashes, you have seriously exceeded your limit and are disqualified from Best Table Topics, Best Speaker, or Best Evaluator.”

When timing any speaker, you begin when the member first speaks or first communicates to the audience with a clear gesture.

You time every functionary (Grammarian, Ah-Counter, and Videographer) when he/she describes his/her duties.

During the Educational Happening, you time the speaker.

During Table Topics, you time each respondent, and when asked by the Table Topics Master, you report who spoke within time limits.

During a formal speech, you time the Speaker, and when asked by the Toastmaster, you report who spoke within the time limits.

During the evaluation segment, you time each Evaluator and the General Evaluator, and when asked by the General Evaluator, you report who spoke within time limits.

You time the Grammarian and Ah-Counter when each gives his/her final report.