For most people, the seasons are Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring. For Toastmasters, the seasons are Officer Training, Contest Season, Officer Training, and Contest Season. For Fall 2017, District 83 is holding two contests: Tall Tales and Table Topics. Club contests are traditionally run in August. Winners move on to Area contests in September and Division contests in October, eventually culminating in the District contest at our Fall Conference on November 18.
But why hold a club contest at all? Here are four great reasons:
- A contest is a great morale builder. A contest creates a fun change of pace from a regular meeting. While nobody joins Toastmasters to earn ribbons and certificates, achievement and recognition are great motivators and learning opportunities for contestants. For the chair, a contest is a chance to work on a short-term leadership project. It even provides CL credit.
- A contest is a means to market your club. Does your club keep a guest book? Reach out and invite guests and former members to attend! Do you advertise within your community or company? Put together a flyer promoting your special event. If your meeting space allows it, consider providing food and snacks. With careful planning, your contest can generate interest and new members.
- A contest is an opportunity to network with other Toastmasters. Do you already know who the best speakers at your club are? Are you sure? At my home club, we try to invite at least one Toastmaster from another club to serve as a judge (or for evaluation contests, test speaker). It helps make the contest fairer, builds a positive impression of our group, and creates opportunities for fellowship with other Toastmasters. I was once invited to help judge a speech contest at an advanced club. I ended up joining a few months later.
- District incentives! If your club sends at least once contestant to the area contest, the club will earn $10 in Toastmasters gift certificates. You can use these to buy more materials for your club.
What are you waiting for? A copy of the official rulebook and other paperwork is downloadable from the Contest section on tm83.org. Make plans for an August club contest today!