Contest Chair
A running order of what the Contest Chair will need to organise on the day of the competition
Humorous Speech Contest
Before it starts
- have a Contestants Briefing and answer any questions about the rules;
- draw for speaking positions;
- fill in each Contestant’s Name and Speech Title in the correct order on page 2 below;
- get each Contestant to sign an ‘Eligibility and Originality Certificate’ and give all completed certificates to the Chief Judge;
- ensure that the Timers have their forms and understand their role;
- ensure that the Counters have their forms and understand their role;
- ensure that the Chief Judge briefs the judges and gives them their forms;
- check that you know the correct pronunciation of any difficult names or titles.
The Contest
- Chief Judge: Introduce.
- Protests: Explain that any protest, by a contestant or judge, must be lodged with the Chief Judge or yourself prior to the announcement of the winners at the end of the meeting.
- Timing: a) begins with the Contestant’s first definite communication;
- b) lights are at 5 minutes (green), 6 minutes (amber) and 7 minutes (red) – the lights remaining on until speech conclusion;
- c) a Contestant will be disqualified if the speech is less than
4 minutes 30 seconds or more than 7 minutes 30 seconds.
- Positions: List the order of the Speakers.
- Mobile phones: Ask for them to be switched off.
Introduce each Contestant and Title as on page 2, without comment, in the sequence:
Speech number … Contestant … Title … Title … Contestant.
Announce 1 minute silence after each speech.
After the 1 minute (or 2 minutes if required) silence following the final speech:
- ask Counters to collect voting slips & timesheets;
- ask Counters and Chief Judge to leave the room and count the votes.
* Winners announced are:
- if 5 or more Contestants: 3rd, 2nd and 1st places
- if 4 or less Contestants: 2nd and 1st places
Table Topics Contest
Before it starts
- have a Contestants Briefing and answer any questions about the rules;
- draw for speaking positions;
- fill in each Contestant’s Name in the correct order on page 4 below;
- get each Contestant to sign an ‘Eligibility and Originality Certificate’ (eligibility only to be certified) and give all completed certificates to the Chief Judge
- ensure that the Timers have their forms and understand their role;
- ensure that the Counters have their forms and understand their role which includes looking after the Contestants outside the room and ushering them in one at a time (or you could appoint separate Ushers to do this);
- ensure that the Chief Judge briefs the judges;
- check that you know the correct pronunciation of any difficult names.
The Contest
- Chief Judge: Introduce.
- Protests. Explain that any protest, by a Contestant or Judge, must be lodged with the Chief Judge or yourself prior to the announcement of the winners at the end of the meeting.
- Timing. a) begins with the Contestant’s first definite communication;
- b) lights are at 1 minute (green), 1½ minutes (amber) and 2 minutes (red) – the lights remaining on until speech conclusion;
- c) a Contestant will be disqualified if the speech is less than 1 minute or more than 2 minutes 30 seconds;
- Positions. List the order of the Speakers.
- Mobile phones: Ask for them to be switched off.
Ask all Contestants except the first to leave the room with a delegated Counter/Usher.
Call upon and introduce each Contestant as on page 4, without comment.
Read the Topic twice.
Announce 1 minute silence after each Topic.
After the 1 minute (or 2 minutes if required) silence following the final speaker:
- ask the Counters to collect ballot slips & timesheets;
- ask the Chief Judge and Counters to leave the room and count the votes.