District Contests
and Beyond!

Click here for the Current Contest Schedule
& Winners for 2006-2007 and 2007-2008

About the Humorous Speech Contest - About the Evaluation Contest
 About the International Speech Contest - About the Table Topics Contest

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The purpose of a speech contest is to provide an opportunity for speakers to improve their speaking abilities, to recognize individual Toastmasters as an encouragement to all, and to provide an opportunity for all Toastmasters to learn by observing speakers who have benefited from their Toastmasters training. Each contest focuses on a particular set of skills, providing a terrific opportunity to learn about a specific area of communication.

District 58 holds speech contests as twice a year; the Humorous Speech Contest and Evaluation Contest in the fall and the Table Topics Contest and International Speech Contest in the spring. Each contest starts at the club level and works its way up through Area and Division to the District. The District International Speech winner will compete at the Regional level and the Regional winner will compete in the World Championship of Public Speaking at the Toastmasters International Convention held each year in August. Below is more information about each speech and the qualifications for each. If you are interested in competing, please ask your club President, VPE, or the Area Governor for more information.

Eligibility:
In general, to be eligible for any contest, a contestant must be a member in good standing of a club in good standing (dues current). The International Contest has some additional requirements described below. If a member belongs to more than one club, the member may enter the club contest for each club where he/she maintains good standing. However, a contestant may not represent more than one club at the Area level, even if the clubs are in different Areas or Divisions. District officers may not compete in any contest.

Fall - Humorous Speech Contest & Evaluation Contest

The Evaluation Contest features a 2 to 3 minutes evaluation of a target speaker. The target speaker gives a speech which all the evaluation contestants are to evaluate. The contestants are taken from the room and given five minutes to prepare their speeches and make notes. Then, their notes are taken away and they are brought back into the room one by one (at which time the contestant gets his notes back) to deliver their oral evaluation of the target speech. Since no contestant hears what another said about the target speech, the judges can compare the analytical abilities of the contestants.

JUDGING CRITERIA - EVALUATION CONTEST

SPEECH DEVELOPMENT (30%)

• Speech development is the way the speaker puts ideas together so the audience can understand them. The speech is structured around a purpose, and this structure must include an opening, body, and conclusion. A good speech immediately engages the audience's attention and then moves forward toward a significant conclusion. This development of the speech structure is supported by relevant examples, illustrations, facts, and figures, delivered with such smoothness that they blend into the framework of the speech to present the audience with a unified whole.

EFFECTIVENESS (25%)

• Effectiveness is measured in part by the audience's reception of the speech, but a large part is your subjective judgment of how the speech came across. You should ask yourself such questions as "Was I able to determine the speaker's purpose?" "Did the speech relate directly to that purpose?" "Was the audience's interest held by the speaker?" "Was this speech subject appropriate for this particular audience?"

PHYSICAL (15%)

• Physical presentation of a speech carries part of the responsibility for effective communication. The speaker's appearance should reinforce the speech, whether
  profound, sad, humorous, or instructional. Body language should support points
  through gestures, expressions, and body positioning.

VOICE (15%)

• Voice is the sound that carries the message. It should be flexible, moving from one
  pitch level to another for emphasis, and should have a variety of rate and volume. A good voice can be clearly heard and the words easily understood.

LANGUAGE (15%)

• APPROPRIATENESS of language refers to the choice of words that relate to the
  speech purpose and to the particular audience hearing the speech. Language should promote clear understanding of thoughts and should fit the occasion precisely.
• CORRECTNESS of language ensures that attention will be directed toward what the speaker says, not how it is said. Proper use of grammar and correct pronunciation will show that the speaker is the master of the words being used.
• MANNER is the indirect revelation of the speaker's real self as the speech is
  delivered. The speaker should speak with enthusiasm and assurance, showing interest in the audience and confidence in their reactions.

The Humorous Speech is 5 to 7 minutes in length. Humorous speaking, which must be substantially original. Any quoted material must be identified during the presentation. The speech must be a thematic in nature (opening, body, and close) and not be an act or a monologue. It should e "clean" humor; avoid objectionable language, anecdotes, and material. Vocal variety, gestures, and speech content all play a part in a successful humorous speech.

Typically, clubs begin holding their contest in July. Area contests are held in August with the Division Contest in September. The District 58 Contest will be held at the Fall Conference held in October.

JUDGING CRITERIA - HUMOROUS SPEECH CONTEST

Content (55%)

• SPEECH DEVELOPMENT is the way the speaker puts ideas together so the audience can understand them. The speech is structured around a purpose, and this structure must include an opening, body, and conclusion. A good speech immediately engages the audience's attention and then moves forward toward
  a significant conclusion. This development of the speech structure is supported by relevant examples, illustrations, facts, and figures, delivered with such smoothness that they blend into the framework of the speech to present the audience with a unified whole.
• EFFECTIVENESS is measured in part by the audience's reception of the speech, but a large part is your subjective judgement of how the speech came across. You should ask yourself such questions as "Was I able to determine the speaker's purpose?" "Did the speech relate directly to that purpose?" "Was the audience's interest held by the speaker?" "Was this speech subject appropriate for this particular audience?"
• SPEECH VALUE justifies the act of speaking. The speaker has a responsibility to say something meaningful and original to the audience. The listeners should feel the speaker has made a contribution to their thinking. The ideas should be important ones, although this does not preclude a humorous presentation of them.
• AUDIENCE RESPONSE indicates the level to which the speaker has affected the emotions and response of the audience. An increasing level of interest may be indicated by reduced audience movement, greater eye contact and laughter at appropriate cues.

Delivery (30%)

• PHYSICAL presentation of a speech carries part of the responsibility for effective communication. The speaker's appearance should reinforce the speech, whether profound, sad, humorous, or instructional. Body language should support points through gestures, expressions, and body positioning.
• VOICE is the sound that carries the message. It should be flexible, moving from one pitch level to another for emphasis, and should have a variety of rate and volume. A good voice can be clearly heard and the words easily understood.
• MANNER is the indirect revelation of the speaker's real self as the speech is delivered. The speaker should speak with enthusiasm and assurance, showing interest in the audience and confidence in their reactions.

Language (15%)

• APPROPRIATENESS of language refers to the choice of words that relate to the speech purpose and to the particular audience hearing the speech. Language should promote clear understanding of thoughts and should fit the occasion precisely.
• CORRECTNESS of language ensures that attention will be directed toward what the speaker says, not how it is said. Proper use of grammar and correct pronunciation will show that the speaker is the master of the words being used.

Spring - International Speech Contest & Table Topics Contest

The Table Topics Contest is a 1 to 2 minutes impromptu response to a selected table topic question. All contestants are taken out of the room and brought back in one by one to respond to the same question. The question or topic asked should be general in nature and not require specialized knowledge which some contestants might have while others might not. Since no contestant hears the topic before his turn to speak on it, you can judge their impromptu speaking abilities by the way in which each person's effort stacks up against the others. This contest competes as far as the District level.

JUDGING CRITERIA - TABLE TOPICS CONTEST

• SPEECH DEVELOPMENT is the way the speaker puts ideas together so the audience can understand them. The Table Topics response is structured around a purpose, and this structure must include an opening, body and conclusion. The response is supported by relevant examples and illustrations, facts and figures, if appropriate, and is delivered smoothly.
• EFFECTIVENESS is your subjective judgment of how the response came across. Were you able to determine the speaker's purpose? Did the speech relate directly to the given question or topic? Was the response clearly and logically presented?
• PHYSICAL presentation of a speech carries part of the responsibility for effective communication. The speaker's appearance should reinforce his or her response. Body language should support points through gestures, expressions and body positioning.
• VOICE is the sound that carries the message. It should be flexible, moving from one pitch level to another for emphasis, and should have a variety of rate and volume. A good voice can be clearly heard and the words easily understood.
• LANGUAGE refers to the choice of words that relate to the responses. Language should promote clear understanding of thoughts and should fit the occasion precisely. Proper use of grammar and correct pronunciation will show that the speaker is the master of the words being used.

The International Speech Contest provides an opportunity for members to put all their skills together into a performance that can take them as high as the International level. Speeches that win are typically motivational or inspirational in nature. It is a 5 to 7 minute speech on any topic, so long as it's original. It can be funny, or serious. It should be the best speech you can give, and it must be original. Did I mention that it must be original?

Eligibility Requirements:

• Have been an active member in good standing since the previous July 1 of a club in good standing or be a charter member of a club chartered since the previous July 1. (The club must have been chartered before the Area Contest.)
• Have completed at least six projects in the basic manual.
• Not be an officer above club level.
• Not have won this contest at the International level

This is the only contest that goes as far as the International level. Each August, winners from the Regions and the Overseas clubs compete at the International Convention in the World Championship of Public Speaking.

JUDGING CRITERIA - INTERNATIONAL SPEECH CONTEST

CONTENT (50%)

• SPEECH DEVELOPMENT is the way the speaker puts ideas together so the audience can understand them. The speech is structured around a purpose, and this structure must include an opening, body and conclusion. A good speech immediately engages the audience's attention and then moves forward toward a significant conclusion. This development of the speech structure is supported by relevant examples and illustrations, facts and figures, delivered with such smoothness that they blend into the framework of the speech to present the audience with a unified whole.
• EFFECTIVENESS measures in part the audience's reception of the speech, but a large part is your subjective evaluation of how the speech came across. You should ask yourself such questions as: Was I able to determine the speaker's purpose? Did the speech relate directly to that purpose? Was the audience's interest held by the speaker? Was the speech subject appropriate to this audience?
• SPEECH VALUE justifies the act of speaking. The speaker has a responsibility to say something meaningful and original to the audience. The listeners should feel the speaker has made a contribution to their thinking. The ideas should be important ones, although this does not preclude a humorous presentation of them.

DELIVERY (30%)

• PHYSICAL presentation of a speech carries part of the responsibility for effective communication. The speaker's appearance should reinforce the speech, whether profound, sad, humorous, instructional. Body language should support points through gestures, expressions and body positioning.
• VOICE is the sound that carries the message. It should be flexible, moving from one pitch level to another for emphasis, and should have a variety of rate and volume. A good voice can be clearly heard and the words easily understood.
• MANNER is the indirect revelation of the speaker's real self as the speech is delivered. The speaker should speak with enthusiasm and assurance, showing interest in the audience and confidence in their reactions.

LANGUAGE (20%)

• APPROPRIATENESS of language refers to the choice of words that relate to the speech purpose and to the particular audience hearing the speech. Language should promote clear understanding of thoughts, should fit the occasion precisely.
• CORRECTNESS of language ensures that attention will be directed toward what the speaker says, not how it is said. Proper use of grammar and correct pronunciation will show that the speaker is the master of the words being used.