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.

NEW FOR 2018…

With the discontinuation of the Fall Conference event, there will only be District level speech contests in the Spring. During the Fall, clubs, area and divisions will hold speech competition events. For Fall 2018, the District 58 Executive Committee voted that these events will be Table Topics and Tall Tales.

In the Spring 2019, District 58 will host Evaluation and International Speech Contests.  Each contest starts at the club level and advances through Area and Division to the District level. The International Speech is the only contest that  goes beyond the the District level.  The District International Speech winner goes on to compete at Regional semi-final level, where those winners go on to compete in the World Championship of Public Speaking final at the Toastmasters International Convention held in August 2019.

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.

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 Director for more information.

Special Note

Areas with four or fewer Clubs as of July 1st may send 1st and 2nd place winners from the Club contests to the Area level contest. Divisions with four or fewer Areas as of July 1st may send 1st and 2nd place winners from the Area contest to the Division contest. Clubs can elect to choose a representative rather than conducting a contest.

Fall – Tall Tales & Evaluation Contests

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.

The Tall Tales Contest is speech of 3 to 5 minutes in length.  In addition to the general contest rules, the following additions and exceptions apply: 1.) The subject for the Tall Tales speech must be of a highly exaggerated, improbable nature and have a theme or plot. 2.) Humor and props may be used to support or illustrate the speech.

Typically, clubs begin holding their contests in August and September. Area contests are held in September and October with the Division Contest in November.  No contests will be hosted at the district level in the Fall.

Spring – International 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.

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 for International Speech:

• 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 six speech projects in the Competent Communication manual or a minimum of two levels in the Toastmasters Pathways learning experience.
  Only required for the International Speech Contest.
• 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 all Districts compete at the International Convention for the World Championship of Public Speaking.

The Division winners in the Spring contests advance to the District 58 Contest to be held at the D58 Spring Conference.