EVALUATORS AND JUDGES

AN EVALUATOR:

• is friendly and supportive
• knows information about the speaker in advance
• looks at how the speaker met the written objectives of the speech assignment
• looks at any other areas requested by the speaker
• encourages the speaker to improve in one or two areas
• provides both written and oral feedback to the speaker

A JUDGE:

• is anonymous
• knows little or nothing about the speaker in advance
• does not know the speaker's specific objectives
• must observe several speakers
• follows the guidelines set forth in the judging form
• provides no feedback directly to the speaker
• provides one function: helping to choose the winner

PROBLEMS A CHIEF JUDGE MAY ENCOUNTER

PART 1: FINDING JUDGES


(1) You are short a few judges, so you ask the spouse of one of the contestants if he or she can judge. After all, that person is a Toastmaster, and any Toastmaster can judge, right?

Find someone else. Spouses or significant others of contestants, children or parents of contestants, and other close relatives and even close friends of contestants should not be pressed into service as judges. They may try to be as objective as possible but, in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety, it is best when possible to choose as judges people who do not know the contestants at all or do not know them well. Family members of contestants also should not be used as counters--or as chief judges. However, if the opportunity drawing chair needs help.....


(2) Now that you have eliminated spouses, close relatives, and best friends of contestants, you are still in need of judges. How about someone who will be competing in another area or division contest?

For years I told people that this was not a good idea. Then in 2004 Toastmasters International changed the rules to expressly prohibit it. The rules now state: “An individual may not be a judge at any level for a contest in which they are still competing.” It is easy to see why. Can you imagine what might happen if a person who won a contest in Area X-1 were to judge a contest in Area X-2, knowing that the winner of the X-2 contest would be competing against him or her in the Division X contest? Thus, in choosing judges, the chief judge must ascertain whether someone is actually eligible to judge the contest.

A lot of people are still not familiar with this change in the rules. Spread the word.


(3) You are really starting to run out of possibilities. Even the District Governor has been given a responsibility during the contest and cannot serve as a judge. Can you be a judge yourself?

The Speech Contest Manual states: “The chief judge does not vote unless appointed as a voting judge.” This is rather confusing, especially because there is nothing anywhere in the Manual to indicate who is supposed to do the appointing. Considering all the responsibilities that a chief judge has during a contest, it would be difficult to serve as both the chief judge and as either a judge or tie-breaking judge. Keep looking.


(4) What is the minimum number of judges needed for a contest?

Area: 5. Division or District: 7. Regional or International: 9 (plus 5 qualifying judges).


(5) Do you need a tie-breaking judge for every contest?

Yes. A tie-breaking judge is needed in the event that a tie is found when the ballots are counted.


(6) What do you do with the ballot of the tie-breaking judge?

The chief judge is the only person who is supposed to know the identity of the tie-breaking judge, who has been taken aside and provided with the special tie-breaking ballots. The tie-breaking judge must rank all the contestants. The ballot of the tie-breaking judge should be collected by the chief judge in order to prevent it from being mixed with the other ballots.

The chief judge will open the ballot of the tie-breaking judge only if there is a tie. If, for example, the tie is for second place, the chief judge will look at the tie-breaking ballot to see which of the tied contestants was ranked higher on that ballot. The higher-ranking contestant will then be the second-place winner. The first-place winner is not affected.



PART 2: PROBLEMS WITH JUDGES AND OTHER CONTEST PARTICIPANTS


(1) The contest is about to resume after break, and some of the judges have not yet returned.

The chief judge, when asked if all the judges are ready, should ask for a short break to round up the remaining judges. The contest should not begin until all the judges are present.


(2) What should the chief judge do if he/she notices that the timer and assistant timer are talking rather than carrying out their duties?

The chief judge should remind the time and assistant timer of their duties. If they are unable to fulfill those duties after such a reminder, they should be replaced.

Issues have arisen when contestants have complained that they did not receive proper timing indications. More than once, a contestant has asked to present a speech over again so that it would be timed correctly. However, there are no “do overs” in contests.


(3) A timing light burns out during the contest. What do you do?

The rules provide that in the event of a technical failure of the signal, a speaker is allowed 30 second extra overtime before being disqualified.

Always bring a second set of timing lights. To be extra cautious, bring a set of colored cards (green, yellow, and red) to be used if the second set of lights fails.


(4) What should the chief judge do if the Toastmaster of the particular contest starts to introduce a contestant by providing that person’s club number or Toastmaster rank?

The chief judge should have made sure that each of the contest Toastmasters knows the formula to be used in introducing a contestant. For the Humorous and International Contests: Contestant’s name, speech title, speech title, contestant’s name. For Table Topics: Contestant’s name, table topic question, table topic question, contestant’s name. For Evaluation: Contestant’s name, contestant’s name. No other information is to be provided. If the Toastmaster starts to provide other information, the chief judge should interrupt, as tactfully as possible.


(5) What should the chief judge do if the contest chair or other official begins the contest by introducing various Toastmaster dignitaries and includes people who will be competing?

Again, the chief judge should interrupt, as tactfully as possible.


(6) What should the chief judge do if the contest Toastmaster starts to interview the contestants prior to the time all ballots have been collected?

Request that the contest Toastmaster wait a few moments until all ballots have been collected. Information regarding the contestants might sway the decisions of judges who have not yet completed their ballots. Make sure that all ballots have been collected before the counters have left the room.


(7) The contestants have just been instructed on the rules for the contest, and the first contestant is just about to begin his or her presentation. Another contestant for that contest arrives, apologizing profusely for being late due to car trouble. Should the late speaker be allowed to participate?

No. The rules require that the contestants be present at the time the contest Toastmaster is introduced. Contestants who are not present by that time, for whatever reason, are disqualified.

A rather sad situation occurred years ago when several contestants went to the wrong contest location. By the time they realized their mistake, it was too late. The question arose as to whether the contest could be held over again to allow those individuals to compete. The answer: No. There are no “do overs” in contests.


(8) What if a contestant for the second contest of the meeting is not present when the first contest begins?

So long as the contestant arrives before the second contest begins, he or she may compete.


PART 3: OTHER CONCERNS

(1) Who is to bring the ballots and other forms needed for the contest?

Talk to the contest chair about whether you will need to bring this material to the contest. Even if someone else is to bring the ballots and forms, it is highly recommended that you bring some as well. It is better to be over prepared then under prepared.


(2) You cannot find a copy of the current Toastmasters Contest Rulebook. Should you use the one from a previous year?

No. Rules change, and the Chief Judge must be aware of the current ones. Pay special attention to any areas in the new rule book that have gray lines next to them as this designates new information. Make sure prior to the contest that someone has a current rulebook: you, the contest chair, the area or division governor. Throw out your old rulebooks, or recognize them only for their historical interest, but do not rely on them.


(3) The contest has begun, and you remember that you need to make an urgent phone call. Can you leave the room to make the call?

Wait until the break. While the contest is being conducted, the chief judge is to remain in the room at all times.


(4) You are running late and may not make it to the contest before the scheduled time when it is to begin.

Call someone. In this day of cell phones, you should be able to reach the contest chair, area or division governor, or someone who can pass on a message. Get their numbers ahead of time and keep them with you. If you cannot get to the contest within a reasonable amount of time, the contest chair should find a replacement for you.


(5) Can all the paperwork wait until the end of the meeting?

No. The Certificate of Eligibility is to be filled out prior to the contest, as is the Certificate of Originality for the Humorous and International contests. Of course, the Notification of Contest Winner form should be completed at the end of the meeting and turned in to the contest chair before you leave the meeting location.


(6) What is to be done with all those ballots, timing forms, and counter forms that have been collected throughout the course of the contest?

I recommend that you save them until the next level of the contest has been completed. Then tear them up and discard them in your recycling bin. The information contained in the ballot forms is to be kept confidential.

PROTESTS AND DISQUALIFICATIONS

1. What is a protest?

A protest may be lodged if a contestant or judge believes that a speech is not substantially original. It must be lodged with the chief judge and/or the contest chair prior to the announcement of the winners. Only contestants and judges can lodge protests.

2. What happens when a protest is lodged?

The chief judge and the judges meet and decide by a majority vote whether the contestant should be disqualified on the grounds that the speech is not substantially original. Before a contestant can be disqualified, he or she must be given an opportunity to respond to the judges. The decision of the judges is final. The specific comments of the judges during their deliberations should be kept confidential.

3. Shouldn't the judges just give the contestant a lower score for originality rather than disqualifying the contestant?

No. If a judge has reason to believe that a speech is not substantially original, that judge should lodge a protest, not merely mark the speaker lower due to the lack of originality.

4. May a protest be lodged for a reason other than lack of originality?

No. Lack of originality is the only ground for protest. Certainly, other problems may have arisen during the course of the contest or the meeting itself, such as the contest Toastmaster having introduced contestant by Toastmaster designation or past office, but this is not a basis for a protest. However, any questions regarding any such problems should be treated very seriously, and the persons in question should be tactfully informed of correct procedure so that the issue will not arise again.

5. May the chief judge disregard a protest by a contestant or judge?

As long as the protest has been lodged in a timely fashion, the chief judge should comply with the protest procedures. This is true even if the chief judge believes that the protest has no merit. It is up to a consensus of the judges, not the independent determination of the chief judge, as to whether a contestant should be disqualified.

6. How is a contestant to know if he or she has been disqualified following a protest?

The contest chair or chief judge is to notify the contestant of the disqualification prior to the announcement of the winners.

7. If a contestant disagrees with the disqualification, what can he or she do?

The decision of the judges is final.

8. Should the chief judge or the contest chair announce the disqualification due to lack of originality?

No. Next logical question: Then how would anyone know? Logical answer: Ask the contestant, who should have been informed of the disqualification. Do not ask the chief judge or contest chair if there has been a disqualification. The decision regarding the voting on a protest is a confidential matter that should be shared only with the disqualified contestant.

9. What makes a speech "substantially original"?

This is a difficult question because there is no accurate means of assessing what percentage of a speech is original. Obviously, if the speech is taken directly from the work of another, it is not substantially original. That does not mean, however, that the work of another cannot be used in a speech. Quotations, anecdotes, and statistics are often incorporated into speeches. The source of such information, when known, should be identified.

It is sometimes stated that at least 75 percent of the speech should be the original work of the author. I recommend that the contestant strive for greater originality than that. Generally the best speeches, whether inspirational, motivational, or humorous, have some basis in the speaker's own experience. What could have been simply ordinary speeches can become extraordinary when the speakers make the subjects their own by reflecting upon how that particular fact or situation has impacted their lives. They can then build upon that reflection to create a speech that will cause the desired impact on the listeners: challenging them to think or act in different ways, entertaining them with novel conjunctions of ideas, or touching their hearts and minds.

Here are some examples provided by Toastmasters International of speeches that would not be considered substantially original:

• a six-minute speech in which four minutes is devoted to quoting another person or published work, even though the quote is properly attributed to its source
• a speech in which part of the material is taken from another source that is not credited
• a speech that has been taken entirely from another source which may or may not have been credited

10. What about a disqualification when a contestant has gone overtime or under time?

If a contestant is disqualified for going over or under time, a general announcement should be made that there was a disqualification on account of time. The name of the contestant disqualified should not be announced. The chief judge should quietly notify the contestant prior to the announcement of winners of this disqualification. If the contestant then wishes to share that information with anyone else, he or she may do so.

11. Are there any grounds for disqualification other than for lack of originality and failure to comply with the timing rules?

Yes. The contest chair can disqualify a contestant on the basis of eligibility. The contest chair is to notify the contestant of such a disqualification prior to announcement of the winners. The rules also indicate that a contestant may be disqualified for going outside the speaking area, if one is designated.

It should be noted that the rules now provide that a presenter of an educational session at the area, division or district event at which the contest will be held cannot compete.

THE TEN MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR JUDGES TO KNOW

1. Sign the ballot! I hate to think that someone has gone through all the effort of judging only to forget to sign the ballot. If a ballot is not signed, it must be discarded. It has happened more times than I can remember. When I am chief judge, I encourage the judges to sign their ballots before I close our pre-contest meeting just to make sure it gets done. Print your name on the ballot. Print carefully if your handwriting is illegible so that the counters and chief judge know who you are.

2. Make sure the counters can understand your ballot. Remember to place the names with the first place winner at the top. Ignore the numbers on the right side, which are for the counters. If you make a mistake and start drawing arrows (and I have seen it happen), make sure that what you have done is intelligible. If not, your ballot will be discarded.

If there are at least three speakers, vote for first, second, and third. Really. I was chief judge once in a contest in which there were only three contestants. We had to disqualify one ballot because the judge voted only for first and second place, apparently assuming that third place should be obvious.

There can be no ties on your ballot. If you have a tie, you must find some way to break it. I recommend that you look at your Judges Guide and choose the person whose speech reflected the best content.

If you are the tie-breaking judge, remember to rank each of the contestants, first through however many there are. You should have been given the special Tie-Breaking Judge Guide Guide and Ballot which contains spaces to rank nine contestants.

3. Decline the opportunity to judge if for any reason you feel that you cannot be fair and impartial. Such an occasion may arise if one of the contestants is a spouse, sibling, parent, child, or significant other.

Toastmasters rules prohibit a Toastmaster from judging when he or she is a contestant in an upcoming contest. For example, if a Toastmaster has won an area Humorous Speech contest and has not yet competed at the division contest, he or she cannot judge another Humorous Speech contest in the district. If this Toastmaster does not win the division contest, then he or she may serve as a judge at another contest. The purpose of this rule is to avoid any appearance of impropriety. It avoids the possibility that a judge might give a lower score to someone against whom he or she might later compete.

4. Be in the room when the contest is supposed to start. As chief judge, I have had to tell the Contest Toastmaster that we could not begin because the judges were not all in the room.

5. Be a good listener. Do not talk to your neighbors during a contest, especially when a contestant is speaking. Do not go searching through your purse for your pen. Do not think about the food at the back table. Ignore the people who are so rude as to go in and out of the room while a contestant is speaking. Being a good listener helps you to fulfill your responsibility of being fair and impartial so that you can choose a winner.

6. Ignore the timing lights. It is the timers' responsibility to handle timing. If anyone is disqualified on account of time, it will be taken care of by the counters and chief judge. Vote for all contestants as though all have spoken within time.

7. Try the method of folding the Judges Guide and Ballot which places contestant number 1 in the spot marked 9, folding over after each contestant has spoken. It really helps me to pay attention to each speaker and to avoid the urge to compare them while the contest is still going on.

The point values on the Judges Guide are suggestions. I have seen people use checks and minuses and happy and sad faces rather than number values. Use the form in the way that best helps you to choose a winner. Remember that regardless of what contest is being conducted, it is the content of the speech that is worth the most points.

8. If you feel that a speech is not substantially original, you shoul lodge a protest with the chief judge or Contest Toastmaster before the winners are announced. Substantial originality means that you must attribute materials to their sources and must use your own thoughts and words rather than just paraphrasing something you have heard or said. Contestants need to make subjects their own and to express their own perspectives.

9. Remember to take the top portion of your Judges Guide and Ballot with you when you go. Put it in your pocket or purse. Shred it when you get home and put it in your recycling bin. Do not leave it at the contest site. Do not put it in your club file. I was once cleaning out a club file and found one there. I was delighted that the judge felt so highly about me as a contestant, but I should never have seen it. I admit that if I were a contestant and saw a judging form lying where I could see it, I would look at it. Wouldn't you?

10. Do not tell anyone how you judged. It is none of their business. It is hard to be fair and impartial when you think that your judgment may be questioned. If a protest is lodged, do not reveal to anyone what discussions occurred when the judges met to determine the issue of originality.

Sometimes contestants want to talk to judges to find out their thoughts about their speeches. Judges are not evaluators. If contestants want evaluations of their speeches, they should bring their manuals and find people to evaluate their presentations.