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.