TIME KEEPER

Taking on this role improves time management skills.

One of the skills Toastmasters practice is expressing a thought within a specific time. The timer is responsible for monitoring time for each meeting segment and each speaker. As Timer, you:

- Acquire the timing/signaling equipment from the sergeant at arms and know how to operate it PLEASE ensure as the timekeeper that you are sitting in the middle at the back of the room, so that you are ALWAYS facing the speaker.

You will be called upon twice in the meeting, at the beginning and the end by the General Evaluator.

The first time you are introduced explain the timing rules and demonstrate the coloured flash cards for the First, Second and Final signal.

Throughout the meeting, listen carefully to each participant and signal with the timing cards. Please sure to clearly HOLD UP ABOVE YOUR HEAD each of the colour cards (green, yellow and red) and DO NOT PUT IT DOWN until the speaker is finished, ESPECIALLY for the red card DO NOT START THE TIMING until each participant actually starts speaking (NOT when the participant is thinking or setting up at the beginning).PLEASE do not think and assume that the participant has seen the green, yellow or red card, and make it very clear as explicitly as you can.

Record each speakers time. You can also use and take the structure of the form (see below) or put the information on a blank piece of paper.

When called upon by the General Evaluator to report, announce the speakers’ names and the time taken.
Please ensure that you say both the allotted time and actual time, and what it is for (Example for Speaker: “Raphaelle as 1st speaker had 4 to 6 minutes, and she was timed at 5 minutes 23 seconds”; Example for Table Topics speaker: “Each participant had 1 to 2 minutes, “1st name” 1 min 20 sec, “2nd name” 1 min 49 sec, etc.”)