The Table Topics® session is the portion of the meeting designed to give every member and guests of the club an opportunity to speak extemporaneously for a minute or two. The Topicsmaster is responsible for preparing and issuing an original, creative topic or topics. Each speaker may be given an individual subject or presented with a choice of subjects from which they choose or draw at random.
Serving as Topicsmaster supports leadership skills including planning, preparation, organisation, time management, and facilitation.
Prior to the Meeting
- Confirm any scheduled meeting theme with the Toastmaster. If one has been selected, choose topics that coordinate well with that theme. If there isn’t a theme, choose a wide selection of topics. Avoid repeating Table Topics from recent meetings.
During the Meeting
- When introduced, briefly state the purpose of the Table Topics session. Announce your topics and keep your remarks brief but enthusiastic. If the club has a word of the day, encourage speakers to use it in their responses.
- State the question or topic first and then randomly select a member to respond. Working through members randomly supports the impromptu nature of Table Topics.
- Try not to choose those giving prepared speeches.
- Keep your comments short. Your job is to give others a chance to speak. Check in with the Toastmaster from time to time to see how long you have left.
- If the meeting has more than two speeches remind members to vote on the best topic answer.
- The Topicsmasters responsibilities conclude with the end of the Table topics session.