Everything you need to know about ...
Members of Miranda Toastmasters compete for the honour of being awarded the Master of the Toast.
This contest is a club-level competition and winners do not continue to Area or Division to compete against other Clubs. So, it’s a great opportunity to hone your competition skills without the added pressure of going further.
The Toast is something we Toastmasters are very familiar with – after all, it is in our name.
In a nutshell, a toast is a ritual in which a drink is taken as an expression of honour or goodwill. And these traits should be evident in a contest Toast.
The Master of the Toast contest is unique to Miranda Toastmasters.
Master of the Toast judging criteria
The contest judges will follow strict criteria for how they judge the Toasts. There are four main elements they will judge.
Firstly, the subject of the Toast should be appropriate. Especially as the contest judges will be rating the appropriateness and worthiness of the subject of Toast and it’s worth a whopping 40 per cent of the total possible points. Subject selection is the most important element of the Toast.
The effectiveness of the Toast is worth 15 points. Judges will be rating the Toast on the achievement of its purpose, the interest it creates and the reception it receives from the audience.
The development of the toast is worth another 15 points and this is whether the content of the Toast develops and whether it is appropriately sympathetic, sensitive or motivational in relation to the subject.
And finally, the summation is worth another 15 points. The Toast should refrain from long-winded and wordy conclusions. It must be concise, encouraging and uplifting.
Timing: The length of the Toast for the contest is 2 to 3 minutes.
Contestants will be disqualified if the Toast is less than 1 minute 30 seconds or more than 3 minutes 30 seconds. So, it’s critical to stay within time.