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What better way to hone your speaking skills than to participate in a speech contest! Sure, you get some decent evaluations after speaking to your club, but when you practice and progress through the various levels of competition, you REALLY learn how to choose exactly the right words... exactly the right place for pauses... and you'll learn exactly what needs to be done to connect with an audience!
As in previous years, participants will progress from Club level contests to Area level... to Division... to District. For the International Speech Contest (only), they will progress to International!
Looking for resources for your Club, Area, or Division contest? See below for everything you need... except for the contestants!
If you have something to share, please send it to the District 23 Webmaster for posting on this page.
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All contests require that contestants be a Toastmaster in good standing in a Toastmasters Club in good standing. (i.e. club dues must have been paid BEFORE the club-level speech contest.)
The International Speech Contest has an additional requirement that a Toastmaster must also have completed at least six manual speeches in the Communication and Leadership Program Manual (a.k.a. the "Basic Manual"). Only one exception may be made to International Contest's six-speech requirement: A charter member of a Club chartered since the previous July 1 is eligible to compete. The Club must be officially chartered prior to the Area contest.
Speech contest eligibility will be verified before each contest, for each contestants.
District level officers are ineligible for competition in any contest. See the current year's rulebook for a complete description of rules and eligibility criteria.
An invaluable asset for contest officials and contestants alike, the Toastmasters Interational Speech Contest Rulebook is updated every year for the International, Evaluation, Humorous, Table Topics, and Tall Tales speech contests. The latest version can be found by clicking here. (PDF format, normally available for download or print).
Winners of contests at each level should be documented on the Notification of Contest Winner form, which should be immediately provided to the Chair for the next level of competition.
In Areas with FOUR or fewer clubs at the beginning of the Contest Season, clubs will be encouraged to send up to TWO participants each, per contest, to the Area-level competition.
In Areas with FIVE or more clubs at the beginning of the Contest Season, clubs will be allowed to send ONE participant each, per contest, to the Area-level competition (e.g., this applies to Area 42).
In Divisions with FOUR or fewer Areas at the beginning of Contest Season, Areas will be encouraged to send up to TWO participants each, per contest, to the Division-level competition. (i.e. In Divisions A, B, C, D and E each Area will send first- and second-place winners to the Division contests.)
In Divisions with FIVE or more Areas at the beginning of Contest Season, Areas will be encouraged to send ONE participant each, per contest, to the Division-level competition. (i.e. In Division F, each Area will send only the first-place winners to the Division contests.)
Each Division will have ONE representative at the District contests (i.e. each Division sends first-place winner to District).
Please note... Toastmasters International does not offer the judging forms and rulebooks for free. We are not permitted to publish these forms on the district website.
EACH CLUB receives a copy of the speech contest rules every year from World Headquarters (sent to the Club President on-record).
Any member or club officer can order the current contest judging forms, timers' reports, ballot counting forms, and rulebooks from the TOASTMASTERS CATALOG at a very reasonable cost.