Meeting Role Feature – Table Topics Master
The Table Topics Master delivers a set of topics for members and visitors to practise organising their thoughts and impromptu speaking skills.
There are various ways of presenting the topics, usually decided at club level. Two ways are listed here. Your club may use one type of presentation or both.
- Mystery Box: Select a range of objects from around your home and place them in a box or bag. You may choose to base them on a theme, or you may connect them with a challenge, “How would you use each object to escape from a locked shed?’
2. Come up with 6-8 questions for guests and members to speak on. The questions may be based around a theme (e.g. holidays) or stand-alone. Develop questions with a variety of difficulty.
When it is time for Mystery Box or Table Topics, wait to the side of the speaking area until the Toastmaster introduces you.
BRIEFLY introduce the activity, explaining that speakers should stand by their seat when answering. Explain the timing system. E.g. Green light = 60 seconds, minimum; Red light = 90 seconds, maximum. Ask speakers to try to get to the green light.
Choose experienced members to answer first so that visitors and new members see how the activity unfolds. Explain that visitors may pass if they are not comfortable answering. Alternatively, ask if any visitors would like to volunteer.
Read the question before choosing the member/guest so that everyone has a chance to think how they might answer.
Discreetly stand to the side after each speaker starts and lead the applause when they finish speaking, returning to the centre front. Create a relevant segue between speakers.
Keep notice of the time of the overall session. The timer or the toastmaster will most likely advise you when there is time only for one more question.
Click below for some examples of Table Topic questions.
https://dist8tm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/365_Sample_Table_Topics_Questions.pdf
