The Speech Contest Chair coordinates D84's annual speech contest season, held in the Spring. Contests run from the club level through area, division, and finally the District finals at the spring conference. The chair is one of the Program Quality Director's five chair teams.
What the chair does
- Sets the contest calendar across all levels (club / area / division / district)
- Recruits contestmasters, chief judges, and functionaries at the District level
- Sources ballots, equipment, ribbons, and trophies
- Coordinates with the Conference Chair on the District-finals logistics
- Maintains the official contest results record after each level
The three Spring contests
D84 runs three contests during the Spring season:
- International Speech Contest — always held. The winner advances to the Region Quarterfinals on the path to the World Championship of Public Speaking.
- Evaluation Contest — also held annually.
- One rotating contest — either Humorous Speech or Table Topics, alternating year to year.
Tall Tales is a club-level-only contest and does not advance through area, division, or District.
How contests are run
All contests follow the official Toastmasters Speech Contest Rulebook. Each level (club → area → division → district) has its own contestmaster and chief judge. The Contest Chair sets policy at the District level and serves as the resource for area and division directors running contests in their scopes.
Get involved
If you'd like to serve as a contestmaster, judge, or functionary at any level, contact the current Speech Contest Chair — see the Leadership page for the current contact. Judging certification and functionary training are available year-round through the Education Team.