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Toastmaster of the Day

The master of ceremonies or host of the meeting. They introduce speakers and keep energy high.

Role overview

As Toastmaster, you are the host of the meeting—the master of ceremonies who sets the tone, keeps energy high, and moves the program from one segment to the next. You’ll open the meeting, share the theme, introduce functionaries and speakers, hand off Table Topics and evaluations, and return the lectern to the Club President at the end.

This role is a great way to practice leading a group, speaking with presence, and staying organized under a live schedule. Review the agenda before the meeting so you know who’s signed up and what to introduce.

What to fill in on the agenda

After you sign up as Toastmaster, you can optionally add a meeting theme suggestion on the agenda (use Add theme suggestion / Edit theme suggestion on your role). If the club uses a theme for the meeting, this helps the Table Topics Master and others prepare. Speakers still add their own speech titles and intros on their roles—check those before you introduce them.

Toastmaster

Add theme suggestion

Opening remarks

When introduced by the Club President, stand and state the following:

Thank you, Mr./Madam President, fellow Toastmasters, and guests.

Welcome, everyone! I will be your Toastmaster for the night and my role is to make sure the meeting runs smoothly.

Tonight’s theme is: [Insert Theme Here] (Briefly share your thoughts or a fun fact related to the theme.)

Meeting overview

As with every Toastmasters meeting, tonight is divided into three main segments:

1. Prepared Speeches – Speakers deliver speeches based on specific objectives from their Toastmasters Pathway projects. Each speech is designed to develop different public speaking skills.
2. Evaluations – This is one of the most valuable parts of Toastmasters. Each prepared speaker receives supportive, constructive feedback from an assigned evaluator. Evaluations help us grow into stronger communicators.
3. Table Topics – Members will be called on to speak impromptu for 1–2 minutes, sharpening their quick-thinking and extemporaneous speaking skills. Tonight’s questions will be based on our theme: [Insert Theme — ask the Table Topics Master what their theme will be]

Introduction of functionary roles

To help us stay on track and keep things running smoothly, we have a few supporting roles tonight. Each of these members will now introduce their responsibilities:

• Ah Counter: _______________________
• Grammarian: _______________________
• Timer: _______________________
• Joke Master: _______________________

(Each functionary gives their brief role description when called.)

Prepared speeches segment

Let’s begin the first portion of our meeting: Prepared Speeches.

Our first speaker is _______________________.

This speech comes from the [Insert Pathway/Project] and is titled “_______________________.” The speech is [Insert Time Limit, e.g., 5–7 minutes] and focuses on [Insert Objective, e.g., organizing a speech with a clear purpose].

Please welcome _______________________!

(Repeat this format for all speakers.)

After prepared speeches

Thank you to all our speakers!

Table Topics segment

Now it’s time for our final segment: Table Topics.

This portion helps members practice thinking and speaking on their feet. Please welcome our Table Topics Master: _______________________.

(After Table Topics ends, the Table Topics Master returns control to the Toastmaster.)

Call for a Timer’s report

Timer, may we have your report?

Evaluation segment

Next, we’ll begin our second segment: Evaluations.

Please welcome our General Evaluator for the evening: _______________________, who will lead this portion of the program.

(After individual speech evaluations, the General Evaluator returns the meeting to the Joke Master.)

(After jokes, the General Evaluator evaluates the meeting and transitions back to the Toastmaster.)

Closing remarks

Thank you again to all our members and guests for joining us tonight—and thank you for your participation, energy, and support.

(Briefly share your thoughts about the meeting.)

I now return the lectern to our Club President: Club President.