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Roles in Toastmasters

Ah Counter |

General Evaluator |

Grammarian |

Sergeant At Arms |

Timer |

Toastmasters of the Evening |

Table Topics Master |

Word of the Day|

Ah Counter (Noting Pause Fillers)

Examples are:
1. Words may be inappropriate interjections such as “and, well, but, so, you know.”
2. Sounds may be “ah, um, er.”
3. Repetitive word or phrase such as “I,I” or “This means, this means.” Or “you know, you know”.
4. “Pause fillers” such as lip-smacking
Note: pauses in between sentences are not considered as “pause fillers”. It is up to the individual speakers to use “pauses” effectively in their speech.

PRIOR TO THE MEETING
- Prepare a brief explanation of the duties of the ah counter for the benefit of guests.

UPON ARRIVAL AT THE MEETING
- Get a pen and blank piece of paper on which to make notes, or get a blank copy of the ah counter’s log from the Sergeant at Arms.

DURING THE MEETING
- When introduced by the Toastmaster of the Evening, stand up and briefly explain the role of the ah counter.
- Throughout the meeting, listen to everyone’s pause fillers (use your
discretion, some pauses are appropriate for dramatic effect, while some are obvious fillers where the speaker is simply buying time) pauses used as fillers and not as a necessary part of sentence structure.
Write down how many pause fillers each person used during all portions of the meeting.
- When called on, stand by your chair and give your report.

AFTER THE MEETING
- Tally the levies for each speaker that you have noted, and collect the fines from them.
- Give your completed report & the fines collected to the Treasurer for record.

Sample Script

Toastmasters attempts to teach us to speak in a clear and unobstructed manner. The use of "ah's or um's" or “okay” or other vocal pauses can hinder our progress.

Today, it is my job during the entire meeting, except for the formal speaking program, to call your attention to these pause fillers. It is not intended to be offensive or embarrass you. But simply give you a sense of awareness of an area in which you may choose to work. I will give my report at the end of the meeting.

Fines for will be:XX

When called on by the Toastmaster, give the report of these activities as requested.