Timekeeper

This is an important role because keeping on time is essential.

Don’t you hate meetings that drag on and on past the allotted time? Or a conference where a speaker goes well over their time limit and everyone fidgeting and looking at watch. Shakespeare said “Brevity is the soul of wit” – a good motto for speakers.

Toastmasters teaches us to keep on time and that job falls to the timer.

Tips:

If you haven’t done the role before, test out the stopwatch and the timing chart before the meeting to make sure you know how they work. Ask another member if you need help.

Remember to start timing as soon as the Sargeant at Arms bangs the gavel to start the meeting. Note whether the meeting started on time.

Write the time in minutes and seconds in each section of the agenda.

When asked by the Chair to explain the role, stand at your table, remember the Protocol (Thank you Mr. Chairman, good evening fellow toastmasters and welcome guests) and give a brief explanation of the role for the benefit of guests and new members. Demonstrate the timing apparatus and explain the  timing of speeches.

The rules are:

7 minute speech: Green 5 minutes,  Yellow 6 minutes, Red 7 minutes
2 minute speech: Green 1:30, Yellow 1:45, Red 2 minutes
3 minute speech: Green 2 minutes, Yellow 2:30, Red 3 minutes

If anyone goes over time, begin clapping when they are 15 seconds over. The other members will join in and the member will step down and we hope learn from the  experience and keep on time in future. For the Icebreaker speech there is no
time limit since it is the members first speech.

For evaluations show the colored flags but don’t clap the speaker down since we want the person being evaluated to hear the full evaluation.

The Chair will ask you to time the 1 minute breaks for written evaluations and the 5 minute mid- meeting break. Advise the Chair as soon as the break is over.

The Table Topics master may ask if there is time for 1 more table topic. If an additional topic will put us beyond the  scheduled time advise the TT master  that we are out of time.

When asked by the Chair to give your final report, stand at your table, use the protocol and read out the time in
minutes and seconds for each item on the agenda and for each table topic speaker. Compliment speakers for using time well - not too short, not too  long. In particular note if table topic speakers got to at least 1:30 seconds. Remember that the challenge of table topics is to keep speaking for up to 2 minutes. Also note whether the meeting started on time and stayed on  schedule.

The timer’s report should be more than just reciting numbers.  Make comments and observations and feel free to add a little humour if  possible.

Remember to keep timing after you have done your report. For  example time the general evaluator giving them a green light when they have 2  minutes left, yellow at 1 minute left and red when their time is up.

Take the role seriously. Keeping on time is one of the keys to a good meeting.