The General Evaluator (GE) in a Toastmasters meeting is a crucial leadership role responsible for assessing the overall quality and effectiveness of the entire club meeting, providing constructive feedback, and overseeing the evaluation team. This role is designed to enhance critical thinking, organization, time management, motivational, and team-building skills for the individual taking it on. 


The GE acts as the "quality control officer" of the meeting, offering a comprehensive perspective on how well the meeting ran and how effectively members performed their roles. This includes observing aspects such as timeliness, enthusiasm, preparation, organization, and the performance of duties by all participants. The GE's report aims to provide motivating, structured, and specific feedback to help individuals improve their speaking and leadership skills.


Key responsibilities and functions of a General Evaluator include:


  • Overseeing the Evaluation Team: The GE manages the evaluation section of the meeting, which typically includes speech evaluators, the Ah-Counter, the Grammarian, and the Timer. In some clubs, this may also extend to a Table Topics evaluator. The GE ensures that these evaluators understand their tasks and responsibilities and are prepared to deliver effective feedback.


  • Evaluating the Meeting's Flow and Structure: The GE takes notes throughout the meeting on various elements, such as whether the club's property is properly displayed, if there were unnecessary distractions, and if each segment of the meeting began and ended on time. This allows the GE to provide a big-picture view of club performance and suggest improvements to meeting structure and protocol.


  • Providing Feedback on Role Performance: The GE assesses how well members performed their assigned roles, including the Toastmaster of the meeting and the Table Topicsmaster. This feedback can highlight areas for improvement in preparation, organization, and delivery.


  • Assessing the Quality of Evaluations: While the GE does not typically re-evaluate prepared speeches, they can comment on the quality of the feedback provided by the assigned speech evaluators. This includes whether the evaluations were positive, upbeat, helpful, and offered specific ideas for improvement.


  • Explaining the Purpose of Evaluation: Especially for guests and new members, the GE often provides a brief explanation of the purpose and benefits of evaluations, emphasizing that it is a positive experience designed to help members grow.


  • Promoting Club Improvement: The GE's report can lead to positive changes within the club, addressing issues like guest greetings or encouraging more members to participate in impromptu speaking. This role is integral to ensuring the club meets the goals and needs of its members.


To be effective, a General Evaluator should be familiar with all meeting roles and understand the objectives of various Toastmasters projects. Resources like "A Toastmaster Wears Many Hats" are available to guide individuals in this role. While the role can seem challenging, it offers significant learning opportunities in leadership and communication.