The Topicsmaster plays a crucial role in a Toastmasters meeting by facilitating the Table Topics® session, which is designed to develop members' impromptu speaking skills. This role helps members learn to organize and express their thoughts quickly and coherently in an unscripted setting.


The Topicsmaster is responsible for preparing and delivering a series of impromptu questions or prompts, known as Table Topics, to club members and guests who are not assigned a speaking role during the meeting. This role significantly enhances the Topicsmaster's organizational skills, time management, and facilitation abilities.


Key responsibilities and best practices for a Topicsmaster include:

Preparation Before the Meeting

  • Selecting Engaging Topics: The Topicsmaster should choose topics in advance that allow speakers to offer opinions or share personal stories. Topics should be interesting, even potentially controversial, but generally well-known and not require specialized knowledge. It's beneficial to align topics with the meeting's theme, if one exists, or explore creative avenues like unusual holidays, fictional book covers, or obscure laws to spark interest.

  • Formulating Clear Questions: Questions should be open-ended, encouraging more than a "yes" or "no" answer. They should be straightforward, simple to understand, and stated concisely (ideally within 15 seconds). The Topicsmaster should be sensitive to club members' circumstances, avoiding questions that might cause discomfort.

  • Planning Speaker Selection: The Topicsmaster should identify members who do not have a primary speaking role in the meeting to give them an opportunity to speak. It's advisable to start with experienced Toastmasters to set a good example, then move to other members and, finally, offer guests the opportunity to speak, reassuring them that declining is acceptable.

During the Meeting

  • Introducing the Session: The Topicsmaster briefly explains the purpose of Table Topics – to practice impromptu speaking – and outlines the timing parameters (typically 1-2 minutes with a 30-second grace period). They should also encourage the use of the "Word of the Day".

  • Presenting Topics and Calling Speakers: A crucial technique is to state the topic clearly first, then pause, and then call on a speaker. This encourages everyone to think about a potential answer, creating a sense of anticipation. The Topicsmaster should maintain a professional and positive demeanor, warmly inviting speakers to the stage.

  • Time Management: The Topicsmaster must be mindful of the allotted time for the Table Topics session, adjusting the number of speakers or topic length if other parts of the meeting have run over.

  • Facilitating Speaker Flow: After each speaker, the Topicsmaster should initiate applause and offer brief, positive comments related to the speech before moving to the next topic. Their comments should be concise, as the focus is on giving others a chance to speak.

  • Tracking and Reporting: The Topicsmaster should note each speaker's topic and whether they used the Word of the Day. At the end of the session, they ask the Grammarian for the Word of the Day usage report and the Timer for the time report.

Post-Session Responsibilities

  • Voting for Best Table Topics Speaker: If at least three speakers were within the time limits, the Topicsmaster recaps the names and topics of eligible speakers and calls for a vote for the "Best Table Topics Speaker".

  • Handing Back Control: The Topicsmaster concludes the session by handing control back to the Toastmaster of the Evening.

By effectively executing these responsibilities, the Topicsmaster not only develops their own leadership and communication skills but also provides a valuable opportunity for club members to enhance their ability to think on their feet and speak confidently without preparation.