The main duty of the Toastmaster is to act as a genial host and conduct the entire program, including introducing the participants. If the Toastmaster does not perform the duties well, an entire meeting can end in failure. For obvious reasons, this task is not usually assigned to a member until he or she is familiar with West Hollywood Toastmasters and our procedures. Meeting participants should be introduced in a way that excites the audience and motivates each member to listen. The Toastmaster creates an atmosphere of interest, expectation, and receptivity.

A major portion of each meeting is centered around prepared speeches. The speeches are prepared based on projects in the Toastmasters education program, Pathways.

The Toastmasters experience is one where learning takes place in an atmosphere of good humor and inspiration. Whether making us laugh or filling us with inspiration, the role of Humorist or Inspirer sets a positive tone for the meeting.

The Toastmasters program has a tradition - every member speaks at a meeting. Table Topics is that portion of the meeting which ensures this tradition. The purpose of Table Topics is to have members think extemporaneously and speak for a minute or so. The Topicsmaster prepares and issues the topics; originality is desired as much as possible. Each speaker may be given an individual subject or a choice of subjects may be presented from which members can draw at random.

The General Evaluator is just what the name implies - an evaluator of anything and everything that takes place throughout the meeting. The General Evaluator is also responsible for the evaluation team. The responsibilities are large, but so are the rewards.

Public speaking and leadership are skills that can be developed and improved. In Toastmasters, feedback is called evaluation, and it is the heart of the Toastmasters educational program. You observe the speeches and leadership roles of your fellow club members and offer evaluations of their efforts, and they do the same for you. If you truly want to improve your speaking and leadership skills, you must learn how to give and receive helpful evaluations.

The purpose of the Ah-Counter is to note any words and sounds used as a crutch or pause filler by anyone who speaks during the meeting. The Ah-Counter is part of the Evaluation Team under the direction of the General Evaluator.

The Grammarian plays an important role in helping all club members improve their grammar and vocabulary. The Grammarian is part of the Evaluation Team under the direction of the General Evaluator.

One of the lessons to be practiced in speech training is that of expressing a thought within a specific time. The Timer keeps track of all members who speak during the meeting to ensure they have stayed within the noted time. The Timer is part of the Evaluation Team under the direction of the General Evaluator.

The Ballotmaster (formerly Rafflemaster/Ticketmaster) provides operational support to help the meeting run smoothly, with three key activities:

1. Sets up online forms for the meeting participants to provide feedback to speakers and other meeting leaders.

2. Creates the online ballots for members to choose the meeting's Best Speaker, Best Evaluator and Best Table Topics Speaker.

3. Facilitates the use of these forms during throughout the meeting.