Backwards Meeting

In a backwards meeting, when it comes time to actually do your role, mostly you do it as you normally would do the role. What is "backwards" is the order in which all roles are performed. Sometimes that leads to "guessing" about the outcome of things to be determined. Sometimes it means listening to what was said so you can do those things later (e.g. the Ah/Grammarian said you said "Ah" four times, or, your Evaluator said it was great how you leaped forward when you said "X").

The points of a backwards meeting:

• put your listening skills to the test
• stretch your ad-libbing skills a bit
• see how you do at "thinking backwards"
• note how creative you can be
• do something unusual and fun
• laugh a lot

In a backwards meeting, obviously no one knows the future. Thus, everyone is listening to what has actually been said and then adjusting their role as needed. That especially applies to the Table Topics section. That is because the Topic Speakers speak before they are asked a question. The Topics Master needs to listen to each Topics Speaker then formulate the question to ask after the Topic Speakers speak.

The key to the Topics Master role is to indicate who the first table topics speaker is without really asking a question (until later!) AND letting everyone know the overall theme of your table topics questions without really telling them (until later!).

First, before you go up front for the first time, decide in your mind who will be your four Topics Speakers. Then do something like the below example script (read it from the bottom up and it will seem like a normal Toastmasters meeting for table topics):

Topics Master:

1. "That concludes our table topics on <your table topics subject such as 'vacations gone bad' or 'finishing famous quotes with a new ending' or 'great party tricks' or whatever you decide>". <==== this lets all know what your overall topics theme/subject will be about so be somewhat specific here
2. "Mr./Madame Timer, did all of our Topics Speakers qualify"?
3. "Everyone please vote for the best Topics Speaker and pass them to the Vote Counter ".
4. "I will now return the meeting to the Toastmaster".
5. "Thank you <name of Topics Speaker #3>". <==== this lets all know who is the first person to come up and speak
6. Shake hands with Topics Speaker #3.

Topics Speaker #3:

1. Shake hands with Topics Master.
2. "Madame Topics Master."
3. <Talks about something related to your table topics subject>.
4. "Thank you Madame Topics Master".
5. Shake hands with Topics Master.

Topics Master:

1. Shake hands with Topics Speaker #3.
2. Call on Topics Speaker #3.
3. <Give the topics question loosely based on what Topics Speaker #3 just talked about>".
4. "Thank you <name of Topics Speaker #2>". <==== this lets all know who is the next person to come up and speak
5. Shake hands with Topics Speaker #2.

Topics Speaker #2:

1. Shake hands with Topics Master.
2. "Madame Topics Master."
3. <Talks about something related to your table topics subject>.
4. "Thank you Madame Topics Master".
5. Shake hands with Topics Master.

Topics Master:

1. Shake hands with Topics Speaker #2.
2. Call on Topics Speaker #2.
3. <Give the topics question loosely based on what Topics Speaker #2 just talked about>".
4. "Thank you <name of Topics Speaker #1>". <==== this lets all know who is the next person to come up and speak
5. Shake hands with Topics Speaker #1.

Topics Speaker #1:

1. Shake hands with Topics Master.
2. "Madame Topics Master."
3. <Talks about something related to your table topics subject>.
4. "Thank you Madame Topics Master".
5. Shake hands with Topics Master.

Topics Master:

1. Shake hands with Topics Speaker #1.
2. Call on Topics Speaker #1.
3. <Give the topics question loosely based on what Topics Speaker #1 just talked about>".
4. "<talk about your table topics overall theme>".
5. Shake hands with the Toastmaster.