The 'Backward Meeting' Format

A 'Backward Meeting' is a great way for Toastmasters members to build skills. Both challenging and entertaining this unusual theme meeting achieves several goals. Listening, thinking and speaking skills are all engaged. With a little advanced planning the meeting will run smoothly and be very entertaining. The backwards meeting room set-up is the same as a regular meeting. The meeting simply runs in reverse:

1. Adjournment & Awards: the president starts by adjourning the meeting, asking for guest comments, any special announcements, awarding of ribbons, and followed by reviewing next week's roles
2. Evaluation Segment: the general evaluator gives an overall evaluation of the meeting, the functionaries give reports, evaluators give evaluations of manual speeches (speech title will be written in the evaluators guide) based on project objectives, the general evaluator explains the purpose of evaluations, and finally the introduction of general evaluator
3. Table Topic Segment: selected members will deliver oral responses, table topic master will then give the topic or question, concluding with explaining the purpose of table topics, and the table topic master's introduction
4. Speech Segment: Speeches are given from manuals (speech title written in the evaluation page for the evaluators)
5. Functionaries: give the explanation of his or her meeting role
6. Educational Focus: a point from the Communication or Leadership manuals or Successful Club Series or Better Speaker Series is expounded
7. Meeting: toastmaster expands the meeting theme, followed by toastmaster being introduced
8. Business Segment: president has guests introduce themselves, club business items are processed
9. Pledge-Invocation: in reverse order as the summary of the meeting
10. Call to Order: sergeant-at-arms calls the meeting to order and the meeting ends

Please Note: Every club meeting is a show. As a team, be prepared to think on your feet, keep a positive attitude and modify your roles were appropriate. Let's have fun and revisit the Backward Meeting regularly!