AH COUNTER

This job sounds easy; but it really exercises your listening skills!  As Ah Counter, you take note of the vocal fillers people use during the meeting and let these individuals know about them, by name, when you are called upon by the General Evaluator.  In the box is a form that will help you keep track of these fillers.  You will be called upon by the Toastmaster at the beginning of the meeting to explain your duties.

 

The Ah Counter helps cure the annoying habit of vocalized pauses.  These typical filler sounds include ah, umm, uh, er.  Meeting participants will often be surprised by the information you are able to give them.  We are commonly unaware of these grunts, whether we issue them full force or under our breath.  The impact of such sound on the listeners is to detract from the speakers credibility, even in private conversation.

 

Also fair game for you are word Xeroxes those repetitions of word or phrase which serve only to distract the audience from the speakers point.  Examples include:  I, I. or This means, this means, ..

 

You may remind the speakers that a pause is much more powerful for concentrating the audiences attention on what they are about to say then a grunt.

 

The Ah Counter should use tact and good judgment; never count ahs during an Ice Breaker, while a guest is speaking, or when a speaker is obviously having difficulty.  Toastmasters is a friendly environment for practicing the power of the properly timed pause.

 

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