Time will begin with the first word uttered by the contestant.
However, should the contestant engage in definite verbal or
nonverbal communication with the audience (including the
playing of music or other sound effects, a staged act by
another person, etc.) prior to reaching the speaking position
and uttering the first word of the speech, the timer shall activate
the timing device at that point. If this results in the contestant
going overtime, the contestant will be disqualified.

The green signal will be displayed at five minutes and remain
displayed for one minute. The amber signal will be displayed
at six minutes and remain displayed for one minute. The red
signal will be displayed at seven minutes and remain displayed
until the speech is concluded. No audible device,
such as a buzzer, shall be used for the overtime period.

Please note the top paragraph regarding non-verbal communication, this could also apply to a sign or a PowerPoint slide with something written – the rules can be interpreted to mean that the timing can start even if such material was displayed during the minute of silence and/or prior to the speaker being introduced.

The winner of tonight’s Northwest Division Humorous Speech Contest had his speech title sign up during the minute of silence as the two Sergeant-at-Arms put the sign up on the easel the contestant brought.  As the Chief Timer, based on contest rule 6B, I started timing as the Sergeant-At-Arms left the speaking area and BEFORE the speaker was introduced.  Luckily for the winner, his time came out to be just over six minutes, including the extra time prior to being introduced.  Right after the contest, I told the winner about the rule and suggested that he flip the speech title sign board over to its blank side prior to being introduced at the District 30 Humorous Speech Contest on November 14th.

This was not the first time I dealt with this situation.  When I was Chief Judge for the 2004 Northwest Division Humorous Speech Contest, there was a contestant that set up her PowerPoint presentation to her speech title slide during the minute of silence and prior to her introduction.  A Past International Director was present at the contest and while he was not a timer, had a stopwatch and started timing the speech the moment the speech title was shown.  The contest timers did not start timing until the contestant came up and started talking.  She did meet the time based on that start and came in second place.  The Past International Director informed me that she should have been disqualified because with the additional time prior to her introduction when the starting slide was shown, she would have gone over the maximum allowed speech time.  He pointed out that specific rule, which was the same at that time as it is now, and I agree that she should have been timed earlier.

I learned that lesson at next year’s Northwest Division Humorous Speech Contest when I was the Sergeant-At-Arms and put a contestant’s easel and sign boards on the side prior to the start of the contest.  I told the contestant about this rule and made sure his first sign is covered, he only uncovered it after he started his speech.

I’m sure there are contest officials could interpret this rule differently and may consider a sign board or a PowerPoint slide with any information not part of the “non-verbal communication” listed in the rulebook.  But there are many that disagree.  If you are a Contest Chair, Chief Judge or one of the contest timers, in such a situation go with what can be the “worst-case” scenario and have the timers time a contestant’s speech immediately after that person’s sign board or PowerPoint slide with any information is displayed, regardless of whether the contestant was introduced or not.