Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a US-based nonprofit educational organization dedicated to helping individuals develop communication, public speaking, and leadership skills. It was founded on October 22, 1924, by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley in Santa Ana, California, with the first club established at a local YMCA as a program for young men to practice public speaking.

History

Dr. Ralph C. Smedley, an educational director at the Bloomington YMCA in Illinois, initially began organizing speech training sessions in 1905. However, the organization as it is known today formally began in 1924. The first international chapter was established in Vancouver, Canada, in 1932. Women were admitted to the organization starting in 1973. Today, Toastmasters International has more than 14,000 clubs across the globe, offering a supportive environment for members to improve their communication and leadership abilities.

Club Structure and Meetings

A typical Toastmasters club consists of about 20 to 30 members who meet weekly or biweekly. Meetings are structured around several key elements:

• Introduction Circle: An opportunity for members to briefly express their thoughts on a given topic.
• Word of the Day: The introduction of an interesting or unknown word to be used during the meeting.
• Invocation: A short prepared speech to motivate members.
• Toast of the Day: A short speech dedicated to something or someone worthy of admiration.
• Table Topics: Impromptu speeches where members respond to randomly assigned topics.
• Prepared Speeches: Members deliver speeches based on projects from the Pathways or Competent Communication manuals, receiving feedback from evaluators.
• Evaluation: Constructive feedback is provided to speakers to help them improve.
• Closing Thought: A thought-provoking idea or joke to end the meeting.

Roles within a meeting include:

• Chairman: Opens and leads the initial part of the meeting.
• Toastmaster: Guides the meeting and introduces speakers.
• Table Topics Master: Prepares topics for impromptu speeches.
• General Evaluator: Overseeing the evaluation session and assessing the meeting's effectiveness.
• Timer: Monitors speech time limits.
• Grammarian: Identifies grammatical errors and corrects them.

Education Programs

Toastmasters offers several education programs designed to enhance members' public speaking and leadership skills:

• Pathways: Introduced in 2017, Pathways is an online learning platform offering eleven specialized paths focused on skills like public speaking, interpersonal communication, strategic leadership, and confidence-building. Each path consists of 14 projects.
• Competent Communication Manual: A foundational program where members complete a series of ten speeches to improve basic communication skills.
• Speechcraft: A short-term program for non-members to develop their speaking skills.

Mission and Values

The mission of Toastmasters International is to empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders by providing a supportive and positive learning environment. Core values include:

• Integrity: Matches actions with words and promotes honesty.
• Respect: Treats all members with dignity and welcomes diverse perspectives.
• Service: Strives to provide exceptional support.
• Excellence: Continuously seeks to meet or exceed expectations.

Envisioned Future

Toastmasters envisions a thriving global community where individuals can develop their communication and leadership skills, enhancing personal lives and careers, and positively impacting communities.