"We learn best in the moments of enjoyment" Dr Ralph C Smedley (1878-1965) Toastmasters International Founder Biography of Dr Ralph C Smedley

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL MISSION
Toastmasters International is the leading movement devoted to making effective oral communication a worldwide reality.

Through its member Clubs, Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking - vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership potential, foster human understanding, and contribute to the betterment of mankind.

It is basic to this mission that Toastmasters International continually expand its worldwide network of Clubs, thereby offering ever-greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from its programs.
 

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL VISION
"Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. Through our member Clubs, people throughout the world can improve their communication and leadership skills, and find the courage to change"

HOW IT ALL BEGAN
The first club was formed on October 1924, when a group of men assembled by founder Dr. Ralph C. Smedley met in the basement of the Santa Ana California, YMCA to form a club "to afford practice and training in the art of public speaking and presiding over meetings, and to promote
sociability and good fellowship among its members." The group took the name Toastmasters.

A year later a second club was started in Anaheim California, followed by 
a third in Los Angles. By 1930, it was apparent that a federation was necessary to co-ordinate activities of the clubs and to provide standard methods. The federation adopted the name of Toastmasters International and its first international president was J. Clark Chamberlain of Anaheim, California. 

In 1932, the organization became a non-profit corporation under the laws 
of the state of California. Growth was slow during the early years, but the number of clubs increased steadily.

The first formal communication program, Basic Training was introduced in 1942 and Speech craft, a streamlined course in public speaking, followed 
a few years later. As the years passed, the communication and the leadership program has been expanded and updated several times to 
keep it in line with current member requirements. 

Membership in Toastmasters International increased rapidly after the 
end of World War II, and by 1946 the number of Toastmaster clubs 
had approached 1,500. Continued growth has resulted in over 3000 
clubs throughout the world at the present time. 

Gavel clubs were formed in 1958 to accommodate groups wanting Toastmasters training but not qualified for Toastmaster membership. 

These clubs provide communication and leadership training in correctional institutions, hospitals, mental institutions and schools. In 1966 the Youth Leadership Program, for young people in junior and senior high school, was added to the list of established community programs being presented by Toastmasters.

World Headquarters offices were moved to a new building in Santa Ana, California, in 1962. The building was designed for Toastmasters International, and a special building fund assessment which was voted 
by the members enabled the corporation to pay off the mortgage in 1967, several years ahead of the schedule.

In 1973, Toastmasters club membership was opened to women, enabling them to also benefit from selfdevelopment in communication and leadership. In the same year, a comprehensive listening program was introduced to further help members develop their communication skills. 

The following year saw a celebration of the organization's first fifty years and the promise of an even more successful second halfcentury.

As Toastmasters International has expanded throughout the world, the guiding purpose of the organization has remained unchanged. As action people seek communication and leadership development through better listening, thinking and speaking, they are turning to the Communication and Leadership Program of Toastmasters International with confidence. 

There are already more than 8300 clubs in 71 countries. In Malaysia there are about 75 clubs of which 21 are in the Klang Valley.

The Toastmasters program is not a college, trade school, or other formal course in public speaking. 

There are no instructors, professors or classroom. No one's work is graded and no tests are administered. In Toastmasters, members learn by studying the manuals, practicing, and helping one another. 

Learning takes place in the Club environment. Club meetings are workshops where you study and practice communication and leadership skills with others who are there for the same reasons as you. 

You learn by doing and by watching fellow Club members.

During Club meetings you will build "quick thinking" skills as you give one-to-two-minutes speeches on general subjects during table topics.

You'll introduce speakers, conduct meetings, and perform other roles that will give you plenty of practice in a variety of communication experiences, but your greatest learning will come from preparing and presenting speeches based on the projects in the manual.

The manual book has 10 speech projects, each designed to develop your speaking skills one step at a time. Every project builds upon what you have learned in the preceding project, so you should present the speeches in numerical order. You'll begin with "The Ice Breaker" speech. Since it will be your first speech before the Club, it will based on an easy subject-yourself.

Leadership Training
You will learn more than just communication skills in your Club. You'll build leadership skills when you organize and conduct Club meetings and motivate others to help you. 

You can develop additional skills by serving as a Club officers formulating and implementing plans to help the Club meet member's needs.

You may also complete the High Performance Leadership program, working on a leadership project related to your personal or professional life. Serving in leadership positions at other levels of the organization also will help improve your leadership skills. More than three million people will confirm that the Toastmasters program works, but it works only when you prepare carefully actively participate and speak as often as possible.

Apply yourself, and you will experience the benefits in all aspects of your life.

So, What DO you get when you join a Toastmasters Program?

	Each new Toastmaster receives a New Member Kit. The kit features a copy of the basic Communication and Leadership manual, general orientation materials and information regarding skill improvement in areas such as speech evaluation and the use of gestures.
	The initial prepared speeches, as outlined in the basic Communication and Leadership program manual, are designed with the new Toastmaster in mind.
	A variety of assigned speeches help the participant develop competency in areas such as organization, voice inflection and persuasiveness.
	During the meeting's Table Topics session, members learn to think on their feet by delivering short impromptu speeches, lasting one to two minutes.
	After giving a prepared speech, each Toastmaster receives a constructive speech evaluation. This process recognizes speakers for their strengths and provides valuable insight into problem areas.
	Upon completion of the basic Communication and Leadership program, Toastmasters may participate in the Advanced Communication and Leadership program. Participants may choose from specific business oriented topics such as Speeches by Management and Technical Presentations.
	Workshop style Success/Leadership programs are also available, offering opportunities for further skill development in areas such as leadership, public speaking and conducting business meetings. These programs are especially effective as in-house training and can be tailored to meet the needs of your company (if so required).