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Toastmasters International

www.toastmasters.org/

Toastmasters International (TI) is a nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills. Through its thousands of member clubs, Toastmasters International offers a program of communication and leadership projects designed to help men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening, and thinking.

The organization grew out of a single club, Smedley Club Number 1, which would become the first Toastmasters club. It was founded by Ralph C. Smedley on October 22, 1924, at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, United States. Toastmasters International was incorporated under California law on December 19, 1932. Throughout its history, Toastmasters has served over four million people, and today the organization serves over 250,000 members in 108 countries, through its over 12,500 member clubs.

Contents

1 Membership

2 Educational program

2.1 Communication training

2.2 Leadership training

2.3 Distinguished Toastmaster

3 Club meetings and meeting roles

4 Conferences and officer training

5 Additional programs

6 Organization

6.1 Clubs

6.2 Districts

6.3 International

7 Contests

7.1 International Speech Contest

8 History

8.1 The beginning of Toastmasters clubs

8.2 1924-1927: First permanent clubs formed

8.3 Founding of Toastmasters International

8.4 Toastmasters after Smedley

9 Notes

10 References

11 See also

12 External links

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Membership

As of 2009, there are more than 250,000 members and over 12,500 clubs located across the United States, Canada and in 104 other countries. Membership in the US grew by 3% in 2007 and continues to grow rapidly in many foreign nations. Toastmasters members belong to local clubs, which generally have between six and 40 members, with 20 members being a typical size. The local clubs meet on a regular basis for members to practice various skills useful in public speaking, including giving speeches, speaking extemporaneously, listening, and providing each other with feedback and evaluation. Some clubs meet monthly, some meet twice a month, and some meet weekly.

Membership is open to all people ages 18 and above wishing to improve their communications skills. In certain rare cases, where previous links to Toastmasters can be found, people under 18 are allowed to participate, even though they are not allowed to join officially until their 18th birthday. Any speeches toward an official award completed before their 18th birthday are accepted retroactively.

Toastmasters International has a policy of non-discrimination (including based on ethnicity, nationality, and gender). Although Toastmasters was initially formed as a male-only organization, membership was opened to women in August 1973. Certain clubs (referred to as “closed clubs” or “in-house clubs”) organized within businesses restrict membership to people in the organization; this is the only restriction on membership permitted by the international organization. From time to time, advanced clubs form and it is preferable that one has completed a certain number of speeches (e.g. 10) before joining these clubs.

Gavel Clubs (Toastmasters-sponsored groups for teenagers or other groups who may be ineligible for membership in Toastmasters International) may be set up upon request at schools and institutions to provide them with the Toastmasters experience. Other than the mix of membership and that no official Toastmasters titles such as CC, CL, AC, etc., will be awarded, the benefit received from a Gavel Club is essentially the same as that of a Toastmasters club. Toastmasters also has a Youth Leadership program, which is an eight-session program that introduces school-aged children to the art of public speaking. These Youth Leadership programs are conducted by members of Toastmaster Clubs in the local area. They allow active members who put in effort to gain confidence and expertise in the art of public speaking.

Educational program

Toastmasters International curriculum, tracks, and awards. Arrows are used to demonstrate awards required.

A Toastmasters club adopts a “learn-by-doing” philosophy, wherein each member learns at a pace suitable to his or her developmental needs. The Toastmasters program is divided into two separate tracks, Communication and Leadership, with members progressing along each track by presenting speeches and taking on roles within their club, district, and Toastmasters International itself.

Toastmasters has grown from being an English-only organization to one that develops communication skills in several languages. There are now clubs in many languages, including Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), French, German, Japanese, Spanish, and Tamil, among others. The basic manual (the Competent Communication manual described below) can be purchased in Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Japanese and Spanish as well as in English.

Communication training

The heart of the Toastmasters curriculum is the communication track, defined by the Competent Communication manual (formerly called Communication and Leadership Program) and a series of fifteen advanced manuals. The Competent Communication manual consists of ten speech projects, each building upon the other in skills and difficulty. The advanced manuals have five projects each, and each manual focuses on a particular aspect of communication (such as technical presentations, storytelling, or interpersonal communication).

For each project, the member prepares and delivers a speech in front of the club. Speakers are expected to keep their presentations within prescribed time limits. For most Competent Communication speeches, the limit is five to seven minutes. Advanced communication projects are generally ten to fifteen minutes, although some can be as long as half an hour. After the member has given the presentation, another Toastmaster will evaluate the presenter based on certain criteria for each project. The distinctive feature of Toastmasters is this continual evaluation. Each activity at a club is evaluated: speeches are evaluated both orally at the meeting and in the member’s manual. In some clubs, even the evaluators are themselves evaluated at the end of the meeting by a “General Evaluator”, also a club member. This near-immediate feedback provides the member with information on how he or she can improve his or her presentation skills for the next speech, and is intended to provide a positive experience for the speaker.

The oral evaluations are intended to also help the evaluator improve his or her ability to give constructive feedback to other Toastmasters. Learning to give feedback develops many skills, some of which include: effective listening; how to motivate, encourage and support other members; and how to develop and present a short evaluation with minimal preparation. Language is an important element of effective evaluation and so too is the structure. The structure of a Toastmaster Evaluation might be referred to as the “feedback sandwich,” the “PIP” (praise, improve, praise) method, or the “CRC” (commend, recommend, commend) method.

After completing the ten Competent Communication projects, a member is entitled to the Competent Communicator award, and may add the post-nominal CC to their name for Toastmasters purposes. Prior to July 2008, Toastmasters awarded the designation Competent Toastmaster (post-nominal CTM) for this achievement to members who joined Toastmasters prior to January 1, 2006.

After achieving their CC, the Toastmaster then can go on to more advanced projects. There are 15 advanced manuals in the Toastmasters program, each consisting of five projects. These include projects on sales presentations, speaking to inform, speeches by management, interpretative reading, speaking on television, entertaining dinner speaking, communicating with news media, interpersonal communication, and others. The Advanced Communicator awards are given to members who complete two manuals per level, as well as performing various other duties. There are three levels of Advanced Communicator, being Bronze, Silver and Gold, with the respective post-nominals ACB, ACS and ACG. Prior to July 2008, Toastmasters awarded the identical Advanced Toastmaster Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards (with post-nominals ATM-B, ATM-S, and ATM-G) to members who joined Toastmasters prior to January 1, 2006. These in turn were originally expanded from the Able Toastmaster award (post-nominal ATM).

In addition to the various project manuals, Toastmasters provides a number of educational programs and seminar packages which members can present. The Better Speaker Series is a collection of educational modules that teach certain aspects of creating and giving presentations. There is also the Success/Communication seminar programs, such as the Speechcraft program, which members can present inside or outside of the club over a number of meetings.

Leadership training

Toastmasters also teaches leadership skills. This is motivated in part by the fact that Toastmasters International is staffed completely by volunteers (except for a staff of about 60 paid personnel at the World Headquarters). Even the board of directors is composed of volunteers, who still hold memberships in local clubs, and are not paid.

When a person joins a Toastmasters club, they are given a copy of the Competent Leadership manual, which contains ten projects which can be completed by serving in various meeting roles, as well as participating in and/or organizing club contests, membership campaigns, and PR campaigns in their club. This manual can be completed in as little as five to six months, although most members will take more time to complete its projects. Upon completion, a member can obtain his or her Competent Leader award (post-nominal CL).

After completing the Competent Leadership manual, members can go on toward the Advanced Leader awards, which are given in two levels, Bronze and Silver (with post-nominal ALB and ALS, respectively). The Bronze level requirements include serving a minimum of six months as a club officer, participating in the creation of a club success plan while in office, and attending officer training. As well, ALB candidates must have attained their Competent Communicator award, and conducted two educational programs from Toastmasters’ The Successful Club Series and/or The Leadership Excellence Series. For AL Silver, the additional requirements of serving as a district officer, completing a High Performance Leadership program, and being a club sponsor, mentor, or coach are needed to attain that designation.

Toastmasters has developed a series of procedures and materials for training its members and officers in basic leadership skills. Many districts hold training sessions for officers, known as Toastmasters Leadership Institute (originally called Toastmasters University), twice a year for club officers and for any other members who wish to attend. Divisions within districts are also encouraged to run smaller training sessions for club officers, especially in larger districts where it may be difficult for all club officers to attend a TLI session. Toastmasters conferences, also twice a year in each district, provide other opportunities to learn or present on leadership skills.

Club meetings also give members the opportunity to learn parliamentary procedure and meeting etiquette that can be important in business and political settings. While some aspects of parliamentary procedure and etiquette are present throughout the meeting, the business portion of a club meeting allows for more in-depth experience. In addition, Toastmasters provides as part of the Success/Leadership seminar series a five-part program on parliamentary procedure.

Toastmasters provides a number of educational modules outside of the regular project-based curriculum that teach members on leadership skills. These include The Leadership Excellence Series which deals with individual leadership skills, and The Successful Club Series which are targeted at the club as a group. The Success/Leadership programs also exist, as a leadership counterpart to Success/Communication. Like Success/Communication, these programs can be presented inside or out of the club, to non-members.

Distinguished Toastmaster

Toastmasters awards its highest honor, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), to members who have achieved both the Advanced Communication Gold and Advanced Leader Silver awards. To achieve one’s DTM typically takes 4 to 5 years of dedicated service and leadership in one’s local club, area, and division. DTM candidates must also perform more than 40 public presentations both inside the club and out in the community. Fewer than 12,000 of Toastmaster’s 4 million past and present members have achieved their DTM status. Some dedicated Toastmasters members have achieved multiple DTM designations. Members who have earned their DTM are usually honored and presented with a medal at a district or regional conference following their achievement.

The DTM or Distinguished Toastmaster title is not necessarily the end of the journey for most Toastmasters. Many Toastmasters will reenter the program and repeat it at least once more. Every iteration through the program affords the individual additional experience in either the chosen direction or a totally new direction at their discretion.

Club meetings and meeting roles

Every Toastmasters club meets on a regular basis, at least 12 times a year. Each club meets for an hour, sometimes up to two hours, depending on the club. Each meeting has a structured format, with various members participating in the different roles in the meetings. The meeting is run by a Toastmaster of the Day (TMOD or TME for Toastmaster of the Evening).

There are three basic parts to the Toastmasters meeting: the prepared speeches, Table Topics, and evaluations. In the prepared speaking portion of the meeting, two, three, or sometimes four Toastmasters will give a prepared presentation or speech before the group. Speeches are usually designed to meet the requirements of one of the projects in the communication manuals. “Table Topics” is an extemporaneous speaking exercise where the speaker speaks “off the cuff”; that is, the speaker responds to a question or topic that is not known beforehand. The Table Topics Master presents the topic, calls on an individual, and then that individual has 1 to 2 minutes to respond.

The evaluation session is where feedback is provided to all members, including the speakers. The evaluation session is headed by a General Evaluator, who calls on individual speech evaluators to give a 2- to 3-minute evaluation of an earlier presentation. After the evaluators have finished giving their evaluations, the General Evaluator calls for the helper reports:

There is a Grammarian who notes mispronunciations and mistakes in grammar, or word repetition (e.g. “I did … I did”), sometimes called “double clutching.” In some clubs, the Grammarian will also point out positive uses of language, including nice turns of phrase, clever formulations, and especially poetic or otherwise exceptional uses of language.

An Ah-Counter keeps track of audible pauses such as “ah,” “er,” “um,” “well,” and “you know”. These are also called embolalia, which are naturally-occurring pauses or fillers in the flow of a speech. In some clubs, the role of the Grammarian and the Ah-Counter will be combined.

The meeting’s Timer reports how much time each speaker, table topics responder, and evaluator took to give his or her presentation. Then the General Evaluator, or Master Evaluator, gives his or her overall evaluation of the meeting and makes recommendations of ways to improve future meetings. Some clubs have Table Topics Evaluators who evaluate members’ responses to the table topics; for those that do not, the General Evaluator frequently fills that role. In addition, some advanced clubs have a ’round robin’ evaluation for the speakers. After the evaluator gives an evaluation recorded in the member’s manual, the other members around the room are asked for additional comments on the presentation.

There are sometimes other roles in the program, depending on the club. For example, there may be an Invocator who gives an invocation or inspirational opener; a Humor Master, Jokemaster, or Raconteur who tells a funny story or jokes; a Wordmaster or Lexicologist who presents a “word of the day” to help the members increase their vocabulary (with the intention that members use the word of the day in their presentations); a Listener who asks questions after the presentations to make sure everyone was listening; and/or an Award Presenter, who presents awards at the end of the meeting. Some clubs also have an Educational Presentation in which a speaker presents an educational aspect of Toastmasters. In many clubs, members vote for the Best Speaker, Best Table Topics Speaker, and Best Evaluator of the meeting. This “Best [whatever]” usually gets a ribbon to keep or a traveling trophy to take with him or her until the next meeting, when he or she will have to present it to the next winner. There may also be a Vote Counter, who collects the attendants’ votes for Table Topic Speaker, (Rehearsed) Speaker, Evaluator, and Program Manager. The Vote Counter may also collect written evaluations to be given to the persons who gave rehearsed speeches. German Clubs have introduced the Pub Master which is responsible to reserve a table and lead the way to a restaurant or pub for an informal meeting after the toastmaster session.

The order of the program varies from club to club and country to country. Many noon-time clubs and other clubs that are constrained by time do their prepared speeches first, followed by Table Topics, followed by evaluations. This is the standard program for clubs in South Africa. Dinner clubs in the United States tend to do Table Topics first, and then everyone sits back and relaxes for the after-dinner prepared speeches. Alternately, some clubs that are very time-conscious do prepared speeches first, then evaluations, saving Table Topics for last.

Conferences and officer training

This section requires expansion.

In addition to club meetings, Toastmasters offers training opportunities through events organized at the district and international levels. Districts are responsible for hosting a minimum of four events each year: club officer training in June-August and December-February, and two district conferences in the spring and fall.

Toastmasters International hosts an annual conference every August, in a different city each year. The international conference conducts business such as electing the international officers, hosts educational sessions for Toastmasters members, and also hosts the final rounds of Toastmasters’ International Speech Contest. The international conference is also when Toastmasters presents its Golden Gavel award to a person “who has demonstrated outstanding ability exemplifying the principles of Toastmasters International, particularly in the field of communication and leadership.” This award has been granted annually since 1959, and Toastmasters keeps a list of recipients on their website.

Additional programs

This section requires expansion.

Beyond clubs and conferences, Toastmasters offers a number of programs available to non-members. These programs are run by Toastmasters members, often but not always for credit toward Toastmasters curriculum awards. Toastmasters International also encourages its member clubs and districts to run speakers bureaus.

Primarily, the Success/Communication and Success/Leadership module series are promoted by Toastmasters for presenting to people outside of Toastmasters. Each series is a collection of six modules designed to be presented as seminars, facilitated by an active club member. Toastmasters encourages the presentation of these modules within the club to improve member abilities, and out of the club to promote Toastmasters. In particular, Toastmasters promotes its Speechcraft module as its “#1 membership-building tool” for clubs, as the module provides participants with experience writing and presenting speeches with the aid of the coordinator and other participants.

Toastmasters also offers the Accredited Speaker program, for recognizing members of Toastmasters clubs who are professional speakers. The program requires applicants to have their AC Bronze (or older equivalent) award, as well as have performed at least twenty-five speaking engagements in the three years prior to applying.

Lastly, the Youth Leadership Program offers some of the benefits of Toastmasters to teens, primarily by providing training in leadership roles with some opportunities for public speaking.

Organization

Clubs

The primary membership unit in Toastmasters is the club. Members may belong to one or more clubs, although the majority of members belong only to a single club. Membership in a club can be open or closed. Open clubs are those where any person may join, whereas closed clubs limit membership, generally to people working in the same organization, office tower, etc. Some clubs are advanced, where membership is usually only granted to current or past Toastmasters members who have earned their Competent Communicator or Competent Toastmaster award.

The minimum requirements for a club are to have six or more members, and a minimum of three officers (the club president, a vice-president, and secretary). For a club to be granted a charter (and therefore be recognized as a Toastmasters club) a minimum membership of twenty is required; this is usually referred to as “charter strength” when discussing membership. The average club has approximately twenty members, and six of the seven officer positions filled. Club officers are, in order of precedence:

President.

Vice-President Education.

Vice-President Membership.

Vice-President Public Relations.

Secretary.

Treasurer.

Sergeant at Arms.

The outgoing President from the previous term, the Immediate Past President, also serves on the Club Committee, usually in an advisory role.

Depending on club bylaws, officers are elected either annually or semi-annually, with elections taking place every May (and in semi-annual clubs, also in November). Officer terms begin July 1 and in semi-annual clubs, January 1. Members can serve multiple terms in each office; the only restriction on this is that club presidents may not serve more than 12 consecutive months.

Districts

Above the club level are Toastmasters districts. The primary purpose of a district is to support the clubs within the district, usually by providing training opportunities for members and promoting Toastmasters to larger organizations outside the reach of individual clubs. Districts are geographically bound, and are usually divided when the number of clubs within grow past a certain number. Not all clubs are assigned to districts, but provisional districts and territorial councils exist so that clubs outside of districts can be offered a similar level of support. There are a few clubs outside of any of these structures.

Districts organize within themselves areas (groups of four to seven clubs), and larger districts organize their constituent areas into divisions. Each area and division has a governor, and usually also an Assistant Governor (Education) or Deputy for Education, and a Marketing Ambassador (generally, a Deputy Governor (Marketing)) who aid the governor in promoting the Toastmasters curriculum as well as membership both within and outside of clubs under their purview.

The governing of the district is by a district council, composed of various district officers, including the area and division governors, and the president and senior vice-president (usually the VP Education) of each club within the district. The additional district officers are:

District Governor.

Lt. Governor Education & Training.

Lieutenant Governor Marketing.

Public Relations Officer.

District Secretary.

District Treasurer.

District Sergeant-at-Arms.

Only the three most senior district officers, as well as division governors, are elected. Other officer positions within a district may appointed by the District Governor, although they may be elected in some districts.

International

This section requires expansion.

Above the district, the board of directors manages the overall activities of the organization. The board of directors is composed of several officers, as well as international directors elected from various regions (collections of geographically close districts). The board is assisted in day to day activities by the world headquarters staff, led by the executive director. In addition to the eighteen international directors (two from each region and two for districts outside of regions), the board of directors has the following officers:

International President.

Senior Vice-President.

Second Vice-President.

Third Vice-President.

Immediate Past International President. (Ex officio position held by the previous International President.)

Secretary-Treasurer.

Executive director.

International directors are ranked between the Immediate Past International President and secretary-treasurer. In addition, all current district governors are considered to be members of the board of directors.

The Board of Governors has released a series of constitutional amendments which will be voted on in August 2009. One change would be to include all districts in a region (rather than just the Canadian and American districts as is presently the case). Consequently, the international directors would be elected from the regions, one per region rather than two as at present, and this would better reflect the number of members and clubs outside North America. There would continue to be some clubs that are not within a district.

Another proposal would see the position of Senior Vice-President changed to President-Elect. The person elected to this position would serve a two year term – the first as President-Elect, the second as President. Therefore, there would no longer be a direct vote for the position of President. This proposal is not being considered at the 2009 International Convention, but is being considered fur future implementation.

Contests

Toastmasters clubs have four main contests per year. The Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests take place in clubs and districts in the first half of the club year, and the International Speech and Evaluation contests take place in the second. Individual clubs may run their own additional contests such as the “Tall tales” or “Rookies” contests.

Competitions allow members to practice their communication skills under demanding conditions, view the efforts of skilled members of other clubs, and provide entertainment during business meetings or dinner functions. The winner of each of the four main Club Contests proceeds to the next level of competition – an Area Contest; the winner of the Area Contest goes on to the Division Contest; the winner of the Division Contest goes on to the District Contest. Most contests stop at the District level. The one exception is the International Speech Contest, which continues to the Regional and then International levels.

Contest speeches are timed, with the timings for the four official contests set out by Toastmasters International. Contestants whose speeches are under time or over time by more than thirty seconds are disqualified; however, in case of a technical problem with the timing equipment or lights, contestants are given an additional thirty seconds before being disqualified.

Each contest has its own rules regarding content and contestant evaluation. In the International Speech Contest, the contestant selects the subject and type of speech to give, and the speech is judged on the overall presentation using a point system for various categories of skills. In a Humorous Speech Contest the speeches are judged using a different set of categories, which include how well humour was used. In a Tall Tales Contest, judging is based on speaking skills and use of exaggeration for humorous effect. In an Evaluation Contest, a model speaker (sometimes called a test speaker or a target speaker) gives a speech, and then all of the contestants evaluate the same speech. In the Table Topics Contest, contestants are led into the room one at a time and presented with a topic they have not previously been informed of and are judged on how well they respond; each contestant is given the same topic.

Judges evaluate contestants with a rating system on a wide range of criteria based on the speech type. These rating scores are summed into a single score. The score is used to define a ranking of the top-three candidates. A Borda count is used to determine the winner from the rankings. Each contest has a special tie-breaking judge, who ranks all candidates; this ranked list is used to break any ties in the contest.

International Speech Contest

The International Speech Contest (sometimes erroneously called the “Serious Speech Contest” or the “Motivational Speech Contest” to distinguish it from the “Humorous Speech Contest”) is an annual Toastmasters contest that runs through all levels of the organization. Starting with club-level contests in the early months of the year, contestants proceed through higher levels until reaching the finals at the Toastmasters annual conference. Winners of this contest are awarded the title “World Champion of Public Speaking.” Competitors from Toastmasters clubs from all over the world enter this contest; however, members of clubs outside of districts are ineligible to participate.

Participants in the International Speech Contest are required to have completed a minimum of six speech projects toward their Competent Communicator award, and must create wholly original speeches for the Regional and International level competitions. The originality of a contestant’s speech is verified by the contest head judge, and speakers who plagiarise or otherwise make significant use of quotes in a contest speech are to be disqualified.

The 2009 constitutional amendments will make some changes to the contests at the Regional and International level.

A list of winners is available on the Toastmasters website.

History

The beginning of Toastmasters clubs

Toastmasters originally began as a series of short-lived speaking clubs organized by Ralph C. Smedley during his tenure with the YMCA. In 1904[citation needed] as education director of the YMCA facility in Bloomington, Illinois[citation needed], he discovered there was a need for training in speech. As Smedley designed a club within the “Y” for speech training, he struggled for a name, until George Sutton, the general secretary, suggested calling it a Toastmasters club. The boys liked the name and the club was a success.

At each club meeting, there was a rotation of duties with members taking turns at presiding and speaking. Short speeches were evaluated by Ralph and the other older men, and the boys were invited to join in the evaluation to learn more. The club performed its intended purpose as leadership and speech improved in the other educational groups with which these young men were associated.

The club only lasted a year after Ralph Smedley moved to the YMCA at Rock Island, Illinois as General Secretary in 1910. He organized a Toastmasters Club at the Rock Island “Y” which soon reached a membership of 75. When Ralph Smedley left the Rock Island “Y”, the Toastmasters Club there also soon perished.

After he spent over two years with an architect working on YMCA architecture he accepted the post of YMCA Secretary at San Jose, California in September 1919, and soon had a Toastmasters Club flourishing at his new YMCA. Again the club lasted only a short time after he moved to Santa Ana, California in 1922.

1924-1927: First permanent clubs formed

Shortly after moving to the Santa Ana YMCA, Smedley organized a new Toastmasters club, which became Club No. 1 of Toastmasters International. The first meeting was held at the YMCA building on October 22, 1924. Until then, the Toastmasters club was an educational arm of the YMCA.

In the autumn of 1925, J. Clark Chamberlain of Anaheim, California visited the Toastmasters Club. The following winter, Smedley and Chamberlain organized a second club in Anaheim. The Toastmasters Club idea spread to Los Angeles, Long Beach, and other southern California cities. Representatives of these clubs met and organized an association.

Founding of Toastmasters International

In order to save the time consumed in replying to many letters and enquiries, Smedley prepared a “Manual of Instructions” and “Ten Lessons In Public Speaking”, which he mimeographed and bound in paper covers. On October 25, 1928, he obtained copyrights on his publications, as well as copyrighted the name “Toastmasters Club”.

The new association needed a name, and because a club now existed in British Columbia, Canada, they chose to call it Toastmasters International. There were about 30 clubs when the association was formed in 1930, and in 1932 Toastmasters International was incorporated as a California Non-profit corporation. Smedley took on the positions of Secretary and Editor of the new association, while continuing his YMCA work.

He resigned as YMCA Secretary in 1941 to devote more time to Toastmasters International. Through the war years he operated the organization out of a small office. When the war ended, a new Secretary, Ted Blanding, replaced Smedley, who remained active as Educational Director for the rest of his life, as well as a permanent member of the Board of Directors. In 1950, Smedley wrote “Beyond Basic Training”. At the Toastmasters International convention at Atlanta, Georgia, August 18-20, 1960, Ralph C. Smedley displayed a model of the then-new Toastmasters International Headquarters in Santa Ana, California.

Toastmasters after Smedley

This section requires expansion.

Ralph Smedley died in 1965.

In 1975, Terrence McCann, an Olympic wrestler, was chosen to serve as the Executive Director of Toastmasters International, a position he held until retiring in 2004.[citation needed]

In 1990, Toastmasters International moved its headquarters to its current location in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, after outgrowing its old location in Santa Ana.

Notes

^ Toastmasters International (2009-10-22). “Toastmasters International turns 85″ (PDF). Press release. http://www.toastmasters.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/Media/NewsReleases/TI-turns-85.aspx. Retrieved 2009-10-22. “Today, Toastmasters 250,000-plus active members participate in over 12,500 clubs spanning 108 countries.” 

^ “Policies and Procedures VI.H.1 Golden Gavel Award” (PDF). Toastmasters International. http://www.toastmasters.org/websiteApps/policyProcedures/SectionVIH1.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-24. 

^ “Golden Gavel Recipients”. Toastmasters International. http://www.toastmasters.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/Media/GoldenGavelRecipients_1.aspx. Retrieved 2009-09-08. 

^ “Accredited Speakers”. Toastmasters International. http://www.toastmasters.org/Members/MemberExperience/SupplementalPrograms/AccreditedSpeakerProgram.aspx. Retrieved 2009-09-09. 

^ “Club Constitution and Bylaws” (PDF). Toastmasters International. http://www.toastmasters.org/websiteApps/policyProcedures/SectionIV-3.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-24. 

^ http://www.toastmasters.org/websiteApps/policyProcedures/SectionVIA99DistrictMap.pdf

^ “Articles of Incorporation & Bylaws of Toastmasters International” (PDF). Toastmasters International. http://www.toastmasters.org/websiteApps/policyProcedures/SectionIV-1.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-25. 

^ http://www.toastmasters.org/Members/MembersFunctionalCategories/AboutTI/Board/GovernanceReshaping/Proposed-Bylaws.aspx

^ “Speech Contest Rulebook 2008″ (PDF). Toastmasters International. http://www.toastmasters.org/NonNavigableDocs/Rules_1.aspx. Retrieved 2008-07-23. 

^ “World Champions of Public Speaking”. Toastmasters International. http://www.toastmasters.org/Members/MemberExperience/Contests/WorldChampions.aspx. Retrieved 2010-02-03. 

References

Smedley, Ralph. The Story of Toastmasters. Toastmasters International. 

See also

Communication skills training

External links

Toastmasters International official website, including a searchable list of all clubs and districts.

Toastmasters official Twitter account

Toastmasters on Xing

Toastmasters Wikia

Toastmasters history at a glance

Face Your Biggest Fear on the Rachael Ray Show

Categories: Public speaking | Organizations established in 1924 | International nongovernmental organizations | Educational organizations | International non-profit organizations | Non-profit organizations based in California | Professional associationsHidden categories: Articles lacking reliable references from July 2008 | All articles lacking reliable references | Articles to be expanded from January 2010 | All articles to be expanded | Articles to be expanded from July 2008 | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from September 2009 | Articles to be expanded from September 2009
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Ladies Antique Jewellery Tibetan silver cuff bangle/bracelet Adjustable b7 $0.99

Pretty!! 925 Sterling Silver Flower Pattern adjustable cuff Bracelet bangle $5.75

Ladies Antique Jewellery Tibetan silver cuff bangle/bracelet Adjustable b8 $0.99

Adjustable Sterling Silver Cuff Bracelet with a 5.5ct G $299.11

Pretty!! 925 Sterling silver Starry adjustable cuff Bracelet bangle $5.00

NEW WOMEN SILVER CASUAL STYLE CUFF BUBBLES FASHION BRACELET DESIGN ADJUSTABLE $14.99

Wonderful tibet silver old peony flower men’s blessing cuff bracelet &adjustable $0.58

Pretty tibet silver ” elephant ” chinese bangle cuff men’s bracelet &adjustable $1.30

Pretty!! Sterling Silver Flower Pattern adjustable cuff Bracelet bangle BA56 $4.26

Silver Lion Men Stainless Steel Wire PU Rubber Bracelet Cuff Adjustable Bangle $7.99

NEW WOMEN SILVER ADJUSTABLE WIDE METAL CUFF ZEBRA ANIMAL PRINT UNIQUE CASUAL $14.99

Sterling Silver Platinum Plated Simple Bangle Bracelet Adjustable 6mm B325662 $0.99

925 STERLING SILVER CUFF BRACELET ADJUSTABLE 33.5 g $39.99

925p02 Ladies Antique Jewellery Tibetan silver cuff bangle/bracelet Adjustable $7.99

Solid Sterling Silver Platinum Plated Lady’s Bangle Bracelet Adjustable PB200418 $0.99

SILVER TONE CUFF ADJUSTABLE PEACOCK ENGRAVED DESIGN $8.99

NEW WRISTBAND GEN LEATHER WOOD SILVER LIKE BEAD HEMP ADJUSTABLE BLACK BRACELET $6.95

Leather Tribal Bracelet, Cuff, or anklet- Adjustable Black and Silver colored $6.99

Leather Tribal Bracelet, Cuff, or anklet- Adjustable Black and Silver colored $6.99

Adjustable 6-10” Austrian Crystal GEM Square Silver Plated Weave Macrame Bangle $9.88

NEW WRISTBAND DARK BROWN GEN LEATHER SILVER PEGS HEMP ADJUSTABLE CUFF BRACELET $6.95

Leather Tribal Bracelet, Cuff, or anklet- Adjustable Black and Silver colored $6.99

Leather Tribal Bracelet, Cuff, or anklet- Adjustable Black and Silver colored $6.99

Leather Tribal Bracelet, Cuff, or anklet- Adjustable Black and Silver colored $6.99

Leather Tribal Bracelet, Cuff, or anklet- Adjustable Black and Silver colored $6.99

Mexico silver MOP & Onyx cuff bracelet adjustable $32.99

womens Tibetan silver bracelet ancient silver cuff bangle adjustable size B63 $0.99

womens Tibetan silver bracelet ancient silver cuff bangle adjustable B61 $0.99

NEW WRISTBAND GENUINE LEATHER SILVER BEADS TAN HEMP ADJUSTABLE BRACELET $6.95

Beautiful Tibet silver cuff ring adjustable $0.99

New Tibetan Tibet Silver Totem Bangle Cuff Bracelet Adjustable xx7 $0.60

Wonderful Tibetan Silver Carved Lucky “Fu” Adjustable Cuff Amulet Bracelet xx1 $0.13

3D Doll Eye Green Resin Lips Bracelet Bangle Adjustable Cuff Crystal Silver Tone $7.11

HANDMADE ALPACA SILVER ADJUSTABLE CUFF BRACELET (FREE GIFT WITH $25 ORDER) $3.50

WIDE SILVER PLATED SWIRL ADJUSTABLE CUFF BRACELET (FREE GIFT WITH $25 ORDER) $4.00

NEW WRISTBAND BLACK GEN LEATHER SILVER BALLS HEMP ADJUSTABLE BRACELET $6.95

Sterling 925 Five Bar Wide Cuff Bracelet • Adjustable • 26.2 Grams $1.25

Stainless Steel Silver Belt Buckle Adjustable Bangle Bracelet Cuff Women Unisex $7.49

natural Tibet silver veins wide adjustable VTG bracelet $4.30

925 Sterling Silver 2-heart phenix adjustable elite cuff Bracelet bangle $1.35

New Design Tibetan Silver Carved Flower Adjustable Cuff braclet/bangle xx2 $1.25

fancy handcrafted SILVER ADJUSTABLE SIZE BRACELET $0.99

synthetic black decorative quartz SILVER ADJUSTABLE SIZE BRACELET $0.99

NEW WIDE PALE GREEN BEAD SILVER CUFF ADJUSTABLE DRESS THUMB RING *FREE UK POST* $9.39

super carved dots SILVER ADJUSTABLE SIZE BRACELET $0.99

womens Tibetan silver bracelet ancient silver cuff bangle adjustable size B63 $0.99

silver plated butterfly large adjustable cuff bracelet $3.00

womens Tibetan silver bracelet ancient silver cuff bangle adjustable B61 $0.99

Leather Tribal Bracelet, Cuff, or anklet- Adjustable Black and Silver colored $6.99

Braided Silver-colored Cuff Bracelet Fair Trade Bracelet Adjustable Braided Cuff $12.95

Sterling silver EAR CUFFS x 2 adjustable 932451237525 FREE SHIP SPECIAL PRICE $7.20

Sterling silver EAR CUFFS x 2 adjustable 932451237526 FREE SHIP SPECIAL PRICE $7.20

Sterling silver EAR CUFFS x 2 adjustable 932451237527 FREE SHIP SPECIAL PRICE $7.20

Sterling silver EAR CUFFS x 2 adjustable 932451237529 FREE SHIP SPECIAL PRICE $7.20

Leather Tribal Bracelet, Cuff, or anklet- Adjustable Black and Silver colored $7.99

banded violet fluorite SILVER ADJUSTABLE SIZE BRACELET $0.99

Pretty!! 925 Sterling Silver Flower Pattern adjustable cuff Bracelet bangle $5.75

925 Silver pl, Cuff Bracelet w/Lucky Fish Design (adjustable) Very Nice! $5.99

Cuff Bracelet Metal Impressions Silver-tone Adjustable Cuff Bracelet Fair Trade $11.95

Leather Tribal Bracelet, Cuff, or anklet- Adjustable Black and Silver colored $5.99

Pretty!! 925 Sterling silver Starry adjustable cuff Bracelet bangle $1.54

silver cuff bracelet, adjustable size, with pressed geometric shapes $0.99

Steampunk CUTE Dragonfly ring ADJUSTABLE FINGER ear CUFF gothic antique silver $19.99

Silver Twisted Cable Cuff Bracelet Horse Bangles Fashion Adjustable Jewelry $0.99

MARC JACOBS Gunmetal Silver Flower Adjustable Cuff Bracelet NEW $35.00

MARC JACOBS Gunmetal Silver Tribal Adjustable Cuff Bracelet NEW $35.00

Sterling Silver Platinum Plated Simple Bangle Bracelet Adjustable 6mm B325662 $0.99

Fashion Silver Bracelet Cuff Bangle Bracelet Heart Clasp Adjustable Size Jewelry $0.99

Solid Sterling Silver Platinum Plated Lady’s Bangle Bracelet Adjustable PB200418 $0.99

Silver Flower Bead On Leather Bracelet Adjustable Cuff $2.50

ANTIQUE STERLING SILVER SUPER HEAVY NATIVE AMERICAN ADJUSTABLE CUFF BRACELET $197.00

( Comedy Tragedy Mask ) Ear Cuff Solid Sterling Silver $4.99

NEW!!Sterling silver Heart adjustable Cuff Bracelet bangle $0.99

Sterling Essentials Sterling Silver ‘Princess’ Adjustable Baby Cuff Bracelet $40.99

Silver Ring& Cuff Bracelet Adjustable 2in1 Jewelry Set $2.99

Vintage 925 Sterling Silver Cuff Bracelet. Airy Basket weave. Adjustable. $39.99

Pretty!! Sterling Silver Flower Pattern adjustable cuff Bracelet bangle BA56 $0.99

Pretty!! 925 Sterling Silver adjustable Lucky cuff Bracelet bangle $3.51

HONEY AMBER SILVER PLATED ADJUSTABLE BANGLE BRACELET $8.99

Adjustable Ethinic Tibetan Silver Embossed Animal Elephant Cuff Bracelet $0.01

Adjustable Ethinic Tibetan Silver Embossed Chinese Knot Cuff Bracelet $0.01

NEW ELEPHANT ENGRAVED BRASS CUFF ADJUSTABLE SILVER TONE BRACELET JEWELRY GIFT $9.99

PEACOCK AND FLORAL EMBOSSED SILVER TONE ADJUSTABLE CUFF WOMEN BRACELET JEWELRY $12.99

Beautiful Sterling silver Flower adjustable Cuff Bracelet bangle $1.25

925 Sterling Silver 2-heart phenix adjustable elite cuff Bracelet bangle $1.25

925 Sterling Silver Bangle Bracelet Adjustable 6mm B325662 $0.99

LARGE VERY ADJUSTABLE ESTATE STERLING SILVER TIGER’S EYE CUFF BRACELET 8 1/4″ $149.99

Pretty!! 925 Sterling Silver Flower Pattern adjustable cuff Bracelet bangle $5.55

Solid Sterling Silver Lady’s Bangle Bracelet Adjustable PB200418 $0.99

Black Adjustable Silver Tont Accent Cuff Bracelet Wristband $7.67

Silver Plated Braided Adjustable Bracelet Wristband Cuff 0.51″ $1.00

Silver Plated Braided Adjustable Bracelet Wristband Cuff 0.51″ $3.89

Adjustable Silver Toned BABY PHAT Cuff Bracelet $24.99 Adjustable Silver Toned BABY PHAT Cuff Bracelet Accessorize with the Best Baby Phat Jewelry. Classic Cuff Bracelet with the official Baby Phat Kitty. Authentic Baby Phat Jewelry. Specifications: Adjustable Cuff Bracelet 3/4 Inches wide Officially Licensed Baby Phat Jewelry and Accessories

Sterling Silver Claddah Cuff Bracelets – Cuff Claddah Bracelet adjustable $143 Sterling Silver Claddah Cuff Bracelets – Cuff Claddah Bracelet adjustable is available from jewelbasket.com for only $90.00. Buy now and save. Jewelbasket offers the best value on Celtic Jewelry – Irish Jewelry, jewelry and gifts.

Nubian Silver Cuff $265 Nubian silver cuff is a beautiful bracelet covered in intricate East African designs and symbols. The silver cuff is completely adjustable and lends a nobility even to weekend jeans.

Daisy Flower Adjustable Ring Cuff $30 Add a little flower power to your jewelry collection with this daisy flower adjustable ring cuff. You’ll love the way the charming antique silver design wraps around your finger to showcase your dainty side. Open cuff for adjustable sizing.

Sterling Silver Cuff $300 Choose this bold sterling silver cuff by Argento Vivo and make a statement with any look. Your wrist will shine with the detailed design and hammered finish of the cuff. This bracelet is easy to wear as it slides on and adjustable to size of wrist.

Gold Tone Adjustable Metal Cuff Bracelet $16.99 Thin rows of bangles, in gold or silver-tone, join together to form this gorgeous cuff bracelet. Adjustable. Metal. Imported. Available in Silver, Gold.

Jessica Elliot Silver Wrought Iron Cuff $250 Jessica Elliot Silver Wrought Iron Cuff is stunning. Worn as an everyday piece or for a formal event, this cuff is glamorous and captivating. The pattern is of small clover cut-outs. The cuff is adjustable and bends to fit the wrist. Sterling silver.

Wave Cuff $298 The wave cuff captures the essence of an ocean swell. This fine sterling silver bracelet has an open back to be comfortably adjustable without losing any of the impact. This piece is a trusty anchor in the changing waves of style.

Silver Toned Scroll Wide Cuff Bracelet $11.99 Silver Toned Scroll Wide Cuff Bracelet You will be a style icon with this must-have scroll bangle cuff. Get a designer looking metal cuff bracelet and make a fashion statement. Specifications: Adjustable, Rhodium Plated

Sterling Silver and Black Diamond Cuff $328 The sterling silver and diamond cuff is a bright and shining band laced with 10 faceted black diamonds. The bracelet is open and comfortably adjustable. The slender, linear cuff is luxurious but understated; a sly way to push the boundaries of formal jewelry fashion.

Chain Mail Cuff $195 This chain mail cuff is an exquisite piece. Gorgeously detailed silver chains form a subtle herringbone pattern on the back of a silver cuff. The adjustable fit is easy and comfortable. Get more bang with this simple, bold style.

Sterling Silver Swirl Cuff Bracelet $325 Feel like you’re ready for a big night on the town with this swirl cuff bracelet in sterling silver. The unique swirl motif is part of her Signature collection, which is inspired by nature. This original creation has an adjustable bracelet and is full of sturdy comfort.

White Quartz Crystal Castle Cuff $572 The white quartz cuff is simply enchanting. Round faceted white quartz stones shimmer and shine on both ends of the sterling silver cuff. This cuff is slightly adjustable, which makes it easy to slide this cuff on and off.

Sterling Silver Inset Basket Weave Cuff Bracelet $364.78 Plum Island Silver Company is a leading supplier of Sterling Silver Jewelry. We have one of the largest selections of Sterling Silver Jewelry in the world. Our customer service is unexcelled. Give us a try and see why we are America s Favorite Sterling Silver Supplier . Gorgeous sterling silver cuff bracelet with basket weave inset is sure to be noticed. Cuff measures 20mm wide. Suitable for a 7 inch wrist the inside measurements of the cuff are approximately 50mm x 60mm. This cuff is slightly adjustable. Smooth lines of high polish silver frame the beautiful basket weave inset. You’ll get lots of compliments with this bracelet.

Antiqued Sterling Silver Faith Cuff Bracelet $78.52 Antiqued Sterling Silver Faith Cuff Bracelet This religious bracelet comes with a gift box and a card with poem and verse from scripture. “Inspirational Blessings” jewelry; carrying messages of peace and comfort. Beautiful silver religious Faith bracelet. Specifications: .925 Sterling Silver, Adjustable 9.5 Size, 7 DWT ( 10.89 grams)

Antiqued Sterling Silver Forgiven Cuff Bracelet $52.99 Antiqued Sterling Silver Forgiven Cuff Bracelet This religious bracelet comes with a gift box and a card with poem and verse from scripture. “Inspirational Blessings” jewelry; carrying messages of peace and comfort. Beautiful silver religious forgiven bracelet. Specifications: .925 Sterling Silver, Adjustable 9.5 Size, 7 DWT ( 10.89 grams)

Antiqued Sterling Silver Jesus Cuff Bracelet $52.99 Antiqued Sterling Silver Jesus Cuff Bracelet This religious bracelet comes with a gift box and a card with poem and verse from scripture. “Inspirational Blessings” jewelry; carrying messages of peace and comfort. Beautiful silver religious Jesus bracelet. Specifications: .925 Sterling Silver, Adjustable 9.5 Size, 7 DWT ( 10.89 grams)

Coral Cuff Bracelet $352 Here is a wonderfully styled coral cuff bracelet. The bracelet is adjustable in size and comes in sterling silver and 18k gold plated. As part of the Laguna collection, the cuff will make you feel like you’ve been vacationing on your own private island.

Silver Clear Vintage Cuff Bracelet B8307 $45.5 Simply stunning this rhinestone encrusted cuff bracelet features an exquisite silver plated design A beautiful addition to your white or ivory wedding dress the piece is perfect for your spring or summer wedding The bracelet has a diameter of 212" and is adjustable fitting most wrists

Cuff Bangle in Sterling Silver $129 Cuff Bangle in Sterling Silver SKU: 65RC0240

Antiqued Sterling Silver Ichthus Fish Cuff Bracelet $52.99 Antiqued Sterling Silver Ichthus Fish Cuff Bracelet This religious bracelet comes with a gift box and a card with poem and verse from scripture. “Inspirational Blessings” jewelry; carrying messages of peace and comfort. Beautiful silver religious Fish Ichthus bracelet. Specifications: .925 Sterling Silver, Adjustable 9.5 Size, 7 DWT ( 10.89 grams)

Silver Tone Leather Chain Swirl Snap Cuff Bracelet $16.99 Silver Tone Leather Chain Swirl Snap Cuff Bracelet Be smart and sophisticated, with this stunning cracked leather bracelet featuring circular swirls of silver tone chain. Comfortable snap closure cuff bracelet with chain detailing. Specifications: Adjustable Snap Closure, Man Made Leather, 9″ Length, Approximately 1.75″ width

Sterling Silver Cuff Links $119.99 Sterling Silver Cuff Links crafted in 925 Sterling Silver

Black Bling Circle Cone Stud Wrist Cuff $12.5 This black wrist cuff features a row of silver circle cone studs and bling with an adjustable snap button closure.

Black Two Row Pyramid Stud Wrist Cuff $10 This black wrist cuff features two rows of silver tone pyramid studs and an adjustable snap button closure.

Black Single Row Pyramid Stud Wrist Cuff $8 This black wrist cuff features a row of silver tone pyramid studs and an adjustable snap button closure.

Black Single Row Spike Wrist Cuff $8 This black wrist cuff features a row of silver tone spikes and an adjustable snap button closure.

Jessica Elliot Open Clover Cuff in Sterling Silver Women $195 Please Note: This item may take up to two (2) weeks to ship.Jessica Elliots symbolic jewelry is praised among celebrities and fashionistas. The Open Clover Cuff is an enlarged, adjustable cuff with an ornate cut out clover design. The delicate pattern is subtle enough that this cuff will go with any ensemble. Materials: sterling silver Size: approx 2 inches wide, 2.5 inch diameter, adjustable Designer Style No. 611(si)CUFF