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Since Toastmasters
began, more than 3 million men and women have benefited from the communication
and leadership programs of the organization.
The first club was formed on October 22,
1924,
when a group of men assembled by founder, Dr. Ralph C. Smedley, met in the
basement of the Santa Ana YMCA in California. The purpose was to form a club
"to afford practice and training in the art of public speaking and in
presiding over meetings, and to promote socialibility 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 Angeles. By 1930, it was apparent that
a federation was necessary to coordinate the activities of the clubs and to
provide standard methods. After formation of the club in Victoria, British Columbia, the group became known as
"Toastmasters International".
Growth was slow during the early years, but the number of clubs increased
steadily. The forerunner of today's Communication and Leadership Program,
Basic Training, was introduced in 1942 and has since been expanded and
updated continually to keep abreast of the times and members' needs.
Membership in Toastmaster's International icreased rapidly after the end of
World War II, and by 1954 the number of Toastmasters clubs had approached
1500.
In 1973, Toastmasters club membership was opened to women, enabling them to
benefit also from self-development 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 organizations's first 50 years
and the promise of an even more successful second half century. By 1980,
nearly 4,000 clubs existed around the world. Today Toastmasters membership
is over 180,000 in 64 countries around the world.
Toastmasters International is the undisputed world leader in public
speaking training with the promise that the best is yet to come.
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