About Toastmasters organization
What is Toastmasters?
Why do we have such name? How can toasts be connected with an English club? We’ll explain you.
A little bit of history.
Year 1924 – Toastmasters organization was founded by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley. First meeting of the first Toastmasters club was held in Santa Anna, California on October 22, 1924. Its goal was “practice and training in the art of public speaking during meetings”.
Smedley began working as director of education for a Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) after he graduated from college. He observed that many of the young patrons needed “training in the art of public speaking and in presiding over meetings” and Smedley wanted to help them. He decided the training format would be similar to a social club. During the early 1900s the word “toastmaster” referred to a person who proposed the toasts and introduced the speakers at a banquet. Smedley named his group “The Toastmasters Club” because he thought it suggested a pleasant, social atmosphere appealing to young men.
Just imagine, with years the organization has grown 250,000 members in more than 12,500 clubs in 106 countries.
The Toastmasters Mision:
Toastmasters International is a leading movement devoted to making effective communication a worldwide reality. Through its member clubs, Toastmaster 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 the mankind.
It is basic to this mission that Toastmasters International continually expands its worldwide network of clubs thereby offering ever-greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from its programs.
At this link you’ll find more information about Toastmasters World Headquarters : http://www.toastmasters.org
Here are the links to all the Toastmasters clubs in Ukraine:
Kiev:
ArtTalkers Toastmasters Club
Top Talkers Toastmasters Club
EBA Toastmasters Club
Toastcrackers Club
Dnipro Hills Toastmasters Club
AmCham Toastmasters Club
Odessa:
Best Odessa Speakers Club
Lvov:
Lviv Toastmasters Club
