Yes, the infamous speakers’ group, Toastmasters is alive and well. They are already announcing their 2020 Convention in Paris this August. Were you ever curious to know more about Toastmasters? If so, read on!
Salespeople should create small talk in a group of potential buyers at networking events, or even smaller company meetings. Properly engaging with others through conversation is truly a benefit to building relationships; especially for those whose lives depend on it. The best way to perfect your trade is to keep practicing. My recent attendance at a local Toastmasters meeting tells me that this group is still very much alive and active. I loved it so much and wanted to know more about the history of Toastmasters. Enjoy the following read about the Founder, Ralph C. Smedley.
Ralph C. Smedley was born in Waverly, Illinois during the year of 1878. He would spend most of his life in Illinois, even attending Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloomington. Smedley is mostly known for creating Toastmasters International, an educational organization that helps individuals with their communication, public speaking and leadership skills. The term “toastmaster” referred to a person who gave toasts at banquets and other prominent events.
During his time working for the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association), Smedley ran a series of speaking clubs. As director of education there, he saw a need for men of the community to improve upon their speaking skills. In these meetings, the overall goal was to improve speaking, hold meetings, plan programs and work on committees. Smedley would organize the club and the YMCA would serve as the home to refine these skills; the attendees were quite thrilled with the progress they were making. He would name the group Smedley Chapter One Club – it would later come to be known as the first unofficial Toastmasters Club.
Because there wasn’t enough proper leadership and direction, Smedley would have to move his operation to Freeport, Illinois. While there, the idea never seemed to catch on with the locals. It wasn’t until April 1924, when Smedley took a job at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, that he created the first official club – it would be called Club No. 1 of Toastmasters International.
Unlike his previous stop, word of the club began to catch on quickly. People from other towns, and even other states, began to ask how they could start their own version of the club. Smedley would write the “Manual of Instructions” and “Ten Lessons in Public Speaking” so that he didn’t have to respond to each request he received on the matter and made them into books. In October 1928, Smedley obtained copyrights on those publications and trademarked the “Toastmasters Club” name.
By 1930, there were around 30 Toastmasters clubs formed, and there was even one in British Columbia, Canada. Smedley had a great idea to rename the club to Toastmasters International so they could start getting more notoriety in other countries outside the United States.
Smedley would still hold on to his job at the YMCA but also took on multiple positions within Toastmasters International. In his spare time at night, he would continue writing articles on the art of speaking.
By 1941, Toastmasters International began growing at an enormous rate. Smedley would give up his job with the YMCA and become the full-time leader of the club. With the extra time to focus on Toastmasters International solely, he wrote: “Basic Training” and “Beyond Basic Training” – both of which are still used by current members of the club. Until his death in 1965, Smedley still worked for the club as the educational director.
Toastmasters International has more than 352,000 members in 141 countries – in addition to 16,400 individual clubs. The World Headquarters are in Santa Ana, CA – not too far from where the first-ever Toastmasters club met.
