Toastmasters International History

Speak Easy Toastmasters

September is almost with us again and Toastmasters from North Cork will be looking forward to returning to regular forthnightly meetings.

Just a reminder on what the Toastmasters International organization is..

A brief history; the Toastmasters organization began in 1924,more than three million men and women have benefited from its the communication and leadership programs. The first club was formed in October 1924, when a group of men assembled by 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 in 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 Angeles. By 1930, it was apparent that a federation was necessary to coordinate activities of the clubs and to provide standard methods. After formation of a 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 been expanded and updated many times since then to keep abreast of the times and members' needs.

Membership in Toastmasters International increased rapidly after the end of World War II, and by 1954 the number of Toastmasters clubs had approached 1,500.

Today there are over 10,500 clubs worldwide with 200,000 members in 90 countries.

In the Cork, Kerry, West Limerick area alone, there are 22 Toastmasters Clubs with almost 400 members.

To “kick off” the new toastmaster season Speak Easy Toastmasters are hosting launch evening in The Beamish and Crawford Brewery tomorrow evening, 24^th, at 8pm.

Speak Easy Toastmasters meetings will resume on September 6^th in the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow at 7.50pm.

Further information from our website www.speakeasytoastmasters.com

Speak Easy Special Awards Meeting

It was our last meeting in our Toastmaster calendar 2006/2007 and it was a special evening as it was awards giving. Members were accredited for their achievements in completing a set project i.e. the first manual which contains ten speeches which every toastmaster member begins with and continues to progress at ones own pace. The advanced manuals have structured guidelines for each of the ten speeches too, each with its own objectives which makes it easy when preparing and compiling the speech.

First to the podium was Ann O’Sullivan who told us all that Toastmasters had done for her what she had learned and the confidence she has gained, and the experience of serving on the committee. Second speaker John Dillon demonstrated to the audience his artistic talents and his world of art is to be commended. Third speaker Sean Corcoran introduced us to a new therapy, to get those endorphins really going he even brought his banjo to get us started and within minutes we were all convinced and singing our hearts out. Fourth speaker Angels Sheehan who had a very interesting speech on things she did for the first time i.e. like eating an olive thinking it was a grape.

Helen O Sullivan was our Topics master of the evening dressed in appropriate black gown and giving members awards for different personal achievements while unrehearsed they had to acknowledge this award.

The final business of the meeting was the handing over of the presidents chain of office by outgoing President, Mary Buckley to Anne Buckley the incoming President.

Anne then introduced her new committee and presented them with their officer manuals.

Overall what a wonderful evening we had we are off on our summer holidays first to Mallow races on June 10^th for our annual outing. Our first meeting back is September 6^th at 7.50 in Hibernian Hotel when we would love to meet you.

Have a great summer.