Toastmasters’ legacy of learning flourishes for 88 years

The organization’s communications model remains as relevant in 2012 as when it began in 1924

CITY, STATE, Oct. 22, 2012—“We learn in moments of enjoyment,” are the words of Dr. Ralph C. Smedley, who founded the first Toastmasters club at the YMCA in Santa Ana, Calif., 88 years ago today. Dr. Smedley, then-YMCA director, created the club in October 1924 for young men to practice their after-dinner speeches in a social environment. Today, nearly 300,000 men and women are improving their communication and leadership skills using the values and model that Dr. Smedley developed. In fact, there are more than 13,500 clubs in 116 countries throughout the world. Since the organization’s inception, more than four million people have found their voice and gained confidence through the proven Toastmasters program.

“Dr. Smedley laid the framework for the Toastmasters ‘learn-by-doing’ model,” says Daniel Rex, Executive Director of Toastmasters International. “The organization’s expansion in recent years is a tribute to the need for the timeless skills of effective communication and leadership. With 19 consecutive years of membership growth, our clubs continue to thrive globally.”

Longtime Toastmaster Don Ensch, 86, who as a young man heard Dr. Smedley give many speeches, says, “Toastmasters has withstood the test of time because its programs are vital to an individual’s personal growth. Better speaking skills are the most well-known results of Toastmasters membership, but anyone can benefit from becoming a more confident listener, thinker and leader. My Toastmasters experience has opened many doors that otherwise would not have been opened. It’s been a wonderful journey,” says Ensch, who has earned the organization’s Accredited Speaker designation and is a member of Sandpipers Toastmasters in Ventura, Calif.

In Toastmasters, members meet weekly to learn and practice public speaking and leadership techniques. There is no instructor; instead, members evaluate each other’s presentations.

Toastmasters clubs around the world will celebrate the anniversary with special meetings and events. Locally, (club name), which meets at (location) on (day (s)) at (time) will offer special presentations. The general public is invited to visit a meeting and learn more about the program’s benefits. To learn more about the Toastmasters club experience, view this video. You can join the ranks of famous Toastmasters who have benefited from the program, including Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza, Chris Matthews, host of Hardball with Chris Matthews, and Nancy Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary.

View the Toastmasters timeline for a look at the organization’s history. Visit www.toastmasters.org to find a club near you.

About Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Founded in October 1924, the organization currently has more than 280,000 members in 13,500-plus clubs in 116 countries. Each week, Toastmasters helps more than a quarter million people of every ethnicity, education level and profession build their competence in communication so they can gain the confidence to lead others. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow Toastmasters International on Twitter @Toastmasters.

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Eid Mubarak !

The Division D Team Wishes the Toastmaster Community a Happy and Blessed

Eid al Adha.

 

 

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Let us Talk: A Superb Motivator with an Assuring Smile

Whenever the name of TM Rajesh Daga comes to mind one can literally visualize two components of his personal brand an assuring smile and a touch of motivation to walk the extra mile. He is known for his superb encouraging attitude that makes the mentee rejoice the present and become charged for a better tomorrow. TM Saleh al Khamyasi has a chat with TM Rajesh Daga for this week's episode of Let us Talk.

TM Rajesh Daga

Click here to visit Let us Talk

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Be There your life is Precious

Dear Fellow leaders & Toastmasters

Serving the community is one aspect to put our skills and competencies we learned for the human cause. It is out of such social Responsibility that SAB Toastmasters club, one of the dynamic and energetic clubs chaired by TM Sabiha Salar under Area Governor TM Dr. John valliatu  Area 4.

Your attendance along with your family members and friends is so crucial to expand the circle of awareness. 

Program:    A Cancer awareness talk

 

Presenter:  Dr.Zahid Al Mandhari is the Speaker, he is a Sr. Consultant Radiation Oncologist, the only   Omani to hold the post, He studied in SQU and has been with Royal Hospital since 2007.

Venue:  The Advance learning center of Saud Bahwan Automotive

Day & Date:  Wednesday, 17th of October 2012.

Time:  6.45 PM.

Friends,  serving is the philosophy of toastmaster. Encouraging and motivating is the human touch of toastmasters program.  Team spirit is what makes societies connected and flourishing.  It is being informed and aware that counts. Being aware will make you care. In turn you can share. You can extend a helping hand for the needy.

 We congratulate SAB Toastmasters Club for this initiative and hope in the days to come others will come with other creative initiatives to serve society.

Be there and Show that you care. Your presence will make a great difference.  Let us all “Touch to Transform”. Let us be Role Models

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Leaping from Speaker to Trainer

Promising is something but fulfilling the promise is an assurance that the ultimate goal is empowering the members to sharpen their saw. AG Education and Training DTM Gurbinder Sing Punn has delivered his second training scheduled to enhance the skills of our toastmasters this year.

In a noble gesture from Saud Bahwan Group , the Advanced Learning Center embraced a workshop on  “Speaker to Trainer”. The workshop took place on  Thursday the 11^th of Octobe rand  was facilitated by ACG Ramakrishnan Vajayan  known as  Ramki among his toastmasters circle. Ramki is  a professional trainer himself for more than a decade currently working at the  SBG Advanced Learning Center. He revealed that this initiative comes as a motivational touch to inspire members to take ownership of their development and make the leap from speaker to trainer. This will positively impact the talents set in our division and increase the number of trainers in the division.

Twenty three participants attended the workshop from different the clubs in the respective areas.  DG Yasser Sulaiman Inaugurated the session and thanked the commendable efforts of Area governors, Division team, clubs highlighting that DTM Punn has a lot in store to inject pulse and assure members that their development is one of the legacy the division wants to leave behind. The Division Governor invested the presence of TM Mohammed Ishfaq as one of the participants and introduced him as an added member to the division Team.

Commenting on benefits of this workshop President of MB toastmasters CC Nahil Hilal one of the participants the program was useful and effective. It was the trainer expertise that has paved the way for an interactive and very informative session.

TM said Almanthari of PDO toastmasters stated that I enjoyed this workshop. It was enlightening and shed light on the quality of the speaker and what ought to be considered in the journey to become trainer.

The VP education of NTI advanced TM Ramesh commented that the workshop was excellent, crisp and hot. Though short in time, it is high in content. It is surely a good beginning for those who are aspiring to be trainers.

The Secretary of SBG toastmasters reflected that it is the first time for him to be in such workshop and it is certainly an enjoyable program. 

The workshop was interactive in nature. The facilitator was highly successful in bring the difference between a speaker and a trainer. He exhibited the difference between the two using several tools such as icebreaker, dividing the participants into groups, ensuring focused discussion and knowledge sharing and using Role play as a technique. Besides he tapped on other tools case study, games and score of others.

About the types of audience, Ramki highlighted that audience differ in their behaviors. There are those who are talkative, silent, crab as well as know it all and each of these types ought to be handled differently.

At the end of the workshop DG Yasser Sulaiman thanked the participants and highlighted the need for putting the division theme “Touch to Transform” in action. He asked the participants to invite friends to their clubs and introduce them to toastmasters and let them embark on a positive turning point in their lives. The workshop was concluded after he distributed the certificates for the participants.

The Division Governor & AG E&T expressed  their gratitude for SBG Advanced Learning Center lead by Shayam Shankar, the Area Governor for area 65 TM  Robin Anand  and all the center staff particularly  TM Ramki and TM Sujith for empowering the division to make this workshop a  tangible reality.

The Story in Pictures

 

 

 

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Let Us Talk: Doing It The Aristotle Way

In this weeks session, TM Saleh al Khamyasi intorduces us to TM DR. Seif Alabri, a man who talks less and inspires more, a formula we rarely see. He is a voracious reader and an utterly passionate about Toastmasters. He believes that Joining Toastmaster was one of the best investments he has ever done for himself development.

TM DR. Seif Alabri

 

Click here to visit Let us Talk

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Be There Show You Care

Dear Fellow leaders & Toastmasters

Serving the community is one aspect to put our skills and competencies we learned for the human cause. It is out of such social Responsibility that SAB Toastmasters club, one of the dynamic and energetic clubs chaired by TM Sabiha Salar under Area Governor TM Dr. John valliatu  Area 4.

Your attendance along with your family members and friends is so crucial to expand the circle of awareness. 

Program:    A Cancer awareness talkPresenter:  Dr.Zahid Al Mandhari is the Speaker, he is a Sr. Consultant Radiation Oncologist, the only   Omani to hold the post, He studied in SQU and has been with Royal Hospital since 2007.

Venue:  The Advance learning center of Saud Bahwan Automotive

Day & Date:  Wednesday, 17th of October 2012.

Time:  6.45 PM.

Friends, serving is the philosophy of toastmaster. Encouraging and motivating is the human touch of toastmasters program.  Team spirit is what makes societies connected and flourishing.  It is being informed and aware that counts. Being aware will make you care. In turn you can share. You can extend a helping hand for the needy.

 We congratulate SAB Toastmasters Club for this initiative and hope in the days to come others will come with other creative initiatives to serve society.

Be there and Show that you care. Your presence will make a great difference.  Let us all “Touch to Transform”. Let us be Role Models

Read More