How Toastmasters works At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. Each meeting provides an opportunity to practice:

• Giving impromptu speeches. Members present one-to two-minute impromptu speeches on assigned topics.
• Presenting prepared speeches. Several members present speeches based on projects from the Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Program manuals. Projects cover such topics as speech organization, voice, language, gestures, and persuasion.
• Offering and receiving constructive evaluation. Every prepared speaker is assigned an evaluator who points out speech strengths and offers suggestions for improvement. There is also a critique of the evaluations and the meeting as a whole, by a general evaluator.
  

  Upon joining a Toastmasters club, each new member receives a variety of manuals and resources on speaking. Members also have access to other books as well as audio and video cassettes on speaking and leading. They also receive the award-winning monthly magazine, The Toastmaster, that offers the latest insights on speaking and leadership techniques.

About Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors elected by the membership. The first Toastmasters club was established on October 22, 1924, in Santa Ana, California, by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley, who conceived and developed the idea of helping others to speak more effectively. More clubs were formed, and Toastmasters International was incorporated under California law on December 19, 1932.

The Values of Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International’s core values are integrity, dedication to excellence, service to the member, and respect for the individual. These are values worthy of a great organization, and we believe we should incorporate them as anchor points in every decision we make. Our core values provide us with a means of not only guiding but also evaluating our operations, our planning, and our vision for the future.

The Vision of Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. Through our member clubs, people throughout the world can improve their communication and leadership skills, and find the courage to change.

The Mission of Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is the leading movement devoted to making effective oral communication a worldwide reality.

Through its member Clubs, Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking – vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership, foster human understanding, and contribute to the betterment of mankind.

It is basic to this mission that Toastmasters International continually expand its worldwide network of Clubs, thereby offering ever-greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from its programs.

Links for more information:

Toastmasters International

A Brief History of Toastmasters

Famous Toastmasters

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