The year was 1903, after graduating from the Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, Ralph Smedley took a job as Director of Education for the local Young Men's Christian Association (commonly known as the YMCA). Realizing that the older boys who visited the YMCA needed training in communication, he took the initiative to start a public speaking club. Smedley called this group "The Toastmasters Club", because some of the activities they engaged in resembled a banquet with toasts and after-dinner speakers. The boys enjoyed taking turns making speeches and evaluating them, as well as presiding at the weekly meetings. The club blossomed, but soon Smedley was promoted to General Secretary of the YMCA and transferred to Freeport, IL. Sadly to say, but after his departure the Bloomington club quickly died.
In the following years, Ralph Smedley was transferred several more times, and each time he started and organized other Toastmasters clubs. Businessmen and other professionals who recognized the benefits of effective communication skills very quickly became members. The clubs operated successfully while Smedley was there, but they seemed to disappear when its founder moved to a different location.
Finally, the YMCA director arrived in Santa Ana, California. Once more he organized a club, holding their first meeting in the Santa Ana YMCA basement in the year 1924.
Perhaps the weather in California was better conducive to this endeavor, but men from neighboring communities were gathering and forming clubs all over the place, and Ralph Smedley was witnessing that his concept had finally caught on. The new clubs were united in a Federation designed to coordinate their activities and ensure uniform methods of learning. In 1932, the Federation was incorporated as "Toastmasters International", following the establishment of a club in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.
As the organization continued to grow, by 1941 Smedley realized that Toastmasters needed his full-time attention. He resigned from the YMCA and started working very hard from a small office, writing educational materials, and a variety of other documents to aid in the proper conduct at meetings. Ralph Smedley's contributions to society have not gone unnoticed. In 1950, the Wesleyan University granted him the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters; and Santa Ana named a Junior High School after him in 1955. Toastmasters itself honored him with the title of Honorary President and lifetime board member. The Santa Ana club even renamed itself "The Smedley Number One Club" in honor of its founder.
The best tribute, however, is one that takes place when thousands upon thousands of men and women all over the world come together at weekly meetings, trying to learn the valuable skills of oral communication and leadership at a local club.
A simple desire of a man to help his fellow men improve their speaking and leadership skills, grew into the grand vision of a world giant organization of over 150,000 members worldwide. This is definitely making a radical and positive difference in how people of all walks of life communicate with one another.
I would like to end this account with a very appropriate quote that says, "Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world", by Joel Arthur Barker.
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