What is Toastmasters?

No, we don't make toasters!

During the early 1900s , the word “ toastmaster” referred to a person who proposed the toasts and introduced the speakers at a banquet.

On 22 October 1924, Ralph Smedley held the first meeting in Santa Ana, California, USA of what would eventually become Toastmasters International.

Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience.

The nonprofit organization now has nearly 250,000 members in nearly 12,000 clubs in 106 countries, offering a proven – and enjoyable! – way to practice and polish communication and leadership skills. 

Source: Toastmasters International  http://www.toastmasters.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/CompanyInformation.aspx

In 1979, Major Ray Benson (⁺2009), Military Liason Officer at the US Embassy, met a fellow expatriate while he was jogging at Senayan. They found out that they had something in common. They were both Toastmasters.

They agreed to drum up some people and start a club in Jakarta.

The Charter evening was on 12 December 1979 at the Sahid Jaya Hotel. Ray Benson was successful in getting the approval of the Director General of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, now the late Prof. Dr. Doddy Tisnaamidjaja to charter the club, the Jakarta Toastmasters Club (JTC). As time went by, the expatriate members left and slowly Indonesians members became the majority.

As the membership fluctuated, JTC had to move venues from Sahid Jaya Hotel to several hotels and offices to finally end up in the meeting room of PB & Co, at Menara Imperium, 29th Floor, Jalan HR Rasuna Said 1.

Source : Benny Slamet, JTC charter member and currently with Metropolitan Toastmasters Club.