Toastmasters International is this month celebrating its 100th anniversary since the first official meeting was held in a basement at the Young Men’s Christian Association office in Santa Ana California in the United States.

The first meeting of a Toastmaster’s Club in Jamaica also took place in the month of October, 39 years ago.

In observance of the 100th anniversary since the first Toastmasters International meeting was held, members of different Toastmasters clubs in Jamaica met for worship on Sunday at the Universal Centre of Truth for Better Living Church in St Andrew, marking the start of a host of activities for the month of October.

Highlighting the importance of beginning the month of activities in church, Corren Thomas, who is the club growth director said, “At this time, we take time out to give thanks to God, to celebrate and to ask for God’s guidance. As you heard, our core values are respect, integrity, service and excellence.”

Essentially, Toastmasters is a leadership and communication organisation.

Thomas explained that Toastmasters is a worldwide organisation with roughly 140, 000 members spread over 140 countries. Toastmasters clubs can be found in 28 territories in the Caribbean. Jamaica has 30 Toastmasters Clubs which are broken down into two divisions.

Distinguished Toastmaster, Viris Clarke-Ellis, told Observer Online that the club provides an opportunity for individuals to grow professionally and in the area of public speaking.

Clarke-Ellis is the Division K director and she is in charge of the clubs in Jamaica, Cayman islands, Turks and Caicos and Bermuda.

“Toastmasters is a professional development education programme that focuses on communication and leadership. When you join a toastmasters group you get an opportunity to grow as a public speaker and you get opportunities to practice leadership skills. Persons are free to join. There is no requirement to join except the desire to learn to become a good leader and a good speaker. We are opened to all persons who are interested in developing their public speaking and leadership skills,” she said.