Everyone? Could I have your attention for a moment? I'm sorry, but I just wanted to note that today's AWC honors Toastmasters International, which traces its origins back 90 years to a single club founded on October 22, 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California.

Now, you might be familiar with Toastmasters, and their mission of helping members improve their public speaking and leadership skills. Not to mention their French toast is to die for! Sorry, sorry…somebody dared me to make that joke. No, but seriously folks, did you know that Toastmasters grew out of the efforts of Ralph Smedley, who noticed a need for speech training during his YMCA work in the early 20th century? Smedley established clubs where members evaluated each other on short speeches at "Y" branches in Illinois and Northern California, but none of them lasted long after he left.

Now, I know that food's getting cold, so I'll get to the point. When Smedley arrived in Santa Ana, he set up another little speech club, and this one actually stuck. Not only that, but it inspired copycats across Southern California, and soon places like Los Angeles and Long Beach had their own Toastmasters clubs. Smedley started getting so many letters that he printed up a manual and a set of lessons on public speaking, and since a club had popped up in Canadian British Columbia, he decided it was fair to organize all the clubs as Toastmasters International.

Smedley died in 1970, but the need for effective public communication didn't. And today, Toastmasters has over 14,000 clubs in 126 countries, with more than 300,000 members around the world. (Thankfully, they're not all speaking here today.) If you're interested, membership is open to anyone over 18. And ladies, you'll be happy to know the organization's male-only policy ended in 1973, so if your husband says you talk too much, join up and give him all the speeches he can handle!

Alright, tough crowd. Moving right along. I'm wrapping up here, but in closing, just remember…in this age of texting, tweeting, and sideways smilies, there's still a venue that values the art of genuine communication. You might not give many speeches in your life, but if you do, it's nice to have a little practice among people who are just as nervous as you are. Salud!

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