Where: International Monetary Fund            HQ2 Room 1-250            1900 Pennsylvania Ave            Washington, DC 20431            United States	When:  Thursdays, Noon-1 p.m.     Please arrive at the 1900 Penn Ave visitor entrance at 11:45 am to meet a club representative.
President: Olga Pang Stein ( ) VP Education: Noriaki Kinoshita ( ) VP Membership: Keiko Takahashi ( )

 

IMF Toastmasters

 

Perfect Ten & President's Distinguished Club

2009/10! 

 

In October 1924, a group of men assembled by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley met in the basement of the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, U.S.A., forming a club “to afford practice and training in the art of public speaking and in presiding over meetings, and to promote sociability and good fellowship among its members.” The group took the name “Toastmasters.”  We are a local chapter of Toastmasters International.

Today, Toastmasters International is a global non-profit organization which gives its members the opportunity to develop and improve their public speaking and leadership abilities through local clubs, training seminars, and speech contests.  

Experienced professionals and beginning speakers alike can benefit from our practical, face-to-face learning program. Whether you're speaking to the board of directors, your customers, your co-workers or your kids, Toastmasters can help you do it better. You'll learn and practice in a friendly, comfortable environment with people who are there for the same reason you are—to become better communicators and leaders.

At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. A typical Toastmasters club is made up of 20 to 30 people who meet once a week for about an hour. Each meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice conducting meetings, giving impromptu speeches, presenting prepared speeches, and offering constructive evaluation. Elected Club officers manage daily club business and develop leadership skills.

Your journey starts with the basic Toastmasters Communication and Leadership Program, a series of self-paced speech projects designed to help you learn and practice basic public speaking skills. Each project builds on the preceding assignments. The opportunities do not stop when you complete the basic program. Challenging projects in a variety of advanced manuals are geared to meet your specific professional and personal goals.

The IMF Toastmasters Club was founded in 1990. We have many experienced and new members, people from all parts of the IMF, World Bank, OAS, and members from other neighboring organizations. As of June 2009 we had 35 active members representing 20 nationalities!