Honour Ralph Smedley’s vision by bringing new members to your club

To win the Smedley Award for your club, add 5 new, dual, or reinstated members between 1st August and 30th September. Your club will receive a Smedley Award ribbon to display at your club meetings.

Start following in the footsteps of our illustrious founder, Ralph Smedley.

The Smedley Award History

Back in 1924 our founder, Ralph Smedley, set up the first Toastmasters club in Santa Ana, California. Ralph’s dream was to build a network of Toastmasters clubs that would help members to find their voice, speak with confidence and become effective leaders. Over the next few years, Toastmasters clubs were built across the United States. In 1930, the first international club was opened in Vancouver, and today there are over 16,000 Toastmasters clubs, in about 150 countries. Over the course of the past century, Toastmasters has helped more than 4 million members develop their communication and leadership skills.

Ralph could not have built our organisation without help. He needed others to step forward. Members who appreciated that Toastmasters wasn’t simply about taking what you can get. It was about commitment. It was about perseverance. It was about helping to shape the future of not only our organisation but of each and every person who walked through our club doors.

Toastmasters has always been about service, excellence, and growth and the Smedley Award honours these qualities.