Founded in 1924, largely incidentally, the Toastmasters is a worldwide organization devoted to the development of public speaking skills particularly in relation to directing meetings. Begun by Ralph C. Smedley, the initial intent of the very first club was to help young men develop the art of public speaking which included presiding over meetings. These meetings could be anything from club
. meetings to business meetings and professional conferences. Started in California, the Toastmasters soon expanded worldwide by the 1930s. Current membership numbers over 10,000 in over 100 countries and continues to have impact on public speaking development.The Toastmaster invocation is delivered at the beginning of any Toastmaster club meeting. It can be a prayer or inspirational message depending on the composition and tenor of the individual club. It need not be present at all meetings or at all if the needs and goals of the group do not necessitate its presence.The Toastmaster website is found at www.toastmasters.org. The website contains a membership subsection devoted to the invocation and is found at http://www.toastmasters.org/Members/MemberExperience/MeetingRoles/Invocation.aspx. It suggests that the invocation, which is designated to a member of a particular club, is a good way for nervous or individuals who lack public speaking confidence to develop confidence and skill in a safe setting of peers. The organization notes that it is important, because of the numerous countries and nationalities involved in the organization, for the invocation to reflect a respect for all cultures and religions. It is, therefore, necessary for the invocation to be non-denominational in entirely Christian groups or non-sectarian in mixed cultural and religious groups. In all cases, the message of the invocation, as it sets the tone for the rest of the meeting either directly or indirectly, necessarily conveys the beliefs, traditions and goals of the individual Toastmaster club.Toastmaster invocations are not exclusive to Toastmaster club meetings. These invocations can hold universal appeal and therefore can be appropriate in a variety of meeting and conference settings. The internet houses numerous examples of Toastmaster invocations. http://www.kvtoastmasters.org/info-invocations.php lists some ideas related to invocations specific to the Kennebecasis Toastmasters. The Butter 'n' Toast Toastmasters club located in the Philippines also gives examples of inspirational invocations.Public speaking is a valuable tool. The easy availability of invocations for Toastmaster clubs, an organization dedicated to developing public speaking skills, makes the task of opening meetings and conferences even easier for the deliverer. Though not every example invocation is appropriate to the occasion, these samples can be modified for situational use. Further examples can be found by Google searching the terms " Toastmaster invocation samples."to use a prayer, they can present the invocation as a toast, a poem, or a recitation of a short famous speech. More reference links: http://www.kvtoastmasters.org/info-invocations.php http://butterntoast.blogspot.com/2009/01/toasmasters-meeting-guide-invocation.html
