"The Book of Lists" ranks public speaking as the foremost fear of people around the world, double that of fear of dying.
To deal with this fear, the original Toastmasters Club came into being in 1903 in California's Orange County on the initiative of a leader of the Young Men's Christian Association. Recognizing that YMCA boys needed training in communication, he set up for them a club for public speaking. He gave the club the name, which suggests banquets with toasts and after-dinner speakers.
Today, Toastmasters International operates in over 50 countries and claims to be the world's premier self-improvement club. Through training in public speaking, it aims to improve each person's leadership skills, self-confidence and ability to communicate. On a visit to Tokyo, International President Jon R. Greiner said that in Toastmasters, "lives can be changed, one at a time."