In 1924, a group of men assembled by Dr. Ralph Smedley met in the basement of the YMCA in Sta. Ana, California, forming a club " to afford the 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".
In 1930, a federation was needed to coordinate activities of the many clubs formed all over and to provide a standard program. This group became Toastmasters International.
The Speeches Are Us Club is one of the many local chapters of Toastmasters International. The Club was formed in UPS - Paramus in February 2002.
Officers of the Speeches Are Us Club [L-R: Somashekar Kuppuswamy (Secretary), Gail Scarmazzo (President), Brian Gallagher (VP - Membership), Peter Bruno (Sergant of Arms), Kumar Athreya (VP - Education), Truptika Patel (Treasurer) and Ling Wei (VP - Public Relations, not in the picture)]
"The nicest thing about Toastmasters is that the organization is designed to make it as easy as possible to learn public speaking. You can attend a few meetings as a guest for free to see what it's like without pressure. Just show up and watch. Everyone understands what it's like to be new to speaking, and they don't expect you to be good. It's low pressure with plenty of encouragement."
- Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking by Steve Pavlina
Inquire about the Speeches Are Us Club! We meet twice a month, every other Wednesday. If you are interested in attending one of our meetings or becoming a member, you can contact Brian Gallagher at 201-828-8499.
Note: Speeches Are Us is a closed company club. Membership is open
only to employees of UPS on one line.
