Toastmaster Added to site July 10, 2001   In 1950, my father Vernon Thomas became one of the original members of the new Toastmasters Club chapter in Cambridge, Ohio. Toastmasters International has been around since 1924.  The members learn how to conduct meetings and speak in public, with both prepared speeches and short impromptu talks, while other members evaluate them.  The skills they learn are helpful in business as well in churches and service and charity organizations. The club met on Wednesday nights at the Cambridge YMCA.  My father was a manager at the local Chevrolet dealership. Here are five of his prepared speeches that have survived.  The first three were apparently for Toastmasters; one of them may also have been broadcast on station WILE.  The other two were for community fund-raising.  Click on the title to read the text of each speech. AMERICA'S TOP SECRET "Whether or not we, as individuals, share in this most carefully guarded secret depends entirely upon ourselves." YOUR LAND AND MINE "Encourage the probing of honest differences of opinion without bitterness.  It requires only a second thought before speaking or acting to consider the effect on others." THE COST OF THE CHRYSLER STRIKE "A lot of people suffer because of the lack of adequate laws governing such situations." SELLING COMMUNITY CHEST "Solicitation for funds for any cause, however worthy, requires a certain amount of salesmanship." HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST? "At that time, the church membership was much less than it is today.  Surely, if they could do such a job as they did those many years ago, we can do an $80,000 expansion job."