On October 22, 1924, about two dozen men “met in the basement of the Santa Ana YMCA” in California to hear Ralph C. Smedley explain a new kind of club. It became Toastmasters International.
Toastmasters meetings have a Timer. For a standard speech, a green signal is shown at five minutes, yellow at six and red at seven. The club magazine tells members: “As the timer, you play a fundamental role in keeping club meetings and members’ speeches on track.”