A Brief History of District 56 Toastmasters

District 56 Toastmasters consists of over 180 independent clubs located in southeast Texas. The eastern boundary was established in 1948 and consists of the Texas-Louisiana border, except for Jefferson County (Beaumont-Port Arthur region), which belong to District 68 (Region VIII). The northern boundary was established in 1957 along the 31st Parallel between District 56 and District 50. The western boundary was established in 1997 with the split of District 55 from District 56.

The District was and is established to support the clubs geographically within the District. In fact, "The mission of the district is to enhance the performance and extend the network of clubs, thereby offering greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from the Toastmasters educational program by focusing on the critical success factors as specified by the district educational and membership goals, ensuring that each club effectively fulfills its responsibilities to its members, and providing effective training and leadership development opportunities for club and district officers."

If you are interested in Toastmasters, please visit any one of our 180 plus clubs. Though some clubs have membership restrictions (usually employment at the company sponsoring the club), most clubs are open to you to join. Visit the club finder to help you locate a club near you. If you would like some help, please send contact our Lt. Governor Marketing on our contacts page.

If you are interested in starting a club at your place of business or place of worship, please contact out Lt. Governor Marketing on our contacts page. A new club needs 20 new members and should be located within a facility with a population of at least twice that size (For example, your company of 18 employees could hold the meetings in your office extended to your neighbors within your office park.