How it all started
Sea Dragons Gavel Club was founded in mid-2025 by a group of high school students at BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour. The club was founded by Runfeng Bruce Yu, who was a high school sophomore at the time. Bruce visited Yale University in the summer of 2025, and he was struck by the confidence and enthusiasm of Yale students. Back then, he had been thinking about how to empower students in China to become as confident, passionate, and engaged in their communities as the students he met at Yale. The solution eventually came with a simple yet thought-provoking question after he participated in a Toastmasters Club meeting: “How can I let my schoolmates experience what I just did?” Drawing from his experiences with Toastmasters, he introduced the Gavel Club method of learning. He then led the club alongside other student leaders. The club’s goal was to provide differentiated education in communication and leadership, tailored to students’ needs, while fostering a collaborative community built on warmth and inclusiveness.
The first meeting of Sea Dragons Gavel Club took place in a residential area near the school, with five charter members. The club quickly expanded. It collaborated with other Gavel Clubs in China and helped four student groups charter their own Gavel Clubs at their schools. It also built partnerships with clubs worldwide, including those in the United States and Canada. Together, the clubs organized a variety of online educational sessions and speech contests. They also provided mutual support to benefit members across borders. Additionally, the club partnered with local TEDx, local Rotary Clubs, Erika’s Lighthouse, and other organizations to offer service-learning, mental health, and educational opportunities. Today, Sea Dragons Gavel Club stands as one of the most mature and experienced student-led education and community service hubs for students in China. Its kindness, community impact, and student leadership have been recognized by Toastmaster Magazine, Born This Way Foundation, Rotary Magazine, South China Morning Post, Bold Journey Magazine and other media outlets.
Our Timeline
July 4, 2025
Campus Tour at Yale University
Runfeng Bruce Yu visits Yale University during the summer of 2025. Observing the confidence of Yale students, he asks: Why do many Chinese students struggle to confidently express themselves in English despite early exposure? And why do they lack a strong sense of community and inclusiveness? Bruce concludes that the answers lie in limited access to differentiated education suited to their needs and a lack of opportunities to experience the warmth and purpose of a supportive community.
July 30, 2025
Introduction to Toastmasters
Everything begins with a fortunate opportunity. Runfeng Bruce Yu is invited by his friend Rocky to attend a meeting of the SheKou IMAGINE Toastmasters Club in Shenzhen, China. He is deeply inspired by the passion and inclusive nature of Toastmasters’ advanced collaborative learning. A question arises in his mind: “How can I offer my schoolmates a similar, never-before-imagined experience?”
July 31, 2025 – August 16, 2025
Exploring Toastmasters Across Shenzhen
With the support of Andy Zhou, the 2025–Spring 2026 President of SheKou IMAGINE Toastmasters Club at the time, Runfeng Bruce Yu visits several Toastmasters clubs in Shenzhen, including SHIP Toastmasters Club, K.I.S.S. Toastmasters Club, and PRO Toastmasters Club. His goal is to learn from these clubs and refine the concept of the type of club he wants to bring back to school.
August 28, 2025
Chartering of Sea Dragons Gavel Club
After returning to school, Runfeng Bruce Yu shares his Toastmasters experience with several schoolmates across different grades, emphasizing how a Gavel Club can offer differentiated communication and leadership education while fostering a warm, collaborative community. Following numerous discussions in the school library, Sea Dragons Gavel Club is chartered as an affiliate of Toastmasters International by Runfeng Bruce Yu.
September 1, 2025
First Club Meeting
The first club meeting takes place two days after the club’s chartering. With five students in attendance and the support of Toastmaster Andy Zhou, the inaugural meeting is successfully held.
December 28, 2025
Partnering with Rotary Club of Shenzhen
Sea Dragons Gavel Club partners with the Rotary Club of Shenzhen to bring community service opportunities to more students and provide a platform for students to apply the communication and leadership skills they learn in real-world settings. Students are free to join any of the service projects hosted by the Rotary Club of Shenzhen.
January 14, 2026
Affiliating with Erika’s Lighthouse
Sea Dragons Gavel Club becomes an Erika’s Lighthouse Empowerment affiliate club. In China, where students face intense academic competition, many experience mental health challenges due to stress. Working with Erika’s Lighthouse, the club raises awareness about mental health and depression while hosting activities that promote a positive school culture.
February 8, 2026 – February 10, 2026
Honoring the Founder’s Legacy
Sea Dragons Gavel Club donates US$209.48 to Toastmasters International’s Ralph C. Smedley Memorial Fund and purchases the US$100 Toastmasters 2025 Convention On Demand during Toastmasters founder Ralph C. Smedley’s birthday month. Through these actions, the club supports Toastmasters International, helps carry forward his legacy, and contributes to transforming more lives.
May 15, 2026 – May 17, 2026
Supporting the District Conference
Sea Dragons Gavel Club contributes CNY 298 to sponsor Toastmasters International District 118’s Guang-Fo Conference 2026 and is featured in the conference handbook distributed to all participants. The conference takes place in Foshan, China, with over 700 participants attending from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanning, Guiyang, and other cities. Toastmasters International’s Past International President Matt Kinsey serves as the keynote speaker.
August 1, 2026
Toastmasters International Recognition
Runfeng Bruce Yu’s article, “From Inspiration to Action,” appears in the August 2026 issue of Toastmaster magazine as the first student-written article in the magazine’s history since its first publication in 1930. He is also featured in Episode 304 of The Toastmasters Podcast as the youngest interviewee in its history. Sea Dragons Gavel Club becomes the first Gavel Club recognized by Toastmasters International.
August 24, 2026
US$262K Raised for Mental Health
Sea Dragons Gavel Club leader virtually shares his experience of hosting awareness activities and fundraising for youth mental health with around 200 educators, psychologists, and supporters at Erika’s Lighthouse Beacon Open 2026. Together with the efforts of the entire Erika’s Lighthouse team, the event raises US$262,844.69.