The Colombo Toastmasters Club conducted a milestone meeting with the Toastmasters International President 2023 – 2024 DTM Morag Mathieson visiting the Club at the Galadari Hotel on Wednesday (May 8).
The meeting was a tribute to the dual celebration of the centenary year of Toastmasters International organisation with over 270,000 members spanning countries, and the 40th year of the Colombo Toastmasters Club, the oldest Club in South Asia.
The educational meeting led by the Toastmaster of the evening TM Mohan Morias was an exhilarating one showcasing the commitment and true spirit of the Colombo Toastmasters family. The event was graced by District Director DTM Mahinda Karunakara, Club Growth Director DTM Niroshan Nadarajah, Past International President Arunasalam Balraj as well as invitees, guests, non-Toastmasters and Toastmasters from other clubs.
DTM Mathieson delivered a keynote on the ethos behind the Toastmasters Promise that centres around the Toastmasters’ core values of integrity, respect, service and excellence.
She congratulated and thanked the Colombo Toastmasters Club for, “making a difference in the lives of so many people for so many years,” adding, she was “inspired by the dedication of the members” at the Club.
“Over the past 40 years, the Colombo Toastmasters Club has provided a safe place for people to develop and grow, and experience the impact membership of a Toastmasters club can have on their lives. By now, the club has provided the opportunity to hundreds of people to equip themselves with life transforming skills,” she said.
The President of The Colombo Toastmasters, Shashikala Wanigasinghe, the driving force behind the fortieth year, gave credit to her team for the successful evening filled with camaraderie, laughter and knowledge.
“This is a milestone year as Toastmasters International is celebrating hundred years and the Colombo Toastmasters Club is celebrating 40 years. It was great to reflect and be proud of the journey of both the movement and the club,” she said.
The Colombo Toastmasters Club is the first to be founded in South Asia, encompassing Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. For 40 years, the Club has not only lived up to its promise of being a training ground for fledgling leaders to sharpen their public speaking and leadership skills, but has also metamorphosed into the leading public speaking and leadership training ground for corporates and schoolchildren.
The Club has trained over 4,000 corporate members through its Speech Craft Program and continues to help hundreds of schoolchildren through the Youth Leadership Program.
“True leaders always place their people’s interest first before their own, and that has been the tenet of the Colombo Toastmasters Club, and the reason for its growth and longevity,” said DTM Arunasalam Balraj.
