Ceylinco Life Toastmasters march on to 5th year
The fifth installation ceremony of the Ceylinco Life Toastmasters Club was held recently, at which a new executive committee was appointed and Assistant Manager Investments Chulaka Kumarasinghe was elected as the new President for 2018/2019.
Ceylinco Life Managing Director and CEO R. Renganathan was the chief guest at this ceremony that took place at the Ceylinco Life head office. District and Divisional Level officers of the Toastmasters organisation too were present at this event.
The life insurance leader’s Toastmasters Club has 40 registered employees as members at present. The club has been accorded ‘Distinguished’ status every year since it came into being, in recognition of the progress of its members.
The club has produced five Toastmasters who have won at an Area Level in speech competitions, an achievement that surpasses that of many other clubs. In 2016, the club was awarded the prestigious ‘Golden Gavel’ by Toastmasters International, the highest accolade any Toastmasters Club could win.
Additionally, three Ceylinco Life Toastmasters, Shyamala Arulanandam, a previous President of the club, Chulaka Kumarasinghe, the current President of the club and Gayan Lakmal Alwis have won Divisional Level speaking competitions, a commendable feat for a relatively new club.
The Ceylinco Life Toastmasters Club was inaugurated in September 2014 with a membership of 25 employees, and has been part of all events hosted thereafter by Toastmasters International in Sri Lanka. Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development with a membership of more than 357,000. Members improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of the 16,600 clubs in 143 countries that make up the global network of meeting locations. By regularly giving speeches, gaining feedback, leading teams and guiding others to achieve their goals in a supportive atmosphere, leaders emerge from the Toastmasters programme.
Since its founding in October 1924, the organisation has helped more than four million men and women give presentations with poise and confidence. The communication and leadership projects designed by Toastmasters International are devoted to the development of the art of speaking, listening and critical thinking among its members.