Pinnacle Advanced Toastmasters makes smooth progress
The Pinnacle Advanced Toastmasters Club is nearing the completion of its first year of existence. Chartered in May 2015 PATC, as it is sometimes called, has the distinction of being the very first Advanced Toastmasters Club in Sri Lanka.
Toastmasters was introduced to Sri Lanka in 1983 and there are now several toastmasters clubs in many parts of the country. However, the Advanced Toastmasters Club is for those toastmasters who feel they would like to challenge themselves to learning at a new level.Members have to be at least Advanced Communicator Bronzeto qualify for membership and in fact many of the current members are already Distinguished Toastmasters ( the highest level ).
As it nears the end of its Charter year, the Club can look back with satisfaction on its achievements .
“We have introduced a new dimension to Toastmasters clubs “says its Charter President Chrishanthi Emmanuel, herself a Distinguished Toastmaster. “We have provided a fresh learning environment for those who felt they had nothing left to conquer in their home clubs .”
“Even though we have a lot of DTMs in our club, Pinnacle Advanced Toastmasters Club is not a club for “retired toastmasters’ ” says VicePresident Education Thejaka Perera DTM. “Distinguished Toastmasters are starting their Toastmasters journey the second time over, doing their basic CC level speeches again – but of course they are expected to present these speeches not as beginners but as experienced communicators and leaders .”
“The Club has also done much to make its mark in the Toastmasters fraternity , “says the Charter Secretary , Sonia Vitarana. Members of the Club, including Chrishanthi Emmanuel DTM, Trishma Pinto DTM and Harsha Subarshana DTM have been presenters at Division and District level training sessions.
Charter Treasurer Ishani Jayasinghe also pointed out that Pinnacle Advanced Toastmasters Club was probably one of the few toastmasters clubs to have been able to provide a speech craft programme in its charter year. The speech craft program, provided to the Colombo Stock Exchange, saw the birth of the CSE Toastmasters Club and a contestant from that club was placed among the first 3 speakers at the recently concluded Division speech contest.
Flyers publicising club meetings have three times been short listed for District Awards, and been ranked first on one occasion. “If we had entered our flyers each month in the contest we may have won more” laughs charter Vice President Public Relations, Chathura Sooriyarachchi. Meeting themes also facilitated exciting and extraordinary flyers . Themes ranged from “Great Orators” to“The Beatles” taking in “Shakespeare” and “Sherlock Homes” along the way.
Under the enthusiastic guidance of the Editor, Trishma Pinto DTM, (currently the District’s Evaluation champion) the club’s newsletters have also been well received, and rated among the top 5 newsletters of the District.
As the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, theClub has had to carve its own path and it has done that with great success. As member quality standards are high, the Club has been reluctant to entertain "drop in " guests . However theClub’s Face book page has given it a high profile and made it a "must see" club.
Vice President Education Thejaka Perera explains “the Pinnacle Advanced Toastmasters Club is a much sought after arena by budding ‘champion speakers’ who are keen to be coached and evaluated by the advanced toastmasters. We are proud to say that we have helped to polish and fine tune a few such division and district champions”.
The Club is delighted to have among its charter members the current Program Quality Director of District 82 , Sudash Liyanage DTM, the Immediate Past District Governor, Yusuf Jeevunjee DTM and the First Vice President of Toastmasters International , A Balraj DTM. “Yusuf and Balraj were guiding lights to setting up the club” says President Chrishanthi Emmanuel .
The Charter Executive Committee comprise President Chrishanthi Emmanuel DTM, Vice President Education Thejaka Perera DTM , Vice President Membership Zaidh Naushad , Vice President Public Relations ChathruaSooriyarachchi, Secretary Sonia Vitarana,Treasurer Ishani Jayasinghe and Sargent at Arms Harsha SubarshanaDTM.