SriLankan Toastmasters Club wins Smedley Award
AWARD WINNER: Toastmasters International has honoured the
SriLankan Airlines' Toastmasters Club with the Ralph Smedley Award
Banner Ribbon for the first term of 2005.
The Smedley Award is presented to Toastmasters Clubs around the world
that demonstrate dynamism in terms of membership development stemming
from efforts towards growth and activities.
The SriLankan Toastmasters Club has grown steadily in stature,
providing educational programmes for the airline's staff in the art of
communication, and having its members participate in various national
and international events.
Toastmasters, founded in 1924, is a worldwide movement that promotes
communication and leadership skills to assist people from all walks of
life in realizing their true potential. Toastmasters International, with
headquarters in California, has more than 211,000 members in 10,500
clubs in 90 countries.
Its current International President is Dr. Dilip Abayasekara, a Sri
Lankan who lives in the United States. The SriLankan Toastmasters Club,
which was chartered in October 2002 and currently has 65 members
throughout the airline, was awarded "Distinguished Club" status by
Toastmasters International for three consecutive years for its
performance and steady growth.
"Maintaining Distinguished status for three consecutive years was an
excellent achievement for a club that was founded only three years ago,"
said Aruna Jayalath, President of the Club. "We have received excellent
support from the management of SriLankan Airlines, who identified the
potential for improved communication among the company's staff. We've
also had a lot of assistance from members of several other Toastmasters
Clubs in Sri Lanka."
Kapila Bandara, Past Presidnet of the Club who is also a Member of
the Toastmasters Territorial Council, and R. Sureshkumar,
Sergeant-at-Arms, were in Toronto for the Toastmasters International
Convention, as part of 30 delegates from Sri Lanka.
All members of the Executive Committee of the Club, Aruna Jayalath
President, Pradeep Attanayake - Immediate Past President, D.K.D.F.
Ignatious - Vice President Education, Dilhan Dayaratna - Vice President
Membership, Prabhath Tilakasena - Vice President PR, Nilan James -
Secretary, Lt. Col. Kamal Hathamuna - Treasurer, R. Sureshkumar -
Sergeant-at-Arms and Shehan Abeynaike - Joint Sergeant-at-Arms, took
part in Toastmasters Club officer training programmes in Colombo
together with Toastmasters and Speechcrafters of the club.
"These activities further reinforce our Club's efforts to promote
greater communication through speaking and listening - skills that
promote self-actualization, enhance leadership, and foster human
understanding. We have nearly doubled our membership during the term.
It's now more like a neighbourhood activity where members can join in
any time and develop through an encouragement-rich partnership," said
Pradeep Attanayake, Immediate Past President of the Club. |