CIMA Toastmasters Club scores triple century!

• A journey of 12 amazing years and 300 meetings – an achievement to be certainly proud of! 

The Tricentennial (300th) meeting of the CIMA Toastmasters Club, held on 17 October was an evening filled with delight and memorable moments. A presentation of the flashback slides brought nostalgic memories of the first meeting and of all the milestones passed by the CIMA toastmasters.

The club was chartered in 2006 with DTM Padmini Samarasinghe as the Charter President who eventually went on to become Sri Lanka’s First Lady DTM. Thereafter Bede Jayalath, Mahesha Amarasuriya, Probodini Seneviratne, Jeevan Arulampalam, Zara Jurianz, Asitha Jayamaha, Priyadharshini Dhasiah, Sameera Silva, Suwanthini Ravinthirakumar, Wirendra Wanakkuwatta, Nilu Dias and Nashitha Mohamed have served as presidents of the CIMA Toastmasters Club.

The Tricentennial meeting was graced by Program Quality Director – District 82 TM Sarma Mahalingam as the Chief Guest, who in his address emphasised the need for growth at the individual club level and expansions by forming new clubs, where member support needs to be retained. Former District Director DTM Ajantha Jayawardena also graced the occasion.

CIMA TMC’s Past President TM Mahesha Amarasuriya, who is also the current Chairperson of the CIMA Sri Lanka Country Network Panel addressed the gathering and focused the attention of the audience on the Digital era, mainly on the top ten skills which employers will be looking for in 2020 (according to the World Economic Forum) and how the Toastmasters program (Pathways) could help achieve this. 

District Director of D82 DTM Suganthi Periyasamy conveyed her wishes for the club through an audio played at the event. TM Wirendra Wannakuwatta, TM Probodini Senavirathne and TM Asghar Rana who have all represented the club at Division and District level showcased CIMA talent at the meeting.

The meeting was made even more glamorous by members of the NDB Toastmasters Club, People’s Leasing & Finance PLC Toastmasters Club and SLIM Toastmasters Club sponsored by CIMA showing their appreciation to CIMA by providing three items of entertainment. TM Sarma Mahalingam noted that this was the first time he had witnessed appreciation, collaboration, solidarity and networking amongst sponsored clubs showing their heartfelt gratitude on such an occasion.

The awarding of plaques took place in appreciation of the leadership and contribution extended by previous presidents and the current president of the club.

The anniversary cake was also cut in style by the Charter President and ten past Presidents of the CIMA Toastmasters family to celebrate the 300th milestone.

The evening ended with networking and fellowship with a scrumptious dinner that was served along with a gift pack for each person in appreciation of their gracious presence.