GRAND CAYMAN (GIS) – The charter ceremony of the Civil Service chapter of the Toastmasters club was held in the Government Administration Building on Friday, 23 March 2018.

The event, which saw the induction of 22 charter members and the installation of the club’s executive committee, was presided over by the Area Director of Toastmasters Club Paul Persaud. His Excellency the Acting Governor, Mr. Franz Manderson; Acting Deputy Governor, Hon. Gloria McField-Nixon and a number of chief officers also attended.

In extemporaneous remarks Mr. Manderson and Mrs. McField-Nixon congratulated the inductees on joining the club, which will furnish them with the requisite leadership and oratory skills to progress further within the civil service. They commended Toastmasters on the setting up of the club whose core values of integrity, respect, service and excellence dovetail with the civil service’s mandate to provide the infrastructure to invest in the service’s most important resource – its human capital. They said that the club’s aims were in keeping with the vision of the Civil Service 5-Year Plan, which espouses a world-class civil service. They also thanked the Area Director and Toastmaster Josette Lawrence for introducing the programme to the civil service, laying the groundwork for establishing the club and providing ongoing mentorship to members.

Mr. Persaud and Master of Ceremonies Master of Ceremonies Mr. Ayon Baxter spoke of the journey of personal and professional growth that founding members are undertaking. They advised that the process allowed members to enhance their communication skills by practicing impromptu speaking and delivering prepared speeches. The Area Director also thanked the Acting Governor and Deputy Governor for their commitment and ongoing support of the club.

Inductees were pinned by Mr. Manderson and given their charter member certificates by Ms McField-Nixon.

Assistant Financial Secretary Michael Nixon was installed as club president. In his acceptance speech, he expressed his surprise and gratitude at the unexpected honour and promised to maintain the high standards of Toastmasters.

Toastmaster Gerry Robinson, who did extensive work in recruiting civil servants for the club, also gave a well-received speech.

The new club has twice-monthly lunchtime meetings and will be holding a membership drive, later this year, to attract 10 new members. “We want to form a second club if the membership grows beyond 50,” said Director of the Cayman Islands National Archive and the club’s Vice President of Education Josette Lawrence. “We also want to extend this training and development opportunity to civil servants in Cayman Brac.”

Members will learn communication and leadership skills through the Pathways education platform, which includes motivational strategies, leadership development, innovative planning, visionary communication and Team Collaboration.

Civil Service Toastmasters Club #6771590 was charted by Toastmasters International in January 2018, and recently received its charter certificate.

Toastmasters International is the world leader in communication and leadership development. The organisation’s global network boasts more than 352,000 memberships and 16,400 clubs in 142 countries. Members are given the opportunity to improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending club meetings. Every toastmaster journey begins with a single speech, and as members continue to advance, they gain feedback through evaluations, lead teams and guide others in a supportive, collaborative and participatory environment.

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IMAGE: Perth Toastmasters