Mangaluru: The Port Town Advanced Toastmaster’s club, completed its annual management transition as mandated by the international organization to which it is affiliated (Toastmasters International) at a glittering and well attended installation ceremony at the Senate Hall, Hotel Deepa Comforts yesterday evening. The ceremongy was woven around the theme ‘Yoga for health’.
The Port Town Advanced Toastmasters Club is Mangalore’s only club for advanced toastmasters, and only the second in the country, the other being in Delhi. The chief guest at the Ceremony was Dr. Ms. Geralyn Pinto, the HOD, English Literature, School of Post Graduate Studies, St. Agnes College, Mangaluru.
The Ceremony began with a warm welcome in the form of a traditional dance with lit lamps performed in tandem by Distinguished Toast Master (DTM) Dr. Mrs. Malini Hebbar, also the Division F Director, and Ms. Bharathi Shevgoor, an accomplished toastmaster herself.
Thereafter, the audience consisting of toastmasters and their spouses listened breathlessly as Niveditha Mirajkar, welcomed them alluding every so often to Yoga, which was the theme of the day.
The oath of office was administered, and baton handed over to the incoming team led by Dr. Ms Molly Chaudary, by the Area Director Ms Savitha Salian after she discharged the earlier team led by Dr. CK Ballal from their duties.
Dr. CK Ballal, renowned neurosurgeon of Mangalore, a DTM himself, and a charter president of the Club, in his address, explained the reasons and benefits of chartering this club which demands dual membership, and, on the co-incidental occasion of the club celebrating its first anniversary, proudly displayed a letter recieved from the International President and Chief Executive Officer congratulating the club and its office bearers for their efforts in chartering and sustaining the club. He complimented the outgoing team, for their pioneering efforts in sustaining the club and honored those who had made the most speeches during the year, DTM Samina Nayak the outstanding toastmaster of the year, Bharathi Shevgoor and other major contributors to the success of the Club.
Ms Molly Chaudri, after taking on the mantle of President for the current year, proudly addressed the gathering, once again relating the roles of the new office bearers – Dr. CK Ballal VP – Education, VP Membership, Phyllis D’Costa, VP PR Frances Pinto, Secretary DTM, Ms Matilda Pinto, Treasurer DTM Ms Vera Katpitia, and Seargeant at Arms Sushil Gupta to the Asanas of Yoga, causing the audience to erupt in laughter each time. She expressed confidence that together, the Club would reach great heights. Two new members Ms Vidya Rao and Suresh Mathias were also inducted on the occasion, by the VP membership, Phyllis D’Costa.
Dr. Pinto, the chief guest, was introduced by Dr. Urmila Shetty as a Professor, poet, and a story writer par excellence. She even gave her a line on which to instantly pen a poem, and she did so, to the astonishment of the audience, but that was, after presenting her key note address which focused on the concept of self discipline, again a strand of the theme ‘Yoga for health’. She quoted extensively from Oscar Wilde, and the audience often went into peals of laughter at her numerous punch lines. She narrated her own trysts with discipline and extolled its virtues, so much so that the audience then, were hesitant to fully partake of the delicious buffet spread out for them, post ceremony.
The Ceremony concluded with an expression of gratitude by DTM Ms Matilda Pinto.
Preetam Kamath compered the entire ceremony from the traditional welcome to the dinner table with precision, engaging the audience each time she took to the mike, with her tongue in cheek wit. All in all a beginning that augurs well for the year to come.
