Sri Lankan Toastmasters felicitate Balraj

Toastmasters around the county gathered in felicitating the veteran Toastmaster Arunasalam Balraj, at a ceremony held recently at Centre for Banking Studies, Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

The ceremony was organised by the Srilankan Toastmasters fraternity, Division A, H and J of Toastmasters District 82.

Arunasalam Balraj is one of the foremost toastmasters in the country who was instrumental in spearheading the Toastmasters movement not only in Sri Lanka but also in India throughout his Toastmastering career that spans for over two decades.

Distinguished Toastmaster Arunasalam Balraj and his wife Sarumathie Balraj was welcomed by District Governor Distinguished Toastmaster M.Z. Saleem and his wife.

Division A Governor Ajantha Jayawardena welcoming the audience appreciated the presence of over 250 Toastmasters, showing their solidarity and support to DTM. Balraj, which he said was a testament to how close he was to the hearts of each and every one who was in the audience.

“Once there was a man by the name Balraj. He was simple and humble. To us he was Bala. He had a big heart and vision for Toastmasters in Sri Lanka,” said former Division A Governor Kapila Bandara taking the participants down the memory lane.

District Governor DTM M.Z. Saleem addressing the audience said: “Since the formation of territorial council in 2003, Balraj was instrumental in taking the Toastmasters movement outside Colombo. Under his District Governorship we became the world’s number one district and fostered a greater bonding with our counterparts in India.”

“Toastmasters transforms people. The fantastic evaluation programme of Toastmasters is what does this. Evaluations help us to be better speakers, better listeners and most of all better human beings. How many of us take the evaluations given seriously? How many of us work on our weak areas to improve? One person who takes all the evaluations given into heart and works on them is our International Director,” said DTM Ajitha Gunawadene, Secretary of District 82.

The first Toastmaster from India and Sri Lanka and the first South Asian to have been elected to the Board of Toastmasters International, DTM Arunasalam Balraj was officially installed at the Toastmasters International Convention held in Las Vegas, USA on 20 August 2011.

DTM Balraj represents TI Region 13, comprising Sri Lanka, India, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Nepal, Japan and South Korea. He will hold office until 2013. It is worthy to note that 37% of world’s population come from this region. Sri Lanka alone has 64 clubs with more than 1,500 members.

A dedicated Toastmaster, Balraj has held numerous positions in Toastmasters. He is a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) – the highest level of achievement in the Toastmasters movement. Furthermore, he was presented the President’s Distinguished District Award in 2009 for leading District 82 to the number one position in performance in the Toastmasters world.

He has received several other honours including the President’s Extension Award for Outstanding Achievement in Club Extension and Retention, the 20+ membership Award for membership growth and retention as well as a Presidential citation for his outstanding contribution in Asia at the International Convention in Washington DC in 2006.