About

Winners Toastmasters offers a warm and encouraging environment with a proven method which helps people just like you to improve their communication and leadership skills and gain confidence and effectiveness through a “learn by doing” experience. 

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Winners Toastmasters Club History

Winners Toastmasters Club’s journey started with a drive from the south. Prior to 2005, the year the club was chartered, all toastmasters in the country whether from east, west, north or south trekked their way to the Boy Scouts Headquarters, St. Anns, the home of the sole Toastmasters Club in the island at the time, the Dynamics Toastmasters Club.

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Weary of the monthly pilgrimage to Port of Spain and coupled with the need to form their own “Toastmasters niche”, a group of eight (8) consistent southern toastmasters were prepared for the challenge. In September 2004 with guidance and support from then Area Governor, Nadia Chuckaree and Toastmaster Sonia Alexis (who subsequently became Trinidad and Tobago’s 1st and 2nd DTM’s respectively) the Inaugural Meeting of the Southern Toastmasters Club was convened on Saturday 11th September 2004 at the Trade Winds Hotel, St. Joseph, San Fernando with twelve (12) Toastmasters. At that historic meeting the following Toastmasters were elected to form the Executive Committee:

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Dorwin Manzano                    President

Godfrey Ransome                   V.P. Education

Bernadette Bacchus                V.P. Public Relations

Mercedez Belgrove                 V.P. membership

Erica Davis                              Secretary

Ian Fraser                                Treasurer

Annette Thomas George         Sergeant at Arms

 

Following the initial meeting, subsequent meetings were held at Belgrove’s Funeral Home, Coffee St., San Fernando and subsequently at the Upflow Building, situated at Independence Avenue, San Fernando (obliquely opposite the San Fernando General Hospital).

 

The members unanimously agreed to the name “Winners Toastmasters Club” and the Charter documents were then submitted to Toastmasters International.  Finally, the Club was officially chartered on 1st February 2005 as Winners Toastmasters Club 756442. To date, the following members have served as Club Presidents:

 

2005/2006- Dorwin Manzano             2015/2016- Dorwin Manzano

2006/2007- Godfrey Ransome           2016-2017- Jamillah David

2007/2008- Carlyle Fletcher               2017/2018- Charmaine Lewis

2008/2009- Roy Tilluckdharry            2018/2019- Margaret Bartholomew

2009/2010- Jhoewuel Kangalee        2019/2020-Glenda Joseph-Dennis

2010/2011- Joyce Gobin

2011/2012- Stacy Cummings

2012/2013- Dorwin Manzano

2013/2014- Carlyle Fletcher

2014/2015- Wendy Diaz

 

The Club has undisputedly lived up to its name whilst providing a warm, hospitable southern climate for members as well as guests. The list of awards to date clearly illustrates this performance:

 

Smedley Award                               2007/08; 2010/11; 2011/12

Distinguished Club Award               2005/06; 2008/09; 2009/10

Select Distinguished Award            2006/07; 2007/08; 2011/12

President’s Distinguished Award    2010/11; 2018/2019

 

Also of note is the club’s dominance in the District’s Humorous Speech contest where its “Humour Master” Competent Communicator Carlyle Fletcher trounced the regional competitors and placed 1st on one occasion, 2nd on two occasions and 3rd once thus far.

 

Winners Toastmasters Club celebrates its fifteenth anniversary since being a Chartered Club on February 1st, 2020.  The Club continues to grow and play an important role in spreading the message of Toastmasters to the people in south Trinidad. The dedication and commitment of its members have set the platform for an organization that continues to journey along its winning path and has also paved the way for the chartering of other clubs in the south.  

 

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The Executive 2018-2019