Club of Champions
Founded in 1984, the Queen City Toastmasters is Club 5406 of Toastmasters International, the world leader in communication and leadership development. The Queen City Toastmasters is based in Cebu City, Philippines and belongs to Area 21, Division C. Its members, the Royals, meet every second and fourth Saturdays of the month.
CLUB HISTORY:
In 1981, three San Miguel Corporation Toastmasters Club members tried to organize a Toastmasters club out of salesmen doing business with San Miguel and other executives in Mandaue City. They were Jess Banguis, Manny Lim and Roger Mah (he eventually became District (National) Governor). They named the club Mandaue Executive Toastmasters Club. Attendance dwindled before chartering could be made and as part of the move to organize the club, they started meeting at the Atlantis Hall of the Mercedes Hotel in Cebu City.
Ben Najarro was designated acting president.
In order to encourage membership, they changed the name to The Queen City Toastmasters and it started building up membership. At the outset, the new members were only after learning public speaking and they were not concerned with administrative matters like being an organized club recognized by Toastmasters International (TI). After meeting for almost two years, the club joined speech competitions in 1983. Failing to win any major prize, Queen City aimed to perform better in 1984 but officers and members were told that they could not participate because Queen City was not a duly organized club. So they embarked on getting the Charter from Toastmasters International. Aven and Carmen Piramide tried tracing all the papers initially submitted to TI for chartering. When they learned that a district convention was going to be held in Cebu from sources outside Toastmasters, they used their personal connections and resources to pay for 20 members as a requisite for chartering.
Pure audacity.
Even if they did not have the charter yet, they already planned for a charter installation to coincide with the District Convention in Cebu. They came to know of the charter number only a day before the planned installation. On midday of March 8, 1984, Gal Varona flew his private plane all over Metro Cebu with Aven Piramide serving as a bombardier because both "bombed" San Miguel Corporation compound where the District Convention was being held with about 100,000 leaflets announcing the charter installation of the club.
The Queen City Toastmasters was given the charter number 5406. It can be said that no district (national) officer lent a hand in realizing the charter of the club. Queen City was born out of pure audacity of its members. Ben Najarro was duly installed Charter President.
In 1985, it joined a entered a district speech competition officially to start having its strong presence felt. In the 1986 speech competition, the club it entered a strong contender for a prepared speech with a member who held a BS Mass Communications degree from the University of the Philippines and a Masters in Mass Communication degree from Michigan State University. The officers of Queen City felt, rightly or wrongly, that its contestant was a target of manipulation because they perceived that their contestant was given the lowest rating among contestants by a judge whose club fielded another bet for the same event. Pure audacity moved the club to protest by informing the district it would stop the club’s membership if no reforms were made on the competition. The judges’ training was born.
In 1989, Queen City again stood for what it felt was right. A division contestant for the prepared speech came from another club, but Queen City found out that the contestant was not a member of good standing, and while the contestant was a very good friend of the club, Queen City insisted on the rules that the contestant should not be allowed to participate.
Pure audacity.
Where Leaders Are Made
I wasn’t born a leader. They were all around me though. In the community, at work, at school. Leaders were everywhere.
They were the heads of families, coaches of teams, business leaders, mentors, organizational decision-makers. I admired these leaders. They influenced who I was and who I was becoming. Whatever they did professionally or how they became what they were, I aspired to walk in their footsteps.
And, so, I committed myself to becoming one. Finally, it came to me. It wasn’t just what leaders knew that enabled them to lead. They had a voice. They could tell their story. They could listen and answer. They didn’t just accomplish, they communicated.
So I set out to find my voice. Learn to process information on my toes. I needed to learn to listen. Learn to give feedback—and accept it. I needed to organize, plan, deliver, follow up. I needed a place where all the ingredients were there, and someone would guide me along the way.
I found that place.
I found a community of learners and the path to leadership.
I am a leader—and I was made.
WHAT'S IN STORE:
▶️ What Toastmasters Can Do For You
Do you want to learn how to deliver a speech like a pro? Or gain leadership skills to advance in your career? Your goals are important, and Toastmasters’ proven program can help you reach them. By joining a club, you’ll gain the skills to become a more confident public speaker and a stronger leader in every area of your life.
▶️ What to Know Before You Go
Every day, thousands of people go to Toastmasters meetings held within communities and organizations around the world. A club meeting isn’t set up like classroom. Instead, it’s a supportive group environment where people with diverse skill sets and backgrounds come together to practice their skills and exchange valuable feedback.
▶️ How to Reach Your Goals
Toastmasters offers a proven education program that is divided into two tracks: Communication and Leadership. The program allows you to choose one track or both, and each features a series of projects that can be completed at your own pace. You also have the flexibility to work through each track separately or both at the same time, and you can repeat a track as often as you wish. Once you become a member, you can get started right away.
