Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 06, 2025

VI residents conferred with Toastmasters Honourary Membership

Mr. John Lewis and Deputy Governor, Mr. David D. Archer Jr. were both granted Honourary Membership into the Tortola Toastmasters Club of the BVI, on Friday, March 26, 2021, at Seven at the Pier in Road Town.

They have conferred this honour for their continued support and alignment to Toastmasters’ purpose and overall educational goals in the areas of communication and leadership.

The afternoon opened with our Treasurer, Toastmaster Weslene Walters, gracing the occasion with an opening prayer to commemorate this historic moment President, Toastmaster Portia Stout welcoming the Honourees, Toastmasters and guests.

This occasion was regarded as history, as it was the first time in the history of the Tortola Toastmaster’s Club, that such an honour was bestowed.

At the event, toastmasters heard what it meant to be an Honourary Member in the Toastmasters’ Club from Secretary, Toastmaster Patricia Blaize-Adams as she stated that although as Honourary Members, they are not required to pay dues, will not have any voting rights within the club or hold any office, this honour allows them to continue to attend any of the regular meetings or events to inform, inspire, motivate and encourage the leadership mindset and growth of our Toastmasters.

Vice President of Education, Toastmaster Melony James introduced our Honourees and expressed how their individual qualities exemplified the mission and core values of Toastmasters. This was followed by the pinning of each recipient by President Portia Stout as she reiterated, “this is indeed an historic and auspicious occasion”.

The highlight of the afternoon was the honourees’ responses as they shared their gratitude and sentiments.

“It’s good to be recognized and it’s good to be loved and I am pleased to be recognized as one who contributes, not only to the Toastmasters Club but to this community as a whole”, were the words of Honouree Mr. Lewis, who is well known for being a tower and a beacon to the Club.

Deputy Governor, Mr David Archer Jr., a master communicator, followed. After testing the general knowledge of Toastmasters about the Club spoke about hope asking, “so what does hope look like and what does Toastmasters’ embody?” He answered stating, “not just the ability to speak publicly but the ability to inspire, provide hope, show confidence and create new and amazing leaders”.

The mission of Toastmasters is to provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth. The Toastmasters International motto is “Where Leaders are Made” and these were stated by our Sergeant At Arms, Toastmaster Hector Cruz Jr. as he recited the mission of Toastmasters.

The event ended with our Vice President Membership, Toastmaster Linda Maglorie giving the Vote of Thanks.

The honour of becoming an Honourary Member of the Tortola Toastmasters Club can be conferred upon persons from within the community who aligns with our Toastmasters’ educational goals and purpose or any past Toastmaster in good standing, who is no longer able to attend meetings on a regular basis but who commits to the leadership growth of Toastmasters.

The Tortola Toastmasters Club meets every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesday of the month at 6 pm (GMT -4) via ZOOM. Due to the current pandemic protocols, the club is currently not having face to face general meetings as members are committed to staying safe as we all navigate through this new normal.

Anyone wishing to join the meetings can use the following zoom meeting credentals -

Meeting ID: 542 445 4411                      Passcode: Toast 2021

The 2020/2021 Executive Committee includes:

President                                    Portia Sylvester-Stout

Vice President Education              Melony C James

Vice President Membership          Linda Alexander-Magloire

Vice President Public Relations     Sharona A Pickering

Secretary                                   Patricia Blaize-Adams

Treasurer                                   Weslene Walters

Sergeant at Arms                        Hector A Cruz Jr.

Immediate Past President            Ernald George

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
×