The ‘Maritime Toastmasters’ kicked off the new 2024-2025 operating year with a session at the Remant shipping company. Led by a new management team, the association organises numerous activities throughout the year.
Toastmasters helps its members practise and improve their speaking and leadership skills. Within the port community, Toastmasters Port of Antwerp-Bruges – the so-called ‘Maritime Toastmasters’ – have also been active since 2019. Kirsti Gjertsen, herself employed by Port of Antwerp-Bruges, is the brand-new chairperson. “For our kickoff meeting, we welcomed around 50 people,” Gjertsen reflects. “We also had the pleasure of having members of FORWARD Belgium and WISTA among us.”
For the occasion, the Toastmasters were allowed to hold their meeting in Remant’s renovated reception area on Godefriduskaai. “We are honoured to have this wonderful venue at Remant’s disposal,” she says. “Normally this space is reserved for private events for clients and not for a wider audience. So that makes it extra special.”
Improvisation
As always, attendees were able to work in groups on their speaking and leadership skills. “The evening followed the classic format. After a colourful welcoming speech by Wim Gijbels(the new chairman of FORWARD Belgium, ed.), there followed three prepared speeches and then some improvised ones. For some attendees, this was the first time they had given an impromptu speech, and surely that shows a lot of guts.”
The new management team of the ‘Maritime Toastmasters’ consists of Kirsti Gjertsen, Peter Van den Broeck, Aminata Samaké, Melina Lé, Anne De Beule and Dimitri De Praetere. Although their membership is steadily increasing, they hope to welcome new members this operating year as well.
Port Community
Within the operation of Toastmasters, some 25 clubs are active in Belgium. Toastmasters Port of Antwerp-Bruges started as a corporate club. Initially, the intention was to train only Port of Antwerp-Bruges employees in public speaking. Soon after its establishment, however, it was opened up to anyone working within the port community. Employees of companies such as Fast Lines, H.Essers, BASF, MSC and CMA CGM are just some of the members.
In September 2023, the association celebrated the 100th meeting of Toastmasters Port of Antwerp-Bruges at the Antwerp Port House. On 25 and 26 May 2024, Toastmasters’ ‘District Conference’ was held in Antwerp. With 208 participants from Benelux and France (District 59), it was a great success.
