The University of Kelaniya Gavel Club, affiliated to Toastmasters International USA, was chartered in October 2004 and has gained much reputation by becoming the first ever Gavel Club in South Asia.

The initial step towards creating the club was taken by a Speechcrafters’ Educational Programme at the university, initiated under the guidance of Mr. Sujith Bandulahewa, the Charter President of Serendib Toastmasters Club, Prof Kapila Seneviratne and Dr. D.U. Mohan. This successful implementation favoured the goals of the educational and career aspirations and therefore gave birth to the Gavel Club of University of Kelaniya on the 21st of October 2004. The club is currently operated under the patronage of Career Guidance Unit of the University of Kelaniya and celebrated its 20th Anniversary on the 21st of October 2024. The Club has grown while offering great services not only to the University of Kelaniya but to the entire University community of Sri Lanka. It has facilitated several opportunities, instructional and educational material to uphold its members’ skills. It also organizes various events focused on the club’s main purposes; communication, language and leadership skills. Though with a short history, the members of the club have gained much prestige in significant events by showcasing their tremendous dedication and talents.

The University of Kelaniya Gavel Club is, first and foremost, a place for anyone who likes to improve their public speaking skills and their English language skills. The Gavel club is not only a place to improve your public speaking skills but also a place to find new friends, make new connections, discover yourself and above all, have a great time. The University of Kelaniya Gavel Club conducts its Weekly Educational Meetings on Thursdays on the 1st and 3rd Week of the Month, and on Wednesdays on the 2nd and 4th Week of the Month from 4pm to 6pm.

The Annual General Meeting of the University of Kelaniya Gavel Club was held on the 13th of September 2024 via Zoom from 7pm to 8pm.

The Executive Committee for the Academic Year 2022/2023 was officially elected at this occasion. The meeting was graced by the Senior Treasurer of the Club, Dr. Jehan Senevirathne. The proceedings started off with the speech of the outgoing President, Gav. Sithiji Amarasena, followed by the presentation of Annual Report for the Academic Year 2021/2022 by the outgoing Vice President - Education, Gav. Buddhima de Silva, the presentation Annual General Meeting Minutes of the Academic Year 2021/2022 by the outgoing Secretary Thedini Herath and the presentation of the Financial Accounts for the Academic Year 2021/2022 on behalf of the outgoing Junior Treasurer, by Gav. Nadil Gunaratne.

Thereafter, the process of electing the incoming Executive Committee was officially conducted. The following Gaveliers were elected to the Executive Committee for the Academic Year 2022/2023:

The proceedings were concluded with the speeches from the Senior Treasurer, Dr. Jehan Senevirathne and the incoming President, Gav. Nadil Gunaratne, where the plans for the upcoming term were mentioned. The meeting was a modest success, with a substantial number of Gaveliers participating in the occasion.

This is usually held as a very friendly gathering to associate Gaveliers from other universities and to interact with each other. The meeting structure of a joint meeting is similar to that of a regular educational meeting. The meeting roles are distributed among members of both clubs which requires the members to interact with each other prior to the educational meeting, through which new bonds and friendship are cultivated.

In a joint meeting, members from both the gavel clubs are encouraged to improve their public speaking skills by delivering speeches in a friendly and stress-free atmosphere.

UOK Gavel Club is all about fun and fellowship. In order to nourish these fellowships, we organize special themed meetings. Themed meetings are organized to celebrate special festivals such as Avurudu, Christmas and other special days like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween and Valentine’s Day. Themed meetings also enhance the involvement of a diverse fan group within the club with special meetings like MARVEL, Harry Potter, F.R.I.E.N.D.S themed meetings.

The members are often clad in different costumes honouring the themed meetings. We encourage our members to be creative and spread laughter in these meetings. Members can come up with various ideas to make the meeting interactive and enjoyable. Gaveliers are encouraged to come up with different stories related to the theme. Themed meetings highlight the cultural diversity within our club as well as differences in experiences and ideas between us. Through themed meetings, Gaveliers will master the art of public speaking and while having a great time.

The UOK Gavel Club hosts the Gavel Orientation annually to showcase to the students an idea of what the Gavel Club has to offer. Orientation is a place for undergraduates of all years to come together to learn what Gavel club is all about. It showcases the various activities that have been carried out in the gavel club, and it also showcases the new ideas the gavel club is brewing up for the upcoming year.

It consists of speeches from current members regarding various aspects of the club, such as Competent Communicator and Competent Leadership Manuals, Weekly Educational Meetings, Meeting Roles, Fun Activities at Gavel, and Best Speaker.

There is a section to give the students first-hand experience of how a seasoned Gavelier conducts a prepared speech or an impromptu speech to showcase the fruits of joining Gavel.

As much as the club thrives to craft its members into passionate public speakers, it aspires to contribute to the public speaking community beyond the club. All Island Inter University Best Speaker is an annual flagship event, organized by the club in affiliation with the Career Guidance Unit of University of Kelaniya to unite mastery in public speaking of all the state universities in Sri Lanka.

Underlying the title ‘Best Speaker’, is a glorious quest that strides to discover authentic talent. The club believes that the title ought to be earned by a well-rounded speaker who is adroit in both prepared speech and impromptu speech. The contest consists of three rounds: The preliminary round, semi- final and grand finale and is held under two main categories; prepared speech and impromptu speech contests. Undergraduates from any state university of the country are eligible to participate in the contest. It is mandatory that all the contestants compete in both prepared and impromptu speech contests to honor the purpose of the contest.