Bitten by Toastmasters

I had my first brush with Toastmasters in Pune, through my previous company.
Toastmasters Club is an internationally recognized club for developing your public speaking skills. Many renowned companies like Infosys, TCS, Capgemini, Cisco, etc as well as great B-schools like ISB, IIMB, Harvard, MIT, Wharton, etc have a Toastmasters chapter.

Back then, we weren't Toastmasters club yet, just a cohort of enthusiastic people who wanted to develop our public speaking skills. The informal club was called Lets Talk Club (duh)! But then gradually the word spread and we became a full fledged Toastmasters club. I was actively involved in its set up, as a Treasurer - (sigh!)- and it felt gr8 to be able to start the club there.
I could not enjoy the fruits of my success though.
At the time the club started functioning, I had already taken up an offer for employment in Kolkata, where, at that time, there was no Toastmasters chapter. Then after a long hiatus, 2 weeks ago to be precise, the bug bit me again. Why not start a new club here? Like most simple questions, this had no simple answer

Back in Pune, there were so many able and industrious people around me and I was a mere cog in the wheel. But if I had to start something now, I had to take on enormous responsibility. But then again, someone has to dare - to venture where no man (at least in my Company!) has gone before!
I realized that I could not do it alone. So I managed to rope in 3 of my colleagues who were aware of the idea of Toastmasters. The most important task before us was generating publicity. I knew that once at least 20 enthusiastic people were 'in', the rest would be a ball in the park.
I also established contact with the only Toastmasters club in Kolkata (which had sprung up 2 months back). The president there is a very nice and helpful guy. He guided us a lot and even allowed us to attend their TM sessions.
By this week we have already managed to pique the interest of around 15 people.
The next step would be to get under the aegis of management. We have a meeting coming up with our Learning and Edu Dept head next week. So if everything goes well, my 2nd Toastmasters baby would be born sometime next month.
Cheers