Volume : 46 Issue: August 2010
Newsletter of the Manama Toastmasters Club. Club 2916, District 79
What’s Inside ...?
Discover the Power Installation Ceremony
of the
Reading Corner Best Moments in Life Tomaster of the Month Of Fearless Death In humour, Try Rule of Three
Spoken Word Communicate with Confidence, Convey with Conviction
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
Who were the Ancient Toastmasters?? CC Claire Cosgrove MTM President July to December 2010
Did the Ancient Greeks know how to communicate or what??? Go on - read something that was written 2,500 years ago! It will not be dull and boring and meaningless. Not for us present day Toastmasters anyway. Just think that 2.5 millennia ago, Plato, Socrates and Aristotle and all the other great orators and philosophers of the Greek world meet daily in the Forum to discuss and debate. I wonder whether our founder, Dr Ralph C. Smedley was well read in Ancient Greek writings. Perhaps it was the Ancient Greeks who inspired Dr Smedley to create the vision for Toastmasters International. Aristotle wrote about the art of public speaking in his writing, “Rhetoric”. Some of his key points were that orators use different styles of speaking in different situations. He wrote about how to organize a speech or presentation and gave insight into our process of thinking. During the height of Ancient Greek times, rhetoric and public speaking were essential daily activities, a central and most important part of community life. Just as in Toastmasters today,
our commitment to our club and improving our ability to speak in public does take a central role in the lives of many Toastmasters. Where does your commitment to improving your speaking and supporting your club lie? Are you lukewarm, hot or cold with enthusiasm? For a young man in Greek society to be able to advance himself in the military or in politics, to raise his status in the community, he needs good oratory skills to be able to persuade his fellow citizens. Aristotle’s fundamentals in public speaking are equally as valid today as they were in ancient times. As with any speech, we need to know who our audience and address our audience in such a way that we appeal to their senses and understanding. Aristotle identified three kinds of appeal: logos, pathos and ethos. The first, logos or logic, is often considered the most common approach as it appeals to one’s logic or reason. This style is most suited to the debating arena. It is also used in small groups or oneon-one situations where one aims to persuade the listener to the speaker’s view point and understanding. The second approach, pathos works on our emotions. This approach could also be well
w w w.ma na matoa st ma ster s .org
associated with modern day advertising. To the Greeks, this was the way to appeal to the masses, through their emotions. And typically, this is most successful in Toastmasters today. Ethos, the third approach, triggers the audience sense of right and wrong. It addresses ethical issues. The speaker often creates a feeling of righteousness leading up to the choice of what is best for humanity. The speaker may even being seeking admiration for action or deeds that he has accomplished. In Toastmasters, regardless of which approach you select for your next speech, you can rest assured knowing that the projects in the manuals have been selected and designed so that speakers can develop all three approaches. Therefore, Toastmasters is not just reliving the dreams and aspirations of Dr Ralph Smedly but also the aspirations of the Ancient Greek orators. Therefore, I challenge all Toastmasters to take up your assignments and aspire to the dreams of those who have gone before us. Set a light for our feet and a lamp for our path. Perhaps we should have a toga night and discuss matters of an ancient Greek nature!!
words
Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill. --Buddha--
Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so he is. --Publilius Syrus--
The words we say will teach if we practice what we preach. --Anonymous-When you have spoken the word, it reigns over you. When it is unspoken you reign over it. --Arabian Proverb--
Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken. --Orson Rega Card--
Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall. --Oliver Wendell Holmes--
If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind give it more thought. --Dennis Roth--
Communicate with Confidence, Convey with Conviction
mtm inside story
WORD OF THE DAY
Witty (adj)
Vincible (adj)
Attitude (n)
Definition:
Definition:
possessing wit in speech or writing; amusingly clever and intelligent in perception and expression:
capable of being conquered or overcome
Definition: manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, esp. of the mind: a negative attitude; group attitudes.
7 August 2010
14 August 2010
Use in a sentence:
21 August 2010
Use in a sentence:
Use in a sentence:
The audience laughs so much you miss so many great witty oneliners. Other forms:
Other forms: vincibility(noun) vincibleness(noun)
My friends and I knew we were vincible and we drove accordingly. Other forms:
wittily (adverb) wittiness (noun) wittier (adjective) wittiest (adjective)
attitudinal (adjective)
Blessing (n)
28 August 2010 Definition: 1. the act or words of a person who blesses. 2. a special favor, mercy, or benefit: the blessings of liberty. 3. the invoking of God’s favor upon a person: Use in a sentence: The son was denied his father’s blessing. The proposed law had the blessing of the governor.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS Category
7 August 2010
14 August 2010
21 August 2010
28 Agust 2010
Meeting No. Theme
2294 HA HA HA Night TM Jaber Al Rowaie
2295
2296
2297
Ramadan Kareem
Commitment
Alms- Giving
TM Safa Hassan
TM Mona Ali
TM Mona Ali
-
-
TM Sheela Pai
-
-
TM Safa Hassan
TM Abdul Rahman Al Awadi
TM Chris Noronha
Master of Ceremonies Best Speaker Best Evaluator Best Commentator
w w w.ma na matoa st ma ster s .org
TM Chris Noronha TM Safa Hassan TM Afaf Zainalebdin TM Chris Noronha
TOASTMASTER OF THE MONTH
TM BHARAT PATIL
mtm quick news .
TM Jaber Al Rowaie
Congratulations!
Criteria For
TOASTMASTER OF THE MONTH Activity
Points Earned
Master Of Ceremonies
15
Educational Speech
15
Project Speech
10
Any other Role in weekly meeting
05
Replacing Dropouts
10
Pay Dues in Advance
10
Pay Dues on Time
05
Attendance
05
Contribution to Horizon
10
Participating in a Contest
05
Judging a Contest
05
Mentoing
05
Winning a Contest
05
& Mabrook !!! For completing his Basic Competent Comminicator Manaual and acquireing his
Competent Communicator Status!
Communicate with Confidence, Convey with Conviction
Article
w w w.ma na matoa st ma ster s .org
ARTICLE
Communicate with Confidence, Convey with Conviction
MTM IN SOCIETY
Visiting the Children at Salmaniya Hospital
On Wednesday August 25, 2010 at 8pm, DTM Khalid Al Quod arranged a visit to the children in Salmaniya Hospital. Many of our toastmasters supported this noble community cause proving that Manama Toastmasters is an integral party of the community
w w w.ma na matoa st ma ster s .org
Article
TIPS TO INCREASE YOUR WORD POWER * Attend your Toastmaster meetings and be introduced to a new word every meeting with the Word of the Day. * Use your new words in any occassion you have to speak such as in Table Topics as a commentator. * Listen carefully to the speakers for unfamiliar words that they use and ask them about that word during the break session. * Use clever or witty expressions in the Joke Session to broaden the listeners’ vocabulary and expressions kit. * Be thoughtful in evaluating the speaker to use more positive words than negative words. To share the negative comments wrapped in positive recommendations. * Read your own Horizon magazine and the articles in the Toastmaster International magazine. * Write for the club magazine. * Listen for new and unfamiliar words - note them down and look up their meaning, then use the word. * Keep your own personal dictionary close at hand. * Be keen to learn new words by using the word. * Communicate with Confidence, Convey with Conviction
SPEECH
BE NOT PROUD Emerson the great American philosopher used to say “EVERY MAN I MEET IS SUPERIOR TO ME IN ONE WAY OR THE ANOTHER”
It is said, “ Pride leads to a fall”. Pride comes before a fall has become true in the lives of well known and gifted people. A person can become arrogant due to birth, wealth, power, learning beauty, exceptional talent and so on. The zest to be better off than others along with ego will result in feeling of superiority. But if these qualities not tempered by modesty, ego can puff up ones pride and this will eventually leads to down fall. We should not be proud of anything because everything has been given to us by God. A proud person sooner or later has to learn this lesson that pride does not pay. A proud person is disliked by one and all. It is good to have confidence in ourselves but we should remember that others too have many qualities which we lack.
One day a wise old man visited his court. He said “Oh king, you must not be proud of your strength , position, possessions,
power etc. All these things are not permanent. One day they will leave you or else you will leave them.” The king was mad with anger. He said “Why should I be humble! I have a vast kingdom. Thousands of people do my bidding even if I raise my little finger. I do not need your advice. I order you to leave my kingdom for ever. A few days passed by. The king decided to go for hunting with his courtiers and ministers. In the jungle, the king saw a beautiful deer. He chased it with all his might. But the deer disappeared again and again into thin air. But the king did not give up. He Long ago there lived spurred his horse to gallop a king who had everything faster and faster. His a man could ask for health, courtiers were left far wealth and power. But he behind.Just as his horse was proud. took a giant leap forward, it stumbled. w w w.ma na matoa st ma ster s .org
The king also fell down from his horse. He became unconscious. A group of robbers were passing through the jungle. They took away all his ornaments, weapons and even his clothes. When the king regained consciousness, he was shocked to see his helpless condition. At that very moment he remembered the words of the holy man. “These things will one day leave you or you will leave them. The king realized his mistake. He closed his eyes and prayed to god. In the state of helplessness I turn to you God. Please help me or else here in this jungle the animals will soon eat me up. Suddenly he heard the roar of lion. His heart trembled with fear. But fortunately the lions roar roused the horse and it stood up. The king was relieved. Quickly he mounted the horse and galloped to the place
SPEECH
where his ministers and courtiers were searching for him.From then on the kings life was transformed. He became a humble person. Every night he remembered the teaching of the great man. In this modern world we are having the examples of Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein due to their pride they lost their kingdom. Do not be proud of your possessions and power. They are just like the shifting sands of the desert.
TM Bharat Patil
“All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind.” - Kahlil Gibran Sand and Foam
*
“But words are things, and a small drop of ink, Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” - George Gordon Byron -
Communicate with Confidence, Convey with Conviction
article
The power of the spoken word is a concept shared by many cultures and its roots go deep into pre-literate history. The most widely cited written reference in western civilization comes from the Bible. The Gospel According to Saint John, Chapter One starts: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.’
If we accept this idea words are powerless. Now we have a conundrum to consider. In the first quote words are omnipotent. In the second they are impotent. What do you believe about the Power of the Spoken word? Is this a truth or a fanciful notion? Should you consider the latent power in every word you’re about to utter before you open your mouth? Before you leap to an answer, try another question. What is a word?
* Is it merely a bundle of random letters? * Is it a sound or a series of sounds? The power of the spoken word, if Saint John’s words * How do words carry are interpreted literally, intent or meaning? is sufficient to create an * Does it matter how or entire world. what we actually say? In direct contrast is this old * If we don’t understand rhyme: the language being used, is there still power in the ‘Sticks and stones may spoken word? break my bones but names (words) will never hurt OK. That was lots of me.’ questions. Not just one. But words do that. They w w w.ma na matoa st ma ster s .org
are complex slippery things defying simplicity. Their exact nature and the question of whether they have power or not has exercised great minds from antiquity to the present day. For myself, I know there is Power in the Spoken Word. I picture a word as carrier. Made of a collection of letters arranged in a unique way, each word denotes or stands for either a thing, person or an action. These ‘things’, ‘persons’ or ‘actions’ are given meaning through our experience and knowledge of them. For instance, the word, Mother. Say the word. Let it roll around your mouth until you can taste it. What images does it conjure up? What feelings come with those images? All of what you’ve just re-experienced was unpacked and released by the simple arrangement of six letters: M-O-T-H-E-R. To me, that’s power. The letters by themselves are
Out of the Mouths of Babes...
meaningless. I believe the ‘bigger’ the word, the more power it has. By ‘big’ words, I mean those effecting us all regardless of who or where we are. These are universal words shared by everybody. The language used may be different but the idea contained by those words is the same. Some of the words from my ‘big’ list are: life, freedom, love, hate, health, wealth, happiness, death, disease, cancer, family, war, kill, birth, brother, lover, sister, son, daughter, mother, father, home, speech, forgiveness...
article
we learn the power of the spoken word. We learn if we are loved, valued and cherished and we also learn the opposite and all the shades in between.
The messages of our childhoods keep speaking long after they were first spoken. It’s as if they get locked inside our minds and echo on. Sometimes they lie dormant and then an event will trigger them. Up they pop like a jack-in-the-box and we hear again what we were told long ago.
I saw this illustrated numerous times as a teacher. Unfortunately it was mostly the negative When my son was about comments that replayed. 3 I took him with me on a I experienced fully school camp. Maybe you can think of capable adults reduced Each of those carries to emotional chaos over The students, (12-13 years more. energy ( either positive or what appeared the old), had a wonderful time negative) and that energy simplest of tasks. When playing with him. is the sum of our emotional the reason for the or intention. The breakdown was explored They piggy-backed him, response word is a conduit allowing they’d often tell me they towed him round in a couldn’t do ‘x’, ‘y’ or ‘z’ rolley AND taught him a us to express ourselves. because they were stupid, colorful new vocabulary. How does the Power of silly or dumb. When I the Spoken Word effect challenged the The result was dramatic. us? statement, they’d say, what they’d been Words can heal, words can that’s He swiftly learnt about told. Some would go on the power of those spoken hurt and words tearfully explain. spoken by those closest to to words. Swearing was a Inevitably there would be sure-fire attention grabber. us have the most some strong figure or a power of all. number of them who shot The older children were Our word education the wounding bullets. delighted, some of the when we do, at They’d been ricocheting adults shocked and I had begins birth. Tiny and ever since. the task of re-educating defenceless we are him! powerless, utterly “All our words are but dependent on others for crumbs that fall down our survival. From our from the feast of the * mothers, fathers, mind.” caregivers - Kahlil Gibran, Sand and Communicate with Confidence, Convey with Conviction
article
How does the Power of our Spoken Words effect others? If we accept words spoken to us have the capacity or power to effect the way we feel about ourselves, others and the world, then we must accept our words have the same potential impact on those around us. We can hurt or we can heal. The choice is ours every time we open our mouths. Using the Power of Spoken Words to Heal Acknowledging the power of spoken words is a fundamental building block to many self-help as well as main stream therapies. For what we say out loud is a guide to what lies within us. If our talk is critical, cynical or destructive, then we tend to find we think about ourselves in a similar way. Quite simply, we don’t like or approve of much that we do or who we think we are. We have little tolerance for our weaknesses. We are ashamed. We fear being less than others. We attack for fear of being exposed.
Shakespeare said it like this: ‘Nothing is either good or bad.’Tis thinking makes it so.’ Words create our world.
The power of positive thinking has been well documented. Change the way you think or talk to yourself and you will change yourself. The words you speak to yourself in the privacy of your mind have power too. Sounds too simple to be true, doesn’t it? But it is. w w w.ma na matoa st ma ster s .org
Article Submitted by TM Claire Cosgrove
Editorial
“By words we learn thoughts, and by thoughts we learn life.” - Jean Baptiste Girard -
Editorial Dear Toastmasters, Welcome to another edition of the Horizon - August 2010 This month our newsletter takes a renewed focus on Words: more specifically the power of the spoken word. Being toastmasters, we usually relate the power of the spoken word to a speech be it the power of Humourously organized words in a speech that causes laughter. Or the mighty effect words have in a heart felt speech that causes tears to trickle down our faces. Over the centuries, we have discovered myriad forms of word power that have had different and definitely drastic effects on the citizens of the world. You don’t believe me? “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me” The age old adage that I recall everytime words harm more than sticks or stones. Indeed the scars left by words are much more harder to heal than physcial wounds.
“Kind words are a creative force, a power that concurs in the building up of all that is good, and energy that showers blessings upon the world.” - Lawrence G. Lovasik
Take a look at the music industry..Most of us are entralled by the sincere words of a love song in any language. It touches our hearts with the power of words,so delicately enveloped in melody. How about the great leaders of the world that have embodied the desires and hopes of the masses in meagre words - their speechesand rallied people to follow them and their principles. Truly, the effect of the spoken word is not a new phenomenon in our world but many a time its taken forgranted. So take this oppurtunity to appreciate the power of words. “May the power of the spoken word be with you! “ Happy Reading!
TM Melissa Almeida
V.P.Public Relations
Your valuable feedback and contributions are always welcomed. Please feel free to send them to Melissa Almeida at melissa.almeida@ymail.com Communicate with Confidence, Convey with Conviction
mtm & toastmaster international Manama Toastmasters
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE July to December 2010
V.P. Education CC Bharat Patil
President CC Claire Cosgrove
V.P. Membership TM Thuraya Juma V.P. Public Relations TM Melissa Almeida
Treasurer TM Safa Hassan Secretary TM Zara Hubail
Sgt - At - Arms TM Chris Noronha Librarian TM Laxman Singh
39264061 w w w.ma na matoa st ma ster s .org