2
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
DIVISION
H
NEWSLETTER
CAPTURING ACHIEVEMENTS DURING JULY - DECEMBER 2014
THE TEAM EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Sunil D Kottarathil, DTM www.toastmasters.org
LAYOUT AND DESIGN TM Abdul Nasser
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
3
CONTENTS Messages 5 Division Structure
6
Mohammed Murad
8
High Performance Leadership
10
Growing Across the Borders
12
Division H over the years
14
Mike Raffety
20
Remember the Member
22
Training 24 COT series & PR for Dummies
26
TI convention
28
Service to Corporate
30
Celebrate the Success – Milestone meetings 32 Judges Training
34
Council Meetings
36
Awards 38
4
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. Our membership is 313,000 strong. Members improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of the 14,650 clubs in 126 countries that make up our global network of meeting locations.
Toastmasters International Mission We empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders
District Mission We build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence.
Club Mission We 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.
Toastmasters International Values • Integrity • Respect • Service • Excellence Toastmasters International Envisioned Future To be the first-choice provider of dynamic, high-value, experiential communication and leadership skills development.
A Toastmaster’s Promise As a member of Toastmasters International and my club, I promise
• To attend club meetings regularly • To prepare all of my speech and leadership projects to the best of my ability, basing them on projects in the Competent Communication, Advanced Communication, or Competent Leadership manuals
• To prepare for and fulfil meeting assignments • To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations • To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow • To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so • To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy • To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters membership offers • To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters education and recognition programs • To maintain honest and highly ethical standards during the conduct of all Toastmasters activities
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
DIVISION H GOVERNOR MESSAGE
Dear Leaders, As we touch the halfway milestone of the current toastmasters’ year and look back, it can be said with immense pride that it has been an incredible journey of service and accomplishment. New leaders who took over the reins at the Club, Area, Division and District levels,at the beginning of the year have brought with them fresh commitment, enthusiasm and the desire to serve. The strong motivation of our members and the gifted leadership of a succession of brilliant leaders, has kept Division H among the front runners, year after year. Aligning with the vision of Toastmasters International, Division H continues to pursue with unbridled passion and commitment, the goals that was set at the beginning of the year- Bring Smiles, Enhance Quality and Empower Leaders. Bring Smiles by ensuring that all members enjoy their experience at toastmasters, as they take up various roles and responsibilities, Enhance Quality by promoting the value and significance of every role, even the seemingly minor and often overlooked ones of the toastmasters educational program and Empower Leaders, by promoting service leadership as a vehicle to spread the values of toastmasters. Simply put, bring smiles by enhancing quality through empowerment! With a sustainable growth for all clubs in mind, Division H has an able team that is working closely with all the clubs. An effective organization chart has been prepared with this view in mind. More opportunities have been created for servant leaders to re-invest in the development of Division H as a whole,
by serving as Division Ambassadors. By sharpening the communication and leadership skills, every toastmaster will then be able to make a positive impact and leave their unique legacy to the world. In order to achieve our goals, a clear plan has been formulated for each quarter of the year. The first quarter is (the TRAINING Season), aimed at ensuring that all club officers are well trained to perform their leadership roles and are equipped with all the tools required to make their journey enjoyable and rewarding. Subsequent months are filled with events that are aligned with our vision for the year. Second quarter is designated as the ACTIVITIES season with special programs, followed by the CONTEST Season and finally the CELEBRATION Season to celebrate the achievement and the smooth handover to the next year’s team. With the kick start, on 10th July, of the HPL Team,under the chairmanship of TM Salim Sayyid, Division H has already embarked on its journey to empower leaders. The program, an initiative by Division H, is part of our Quality Enhancement objective, for applying the Toastmasters’ Education Program. Fifteen members have already committed to take up challenging projects, which will add value to the toastmasters’ movement and pave the way for long term growth of Division H. Serving Division H is a matter of great honor. I feel humbled and honored for the confidence you have shown, by electing me as your Division Governor for the term of 2014-15. It is a great
privilege to serve this wonderful organization to the very best of my abilities. With the guidance of the past Division Governors and support of the Division team, club leaders and members, I am sure we can turn our vision into our reality. Wishing you all another successful year of toastmasters, Best regards,
Sunil Kottarathil, DTM Division Governor (2014-15) Division H, District 20 Toastmasters International, Where Leaders Are Made www.toastmasters.org +971-50-5314435 +971-56-6161484
5
6
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
DIVISION STRUCTURE NMC Community Inner Universe Kera NBAD One ACIO DULSCO
Abu Dhabi Chapter Achievers Ro’Yah Tebodin Al Riyadah
NMC Corporate Al Ain Mussafah Buraimi Hospital
AREA
2
AREA
55
GOVERNOR Raj Sekhar ACS, ALB
GOVERNOR Ana Maria Paler ACB, ALB
AREA
DIVISION
GOVERNOR Swaminathan S ACS, ALB
H
Community Clubs
9
Corporate Clubs
GOVERNOR
AREA
26
GOVERNOR Romeo Dias ACS, ALB
Sunil D Kottarathil, DTM
AREA
AREA
GOVERNOR Alok Tuteja ACS, ALB
23
11
GOVERNOR Ravi Moosad ACS, ALB
Basharia Abjad (Arabic) Intilaaqah Abu Dhabi Refinery Oxy Speakers
Millennium Abu Dhabi ICAI Humoroids Advanced Etihad Airways
DIVISION TEAM DIVISION GOVERNOR Sunil Kottarathil, DTM
Al Jazira Spectrum ISC ETA Ascon Star FML AD Team Voice
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
AREA GOVERNORS
AREA 2 TM Ana Maria Paler, ACB ALB
AREA 9 TM Swaminathan S, ACG ALB
AREA 11 TM Alok Tuteja, ACG ALB
AREA 23 TM Ravi Moosad, ACS ALB
AREA 26 TM Romeo Dias, ACS ALB
AREA 55 TM Rajsekhar, ACS ALB
DIVISION MANAGERS
Education and Quality TM Salwa Al Marzouqui
Training TM Pratima Mishra
Marketing TM Derick D’Souza
Gavel Clubs TM Ashit Korgaokar
7
8
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
MOHAMMED MURAD organisation, tasked to develop, support and modify policies and procedures that guide the organisation in fulfilling its mission. “You can never be not ready (for this position),” said the former police Lt Col who once headed Dubai›s emergency services. He first joined the Toastmasters Dubai Chapter club in 1996. “The process is such that you need to have the experience in order to qualify for you to get elected. You need to prove to members your worth and that you’re the best candidate among a whole lot of people.” In 2007, he was the first Emirati to be elected as International Director of Toastmasters in Arizona, getting 9,152 votes -- a landslide victory out of about 10,000 eligible votes representing Toastmasters clubs around the world. Talking on his agenda, during his 2014 - 2015 term as International President, Murad said: “We don’t have a personal agenda… there’s a strategic plan and we need to fulfil it and make our organisation reach as many people as possible in order for them to develop their skills.” He credits the organisation for being a big part of his own transformation. A large extent of my personal and professional success, he said, came from being honed by Toastmasters. It’s truly a platform for developing self-confidence, better communication and leadership skills.
Muhammad Murad, DTM, 49, is the first Arab to head the non-profit group, after he was named International President during the Toastmasters International annual conference in Malaysia on August 23rd, 2014. Muhammad Murad, DTM is a leader with extraordinary commitment, clear vision and exceptional humility. He is someone to look up to for motivation,
direction, and guidance as he is endowed with strong moral principles. Indeed, he is a servant leader worth emulating. “It’s a privilege for me to represent my flag (the UAE) on the international stage. It’s a great honour, but at the same time it’s a great responsibility.” As International President, Murad is a “working ambassador” for the
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
PROFILE
Mohammed Murad, DTM International President, Toastmasters International Name: Lt Col Mohammad Murad (Ret) Education: Graduate of the Police Academy›s Cadet Officer Course, graduate of University of Maryland Baltimore County›s Emergency Medical Management Course. He holds an MBA and a Master of Quality Management degree from the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. He is also a graduate of the City of Dubai’s Leadership Development Programme, and has received training at Harvard, London Business School and the Singapore School of Government. Hobbies: Extreme sports, reading, photography Family: Lives in Dubai with wife Zareen and two children
9
10
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
HIGH PERFORMANCE LEADERSHIP The world needs leaders. Leaders head families, coach teams, run businesses and mentor others. These leaders must not only accomplish, they must communicate. By regularly giving speeches, gaining feedback, leading teams and guiding others to achieve their goals in a supportive atmosphere, leaders emerge from the Toastmasters program. Every Toastmasters journey begins with a single speech. During their journey, they learn to tell their stories. They listen and answer. They plan and lead. They give feedback—and accept it. Through our community of learners, they find their path to leadership. Toastmasters program is filled with learning opportunities. One of the elements of toastmasters education program is High Performance Leadership (HPL) program. The program helps one to learn and grow as a leader, by stretching one’s leadership skills. The HPL provides a great structure to tackle a huge task in an organized way that improves the chances for success. Using Toastmasters’ proven three part learning process of Study, Action and Feedback, the first step will be to select a project providing one with a leadership role. This project will be a practical workshop in which to learn leadership skills, put those skills into action and then receive feedback on the member’s performance and progress. As a member works with a guidance committee on a project, he will receive feedback on his
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
HIGH PERFORMANCE LEADERSHIP PROJECT
leadership skills at each of the following steps:• Learning About Leadership • Choosing Your Objective • Winning Commitment to Your Objective • Working the Plan • Analyzing and Presenting Results By working through every step in the manual, one can create a winning way to approach a project. This skill developed through toastmasters education program, can be applied in every walk of life. Success in each activity, is then just a by-product. From the beginning of this toastmasters year, Division H has been moving on with programs that can empower our leaders. Seeing the benefits of HPL, an honest attempt was made to promote the program among the members and guide them through the process. A HPL Team was formed under the able leadership of TM Salim Sayyid, for this purpose. With the kick start on 10th July of the HPL Team, Division H embarked on its journey to empower leaders. Fifteen odd members soon registered and committed to take up challenging projects, which will add value to the toastmasters’ movement and pave the way for long term growth of Division H. By meeting monthly to review the progress, the team is working in the structure of an advanced toastmasters club.
11
12
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
GROWING BEYOND BORDERS The Al Ain Toastmasters club, that was created more than a decade ago, is the only Toastmasters club in Al Ain City and is also very unique in that its members belong to ten different nationalities. It’s ample evidence of how Toastmasters unites people of diverse cultures with singular motives of self development and service. The club maintains high standards in all their meetings, in alignment with their long term goals, one of which is to heighten the experience of the visitors, thus providing them with the impetus to associate themselves with this wonderful program. The opportunity given by our Division has been tremendous. The club had its initial exposure to the Division, last year and the motivation given from the Division of the current year has been nothing short of phenomenal,as many of the officers and members cheerfully took up the 140Km drive to Abu Dhabi during weekends to participate in training programs conducted by the Division. On one hand, members learn and enhance their communication skills, while on the other hand,they grow in their careers by implementing the qualities they have imbibed in
the meetings, like facing peers and managers with confidence, interacting more rigorously during official meetings, understanding and taking up leadership roles, thus giving them the extra edge in their profession. The club has been a pioneer of the “Go Green” campaign, for more than a year. The manual paper agenda has been replaced with the club website, which is kept open during meetings. This has been instrumental in getting all attendees’ attention towards the agenda when it is reviewed,while making it easier to take up missing roles, which then gets an instant update through the club’s website. Alain club’s goals are completely integrated with individual members goals. Encouragement is given to take up roles and to evaluate individual members orally. Members are also given additional evaluation personally, on request, which is possible due to the mutual trust and confidence between the members of the club. The club has strived to produce better results each year in terms of Distinguished Club Program goals and at the same time encourage its members to enjoy the fruits of toastmasters.
The 250th meeting of Al Ain club held on the 30thof September, 2014 was a milestone event, where all the members came together and reminisced about their achievements and growth in toastmasters, with each other, thus breathing in fresh rejuvenated energy. Helping others to utilize toastmasters program is one of the main service one can provide to the society. So when a query was received, from fellow members across the border at Al Buraimi, asking to start a toastmasters club, the club was quick to assist. The satisfaction of giving back to the society, what one has received from toastmasters, is unparalleled. Needless to say, with the support of our Area and Division, Al Ain Club will continue to march ahead bringing pride to our Club, Area, Division and Toastmasters as a whole.
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
13
14
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
DIVISION H OVER THE YEARS WHAT’S DIFFERENT It was a decade ago, when I was invited to the Al Futtaim Training Centre in Dubai for a meeting. The attendees were all Toastmasters of reputation, who during the discussion, focused on how Toastmasters clubs in UAE had spread out, due to our efforts as a team. It was time for us to decide on how to manage all the clubs in the three Emirates – Abu Dhabi, Dubai & Sharjah – a total of around twenty plus clubs. The team put across a proposal to me, to head the new Division consisting of clubs in Abu Dhabi and a few in Sharjah, while the other Division would consist of clubs in Dubai. My first appearance as a Toastmaster was with the Abu Dhabi Chapter (1950U) and therefore, it was with pleasure that I accepted the role of being the first Division H Governor in the year 2004. From the day I joined as Toastmaster in the year 1998, to the day I took over as Division H Governor in 2004, quite a few new clubs were born in the Capital of U.A.E. I enjoyed the role for almost six months, being with them as a team and realizing that eventually it could be a Division made up of clubs only in the Capital. During the same year, I suffered an accident and could not be present physically, but continued keeping in touch online. Division H eventually ended the year with three areas and all clubs belonged to Abu Dhabi. Clubs in Sharjah aligned themselves with clubs in Dubai under Division B. Right from the time I have been a Toastmaster, I have noticed that there are some areas which make the Abu Dhabi clubs or Division something different.
What are they? Let me list out some of them below: • The discipline of ensuring that all TM meetings are conducted in the typical fashion as defined by TMI • The formal atmosphere during meetings in terms of appearance as well as performance • The dinner at the end of the meeting in some of the clubs • Interest, commitment and dedication of the members to the role plays as well as organization of meetings, trainings and conference
their basic foundation of learning about Toastmasters quite well in this Division, with the mother Chapter Abu Dhabi Toastmasters at the helm of affairs. It is the tenth year of formation of this Division and I wish this Division many more years in the future. However let this future be filled with controlled expansion, wherein we concentrate on healthy clubs in terms of membership, attendance and performance and not just adding numbers. Good luck.
• The availability of senior Toastmasters for mentoring, which is a key aspect of for setting the foundations for new members. • Organisation of Trainings – during the last few years, I have noticed that there are separate committees formed to organize important trainings. • The friendly atmosphere wherein everyone is welcomed • Authentic organization of Division Conferences • Attendance at District Toastmasters Annual Conference through the years. While all the above are prevalent in clubs present in other Emirates, Abu Dhabi Division is definitely at a slightly higher level. There is never a dull moment when I am with members of this Division – there is tremendous opportunity to learn and share knowledge too. Last but not the least, most of the members get
NagabhushanBalaji, DTM Division H Governor 2004-2005
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
“To know the road ahead, ask those coming back” – Chinese proverb
Bharat Mehta, DTM Immediate Past Division Governor
Marwan Shayea, DTM Division Governor 2012-13
Dr. Nasef Dhafari, DTM Division Governor 2011-12
Sudha Datta, DTM Division Governor 2010-11
15
16
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
‘HIGHWAY TO EXCELLENCE’ It is indeed a pleasure to watch Division H grow from strength to strength year after year. I had the opportunity to serve as the 2nd Division H Governor during the period 2005-2006. We became a District in 2004-2005 and the first Division H constituted of clubs in Abu Dhabi , Al Ain and a part of Dubai. In 2005-2006 Division H was re-aligned with clubs from Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and we still continue to do so.
have so many success stories to tell. In short, I can confidently say, Toastmasters is a personal investment for one’s success. On this special occasion, I wish Division H and every Toastmaster success. May Division H touch greater heights and every Toastmaster achieves both his/her personal as well as professional goals. God bless you all.
My theme, as the Division H Governor 2005-2006, was ‘Highway to Excellence’ and over the years I have observed Division H continuing on the highway to excellence, thanks to the committed leaders and passionate Toastmasters we have. We had 3 Areas and 14 clubs in 20052006. I was fortunate to have a strong Division team with ATM PV Menon as Asst. Division Governor Education, DTM Abraham Raju as Asst. Division Governor Marketing and my 3 pillars of strength - My Area Governors - Area 2 Governor DTM Ravi Rai, Area 23 Governor DTM Rajan John and Area 26 Governor DTM NasefDhafari. Toastmasters is a unique organization where members help other members to succeed. Very few organizations have such a recipe for success. Effective communication and leadership skills are very important for personal and professional success, and Toastmasters
Loyola Pinto, ACS ALB Division H Governor, 2005-2006
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
Farrukh Ali, CTM, CL Division Governor 2009-10
Rajan John, DTM Division Governor 2008-09
Raveendra Rai, DTM Division Governor 2007-08
Abraham Raju, DTM Division Governor 2006-07
17
18
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
SELF-DISCIPLINE KEY TO SUCCESS -Abraham Raju,DTM.
SELF-DISCIPLINE is the most important attitude to be successful in LIFE. Followings are the areas to concur for SELF-DISCIPLINE. 1) TIME MANAGEMENT: Carefully control your time so that you will get ample enough time to do lots of things you are unable to do due to lack of time. Ask yourself whether you are utilizing your time properly. Are you able to finish your tasks in time? Are you planning your today, tomorrow, one week later, one month after or even for the next year? Are you getting up at the same time every day and are you finishing all your day-to-day activities within the same day? Are you trying to postpone your duties to the next day? If so stop it and finish it within today itself. 2) LEARNING & INCREASING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: Have a clear idea of what kind of books you are reading, or what kind of education you are undergoing. Always try to select the field of your personal interest and aptitude. Cultivate a habit of reading at least one book a month. This will help you to amass your knowledge in a specific field. 3) MONEY MANAGING: You must have a detailed graph of your income & expenditure. Utilize your money source for the specific purpose only. Never lend money to buy things which will not
bring in Revenues. Never over-draft your Credit Card. Avoid unnecessary luxuries. 4) FRIENDS & RELATIONS: Human being is a social animal. One cannot exist in this world without the help of others, from our birth to our death. Friends and relations are the most important part of our life. So keep up a healthy relationship with friends and relations.
8) DEVELP YOUR GOOD HABITS: Every individual is blessed with special abilities & good habits. Your laziness will hamper your developing abilities. Always be proactive. Cultivate a hard-working nature which will definitely reward you abundantly. These are the simple but proven keys to success. Wish you all a successful life.
5) HONESTY & SINCERETY: Be honest in whatever you do and say. This will boost your esteem and credibility in the society. Be sincere to your profession so that you will be successful in your carrier. 6) MENTAL STABILITY: Are you a short-tempered person? Are you impatient with others? These are the most dangerous attitudes. Be calm and cool in any odd situations. Never be nervous or sentimental in any circumstances. Control your nerves and emotions so that your will be able to face any awkward situation. 7) CONTROL YOUR TONGUE: There is a saying that you do not have to worry about what you hear, but you have to worry about what you say. Once a word is gone out of your mouth, you cannot take it back. So think twice before you speak. Always say the truth and be frank about what you say. And be responsible for what you say.
Abraham Raju, DTM. Division H Governor 2006-07.
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
ENHANCE PUBLIC RELATIONS THROUGH PROMOTIONAL POSTERS
Millennium Toastmasters releases club promotional posters to promote values of Toastmasters educational programmes.
19
20
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
MIKE RAFFETY Mike Raffety, DTM, PID visited Abu Dhabi on 30th August. Toastmasters members in Abu Dhabi highly benefitted from an interactive session organized by Abjad Toastmasters Club and Division H at Abu Dhabi Mens College on a short notice.
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
21
22
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
REMEMBER THE MEMBER People join toastmasters for many reasons. Some are: To get rid of stage fright, to face a large audience confidently, improve public speaking skills, improve communication skills, improve leadership skills, network with others. Benefits of joining toastmasters and utilizing toastmasters proven educational program for the benefit of self improvement is a great opportunity. There are people in your town right now who need Toastmasters – but they may not even know your club exists! One of your responsibilities as a member is to promote your club and the organization, but that doesn’t mean you have to stand on the corner thumping on the Competent Communication manual. In fact, the best way to promote your club and to increase membership is to show how Toastmasters members can change lives for the better, and the best way to demonstrate this to the public is through publicity. We often fall into the trap of thinking that placing an ad in the local paper is the best way to promote a cause – or a club – but traditional advertising is becoming less and less effective. According to statistics, we are now hit with up to 5,000 advertisements every day. Radios come with scan and seek buttons, and TV allows consumers to fast-forward through annoying chatter and ads. Be honest, when you read the paper or listen to the news, do you focus on the advertisements or the stories? Most people focus on the stories. We want and need good stories – but we are tuning out the advertisements. That’s why an article – a story – about you or your club and its life-changing benefits is more effective than an advertisement. Most clubs and organizations send press releases to commemorate awards,
advancements and competition victories. Those are all good opportunities to get the club name in front of the public, but they are not the most powerful sources of publicity. The best sources for new releases are the things your members do outside the club. Look especially for regional and national tie-ins. You can take this concept one step further. Look around your community
and find a need. Maybe your town is suffering from growing pains. Have a couple of members prepare presentations on urban growth, affordable housing or the environment. Contact your local radio talk show and offer to share the information. Be sure to mention that these speakers polished their presentation skills at Toastmasters, and give detailed information on how to contact local clubs.
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
THE BENEFITS OF
TOASTMASTERS MEMBERSHIP
Participation in a unique and proven program for developing your communication and leadership skills. A positive and supportive atmosphere in a community of learners. The opportunity to find your voice while learning to tell your story with confidence. Regular and constructive feedback from other learners as you practice organizing your thoughts and presenting them clearly. Experience in leadership development through training and club involvement. Unlimited opportunities for personal and professional growth. Access to a wealth of educational materials and resources on public speaking, listening skills, meeting protocol, the use of technology in presentations, and effective communication in conferences and meetings. A free subscription to the Toastmaster, a monthly magazine that provides insights on communication, leadership, club activities and other relevant topics.
SHARE THE BENEFITS YOU GAIN BY Assisting fellow members in developing their communication and leadership skills while you develop your own. Helping your group maintain the Toastmasters standard of excellence in all projects and programs. Providing leadership in your club, whether performing meeting roles, assisting on committees or serving as an officer. Telling other people about the value of Toastmasters and inviting guests to club meetings. Representing the Toastmasters brand in everyday business, social and community situations. Making the Toastmasters experience – for yourself as well as others – as enjoyable and worthwhile as possible!
TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL P.O. Box 9052 • Mission Viejo, CA 92690 • USA • Phone: 949-858-8255 • Fax: 949-858-1207 www.toastmasters.org/members © 2011 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved. Toastmasters International, the Toastmasters International logo, and all other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be used only with permission.
Rev. 5/2011
Item 354INDV
23
24
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
TRAINING SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS Prepared speeches and evaluation form two main parts of any Toastmasters regular meeting. The more the members improve their skills in these two areas, the more effective the club meetings become. The learning curve shoots up. Keeping this in mind Division H organized three special training programs for the benefit of our members.
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
Effective Evaluation Skills Dr.Nasef Dhafari, DTM 19th September 2014
Every speech a winning speech TM Rajen Pania 31st October 2014
Find Your Words TM Roshan Rao 2nd November 2014
25
26
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
CLUB OFFICERS
TRAINING Club Officers lead the club. Realising the importance of strengthening the club officers, Division H organised custom made training sessions. First such session was conducted on August 15th at ADCO Training Center.
These training sessions were correlated with Division’s goals for the current year. By providing a clear picture of the goal, club officers could easily correlate the importance of these training modules and make plans to apply them in their clubs. Clubs, specially corporate clubs, were encouraged to host special officers training for the benefit of their officers and members. Division organised a team of trainers to go to the clubs and conduct such special sessions.
Plan to be a Distinguished Club – TM Ashit Korgaokar
Conducting club business – TM ManmohanSreedhar
Reaching new heights as club Mentoring officer – TM Ravi Moosad – TM Salwa Al Marzouqui
These formal club officers training sessions were open to all clubs Training sessions were not just limited to the basic requirements. In addition to the formal COT sessions, throughout the year, special training programs were conducted focusing on the needs of clubs. One of the training sessions was on PR activities, conducted on 14th November.
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
A training is most effective when conducted in one to one session. This year, club officers were offered round-the-clock service by phone / personnel. A special officer training was conducted in the beginning of the year by Area 11 governor TM Alok Tuteja, specially for the club officers in his Area.
CLUB OFFICERS TRAINING SESSIONS 17 July - NBAD 15 August - ADCO 13 December - NMC
BRANDING TM Abdul Nasser VP PR, Millennium Toastmasters Club
WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT TM Jeremy Kritt VP PR, Basharia Toastmasters Club
NEWSLETTER TM Sujith Vijayamohan VP PR, Humoroids Advanced Toastmasters Club
SOCIAL MEDIA TM Cdr. Balgovind Kunhiraman VP PR, ISC Toastmasters Club
27
28
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION For Toastmasters in UAE, the international convention held in Kaula Lumpur this year, was a special one. A group of more than 40 members travelled together to attend the international convention in Malaysia. Organised by TM Raju Mathew, toastmasters from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah joined together and travelled on a package tour on 19th August from Dubai.
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
29
30
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
CORPORATE SUPPORT Toastmasters program is best used by corporate world, in training their employees with soft skills. There are many corporate clubs in Abu Dhabi. Etihad has formed a Toastmasters club to support the growth of their employees. Intilaaqah Toastmasters club supports the training need of ADCO employees.
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
31
32
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
CELEBRATE SUCCESS
MILESTONE MEETINGS
Every special day is to be celebrated, so is a milestone meeting of a club. The special occasion is an opportunity for past leaders to get together, attract new members, review achievements and rejuvenate the members with new energy. Congratulations to all clubs for marking their special day with lot of fun, enthusiasm and creativity. In addition, special events are great opportunities to sharpen members’ leadership skills such as team building, organization and delegation. As members draw inspiration from the special event and grow, we see the clubs moving towards a very sustainable growth status.
500th meeting of Abu Dhabi Chapter on 23rd September 2014
250th meeting of Al Ain Toastmasters on30th September 2014
200th meeting of Spectrum on 24th October 2014
150 th meeting of Abu Dhabi ICAI Chapter on 10th November 2014
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
15 year celebration meeting of Millennium Toastmasters on 11th November 2014
UAE National Day Celebration at Intilaaqah Toastmasters on 29th November 2014.
300th meeting of NMC Corporate Chapter on 2oth December 2014
11th anniversary meeting of Basharia Chapter on 16th January 2015
33
34
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
JUDGES TRAINING thought of the day, table topic, evaluations etc. Apart from the regular meetings, clubs also organize contests once in a year, so that toastmasters learn from other members the art of creating a wellrehearsed speech. During club contests toastmasters get an opportunity to gauge their present communication skills. A toastmaster becomes aware of the areas where he needs improvement, which enables him to focus on them. In this way, bettering oneself becomes a continuous process for a Toastmaster. During club contests, each toastmaster is in a healthy competition,not only within and outside his club, but also more importantly, with his/her own self. Thus the Toastmaster understands where he/she stands and can progress towards competency in communication skills. Inter-club contests offer great opportunities for toastmasters to explore areas away from their comfort zones and face a different set of audience.
Division H conducted the Judges Training On 21st November 2014 at ADCO Training Center, Abu Dhabi. An exhaustive session on Judges Training was presented by TM Derick D’Souza ACS, ALB and a shorter session on Chief Judges awareness was conducted by TM Shivprasad Gowda ACS, ALB. As part of ongoing innovations by Division H, the Judges training was handled uniquely, with a ‘hands – on’ training approach.
This article strives to explain briefly, the vital role that Judges Training plays in a Toastmaster›s journey along with a few details of the way in which the training was conducted. Communication is the most important part of a Toastmaster Program. In toastmaster clubs, there are many different types of sessions where toastmasters can enhance their communication skills including taking part in the various club activitiesprepared speeches, word master,
Now that the importance of speech contests has been established, it is needless to say that to have a wholesome speech contest, the outcome should be fair and transparent and that is achieved by appropriate and objective judging. In order for judging to be objective type and not subjective, Toastmasters International (TI) has created several judging ballots. These ballots, if used suitably can empower every toastmaster to do judging which is totally unbiased and is based on predetermined objectives. The Judges training organized by the Division is with an approach of “hands-on” training, where a mock speech contest was conducted and all attendees played the role of a Judge. Attendees were asked to do judging in the mock contest based on their own ideas and perceptions of Toastmaster Judges Ballots.
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
After the completion of mock contest, a full-fledged Judges training was conducted by the enthusiastic trainer, TM Derick D’souza, where all criterions of ballot marking were explained. Meaning of important aspects of toastmaster speech (content, delivery, body language, etc) was clarified. The importance of the distribution of weightages, while judging, was explained. Different physiological factors like the halo effect, opportunity to underdog, etc were also explained in detail, citing anecdotes. After completion of Judges training, another mock contest was conducted and the attendees were once again given an opportunity to play the role of judge in the contest. Thus the exercise of two mock contests helped attendees to get a hands-on training experience. Attendees were able to realize for themselves how they had judged before the training and after the training. This type of training with two mock contests is a novel concept and was done for the first time in the division. Since a Chief Judge has to undergo Judges training and have enough judging experience, to take up the role
of a Chief Judge in a contest, Chief Judge training was not required for new Judges. Therefore, the Division provided a short chief Judges awareness session conducted by TM Shivprasad Gowda, ACS,ALB. This awareness session helped all the Toastmasters, who have undergone Judges training to be well informed about the role of a Chief Judge in a contest. The entire event was a well-coordinated attempt, by the Division, where all the leaders contributed in their own way. Area Governors and club Presidents encouraged all the members to take up the Judges training and there was an overwhelming response from around 40 attendees. All the attendees were provided with important presentation slides, other materials like contest rule book, useful forms, ballots, etc, after the meeting. The training session, with its emphasis on learning through fun and interactive sessions, was an immensely enjoyable experience for its organizers and judging from the responses to the session, it is easy to see it has been one for the participants too.
35
36
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
COUNCIL MEETINGS Planning is the key to success. Division H has utilised each and every opportunity to spread awareness among the officers and members on the goals and various programs. Regular meetings were conducted to plan the events. During the first COT, goals and visions were emphasized. Subsequently, a special Division Excom meeting was conducted on September 3rd to brain storm training needs and formulate a training strategy for the division. 27th September, an Area Governor training session was conducted by District 20 LGET Sujit Sukumaran, DTM. Towards end of the year, a Division Council meeting was held on 28th November at ADCO to review the progress and discuss milestones ahead.
Leaders training during District Council meeting on 24th October in Dubai.
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
Special training to Area Governors by LGET Sujit Sukumaran, DTM on 27th September 2014.
Area 9 Club Presidents with Area Governor and Division Governor.
37
38
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
AWARDS DCP ACHIEVER AWARD WINNERS for clubs securing minimum 6 DCP goals by December 31st Sr. No. CLUB
DCP Goals
1 Mussafah Toastmasters (Area 9)
10
2 Basharia Toastmasters Club (Area 26)
10
3 ISC Toastmasters Club (Area 11)
9
4 Inner Universe Toastmasters Club (Area 55)
8
5 Abu Dhabi Toastmasters (Area 2)
7
6 Intilaaqah Abu Dhabi Club (Area 26)
7
7 NMC Corporate Chapter Club (Area 9)
6
8 Achievers Toastmasters Club (Area 2)
6
9 Abu Dhabi ICAI Toastmasters Club (Area 23)
6
10 Al Ain Toastmasters Club (Area 9)
6
11 NBAD One Toastmasters Club (Area 55)
6
12 Abjad Toastmasters Club (ARABIC) (Area 26)
6
SMEDLEY AWARD WINNERS for clubs adding minimum 5 members during August-September Sr. No. CLUB
New members
1 NMC Corporate Chapter Club (Area 9)
9
2 Basharia Toastmasters Club (Area 26)
7
3 Abjad Toastmasters Club (ARABIC) (Area 26)
6
4 Ro'Yah Toastmasters (Area 2)
6
5 Intilaaqah Abu Dhabi Club (Area 26)
5
6 Millennium Toastmasters Club (Area 23)
5
7 Mussafah Toastmasters (Area 9)
5
8 Kera Toastmasters (Area 55)
5
9 Etihad Airways Toastmasters (Area 23)
5
10 Oxy Speakers Abu Dhabi (Area 26)
5
11 Achievers Toastmasters Club (Area 2)
5
12 Abu Dhabi ICAI Toastmasters Club (Area 23)
5
13 Humoroids Advanced Club (Area 23)
5
14 Inner Universe Toastmasters Club (Area 55)
5
15 NBAD One Toastmasters Club (Area 55) 5
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
39
DIVISION H NEWSLETTER
EXPERIENCE THE
EXCITEMENT
TH
10
DIVISION H ANNUAL CONFERENCE
24th APRIL 2015