ISSUE 3
MARCH 2012
ISSUE 3 MARCH 2012 CLUB-01334189, AREA-55, DIVISION-H, DISTRICT-20
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF ISC TOASTMASTERS CLUB-01334189, AREA-55, DIVISION-H, DISTRICT-20
Keep the Spirit Alive
Toastmasters – Touching Tomorrow Today
Pride and Purpose Inspire Performance Dynamic Clubs People Deliver Building People
Share the Vision of A Passion Excellence for Eloquence
The Thrill of Success Focus on Your Dreams
Take Control of Your Bringing Destiny Out the Best in People
Changing Lives, One at a Time Find Your Voice, Serve Your Simply Shaping World Amazing OurselvesThe Shaping Our Courage to World Conquer
News from Toastmasters International
DTM UMA RADHAKRISHNAN 2012-13 REGION ADVISOR FOR REGION 11 oastmasters International announced the 2012-2013 Region Advisor team. Recognizing the services of our Immediate Past District Governor and beloved leader DTM UMA RADHAKRISHNAN to the overall Toastmasters fraternity, she has been appointed by Toastmasters International as the Region 11 Advisor for 2012-13 term.
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Region advisors (RAs) are international volunteers at the region level who have expert knowledge about marketing-related issues and an awareness of current trends in their parts of the world. RAs play an important role in Toastmasters International, helping districts solve pressing issues and serving as coaches and mentors to district leaders. In a consultant capacity, RAs help districts fulfill the district mission. Their objective is to support district leaders' efforts to improve the quality and performance of their clubs, so that more people benefit from the Toastmasters program. One way RAs accomplish this is by conducting district visits. Together, district leaders and their RA determine if a visit would promote the success of the district. Not all districts need a visit. Ideally, RAs and district leaders begin communicating about visits during the transition period between program years. If it’s determined a visit is needed, then a purpose for the visit is established and an agenda and goals are planned.
These visits are not intended as opportunities for
RAs to give speeches or be VIPs; rather, the RAs use these trips to work closely with districts in a variety of capacities, as needed: Help district leaders improve marketing strategies by analyzing and discussing district data with them Help districts identify strategies to increase their marketing capacity Mentor district leaders in conducting effective corporate visits and demonstration meetings Finalize and strategize marketing plans for new clubs and membership retention Discuss district operations, such as district success planning Identify and discuss district-specific challenges Help district leaders create marketing training programs Conduct corporate recognition visits with district leaders The support provided by RAs varies from district to district based on each district’s unique needs. In a nutshell, they serve as an essential link between the districts and World Headquarters.
Toastmasters International Membership Building Contest BEAT THE CLOCK members who join between May 1 and June 30 Program Dates: May 1 – June 30 must be received at World Headquarters or online oastmasters are taught to run meetings on time, finish speeches on time and make membership goals on time. "Beat the Clock" is about finishing the year on schedule -with a bang! Clubs adding five new, dual or reinstated members during these two months receive a "Beat the Clock" ribbon to display on the club’s banner. Membership applications and payment for
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WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
no later than June 30. Each member's join date as listed on the application must be no later than June. Transfer and charter members do not count for credit. In addition to the ribbon, qualifying clubs will also earn a special discount code for 10% off their next club order. Discount code expires six months from date of issue and is not valid with any other offer.
WEDDING
ATHIRA M RAJ
ADIEU CC CL
daughter of ISC Toastmasters Club members Rajagopalan, CC CL and Ambika Rajagopalan, CC was married to NITHIN on 30th March 2012 at ISC (India Social and Cultural Centre).
TM community in Abu Dhabi bid farewell to ISC Toastmasters Club mentor TM Omana st
Kallarakkal on 31 January 2012.
WORDS OF THIS
QUARTER
INVIGORATE (in-ˈvi-gə-ˌrāt) verb To give life and energy to, to make a situation efficient and successful. PRECARIOUS (pri-ˈker-ē-əs) adjective Not safe or certain, likely to fall, dependent on unknown conditions. PANACHE (pə-ˈnash) noun The quality of being able to do things in a confident and elegant way that other people find attractive. RELENTLESS (re-lent-less) adjective Not stopping, Refusing to give up, Showing or promising no abatement of severity, intensity, strength, or pace. ENCAPSULATE (in-ˈkap-sə-ˌlāt, en) verb To enclose in or as if in a capsule, To express the most important parts in a few words. CONTEMPLATE (ˈkän-təm-ˌplāt) verb To look at or think about in a careful way for a long time, To consider with continued attention. ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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Area Contests in March
contents 2 Toastmasters International News
4 From the Desk of President
5 From the Desk of Editor
6 From the Desk of Division Governor 70 71 72 73 74 75
11 Apr, 2012 25 Apr, 2012 9 May, 2012 23 May, 2012 13 June, 2012 27 June, 2012
13 Apr, 2012 20 Apr, 2012 27 Apr, 2012 4 May, 2012
Division-F Conference Division-B Conference Division-H Conference Division-J Conference
24 to 26 May DTAC 2012
8 About Toastmasters
20-22 Open House Showcase Event
9 Club Elections
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23-25
27
28-29
Club Achievements
New Members
Club Awards
Magic Moments
articles
14 Rendezvous with the
18 Mumbai –
Toastmaster’s Platform
The Maximum City
10 Mentorship ISSUE 3
16 Cryptography
MARCH 2012
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF ISC TOASTMASTERS CLUB-01334189, AREA-55, DIVISION-H, DISTRICT-20
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WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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From the Desk of
the president
PUBLISHER
Sunil Kottarathil ACS ALB President, ISC Toastmasters
ever ever stop dreaming, because dreams are “We are all functioning at a the fountainhead from where ideas emerge. small fraction of our capacity They become plans and plans become actions. Actions taken in the right direction, with to live fully in its total meaning right spirit bring results – desired results. When of loving, caring, creating and Toastmasters International announced results of their Open House Showcase membership building adventuring. Consequently, the contest on March 29th, ISC Toastmasters Club topped the list globally; the desired result we actualizing of our potential can dreamed. It is no wonder really, when our become the most exciting enthusiastic members have visualized the desired result at each stage of the preparation. Yet, when adventure of our lifetime.” the desired result is achieved, for sure, it sets the - Herbert Ottto stage for celebration. It is indeed celebration time at ISC Toastmasters. program. As members become empowered through their improved communication and leadership skills, more laurels began pouring into ISC in the form of awards from Toastmasters International. – Walt Disney When ISC Toastmasters Club topped the list in the global competition for the TMI Open House Showcase event, it was indeed a dream come true; As a club, ISC Toastmasters has been growing one that took ISC’s name and fame to global steadily since its inception. Having set our feet acclaim. As the club continue to make ISC proud firmly on the ground, it was time to expand our and bring more laurels, our responsibility also service to the community. What else, we reckoned increases. could be better than spreading the benefits of Toastmasters educational program to more around As we approach the last quarter of the current us? Charged with this vision, and with the support Toastmasters year, we look forward to helping our and active involvement of ISC Managing newer members achieve their full potential as Committee, the Club initiated educational leaders, as effective communicators, encouraging programs inviting all ISC members. The clear them to participate more actively in upcoming vision and focused approach started showing division and district conferences, and celebrate results within a short period itself – with 12 new each moment of this journey. As we move ahead, ISC members enthusiastically joining the club and let us utilize our potentials to the maximum to launching themselves into the Toastmasters make this journey more exciting.
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“If you can dream it, you can do it”
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ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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From the Desk of
the editor
THE MORE YOU PRAISE AND CELEBRATE YOUR LIFE, THE MORE THERE IS IN LIFE TO CELEBRATE - Oprah Winfrey
“Live your life Toastmasters to its fullest by celebrating each moment”
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ife is punctuated by a series of defining moments. There are those moments we may like to forget and those that we cherish forever. Unfortunately, in today’s fast paced life, we hardly have time to sit back and relive such moments. You may find that you agree with TM Deepa Shetty how rewarding it is to travel back in time, just as she does while giving us glimpses of her life back in Mumbai (Page 18). Some need reasons to celebrate. But for some, every moment is a celebration. At ISC Toastmasters Club, it was celebration time all through the past year!!- Whether it was achieving a perfect 10 (Page 26), winning in contests (Page 29), or bringing new faces to our family (Page 20) it was always celebrations. That is why we thought it apt to title this issue “CELEBRATION”.
Mohammed Zubair VP-PR, ISC Toastmasters
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WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
Some moments of celebrations are captured and presented in this issue, while many more are in the hearts of the members to fall back on and relive during the coming days and share their happiness. Wish you all happy reading as you cherish those moments!! ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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From the Desk of
A club that performs well in the Distinguished Program provides a higher-quality club experience for all of its members. Each aspect of the DCP, is designed to enhance the enjoyment and reinforce a supportive atmosphere for each member. ISC Toastmasters continues its journey with a Perfect 10.
the division governor
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t is both my pleasure and honor to participate in this quarterly issue of the “ISC Toastmasters Club” newsletter so aptly themed “CELEBRATIONS”.
With your creative initiatives, persistence and hard work all through this term, yours has become a model club in the DivisionH Toastmaster’s community. I constantly learn from the way your club functions. It is indeed a beautiful feeling to see the constant hard work and sincere efforts of the ISC Toastmasters resulting in great achievements.
ISC Toastmasters Club is a Leading Model in
Division H is indeed lucky to have a dynamic and well organized club in ISC Toastmasters. I have been closely associating with many members of your club and its Executive Committee particularly President, Sunil Kottarathil ACS, ALB. To me, Sunil embodies the true toastmaster’s spirit of selflessness devoting so much of his time, energy and other resources to help members achieve their potential and at the same time attract and enroll new members.
Division-H
As of today, ISC Toastmasters is the largest Club in Division H with 48 members. ISC has till date attracted 31 new members- to be Numero Uno chapter in the whole District in membership drive- bravo. As all of you are aware, ISC Chapter achieved 10 points and was declared a President Distinguished Chapter in the DCP program within the first six months to be among the cream of the District (the first 10 chapters achieved the 10 points target before the end of December, 2011). Fellow Toastmasters, the performance of your chapter especially in the educational part was amazing. I was able to watch the spark it created within the Division for which indeed, as the Division Governor I am thankful. As you all must have noticed that the TM community in Abu Dhabi has achieved so much within this term. Division H has already formed the 6th Club in this term and with the newest club, Division H strength is 29 clubs.
TALK UP TOASTMASTERS AWARD
MEMBER SPONSOR REPORT 2011-12
ISC Toastmasters Club is a proud recipient of TALK UP TOASTMASTERS Award this year by adding minimum 5 new members to the club roster during the months February - March. Membership growth is important to ensure club success. Creating awareness about Toastmasters program and giving opportunities to a new member for utilizing the benefits of the program is rewarding for another. Toastmasters International recognizes the sponsorship of five new members with a unique sponsor's pin. As an outstanding sponsor of 10 new members, one is qualified to receive a special star pin. ISC Toastmasters Club promotes Toastmasters program actively.
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ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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ISC Toastmasters Club received a certificate of Distinction from District-20 for achieving 10 DCP goals within the first 6 months of the current Toastmasters year. Certificate was awarded by the District LGET DTM Alex Ginete to the Club President TM Sunil Kottarathil on January 27th.
All we do - Clubs, Areas and Division is to serve the TM community in AD society in the best way we can and it is working out. This year we are gradually approaching a landmark membership figure of 900 DTM Dr. Nasef Dhafari members making us one of the largest non-profit Division-H Governor, District-20 communities in AD society. The good achievements we are together notching up are in line with our strategic priorities. Those priorities should always be there in front of our eyes. Thanks to clubs such as yours we have done a great job within the first 9 months of the term. I am proud to present below some of the significant statistics in this newsletter: Division H achievements as of 31st March 2012 New members 210 1st in the District New Chapters 6 1st in the District Educational achievements 84 1st in the District No. of Areas 6 2nd largest in the District No. of Chapters 29 2nd largest in District
After Qatar
These results wouldn’t have been possible without everyone’s wholehearted cooperation and the team spirit within the toastmaster’s community. But, we still have miles to go with regard to educational goals. I have noticed since mid-December 2011 that we need to focus on the educational goals front. For that reason, Division H announced the “Rewards Scheme”. That is a special award to encourage the excellent efforts of the members and officers to add more laurels to their career. Toastmasters clubs are being formed everyday in a variety of settings. Members of existing clubs help in forming a new club by presenting demonstration meeting, offering encouragement and advice. ISC Toastmasters extended their support in forming a new club – Our Toastmasters Club – in January 2012. In recognition of the club’s efforts, Toastmasters International presented ISC Toastmasters Club with a beautiful Founders Award Ribbon that now adorns our club banner. Members of ISC Toastmasters Club performed very well during the recently concluded Club and Area level Annual Speech Contests. Winning at the Area level contest, TM Manmohan Sreedhar secured his place as contestant at Division level contest scheduled for April 27th.
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I wish to see ISC TM Club register even more educational achievements in the near future, assisting your Area, Division and broadly the District 20 to make it the NUMBER ONE District in the world. May I take this opportunity to wish every member in ISC TM Club continuation of a great educational journey in toastmasters and may you always find proper guidance, mentoring and success in all that you strive for. With the remarkable achievements so far in 2011-2012, including becoming the World No. in the Show Case Event Contest, and with the level of dedication and commitment from the Officers of your chapter, I have no doubt, that, ISC Toastmasters Club will always remain a model chapter to look up to and be as a guiding star.
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KALIFA SYED MUBARAK
K ABOUT TOASTMASTERS oastmasters is an organization devoted to furthering the public speaking and leadership skills.
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It is a non-profit educational organization. A nominal fee is charged just for administrative expenses only. Toastmasters is organized as voluntary clubs of members conducting meetings weekly or twice a month and go through a measured - step by step – approach for helping members learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking. The atmosphere within the clubs are conducive to growth of the members. Generally the clubs are open to anyone willing to join, above 18 years of age from College students to professional speakers, salespeople, attorneys, teachers, and retire. Generally the meetings are conducted in English. But Toastmasters has grown from being an English-only organization to one that develops communication skills in several languages.
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His passion is Public speaking and he draws inspiration from Winston Churchill, Barrack Obama, Tony Blair. An avid reader, Kalifa loves Music and idolizes AR Rahman and Ilayaraja.
PINTO THOMAS
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into from Kerala, India, grew up in Abu Dhabi, which he calls his second home. With a Master’s in Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, and after a decade in the US, he is delighted to be back in Abu Dhabi as a Materials Engineer at Artisan Tools & Equipment LLC.
members in more than 13,000 clubs in 116 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience. Thousands of corporations and government agencies sponsor in-house Toastmasters clubs as communication training workshops for their employees. Specialized clubs meet at military bases, colleges and universities, churches and prisons. There are Toastmasters clubs for senior citizens, professional groups, bilingual groups, singles and the visually impaired. Between then and now more than three million men and women have benefited from the Communication and Leadership program of Toastmasters International.
Each Club is, through a multi layered organization, connected to the apex body, Toastmasters International, Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, USA.
Shortly before his death in 1965 at the age of 87, Toastmasters founder Ralph C. Smedley reminisced: “As I look back at over half a century of connection with the Toastmasters movement, I am impressed by the fact that a simple idea put to work in so simple a manner, has grown into such an instrument for service for so many people. It must have met a real need.”
The organization has now grown into a mammoth one, with more than 270,000
Indeed it does. We are all testimony to that fact.
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
alifa Syed Mubarak, is an Administration Executive at an Oil Company in Abu Dhabi. From Thanjavur, India, he has been in Abu Dhabi since over twelve years. His wife, has a Master’s in Bio-chemistry and is currently a Teacher in Abu Dhabi. They have two children.
He has just launched himself into the world of public speaking. His other interests include JY Abu Dhabi, road trips, making music videos and short-movies. He is also a Member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers Illinois Chapter.
SUBRAHMANYAM TUMMALA ubrahmanyam has a Master’s in Computer Science. In Abu Dhabi since 2007, initially he was with Honeywell as a Team Leader and in February this year joined Dolphin Energy, in their Corporate Automation Division.
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Married to Phani Priya, a homemaker, they have two children. Sravya is in the 5th Grade at Bhavans and Sai Ritik is 4 months old. Tennis, watching movies and traveling are his hobbies.
ABRAHAM GEORGE
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braham George from Kerala, India has been in Abu Dhabi since 1989. With a PG Diploma in Computer applications, he is the Group Operation Manager of Bayanat Engineering Group. Married and blessed with two sons he is interested in music and reading. He aims to serve society and groom the generation next. Recognizing public speaking and leadership skills as vital to achieving his goals, he zeroed in on ISC Toastmasters as the ideal platform. ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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WELCOME TO ISC
TOASTMASTERS
DEEPA SHETTY
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eepa Shetty is from Mumbai and has been in Abu Dhabi for nearly 11 years. A full time mother, she loves to teach her children, ten years old Arjun and five year old Anoushka. She believes in instilling values and that each parent must strive to be a source of inspiration for their children. She has a Bachelor’s in Financial Accounting and Audit as well as in Education. Pursuing an MBA in HR, she feels there is no limit for knowledge and learning. This quest has led her to ISC Toastmasters to hone her already admirable communication and leadership skills.
ALOK TUTEJA
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lok Tuteja from New Delhi is a GRC professional with ADNOC Distribution in Internal Audit and a board member with ISACA UAE Chapter. Earlier with the Information Risk Management Practice of KPMG he has an MBA and is an ITIL Expert, CISA, CISSP, CIA, CFE, CRISC and CGEIT. A natural speaker, he has given talks on Governance, Risk and Compliance.
Married, he believes that his better half, Anita is his strength. They have two children, Samridh and Muskan. Alok also served on the last ISC Managing Committee as the Assistant Auditor.
KARTHIKEYAN SANGILI
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arthikeyan Sangili moved to Abu Dhabi in the year 2006 from Chennai. He did his Master’s in Public Admin and an MBA in Finance. He works in Business Development for Allianz Technologies. His wife is a bio chemistry lecturer in India and they have ten year old twin daughters.
He loves Tamil literature and also delights in connecting with people involved at grass root social work. He prefers to be a man of action than words.
TARANATH SHETTY aranath Shetty came to Abu Dhabi from Udupi in Karnataka in the early 90’s to join New Medical Centre as a Computer Programmer where today he is the Logistics Manager.
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His wife Dr. Lata Shetty also works as a Specialist Dental Surgeon in NMC Specialty Hospital and their daughter Anoushka studies in Grade VII in Chouieifat School. Traveling and exploring new places are his chief interests.
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WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
THE TOASTMASTERS VISION Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. Through our member clubs, people throughout the world can improve their communication and leadership skills, and find the courage to change.
THE TOASTMASTERS VALUES Toastmasters International’s core values are integrity, dedication to excellence, service to the member and respect for the individual. These are values worthy of a great organization, and we believe we should incorporate them as anchor points in every decision we make. Our core values provide us with a means of not only guiding but also evaluating our operations, our planning and our vision for the future.
THE TOASTMASTERS MISSION Toastmasters International is the leading movement devoted to making effective oral communication a worldwide reality. Through its member Clubs, Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking — vital skills that promote selfactualization, enhance leadership potential, foster human understanding, and contribute to the betterment of mankind.
It is basic to this mission that Toastmasters International continually expand its worldwide network of clubs thereby offering ever-greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from its programs.
MISSION OF THE CLUB The mission of a Toastmasters Club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment, in which every member has the opportunity to develop and practice communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.
CLUB OFFICER ELECTIONS
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very club needs leaders who can move the club forward and who can work with and motivate others. In May, all clubs must elect annual officers serving from July 1 of the current year, through June 30 of the following year. The process of club officer elections starts well ahead. One of the duties of a club officer is to identify members with leadership potential and encourage them to serve.
ISC Toastmasters Club announced its club election process as below:Before March 31st, club president appoints a nominating committee of three active members. The immediate past club president will be the committee chair. The nominating committee selects candidates for each of the club offices. The committee may consider active members who have announced their desire to serve in office. It may also seek out qualified candidates. Committee reports to the club with list of candidates during the last meeting in April. During first meeting in May, club officer elections will be conducted. In addition to the candidates list reported by the nominating committee, nominations will also be called from the floor. Nominations and elections begin with the president and proceed in descending order. A quorum (51 percent of active members) is needed to conduct club officer elections. business (including electing officers). Members must be active and present to vote. ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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mentorship
- a noble service
WELCOME TO ISC
TOASTMASTERS
SAVAD ABDUL RASHEED
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avad is from Trivandrum, Kerala. He has been working as IT Database Administrator at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) from January 2010. He has a Bachelor’s in Electronics and Communication Engineering and has been working in IT for the last six years. At twenty seven he is an eligible bachelor and was inspired to join Toastmasters through a colleague. He loves traveling and socializing. His believes in - ‘clear goals, good planning and dedicated efforts make a lot of difference in life’.
CHANDRASEKARAN
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handrasekaran, an Administrative Officer in Al Hilal Bank, is a Mathematics graduate from Bharathiyar University, Tamil Nadu. He has worked with Takreer earlier for almost 10 years. He is sportsman and feels proud while serving society. He enjoys organizing events.
Manmohan Sreedhar ISC Toastmasters
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ho exactly is a Mentor? The term eludes a sharp definition. Is the mentor just the same as a teacher? A mentor goes beyond a teacher in some ways. Mentorship is a personal, one-on-one relationship where a more experienced or knowledgeable person helps a less experienced person and takes deep and sincere interest in the latter’s development. It’s both interesting and fascinating to look at the etymology of the term mentor as it helps understand the depth of meaning better. As with myriad other words in English, the word mentor too has its roots in ancient Greek mythology. Homer’s Odyssey describes the adventures of Odysseus, or Ulysses in English, the king of Ithaca. It all began when King Paris of Troy abducted the beautiful Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. Menelaus called the kings of Greece, including Odysseus, who had all once vowed to defend the honour of Helen, when in need.
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When Odysseus embarked on this journey, which as it turns out, was to bring him back only after twenty years (incidentally also giving us the word Odyssey which means a long and gruelling mission or journey), he left his young son Telemachus and wife Penelope under the care of his old friend Mentor. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, often disguised herself as Mentor and reached out to Telemachus too. His name is proverbial for a faithful and wise adviser. The quintessential mentor, then, is one who provides benevolent, guiding wisdom.
Mentors form backbone of any Toastmasters club The beneficiary from a mentor is referred to as a mentee. They are also referred to as protégé (M) and protégée (F) particularly when they have acquired some level of success in the area they were mentored. A mentor serves as a role model who offers acceptance, confirmation, protection, and even friendship to the mentee. A mentor listens, observes, asks, counsels, coaches, challenges, and sponsors the mentee.
His wife Uma is a commerce graduate and son Sivakrishnan studies in Indian Modern Science School. Seeing the caring atmosphere and impressive performance of its members, ISC Toastmasters make him feel proud.
MANISH BAHIRWANI
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anish Bahirwani belongs to Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He works in the Financial Services Industry and currently leads the finance function at Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development
He actively participates in a variety of sports, particularly cricket, football and swimming. He also enjoys reading, especially philosophy, leadership and other non-fiction works. He believes in continuous personal improvement and growth.
NEELIMA VIMAL KUMAR
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eelima is a medical professional with over 13 years of experience in HR and Medical Services. Currently she is working for Gail (India) Ltd, a national oil and gas company in India, in their HR department. Neelima is an avid sports enthusiast, who has won many badminton tournaments in India; she has got privilege to play with some of the Indian National players such as Saina Nehwal. Her key interests also include Indian classical music and Ghazals with a flavour for singing too. ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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ISC Managing Committee, our VP-Membership TM Ramesh Taurani could ensure reaching out to every one of ISC’s 2400 members. When the vision is clear and interest is genuine, success in promoting a good cause follows. As the contestants and role players put up their best, the contests became a delightful experience for the guests. ISC toastmasters were at great pains to explain the Program to guests on a one-on-one basis. So inspiring were the performances that twelve of the guests joined the club immediately after the showcase event. Open house showcase, the new membership drive contest introduced by Toastmasters International was another inspiration to showcase the contests before the public, instead of holding them as internal club events as normal. A report on the event was promptly submitted to Toastmasters International completing the administrative requirements for the award. With the focused effort that members put up, it was not really a surprise that the club received the award. But what really made it memorable was that ISC Toastmasters club topped the list globally of clubs whose events were shortlisted in the open house showcase contest. ISC Toastmasters club has grown to its highest count on membership level since the open house event, once again proving that no goal is impossible when approached with a clear and focused plan. 22
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A mentee benefits from a good mentor in many ways. A faster pace of development, being a constant inspiration, helping him or her step over the stones of temporary failures during the mentorship and above all becoming a friend and confidante are just a few. The relationship is a two-way street. The mentor benefits in many ways too. Satisfaction and fulfillment from seeing a protégé advance is among the best benefits that the mentor derives. Often, in the process of mentoring someone, the mentor develops renewed interest and finds new energy to reach new levels. Effective mentees learn to observe with a minimum of bias and to communicate and listen effectively; to increase self-knowledge about strengths, needs, learning styles, weaknesses, and “blind spots”; to be open to feedback rather than defensive, and to maintain an interdependent rather than a dependent or autonomous relationship with their mentor. Effective mentoring occurs in an environment of confidentiality in which both mentee and mentor can be candid and self-revealing to each other without fear of ridicule over the content of their discussions. Effective mentoring avoids summary judgments and evaluations about personality and character. Instead, mentoring focuses on skills and personal qualities effective for career success. The Toastmasters International makes excellent use of the mentor-mentee relationship. The VPEducation assigns a mentor to every new member that joins a toastmasters club. Often the mentee is given a choice of experienced toastmasters to pick from based on personal convenience. The mentor then helps the member understand the different roles in the club and to prepare for taking roles such as the word master, Timer, the Ah-counter etc. Very soon, the mentor motivates the new member to prepare and deliver his or her icebreaker. The mentor plays a great role in getting rid of stage fear often by developing customized strategies. The mentor constantly provides support for developing speaking skills all through the CC and CL journey. Often, one finds an initially hesitant mentee with a high degree of natural
skills, under a dedicated mentor, surpassing that mentor in terms of speaking skills in less than a year! A true mentor will derive immense satisfaction from this rather than become jealous. Mentorship is not just for the new member. Even experienced toastmasters can benefit from a mentor. Say, for example, an excellent speaker with many awards under his belt might want to become a humorist. A carefully selected mentor can help achieve that goal.
A mentor serves as a role model who offers acceptance, confirmation, protection, and even friendship to the mentee. Once a toastmaster has become proficient in speech and leadership the next big satisfaction comes from mentoring the next generation of toastmasters. Mentors form the backbone of any toastmasters club. It is the quality of mentors that often determines the quality of a club and its members. Before I conclude, it is important to once again remember that it is indeed a two way street. As much as a mentor may be willing to contribute his her time, it is also important for the mentee to be a little demanding for the support of the mentor. I would exhort all new members to make best use of their mentors and for the senior toastmasters to give their best by contributing as mentors. Remember, you are then living an ancient Greek tradition that goes back several millennia! ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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ISC Toastmasters Club Showcase Event on 25th January 2012
Jayaram Rai Charter President, ISC Toastmasters
TOASTMASTE
HARNE THE LE S
MEMBERSHIP BUILDING Market your club, they will come. Put on a good show, they will join. Meet their needs, they will stay.
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uite candidly the Toastmasters experience changed me. I knew, like most, I had a fair share of talents and abilities latent within. I was acutely aware of the missed opportunities that came and then went. Ever so often we are inhibited by the imaginary boundaries; when the opportunity comes we are unable to say or do those things we know we can; tongue tied, our limbs freeze and we break out into a cold sweat.
Thanks to the Indian Social Centre, Abu Dhabi and their nursery for leaders, the ISC Toastmasters Club changed all that. A university education is not enough to meet life and like they say, you need stuff they don’t teach you at Business School. The art of communication and leadership is a must in everyday situations – ‘Leading without a Title’ to quote Robin Sharma.
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Mr. JOY THOMAS JOHN
Mr. EAPPEN V MAMMOOTTIL
Mr. JAYACHANDRAN NAIR
Hon. President
Hon. Gen. Secretary
Hon. Literary Secretary
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
benefits of the Toastmasters program. Having developed a strong foundation and comfortably achieved annual club goals ahead of schedule, the club decided to go a step further. A systematic awareness campaign about Toastmasters among ISC members was planned. Specific membership drives are a great way to promote Toastmasters and attract new members into the program. However, arranging special programs calls for additional efforts, energy and most importantly funds. Turning an on-going internal club programs into special events was an innovative idea. The club committee, brainstormed in December last, deciding to showcase the upcoming contest season as a membership drive. Chalking out the strategy, a detailed plan was drawn to promote club contests as a membership drive opportunity. Subcommittees were formed for each activity – stage setting, venue, promotion material, inviting ISC members etc. With the whole hearted support of ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
21
RS CLUBS -
SSING
ARNING Toastmasters provided the opportunity to interact with and be mentored by elite toastmasters in the most positive atmosphere that the club fosters, and in no time I found that these imagined boundaries disappearing – and I was able to lead and to speak the way I always knew I could.
OPEN HOUSE SHOWCASE
Successive Managing Committee’s and the ISC Toastmasters club be thanked for helping me hone my latent talents when I was appointed the Chief polling officer for two general elections at the India Social & Culture Centre. Conducting these elections among 2400 members of diverse backgrounds is no mean task. My Toastmasters training rose to the fore and I was able to organize an effective team for the conduct of the election. Working closely with ISC, we set the norms and conditions, finalized duties of the volunteers, coordinated with the government representatives well before election date. We also organized a Meet-the-Candidates session where the Toastmasters timing device was put to good use to ensure the schedule were strictly followed. All of this ensured a flawless, blameless election process culminating in the election of a dynamic new Managing Committee led by President Mr. Joy Thomas John.
oastmasters International’s Educational Program is multi- dimensioned. It has all the ingredients to breed success– whether at home or on the job. Yet, many are not aware of this wonderful program. Toastmasters, who joined the program a bit late in their lives, have often wistfully said they wished, they had known about toastmasters at college or early in their careers.
T
The Indian Social and Cultural Centre in Abu Dhabi has always been a beehive of activity, both cultural and developmental, aimed not only for the Indian Community but increasingly for a more global audience. Less than three years ago, under the aegis of the ISC Managing Committee, their Literary Section launched a new venture –a Toastmasters Club exclusively for ISC members. Christened ISC Toastmasters Club, and nurtured by successive Managing Committees, the club progressed in leaps and bounds. However, out of the 2400 members, less than 50 enjoyed the 20
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
Sunil Kottarathil ISC Toastmasters
Thanks to ISC and their Toastmaster’s Club for giving me these opportunities. I have total confidence that with the visionary leaders we have in the Managing Committee today, ISC will really go places soon.
ISC GAVEL CLUB ELECTS
OFFICERS for 2012 term
D
uring its first meeting in 2012, ISC Gavel Club elected their office bearers for upcoming year. Gavel club coordinators TM Omana Kallarakkal and TM Hema Praba Vincely ensured selection of the enthusiastic team to lead the club activities. Immediate Past President Gav. Mridula handed over the gavel to the newly elected president Abhijith. Following are the list of newly elected office bearers.
President VP-Ed VP-M VP-PR Secretary Treasurer Sgt. At Arms
: Abhijith A Nair : Varnica Bajaj : Manu Mohan : Sanjana Sunil : Farzana Jehas : Rohit Jayakrishnan : Johnathen / Rohan Mulki
CONGRATULATIONS Gav. Varnica Bajaj on receiving the prestigious HAMDAN Award. Varnica is Gr. IX student at Abu Dhabi Indian School.
ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
13
RENDEZVOUS WITH THE
PLATFORM hould a “speech” be known by a metonym, doubtless it would be none other than the toastmasters. If we fall in love with a speech which has its own level influence and inspirational attire, then it is likely that it comes from a toastmaster’s home ground. If anybody would like help developing leadership speeches, consider practicing at the Toastmaster’s platform.
S
However, I would like to add some salt & pepper on the topic of Leadership Speeches. Primarily, the speeches you make as a leader should reflect and promote your leadership style and objectives. Unfortunately, the experts who are best suited for the job aren't always the best of presenters. They know what they're talking about, but they often lack the ability to present their ideas clearly and persuasively.
Devkumar V Nair ISC Toastmasters
14
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
CRYPTOGRAPHY WAS AT THE CUTTING OF EDGE TECHNOLOGY IN OLD TIMES WHEN ONLY FEW WERE LITERATE. This gave rise to the concept of public key or asymmetric cryptography. You have a private key as well as a public key. So does your recipients. Your private key is only known to you and the public key is available to all. There is an intermediary trusted source where all the public keys are available. So if I want a message to be read only by you, I encrypt it with your public key by accessing it from the public source. This message can only be read if you open it by providing your private key which only you and only you are supposed to have. This ensures confidentiality.
This is just the basics. A whole world of techniques is used to ensure a high degree of confidentiality, integrity and authenticity. So does Cryptanalysis, which is the art of cracking codes, decoding secrets, but they are generally referred to as hacker attacks. The quality of the Key and the process of encryption are used to make it difficult for a hacker to decipher the encrypted text. If you have used Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail note links which begins with https instead of the normal http which is an indicator that you have been benefitted from this science.
You can also use this science to help you secure your valid information in life. A great example is about securing your laptop. You carry it around and use it at home, office and while in transit like at airports. Most of the time, you are connected to the Internet and there are chances that it may be used by others – friends or colleagues for one or the other purpose. Now your laptop contains confidential information – this could be your bank account passwords, fund information, personal photographs etc. This information could be seen by strangers without your knowledge. For example you cannot always watch over others such as guests who have been given temporarily use your laptop. Personally, I use a freely available tool called Truecrypt to encrypt a portion of my hard disk. Here a file is created and when you mount the file it appears as a Hard disk drive in your computer. I mount this only when I want. Rest of the time it will look like a file to the others and inaccessible.
CRYPTOGRAPHY WILL SOON BECOME INDISPENSABLE WHEN SECURING INFORMATION. Cryptography will soon grow from an exotic concept today for the geeks to a must-have in a few years time. It will become indispensable when securing information. Embrace it today and use it now than avoid and regret later. ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
19
Leadership speeches build on the four principles of great speaking as set forth by Demosthenes, the father of Greek oratory.
CRYPTOGRAPHY
I
f two millennia ago Roman emperor Julius Caesar were to sent a message that read ‘OMPP’ what could it have meant? Between 100 to 44 BC, his military commanders would have known what it meant. The answer is ‘OMPP’ meant ‘KILL’. To understand this, let us dive into the mysterious world of Cryptography. The very name cryptography may sound mystifying or magical; but in fact, it is based on mathematics. Cryptography is about writing and communicating secrets in coded form so that those for whom it is not intended cannot understand it if the message itself fell into wrong hands. It involves scrambling information, in its original form called plain text; in our example, ‘KILL’ is coded into a garbled form which results in ‘OMPP’. This is called the cipher text. The Commander who received it has something which Caesar gave him prior to his departure to the warfront and that is the KEY. In our example the Key is 3. The Commander replaces each letter in the cipher text by three alphabets to the left and to decipher the original text ….KILL! The intent is to allow two or more parties to communicate information while ensuring that any unauthorized are not privy to it. So much so, even the messenger would not know the content of the message even if he can read it.
18
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
Riju Eratta ISC Toastmasters
Cryptography, as far as history records, existed from atleast1900BC. Egyptian scribes used them in their inscriptions. The famous classic Kamasutra, by sage Vatsayana, an ancient treatise about virtuous and gracious living that examines the nature of love and family life refers to cryptography. It lists cryptography as the 44th and 45th of the 64 arts it describes for men and women while courting. Though deciphering it is not really complicated now, it was the king of cutting edge technology at that time as only the fortunate few know how to read and write. As history unfolded, more and more people were able to read and write. The advent of computers changed many things but not the fundamentals of cryptography. That is the Key. If one comes to know the key then it is easy to decipher the encrypted text. The issue in this kind of Cryptography which I had just discussed is communicating the Key. In today’s world everything is eavesdropped. If you are near to me, I can easily give you the key. But if you are in another country, I will have to rely on good old snail mail or the modern e-mail. In either case one cannot guarantee that the Key was secure while in transit.
1) A GREAT PERSON : Everything about who you are — your character and reputation, your personality and style, your values and even your sense of humour shape the message your audience hears when you speak. You do, however, have to be the best, most authentic you can be. Don't hide off to the side of the stage in semi-darkness, hoping people will ignore you and look at your slideshow instead. Position yourself in such a way that you demand people's attention. Speak from your experience without necessarily speaking about yourself. Tell your own story in such a way that it illustrates your audience's experience and aspirations. 2) A NOTEWORTHY EVENT : The event — the time and place, the ambience of the venue, the schedule, the audience, the occasion and its purpose can either support and reinforce your message or sabotage it. So pay attention to every detail. Don't simply accept what's being planned. As a leader you have the power and responsibility to make not just your speech, but the event a success. 3) A COMPELLING IDEA : Content is king. When you're finished speaking you don't want people remembering or commenting on your delivery, your style. You want them thinking about and discussing your ideas. A compelling idea is made up of three components:. Big Idea:
Present one and only one big idea per speech. Make it clear, bold, and engaging.
Structure: Build your speech on a strong outline, tying the pieces together in a simple, logical way.
Words:
Build your speech around nouns and active verbs. When given the choice between longer, more impressive-sounding words and shorter, more concrete ones, choose the latter.
4) A MASTERFUL DELIVERY : Delivery involves using your body and your voice to communicate your message. It's not just technique. It's about projecting your authentic self as powerfully as possible. Aim always to use your natural voice and gestures — only be bigger and louder. You may be a leader or an aspiring leader. You may or may not have the title and position. But you can still use the principles that leaders use when they speak in order to influence and inspire your audiences. ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
15
THE
MAXIMUM CITY
A
ye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan, zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bambai meri jaan. Who can forget these lyrics sung by Mohd Rafi in his mellifluous voice, singing about my favourite city in the world? They call it Mumbai now, this most populous city in India that I always knew as Bombay. It is India's most dynamic, cosmopolitan and crowded city. It is a study of contrasts, on the one hand you have the business tycoons living in areas which boast some of the highest real estate prices in the world. On the other, you have places like Dharavi in Mumbai which has the dubious distinction of being the largest slum in the world. It is the only city in India where there are more bars than public toilets. When you get off the airplane, you step into a swanky airport. The cool passageways are flanked by impressive paintings. But the minute you step out of the airport in Mumbai you are hit by a blast of hot, humid, fetid air. It’s the equivalent of having a soiled diaper flung into your face. When this happens, Mumbaikars like me smile, we are home!! So what makes up this mad city, what defines Mumbai?
Its people - No mention of Mumbai would be complete without referring to its people. Mumbaikars are a breed apart. They are a resolute people with a never say die spirit. Bomb blasts, religious clashes, riots, nothing fazes the Mumbaikar. He rises like a Phoenix from the ashes and goes through the necessary motions that make up his daily routine. The people of Mumbai are also extremely helpful and wouldn’t think twice about lending you a hand. They also do this without much fanfare. Do good deeds and move out of the way. I was at the receiving end of this kindness while working part time during my college days. It was during the 1992 riots and the city was tense. As dusk fell, I left my workplace and stood on the road trying to hail a taxi. Most whizzed past as they were in a hurry to reach home, anticipating further clashes. Finally one middle aged taxi driver stopped and asked me where I wanted to go. My destination was in a different direction to his, he said and left. I watched him recede with fear building up inside me. But suddenly, I saw him stop and reverse. He told me to hop in and said he would drop me home. He said he couldn’t imagine leaving a young girl stranded in these trying times. When I reached home, I offered him extra money which he firmly refused and said he had only been doing his duty. The people of Mumbai speak a unique dialect of Hindi called Bambaiya Hindi that only we would understand. Anybody who has watched the hilarious movie Munnabhai would have an inkling
of what I’m talking of. If a Mumbaikar told you, "Kharcha Paani doon kya?" please do not think that he is kindly offering to give you money for your expenses. He is actually threatening to beat you up! Similarly, ghoda does not mean a horse in Mumbai, it refers to a gun! Someone asking for a cutting at a dhaba is only asking for a quarter glass of tea. Which leads us to the food in Mumbai. Although Mumbai lies in Maharashtra and you might expect to find typical Maharashtrian fare, Mumbai restaurants offer regional dishes from across the country. Mumbai truly dishes up the best sampling of Indian Cuisine. Only in Mumbai would you get Chinese dosa and Jain chicken. If you search hard enough, you will find cuisine from practically every part of the world represented in the city. But to get a real flavour of what's unique to Mumbai, you will have to go a little lower down the scale and experience the street food and Irani cafes. Vada pav, bhel puri, kebab rolls, kheema, all are available off the street. Street food in Mumbai although very tasty on the palate may come with its own problems, so caveat emptor, let the buyer beware! Unless of course, you are trying to lose a couple of kilos by way of diarrhoea, be wary of Bharoselal's vada pavs. It’s a gastronomical experience in the literal sense of the word! It is only the native Mumbaikar who has a cast iron stomach, having developed a resistance to all sorts of bugs that afflict non-Mumbaikars!! Have you heard of Mumbai’s dabbhawallas? Does it ring a bell if I tell you they were invited to Prince Charles’s 2nd wedding? The dabbawalas are tiffin carriers. Clad in dhotis and gandhi caps, they scurry in and out of Victoria Terminus, with large trays of steel tiffins. They deliver lunch tiffins to lakhs of people across the city.
More than 175,000 boxes are transported every day in the city. From picking up the tiffins at your doorstep -the point of origin to sorting out the tiffins to transportation through the busy Mumbai traffic, Local trains and bicycles, till delivering the right tiffin to the right person, it all moves quite punctually without any delay and the tiffins are delivered by around 12:30 pm. The Dabbawala is a common sight for Mumbaikars. The Dabbawala system has been a case study for management students as well as acknowledged highly by Prince Charles and Richard Branson during their visit to the country. What followed was a Six Sigma certified gradation for its efficient services. While these factors I cited contribute to what make Mumbai what it is, they are only a tiny fragment of it. To truly understand this melting pot called Mumbai, I recommend everyone plan a holiday to Mumbai. Only then would you know that Mumbai is a city where everything is possible, especially the impossible.
MUMBAI IS A CITY WHERE EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY THE IMPOSSIBLE.
Deepa Shetty ISC Toastmasters
16
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
17
THE
MAXIMUM CITY
A
ye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan, zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bambai meri jaan. Who can forget these lyrics sung by Mohd Rafi in his mellifluous voice, singing about my favourite city in the world? They call it Mumbai now, this most populous city in India that I always knew as Bombay. It is India's most dynamic, cosmopolitan and crowded city. It is a study of contrasts, on the one hand you have the business tycoons living in areas which boast some of the highest real estate prices in the world. On the other, you have places like Dharavi in Mumbai which has the dubious distinction of being the largest slum in the world. It is the only city in India where there are more bars than public toilets. When you get off the airplane, you step into a swanky airport. The cool passageways are flanked by impressive paintings. But the minute you step out of the airport in Mumbai you are hit by a blast of hot, humid, fetid air. It’s the equivalent of having a soiled diaper flung into your face. When this happens, Mumbaikars like me smile, we are home!! So what makes up this mad city, what defines Mumbai?
Its people - No mention of Mumbai would be complete without referring to its people. Mumbaikars are a breed apart. They are a resolute people with a never say die spirit. Bomb blasts, religious clashes, riots, nothing fazes the Mumbaikar. He rises like a Phoenix from the ashes and goes through the necessary motions that make up his daily routine. The people of Mumbai are also extremely helpful and wouldn’t think twice about lending you a hand. They also do this without much fanfare. Do good deeds and move out of the way. I was at the receiving end of this kindness while working part time during my college days. It was during the 1992 riots and the city was tense. As dusk fell, I left my workplace and stood on the road trying to hail a taxi. Most whizzed past as they were in a hurry to reach home, anticipating further clashes. Finally one middle aged taxi driver stopped and asked me where I wanted to go. My destination was in a different direction to his, he said and left. I watched him recede with fear building up inside me. But suddenly, I saw him stop and reverse. He told me to hop in and said he would drop me home. He said he couldn’t imagine leaving a young girl stranded in these trying times. When I reached home, I offered him extra money which he firmly refused and said he had only been doing his duty. The people of Mumbai speak a unique dialect of Hindi called Bambaiya Hindi that only we would understand. Anybody who has watched the hilarious movie Munnabhai would have an inkling
of what I’m talking of. If a Mumbaikar told you, "Kharcha Paani doon kya?" please do not think that he is kindly offering to give you money for your expenses. He is actually threatening to beat you up! Similarly, ghoda does not mean a horse in Mumbai, it refers to a gun! Someone asking for a cutting at a dhaba is only asking for a quarter glass of tea. Which leads us to the food in Mumbai. Although Mumbai lies in Maharashtra and you might expect to find typical Maharashtrian fare, Mumbai restaurants offer regional dishes from across the country. Mumbai truly dishes up the best sampling of Indian Cuisine. Only in Mumbai would you get Chinese dosa and Jain chicken. If you search hard enough, you will find cuisine from practically every part of the world represented in the city. But to get a real flavour of what's unique to Mumbai, you will have to go a little lower down the scale and experience the street food and Irani cafes. Vada pav, bhel puri, kebab rolls, kheema, all are available off the street. Street food in Mumbai although very tasty on the palate may come with its own problems, so caveat emptor, let the buyer beware! Unless of course, you are trying to lose a couple of kilos by way of diarrhoea, be wary of Bharoselal's vada pavs. It’s a gastronomical experience in the literal sense of the word! It is only the native Mumbaikar who has a cast iron stomach, having developed a resistance to all sorts of bugs that afflict non-Mumbaikars!! Have you heard of Mumbai’s dabbhawallas? Does it ring a bell if I tell you they were invited to Prince Charles’s 2nd wedding? The dabbawalas are tiffin carriers. Clad in dhotis and gandhi caps, they scurry in and out of Victoria Terminus, with large trays of steel tiffins. They deliver lunch tiffins to lakhs of people across the city.
More than 175,000 boxes are transported every day in the city. From picking up the tiffins at your doorstep -the point of origin to sorting out the tiffins to transportation through the busy Mumbai traffic, Local trains and bicycles, till delivering the right tiffin to the right person, it all moves quite punctually without any delay and the tiffins are delivered by around 12:30 pm. The Dabbawala is a common sight for Mumbaikars. The Dabbawala system has been a case study for management students as well as acknowledged highly by Prince Charles and Richard Branson during their visit to the country. What followed was a Six Sigma certified gradation for its efficient services. While these factors I cited contribute to what make Mumbai what it is, they are only a tiny fragment of it. To truly understand this melting pot called Mumbai, I recommend everyone plan a holiday to Mumbai. Only then would you know that Mumbai is a city where everything is possible, especially the impossible.
MUMBAI IS A CITY WHERE EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY THE IMPOSSIBLE.
Deepa Shetty ISC Toastmasters
16
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
17
Leadership speeches build on the four principles of great speaking as set forth by Demosthenes, the father of Greek oratory.
CRYPTOGRAPHY
I
f two millennia ago Roman emperor Julius Caesar were to sent a message that read ‘OMPP’ what could it have meant? Between 100 to 44 BC, his military commanders would have known what it meant. The answer is ‘OMPP’ meant ‘KILL’. To understand this, let us dive into the mysterious world of Cryptography. The very name cryptography may sound mystifying or magical; but in fact, it is based on mathematics. Cryptography is about writing and communicating secrets in coded form so that those for whom it is not intended cannot understand it if the message itself fell into wrong hands. It involves scrambling information, in its original form called plain text; in our example, ‘KILL’ is coded into a garbled form which results in ‘OMPP’. This is called the cipher text. The Commander who received it has something which Caesar gave him prior to his departure to the warfront and that is the KEY. In our example the Key is 3. The Commander replaces each letter in the cipher text by three alphabets to the left and to decipher the original text ….KILL! The intent is to allow two or more parties to communicate information while ensuring that any unauthorized are not privy to it. So much so, even the messenger would not know the content of the message even if he can read it.
18
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
Riju Eratta ISC Toastmasters
Cryptography, as far as history records, existed from atleast1900BC. Egyptian scribes used them in their inscriptions. The famous classic Kamasutra, by sage Vatsayana, an ancient treatise about virtuous and gracious living that examines the nature of love and family life refers to cryptography. It lists cryptography as the 44th and 45th of the 64 arts it describes for men and women while courting. Though deciphering it is not really complicated now, it was the king of cutting edge technology at that time as only the fortunate few know how to read and write. As history unfolded, more and more people were able to read and write. The advent of computers changed many things but not the fundamentals of cryptography. That is the Key. If one comes to know the key then it is easy to decipher the encrypted text. The issue in this kind of Cryptography which I had just discussed is communicating the Key. In today’s world everything is eavesdropped. If you are near to me, I can easily give you the key. But if you are in another country, I will have to rely on good old snail mail or the modern e-mail. In either case one cannot guarantee that the Key was secure while in transit.
1) A GREAT PERSON : Everything about who you are — your character and reputation, your personality and style, your values and even your sense of humour shape the message your audience hears when you speak. You do, however, have to be the best, most authentic you can be. Don't hide off to the side of the stage in semi-darkness, hoping people will ignore you and look at your slideshow instead. Position yourself in such a way that you demand people's attention. Speak from your experience without necessarily speaking about yourself. Tell your own story in such a way that it illustrates your audience's experience and aspirations. 2) A NOTEWORTHY EVENT : The event — the time and place, the ambience of the venue, the schedule, the audience, the occasion and its purpose can either support and reinforce your message or sabotage it. So pay attention to every detail. Don't simply accept what's being planned. As a leader you have the power and responsibility to make not just your speech, but the event a success. 3) A COMPELLING IDEA : Content is king. When you're finished speaking you don't want people remembering or commenting on your delivery, your style. You want them thinking about and discussing your ideas. A compelling idea is made up of three components:. Big Idea:
Present one and only one big idea per speech. Make it clear, bold, and engaging.
Structure: Build your speech on a strong outline, tying the pieces together in a simple, logical way.
Words:
Build your speech around nouns and active verbs. When given the choice between longer, more impressive-sounding words and shorter, more concrete ones, choose the latter.
4) A MASTERFUL DELIVERY : Delivery involves using your body and your voice to communicate your message. It's not just technique. It's about projecting your authentic self as powerfully as possible. Aim always to use your natural voice and gestures — only be bigger and louder. You may be a leader or an aspiring leader. You may or may not have the title and position. But you can still use the principles that leaders use when they speak in order to influence and inspire your audiences. ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
15
RENDEZVOUS WITH THE
PLATFORM hould a “speech” be known by a metonym, doubtless it would be none other than the toastmasters. If we fall in love with a speech which has its own level influence and inspirational attire, then it is likely that it comes from a toastmaster’s home ground. If anybody would like help developing leadership speeches, consider practicing at the Toastmaster’s platform.
S
However, I would like to add some salt & pepper on the topic of Leadership Speeches. Primarily, the speeches you make as a leader should reflect and promote your leadership style and objectives. Unfortunately, the experts who are best suited for the job aren't always the best of presenters. They know what they're talking about, but they often lack the ability to present their ideas clearly and persuasively.
Devkumar V Nair ISC Toastmasters
14
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
CRYPTOGRAPHY WAS AT THE CUTTING OF EDGE TECHNOLOGY IN OLD TIMES WHEN ONLY FEW WERE LITERATE. This gave rise to the concept of public key or asymmetric cryptography. You have a private key as well as a public key. So does your recipients. Your private key is only known to you and the public key is available to all. There is an intermediary trusted source where all the public keys are available. So if I want a message to be read only by you, I encrypt it with your public key by accessing it from the public source. This message can only be read if you open it by providing your private key which only you and only you are supposed to have. This ensures confidentiality.
This is just the basics. A whole world of techniques is used to ensure a high degree of confidentiality, integrity and authenticity. So does Cryptanalysis, which is the art of cracking codes, decoding secrets, but they are generally referred to as hacker attacks. The quality of the Key and the process of encryption are used to make it difficult for a hacker to decipher the encrypted text. If you have used Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail note links which begins with https instead of the normal http which is an indicator that you have been benefitted from this science.
You can also use this science to help you secure your valid information in life. A great example is about securing your laptop. You carry it around and use it at home, office and while in transit like at airports. Most of the time, you are connected to the Internet and there are chances that it may be used by others – friends or colleagues for one or the other purpose. Now your laptop contains confidential information – this could be your bank account passwords, fund information, personal photographs etc. This information could be seen by strangers without your knowledge. For example you cannot always watch over others such as guests who have been given temporarily use your laptop. Personally, I use a freely available tool called Truecrypt to encrypt a portion of my hard disk. Here a file is created and when you mount the file it appears as a Hard disk drive in your computer. I mount this only when I want. Rest of the time it will look like a file to the others and inaccessible.
CRYPTOGRAPHY WILL SOON BECOME INDISPENSABLE WHEN SECURING INFORMATION. Cryptography will soon grow from an exotic concept today for the geeks to a must-have in a few years time. It will become indispensable when securing information. Embrace it today and use it now than avoid and regret later. ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
19
RS CLUBS -
SSING
ARNING Toastmasters provided the opportunity to interact with and be mentored by elite toastmasters in the most positive atmosphere that the club fosters, and in no time I found that these imagined boundaries disappearing – and I was able to lead and to speak the way I always knew I could.
OPEN HOUSE SHOWCASE
Successive Managing Committee’s and the ISC Toastmasters club be thanked for helping me hone my latent talents when I was appointed the Chief polling officer for two general elections at the India Social & Culture Centre. Conducting these elections among 2400 members of diverse backgrounds is no mean task. My Toastmasters training rose to the fore and I was able to organize an effective team for the conduct of the election. Working closely with ISC, we set the norms and conditions, finalized duties of the volunteers, coordinated with the government representatives well before election date. We also organized a Meet-the-Candidates session where the Toastmasters timing device was put to good use to ensure the schedule were strictly followed. All of this ensured a flawless, blameless election process culminating in the election of a dynamic new Managing Committee led by President Mr. Joy Thomas John.
oastmasters International’s Educational Program is multi- dimensioned. It has all the ingredients to breed success– whether at home or on the job. Yet, many are not aware of this wonderful program. Toastmasters, who joined the program a bit late in their lives, have often wistfully said they wished, they had known about toastmasters at college or early in their careers.
T
The Indian Social and Cultural Centre in Abu Dhabi has always been a beehive of activity, both cultural and developmental, aimed not only for the Indian Community but increasingly for a more global audience. Less than three years ago, under the aegis of the ISC Managing Committee, their Literary Section launched a new venture –a Toastmasters Club exclusively for ISC members. Christened ISC Toastmasters Club, and nurtured by successive Managing Committees, the club progressed in leaps and bounds. However, out of the 2400 members, less than 50 enjoyed the 20
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
Sunil Kottarathil ISC Toastmasters
Thanks to ISC and their Toastmaster’s Club for giving me these opportunities. I have total confidence that with the visionary leaders we have in the Managing Committee today, ISC will really go places soon.
ISC GAVEL CLUB ELECTS
OFFICERS for 2012 term
D
uring its first meeting in 2012, ISC Gavel Club elected their office bearers for upcoming year. Gavel club coordinators TM Omana Kallarakkal and TM Hema Praba Vincely ensured selection of the enthusiastic team to lead the club activities. Immediate Past President Gav. Mridula handed over the gavel to the newly elected president Abhijith. Following are the list of newly elected office bearers.
President VP-Ed VP-M VP-PR Secretary Treasurer Sgt. At Arms
: Abhijith A Nair : Varnica Bajaj : Manu Mohan : Sanjana Sunil : Farzana Jehas : Rohit Jayakrishnan : Johnathen / Rohan Mulki
CONGRATULATIONS Gav. Varnica Bajaj on receiving the prestigious HAMDAN Award. Varnica is Gr. IX student at Abu Dhabi Indian School.
ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
13
ISC Toastmasters Club Showcase Event on 25th January 2012
Jayaram Rai Charter President, ISC Toastmasters
TOASTMASTE
HARNE THE LE S
MEMBERSHIP BUILDING Market your club, they will come. Put on a good show, they will join. Meet their needs, they will stay.
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uite candidly the Toastmasters experience changed me. I knew, like most, I had a fair share of talents and abilities latent within. I was acutely aware of the missed opportunities that came and then went. Ever so often we are inhibited by the imaginary boundaries; when the opportunity comes we are unable to say or do those things we know we can; tongue tied, our limbs freeze and we break out into a cold sweat.
Thanks to the Indian Social Centre, Abu Dhabi and their nursery for leaders, the ISC Toastmasters Club changed all that. A university education is not enough to meet life and like they say, you need stuff they don’t teach you at Business School. The art of communication and leadership is a must in everyday situations – ‘Leading without a Title’ to quote Robin Sharma.
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Mr. JOY THOMAS JOHN
Mr. EAPPEN V MAMMOOTTIL
Mr. JAYACHANDRAN NAIR
Hon. President
Hon. Gen. Secretary
Hon. Literary Secretary
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
benefits of the Toastmasters program. Having developed a strong foundation and comfortably achieved annual club goals ahead of schedule, the club decided to go a step further. A systematic awareness campaign about Toastmasters among ISC members was planned. Specific membership drives are a great way to promote Toastmasters and attract new members into the program. However, arranging special programs calls for additional efforts, energy and most importantly funds. Turning an on-going internal club programs into special events was an innovative idea. The club committee, brainstormed in December last, deciding to showcase the upcoming contest season as a membership drive. Chalking out the strategy, a detailed plan was drawn to promote club contests as a membership drive opportunity. Subcommittees were formed for each activity – stage setting, venue, promotion material, inviting ISC members etc. With the whole hearted support of ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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ISC Managing Committee, our VP-Membership TM Ramesh Taurani could ensure reaching out to every one of ISC’s 2400 members. When the vision is clear and interest is genuine, success in promoting a good cause follows. As the contestants and role players put up their best, the contests became a delightful experience for the guests. ISC toastmasters were at great pains to explain the Program to guests on a one-on-one basis. So inspiring were the performances that twelve of the guests joined the club immediately after the showcase event. Open house showcase, the new membership drive contest introduced by Toastmasters International was another inspiration to showcase the contests before the public, instead of holding them as internal club events as normal. A report on the event was promptly submitted to Toastmasters International completing the administrative requirements for the award. With the focused effort that members put up, it was not really a surprise that the club received the award. But what really made it memorable was that ISC Toastmasters club topped the list globally of clubs whose events were shortlisted in the open house showcase contest. ISC Toastmasters club has grown to its highest count on membership level since the open house event, once again proving that no goal is impossible when approached with a clear and focused plan. 22
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
A mentee benefits from a good mentor in many ways. A faster pace of development, being a constant inspiration, helping him or her step over the stones of temporary failures during the mentorship and above all becoming a friend and confidante are just a few. The relationship is a two-way street. The mentor benefits in many ways too. Satisfaction and fulfillment from seeing a protégé advance is among the best benefits that the mentor derives. Often, in the process of mentoring someone, the mentor develops renewed interest and finds new energy to reach new levels. Effective mentees learn to observe with a minimum of bias and to communicate and listen effectively; to increase self-knowledge about strengths, needs, learning styles, weaknesses, and “blind spots”; to be open to feedback rather than defensive, and to maintain an interdependent rather than a dependent or autonomous relationship with their mentor. Effective mentoring occurs in an environment of confidentiality in which both mentee and mentor can be candid and self-revealing to each other without fear of ridicule over the content of their discussions. Effective mentoring avoids summary judgments and evaluations about personality and character. Instead, mentoring focuses on skills and personal qualities effective for career success. The Toastmasters International makes excellent use of the mentor-mentee relationship. The VPEducation assigns a mentor to every new member that joins a toastmasters club. Often the mentee is given a choice of experienced toastmasters to pick from based on personal convenience. The mentor then helps the member understand the different roles in the club and to prepare for taking roles such as the word master, Timer, the Ah-counter etc. Very soon, the mentor motivates the new member to prepare and deliver his or her icebreaker. The mentor plays a great role in getting rid of stage fear often by developing customized strategies. The mentor constantly provides support for developing speaking skills all through the CC and CL journey. Often, one finds an initially hesitant mentee with a high degree of natural
skills, under a dedicated mentor, surpassing that mentor in terms of speaking skills in less than a year! A true mentor will derive immense satisfaction from this rather than become jealous. Mentorship is not just for the new member. Even experienced toastmasters can benefit from a mentor. Say, for example, an excellent speaker with many awards under his belt might want to become a humorist. A carefully selected mentor can help achieve that goal.
A mentor serves as a role model who offers acceptance, confirmation, protection, and even friendship to the mentee. Once a toastmaster has become proficient in speech and leadership the next big satisfaction comes from mentoring the next generation of toastmasters. Mentors form the backbone of any toastmasters club. It is the quality of mentors that often determines the quality of a club and its members. Before I conclude, it is important to once again remember that it is indeed a two way street. As much as a mentor may be willing to contribute his her time, it is also important for the mentee to be a little demanding for the support of the mentor. I would exhort all new members to make best use of their mentors and for the senior toastmasters to give their best by contributing as mentors. Remember, you are then living an ancient Greek tradition that goes back several millennia! ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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mentorship
- a noble service
WELCOME TO ISC
TOASTMASTERS
SAVAD ABDUL RASHEED
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avad is from Trivandrum, Kerala. He has been working as IT Database Administrator at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) from January 2010. He has a Bachelor’s in Electronics and Communication Engineering and has been working in IT for the last six years. At twenty seven he is an eligible bachelor and was inspired to join Toastmasters through a colleague. He loves traveling and socializing. His believes in - ‘clear goals, good planning and dedicated efforts make a lot of difference in life’.
CHANDRASEKARAN
C
handrasekaran, an Administrative Officer in Al Hilal Bank, is a Mathematics graduate from Bharathiyar University, Tamil Nadu. He has worked with Takreer earlier for almost 10 years. He is sportsman and feels proud while serving society. He enjoys organizing events.
Manmohan Sreedhar ISC Toastmasters
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ho exactly is a Mentor? The term eludes a sharp definition. Is the mentor just the same as a teacher? A mentor goes beyond a teacher in some ways. Mentorship is a personal, one-on-one relationship where a more experienced or knowledgeable person helps a less experienced person and takes deep and sincere interest in the latter’s development. It’s both interesting and fascinating to look at the etymology of the term mentor as it helps understand the depth of meaning better. As with myriad other words in English, the word mentor too has its roots in ancient Greek mythology. Homer’s Odyssey describes the adventures of Odysseus, or Ulysses in English, the king of Ithaca. It all began when King Paris of Troy abducted the beautiful Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. Menelaus called the kings of Greece, including Odysseus, who had all once vowed to defend the honour of Helen, when in need.
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WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
When Odysseus embarked on this journey, which as it turns out, was to bring him back only after twenty years (incidentally also giving us the word Odyssey which means a long and gruelling mission or journey), he left his young son Telemachus and wife Penelope under the care of his old friend Mentor. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, often disguised herself as Mentor and reached out to Telemachus too. His name is proverbial for a faithful and wise adviser. The quintessential mentor, then, is one who provides benevolent, guiding wisdom.
Mentors form backbone of any Toastmasters club The beneficiary from a mentor is referred to as a mentee. They are also referred to as protégé (M) and protégée (F) particularly when they have acquired some level of success in the area they were mentored. A mentor serves as a role model who offers acceptance, confirmation, protection, and even friendship to the mentee. A mentor listens, observes, asks, counsels, coaches, challenges, and sponsors the mentee.
His wife Uma is a commerce graduate and son Sivakrishnan studies in Indian Modern Science School. Seeing the caring atmosphere and impressive performance of its members, ISC Toastmasters make him feel proud.
MANISH BAHIRWANI
M
anish Bahirwani belongs to Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He works in the Financial Services Industry and currently leads the finance function at Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development
He actively participates in a variety of sports, particularly cricket, football and swimming. He also enjoys reading, especially philosophy, leadership and other non-fiction works. He believes in continuous personal improvement and growth.
NEELIMA VIMAL KUMAR
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eelima is a medical professional with over 13 years of experience in HR and Medical Services. Currently she is working for Gail (India) Ltd, a national oil and gas company in India, in their HR department. Neelima is an avid sports enthusiast, who has won many badminton tournaments in India; she has got privilege to play with some of the Indian National players such as Saina Nehwal. Her key interests also include Indian classical music and Ghazals with a flavour for singing too. ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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WELCOME TO ISC
TOASTMASTERS
DEEPA SHETTY
D
eepa Shetty is from Mumbai and has been in Abu Dhabi for nearly 11 years. A full time mother, she loves to teach her children, ten years old Arjun and five year old Anoushka. She believes in instilling values and that each parent must strive to be a source of inspiration for their children. She has a Bachelor’s in Financial Accounting and Audit as well as in Education. Pursuing an MBA in HR, she feels there is no limit for knowledge and learning. This quest has led her to ISC Toastmasters to hone her already admirable communication and leadership skills.
ALOK TUTEJA
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lok Tuteja from New Delhi is a GRC professional with ADNOC Distribution in Internal Audit and a board member with ISACA UAE Chapter. Earlier with the Information Risk Management Practice of KPMG he has an MBA and is an ITIL Expert, CISA, CISSP, CIA, CFE, CRISC and CGEIT. A natural speaker, he has given talks on Governance, Risk and Compliance.
Married, he believes that his better half, Anita is his strength. They have two children, Samridh and Muskan. Alok also served on the last ISC Managing Committee as the Assistant Auditor.
KARTHIKEYAN SANGILI
K
arthikeyan Sangili moved to Abu Dhabi in the year 2006 from Chennai. He did his Master’s in Public Admin and an MBA in Finance. He works in Business Development for Allianz Technologies. His wife is a bio chemistry lecturer in India and they have ten year old twin daughters.
He loves Tamil literature and also delights in connecting with people involved at grass root social work. He prefers to be a man of action than words.
TARANATH SHETTY aranath Shetty came to Abu Dhabi from Udupi in Karnataka in the early 90’s to join New Medical Centre as a Computer Programmer where today he is the Logistics Manager.
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His wife Dr. Lata Shetty also works as a Specialist Dental Surgeon in NMC Specialty Hospital and their daughter Anoushka studies in Grade VII in Chouieifat School. Traveling and exploring new places are his chief interests.
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WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
THE TOASTMASTERS VISION Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. Through our member clubs, people throughout the world can improve their communication and leadership skills, and find the courage to change.
THE TOASTMASTERS VALUES Toastmasters International’s core values are integrity, dedication to excellence, service to the member and respect for the individual. These are values worthy of a great organization, and we believe we should incorporate them as anchor points in every decision we make. Our core values provide us with a means of not only guiding but also evaluating our operations, our planning and our vision for the future.
THE TOASTMASTERS MISSION Toastmasters International is the leading movement devoted to making effective oral communication a worldwide reality. Through its member Clubs, Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking — vital skills that promote selfactualization, enhance leadership potential, foster human understanding, and contribute to the betterment of mankind.
It is basic to this mission that Toastmasters International continually expand its worldwide network of clubs thereby offering ever-greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from its programs.
MISSION OF THE CLUB The mission of a Toastmasters Club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment, in which every member has the opportunity to develop and practice communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.
CLUB OFFICER ELECTIONS
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very club needs leaders who can move the club forward and who can work with and motivate others. In May, all clubs must elect annual officers serving from July 1 of the current year, through June 30 of the following year. The process of club officer elections starts well ahead. One of the duties of a club officer is to identify members with leadership potential and encourage them to serve.
ISC Toastmasters Club announced its club election process as below:Before March 31st, club president appoints a nominating committee of three active members. The immediate past club president will be the committee chair. The nominating committee selects candidates for each of the club offices. The committee may consider active members who have announced their desire to serve in office. It may also seek out qualified candidates. Committee reports to the club with list of candidates during the last meeting in April. During first meeting in May, club officer elections will be conducted. In addition to the candidates list reported by the nominating committee, nominations will also be called from the floor. Nominations and elections begin with the president and proceed in descending order. A quorum (51 percent of active members) is needed to conduct club officer elections. business (including electing officers). Members must be active and present to vote. ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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KALIFA SYED MUBARAK
K ABOUT TOASTMASTERS oastmasters is an organization devoted to furthering the public speaking and leadership skills.
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It is a non-profit educational organization. A nominal fee is charged just for administrative expenses only. Toastmasters is organized as voluntary clubs of members conducting meetings weekly or twice a month and go through a measured - step by step – approach for helping members learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking. The atmosphere within the clubs are conducive to growth of the members. Generally the clubs are open to anyone willing to join, above 18 years of age from College students to professional speakers, salespeople, attorneys, teachers, and retire. Generally the meetings are conducted in English. But Toastmasters has grown from being an English-only organization to one that develops communication skills in several languages.
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His passion is Public speaking and he draws inspiration from Winston Churchill, Barrack Obama, Tony Blair. An avid reader, Kalifa loves Music and idolizes AR Rahman and Ilayaraja.
PINTO THOMAS
P
into from Kerala, India, grew up in Abu Dhabi, which he calls his second home. With a Master’s in Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, and after a decade in the US, he is delighted to be back in Abu Dhabi as a Materials Engineer at Artisan Tools & Equipment LLC.
members in more than 13,000 clubs in 116 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience. Thousands of corporations and government agencies sponsor in-house Toastmasters clubs as communication training workshops for their employees. Specialized clubs meet at military bases, colleges and universities, churches and prisons. There are Toastmasters clubs for senior citizens, professional groups, bilingual groups, singles and the visually impaired. Between then and now more than three million men and women have benefited from the Communication and Leadership program of Toastmasters International.
Each Club is, through a multi layered organization, connected to the apex body, Toastmasters International, Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, USA.
Shortly before his death in 1965 at the age of 87, Toastmasters founder Ralph C. Smedley reminisced: “As I look back at over half a century of connection with the Toastmasters movement, I am impressed by the fact that a simple idea put to work in so simple a manner, has grown into such an instrument for service for so many people. It must have met a real need.”
The organization has now grown into a mammoth one, with more than 270,000
Indeed it does. We are all testimony to that fact.
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
alifa Syed Mubarak, is an Administration Executive at an Oil Company in Abu Dhabi. From Thanjavur, India, he has been in Abu Dhabi since over twelve years. His wife, has a Master’s in Bio-chemistry and is currently a Teacher in Abu Dhabi. They have two children.
He has just launched himself into the world of public speaking. His other interests include JY Abu Dhabi, road trips, making music videos and short-movies. He is also a Member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers Illinois Chapter.
SUBRAHMANYAM TUMMALA ubrahmanyam has a Master’s in Computer Science. In Abu Dhabi since 2007, initially he was with Honeywell as a Team Leader and in February this year joined Dolphin Energy, in their Corporate Automation Division.
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Married to Phani Priya, a homemaker, they have two children. Sravya is in the 5th Grade at Bhavans and Sai Ritik is 4 months old. Tennis, watching movies and traveling are his hobbies.
ABRAHAM GEORGE
A
braham George from Kerala, India has been in Abu Dhabi since 1989. With a PG Diploma in Computer applications, he is the Group Operation Manager of Bayanat Engineering Group. Married and blessed with two sons he is interested in music and reading. He aims to serve society and groom the generation next. Recognizing public speaking and leadership skills as vital to achieving his goals, he zeroed in on ISC Toastmasters as the ideal platform. ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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ISC Toastmasters Club received a certificate of Distinction from District-20 for achieving 10 DCP goals within the first 6 months of the current Toastmasters year. Certificate was awarded by the District LGET DTM Alex Ginete to the Club President TM Sunil Kottarathil on January 27th.
All we do - Clubs, Areas and Division is to serve the TM community in AD society in the best way we can and it is working out. This year we are gradually approaching a landmark membership figure of 900 DTM Dr. Nasef Dhafari members making us one of the largest non-profit Division-H Governor, District-20 communities in AD society. The good achievements we are together notching up are in line with our strategic priorities. Those priorities should always be there in front of our eyes. Thanks to clubs such as yours we have done a great job within the first 9 months of the term. I am proud to present below some of the significant statistics in this newsletter: Division H achievements as of 31st March 2012 New members 210 1st in the District New Chapters 6 1st in the District Educational achievements 84 1st in the District No. of Areas 6 2nd largest in the District No. of Chapters 29 2nd largest in District
After Qatar
These results wouldn’t have been possible without everyone’s wholehearted cooperation and the team spirit within the toastmaster’s community. But, we still have miles to go with regard to educational goals. I have noticed since mid-December 2011 that we need to focus on the educational goals front. For that reason, Division H announced the “Rewards Scheme”. That is a special award to encourage the excellent efforts of the members and officers to add more laurels to their career. Toastmasters clubs are being formed everyday in a variety of settings. Members of existing clubs help in forming a new club by presenting demonstration meeting, offering encouragement and advice. ISC Toastmasters extended their support in forming a new club – Our Toastmasters Club – in January 2012. In recognition of the club’s efforts, Toastmasters International presented ISC Toastmasters Club with a beautiful Founders Award Ribbon that now adorns our club banner. Members of ISC Toastmasters Club performed very well during the recently concluded Club and Area level Annual Speech Contests. Winning at the Area level contest, TM Manmohan Sreedhar secured his place as contestant at Division level contest scheduled for April 27th.
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WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
I wish to see ISC TM Club register even more educational achievements in the near future, assisting your Area, Division and broadly the District 20 to make it the NUMBER ONE District in the world. May I take this opportunity to wish every member in ISC TM Club continuation of a great educational journey in toastmasters and may you always find proper guidance, mentoring and success in all that you strive for. With the remarkable achievements so far in 2011-2012, including becoming the World No. in the Show Case Event Contest, and with the level of dedication and commitment from the Officers of your chapter, I have no doubt, that, ISC Toastmasters Club will always remain a model chapter to look up to and be as a guiding star.
ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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From the Desk of
A club that performs well in the Distinguished Program provides a higher-quality club experience for all of its members. Each aspect of the DCP, is designed to enhance the enjoyment and reinforce a supportive atmosphere for each member. ISC Toastmasters continues its journey with a Perfect 10.
the division governor
I
t is both my pleasure and honor to participate in this quarterly issue of the “ISC Toastmasters Club” newsletter so aptly themed “CELEBRATIONS”.
With your creative initiatives, persistence and hard work all through this term, yours has become a model club in the DivisionH Toastmaster’s community. I constantly learn from the way your club functions. It is indeed a beautiful feeling to see the constant hard work and sincere efforts of the ISC Toastmasters resulting in great achievements.
ISC Toastmasters Club is a Leading Model in
Division H is indeed lucky to have a dynamic and well organized club in ISC Toastmasters. I have been closely associating with many members of your club and its Executive Committee particularly President, Sunil Kottarathil ACS, ALB. To me, Sunil embodies the true toastmaster’s spirit of selflessness devoting so much of his time, energy and other resources to help members achieve their potential and at the same time attract and enroll new members.
Division-H
As of today, ISC Toastmasters is the largest Club in Division H with 48 members. ISC has till date attracted 31 new members- to be Numero Uno chapter in the whole District in membership drive- bravo. As all of you are aware, ISC Chapter achieved 10 points and was declared a President Distinguished Chapter in the DCP program within the first six months to be among the cream of the District (the first 10 chapters achieved the 10 points target before the end of December, 2011). Fellow Toastmasters, the performance of your chapter especially in the educational part was amazing. I was able to watch the spark it created within the Division for which indeed, as the Division Governor I am thankful. As you all must have noticed that the TM community in Abu Dhabi has achieved so much within this term. Division H has already formed the 6th Club in this term and with the newest club, Division H strength is 29 clubs.
TALK UP TOASTMASTERS AWARD
MEMBER SPONSOR REPORT 2011-12
ISC Toastmasters Club is a proud recipient of TALK UP TOASTMASTERS Award this year by adding minimum 5 new members to the club roster during the months February - March. Membership growth is important to ensure club success. Creating awareness about Toastmasters program and giving opportunities to a new member for utilizing the benefits of the program is rewarding for another. Toastmasters International recognizes the sponsorship of five new members with a unique sponsor's pin. As an outstanding sponsor of 10 new members, one is qualified to receive a special star pin. ISC Toastmasters Club promotes Toastmasters program actively.
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WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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From the Desk of
the editor
THE MORE YOU PRAISE AND CELEBRATE YOUR LIFE, THE MORE THERE IS IN LIFE TO CELEBRATE - Oprah Winfrey
“Live your life Toastmasters to its fullest by celebrating each moment”
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ife is punctuated by a series of defining moments. There are those moments we may like to forget and those that we cherish forever. Unfortunately, in today’s fast paced life, we hardly have time to sit back and relive such moments. You may find that you agree with TM Deepa Shetty how rewarding it is to travel back in time, just as she does while giving us glimpses of her life back in Mumbai (Page 18). Some need reasons to celebrate. But for some, every moment is a celebration. At ISC Toastmasters Club, it was celebration time all through the past year!!- Whether it was achieving a perfect 10 (Page 26), winning in contests (Page 29), or bringing new faces to our family (Page 20) it was always celebrations. That is why we thought it apt to title this issue “CELEBRATION”.
Mohammed Zubair VP-PR, ISC Toastmasters
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WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
Some moments of celebrations are captured and presented in this issue, while many more are in the hearts of the members to fall back on and relive during the coming days and share their happiness. Wish you all happy reading as you cherish those moments!! ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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From the Desk of
the president
PUBLISHER
Sunil Kottarathil ACS ALB President, ISC Toastmasters
ever ever stop dreaming, because dreams are “We are all functioning at a the fountainhead from where ideas emerge. small fraction of our capacity They become plans and plans become actions. Actions taken in the right direction, with to live fully in its total meaning right spirit bring results – desired results. When of loving, caring, creating and Toastmasters International announced results of their Open House Showcase membership building adventuring. Consequently, the contest on March 29th, ISC Toastmasters Club topped the list globally; the desired result we actualizing of our potential can dreamed. It is no wonder really, when our become the most exciting enthusiastic members have visualized the desired result at each stage of the preparation. Yet, when adventure of our lifetime.” the desired result is achieved, for sure, it sets the - Herbert Ottto stage for celebration. It is indeed celebration time at ISC Toastmasters. program. As members become empowered through their improved communication and leadership skills, more laurels began pouring into ISC in the form of awards from Toastmasters International. – Walt Disney When ISC Toastmasters Club topped the list in the global competition for the TMI Open House Showcase event, it was indeed a dream come true; As a club, ISC Toastmasters has been growing one that took ISC’s name and fame to global steadily since its inception. Having set our feet acclaim. As the club continue to make ISC proud firmly on the ground, it was time to expand our and bring more laurels, our responsibility also service to the community. What else, we reckoned increases. could be better than spreading the benefits of Toastmasters educational program to more around As we approach the last quarter of the current us? Charged with this vision, and with the support Toastmasters year, we look forward to helping our and active involvement of ISC Managing newer members achieve their full potential as Committee, the Club initiated educational leaders, as effective communicators, encouraging programs inviting all ISC members. The clear them to participate more actively in upcoming vision and focused approach started showing division and district conferences, and celebrate results within a short period itself – with 12 new each moment of this journey. As we move ahead, ISC members enthusiastically joining the club and let us utilize our potentials to the maximum to launching themselves into the Toastmasters make this journey more exciting.
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“If you can dream it, you can do it”
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Area Contests in March
contents 2 Toastmasters International News
4 From the Desk of President
5 From the Desk of Editor
6 From the Desk of Division Governor 70 71 72 73 74 75
11 Apr, 2012 25 Apr, 2012 9 May, 2012 23 May, 2012 13 June, 2012 27 June, 2012
13 Apr, 2012 20 Apr, 2012 27 Apr, 2012 4 May, 2012
Division-F Conference Division-B Conference Division-H Conference Division-J Conference
24 to 26 May DTAC 2012
8 About Toastmasters
20-22 Open House Showcase Event
9 Club Elections
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23-25
27
28-29
Club Achievements
New Members
Club Awards
Magic Moments
articles
14 Rendezvous with the
18 Mumbai –
Toastmaster’s Platform
The Maximum City
10 Mentorship ISSUE 3
16 Cryptography
MARCH 2012
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF ISC TOASTMASTERS CLUB-01334189, AREA-55, DIVISION-H, DISTRICT-20
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ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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News from Toastmasters International
DTM UMA RADHAKRISHNAN 2012-13 REGION ADVISOR FOR REGION 11 oastmasters International announced the 2012-2013 Region Advisor team. Recognizing the services of our Immediate Past District Governor and beloved leader DTM UMA RADHAKRISHNAN to the overall Toastmasters fraternity, she has been appointed by Toastmasters International as the Region 11 Advisor for 2012-13 term.
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Region advisors (RAs) are international volunteers at the region level who have expert knowledge about marketing-related issues and an awareness of current trends in their parts of the world. RAs play an important role in Toastmasters International, helping districts solve pressing issues and serving as coaches and mentors to district leaders. In a consultant capacity, RAs help districts fulfill the district mission. Their objective is to support district leaders' efforts to improve the quality and performance of their clubs, so that more people benefit from the Toastmasters program. One way RAs accomplish this is by conducting district visits. Together, district leaders and their RA determine if a visit would promote the success of the district. Not all districts need a visit. Ideally, RAs and district leaders begin communicating about visits during the transition period between program years. If it’s determined a visit is needed, then a purpose for the visit is established and an agenda and goals are planned.
These visits are not intended as opportunities for
RAs to give speeches or be VIPs; rather, the RAs use these trips to work closely with districts in a variety of capacities, as needed: Help district leaders improve marketing strategies by analyzing and discussing district data with them Help districts identify strategies to increase their marketing capacity Mentor district leaders in conducting effective corporate visits and demonstration meetings Finalize and strategize marketing plans for new clubs and membership retention Discuss district operations, such as district success planning Identify and discuss district-specific challenges Help district leaders create marketing training programs Conduct corporate recognition visits with district leaders The support provided by RAs varies from district to district based on each district’s unique needs. In a nutshell, they serve as an essential link between the districts and World Headquarters.
Toastmasters International Membership Building Contest BEAT THE CLOCK members who join between May 1 and June 30 Program Dates: May 1 – June 30 must be received at World Headquarters or online oastmasters are taught to run meetings on time, finish speeches on time and make membership goals on time. "Beat the Clock" is about finishing the year on schedule -with a bang! Clubs adding five new, dual or reinstated members during these two months receive a "Beat the Clock" ribbon to display on the club’s banner. Membership applications and payment for
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WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
no later than June 30. Each member's join date as listed on the application must be no later than June. Transfer and charter members do not count for credit. In addition to the ribbon, qualifying clubs will also earn a special discount code for 10% off their next club order. Discount code expires six months from date of issue and is not valid with any other offer.
WEDDING
ATHIRA M RAJ
ADIEU CC CL
daughter of ISC Toastmasters Club members Rajagopalan, CC CL and Ambika Rajagopalan, CC was married to NITHIN on 30th March 2012 at ISC (India Social and Cultural Centre).
TM community in Abu Dhabi bid farewell to ISC Toastmasters Club mentor TM Omana st
Kallarakkal on 31 January 2012.
WORDS OF THIS
QUARTER
INVIGORATE (in-ˈvi-gə-ˌrāt) verb To give life and energy to, to make a situation efficient and successful. PRECARIOUS (pri-ˈker-ē-əs) adjective Not safe or certain, likely to fall, dependent on unknown conditions. PANACHE (pə-ˈnash) noun The quality of being able to do things in a confident and elegant way that other people find attractive. RELENTLESS (re-lent-less) adjective Not stopping, Refusing to give up, Showing or promising no abatement of severity, intensity, strength, or pace. ENCAPSULATE (in-ˈkap-sə-ˌlāt, en) verb To enclose in or as if in a capsule, To express the most important parts in a few words. CONTEMPLATE (ˈkän-təm-ˌplāt) verb To look at or think about in a careful way for a long time, To consider with continued attention. ISC TOASTMASTERS MARCH 2012
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ISSUE 3
MARCH 2012
ISSUE 3 MARCH 2012 CLUB-01334189, AREA-55, DIVISION-H, DISTRICT-20
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF ISC TOASTMASTERS CLUB-01334189, AREA-55, DIVISION-H, DISTRICT-20
Keep the Spirit Alive
Toastmasters – Touching Tomorrow Today
Pride and Purpose Inspire Performance Dynamic Clubs People Deliver Building People
Share the Vision of A Passion Excellence for Eloquence
The Thrill of Success Focus on Your Dreams
Take Control of Your Bringing Destiny Out the Best in People
Changing Lives, One at a Time Find Your Voice, Serve Your Simply Shaping World Amazing OurselvesThe Shaping Our Courage to World Conquer