Newsletter- December 2021

ANURADHAPURA TOASTMASTERS CLUB DISTRICT-82 || AREA H1 || CLUB NO: 2549382 Club Newsletter ISSUE 9 | Year 2021/ 22 |

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December 2021

B E Y O N D the Circle

“ better late than “ Everything is difficult until everything never ”easy ” becomes P.10- 11

“ Mingle with another family” - Joint Meeting P.8

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Contents 10

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President Pens..

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Division Director Writes..

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Editor's Note

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Toastmasters for Life

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Co-Editor's Note

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Nothing is Impossible

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Leaders would Die, but Real Leaders Not

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Newbies' Corner

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Together Everyone Achieves More

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Achievements & Recognition

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Mingle with another Family

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Executive Committee Upcoming Events

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The Reset Button

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Members Onboard Event Calendar

Toastmasters International Mission

We empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders.

Toastmasters International Core Values Integrity Service Excellence Respect

Chat with a Champion Chat with a Champion

Toastmasters International Envisioned Future To be the first-choice provider of dynamic, high-value, experiential communication and leadership skills development.

Editorial Team Newsletter Editors TM Asini Warnasooriya TM Sandun Thimira

The Cover Story

Creative Editors A moment from the 'Christmas' themed meeting 22nd December 2021 o

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TM Ama Shakya Mohamed Rifnaz, DTM TM Darshana Ekanayake

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President Pens...

Towards the Destination of Success

Although life is a collection of coincidences, we all have our own unique life stories. Each of those stories is different from the other.

Because diversity is essential for human existence, we must respect the differences in each story.

We cannot be anyone else, but we can become our best possible version .For that what is needed is effort, enthusiasm, and commitment. The most important thing we need to understand is that for our journey to be successful, whatever we do, we must recognize our potential and do it to the best of our ability. If we can do our work with devotion and maximum dedication, we will be able to turn every challenge we face into a blessing and move forward.

Every moment we experience in life gives us an experience for the next moment, whether it is a success or a failure. All we have to do is make our journey successful through the life lessons we learn from the experience.

There are many lessons we can learn from our successes as well as failures as a club over the years. So we all must try to build up our sleeves on that experience, mobilize all our strengths to move forward, and strive to reach the destination of success.

Always try to identify your potentials, and your values, then no one will be able to stop you.

Good luck!

Tharaka Amarasena, DTM President

Anuradhapura Toastmasters Club

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4 Division Director Writes ...

Effective or Efficient; the Dilemma I am humbled and privileged to pen the Division Director's message to my very own home club, Anuradhapura Toastmasters Club newsletter. As the Division Director and as a fellow club member, I would like to address a famous dilemma in the contemporary world.

Just think how you spent yesterday. Was the day effective or efficient? Are effective and efficient the same?

Or else different? These two buzzwords are popularly used by CEOs and executives all over the world.

However, most of the time both words are commonly misused or misinterpreted.

According to Dictionary.com, effective means producing the intended or expected result. Meanwhile, efficient means performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort. Based on that definition, efficiency can be described as a simple tool, which has no value until someone uses it. Sometimes you can be efficient enough yet not effective. Let's take a simple example of a knife. We can use a knife to cut an apple or to harm someone. Both the activities can be done efficiently, but which is effective? Obviously, it is cutting an apple that is the expected or intended result.

In Toastmasters also, you as a member can be efficient without being effective. We can pay the dues on time.

We can attend the programs organized by Area, Division, District, or Toastmasters International without fail.

We can attend the educational meetings regularly though we don't have any role to play. But being efficient is not sufficient. What we can learn for our development? How much we are keen to complete the educational goals in Toastmasters? How can I develop myself as a better leader within and outside of Toastmasters? We need to answer these questions in order to be effective in Toastmasters.

My dear friends, we should try to be effective in what we are doing while being efficient. If you can practice it in Toastmasters, nowhere in this world you can practice it. Because we all know Toastmasters is the place where leaders are made.

Let's be effective and efficient leaders.

Wish you all the very best!!

Mohamed Rifnaz, DTM Division Director

Division H 361o - BEYOND THE CIRCLE

5 Editor’s Note I proudly present the 4th quarter newsletter of the year 2021 of Anuradhapura Toastmasters Club.

The cover page includes some unforgettable memories of ATMC and the co values of Toastmasters International.

As you flip the next pages of the newsletter, you will be able to read messages of the Division Director, Division H, the President of ATMC, and a variety of inspiring and informative articles on toastmasters' experiences, memories, positive aspects of deadly pandemic and the recovery of depleting ozone layer and the special article written by Vice President (Education) on invaluable qualities of our beloved late president TM Thusitha Jayasuriya. And also you will be able to explore how to build up confidence as a public speaker.

I would like to pay my humble gratitude to all writers especially TM Dilan Joseph, who contributed with valuable articles. The great support given by The President, Vice President (PR), and Coeditor is highly appreciated.

I hope you will take time to read what the contents of the newsletter have to offer. Because every experience makes you grow.

TM Asini Warnasooriya Newsletter Editor

Co -Editor’s Note We know clubs, right? The places where you go and have a good time. But why is the Anuradhapura Toastmaster Club different? It's because, in this club, you don't need to go to a place, the club can be anywhere. If you were quarantined, the club is right in front of your house. You lost a loved one? The whole club is just a phone call away. In that right, we may as well call this group of people a family instead.

How can such people be? That, this newsletter will explain.

I want to mention; the Executive Committee placing me in this role, the Creative Editor helping me understand my role, the editor leading the project in confidence, and all the authors for their contributions. Thank you!

TM Sandun Thimira Co -Editor o

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6 Leaders would Die but Real Leaders Not….

October 30th Saturday I received a morning call. I wonder who he was, on the screen, it was "TM Thusitha malli". As usual, he asked "Are you busy or shall I speak later?" How much I had been busy I never avoided answering his phone calls not because he was the president of prestigious ATMC but because I respected his humble, kind-hearted helpful qualities. He called me to discuss the scheduled meetings for new member orientation. After the discussion, we hung up hoping to meet at the zoom meeting at 7.00 pm. At that time we didn't know it would never come.

First I met him as a Toastmaster of ATMC, next as an Exco member, and finally as the Club President. As the VP- Education, I happened to contact him very often and discuss many matters. Whenever I called him, he was ready to listen to what I asked and frank enough to refuse or give his suggestion directly. He always considered the member as the most important factor of the club and never wanted to use his presidency to force members to do anything. Everyone in the club was similar to him. He was not biased for anyone. He never had the habit of criticizing someone in the absence of them. He had an instinct to understand the members well and expected everyone's improvement alike.

I think we all will never forget the last meeting in which he proved his exemplary leadership by conducting the meeting with a few members and doing several roles alone. That day, many role players including myself were not able to attend the online meeting due to technical issues. But instead of postponing it or finding the faults with others, he conducted the meeting. What he said to the others was "let's do the meeting somehow, otherwise the role-players who cannot join may get upset. We must not let them be upset, everyone would face unexpected issues. We have to understand them" .Those words will echo in everyone's ears and remind us leaders die but real leaders do not.

TM Gamini Wijeratne o

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7 Together Everyone Achieves More The human being is a social animal. They love to be in groups. They rely on cooperation to survive and thrive. Therefore, teamwork is common to them. Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each team member helps unlock them. Members' interests and reactions to various situations are of utmost importance to understand everybody in the team. Ultimately this will help to achieve a sense of Togetherness. Everyone is needed to be involved in team activities. Everyone needs to be clear and aware of the aims, objectives, milestones as well as values of the team and its activities. Achieving the aims and objectives is the utmost reason for creating a team. Understanding the goals and collaboratively working to achieve them is in the team. The team can achieve more than a single person. At the same time, everyone develops their skills and gain more experience while working in the team than individual action.

Toastmastering is one such teamwork.

Everyone works together to achieve more.

Being the Immediate Past President of Anuradhapura Toastmasters Club for the year 2021/22, we all worked while together everyone achieved more. More educational goals, club quality goals were achieved while developing the skills of the members more confidently in a friendly environment. Let’s be a part of Toastmastering!

TM Sanjeewanie Ginigaddara Immediate Past President (2021/22), ATMC

"The team can achieve more than a single person" o

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8 Mingle with Another Family After a long time, if we could go to see our relations, we feel enthusiastic and nervous at the same time. On that day, when I heard the Anuradhapura Toastmasters family and Horana Toastmasters families were going to hold a joint meeting, I felt the same way that I was going to meet my relations.

Anyway, this was the first time I met them.

Although it is held via an online platform they warmly welcomed us with their whole hearts. It was awesome to see two Toastmasters families holding a meeting together. There were role players from both Toastmasters Clubs. Throughout the meeting, there were friendly smiles on every face and it gave courage and comfort.

Although I felt shy and nervous in the beginning, after a few seconds it became comfortable and enthusiastic. Even now I wonder how it converted in such a short time.

It was a big opportunity to meet new friends and break the ice between Toastmasters families. And we had the opportunity to show our talents as well as share our knowledge. I’m pretty sure both Toastmasters Clubs saw different skills of each Toastmaster and gained some things to improve our skills. We gathered lots of experiences and millions of happiness throughout the meeting. So we all were feeling blue to depart from each other. It's the same as the feeling of how we feel to be apart from our relations. But I'm happy to think that the bond between two families will never be apart.

And that makes me think there's another opportunity to meet them in the future. I’m impatiently counting days for another joint meeting and I'm very curious to see who will be the next family we are going to share the experiences with.

TM Durangi Kemali o

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9 The Reset Button The very thought of the COVID-19 pandemic sends shivers down our spine. The term COVID-19 itself has coincided with destruction. Chaoses risen with the COVID-19 pandemic has engulfed the entire world leading to many turmoils. Many interventions have been explored to circumvent the negative aspects of the deadly pandemic.

Amidst the gloom of the pandemic certain aspects of the COVID-19 have been overlooked. The anthropocentric view renders that its nature's wrath poured upon humankind to wreak havoc. On the contrary, the eco-centric take on the COVID-19 is that it is like redemption. Another chance to correct its course. The reset button on the inhuman activities of humans upon mother nature.

For centuries human civilization has brought nothing but desolation upon nature, neglecting its crying call of help. With COVID-19, nature is back at us trying to exact revenge upon humans and reversing the atrocities humans have committed to the planet in the name of development.

With COVID-19, human activities and its way of life have been drastically altered but its positive impact has been felt on nature. The proverbial silver lining of the COVID-19 is that the reduced human industrial activities have led to the reduction of air pollution which is shown in the increased air quality indexes. The recovery of the depleted ozone layer is on the fast track. Some holes that persisted over the Antarctic have been reclaimed in 2020. Industrial effluents directed to water sources have been reduced with the COVID19 lockdowns. The reduction of air, water, and land pollution has led to the flourishing of wildlife and flora reclaiming their long-lost territories. Deforestation has been reduced. Illegal wildlife trade has been generated many criticisms calling for regulatory actions. As whole nature conservation is becoming more prominent.

Nature is trying to revive back to its long-lost past glory.

Beyond the intrinsic beauty, nature has been our guardian angel for thousands of years. Yet the wretched humans have tried to overcome nature. This effort has culminated with a great loss and a lesson. A lesson at the expense of more than 50 million human lives to COVID-19. Humans are a part of nature, and nature rests above all. Will this warning sign help humans to realize the grave error in their way of life and work harmoniously with nature or will continue to work their way into the oblivion of destruction. The decision rests in your hand. Are you willing to hit the reset button?

"Nature is trying to revive back to its long-lost past glory"

TM Darshana Ekanayake o

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10 Chat with a Champion “One lamp is capable of lighting a row of lamps”.

Hence it’s better to seek one bright lamp to educate us of the path of public speaking.

The bright lamp we selected this time to have a chat with is, the Semi-Finalist, World Championship of Public Speaking -2021, TM Dilan Joseph.

About your experience at the Semifinals in WCPS. Contesting at Semifinals is a journey with various levels of the breakthrough of my comfort zone.

It's a journey of a transformation I would say.

That journey changed me a lot. Semifinals is an international stage. You meet the best out of the best from around the globe with different levels of energy levels. All with the same focus and you feel the pressure.

I love that journey from club to the semifinals. I focused one step at a time but each step was crucial. Winning is a ticket but the experience you gain is a Lottery winning. So, I focused on the experience at every level, luckily my mentors also had the same goal that I'm having. That took us to the semifinals.

How do you train yourself? Some tips.

Well, Training for WCPS is transforming your personality. Focus on your daily goals. It could be work-related or your personal life. Think your life is like a speech, deliver it every day, eventually you would be ready for the gig on the stage.

Have the same personality on the stage and off the stage, then you are genuine. Accept your vulnerabilities and fix them up. That itself is a winning speech.

When it comes to practice, your commitments take you a long way, so identify your patterns of practice. Decide what is best for you. Physical or Physicking, Day or Night. Daily or every other day.

"Have faith in yourself. You are an undiscovered treasure”

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11 How Toastmasters help your personal and career growth?

How do we build up our confidence as public speakers?

Toastmasters is a stage to practice your life as a communicator and a leader. I joined toastmasters in 2015 but for two years I was a silent individual. I didn't involve in any activity. Not even a meeting role.

But the magic happened after 2017 when I started to discover my talent as a speaker through Toastmasters. That made a greater impact on my career as well. That year I got promoted as a manager and managed two departments. When you become a confident communicator, people start to believe in you. Good communicators become strong leaders with influence.

It says "everything is difficult until everything becomes easy". It means any difficult thing would be easy if you engage for a while. Success is not overnight. It's a journey. So, take up the challenge and engage in regular Toastmasters' meetings. Be a part of the meeting roles. Complete your Pathways in a meaningful manner that will break your comfort zone. Find new words and phrases, apply them to your day-to-day activities and you will gradually develop yourself. Toastmasters always bring those opportunities for you.

Therefore, I would say if you engage in Toastmasters definitely it will transform you.

Your message to new toastmasters?

Have faith in yourself. You are an undiscovered treasure. So find yourself and you will be in love with yourself.

https://www.facebook.com/asankadj

Interviewed by; TM Asini Warnasooriya Newsletter Editor

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12 Toastmasters for Life “Life is all about learning, growing and becoming” Toastmasters is the ideal platform to keep learning and growing in a mutually supportive environment. Each and every role you play at a Toastmasters Educational Meeting will help you gain a bundle of skills which worths a million.

For instance, being the Timer of a Club Meeting is not just timing others’ speeches. It will help you realize the true value of a ‘second’ or a ‘minute’. You will eventually learn to work on time and to manage time in your day to day life as well. Mark my word, the moment you time a 5-7 minutes speech is the moment you realize what a lot you can do within 5 minutes; yes you can make wonders! Being the Timer in a Speech Contest is indeed a huge task as we have to undergo a tensed period of time in making the colour cards go at the right moment. But still, it’s a golden opportunity to step out of our comfort zone and take a challenge to work under pressure as nicely depicted by the quote, “No pressure, no diamonds”. If you have not taken the Timer role yet, grab the opportunity in your next club meeting.

In modern working context, evaluation of your colleagues or fellow employees remains a common procedure. Playing the role of the General Evaluator or a Speech Evaluator will provide you with hands-on-experience connecting Toastmasters to life. In Toastmasters, you will definitely learn how to tackle the situation in ‘commend-recommend-complement’ method which lays the solid foundation for healthy inter-personal relationships.

Every single role you play at a club meeting creates a stairway for you to reach greater heights and venture new avenues in your life journey. At the end of every Club-Meeting you will learn how team work can make marvels.

Come join us to be a part of this amazing family.

"Every single role you play at a club meeting creates a stairway for you to reach greater heights"

TM Ama Shakya o

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13 Nothing is Impossible The journey of my life in Toastmasters started quite nervously due to the fear of public speaking.

So initially I use to skip speeches that I had to cover purposely, which was why club contesting was a dream for me. However, one day I was approached by our late President Toastmaster Thusitha Jayasuriya and requested me to do a speech for the Humorous Speech Club Contest. At once I burst out saying “I won’t!”. But he firmly said, “You Should”.

It was not an easy task for me. But I knew this would be an enormous opportunity to rise as a confident speaker. So, I made my first script and started my practice.

One incident about the Club Contest comes to my mind, when I was trained by our Toastmasters was when they picked up a few words which I could not pronounce properly. One of them was “Perfect” and the other was “Aishwarya Rai”. DTM Mohamed Rifnaz immediately recognized pointing out saying, I pronounce the word with an “F” instead of “P”, saying “Ferfect” and the other, a single word saying “Aishwaryai” which was quite fun making a hilarious scene; it was a fun moment I’ve ever experienced.

As the big day arrived, I began to be nervous, once the contest started, and me being speaker no 01, made me more nervous! But thank God my nerves calmed me midway through my speech completing it smoothly exactly how I practiced it.

'1st place Shihari!' was the announcement.

I couldn't believe my ears! I was in tears.

What I thought was a dream for me happened. This made me realize nothing is impossible!

TM Shihari Piyathilake

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14 Newbies' Corner Hope Being a part of the Anuradhapura Toastmasters club, was a dream come true which began to blossom in me about five years ago. A program conducted by the members of the Anuradhapura Toastmasters club who visited the Rajarata University where I was studying at the time, helped revive my thoughts, under the Rajarata sky. At a time when I was disappointed and the purpose of life was unclear this amazing club helped me to develop myself. For me, our Toastmaster club is not only a place where we develop but a heartfelt, humane place where everyone stands up for each other every moment when it's necessary.

This amazing home gives me fresh hope every day.

TM Sharala Wijekoon

A New Family After completing my A/L's back in 2019, my English teacher TM Gamini Wijeratne suggested me to join Anuradhapura Toastmasters Club. So I participated in two meetings conducted at the CSE auditorium. After that, I decided to be a member of this club. But I had to move to Gampaha for my further studies, so I postponed joining the club until 2021. As my experience in the club, since the 1st day, I saw the Toastmasters Club as a family. Each member of this club treat each other with respect, friendliness, kindness and they supported and motivate each other to develop their positivity, self-confidence, leadership skills, and organizational skills while improving public speaking skills.

And if you want to improve your soft skills, I suggest this is the right place for you.

TM Athma Ranathunga

A Marvelous Gift During my University academics, I wanted to improve my soft skills, presentation skills, and public speaking skills, etc. Then I joined with career guidance unit of Rajarata University of Sri Lanka as a student coordinator representing the Faculty of Applied Sciences. Under the guidance of Professor (Mrs) Sanjeewanie Ginigaddara. I joined the Anuradhapura Toastmasters Club. At the beginning, I joined the club meetings as a guest and I identified this as the suitable place to improve my soft skills. After that, I took membership in the Anuradhapura Toastmasters Club. So far in my Toastmaster's journey, I gained experience as a Table Topic speaker and Round-Robin Master with the guidance of our beloved late President. I was able to take part in the Humorous Speech Contest in the Anuradhapura Toastmasters club. Every moment in my Toastmaster journey is a new thing to learn. Due to the COVID-19, meetings were conducted as online meetings and there were some orientation programs for the new members in Toastmasters clubs in Sri Lanka. Through that also I gained experience in Pathways. I improved networking as a result of the Toastmaster's journey. Toastmasters Club is a marvelous gift to improve your career. So I invite members to join the Toastmasters journey.

TM Wimukthi Dhananjaya

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15 Achievements & Recognition Club Achievements during the Toastmaster Year 2021/22 (First Half)

DISTINGUISHED CLUB PROGRAMME

Home Club Division Director - Division H Mohamed Rifnaz, DTM

Excellence in Leadership Winners -Division H TM Banula Kumarage

Member Achievements during the Toastmaster Year 2021/22 (First Half)

LEVEL 02 Tharaka Amarasena, DTM, DL 2

Mohamed Rifnaz, DTM, EC 2

TM Lalani Wijesekara, DL 2

LEVEL 01 TM Asini Nisansa, PM 1 o

TM Sathan Kovintharasa,

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MS 1

TM Neville Dissanayake, PM 1

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Executive Committee - 2021/22

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: TM Sanjeewanie Ginigaddara sanjeewanieg@gmail.com Tel: 071 496 6008

VP Public Relations: TM Ama Shakya ama.shakya99@gmail.com Tel: 071 927 8809

PRESIDENT: Tharaka Amarasena, DTM tharaka@cse.lk Tel: 077 2258745

Secretary: TM Wasana Eashwara wasanaeashwara@gmail.com Tel: 071 244 7567

VP Education: TM Gamini Wijeratne wijeratnepg@gmail.com Tel: 071 647 0574

VP Membership: TM Samanthi Sudarshani samanthi261@gmail.com Tel: 071 072 0300

Treasurer: Sgt-at-Arms: TM Neville Dissanayake TM Sathan Kovintharasa nevilledisa@gmail.com sathankovintharasa@gmail.com Tel: 077 547 0465 Tel: 077 1116690

Upcoming Events

OVATION-2021

D82 SPOTLIGHT

07-08 January 2022

15th January 2022

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MEMBERS Onboard

EVENT CALENDAR

'Women Leaders' Themed Meeting

CLUB PATRON

Speech Craft Program February 2022

February 2022

Noorul Munawwara, DTM Installation Ceremony

2022

Locate Us Club Mission We provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.

Club Meetings Every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays From 5.15 PM onwards CSE Auditorium, 257/11, Main Street, Anuradhapura (Second Floor, Sarath Motors Building)

Find us on

/AnuradhapuraTMC