The awakener vol 1 issue 2 jan march

THE AWAKENER

Success is Yours

Volume 1 Issue 2 #03598897 AWAKENING TOASTMASTERS DISTRICT 82 DIVISION C, AREA 4

January–March 2014 Executive Committee 2013/2014 President TM Muhammed Sheikh Ahmed president@awakeningtm.org

VP Education TM Kamil Hussain vpedu@awakeningtm.org

VP Membership TM Assaf Ijlan vpmem@awakeningtm.org

VP Public Relations TM Ismat Shahabdeen vppr@awakeningtm.org

Secretary TM Fairooz Marikar secretary@awakeningtm.org

Treasurer TM Ahamed Bary treasurer@awakeningtm.org

INSIDE THIS EDITION President's Vision .............................................................................................. 2 From the Editor's Desk ...................................................................................... 3 Message from Past International Director......................................................... 4 Induction Ceremony of New Members.............................................................. 5 Maiden Club Contest ......................................................................................... 6

Sergeant - At - Arms

Area Contest ..................................................................................................... 7

TM Ikram Muhseen sgtatarms@awakeningtm.org

Officers Training Program ................................................................................. 8

Editors TM Ismat Shahabdeen (VPPR) vppr@awakeningtm.org TM Zameel Amjed zameelamjed@yahoo.com TM Ishfaaq Uwaim ishfaaqu@gmail.com

Webmaster TM Ahamed Shaheer admin@awakeningtm.org

Contact Information No 140/3, WA Silva Mawatha Colombo 06 Sri Lanka. www.awakeningtm.org info@awakeningtm.org

Distinguished Club Points .................................................................................. 9 Highlights .......................................................................................................... 10 Events Calendar ................................................................................................ 11 Educational Corner............................................................................................ 12 Success Story..................................................................................................... 13

President’s Vision

Striving Towards Excellence

It

has been a great journey

since the day we Chartered the Club with outstanding accomplishments as a team and individually.

We just couldn’t ask for a better transformation which we see in each and every member.

It was my pledge to steer The Awakening Toastmasters to be recognized as a “Distinguished Club” in our charter year of gaining five DCP points. Yet, with the enthusiasm, perseverance and the willingness of our Awakening members left me no choice, but to proceed further. I guess this is how impossibilities are made realities.

It now appears, obtaining the “Select Distinguished Club” is within reach and we are striving towards achieving it.

The endeavour towards improving ourselves while assisting others is very important, especially when it involves teamwork. It is through team effort and commitment that higher standards can be met in our pursuit for excellence.

“There are no secrets to success, it is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure” – Collin Powel.

A Ac cq qu uiirre e W W iissd do om m A An nd d K Kn no ow wlle ed dg ge e E E rra ad diic ca attiin ng g N Ne errvvo ou ussn ne essss w wh hiille e II n nssp piirriin ng g N No ovve ellttiie ess G Ga allo orre e

THE AWAKENER

MESSAGES…

“Giving up is not an option - but, pursuing against all odds to reach our goals is the solution” I believe in the three P’s for success, Planning, Preparation and Procedure. Yet, we may encounter obstacles in our journey towards excellence. No matter what they are, giving up is not an option - but, pursuing against all odds to reach our goals is the solution.

Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.

TM Muhammed Sheikh Ahmed President, Awakening Toastmasters

"Knowledge inspires selfconfidence, and knowledge plus confidence will overcome fear of the audience" -Ralph C. Smedley 2 WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE

From the Editor’s Desk

The one thing that will define ‘The Awakener’ newsletter of the Awakening Toastmasters, will be the consistent persuasion of its members to reach its true meaning of “Acquire, Wisdom, And Knowledge, Eradicating Nervousness while Inspiring Novelties Galore”.

Our achievements in its infancy so far in four months from being a Charter Club are commendable. The dynamism of the President which propelled its members into action is noteworthy.

Tangible results were seen in speaking skills of many members, testimonies of which are in the Success Story section of the newsletter. The current issue focuses on the President’s vision – “Strive Towards Excellence” and teamwork, inspiring the members to reach greater heights.

In this newsletter, we carry an excellent message from the Immediate Past International Director - Region 13, which is timely for a Charter Club such as ours. A far reaching message, with a wide array of input on the salient features to be pursued by members and clubs in general. It is truly a platform for many toastmasters in their pursuit.

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

THE AWAKENER

MESSAGES…

We welcome our new members and wish them the Very Best in their pursuit.

Congratulations to Winners of the Club Contest and Area Contest. An excellent performance, Keep it up!!.

Editor-in-Chief TM Ismat Shahabdeen Vice-President Public Relations Contact Email : vppr@awakeningtm.org Contact Number : +94 11 722810144

COMMUNICATION TRACK

Competent Communicator

Advanced Communicator Bronze

Advanced Communicator Silver

Advanced Communicator Gold

Distinguished Toastmaster

New Member

Competent Leader

Advanced Leader Bronze

Advanced Leader Silver

3 LEADERSHIP TRACK

WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE

Message from Past International Director

Dear members of

Awakening Toastmasters Club.

I wish to congratulate all Charter Members for coming together and forming the Awakening Toastmasters Club; a significant step made towards shaping and developing your future.

My experience with all of you at your charter installation ceremony proved your commitment to learn and grow through the Toastmasters program.

“Your journey in Toastmasters has just begun and there is a whole world of opportunities waiting to be discovered” Toastmasters International is undoubtedly a leading organization in the world committed to developing individuals such as you, in both Communication and Leadership. In today’s world and most importantly in time to come, one cannot effectively contribute to the betterment of mankind without these essential skills.

Leadership requires effective communication and effe-

ctive communication leaders to lead better.

helps

Toastmasters provide you the ideal platform to simultaneously develop both these essential interlinked skills of communication and leadership in a friendly and enjoyable environment.

Your journey in Toastmasters has just begun and there is a whole world of opportunities waiting to be discovered. The Leadership track provides you endless opportunities to develop the skills you need today to get ahead in today’s challenging world. Communications track provides the skills you need to communicate effectively with your family, employees, employer, social gatherings and much more. However, we need to remember that gaining these skills will depend on how well and to what extent we get involved in the Toastmasters program.

As a member, you are now not only a part of your club but you belong to an international organization that comprises of thousands of members from all over the world.

The benefits and growth that you gain from the Toastmasters program will not only depend on the completion of your projects, but also on how well you connect with other Toastmasters outside your club, area, division, district and the region.

WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE

In Toastmasters, you have friends that you are yet to meet. These friends will make your journey in Toastmasters a wonderful and rewarding one.

The upcoming International Convention in Malaysia is another great opportunity to make friends from countries across the world. You will also be connected to the bigger picture of the Toastmasters philosophy.

THE AWAKENER

MESSAGES…

DTM Balraj Arunasalam at the Installation ceremony

Once again, I wish to convey my best wishes and support to the Awakening Toastmasters Club and its members on a journey of excellence that you have commenced.

With Warm Regards,

Balraj Arunasalam, DTM 2011-2013 International Director, Candidate for Second Vice President- 2014, Toastmasters International.

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Induction Ceremony of New Members The mission of the Toastmasters club is to empower its community with communication and leadership skills to gain confidence and personal growth. In this mission, Toastmasters of a club must always persuade the community to join the club.

Awakening Toastmasters in this endeavour initiated a drive to increase the membership and was able to induct new members on the 15th February at the induction ceremony held at Queen’s Café, Mount Lavinia. The new members were inducted by Division C, Governor Mr Imtiyaz Marikar, and we extend our sincere appreciation to him.

A steady growth in membership is much anticipated for a new club like ours to strive forward and to ensure succession of the executive members. Also, new members are the power boosters of any clubs.

Having a large number of members is an indication of the maturity of a club, and facilitates to widen up its parameters beyond the community.

Congratulations to the new members namely,  Zainudeen Gaddafi Ismail  Dr.Ahmed Rushdhi Alher  Mohamed Imran Musheen  Ahmed Nuski Muheeth  Rizwan Ali Mahmood.

THE AWAKENER

INDUCTION CEREMONY

We warmly Welcome You, and Wish You the Very Best for your future endeavours.

The induction of new members

“Together we make it happen” Division C, Governor TM Imtiyaz Marikar inducts new members to the Awakening Family

WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE

5

Maiden Club Contest Congratulations!!! to all the members who won at the club contest at our first International Speech Contest and the Table Topics Contest which was held Sunday 23rd Feb ’14 at the Queens Café, Mt. Lavinia.

There were six contestants for the International Speech and five contestants for the Table Topics. The Contest Chairs were TM Assaf Ijlan and TM Ishfaaq Uvaim respectively.

In the International Speech contest the winner was TM Fairooz Marikar, the 1st runner up TM Muhammad Sheikh Ahmed and the 2nd runner up TM Kamil Hussain.

The winner of the Table Topics contest was TM Mueen Saheed, the 1st runner up TM Kamil Hussain and 2nd runner up TM Ismat Shahabdeen.

The Contest Chairs take this opportunity to thank for the leadership support and guidance by our President

which led to planning the event meticulously and for a successful completion followed by a delicious lunch.

Let us again convey our congratulations to all the contestants and role players who did an excellent job and made Awakening Toastmasters Club, a club to be reckoned with.

THE AWAKENER

CLUB CONTEST

The club was privileged to have the Division C, Governor TM Imtiyaz Marikar as the Chief Judge who cordially accepted the invitation extended.

The contest proceeded like clockwork with all the contestants giving their best and all the role players doing their utmost. But, alas! For a contest there needs to be winners and rankings.

6 WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE

With three of our contestants winning three out of six available positions, We are confident of going further lengths to win

International Speech Winners Winner

Shafraz Refai

Braybrooke Toastmasters Club

1st Runner up

Dirk Classen

Hemas Toastmasters Club

2nd Runner up

Muhammed Sheikh Ahmed

Awakening Toastmasters

Table Topics Winners Winner

Kamil Hussain

Awakening Toastmasters

1st Runner up

Dirk Classen

Hemas Toastmasters Club

2nd Runner up

Mueen Saheed

Awakening Toastmasters

THE AWAKENER

AREA CONTEST

7 WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE

THE AWAKENER

OFFICERS TRAINING PROGRAM

8 WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE

3598897 Awakening Toastmasters Membership

Club Alignment Region

13 District

Base

To Date

21

26

Goals Goals Met

3 Distinguished

Required

82 C Area

04

5

20

Select Distinguished

20 members or a net growth of 5 new members

President's Distinguished

Division

7 9

THE AWAKENER

DISTINGUISHED CLUB POINTS

Chartered 8th November 2013 Goals to Achieve

Goal

To Date

Status

1

Competent Communicator (CC) awards

2

0

2 CCs needed

2

More Competent Communicator (CC) awards

2

0

2 CCs needed

3

Advanced Communicator (ACB, ACS, ACG) awards

1

0

1 AC needed

More Advanced Communicator (ACB, ACS, ACG)

1

0

1 AC needed

4

awards

5

Leadership Awards (CL, ALB, ALS) or Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award

1

0

1 CL needed

6

More CL, ALB, ALS, or DTM award

1

0

1 CL needed

7

New members

4

4

8

More new members

4

1

Club officers trained June-August

4 4

0 7

Y Y

1 1

9

Club officers trained December-February Membership-renewal dues on time 10

Club officer list on time

3 New Members needed

9 WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE

THE AWAKENER

HIGHLIGHTS

TM Mubarak Mansoor, Winner of "Head of The Biera (Junior) Regatta-2014" rowing toward the victory line manifesting teamwork and collaboration skills.

Master Blaster, Sanath Jayasuriya in a friendly discussion with TM Ahmed Bary

WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE

10

Events Calendar 2014 January 2014

26th

All 7 Executive Committee Members attended the OTP held at Queen’s Cafe, Mount Lavinia.

February 2014

15th

Induction Ceremony of New Members held at Queen’s Cafe, Mount Lavinia.

23rd

Club Contest held at Queen’s Cafe, Mount Lavinia.

THE AWAKENER

EVENTS CALENDAR

March 2014

07th

Area Contest held at Pricewaterhousecoopers Colombo.

24th

Club Newsletter January - March 2014 released.

April 2014

6th

National Conference at Grand Monarch, Thalawathugoda.

Division Contest at Grand Monarch, Thalawathugoda.

May 2014

23, 24 & 25th

Ovation 2014 in Goa, India.

“Public Speaking is an art of communication; you can surmount your emotions to flow liberally” 11 WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE

Leadership Tips from Toastmasters International While it’s true that motivating people involves more than just changing the way you speak, here are some guidelines you can follow to help build team motivation with only your words and your voice:

5.Keep it simple People aren’t motivated by what you say; they’re motivated by what they understand. The best way to ensure audience understanding is to break down complex ideas into simple components.

2. Use quotes, stories and anecdotes Along with their obvious entertainment value, quotes and stories can lend authority to your topic and provide concrete examples that people can relate to.

3. Speak with confidence Deliver your message loud and clear. Maintain eye contact with your listeners.

Don’t mumble or slouch.

4.Say you and we, not I and me Instead of telling people what you want them to do, present ways for them to work together to achieve their goals. Involve listeners in the success of the group.

Each club has a different personality – you may wish to visit more than one. Use the ‘Find a Club’ tool on the Toastmasters website to find meetings near you: http://reports.toastmas ters.org/findaclub Source : Toastmasters International Website

1. Be enthusiastic.

Enthusiasm is contagious!

Before you present your ideas, think about the aspects of the Subject that you find the most interesting, and don’t be afraid to let that interest come through in your voice.

Visit a local Toastmasters meeting!

THE AWAKENER

EDUCATIONAL CORNER

How to be a better leader Tips from Toastmasters International

WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE

12

RE-DISCOVER YOURSELF

toastmasters and the evaluators did not see as such.

I have been under the impression that I am not a person who could face an audience and speak in public.

I have been hanging on to this claim for so long until I was introduced to Awakening Toastmasters and installed as a member in November last year.

There I am, thanks for Toastmasters, I am on my steady path in successfully completing the requirements of the Competent Communication Manual and Competent Leadership Manual and gaining confidence without me knowing that it is happening.

Success Story (2)

To give an insight to my background, I studied in an International School for my primary education, thereafter pursued a professional examination and ended up with an MBA from a UK University. After college and whilst in employment in a leading institution, I was able to rise to senior executive positions in quick succession and acquired entrepreneurship skills which later helped me to set up my own business.

As a result of my own experience, I strongly recommend to any person whatever the age may be, to embark on toastmasters regardless of any personal notions or aspirations, as until one joins and starts he or she will not realise the immense benefit that Toastmasters offer.

THE AWAKENER

SUCCESS STORY

TM Ahmed Bary

“Eliminate your fear factor by facing it”

Right along my perception on speaking skills remained negative. Awakening Toastmasters put me in the correct perspective by eradicating this pre-conceived notion.

How did it happen!!!. I was put to test at the regular meetings; initially round robin, self introduction, table topics and the like. I didn’t realise that I walked the test with ease, and the evaluators gave positive feedback erasing the notion I had on public speaking. I thought I was a nervous person in front of an audience, but my fellow

WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE

TM Ahmed Bary delivering a speech at the Club Contest

13

Meetings held at:

Queen’s Cafe No 198, Galle Road, Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka.

Meeting Time:

9:00AM Every Saturday

Club #03598897 Awakening Toastmasters No 140/3, WA Silva Mawatha, Colombo 06, Sri Lanka www.awakeningtm.org info@awakeningtm.org

T HE AWA KENE R

MEETING DATES AND VENUE

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