DEC 31, 2023
FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP
VOLUME 2
Newsletter Highlights
Kuwait Challengers Club Newsletter
CREATING A CULTURE OF INNOVATION & LEADERSHIP By Cajetan Barretto, DTM
1
Creating a Culture of Innovation & Leadership
2
A message from Club President
3
How A.I. will change the way we communicate
4
Navigating the Toastmasters Journey
5
Couples in Toastmasters. Does it work?
6
Travelling Toastmaster - Get featured in TI magazine
7
Celebrating Life
8
Half-Year Review: Our milestones & awards
When I ask any Toastmaster their primary motivation to join the organization, I invariably get the response “To become a good public speaker/communicator”. I personally joined Toastmasters because I was aware that I freeze whenever I stand in front of a large crowd. I know I am not the only one because there is a literal term that describes people like me. Glassophobia. Glossophobia is a very common phobia characterized by a strong fear of public speaking. Individuals with glossophobia may avoid speaking in public, as they typically experience fear and anxiety when speaking in front of a group of people. One of my favorite comedian Jerry Seinfeld once said: “According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy” Toastmasters International was founded by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley in 1924 with the sole purpose of helping individuals suffering from glossophobia to become effective public speakers. In his own words: "Ours is the only organization I know that is dedicated to the individual. We work together to bring out the best in each of us and then we apply our skills to help others."
Dr. Ralph C. Smedley
DEC 31, 2023
PAGE 2 How does Toastmasters club achieve the goal of building confident public speakers? After all, there are no designated trainers in the organization. As envisaged by Dr. Ralph Smedley, the senior members take up the leadership role to guide new members and work together to bring out the best in everyone. When I joined Toastmasters more than 5 years ago, the club had amazing mentors who took me under their wing and provided the mentorship and guidance to create my own journey. What started as a quest to become a good public speaker resulted in a leadership path which culminated in me getting the ‘Distinguished Toastmaster’ award; the highest award given to members that demonstrate strong communication & leadership skills.
Yes, we all want to be good public speakers. We want to stand on the podium in front of a large audience and keep them engaged with our vision. But it ultimately boils down to strong leadership skills. Strong communication goes hand in hand with strong leadership. The tag line of Toastmasters is “Where Leaders Are Made”. You join Toastmasters to become a public speaker, but leave the organization as a great public speaker and a great leader. Innovation is the key to create a strong club and retaining members till they achieve their objective. Club leaders need to constantly innovate to motivate members to deliver their speech projects and take up meeting roles. In this newsletter, we want to explore leadership in Toastmasters. Being a non-profit organization, leaders need to be sensitive to the needs of its members. The style of leadership that works in a forprofit organization does not work in Toastmasters. Leaders need to understand team-work, collaboration, and servant leadership. Our members have gone to great lengths to create this beautiful newsletter. I hope you enjoy the content and find it useful. Let’s keep innovating!
About Us Kuwait Challengers Toastmasters Club was formed in 2004.
We meet twice a month (1st and 3rd Monday) between 6
It’s original aim was to build competent public speakers
pm to 8 pm at Al-Mulla Exchange Office (2nd Floor).
within Al-Mulla organization. Over the years, Al-Mulla
Guests are welcome to join us for free to experience how
allowed non-employees to join the club while providing
members deliver prepared speeches, take part in
access to their amazing infrastructure.
impromptu speaking and learn the art of effective
We are deeply grateful to Al-Mulla for their generosity as
feedback.
part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).
We are located in the heart of Kuwait City. In fact, we are the only club that meets in the City. Use this Google Link to find us.
DEC 31, 2023
PAGE 3
A MESSAGE FROM THE CLUB PRESIDENT Toastmaster Nameti Akpan Season Greetings from all of us at Kuwait Challengers Club. It's the Yuletide season and as a club that is diverse we celebrate with Christians globally. Christmas carries a unique message- a message of celebration of love and new birth. It's been six months into this administration and I must say there is lot to celebrate. Challengers have always had a way to raise the bar and crash the glass ceiling. We have achieved five out of the ten DCP goals. Two of our members DTM Priscilla and TM Iffat Aslam completed their level one. Congratulations to our education Team led by the dutiful TM Dinesh Kumar Pal. At the risk of sounding braggaddocious, Kuwait Challengers PR team is on fire. For the first quarter (Jul-Sep 2023), the club bagged 4 PR awards: 1. Best Newsletter 2. Best Video 3. Best Motivational Posters 4. 2nd Place in Best Poster award. But guess the icing on the award cake was the PR Award of Best Poster in the Master Piece category which went to DTM Cajetan Barretto. The PowerPoint-created masterpiece stood out like a skyscraper on a street lined with bungalows Kudos to the PR team led by DTM Priscilla Dias. We had some new members align with the fold. TM Addul Aziz and TM Waleed Haroun. Indeed the family is expanding. This issue focuses on Leadership and it is a perfect fit for the season. After all, everything rises and falls on Leadership. As I learnt from most Presidents in the just concluded make up COT training, keeping members motivated is the real challenge. Kuwait Challengers is not left out. We are committed to raising the motivation bar in the coming months.Please find nuggets on Leadership and savour your visual buds with pictures of our extracurricular activities. After all we all have a life outside Toastmasters or don't we? Let's stay challenged and more connected in the new year. Above all, let us all remember that we possess an inner light that we can shine to make the world a brighter place. Let kindness and love be the reason for the season. Happy Holidays and wishing all of us a glorious 2024- as we raise a toast to a year of infinite possibilities.
The District Leadership gave a surprise visit to Kuwait Challengers during one of our regular Hybrid meeting. Seen in this picture: District Director: Mona Aloqab Program Quality Director: Yaser AlQashar Immediate Past District Director: Khalid Abdullah DTAC Chairperson: Anwar AlSehali And others..
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DEC 31, 2023
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HOW A.I. WILL CHANGE THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE
Chat-GPT brought Generative Artificial Intelligence to the masses. Now other companies have jumped on the bandwagon to leverage the power of Generative A.I. to build different products and services. When it comes to improving our communication skills, Yoodli (www.app.yoodli.ai) is an incredibly powerful app that can transcribe voice-to-text, provide objective feedback on the usage of crutch words (um, err, ah, etc.), weak words (like, so, you know), repetitive words (but, but), etc. Yoodli also provides analytics on eye contact, pacing (words per minute) and use of pauses. You can use Yoodli to prepare your next speech, work presentation or even an interview. Because it is based on the Generative AI technology, it allows you to hold a human-like conversation. To get started, go to www.app.yoodli.ai and sign-up to the service. Yoodli is free to try. At its heart, CANVA (www.canva.com) is a design tool that helps you quickly create visual content. However, CANVA started adding Generative A.I. to its tool. You can use CANVA A.I. to create new images, generate text and my person favorite, which is the “Brand Voice”. Brand Voice allows you to rephrase any content by applying the tone of the brand. You first define the brand voice in the brand kit, and use that to rephrase any text. The A.I. features of CANVA require you to subscribe to their PRO account.
WESLIDES (app.weslides.com) is a neat little web-based tool that can easily create an entire PowerPoint presentation by typing a short description of the subject, and further refined using helpful A.I. generated prompts. As the computing power keeps increasing, these tools will get better by the day. We need to learn and use them to enhance our work. As someone said: “Artificial Intelligence will not replace humans, but humans using Artificial Intelligence will replace humans who don’t use Artificial Intelligence”.
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DEC 31, 2023
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NAVIGATING THE TOASTMASTERS JOURNEY: A LEADERSHIP ODYSSEY
A visionary leader has a clear picture of where they want to take their team, organization, or community. Embarking on my Toastmasters journey in October 2018, little did I know that this path would not only refine my public speaking skills but also shape me into a dynamic leader. Today, I reflect on my transformative journey and the various leadership roles I undertook, each leaving an indelible mark on my growth. The Beginning: My journey officially commenced in 2018, and as I progressed, so did my responsibilities within the Toastmasters community. The pivotal moment arrived when I assumed the role of Club VP Education at ASSP Kuwait Toastmasters Club, marking the beginning of my leadership expedition. The Leadership Anecdote: One of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences unfolded during my tenure as Club President at ASSP Kuwait Toastmasters Club from July 2021 to June 2022. I faced the daunting task of steering the club through uncharted waters, fostering an environment of growth, collaboration, and learning. One incident stands out as a testament to the leadership lessons I imbibed.
Continued Leadership: As the journey unfolded, my leadership roles evolved, ranging from Club Treasurer at Kuwait Challengers Club to Club President and VP Education. Each position presented distinct challenges, from financial stewardship to fostering a culture of continuous learning. Conclusion: In the realm of Toastmasters, where words mold leaders, my journey has been a testament to the transformative power of effective leadership. From reviving a struggling club to winning accolades as an Area Director, every experience has contributed to my growth as a communicator, leader, and motivator. As I continue my tenure as Club VP Education at Kuwait Challengers Club from July 2023 to June 2024, I carry with me the lessons learned, the bonds forged, and the indomitable spirit that defines the Toastmasters community. The journey has been challenging, yet immensely rewarding, solidifying my belief that true leadership is not just about guiding others but inspiring them to reach heights they never thought possible.
In the face of a membership dip and dwindling meeting attendance, I rallied the team, introducing innovative meeting formats and engagement strategies. I vividly remember a session where members shared personal stories, breaking down barriers and fostering a sense of community. This not only revitalized the club spirit but also increased participation and enthusiasm, laying the foundation for future success. District Leadership: Elevating my commitment, I took on the role of District 0020 Area Director from July 2021 to June 2022. This phase tested my ability to manage multiple clubs, each with its unique dynamics. The challenges were numerous, but so were the opportunities for growth. Winning the Area Director of the Year award was a humbling acknowledgment of the collective efforts put in by the entire team.
AREA DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR 2021-2022
DEC 31, 2023
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COUPLES IN TOASTMASTERS Does it Work? PRISCILLA DIAS, Distinguished Toastmaster
Are you crazy? I talk enough at home, why do I need to go to a toastmasters’ meeting to talk? My words when Cajetan, my husband asked me to accompany him to a toastmasters’ meeting in Sept 2017. Nevertheless, I went with him to the meeting and watched what was happening with my heart pounding. And why was that? Because I had come to realize that my biggest fear was public speaking. Cajetan spent the next two weeks coxing me into joining toastmasters. He asked me to look at it as part of our couple goals. We would go to the gym together; we were part of the Couples for Christ and now we could be Couples in Toastmasters. Reluctantly, I attended the next two meetings at Kuwait Challengers Club and finally gave into the “couple goal” bait. Does it work? Well, if we can spend a Monday evening driving to the venue, discussing how we can improve our speaking skills, mentor each other; and on our way home we can evaluate speeches and conduct a general evaluation of the entire meeting; then we are building our relationship. Remember, communication is important in any relationship. Not just Monday evening but every meeting we head to together is time spent together.
Cajetan & Priscilla with their Triple Crown Award - 2018
Does it work? Completing our Competent Communication and Leadership Manuals we have come to enjoy this beautiful journey we started together. Presenting Club Officer Training, Pathways Workshop, Livestreaming WCPS and Chairing Toastmaster events gives us the thrills. We were the first couple in District 20 to win the Triple Crown Award together in 2018. What followed was Cajetan diving into leadership roles and I took to communication. Does it work? Steadily we helped each other perform district roles, conduct HPL projects, Mega Speechcraft, Sponsor and Mentor clubs; and earned the coveted Distinguished Toastmasters’ title. Our couple goal in toastmasters has been nothing short of living our marriage vows. Cajetan has been my rock of Gibraltar, encouraging me to compete at contest and mentoring me for the big win at DTAC. On the other hand, I support him at his workshops and trainings in Toastmasters. Does it work? Yes it works!!!! As a couple all that matters to us is to see the other grow and shine. Toastmasters has offered us this opportunity and we are so grateful we are in it together.If you don’t believe me, ask DTM Alka and DTM Kapil Kumra, ask DTM Premugh and DTM Sheeba, ask DTM Rajshekhar and DTM Rohini. We will all tell you how couples in toastmasters works like Magic!!! We have just one goal in mind, to see our better half SHINE.
Priscilla & Cajetan @DTAC Bahrain 2023
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DEC 31, 2023
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TRAVELLING TOASTMASTERS Get Featured in Toastmasters Magazine
Every month, Toastmasters International publishes its magazine featuring great stories on communication and leadership. One section of the magazine is dedicated to “Travelling Toastmasters”. It’s an opportunity for any member to take a photo during their travels showcasing something about Toastmasters. Most choose to carry a Toastmasters Magazine along with them and take pictures of iconic sites, while others may go for more creative approach such as wearing a Toastmasters branded t-shirt or hoodie (available for online shopping at: https://www.toastmasters.org/shop For example, our member Distinguished Toastmaster went to great depths (literally), when he laminated the magazine cover and took it down 30 meters in the Red Sea to get the photo showcased in the June 2019 issue (see right) Last year, Toastmasters International went digital, which means the printed version of the magazine is no longer available to carry with you during your travels. Some choose to display the Toastmasters website on their mobiles or tablets when they pose and take their photos. Next time you are travelling, try to capture a photo/selfie showcasing the Toastmasters brand and get yourself featured in the magazine.
Toastmasters Magazine Issue, June 2019
Once you have shot and edited your image, follow these steps: 1. Send an email to magazine@toastmasters.org and attach your image. 2. In the Subject of the email, mention “Submission for Travelling Toastmasters” 3. Make sure you provide your full details (Name, TI number, Club and your Country of residence.) 4. Provide details about the location where the photo was captured. It may take a few months for the photo to appear in the magazine as it will get queued with other submissions. Have patience. Featuring in the magazine is great publicity for Cajetan & Priscilla posing with the Toastmasters magazine @ Loch Ness (Scotland), the
the club.
alleged residence of the Loch Ness Monster (Nessie)
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DEC 31, 2023
PAGE 8
Celebrating Life
Kuwait Challengers share their personal moments enjoying life to the fullest. Toastmaster Arqam Bilal with his fur babies. We live in a double income household to humans with no kid, our names is the wifi password, we don't pay rent, and we are given free food and treats for existing..
Club President Nameti Akpan having a great time at Nuet Lounge grand opening in the City of Uyo, Nigeria.
Toastmaster Achini Ishara with her Tiger
Secret Santa visited Toastmaster Narendra Lad with an awesome gift.
Distinguished Toastmaster Lamia with her friend Sally.
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DEC 31, 2023
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HALF-YEAR REVIEW Our Milestones & Awards Kuwait Challengers maintains vibrant social media channels that are regularly updated with our active PR team. This dedication to create quality content has resulted in several PR awards as shown below. Kudos to the PR team. We are sure they will bag many more awards during the current Toastmaster year.
Besides the PR awards, the leadership team is also working actively to achieve the DCP (Distinguished Club Program) goals for the year. The DCP focuses on education, new members, club officers training and proper administration of the club. As of December 2023, Kuwait Challengers have already secured 5 goals out of 10. The focus for the next 6 months is to ensure the remaining 5 goals are achieved which will ensure the club will end the year as ‘President Distinguished’. We are confident that all club officers and club members will work together as a team to develop self and the club.
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DEC 31, 2023
PAGE 10
LEADERSHIP TEAM NAMETI AKPAN, TM Club President
Passionate Educator, a safe spaces advocate and transformational leader. He is an alumnus of the Ubuntu Leaders Academy
DINESH K PAL, TM
DIMUTHU ETHUGALA, TM
Vice-President Education
Vice-President Membership
A natural leader in his profession, loves to help others. and passionate about his work which helps bring his very best to the role.
Entreprenuer and founder of Crevaty Financial Services. Dimuthu loves public speaking and building the next generation leaders.
PRISCILLA DIAS, DTM
JAMALUDDIN SHAIK, TM
Vice-President Public Relations
Club Secretary
The creative force behind Kuwait Challengers Club. A cake artist by profession, Priscilla is a champion in public speaking and evaluation.
Jamaluddin has served multiple leadership roles in Toastmasters. He is currently serving as Area 19 Director.
CAJETAN BARRETTO, DTM
IFFAT ASLAM, TM
Treasurer
Sergeant-At-Arms
Certified trainer, content creator, behavioral assessor and a tech enthusiast. YouTube: @TechForToastmasters
Iffat is taking up her first leadership role in Toastmasters.
CALL/TEXT +965 50408951
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DEC 31, 2023
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OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS We are active on multiple social media channels. Check us out!
YouTube
Kuwait Challengers We regularly upload our club meeting highlights, educational workshops, and Toastmasters related training videos on our YouTube channel.
Kuwait Challengers You will find useful content on public speaking and leadership on our LinkedIn page, along with details of our upcoming meetings and special events.
Instagram @kwchallengers
This is where we showcase our club members and their achievements to our 3,000+ followers.
Facebook Kuwait Challengers
Join our Facebook page to get all the updates, news, and keep up with upcoming events and meetings.
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DEC 31, 2023
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READY TO JOIN? Reach out to our Vice-President (Membership) and fill out the application form. Our annual fee is just KD 40/-. You get access to the best education content on public speaking and leadership building skills; plus a club of experienced Toastmasters who are committed to supporting you every step of the way.
CALL/TEXT +965 50408951
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