Kuwait Challenges Newsletter Mar 2024

Jan - Mar 2024

KUWAIT CHALLENGERS TOASTMASTERS CLUB

WHERE PROGRESS IS INEVITABLE

ABOUT US

Kuwait Challengers Toastmasters Club is affiliated with Toastmasters International, a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, the organization's membership is approximately 280,000 in more than 14,700 clubs in 144 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders.

WHATDOWE

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Memberspractic preparedaswell speechesandrec

MESSAGE FROM CLUB PRESIDENT

Jan - Mar 2024

"If you get all there is to get out of Toastmasters, you will never get out of Toastmasters." - Ralph Smedley. This profound statement resonates deeply within me as I reflect on my transformative journey within our Kuwait Toastmasters club I vividly recall a time when I stumbled and fumbled during a speech, feeling defeated and uncertain. It was in that moment of vulnerability that the unwavering support and constructive feedback from mentors and fellow members became my guiding light.

I also want to take this moment to express my heartfelt appreciation to all the members who have renewed their membership for the season and are in good standing Your commitment to personal growth and dedication to the Toastmasters journey are truly commendable. Your presence enriches our club and creates a supportive environment for all members to thrive

I also want to take this moment to congratulate our club members especially new members and first time contestants TM Iffat Aslam and TM Youself Al Essa, and leaders for their remarkable strides, bringing back laurels in the Toastmasters contests The dedication and hard work of our PR Team have been exceptional, showcasing their talent through excellent designs and creativity. Together, we have created a vibrant and supportive community that fosters growth and success.

Additionally, I would like to commend the efforts of our Membership Team for their hard work in ensuring a seamless renewal process and for their continuous support in welcoming new members to our club Their dedication and passion for fostering a welcoming and inclusive community are instrumental in creating a space where members can learn, grow, and succeed.

As we continue on this journey of self-improvement and empowerment, let us remember the words of Mike Carr, "The victory is in the trial" Each challenge we face, each speech we deliver, and each mentorship we offer is a testament to our commitment to personal growth and excellence. Let us celebrate our achievements, learn from our setbacks, and embrace the transformative power of Toastmasters as we strive to become the best versions of ourselves.

MESSAGE FROM CLUB VICE PRESIDENT EDUCATION

As we stride through the third quarter of the toastmasters year, it brings me immense pleasure to reflect upon the remarkable progress we've made as a club I am thrilled to announce that Kuwait ChallengersToastmastersClubhasnotonlyperseveredbutexcelled,achievingsixoutoftengoalsset forthbyToastmastersInternational,thusattainingtheprestigiousstatusofaDistinguishedClub. Thisaccomplishmentisatestamenttothededication,enthusiasm,andhardworkofeachmemberof ourclub.Ourcommitmenttopersonalandprofessionaldevelopmenthaspropelledusforwardonour journey towards excellence. Together, we have created a supportive environment where individuals cangrow,learn,andrefinetheircommunicationandleadershipskills.

As Vice President of Education, I am immensely proud of the strides we have made in fostering an atmosphereofcontinuousimprovement.Ourmembershaveactivelyparticipatedinmeetings,taken on leadership roles, and delivered inspiring speeches, all contributing to the vibrant tapestry of our club.

Lookingahead,letuscontinuetobuilduponoursuccessesandstriveforevengreaterheights.Letus embracenewchallenges,supportoneanother,andremainsteadfastinourcommitmenttopersonal growth and development. Together, there is no limit to what we can achieve. I extend my heartfelt gratitudetoeachandeveryoneofyouforyourunwaveringdedicationandcontributionstoourclub's success Letuscontinuetoinspire,empower,andupliftoneanother

Here'stoaquarterfilledwithgrowth,learning,andcountlessopportunitiesforadvancement.

Welcome New Members WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

TMWaleedHaroun

Brother of our club member TM Shady Haroun, Waleed attended our meetings as a guest and immediately recognised the benefits of being a toastmaster.

TMReemAlMashaan

TMYousefAlEssa

TM Yousef also contested in the Table Topics Contest at Area 21 Annual Speech Contest and won 2nd Place.

The new addition, a young couple, TM Reem Al Mashaan and TM Yousef Al Essa adding vitality to the club.

THE POWER OF CONTESTS

TMIffatAslam

Mentor: TM Iffat you must participate in the upcoming contests.

Me:

Jan - Mar 2024

InitiallyIwasreluctanttoparticipateinthecontests,butmymentorexplainedtomethebenefitsof takingpartinacontest.

Fairlynewtotoastmasters,Iwasatlevel1,project4,feedback&evaluation Mymentorsuggestedi prepare a humorous speech, deliver it, receive feedback, apply the feedback and deliver it again, thenapplythefeedbackireceivethesecondtimeandthentakeittothecontest.Andsoididthat...

Mymentorstressedonthefactthatparticipatingincontestswouldchangemyentireperspectiveof deliveringspeeches Firstiwouldbecompetingwithmyself,ensuringmyspeechisbetterthanthe oneidelivered7mins.ago.Second,Iwouldbegoingbeyondmyclubtocompetewithtoastmasters fromotherclubs,areas,divisionsandfinallythedistrict.

So I participated and I am so ecstatic that I did and I can say that it was a worthwhile learning experience for me. Contests provided me a better and clearer understanding of myself and allowed me to put to test my abilities.

I also realized the efforts put in to make that one contest happen It was not just about the contestants but also about the judges, contest chairs, timers, IT coordinators, area and district officials, PR team and many more toastmasters. They all put on hold their personal and official

Thanks to the Toastmaster’s fraternity for providing me the best of the best platform. I am evolving!!!

NO RISK NO REWARDS

Jan - Mar 2024

Thezoom break-outroomwasasquietasnightfallinSoweto.Weexchangedfurtiveglancesfromtime totime Thethreeofus,onlinecontestants,werejoininginfromdifferentcontinents,allthankstothe Pandemic. The 2023, District 20 contest had provisions for online and in-person participation, hence wecouldjoinfromthecomfortofourlivingrooms,study,bedroomsorofficeasthecasemaybe.My heartbeat raced faster as each contestant was prompted to leave the room by assigned sergeant-atarms,-anelegant,fairlybutteredladythatmonitoredeverymotionwemadeensuringthatwewere notprivytowhathappenedatthelivegathering

Mystreamofwanderingthoughtswasinterrupted byherhusky,politeandpleasantvoice."Contestant number eight, you may now leave the break-out room. She spoke calmly yet authoritatively. As I tappedtheleavebreak-outroomicononthezoomscreen,Imutteredasilentprayer."Lordpleasehelp me, let my internet connection not waiver" Amen. The routine audio and video check was a smooth andseamless,mydeviceswerecooperating.Ifelttheuniversealigninmyfavouras thecrisp,vibrant andvelvetyvoiceofthecontestchairpoppedthecontest question

"ToastmasterNametiAkpan, thegrassisgreenerwhereyouwaterit.Thegrassisgreenerwhereyou waterit.ToastmasterNametiAkpan."

The long deep breath I took as I tuned into my intuition synchronized with the ensuing pin-drop silence. And then , after about five seconds intentional pause, I gave what turned out to be the winningspeechoftheContest.

Truth is, in that moment as those words formed in my inner self and flowed through my vocal chambers, I felt a surge of inspiration, a rush of confidence with every passing second A flame of enthusiasm floodedmysoulasIclimaxedmydelivery.It wasatestamenttohowfarIwaswillingto growintheartofspeakingextemporaneouslyandhowmuchcourageIfoundtotrustinmymentors. Icouldneverimaginethefame,prominenceandshinethatcamewithjust twominutesofspeakingoff thecuff.

AndimmediatelyIwasdone,atextmessage poppedupinmyphone Itread"Nameti youspokewell, Ihopeyouwin."Ineverknewwhosenttillafterthecontest.

Such is the power, potential and prowess that comes with learning to think and speak on your feet. With the support of members and push from mentors, I had outdone my self. And I learnt the greatest lesson of my life" there are no mistakes, only opportunities. Kuwait Challengers Club is a club of opportunities.

TMNametiAkpan

THE MAGIC OF TABLE TOPICS

“A flower blossoms after the harsh winter, so do you.”

Friday8thMarch2024,thetabletopicscontestchairreadthetabletopictwice,“aflower blossomsaftertheharshwinter,sodoyou.”

Jan - Mar 2024

Takingamomentandrecollectingmythoughts,composed,Iconfidentlytookthecontest chair, fellow toastmasters, esteemed judges and guest back to the spring & summer of grade3whenIwasmovedtograde4withthehelpofgracemarks. Grade4teacherwas myauntPhilomenaRoxburghwhotookmebacktoKindergartenclassandintroducedme tothebasics“phonics”,andalsotaughtmefractionscuttingintoacakeshehadbaked. SheprovidedmethefoundationandnurturedmyunderstandingoftheEnglishlanguage and Math during the summer month of May, to qualify me for grade 4. With the right foundation she nurtured me to BLOSSOM. That year I did not only get good grades but wasawardedcertificatesforexcellenceingeography,historyandHindi.

Iconcludedsayingitdoesnotmatterwhetheritisspring,summerorthemonsoons,ifthe foundation(basics)andnurturingisrightanyonecanblossom.

Thanks to my aunt, if not for her, I would have struggled to graduate from school and woulddefinitelynotmakeittothetoastmastersconteststage. Thistabletopicfetched methesecondplaceatthecontest.

The magic of table topics is that in just about 2 minutes one can bring to mind how the topic relates to your life and open up that folded corner of success, affirmations, growth, learnings, wisdom or even failures, rejections, storms and grief in life. that now weave a beautiful story of its own, that brings about acceptance, healing and gratitude.

Thanks to Table Topics we can express ourselves!!!

PriscillaDias,DTM

AREA 21 & DIVISION F CONTEST

Area 21 contest

Jan - Mar 2024

KuwaitChallengerscongratulatesandcelebratestheamazingperformanceofthemembers attheArea21contestheldon17thFebruary2024. All5memberswhoparticipatedinthe contestcamebackwithtrophiesandcertificates.

PriscillaBarrettowasawardedtheAreaChampioninbotheventssheparticipated (InternationalSpeechContestandTableTopics)

NametiAkpanwasawardedtheAreaChampionintheonlycategoryheparticipated (EvaluationSpeechContest)

YousefAlEssadidabrilliantjobtowalkawaywiththe2ndplacetrophyinTableTopics afterbeingaToastmasterforlessthan2months!

DineshKumarPalwasawardedtherunners-upinHumorousspeechcontest.

IffatAslamcontestingforthefirsttime,wonthesecondrunner-upin2categories (EvaluationSpeechContestandHumorousSpeechContest).

Abigroundofapplauseforallthewinners.

Division F contest

Congratulationstoourmembers,for takinghome4trophiesattheDivisionF contestheldon8thMarch.

PriscillaBarretto,2ndplaceinTable

TopicsandInternationalSpeech contest.

DineshKumarPal,2ndplacein

Humorousspeechcontest.

NametiAkpan,2ndplaceinEvaluation speechcontest.

Welldoneteam.Keeponimproving.

Winnings at Area 21 Contest 2023-24

HOW HAS TOASTMASTERS BENEFITTED YOU?

Toastmaster helped me improve my communication & leadership skill and enhance personal & professional life & become a speaker.

I was able to build social connections with people from different countries and gain an understanding of how to deliver a story in a way that the audience feels.

I transformed from a timid to a confident speaker.

Toastmasters has made me a confident communicator and a pragmatic leader.

Helped me to become more confident, a leader, communicator, and public speaker, a certified trainer for soft and hard skills

In toastmasters I learned how to extract new talents I didn’t know existed in me.

TM Achini

Lamia Salman, DTM

TM Nameti Akpan

TM Iffat Alsam

TM Waleed Haroun

TM Narendra Lad

CELEBRATING LIFE!!

TMDimuthuEthugala,(VicePresidentMembership-KuwaitChallengersClub) usinghisToastmasterskillstokeepaudiencerivetedduringhisaddress;asthe outgoingPresidentofCharteredAssociation,Srilanka(KuwaitChapter).

TM Waleed Haroun on the release of his book.

TMWaleedHarounreleasedhisbookatthe CairobookfairinJan,2024.

Thenovelistitled“Insomniaandalotof dead. Harouncraftsasuspensefuljourney thatcaptivatesandsurprisesoneuntilthe veryend.

Thenovelispublishedby“Ibiidipublishing” housewhichparticipatesinInternational BookfairslikeMuscatbookfairinFeb,2024.

KuwaitChallengersClubis proudwehavea writerwhoisalsoacharismaticspeaker.

SAVE THE DATES

500thMeeting? Yes500thmeeting.

Kuwait Challengers has come a long way with its moments of triumphsandchallenges.

Chartered on 29th May 2002, we are grateful to the founders of KuwaitChallengersClubandallthememberswhojoinedtheclub withanaimtoimprovetheircommunicationandleadershipskills.

We are gearing for our 500th meeting as we clock towards our 22ndanniversary.

20

500TH MEETING MAY 2024

29 22ND ANNIVERSARY MAY 2024

PR AWARDS

"Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing."

– John D. Rockefeller

GUEST TOASTMASTERS SUPPORT

AwordofappreciationtoourguestToastmasters. ThankyoufortheenthusiasmandvalueyoubringtoourmeetingsatKuwaitChallengers Club.

JohnJoseph,DTM ex-KuwaitChallengerand clubmentor.

TMAseelofDesertPioneersClub supportingourclubwiththeGErole.

TM Suhaan Abdul Munaf from Desert PioneersClubconstructivelyevaluating ournewmember’sspeech.

TM Jyothi Thomas, from across the globe supportingourmeetingasagrammarian.

SOON TO BE TOASTMASTERS

HatsofftooutenthusiasticguestattemptingTableTopics,takingtheirfirststepin PublicSpeaking.

“It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”

Mark Twain.

GLIMPSES FROM OUR MEETINGS

"We learn best in moments of enjoyment"

- Ralph C. Smedley

PATHWAYS EDUCATION

Jan - Mar 2024

PROGRAM

PATHWAYS

EDUCATIONPROGRAM

ThePathwayslearningexperienceisToastmasters'educationprogram.This multi-languageonlinelearningtoolallowsyoutoleverageover300practical workplaceskills,including:

PUBLICSPEAKING COLLABORATION

Overcomethefearof speakinginfrontofalarge gathering. Createan impactduringyourspeech.

LEADERSHIP

Buildleadershipskillsby takingupaleadership positionintheclub,and beyond

Learntoorganizeand completeprojectsasa teamandconducteffective events.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Improveyourtime managementskillsbytaking uprolesinameeting(Timer, masterofceremoniesetc)

LEADERSHIP TEAM

TM NAMETI AKPAN Club President

PRISCILLA DIAS, DTM Vice President of Public Relations

TM IFFAT ASLAM Sergeant at Arms.

TM DINESH KUMAR PAL Vice President of Education

TM JAMALUDDIN SHAIK Secretary Treasurer

CAJETAN BARRETTO, DTM

TM DIMUTHU ETHUGALA Vice President of Membership

OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

Jan - Mar 2024

YouTube

KuwaitChallengers

Weregularlyuploadourclubmeetinghighlights,educationalworkshops, andToastmastersrelatedtrainingvideosonourYouTubechannel.

LinkedIn

KuwaitChallengers

You will find useful content on public speaking and leadership on our LinkedIn page, along with details of our upcoming meetings and special events.

PUBLICSPEAKING

Instagram

@kwchallengers

Thisiswhereweshowcaseourclubmembersandtheirachievementstoour 3,000+followers.

Facebook

KuwaitChallengers

Join our Facebook page to get all the updates, news, and keep up with upcomingeventsandmeetings.

JOIN US TODAY!!!!

ReachouttoourVice-President(Membership)andfillouttheapplication form.Ourannualfeeisjust$120.Yougetaccesstothebesteducation contentonpublicspeakingandleadershipbuildingskills;plusaclubof experiencedToastmasterswhoarecommittedtosupportingyouevery stepoftheway.