CROWNING GLORY CROWN TOASTMASTERS CLUB
NEWSLETTER
Volume:5
2017
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From the Editor’s desk CLUB OFFICERS PRESIDENT
DTM Nikhil Salvi
The capacity to learn is a gift. The ability to learn is skill. The willingness to learn is a choice.
VICE PRESIDENT — EDUCATION
The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you
TM Avaanticka Narayan VICE PRESIDENT — MEMBERSHIP
TM Madhuri Kadam VICE PRESIDENT — PUBLIC RELATION
In this newsletter, we have shared the stories from Senior District 98 Toasties. We believe this newsletter pleases your appetite for crisp and wonderful reading.
TM Venkateshwaran Krishnan SECRETARY
TM Deepti Mahadeva TREASURER
TM Venkatesh Badrinarayanan SERGEANT-AT-ARM
TM Ravi Singh
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The Avalanche!
TM Reeba George– District 98.
My journey in toastmasters was an accident. My manager of the Learning and Development (L&D) team one day wrote an email to me stating that I need to write about 500 words about myself. First thought that came to my mind was the first essay that we all write in kindergarten – MYSELF, just that this was a more elaborate one! As an obedient student, without asking a single question, I thought of making my essay a visual delight. I sent my script along with the scanned photographs of my childhood, my degrees, my family, my hobbies and everything that I wrote in my essay. My L&D manager was super happy and wrote back, “Awesome! Now memorize it!” With a poker face, not realizing what was happening, I wrote back to her, “I know everything about myself! I don’t need to memorize my life!!” After a week, I get an invite for 10am to attend a meeting that was to be held in the conference room. I reached the room before time. There were few familiar faces in the room, those were my colleagues and then there were few “aliens”.
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My eyes scanned the room to find a chair which was in the farthest corner. As it was about 5 minutes to 10, even more unknown faces started flooding the room. People formally dressed with a book in hand and a firm hand shake – Phew! Indeed it was strange. One lady suddenly got up and started writing on the board. Another started distributing some chits of paper. Few others were discussing, planning and strategizing as if they were preparing for World War III. That was the seriousness on their faces. I was still in a state of shock when everybody in the room started clapping! I was flabbergasted! What the hell is going on? The session started and after a while they announced my name stating that I had to deliver my P1. I was least interested to know what P1 was at that point of time. All that I had in mind was ‘I need to talk about myself in front of this unknown crowd’. My speech went well and I was awarded the ‘Best Speaker’ that day. Indeed one of those WOW moments for me! I did a thorough research about Toastmasters. I started attending meetings, in the office and outside. I was eager to network. I was eager to learn. I was eager to develop myself. After that day there was no looking back! Friends, some of you have landed here by choice, some by mistake and a few by force. Now that you are IN, give your best. Maybe for me Toastmasters was an accident. An accident which was like an avalanche that swept the fear of public speaking out of me. But, you are the Phoenix rising from the ashes! Let your fears of public speaking burn down. Reincarnate as powerful leaders and competent communicators. Toastmasters is here to change your life, the only thing you need to do is EMBRACE it!
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Toastmasters 2.0
TM Sujata Anand (District 98). If the title has managed to grab your attention, it has served its purpose well. If you are looking to read about Toastmaster’s Revitalized Education Program, you can find it at this link: https://www.toastmasters.org/Magazine/Articles/Education-Program-for-the-Future (Please note that newer & more updated material might be available) But if you are looking to revitalize your own association with Toastmasters, then read on! But before that, let me share briefly about my journey at Toastmasters. Attending the first meeting as a guest in the Corporate Club at Infosys, I was convinced that I needed to join Toastmasters. From then on, there was no looking back – meeting roles, followed by prepared speeches, followed by the first Ex-Com role coming my way in the initial few months. One of my greatest learnings at Toastmasters came as VP Education. The experience of running the show from behind the scenes and the contentment after a meeting well done – you have to become a VP Ed to know it! This led to another term full of learning as the Club President. While my journey on the Communication Track was slow, yet it was steady. After approximately 1.5 years, I was Sujata Raje, CC, CL. Tears of joy filled my eyes as I finished my ice breaking Only then bud sprouted within me for perfect speaking And I speak with sincerity, organize my speech to impress Show what I mean using eye contact, the best way to express The Vocal Variety nourishes my speech with a varied pitch Meaningful prose, working with words without a hitch
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This milestone was followed by certain personal milestones too – Transition from Sujata Raje to Sujata Anand and from Infoscion to ex-Infoscion. Having moved jobs & cities, there was a pause in my active association with Toastmasters. After a month or two of settling down in Mumbai, my Toastmaster husband & I looked up the Toastmasters Clubs nearby. And thus commenced Toastmasters 2.0 for us, which brings us to the topic of this article. There are times when for reasons foreseen or unforeseen, we are unable to actively contribute or continue towards our communication & leadership goals at Toastmasters. While we may or may not be active members, I strongly believe “Once a Toastmaster, always a Toastmaster.” If it’s a new city or a new job that you are settling into, the familiar Toastmasters connection provides that much needed network and camaraderie. While our initial intention behind joining Toastmasters might have been long fulfilled, a forum such as Toastmasters provides ample learning opportunities for each of us as an individual at different career & life stages. While you may have joined Toastmasters as a student, aspiring for that coveted MBA program or that plum job in Campus Placements, now you might be a new working professional, looking to further your skills and grow in the Organization. Or you might be an entrepreneur, looking to increase your network and also your net-worth. Or you might be on a sabbatical from work, looking to up-skill yourself before getting back to a corporate role. Or you might be a stay at home parent, looking to spend quality time on your personal development. Or you might have retired from active service, looking to pursue your passion in the field of communication or leadership.
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For each one of us and more, Toastmasters has something to offer. It could be taking forward the Communication & Leadership journey from where you left off, or it could be pursuing an Advanced Manual of your choice, or it could be taking up those Leadership roles and excelling at them. I believe sky is the limit when it comes to deriving the most out of Toastmasters. So when do you begin your next chapter at Toastmasters?
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THE QUIZMASTER Crossword (Verbs) Email the answer to us at crowntoastmastersclub@gmail.com
Across 1. Look! The girls are ... on the Internet. 4. I ... to the radio. 5. Mary usually ... tea for breakfast. 6. Harry ... to write text messages. 10. Do you ... under the shower? 11. My mum often ... donuts. 12. Steve usually ... his homework. 14. Peter ... TV. 15. ... down, please. Down 2. Stephanie often ... questions in the lessons. 3. It's late. I'm ... hungry. 7. My mother can ... three languages. 8. We ... to school on our bikes. 9. Would you ... the window, please? 13. My first lesson ... at 7.40.
Crossword by TM Gurmeet Wasu K & Deepti Mahadeva crown.toastmastersclubs.org
Crown Toastmasters Club presents
THE QUIZMASTER January month’s contest Winner TM Aneesh Ramachandran Crown Toastmasters club. He solved anagram part of the quiz.
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Crown Toastmasters Club presents
Newsletter team
TM Venkatesh Badrinarayanan Editor-in-chief
TM Venkateshwaran Krishnan, Vice President – Public Relation
TM Deepti Mahadeva Creative director
TM Gurmeet Kaur Member of Newsletter team/Coordinator
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JOIN US AT CROWN TOASTMASTERS CLUB!! Website: http://crown.toastmastersclubs.org/ Email: crowntoastmastersclub@gmail.com
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