2.0
OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2020
NEPTUNE DIVISION N NEWSLETTER
FIRST EVER TOASTMASTERS MEETING CONDUCTED IN A METRO ON 20TH DECEMBER 2020
AISHWARYA TALKS ABOUT THE OMNIPRESENCE OF BRAND
READ MORE ABOUT IT INSIDE THIS EDITION OF NEPTUNE FOREWORD BY :
MAYURI, DTM
DIVISION N DIRECTOR DISTRICT 98
#DivisionN
TM AISHWARYA VIJAY DPRM - DISTRICT 98
MAYURI TALKS ABOUT THE DREAM THAT WAS SEEN TO SEE NAGPUR AS A DIVISION #ShineTogether
NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 02
IN THIS ISSUE
3 P ADS ITRDE CI VTIOS IRO N
4 DDIIVRI ES CI OTNO RN
6 CE HD II ET OF RN EDWI VSI LSEI OT TNENR F O R E W O R D 7
The Omnipresence of Brand
2 4 Humans of Division N
9
VP PR Speaks...
28
11
Brand Guidelines Do's and Dont's
3 0 Members Contribution
12
Area Directors Contests & Beyond
3 4 Block Buster Poster
1 5 Chat With Champions 19
Toastmasters: Where Memories Are Made
Transformations at Toastmasters
When Doodle Meets
3 5 Toastmasters
3 6 Clash of Area Directors
NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 03
FOREWORD TM JAGRUT VAISHNAV DIV. H DIRECTOR, 2016-17
Dear Toastmasters of Division N,
The response to these events was
Hearty Congratulations to each one
truly amazing.
of you for your contribution in the journey of Division N so far. My Toastmasters'
memories
with
Nagpur dates back to early days in 2016-17 when there were about 4-5 clubs. As a fledgling area, there were initial teething problems. As many of you would recollect, we had our share in the form of
The
members
then
took
it
onto
themselves to spread the mission and vision of Toastmasters International, District 98 and we all see the result of it today in the form of Division N. Big kudos to the members and leaders from Nagpur for driving the growth wave towards this milestone where you are today. I only wish you the
1) Growing beyond the existing set
very best on this journey of servant
of
about
leadership and self exploration as you
Toastmasters was still a best kept
continue the pursuit of excellence in
secret
public speaking.
2)
clubs
as
Given
placement
the
the
geographical
big
CONGRATULATIONS
once
again to you all as you celebrate
(Hyderabad & Nagpur), it was tough
your success but also a question for
for leaders from Hyderabad to join
the new year - WHAT NEXT?
of
the
A
division
members
within
word
Nagpur
for
the
numerous internal/external events they
conducted.
Thanks
to
the
support from District and Division leadership, I vividly remember the Area level Humorous Speech and Evaluation Contests held at Raisoni (2016) followed by District Officers' Training
Program
at
the
TCS
campus (2017).
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 04
FOREWORD MAYURI ASSUDANI, DTM DIVISION N DIRECTOR, DISTRICT 98, 2020-2021
Everything happens twice "first
(called COTP back then) and PR
in imagination then in reality."
events paved the way slowly to bring
about
awareness
and
The birth of a new division is by no
enthusiasm in the small fraternity
means
of Toastmasters. Next we saw TM
an
decision.
impulsive, From
2016-
overnight present,
Shubhangi
Pandey
take
lead
in
Nagpur as a city, as an Area and now
2018-19. My fellow Area Director TM
as a Division has seen many leaders
Shashank
put in their heart and soul ( read
mentored and moulded into the
time, energy and travel) to help
leaders that we are today by these
bring in growth here. When I joined
strong leaders. By the time Joy B.
Toastmasters in 2017, Smita Mishra,
Hans, DTM took over as Division
DTM was the Division Director. Her
Director in 2019-20, Nagpur was on
constant guidance during the Area
its way to becoming a Division.
Arya
and
I
were
contests, TLTPs
LEADERS OF DIVISION H 2016-2020
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 05
Mentoring
and
were
Although we have been successful
were
in the past 6 months, we have miles
chartered,
to go before we sleep (to quote
District Executive Council Meeting
Robert Frost). We look forward to
organized.
adding more clubs to our Division,
strengthened, groomed.
branding
new
new
leaders
clubs
Throughout
the
year,
Area Directors TM Manav Makhija
enhancing
and TM Eshant Gupta ensured that
and bringing to the forefront more
we live up to the core values of
leaders.
Toastmasters.
unwavering
The
District
member With
engagement,
the
support
staunch, of
each
leadership saw a vision, rendered all
member and the able leadership
support
team of Division N, we shall see
and
helped
the
city
of
oranges become a Division in 2020-
new
21. From Division H we became
horizons reached and new goals
Division N. Our family grew larger as
met.
we welcomed Raipur (Chhattisgarh) in our midst. While we are divided by Areas and Clubs, we are one as a fraternity, as
benchmarks
created,
new
From all of us at Division N : THANK YOU
to
all
who
helped
in
the
making of Division N.
a family.
There were challenges, we overcame them. There were problems, we found solutions. There were mundane moments, we brought in innovative meetings.
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0
EDITOR'S NOTE
06
TM PRAJAKTA GADKARI LOYAL TOASTMASTERS CLUB, AREA N1
Fellow Toastmasters and Readers, We have already crossed 2020, perhaps the most difficult year for most of us! My learning during the last year can be summed up in a quote ‘It may be stormy now, but it never rains forever’. And is there a better word to describe the forthcoming year than ‘Hope’? In this issue, we learn about the significance of branding at Toastmasters. And you would love to read about history created by Division N where we held the first ever Toastmasters meeting on a Metro train! Also, it was first in-person meeting, after 9 months of looking at each other’s faces on the screen ☹. We also look at the dreams and hopes of our Champions as well as the way our ADs geared up for the contests. We have introduced a new section – Humans of Division N where we have inspiring real life stories of Toastmasters.
Happy new year to all of you! Let’s keep hoping, keep dreaming! There are always better things around the corner!
#DivisionN
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 07
THE OMNIPRESENCE OF BRAND! TM AISHWARYA VIJAY DISTRICT PUBLIC RELATION MANAGER, DISTRICT 98
A brand represents the sum of people’s perception of an organisation’s reputation, marketing and image. It goes beyond logos and colours! With a membership exceeding 364,000 in more than 145 countries, it becomes vital for Toastmasters International to have uniformity in its brand imagery and messaging for the organisation to remain strong and recognisable. Good branding not only increases TI’s value among the members but also draws new members towards its credibility. The brand is more than just what you see - it’s a feeling! It has two active parts - representation and experience. The brand is everywhere - it’s in the environment in which meetings and events are conducted, it’s in our products and merchandise offered, it’s in the interactions that our members have with their friends and colleagues.
If all of this seems too theoretical to you, let me explain it through a personal experience. My father is my biggest critic and when it comes to me, he would never fail to call stake a stake. I remember how he always used to remark on my incoherence in thoughts and communication. Soon after my college, when I relocated to Pune and joined Toastmasters, my parents, especially my father started noticing the difference in me. Besides, he commends me for my improved communication skills and confidence level.
He
is
proud
of
this
path
of
improvement I have taken and thinks highly of Toastmasters.
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 08
That’s how I have placed Toastmasters in front of my peers and that’s the brand value I have set; I am not the only one - I am sure most of you are sailing in the same boat with me. Ensuring brand compliance is the responsibility of club PR and members alike. Consistency in the brand is important because it helps project a clear message about the organization and allows others to feel that they will be able to improve their speaking skills in a safe, supportive environment. Following visual brand guidelines is just the tip of the iceberg - yet something that governs the face value of the organization. I hear a lot of PR spocs raising concerns about the restrictions on usage of different colours, icons, illustrations and images. Just remember, every colour or image narrates a story and a lot of research goes into figuring out which visual element strikes a balance with the nature of the organisation. Such guidelines may tend to put a limitation on the creativity, but in the end, the idea is to promote the organisation and not the meeting themes or clubs as standalone units. To elucidate, imagine McDonald’s running a Women’s Day offer in all its stores. Do you think it will change its theme to pink or any other colour highlighting the occasion? It will stick to its original colours and theme and will at the most use images of women holding burgers or sitting in one of their outlets, to propagate the offer. This way, McDonald’s is consistent with the brand guidelines and at the same time, able to spread the word about the offer. Consistency
in
branding
helps
in
building
the
credibility
of
the
organisation and as members and as the torch bearers of Toastmasters, it is imperative that we brand it the right way!
TM AISHWARYA VIJAY DISTRICT PUBLIC RELATION MANAGER, DISTRICT 98
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 09
VP-PR SPEAKS... TM Archi Parekh, N3-BRIO Toastmasters Club:
When it
comes to branding, Division N is very strict with guidelines to be followed. In the beginning, designing anything used to be very tough as there are limited color schemes and fonts for us to use but when I started designing the posters it was easier to follow those brand guidelines as you have fixed colors / fonts / shapes to be used and then I only had to explore my creative streak and place those guidelines into a poster which would invite guests and potential members to the meeting. However other VPPRs are a big motivation for making better posters. We help each other and there is still a healthy competition to design something better. TM Juili Tichkule, N4-Provakta Toastmasters Club of IIM Raipur:
In
terms
of
challenges
I
faced
during
the
designing; we mostly have darker shades of colors (except for white) which we have to use for background, can a lighter shade be made available? If template for shapes can be provided, it will make the work a little easy. TM Gunjan Banarsi, N2-Gurukul.Education Toastmasters Club: After receiving the theme of the meeting from the TMoD, when you sit to make the flyer about the same, the first thing crossing my mind is relevance. Whatever you are planning to put up there on the flyer should be relevant and relatable not only to the Toastmasters but also to the guests who will be seeing the flyer, as the whole purpose of the meeting poster is to convey and communicate with the world outside Toastmasters as well. The theme should be highlighted in such a way (keeping in mind the brand guidelines and the colors) that the person looking at the poster should clearly understand the purpose and the message which that poster needs to convey. Initially it felt too difficult to work along with all these with such a limited palette of colors but now with practice and improvements and a lot of creativity in mind, I find it fun every time to design a new flyer.
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 10
TM Mayank Chauda, N2-IMT Nagpur Toastmasters Club: Creativity does not have boundaries, but when you have limited color palettes and design elements, then it takes a toll to create a unique content. When I took charge as VPPR of IMT Nagpur Toastmasters Club, I was really excited to be the face of the club and had N number of ideas in my mind. I started with brand guidelines then found a different sense of limitation so I got almost blank. So, I started looking for design inspirations and voilà, The VP-PRs group. There I saw how creatively all the people were creating beautiful content and that’s how I was back on track. TM Shefali Sonune, N3-Nagpur Toastmasters Club: The branding guidelines are stringent and the leadership at Division
N
is
committed
to
be
compliant
to
the
guidelines. To be on the same page as Division N leadership, I went through the entire brand manual once and tried to understand it. At later times I kept the manual handy to be only referred for the specific parameters like color coding and fonts. I use the Canva app to design the flyers. The Android and iOS versions of Canva are slightly different with the Android version being more user friendly. I am an iOS user and thus I faced challenges with respect to the functionalities like “Upload Photo”, “illustration” etc. So I switched to Android Canva to make life a little easier.
All Clubs of Division N Meeting 23rd December 2020
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 11
BRAND GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW...
WHAT NOT TO DO!
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 12
AREA DIRECTORS : CONTESTS & BEYOND Let’s hear what our AD’s have got for the contest season and also for their respective areas.
TM YASH BANARSI | AREA N1 Being a mentor is an honor. Not only specific to my area but for every Toastmaster in need of guidance. And certainly, I mentored every member who approached me. I remember mentoring TM Priyanka even before her club contest, but honestly it was just some efforts from my side and 90% from her. Whenever we give a speech at our home club, it’s a familiar territory. When we give our speech in a different club, it’s more or less the same. But with contests, we get to polish our skills and challenge ourselves. Speech contests help the member to practice all the skills that they learn in the classical meetings, at a greater level and it helps the member to see how they can improve as a speaker and as a listener. My goal as an Area Director is to make every club in my area at least Select Distinguished. Most of the clubs are already eligible for it. Another aim is to enhance the meeting quality of every club, so that members and guests can have a true Toastmasters experience. Follow up with Club Leaders and members helps in achieving this.
TM VAISHALI RAI | AREA N2 The Humorous Speech Contest and Evaluation Contest plays a significant role in a Toastmaster’s journey. I completely understand the importance and need of my support to my area champions, therefore, I extended it in the best possible way.
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 13
It varied from connecting them with the best mentors across the Division or being available for assistance at times of hiccups. Contest is a healthy competitive stage and sets a benchmark for the members to do better. They write, learn and practice, dedicating each day before the contest to give their best. In the process, they hone their public speaking skills. For the betterment of my area, my main focus lies in educating members and ensuring best practices are being inculcated in the club practices. Collaborating with clubs inside and outside the area as well as promoting the leadership roles in the clubs, will enhance the growth of the members, and we can expect a large number of leaders soon.
TM DEEPALIKA KOWAR | AREA N3 A doubt-clearing session always helps a learner to grow faster, therefore, I helped my champions to link up with the past winners of Humorous Speech Contests and Evaluation Contests. I tried my best to provide exposure to the contestant as they were quite new to the Division level contest. Contests are a very essential part of the learning journey as they bring out the bigger picture for everyone. One should always be motivated to do better after losing a contest and one should always focus on the critical assessment of their speech after winning the contest. Participation is the first step towards victory in itself and it helps
you
understand
the
procedure
of
the
event
and
creates
an
atmosphere of healthy competition among the contestants. I have one of the strongest clubs, i.e., Nagpur Toastmasters Club in my area that acts as a backbone for me as it comprises of many senior members. I also have BRIO Toastmasters Club and they are growing at a good rate. My goal for my area is to find something innovative to bring back the lost interest of the members for the meetings.
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 14
TM KULDEEP SINGH THAKUR | AREA N4 Humorous Speech Contest and Evaluation Speech Contest helps a Toastmaster to push their limits and gives one motivation to do their best. One should always take part in the contests to evaluate their skills with an unknown audience and their improvements from the past. I helped my champions with their preparations and I helped them in getting in touch with earlier champions of Humorous Speech Contests as well as mentors. Being the area champion myself, I gave them tips from my own experiences. As for the betterment of my area, the main motto is to create an awareness about Toastmasters in Chhattisgarh and how an individual and a community can benefit from it.
Article Credit- TM Sakshi
Division N success stories July - December 2020 Added one club Membership growth from 169 to 285 92% Pathways adoption 100 education awards filed 6 Triple crown winners Friendship day campaign Division N Newsletter Neptune Radio Mirchi campaign Annual renewals Toastmasters meeting in a metro Clash of ADs Sessions at Learnathon Mentor-mentee pool Workshop on HSC Evaluation marathon
#DivisionN
The roadmap ahead January - June 2021 Add two more clubs 100% Pathways adoption More education awards SpeakUP - for non TM Workshop on ISC Table Topics marathon Members Nplugged Leadership Conclave A Toast to the Master *If you have some ideas for member experience and growth, please do let us know.
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 15
CHAT WITH CHAMPIONS
Let's get to know our champions better and give them a huge round of applause for their efforts and hardwork. An evaluation is the breakfast of the champions and serving a good breakfast is a task in itself. Let’s meet the winners of the Evaluation Contest and know their secret ingredients of evaluation.
TM BHAVINI GANGAR | WINNER This was my first contest and my journey at Toastmaster is not even 6-month-old. I solely relied on YouTube videos and guidance from my mentors for giving effective evaluations. I think that an evaluator's goal should always be to give a motivating and constructive feedback to the speaker and that is what I had in mind during all the contests so far. From the experience, I have definitely learnt how critical a good feedback can be in helping a speaker become a better speaker one evaluation at a time! I take back a lot of motivation and confidence from the contest and the thrill of representing my Division is what I am looking forward to.
TM RHEA JAIN | FIRST RUNNER UP I
always
had
a
dream
to
achieve
a
benchmark
Toastmasters by reaching up to the Division level.
in
This
time, I feel that my dream came true as I represented Area N4 at the Fun and Furore Evaluation Contest (Division level). I always wanted to win the contest and to make it real, I practiced evaluation skills by participating in
meetings not only in Division N but in different Divisions and Districts too. I took a great experience back home as this competition made me realize to work harder the next time.
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 16
TM GOURI DIXIT | SECOND RUNNER UP In my opinion, the best way to prepare for the Evaluation Contest is to listen to as many speeches as possible. For, the better understanding you have of the speech, the better you can evaluate it. Also, the Evaluation Marathon conducted by Division N provided remarkable insights. Not to forget, a lot has been possible because of my mentor and my fellow club members. The breakout room gave me the chills but I think this nervousness is needed as it's what makes me want to give my best. While preparing for the club contest, I never thought I would win, and I didn't even prepare in that direction. I only wanted to gain some experience and knowledge. Winning that contest came as a big surprise. And that's what my takeaway is, to have fun throughout the process, not worrying about the result. For, winning and losing apart, what this experience taught me would help me perform better in the future. And that is what I would come up with next time, with the thought of having fun and learning in the process. Article Credit- TM Sakshi
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 17
HUMOROUS SPEECH CONTEST - DIVISION N
Let’s know the people who brought a warm smile on these bizarre cold winter evenings.
TM PRIYANKA TIWARI | WINNER The best gift that you can give to a person is to put a smile on their faces. As a contestant for Division level Humorous Speech Contest , I put efforts on my delivery style and moulded it in a better way although I kept my content the same. I worked hard on the delivery part of my speech and tried my best to reveal my humor through my expressions, my body language. I still haven’t started preparing for Eloquence but I have asked my Area Director to help me connect with more mentors and I’ll start working on my speech soon. I joined Toastmasters International in January 2020 so this was my first ever Humorous Speech Contest and the best part about the contest was what I learned while preparing my speech; not in terms of my speech but what I learnt from my mentor. I am not only taking learnings as a public speaker, but also as a human being.
TM BHAVINI GANGAR | FIRST RUNNER UP I have always been told by people in my life that I am hilarious and I like to believe that! For Humorous Speech Contest preparation, I wanted to use experiences from my own life to invoke humor. I had so much fun writing and refining
the
speeches
with
help
from
my
talented
mentors, I didn't realize I was laughing and smiling back at memories from the past that once infuriated me. My plan ahead is to not only actively participate, but also to encourage others to do so because it’s such a fun learning experience!
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 18
TM HITAKSHI | SECOND RUNNER UP I think a great speech is the perfect balance of great content and great delivery. Hence to balance both of them out, I first worked on the content, drafting it in a way
that
it
not
only
becomes
humorous
but
also
competitive. My mentors, Mayuri, DTM and TM Srikar have helped me in every possible way to create a speech that not only sounds funny, but also has my perspective in it. Next for the delivery of the speech, I had to work on my vocal variety and perfect pauses for the punch lines. My friends helped me by taking practice sessions on a zoom call. Taking up Humorous Speech Contest was an entirely different forte for me. Being an introvert, I had never imagined myself creating 5-7 minutes of a hilarious speech. But I challenged myself and ended up exploring unfamiliar ground and I have Toastmasters to thank for that.
Article Credit- TM Sakshi
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0
TOASTMASTERS: WHERE MEMORIES ARE MADE
19
MAYURI ASSUDANI, DTM
Division N, District 98, Toastmasters International made history by conducting a Toastmasters meeting onboard the Mazi Metro in Nagpur, India, on Sunday 20th December 2020. Division N was formed this year in July and members from across all clubs were enjoying the experience of being a newly formed Division. In the midst of online meetings and zoom calls, I received a call one day from the Deputy General Manager of Nagpur metro asking me whether we would be interested in conducting a Toastmasters meeting onboard the metro. I first reached out to our District Director Niteash Agarwal, DTM and he supported the idea while cautioning me about the need to maintain
all
precautions.
Members from clubs in Nagpur very
enthusiastically
came
forward and took up roles. Having attended
virtual
meetings
for
almost nine months now, this inperson
meeting
onboard
the
Metro was sure to be a welcome change.
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 20
A small table was arranged for us inside the metro! While this was essentially
a
members-only
meeting, a few passengers did reach out to us to enquire more about Toastmasters. Our prepared speeches, evaluations and Table Topics had them wondering and one guest even participated at Table
Topics.
The
round
trip
lasted a little over an hour and we were only too sorry to see our meeting
end.
We
covered
the
meeting live on Instagram and our photos and videos on social media handles have hit a new high. Memories made, energy renewed and hearts filled with joy, we returned home to our screens and zoom platforms once more. On a lighter note, we have a new tagline now - Toastmasters: where memories are made.
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0
MAAZI METRO BYTES
21
Mazi Metro Meeting was like a perfectly brewed latte. It got everyone excited to interact with fellow Toastmasters in person after a while and also attracted to the metro ride. While I was attending the meeting, I felt a sense of joy to have finally made it to an offline meeting with precautions and felt proud to finally ride on one of the greenest metros in India. It was nice to return to the offline phase and spread awareness about usage of public transport. I would like to thank Mayuri, DTM for this opportunity. I was thrilled to be a part of it. - TM Gaurav Kolarkar, InfoCepts Toastmasters Club You wish for something impossible and destiny makes it possible for you! This Meeting was one such experience. Just a thought of meeting everyone after 9 months pumped the excitement in my blood. The best part for me was delivering a speech in a running metro, where balancing yourself is a big task. And I was able to do it. After delivering the speech I now have the confidence that we can conduct meeting anywhere and play the role in the same manner that we do in any normal meeting. - TM Arti Patil, TCS Nagpur Toastmasters Club Mazi Metro Toastmaster’s meet was my first offline meet as a Toastmaster, and I couldn’t have asked for a better one. Riding in the metro with some really amazing Toastmasters only made the journey memorable. It was such a relief to meet people in person and not on screen. Looking forward to more such meets. - TM Juili Tichkule, Provakta Toastmasters Club of IIM Raipur Mazi Metro meet was my first physical meet as an official Toastmaster. I played the role of an Evaluator. I knew that the Toastmaster's platform would help me improve my interpersonal, communication and social skills and had experienced it first hand after attending virtual meets, but a physical meet and the takeaways from a physical meet are altogether on a different level. I am eagerly looking forward to more such physical meets quite soon. - TM Uzair Khan, Loyal Toastmasters Club
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 22
This was a whole new experience for me. I never knew that physical meetings are so awesome. I joined Toastmasters Club during lockdown and all the meetings were online, so I always wished to attend any physical meeting. Finally I got a chance and that too on a metro! And the time just passed by as the metro passed through the city and I didn't even realize that the meeting was over. I would love to be a part of such initiatives in the future. - TM Gaurav Kohale, Gurukul.Education Toastmasters Club It was delightful to see all the Toastmasters under the same roof after 9 months. I am not going to lie, we did enjoy virtual meetings but to be able to see each other, perform the handshake (now with fists) and feel the presence was beyond amazing. Metro Meeting has been a blessing in these unprecedented times and we thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. Just like old times, we exchanged positive energy and vibes. It was wonderful to see representatives from each club, Division N indeed is a family. I can never forget this joyful experience. - TM Vaishali Rai, Loyal Toastmasters Club It was an amazing experience. I really loved the way meeting was organized and conducted. We all met after a long 9 months' gap and I am glad to be a part of that meeting. I hope we can conduct such meetings in future and I would love to take part in such meetings in future. - TM Eshant Gupta, TCS Nagpur Toastmasters Club It was such a wonderful experience after almost 10 months of online meeting finally we got to meet and adding more fun to it was doing the meeting inside a moving metro. One life time experience it was! Who would have ever thought that we Toastmasters can conduct a meeting inside a moving Metro, but we are Toastmasters and for us nothing is impossible. Even the Covid can't bring our spirits down, infact that made us adapt the online way of conducting our meets. Our spirits are always high because it's aptly said that "Once a Toastmaster, always a Toastmaster" - TM Gunjan Banarsi, Gurukul.Education Toastmasters Club
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 23
It was an amazing experience. We were wondering how it would happen, how we would take part. I was excited to be part of a Toastmasters Meeting in a moving metro. The cherry on the cake was meeting in person after the pandemic. An extraordinary journey full of Toastmasters moments : meeting, members, fellowship, memories.. all one needs to make it a perfect day. - TM Saurab Jariyal, Raisoni Institute's Emerald Toastmasters Club When I was asked to present my speech on a moving metro, I thought of skipping it. But after delivering my speech on Maazi Metro, my initial reserve vanished. Had I not participated in the meeting, it would have been my loss. It was fun and a great learning experience for me. When I met fellow Toastmasters after 9 months of Online meeting, I did not find any change in their energy levels. I would like to thank Mayuri, DTM and TM Monica for backing me up. - TM Brajesh Golhani, Nagpur Toastmasters Club Article Credit- TM Archi Parekh
WINNER OF THEMED MEETING : NAGPUR TOASTMASTERS CLUB (as selected by TM Anuj, PR Chair & TM Rupali Mishra, Design Chair, EFGHN Cluster)
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0 24
HUMANS OF DIVISION N TM BRAJESH GOLHANI | NAGPUR TOASTMASTERS CLUB
My dad has always told me “Life will never be a plain simple line. There are ups and downs and we have to live with it." I never had a strong financial background. I come from a small village Lakhandon in Madhya Pradesh. I used to sell vegetables during my school days to pay for my tuition fees. When I was in 11th standard, I started working for an NGO which helped create awareness about HIV and female hygiene. During Christmas holidays I would volunteer to clean the church premises in my village. The priest once told me that you are doing a noble deed and you will receive this back in the form of blessings and kindness in future. His words have stayed with me. When I moved to Nagpur. I didn’t have money to pay my college fees. Initially one of my aunts backed me up with finances but soon I realized I needed to earn money to be able to survive. I started with DTP work and gradually I became a counsellor and then moved to the sales department in the same coaching institute until my graduation. I completed my MBA and joined an e-learning company as an Operations Manager. I always found friends and extended family who sponsored my education and helped me learn and grow. When I was looking out to hire new people with technical knowledge I couldn’t find one who was willing to work for the salary that my company was offering. Then someone suggested that I speak to Ritesh, though he had nominal technical knowledge but was hardworking and eager to learn. Ritesh at that time was working in a welding shop. The first assignment that I gave him was of pasting brand stickers on CDs. Soon he began copying DVDs and started learning the technicalities and would solve queries related to software.
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He even began designing brochures and leaflets. His confidence grew leaps and bounds and showed eagerness to study designing. I encouraged him and gave him flexible hours to work. I even supported him financially and sponsored his education. This year I am sponsoring the education of one child who is not privileged and is eager to learn and study. I want to pay it forward, had my well wishers not sponsored my education I could never have achieved what I have achieved today and would probably be still selling vegetables. I had to resign from a stable job due to some financial crisis. When I was looking out for new opportunities I realised that I needed to work on my spoken English and communication skills while I was good at networking and one on one communication. That’s when I found Nagpur Toastmasters Club on Google, I immediately joined it. Within three weeks I had cracked 3 interviews. I am currently working as a Development Manager in a company. I have also won the best speaker award twice getting over my stage fright. Today when I look back, I can say I have come a long way. I believe there’s goodness in this world and whenever I can do something to help someone I always extend my hand of support.
Do good and it will always come back to you.
TM Juili Tichkule, N4-Provakta Toastmasters Club of IIM Raipur says"At Provakta, everybody has a busy day with classes and assignments, so people were really hesitant in the beginning when we would propose a meeting, we hardly got a chance to conduct informal meetings with the members as well. In one of the meetings in November, the 3rd, it was Goutham's birthday, and all of us stayed back after the meeting ended, we cut his birthday cake together. It really felt like we were part of team rather than just TM members."
TI & YOU!
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TM DR. ALIAKBBAR | NAGPUR TOASTMASTERS CLUB I am a government contractor for MahaGenco and a health psychologist. I work in an unconventional way using different modalities which help people understand what exactly has triggered their disease process. Like a doctor would do a test to check sugar level in the body, I try to understand
a
person's
emotional
trauma
that
has
triggered the disease. This has to do a lot with energy and psychology. I did my M.SC in Business Psychology, I got to know that people are taking care of their career but not
their
health.
Although
there
are
trainings
like
personality
development, interpersonal skills, I could not find a program where emotional wellbeing is taken care of. People's emotions are not taken into consideration. If there is disease in a person’s body, their physical and mental health is at a risk. Later on, I also did specialization in addiction, where I learned new techniques and modalities that could help me understand the actual thing in addiction. In that way I could help people. My aim is to educate at least one person in each family who should be aware how stress affects a person's life! Life is very beautiful: the way it unfolds or brings things to you is completely unanticipated. I usually take my parents for regular check-ups. Once, I took them for a regular eye check-up where the doctor asked me to get myself tested. When checked it was found that the pressure of my eyes was very high. He asked me to visit him four times the following day at different times and he checked my eyes. The pressure was found to be the same. I did further tests. Doctors said it was unclear but that I might have Glaucoma! This is a disease where slowly, little by little, your vision goes away completely. I don’t have history of Glaucoma in my family! I consulted another doctor for a second opinion and was told that I may lose my vision. My life was shattered.
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I had two options: either surgery or eye drops. In my case surgery was not possible. When I used eye drops, I started getting dark circles under my eyes! That was affecting my face, looks and personality. It was damaging my confidence, self- esteem. My energy level was down. I didn’t know what to do? As I was already in my modalities. I started meeting my trainers. I was told it was irreversible. If the vision is lost, it is lost and the damage had already started. I met the best of people and tried different modalities. They helped me understand how things can work for me. I tried Pranic healing and Aroma technique. All these alternate modes of healing have helped me get back to regular work. I have gained self-esteem. I have little hope that things will change! The damage is not extensive but neither have I recovered fully. I can definitely say it has helped slow down the process. What modalities has done for me is, that, if I can heal, then there are hundreds of people who can come out of it! This motivates me to spread awareness among all people I meet.
Article Credit- TM Ambika Kulkarni
TM Archi Parekh N3-BRIO Toastmasters Club says "When I was in first year our college organized a contest named Panache and the final 10 participants had to be groomed before the final round of the competition. So back then Toastmasters Club of our college was called and was instructed to groom us and when I came in contact with them they told me such small things which we human know but tend to forget. They paid attention on every little details like expression, body language everything they could and at the end of the event the only thing which popped in my mind was 'how do they know so much?' The answer they gave in unison was TOASTMASTERS CLUB and ever since I wanted to be a part of this club."
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TI & YOU!
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TRANSFORMATION AT TOASTMASTERS
TM MADHUR NAVANDAR | TCS NAGPUR TOASTMASTERS CLUB I was born and brought up in Akola, Maharashtra.
Since
birth I had a stammer problem. Instead of taking it as a problem I always had an approach of taking things as a challenge. I don’t remember losing my confidence due to my stammer but I needed a solution for it. When I was in the 8th grade, I started searching for a platform where I could practice my speech. That's when I got to know about Toastmasters. Even though I was unable to find a club to join at that time, I always wanted to be a part of Toastmasters. I completed my Engineering degree from Government College of Engineering, Jalgoan and joined TCS in 2019. During my training days in TCS Nagpur Toastmasters Club had a session. I immediately grabbed the opportunity and became a member of the Toastmasters Club. I knew I was going to meet new people. This feeling gave me some kind of boost to stand up for myself and speak. Believe it or not I took the role of Sergeant-At-Arms in the first meeting. It took me a day to prepare that half page of rules and instructions. I didn’t stop, I wanted to improve myself day by day. I learned how to write a speech. I became the Treasurer in my club for July 2020 – October 2020. This sense of responsibility made me learn new things. I never knew I could manage finances for any organization. I have seen a lot of improvement in myself from August 2019 to October 2020. This was not possible without Toastmasters. I am currently pursuing a Masters degree in Computer Science from BITS, Pilani. When I look back, Toastmasters has not only helped me to reduce my stammer but has improved my personality as well.
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TM DOEL BHATTACHARYA | TCS NAGPUR TOASTMASTERS CLUB I joined TCS in 2017. I have always been enthusiastic when it comes to being on stage. I just need a stage and a mic. When I was in TCS I got a chance to host one event. I was very happy that day. After the program was over one of my colleagues who then became my mentor TM Srikar asked me, “Why don’t you join Toastmasters Club?” I attended the next meeting after knowing about Toastmasters. In the very first meeting I won the Table Topics round. That gave me a lot of confidence. I was very happy after attending the first Toastmasters meeting. I had found the place where I could enhance my oratory skills and leadership skills. I then joined the Toastmasters club and thus the journey began. I participated at International Speech Contest and in 2018, I also attended two conferences at Division level. I quickly gained the trust of my club members and I became the President of TCS Nagpur Toastmasters Club in 2018. During my term, our club went to different competitions at Division and District level. My team and I made our club a President Distinguished Club. If you will ask what Toastmasters has given me? Well, it has played a huge role in my life and career. I can see the transformation in myself. I did my two
International
certifications:
Competent
Leader
and
Competent
Communicator by Toastmasters International. When in 2019 I persued MBA these two certificates played a big role in my interview. When I came to Bengaluru, I became Associate President in Electronic City Toastmasters Club. I was the youngest one to be elected from July 2019 to December 2019. I have visited most of the corporate clubs in Bengaluru. In 2020 when everything became virtual, I got busy with my internship and I lost the energy to join Toastmasters in an online mode. After June, TCS Nagpur Toastmasters Club reached out to me to join back the club. Since its the place where this joy ride started, I thought giving myself another chance and I joined the club again. I can say that with every meeting you get new experiences and you learn new things! Article Credit- TM Ambika Kulkarni
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M EM
BE R S Contribution
COLOURS OF LIFE Everyone loves the rainbow that colours the entire sky. For, it also paints our souls' canvas with colours of happiness, hope, and a new zeal. But what if the canvas gets painted all black? One day, I was painting a picture that I had in my mind for days. Beautifully, every colour started taking its place on the canvas, and bit by bit, the painting came to life. When the painting was nearly done, I accidentally spilled black paint on it. The entire painting was spoiled. All I could do was disappointingly look at my hard work going in vain. After a while, something struck me. I painted the whole canvas black and started over again. To my surprise, what I finally painted was more beautiful than what I had in mind. Isn’t our life just like the canvas? We all have different colours decided in our minds. Sometimes, we get the picture we want, and at times, everything turns black. But it's then that we truly appreciate the colours of life. It's then that we realise, sometimes, the dark clouds need to replace the rainbow, for when it'll rain, it'll wash away all the darkness, making way for light. Like others, black is also a colour of life. When the canvas gets black, life is making way for the colours we never thought could exist. It doesn't matter if the canvas is filled with colours or painted black unless one forgets to enjoy the colours of life.
TM GOURI DIXIT NAGPUR TOASTMASTERS CLUB
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DAWN Born in the dawn, With the first light of day, Your truth you must say. A game like chess is mortality, It entices with victories, virtues and vices; All alike, despair, hope, mirth & misery. Agonise not over the wounds and tears, But rejoice for you had smiles, You have hope, a little more than your fears. Let that light up your path for miles. This is your game, Do not succumb like a pawn, Bewitch the board and emerge strong. A queen's gambit may be the way, But there will be a price to pay. Rise with the power of your own wings, Uncaring of the others' wrong. And remember, you were born in the dawn. The dawn of your mortality, The dawn of endless possibilities, Starting again every day, With a beautiful sky. Like silk painted with an ethereal dye You are mortal, fleeting yet ever immortal.
TM ANUSHI JAIN RAISONI INSTITUTE'S DIAMOND TOASTMASTERS CLUB
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HEY THERE LONELINESS You are back it seems. I am really sorry to tell you, I have been lying all this while, I don't like you and I never did. It was just that you had become so regular a company that I started feeling you are a part of me. You come back every single moment when I try to gather myself up to look forward to a new beginning. Why is it that, you always come to me in those dark hours of the night when I actually need someone to talk to? You have never helped me mend my broken pieces and glue them back together. You are just like that person who just finds every other way to break me. You never taught me how to stay away from you just like love doesn't teach us how to unlove. You just come in silence and hug me tight during the starry hours of the night and make sure I cry for you and can't fall asleep. You beautifully make an illusion to me like you are the only thing I have in life, that I should embrace you and never let you go. And it's true the only thing that's there every moment when I feel low is you. And you come pounching back at me just after a happy moment to make me realize I am incomplete without you. You are unlike those people who stay only in our happy times, you make sure to stay beside me at those 3 a.m. hours when some person is all I need. But really after so much of commitment from your side, I really badly want to ditch you and get rid of you, after all, however beautiful a dark night is, one always wants to get back to a bright sunny day. Yours Not anymore.
TM SUBHASREE CHATTERJEE INFOCEPTS TOASTMASTERS CLUB
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TM SUBHASREE CHATTERJEE
TM SUBHASREE CHATTERJEE
INFOCEPTS TOASTMASTERS CLUB
INFOCEPTS TOASTMASTERS CLUB
TM GUNJAN BANARSI
TM CHETNA ARYA
GURUKUL.EDUCATION TOASTMASTERS CLUB
SSIPMT SPELLBINDRES TOASTMASTERS CLUB
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NEPTUNE | ISSUE 2.0
Block Buster Posters
34
( as selected by TM Anuj, PR Chair & TM Rupali Mishra, Design Chair, EFGHN Cluster)
For October 2020 TCS Nagpur Toastmasters CLub
For November 2020 TCS Nagpur Toastmasters CLub
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For December 2020 Gurukul.Education Toastmasters CLub
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When D DO D LE
35
O
Meets
ToastMasters
Oratories Toastmasters Club
Oratories Toastmasters Club
Story Credit- TM Monica Dixit
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Doodle Credit- TM Sakshi Bhuwal
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CLASH OF AREA DIRECTORS We have all heard of Clash of the Titans.
Well, Division N came up with Clash of the Area Directors. All four Area Directors were given one month's time to form their teams and prepare them for the Clash. Sporting as they are, they went one step further and conducted 13 education sessions during late evenings in Dec’2020. Oh the advantages of Online meetings :) From history of Toastmasters to leadership, from contests to membership, from branding to Pathways, from mentoring to club meetings, there were questions on every subject. We even had a Rulebook, with formation of teams outlined, rules and regulations of each round elaborated, and details of lifelines offered. There were seasoned Toastmasters who joined as Super Judges and attributed scores. Teams N1, N2, N3 and N4 gave it their all! Each round saw team members rack their brains and race against time. In a nail-biting finish, Area N3 emerged as winners of the Clash of the Area Directors. Congratulations to all !
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MASTERS BEHIND THIS PIECE
TM MONICA DIXIT
PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER
TM PRAJAKTA GADKARI
TM ANUSHI JAIN
TM SHARVESH SHARMA
TM AMEYA SANGEP
CHIEF EDITOR
CHIEF DESIGNER
EDITOR
DESIGNER
OTHER MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS
TM SAKSHI BHUWAL
TM AMBIKA KULKARNI
TM ARCHI PAREKH
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