Communicate 98 february 2018 edition

Commu

rate. C o b a ll o C . e nicat

elebrate.

Y R O T S R E V CO

TRAINING R A E Y D I M FROM THE G N I N R A LE ARE THEIR H S O I R T THE

OPINION PAGE

WHY T TELLS US A MEMBER

F TIME A WASTE O IS S R E T S OASTMA

LEADER SPEAK

IN GOA S SUNNY Y A W L A T IT’S NO

FEATURED

PERC INDIAN SU F O R E H T THE FA

SSONS IVES US LE G S R E T U OMP

SHIP IN LEADER

FEBRUA

RY 2018

IN THIS ISSUE

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

05

CELEBRATING THE MILESTONES

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COVER STORY

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COMMUNICATE 98 FEATURES

13

LEADER SPEAK

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MENTOR MOMENT HUMANS OF DISTRICT 98 THE OPINION PAGE UNLEASH CONTEST OF THE MONTH THE WIRE

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! THE COMMUNICATE 98 TEAM

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DISTRICT 98 OFFICERS

OUR DISTRICT OFFICERS (2017-2018) Arvind Nair Ravi Teja Marrapu Leo Kurians Paulose Chandrashekar D P Patrick Pereira Nishant Mehta Niteash Agarwaal Chidanand Pradhan Hasnain Changi Raunak Kulwal Vinod J Sharma Akshay Chillal Siddharth Suman Anant Katyayni Smita Mishra Shijin Sreeraman Ajay Hiraskar Dhanraj Kamdar Dipankar Das Mahesh Puranam Manish Kamdar Debahooti Basu Tanmaya Panda Parakh Kukreja Prashant Sampat Kannagi Mishra Poonam Kumar Chris Kingsley Seema Rani Vijay Bhanushali Pramod Kiwande Heena Garg Mayank Naidu Priya Lekha Ajit Shah Sapna Ohri

District Director Program Quality Director Club Growth Director Immediate Past District Director District Administration Manager District Finance Manager District PR Manager District Logistics Manager Division Director - Div A Division Director - Div B Division Director - Div C Division Director - Div D Division Director - Div E Division Director - Div F Division Director - Div H Division Director - Div M Division Director - Div P Area Director - Area A1 Area Director - Area A2 Area Director - Area A3 Area Director - Area A4 Area Director - Area B1 Area Director - Area B2 Area Director - Area B3 Area Director - Area B4 Area Director - Area B5 Area Director - Area C1 Area Director - Area C2 Area Director - Area C3 Area Director - Area C4 Area Director - Area C5 Area Director - Area D1 Area Director - Area D2 Area Director - Area D3 Area Director - Area D4 Area Director - Area D5

Aparajitha Chakilam Ankur Agarwal Rahul Ghelani Priya Mathur G. K. Aajay Pavan Kumar Tulsija Shefali Johar Prudvinath Malepati Narita Rai Subramanyam KV Abhishek Shukla Tanay Tejasvi Asha Pratyasa Sunil Sharma Dr. Tejinder Singh Rawal Shubhangi Pandey K Srikanth Ravi Sharma Pratibha Jithesh Umme Salma Babrawala Navin Raj Abraham Vinay Prabhu Mhambre Shreya Kanabar Angad Sathe Syed Moazzam Daimi Ravi G. Motwani Swapnil Sonawane Pramod Mohandas Arjuna Shivangi Usha Udayshankar Atul Morey Eknath Hole Karan Gupta Mukta Nadkar Shireesh Nadkar Suryaprathap Reddy K

Area Director - Area E1 Area Director - Area E2 Area Director - Area E3 Area Director - Area E4 Area Director - Area E5 Area Director - Area E6 Area Director - Area F1 Area Director - Area F2 Area Director - Area F3 Area Director - Area F4 Area Director - Area F5 Area Director - Area H1 Area Director - Area H2 Area Director - Area H3 Area Director - Area H4 Area Director - Area H5 Area Director - Area H6 Area Director - Area M1 Area Director - Area M2 Area Director - Area M3 Area Director - Area M4 Area Director - Area M5 Area Director - Area P1 Area Director - Area P2 Area Director - Area P3 Area Director - Area P4 Area Director - Area P5 District Training Manager Club Extension Chair, Hyderabad Club Extension Chair, Pune Club Extension Chair, Mumbai Credentials Chair District Newsletter Editor District Chief Judge District Parliamentarian District Web Master

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 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

ON COVER STORY - THE LANGUAGES OF LEADERS A good insight to the immense possibilities at Toastmasters to not just improve spoken skills but explore learning a completely new one.

TM Mayura Mulay, Dhwani Toastmasters Bangalore I am happy to learn about the bilingual clubs in India, especially the one conducting meetings in Tamil. However District 79 (Saudi Arabia) has chartered clubs conducting meetings in Tamil, Malayalam, Urdu, Marathi and Tagalog way back in 2012. There are at least 10 clubs in the District using different Indian languages.

DTM Shireesh Nadkar, Deccan Toastmasters Club, Pune I know a lot of gifted speakers but the problem is, they only speak their native language and not English. Through the wonderfully written Cover story I learnt about multilingual nature of Toastmasters. Communication and Leadership skills doesn't depend on the language you speak, Godspeed Toastmasters.

TM Deepak Mahesh, Techmahindra Toastmasters Club (Infocity), Hyderabad

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 CELEBRATING THE MILESTONES

400TH MEETING OF TCS MAITREE SYNERGY PARK TOASTMASTERS, HYDERABAD 16TH FEBRUARY

10TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHARTER OF TOASTMASTERS CLUB OF PUNE 17TH FEBRUARY

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COVER STORY

MID-YEAR TRAINING THE TRIO TALK ABOUT THEIR TRAINING, LEADERSHIP LESSONS, PERSONAL INSIGHTS, AND MORE In January 2018, more than 50 District officers of Regions 13 and 14 came together in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for their mid-year training session. It was conducted by three Region Advisors, two International Directors, TI’s CEO Daniel Rex and International President, Arunasalam Balraj. We interviewed our Trio to know more about the lessons and insights they experienced, as well as gain an understanding of what we could expect from our District in the year ahead.

District Director Arvind Nair, DTM found the session on Personal Growth and Development the most useful to him, because it enabled attendees to review their roles and responsibilities and identify their level of comfort in executing those responsibilities. His key takeaway from the training was that every District has its own culture. While one may listen to or offer solutions, what is sauce for the goose may not be the same for the gander. One must adapt and synchronise one’s actions to the core values of Toastmasters.

When asked if he learned any interesting practices from other District Trios he said,”In all humility, I’d like to say it was the other way round. The District we shared the table with wanted to know how we have been President’s Distinguished District two years in a row in spite of being a young District.”

Reflecting on his experience in the Trio he says,”When you aspire to be the Club Growth Director, ponder over your professional and personal life. The journey is a commitment of four years. For me, my professional life had ended and in my personal life, I had enough time. I was already into service leadership, helping members and giving back to the movement.” He feels that the experience only reinforces the thought, be humble to all on your way up for soon you are sure to meet them on your way down.

Since 2008 (when he joined Toastmasters), he has had the opportunity to hold a leadership position 11 times.

“As you progress from one position to the next, your circle of influence varies proportionately with the position.

Do not flaunt the title on your forehead, rather let it sit lightly on your sleeve.” As a leader identify members who have the potential to be future leaders and groom them. Lastly, he encourages,”Grab every opportunity when it arises as it would give you a new perspective to approaching life, leadership, and problems.”

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COVER STORY

Program Quality Director Ravi Teja, DTM found the session on organisational updates most useful, because with the cancellation of the semi-annual conferences, there were several grey areas for all. They learned that all contests must go until District level, they learned how to conduct voting, and how to have virtual District Council meetings.

He learned about several interesting practices from other Districts. He found that we are a very frugal District and learned from other well-established Districts which are managing their finances better. Another was how other Districts are ensuring member retention. He realised that there should be more education workshops on the Toastmasters educational program. “They conduct a lot of educational sessions on how to give speeches, evaluations, conducting officer training, how to perform roles etc. We must monitor where we are spending our energy and spend it on these things instead.”

Reflecting on his experience as a member of the Trio, he says, “I think that when you lead organisations of great scale and value, its not an opportunity you get so easily in life, within 5-6 years. In Toastmasters when you take office, you get everything (council, process, calendar, money) already set up. The moment you come into the role, you are excited to change things to and fill in the gaps in different cities. So understand that you’ll be overwhelmed with opportunities to create impact and that it is easy to get carried away.”

He recommends that you must have mentors who are continuously giving feedback, and to keep assessing yourself after every event or meeting as well as discuss with them afterwards, whether you were able to handle the responsibility and get the job done. “This is the most crucial aspect because a year happens just like that. I have seen people become the worst version of themselves because they haven't taken feedback.”

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COVER STORY

Club Growth Director DTM Leo Paulose, DTM found the session on finance the most useful. “Budgeting is pivotal for all District EC members and next year, we are going to give the incoming CGD the recommendation of having a fixed budget for each Division and Area as opposed to centrally deciding it.” Even as a Division Director, he managed small funds and had never managed big funds hands on. The training gave him clarity on how other CGDs were using their funds, the different protocols they followed, and the best practices of their Districts.

He appreciated the openness of senior leadership in answering questions and giving constructive feedback. “I loved the fact that even the most uncomfortable questions were answered. I want to bring in more comfort in terms of talking and asking questions and really promote that kind of culture. We have a culture where we are uncomfortable asking questions. We need to introduce a culture of being more upfront about things.”

He said that the demography of our District is quite narrow. IT professionals and students are the two big communities and others, such as real estate and construction are there but are much smaller. He told us of a CGD from Malaysia who is building a club only for judges. Even closer to home, there is a club in Tirupati where batteries are manufactured, a club in L&T, we want to grow in such areas. “There are many such examples we are trying, especially in Hyderabad and Pune...one of the reasons we are doing MOC in Pune is to go outside the conventional audience and see how it works.”

On his Trio experience, “People have a feeling that being a part of the trio is very ‘cool’, which is true, but it also requires extensive time investment and effort. I invest 4+ hours in Toastmasters every day and upto 4-6 hours on some days.” This role has helped him understand ‘service leadership’. “I have truly understood what it means to be put on the spot, to be misunderstood; but I wouldn’t be doing it (the role) justice if I always took the best or most popular decision, as it’s about taking the right decision, no matter how difficult.”

When asked about leadership opportunities offered to Toastmasters, he stresses, “I want people to realise that every leadership opportunity is always a privilege that the membership has given you, rather than an authority. Therefore, you shouldn’t forget about the need to give back. The way you should understand it is that by the time you complete your term, if you have improved things even a little, then it is a success. Success is not about the numbers, but the many intangible things you can accomplish.”

Edited by Karan, compiled by Ruchika Take a moment to give us feedback for this article, or the issue HERE. You might get published in Letters to the Editor!

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A journey of possibilities and achievement Pathways features interactive content, engaging videos, skill-building activities and projects, and powerful tools for tracking your progress and growth.

Exciting enhancements coupled with the structure you know The biggest changes you’ll experience with Pathways are the opportunities to grow more skills and master new competencies. You can still expect the same support from your club members and the familiar structure of your club.

View the comparison below to see the similarities and learn more about the additional benefits of Pathways:

Today Your club meeting has an agenda, meeting roles and speeches You sign up for a speech and receive an evaluation Club members support you and give feedback You receive recognition

The Ice Breaker is your first speech

The VPE tracks your progress

Speeches last 5–7 minutes

Learn 68 competencies One communication track, one leadership track

ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü

With Pathways

ü ü+ ü+ ü+ ü ü ü ü+ ü+

Access and store speech evaluations online Feedback is also available online through Base Camp Receive digital badges and certificates through Base Camp

Learn more than 300 competencies 10 different learning paths tailored to you

Preparing for enrollment is easy. Simply refer to the steps on the back of this card. Reach your potential with Pathways today!

The Distinguished Toastmaster in Pathways The DTM award represents the highest level of educational achievement in Toastmasters.

CLUB LEADERSHIP Commitment: 1 year (can be two 6-month consecutive or non-consecutive terms) Skills Gained: Leadership, opportunities for collaboration and decision making

AND

CLUB SPONSORSHIP or YOUTH LEADERSHIP or SPEECHCRAFT WORKSHOP

Commitment: 2 months to 1 year (depending on role) Skills Gained: Leadership, mentorship, training, collaboration with fellow contributors and participants, and providing effective feedback

DISTRICT LEADERSHIP

AND

CLUB MENTOR or COACH

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER AWARD

EDUCATION

Commitment: 1 year

Commitment: 6 months to 2 years

Commitment: 2 to 4 years

Commitment: 2 to 4 years

Skills Gained: High-level leadership, consistent opportunities for collaboration, project-driven environment and demonstrable decision-making responsibilities

Skills Gained: Leadership, mentoring individuals and a team, and collaboration

Skills Gained: Self-directed course of study, over 300 communication competencies, large-scale and small-scale leadership opportunities, collaboration, cooperation, self-direction, and receiving and providing effective feedback

Skills Gained: Communication and leadership

For more information visit www.toastmasters.org/education/distinguished-toastmaster Item 8003

8/2017

Š 2017 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.

COMMUNICATE 98 FEATURES

“PARAM” LEADERSHIP

Dr. Vijay Bhatkar is a scientist, academic, teacher, visionary, mentor, and leader! Currently, he is also serving as the Chancellor of Nalanda University. Communicate 98 is glad to present an interview with the Father of India’s first Supercomputer, “Param”.

You led the path-breaking “Param” supercomputing project. Can you share something about this project with our readers?

I feel one needs to see the development of “Param” in the context of India’s social geography, economy, and world politics. As we all know, India is an agrarian society. Even today, agriculture is largely dependent on monsoons, which are often unpredictable. “When will the rains come?” is a million dollar question.

To answer this question, we need accurate weather prediction. This, in turn, requires the analysis of huge quantities of weather-related data and mathematical modelling. Again, to handle data of this magnitude, you need huge computing power, which can be delivered by supercomputers.

In the mid-1980’s, India desperately needed such computing resources. At that time, the U.S. was a world leader in supercomputing. Due to strategic reasons, it was unwilling to share this technology. Despite knowing this, in 1985, the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi took this issue up with Ronald Reagan, the U.S. President at that time. The U.S. agreed to give India access to its supercomputing technology, but on humiliating and unacceptable terms.

Mr. Rajiv Gandhi returned to India and asked Indian scientists if they could develop a supercomputer. As the head of the Electronics and Development Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, I was also approached

DR. VIJAY BHATKAR officially on this topic. Through this centre, we had undertaken many new projects such as launching India’s first colour television. Based on this successful prior experience, I answered “Yes! We can make a supercomputer!”

Till then, I had seen a supercomputer only in one printed journal. But due to my inner confidence and desire to do something for India, I replied positively.

My confident and concise answers to all questions posed by the Prime Minister impressed him and he said, “The project is approved!”

But first, we needed to set up a separate institution where India’s first supercomputer could be conceived and guided. For this, the Centre for Diploma in Advanced Computing (C-DAC) was set up within the campus of Pune University. A dingy and abandoned old building of Pune University was transformed into a modern computing lab of international standard!

That’s wonderful—a developing country like India developing its indigenous supercomputer from scratch. Can you tell us about the challenges faced in this project and how you solved them?

The first challenge was setting up the C-DAC from scratch. For this, I had to get people on board. Asking people to leave their full-time government jobs and take up contractual roles is no joke. There were bureaucratic hurdles all along. In fact, in the first six

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COMMUNICATE 98 FEATURES Zurich, Switzerland. We dismantled the prototype, carried its parts in our baggage and got it cleared at the customs, and painstakingly re-assembled the computer at the conference. But we succeeded! India was certified as a “supercomputing power”.

When we returned to India, we converted the prototype into a full-fledged model in 1991. In this way, India’s first supercomputer Param 8000 was created by our team in less than 3 years.

To summarize, I would say that my inner confidence and experience propelled me to believe, “Yes! We will make it”. I would like to mention Dr. Homi Bhabha and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai as my role models for success. I also consider Swami Vivekananda as my spiritual inspiration.

months, I could not recruit a single—that’s right, not a single person! Some people, including my own professors, started doubting the feasibility of the project. But I realized that when working with the government, you need lots of patience. I persisted.

Secondly, we had to develop everything on our own: chips, hardware, and system software. As talented as our team was, we had never done this kind of work.

We had to learn it all. For this purpose, a special school was set up. We worked day and night. The lab would remain open 24*7. To save time, team members or students, including girls, would often eat and sleep there itself!

Time was short, but we persevered. We had a goal.

We had a dream! There was nervousness, but also excitement. Due to our team’s motivation and passion, we succeeded in delivering our first prototype way ahead of schedule, in 1989.

But there were more challenges. Even now, some people were skeptical about the project’s supercomputing capabilities. I decided to get it benchmarked on an international platform. In 1990, there was a European supercomputing challenge in

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I see that you took ownership of the supercomputing project. How would you explain “ownership” to today’s youth?

Ownership is responsibility. It is taking up a challenge, going to the battlefront. You need to appreciate the magnitude of the task. You’ve got to tell yourself, “I have given my word. I am committed and need to do it, come what may!”

Toastmasters is a volunteer organization. In such a setup, how can one become a leader and an inspiration for others?

Personally, I’ve done my most challenging work through voluntary organizations. When you work voluntarily, you pursue your goals due to an inner zeal to succeed, more than anything else.

I myself run a volunteer organization called Vijnana Bharati, which has 6000 scientists as members.

These scientists are not paid, but our accomplishments are better than even corporate companies.

How can someone become a good leader in a voluntary setup like Toastmasters? It is by getting committed, inspiring others, and doing by example.

Edited and compiled by Taaha Take a moment to give us feedback for this article, or the issue HERE. You might get published in Letters to the Editor!

LEADER SPEAK

IT'S NOT ALWAYS SUNNY IN GOA

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” - John Quincy Adams.

TM Luven spoke to a young and dynamic leader from Goa Toastmasters who truly leads by example, Area M4 Director Navin Abraham.

How has Toastmasters added value to your life?

I heard about Toastmasters in the year 2010 but it took me another three years to take the leap and from then on, there was no looking back. One of the major takeaways from Toastmasters is the concept of Service Leadership, especially when you are a club President. You have to give without expecting anything in return and only then will your fellow ExCom members and club members will work together. The VPE role has taught me to be prepared for the unexpected, dealing with all the last minute dropouts and has made me a lot more patient than I was. There is so much positive energy in a club meeting and this has nothing to do with the number of attendees. I’ve come across some incredible people who have sacrificed a lot of their time and resources to see that this movement stays strong in Goa. On the communication front, as the famous leadership guru Brian Tracy has written, Toastmasters is much about “Systematic desensitization” which gives you the courage, albeit unknowingly, to stand up and speak.

Being one of the most active Toastmasters in Goa, how do you strike a balance between family, work, and Toastmasters?

I’ve been fortunate enough to be blessed with a good boss...at home. Without the support of my wife and my kids, I wouldn’t have been able to attend meetings regularly at multiple clubs. At work, most of my colleagues know me as "Toastmaster Navin" since I’ve persuaded some of them to join Toastmasters. When it becomes challenging to balance all three, then prioritization comes into play and sadly it is family that gets pushed aside.

TM NAVIN ABRAHAM, AREA M4 DIRECTOR As an Area Director, what are the specific challenges you wish to address pertaining to the Goan clubs? Do you have a roadmap?

I opted to be the Area Director with the belief that I could add some value to the Toastmasters movement in Goa. Now, after 6 months, I think there is still a long way to go.

The advantage of Goa is that it is small and almost everyone knows each other. This got us some excellent Toastmasters in the beginning but the sad reality is that we couldn’t retain many of them. I sincerely feel that before adding any new members we need to try and woo our ex-members who have added a lot of value in their time as leaders of clubs. We have been quite successful in ensuring all the clubs are healthy in terms of membership. There are ongoing efforts to start new clubs and hopefully, we would be able to open a couple of them soon.

Your advice to aspirants looking to take up leadership roles in Toastmasters?

Being an Area Director gives one the opportunity to serve multiple clubs. Only take this role if you are willing to travel and visit other clubs. Identify people who will support you and build your area council with such members. Maintain good relationships with all, especially with all the senior members of your area, they are your resources.

Edited and compiled by Luven Take a moment to give us feedback for this article, or the issue HERE. You might get published in Letters to the Editor!

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MENTOR MOMENT TM USHA UDAYSHANKAR CLUB EXTENSION CHAIR, PUNE

MY MENTOR MOMENTS Very precious!

We all have had mentors throughout our lives though we have known them by different names. Parents, teachers, friends, older siblings etc.

Before joining this esteemed programme, I always felt that I was very good at speaking and didn't need something like Toastmasters. Was I wrong? Of course!

Joining toastmasters in 2003 gave me a mentor. An absolutely wonderful person, down to earth, motivating, and a friend for life - DTM Uma Radhakrishnan.

Right from my ice breaker speech until I achieved my DTM, she was there encouraging me at every step. To date, she has always been there for me. I feel proud to say that all my 40 speeches were mentored under her guidance. She helped me hone my speaking skills, work on my posture, stage presence, body language and also bring out the streak of humour within me. Surprising that I was unable to look for all these traits within myself!

Through this journey I have learned a lot by observing and picking the best from my seniors. I remember my first speech contest at the Area level, two months after I had joined. My stage fear was at its height. A senior Toastmaster friend actually held my hand and took me to the stage during the break before the start of the contest just so that I could get the feel of the stage. One statement made by him that I hold with me even now was "Usha remember one thing, you are the best and that is why you are on stage. Nothing else should matter." Needless to say, I went on to win the contest!

I remember my mentor requesting me to edit my scripts, prepare and practise my speech well. She

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would even take the time to review the feedback I received from my evaluators. I remember times when I would be ecstatic with the evaluations I received but she always kept me grounded. Thank you DTM Uma! After 14 years, I can proudly say that working with every single mentee has given me many mentor moments. The opportunity to read through excellent scripts, watch them deliver their speeches and explore their creative skills. One mentee moment I clearly remember was when my mentee, a very shy and nervous person, took me by surprise when she delivered an almost perfect speech in front of a large audience. She gained immense confidence after that, thanks to the appreciation she received. Her preparation and practise had paid off!

Apart from DTM Uma’s guidance, I tried to learn different skills from other senior Toastmasters too, for e.g. Impromptu speaking skills and memorising!

Mentoring, according to me, should play a very important factor in every Toastmaster’s journey. But sadly, there are a lot of Toastmasters who either don't have a mentor or don't have the time to work with their mentors.

Every mentor should value this relationship and have an enjoyable journey. To all mentees, cherish this opportunity to choose your mentors wisely and enjoy your journey in Toastmasters!

Edited by Karan, compiled by Mehak

Take a moment to give us feedback for this article, or the issue HERE. You might get published in Letters to the Editor!

HUMANS OF DISTRICT 98

GOING BEYOND THE CLUB

In December 2015, I happened to attend a demo meeting for RIL Toastmasters Club. Before the meeting, I used to consider myself a very good speaker as I had spoken on stage multiple times before. I was never afraid of public speaking. During the demo meeting, I was listening to the speeches and the scripted meeting format. I thought I could do much better than the people around me and decided to join Toastmasters to show off my ability.

In the next few months, I decided to give my first prepared speech, Project 1. I fumbled, trembled, forgot, and completely messed up my speech. This was the point when I thought “No, it’s not that easy”. I was way behind others and there was a lot of scope for improvement. For the next one year, I became inactive owing to my newly developed stage fear.

A few months later, I was compelled to take a break from work owing to certain medical reasons. This was the turning point in my Toastmasters journey. I contemplated utilising the available time to rebuild my personality and develop confidence and self-worth. I also participated in the club-level Humorous Speech Contest. Though I did not win the competition, I won over my fear of public speaking. I decided to go on with my speeches and did my P2, P3, P4, and so on. I later realised there were many like me seeking a platform to kick-start their journey towards self-development or seeking an opportunity to network. I was inspired do something for others too.

Being a resident of Palava, I envisioned opening a community club there and thanks to the support from various teams, it was successfully chartered on 24th November 2017 and I currently serve as its VPEducation. The club is doing great with members from all walks of life benefiting from the Toastmasters platform. This includes my wife!

TM SHANKAR NAYAK I further went on to mentor a new club, GEP Toastmasters and am currently in the process of providing its members with the best possible experience. I am also the Treasurer of RIL TM Club and chair the contest organising committee. I’ll be competing in the ISC from Palava Club. I think I can safely say that Toastmasters has become a way of life!

What I realised after joining Toastmasters is that the more you do, the more you are inspired and encouraged to do and thus you develop your leadership and communication skills. Networking is, of course, an added advantage. It is for this reason that I currently hold all these positions.

I would like to urge all members to not look at Toastmasters as an individual experience. The best of my learning and development has happened from going beyond from what was required. Don’t just stop at completing your own projects. Visit other clubs, attend joint meetings and conferences, take up club, area, or district roles, become a sponsor, mentor, guide, help in organising contests and other events and ideate on what can be improved to make this movement stronger and more beneficial. You’ll be surprised to see how much you gain out of doing all this.

Edited and compiled by Santosh Take a moment to give us feedback for this article, or the issue HERE. You might get published in Letters to the Editor!

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THE OPINION PAGE

TOASTMASTERS IS A WASTE OF TIME

TM JERVIS A PERERIA “Toastmasters is a waste of time, energy, and money.

You’re better off spending it (your subscription) on a dinner!”, said the silver-haired man. Idling away in a rocking chair, he reeked of stale sweat and strong coffee. The lack of activity was telling on his once muscled frame. But his eyes were sharp. His tongue too.

I sipped my black tea as I listened. I nodded in agreement.

“Why on earth would anyone consider joining a club, to learn speaking—Yes SPEAKING—the same skill you’ve learnt since you last learnt the alphabet? Why on earth should you spend even an iota of time learning to speak? I mean, you do it every single day of your life, unless of course, you’re trapped in a cave 10 kilometres below the Earth’s crust, or meditating in the Himalayas or in solitary confinement.” I laughed. He was right. Why bother learning to speak.

“What a waste of time Toastmasters is! Organizing people, events and then putting up a show. Who on earth needs that skill? It’s not like you’re working in a company, where you probably have town halls, create team goals, training sessions or some other ‘organized’ activity that you have to be a part of. Not unless you are ready to rise in your career.” I gulped, confused.

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"Waste your time, getting to meet new people. For what? What will you learn by networking? Meeting new people may make you popular only on Facebook, and nowhere else. If you want to forge bonds, you have to develop relationships that take time, by doing things together, learning, growing, sharing, only then you’ll not just network, make friends but will have a family. Can you get that at Toastmasters?”

This time I had to do a double take. Something in what he was saying seemed hauntingly taunting. Like he was hiding some truth behind all those ‘tuchkis’ he was doling out. But I wasn’t sure. So I listened.

That’s when it struck me—he had been baiting me all along!

I had come to him—my club President and told him that I couldn’t be part of Toastmasters and wanted to quit. And I told myself it was a ‘waste of time’.

He knew perfectly well what I needed to hear and how I needed to hear it.

He knew because in my club he sat beside me. We grew together. I trusted him. He knew. Because that’s what Toastmasters is—Family.

If you’re not a part of it, You’re Wasting Your Time!

Edited and compiled by Sindhusha Take a moment to give us feedback for this article, or the issue HERE. You might get published in Letters to the Editor!

UNLEASH

TM SNIGDHA | TECHMAHINDRA TOASTMASTERS CLUB (INFOCITY), HYDERABAD

TM MEGHANA | AMDAVAD TOASTMASTERS

NAIVETÉ

DARK PRINCESS

I wish to reverse the clock, To the days when I always wore a frock; Dancing in the warmth of the sun, Life, to me, seemed relentless fun.

Who says night is dark

Immersed in abundance of laughter, The world’s agony remained obscure; For I lived in my own peppy world, Devoid of both darkness and mold.

Peace and calm are your qualities

My naïveté kept me happy, Playfulness was the order of the day; Cartoons were my best friends, We were inseparable like twins.

Now moon says hello

School life was always exciting, Unlike now, when I keep wishing; That I remained a child for eternity, Without having to face any adversity.

It has its own spark Gradually it spreads its charm And calling me to wake up by alarm Like a King has his royalty Queen comes with cold And then swipes all old So don't be a lazy fellow I am amazed with your beauty As you look over the city :)

Blessed am I to have had a great childhood, As free as a bird, flying as far as I could; Dreaming of conquering the world, Unaware of turbulent winds that lay ahead.

I wonder how time just flew, And often can’t help but feel blue; Wiping my tears, I stand up, Asking myself why I grew up.

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CONTEST OF THE MONTH

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF OUR TERRIBLY THRILLING TWEET CONTEST! #TTT

WINNER

A loud wailing of a baby awoke me, instinct made me rush and cradle her back to sleep. Wails turned to moans, moans to a soft giggle. My hands turned cold, my baby was buried a fortnight ago. My head bent down while an evil grin with a foul breath said, "Come join me".

TM Truven Jorge, Ana Fonte Toastmasters Club, Goa

FIRST RUNNER UP

Deafening screams filled the hallway, blood-spattered faces all along made her grasp the handle of the chair.

When she saw someone standing over her head holding a blade, all she could do was pray. Unable to utter a word as the dentist pulled out her tooth and made her pay.

TM Sapana Patel, Vadodara Toastmasters Club

SECOND RUNNER UP

Strolling alone in the dark woods, he was nonchalant to all the sounds. But suddenly, an owl let out a huge howl as if he had committed a blaring foul. His pulse rate shot up and he raced. One false landing and his blood glazed. He let out a thumping roar and that was enough for animals to soar.

TMÂ Jay Jani, Amdavad Toastmasters

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THE WIRE

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1. Panchtara, Joint Meeting of 5 Hyderabad Clubs | 28th January 2. 14 Clubs of Hyderabad came together for a Financial District Joint Meeting | 9th February 3. Grill-Shill and Toastmasters, Syntel Pune Toastmasters Club and Pimpri Toastmasters Club | 11th February 4. PR event, Amdavad Toastmasters | 11th February 5. Diamond City Toastmasters Club, Open House | February 24th 6. Vadodara Toastmasters Open House | February 25th 7. Trio felicitation of TM Jasvindersingh Bhatti for outstanding service in club growth and retention, Diamond City Toastmasters Club

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WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!

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"DREAM LAND" TM LEENA HIREKERUR PERSISTENT PUNE AR PG TOASTMASTERS

Communicate 98 February 2018 edition designed by Ruchika