Communicate 98 Sept-Oct 2018 Issue

Communicate. Collaborate. Celebrate.

THE UNSUNG HEROES OF CLUB SUCCESS

SEPT-OCT 2018

WE EXPLORE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF CLUB SPONSORS, MENTORS AND COACHES

BEYOND THE DISTRICT

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE HOSTS OF THE TOASTMASTERS PODCAST

LEADER SPEAK

THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF BEING A DISTRICT FINANCE MANAGER

THE BREAKTHROUGH

HOW D98's FIRST VIRTUAL DCM CAME TO BE

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Page No.

Sr.

Particulars

01.

District Officers page

03

02.

Letters to the Editor

04

03.

Cover story

05

04.

Ask the expert

08

05.

Beyond the district

09

06.

C98 features

12

07.

Leader speak

14

08.

The Turning Point

15

09.

The Breakthrough

16

10.

International Convention Experience

18

11.

The Opinion Page

20

12.

In Brief

21

13.

Unleash

22

14.

Haiku Contest Winners

23

15.

The Wire

24

16.

Team Page

27

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DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TEAM

District 98 Officers : 2018-19 TOP SEVEN DISTRICT OFFICERS

Ravi Teja Marrapu District Director Alfred Ravi Tauro

Arvind Nair

Venkata Ramana Dittakavi

Immediate Past District Director

Program Quality Director

District Finance Manager

Ajay Hiraskar

Niteash Agarwaal

Arjuna Shivangi

District Administration Manager

Club Growth Director

District PR Manager

DIVISION DIRECTORS Dipankar Das - Division A Director Sapna Ohri - Division B Director Seema Rani - Division C Director Kunal Sarpal - Division D Director Gujarati Aajay Kumar - Division E Director Vikram Chandra - Division F Director Pavan Sreedharam - Division G Director Shubhangi Pandey - Division H Director Ravi Sharma - Division M Director Mayank Naidu - Division O Director Umesh Agashe - Division P Director AREA DIRECTORS - DIVISION A Manish Khanolkar - Area A1 Director Swapnil Nigam - Area A2 Director Jasvinder Bhatti - Area A3 Director Bhushan Sarmandal - Area A4 Director AREA DIRECTORS - DIVISION B Nishant Mehta - Area B1 Director Aaron Colaco - Area B2 Director Punit Patel - Area B3 Director Hardik Shah - Area B4 Director Mohammed Faraz - Area B5 Director Patrick Pereira - Area B6 Director AREA DIRECTORS - DIVISION C Ishani Ghosal - Area C1 Director Sujata Kolekar - Area C2 Director Sanket Saraf - Area C3 Director Amol Mali - Area C4 Director Harshad Khiera - Area C5 Director AREA DIRECTORS - DIVISION D Amith Bhanudas - Area D1 Director Rashmi Singh - Area D2 Director

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AREA DIRECTORS - DIVISION D Usha Udayshankar - Area D3 Director Amandeep Singh - Area D4 Director Govinda Lalwani - Area D5 Director AREA DIRECTORS - DIVISION E Shashidhar Babu -Area E1 Director Revathi Mocherla - Area E2 Director Ramakanth Konatham - Area E3 Director Sreekanth Gundu - Area E4 Director Harshita Lalchand - Area E5 Director

AREA DIRECTORS - DIVISION O Amol Sheogaonkar - Area O1 Director Obed Daruwala - Area O2 Director Akhil Pillai - Area O3 Director Dhiraj Bose - Area O4 Director

AREA DIRECTORS - DIVISION P Hemangini Bhortakke - Area P1 Director Rajiv Pingale - Area P2 Director Rohan Patwardhan - Area P3 Director Himanshu Inamdar - Area P4 Director

AREA DIRECTORS - DIVISION F Sudip Sinha - Area F1 Director Satish Reddy Eadala - Area F2 Director Phani Bhagawan - Area F3 Director Jagjeet Singh - Area F4 Director

ADMINISTRATION TEAM Chidanand Pradhan - District Parliamentarian Vamshikrishna Alladi - District Logistics Manager Moazzam Daimi - District Credentials Chair

AREA DIRECTORS - DIVISION G Rajesh Satyavada - Area G1 Director Sudheer Pithani - Area G2 Director Laxmikanth Sutrave - Area G3 Director Divesh Tiwari - Area G4 Director

PROGRAM QUALITY DIRECTOR TEAM Trinath Ch - District Chief Judge Dhara Shah - District Training Manager Avaanticka Narayan - Pathways Committee Chair

AREA DIRECTORS - DIVISION H Indumathy Pinnamaneni - Area H1 Director Joy B Hans - Area H2 Director Pavan Teja Basva - Area H3 Director Mayuri Assudani - Area H4 Director Shashank Arya - Area H5 Director

CLUB GROWTH DIRECTOR TEAM Colin Savio Coelho - Club Extension Team Chair Swapnil Sonawane - Club Retention Team Chair Pramod Mohandas - District Marketing Chair

AREA DIRECTORS - DIVISION M Vinay Kumar Srivastava - Area M1 Director Shankar Nayak - Area M2 Director Vijay Kalke - Area M3 Director Manish Gosalia - Area M4 Director Meenakshi Mhambre - Area M5 Director Haleemunisa Fatima - Area M6 Director

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FINANCE TEAM Ajit Shah - District Audit Committee Chair Bharat Shah - District Finance Committee Chair PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM Ruchika Gallani - District Newsletter Editor Aishwarya Vijay - District Communications Chair

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (On District Director's Note: What is our Story?)

Prize winning entry for “Best Letter”

I loved the District Director’s message to focus on the member. Ensuring each member is getting benefited and getting true value of Toastmasters platform. It’s good to begin the year with the end in mind, what story we want to be part of was apt. Indeed Toastmasters International's envisioned future ‘To be the first-choice provider of dynamic, high-value, experiential communication and leadership skills development’ is the ultimate guide for a story we want to be part of.

TM Umesh Agashe Sinhgad Toastmasters Club

(On : Ask the Expert)

A useful set of questions that strike the mind of a contestant. But a simple subdivision of answers from Humorous Speech Champion and Speech Evaluation Champion to separate out would make the presentation better.

And a few general suggestions and bits of experience of contest from those two champions in addition to that of answered questions would give more insight.

TM Yashwanth Thammala TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club

(On : Ask the Expert) (On Humour Has It: Master Chef or Master of the Toast?)

I loved the article. When he asked whether Toastmasters was all about food and drinks, immediately a ‘yes’ came from inside me. I loved how he compared Table Topics Master's chits to crispy wafers, and everyone's speech and way of speaking to a packet of Lays. I laughed out loud at the Sergeant At Arms being compared to a stern looking bouncer. The only thing which was a bit difficult for me, was the high vocabulary, for example ‘Micky D'ing’. I would say it is my bad, not the writer’s. Super positive is that I learnt new words, so thank you TM Jervis Pereira. This article also reminded me that every role has its own significance, and all roles are important.

Some roles are welcome drinks, some starters, some main course and some desserts, all in all you are served a complete meal. This was a mouth watering article for me. It was indeed street food, we all crave for.

TM Srinivas Gandikota, Persistent Hyderabad Toastmasters Club

(On Cover Story-Remembering Leo)

While reading about the days and contributions of Leo shared by fellow Toastmasters, I relived my memories with charismatic Leo. TM Umesh Agashe

TM Pinky Bahroos Toastmasters Club of Baroda and Vadodara Toastmasters Club

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Ask the Expert is a perfect section to get clarity on day-to-day Toastmasters activities. It has been given enough prominence in the overall magazine content. Please continue to retain this section in all the subsequent editions.

Sinhgad Toastmasters Club

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COVER STORY

The Unsung Heroes of Club Success Last year, when an opportunity to be a Club Mentor was presented itself to me, I took it

DTM Ashley Lobo

up not really aware of the journey that lay ahead. The first few months were challenging, but eventually, the experience turned out to be very rewarding. Moreover, it gave me an insight into an area of Toastmasters that I wasn’t even aware of before. I came to learn

about the roles and duties of Club Sponsors, Mentors and Coaches, and the impact they can have on clubs.

These roles aren’t very well known about, and yet, they are crucial to club growth, sustenance and retention.

Therefore, the rest of this article explores more about what each of these roles entail, and tells the experiences of people who have played these roles in the past.

CLUB SPONSOR A Club Sponsor is the usually first point of contact for a prospective club and the one who gets things up and running. He/She organizes the new club, sets up regular meetings, completes the paperwork and gets the club chartered.

A Club Sponsor’s approach differs slightly depending upon the type of club being chartered. For corporate clubs, the Sponsor identifies the company’s details and priorities, and forges connections with its stakeholders. For community clubs, the Sponsor holds demo meetings, creates publicity and targets prospective members.

DTM Ashley Lobo has been a sponsor for Mapusa Toastmasters Club and a few college clubs in Goa. Prior to his involvement with Mapusa, there had been three attempts to start the club. The main problem they faced was getting 20 charter members before their interest waned. “We had 9 members at the time and booked them as Goa YMCA Toastmasters Club members. We changed the frequency of meetings to 4, and held them in two different locations: 2 in Panjim and 2 in Mapusa. We arranged meetings, invited guests and conducted a Speechcraft. Soon, we were able to get to 20 members and charter the club,” he says.

After the club was chartered, he advised the Executive Committee not to get new members right away, in order to focus more on the development of the existing members. Members were allowed to give speeches as frequently as they wanted, and within 2-3 months they were proficient enough to become mentors themselves. After that the club opened its doors to more members, but always ensured that they had good quality mentors.

“The club was chartered on 18th November, and by June, we had 9 DCP points. We didn’t file the 10th point, because we wanted to set the next term up for success in time.” The next year they became a Diamond Club and continued to be one the year after that too.

Sponsoring college and community clubs have their own unique ups and downs. Sponsoring a college club is quite simple. One simply needs to convince the administration of its benefit to students, but the follow through by students doesn’t always happen. On the other hand, sponsoring a community club is more difficult. In a place like Goa, organisations like Toastmasters and improving one’s communication skills aren’t given much importance because people

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COVER STORY are already proficient in English. Also, companies that are hiring don’t value communication skills as much as they do elsewhere.

Spreading awareness among the community needs a different approach in each case too. For college clubs like NIT Goa, DTM Ashley talked to the administration, gave a presentation to students, and even got 60 people to sign up. But the club remained active for a mere two months, and ultimately, students did not renew their membership. “For Mapusa, I requested senior Toastmasters to visit and give speeches and evaluations, so people could witness good quality meetings. They also talked about the benefits of communication and leadership, and how the program helped them overcome stammering and speech problems,” he adds.

The strategy worked in their favour, since the club started flourishing and continues to flourish to this day.

CLUB MENTOR After a Club Sponsor’s responsibilities are complete, they pass the baton of support and development of the new club to the Club Mentors. Mentors are the advisors and tutors for new clubs and have a great effect on the degree to which a new club succeeds. Mentors teach, share knowledge, answer questions and empower the members to find answers on their own.

They provide insight to the Executive Committee on how their decisions and actions affect members. They also familiarize members with the educational program, and train them by

TM Suneel Agrawal

example on running quality meetings and performing roles.

TM Suneel Agarwal, earlier a mentor for Accenture Toastmasters Club and currently mentoring SP Jain Global Toastmasters Club, feels that after a club charters, the Mentor should be in the picture as quickly as possible.

He has observed that initially, members are not aware of what is available and what will be provided to them.

They must be told that mentoring is a crutch that will be taken away. Mentors should make them realise that the faster they take ownership, the better their club will be able to progress and sustain itself. “As a Mentor, you know how and why members will benefit from the program, but they do not, and you have to encourage them. You have to gauge where they are at, get them to meetings to play roles, and give them ideas on how they can get more attendance and participation,” he adds. He also believes that members should be told to visit other clubs to accelerate their learning from the program.

Growth only happens when they visit other clubs and get to learn from their culture, hospitality and practices.

He touches on a couple of things new mentors should keep in mind. Although a Mentor may initially take up certain meeting roles to demonstrate them, later on they should be strict and urge members to take up roles themselves, so that they can be self-reliant. Secondly, in a new club, every single thing has to be explained from scratch. Just like one doesn’t realise the internal support that is there in a joint family until one is in a nuclear family, new Mentors don’t realise the support structures and systems that have been developed over the years in established clubs and tend to take them for granted.

He has observed that when one mentors a new Toastmaster or a contestant, the emphasis is on the individual's journey and their performance alone. But when one is mentoring a club, the approach needs to be more holistic. “You have to mentor everything, right from making them understand the nuts and bolts of running a meeting smoothly, to ensuring the energy, attendance and participation is up-to par, to raising the bar of meeting quality,” he adds.

Meeting quality is of prime importance for a new club, because that is what determines its long term success.

“Club retention largely depends on the club’s ability to conduct good quality meetings on their own. If the meeting quality doesn’t inspire people to attend, even those who’ve paid the membership fees won’t come. The sacrifice members make to attend meetings has to be justified to them”, he concludes.

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COVER STORY CLUB COACH Sponsors and Mentors help set a new club up for success, but when a club starts floundering, a Club Coach comes into the picture to help. A club can appoint a Coach when it has at least 1 but not more than 12 members. They are not members of the struggling club and are unfamiliar with the its members when appointed. A Club Coach builds a rapport with club leaders and members, observes and analyzes the club environment, then assists the club in generating solutions by helping them develop a plan with goals for improvement. He/She enables the club to achieve those goals and instills enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility for the club’s future in its members. Only after a Club Coach helps the club to achieve the Distinguished recognition can they claim credit for it.

In 2016, soon after TM Ratnakumar Vadapalli’s term as an Area Director began, one of his clubs, Waltair Toastmasters Club, began to struggle. At the time of his appointment as its Coach, the club hadn’t held a single meeting for 3 months, and the membership strength was down to 8.

TM Ratnakumar Vadapalli

For the next 6 months, he would be the first to arrive, ensuring that he attended every single meeting and that all the roles were taken up. He would invite members from other clubs to join and would organise either a special or a joint meeting every month.

“Although I wasn’t a member, no one could tell me apart from the other members,” he says.

When the then District Director, DTM Chandra came down to Vizag, a PR event was held which got a lot of attention. Similarly, prominent Toastmasters from Divisions EFH attended the Area Contest held in Vizag. They answered members’ questions and helped them understand more about the program, which helped instill people’s trust back in the club. “Each time someone prominent visited Vizag, I utilised the opportunity and made sure members got something valuable out of it,” he adds.

Eventually, his efforts bore fruit. The club ended up earning 5 DCP points and winning the Golden Eagle Award.

One member even went onto represent the club at the Division Level Table Topics Contest, and is now an Area Director.

But being a Coach for a struggling club in a tier 2 city presented TM Ratna with a few unique challenges. Running a contest or any event apart from a regular meeting was difficult, due to the lack of people to serve as roleplayers. Less events also meant that keeping people’s enthusiasm up was difficult. It was also difficult to get people to travel from Vizag for major events like COTPs, Division and District Conferences which were held in Hyderabad.

“I tried to resolve these issues by explaining to members the difference they could make and what they could gain out of the experience. I also coordinated trips so people could travel together and get to know each other better.”

Ultimately, when people from Vizag came to Hyderabad and were acknowledged for their efforts, the rewards became apparent to them.

This experience impressed upon TM Ratna the level of responsibility and ownership one has to have as a Coach.

“You have to ensure everything is taken care of and run smoothly. Things have already fallen apart and can easily fall apart again. You have to be careful with every word you speak and every piece of feedback you give, and treat everything with a certain level of tenderness”, he concludes.

CLICK HERE to leave your feedback on the article and it could be featured in Letters to the Editor!

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Edited and compiled by Ruchika

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ASK THE EXPERT

Q. What recognition are we giving to clubs for encouraging Pathways (except for those who are in pursuit of the Diamond Club Award) ?

- TM Kaustubh Ghanekar, Deccan Toastmasters Club

A. Individuals will be acknowledged at Division conferences for completing certain levels in Pathways.

TM Avaanticka Narayan District Pathways Committee Chair

Q. How do we get credit in Pathways for conducting speeches from manuals like the Successful Club Series manual?

- TM Balkrishna Kamath, YMCA Toastmasters Club

A. The existing Successful Club series remains available during the 2 yr transition period. Pathways projects do not qualify as Successful Club series projects. While members are welcome to complete these projects, they will not receive credit in Pathways for doing so.

Q. If members are following different paths in which they develop their competencies, then how can they all be judged by the same criteria in any of the speech contests?

- TM Balkrishna Kamath, YMCA Toastmasters Club

A. There are 5 core competencies that people can build through Pathways. (Public Speaking, Strategic Leadership, Interpersonal Communication, Management and Confidence). The core competency of focus for every Path is different. Directly comparing competency to competency between Traditional and Pathways is not recommended, because in the Traditional program you can build up to 68 competencies and in Pathways you can build upto 300.

Speech contests test a certain set of those 300 competencies that you can develop. Hence if you want to do well in a certain contest, you should identify and work on those particular competencies pertaining to that specific contest.

Q. As per the traditional program, to complete ACG, we have to mentor the first 3 speeches of the CC manual to get a credit. Can we get credit for mentoring the first 3 speeches of Pathways?

- TM Dimple Mehta, Mumbai Toastmasters

A. Yes. A mentor receives CL or ACG credit for mentoring a new member through three speeches, regardless of whether those speeches are in the current education program, in Pathways, or a combination of the two.

Q. Does approving the Base Camp Manager for a speaker mean filing an educational award for a speaker?

- TM Aaron Colaco, Area B2 Director

A. Once approval is complete for a level, the Base Camp Manager can submit an achievement on Club Central as soon as they mark the level as complete on Base Camp. Level completions for credit in the Distinguished Club program are re-tracked through Club Central, not Base Camp.

Q. For an Advanced club to be chartered, what should be the min. level a speaker should complete in Pathways?

- TM Sanjan Shetty, Mumbai Toastmasters A. Advanced Clubs are at their discretion to set requirements for membership for the Traditional Program and Pathways. For more information contact members@toastmasters.org CLICK HERE to leave your feedback on the article and it could be featured in Letters to the Editor!

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BEYOND THE DISTRICT

The Toastmasters Podcast :

Behind the scenes with Ryan & Greg

As Toastmasters, we focus most of our energy on becoming a better speaker. However, listening also plays a vital role. The Toastmasters Podcast is one such channel that helps Toastmasters become better listeners. Hosted by Bo Bennet, Ryan Levesque and Greg Gazin, this podcast sponsored by Toastmaster International has aired more than 100 episodes till date. In this email interview with Ryan and Greg, they share with us what goes on behind the scenes and how hosting the podcast has changed their lives.

Q

Ryan, what inspired you to start this podcast and how did this begin? What has led to its growth and made it what it is today?

Bo and I had originally met through Toastmasters. We started a business together in 2007 and began working together full time. We were also really into podcasts. We combined our interests in Toastmasters and podcasting and started a podcast called ‘Talking Toastmasters’. It was similar to the The Toastmasters Podcast, where we primarily interviewed people featured in the Toastmaster magazine. The interviews were longer and looser than the current show.

Bo approached Toastmasters International several times about officially endorsing the show and having us produce the show in cooperation with, and on behalf of, Toastmasters International. But his offer was politely declined several times.

In 2009, a recent hire at World Headquarters (WHQ) discovered us and caught wind of Bo’s previous requests for partnership. She believed that having a podcast for Toastmasters would help reach a new audience, including perhaps a younger and more tech savvy demographic, and demonstrate Toastmasters’ willingness to embrace new media and technology. After discussing with the staff at World Headquarters, we decided to discontinue ‘Talking Toastmasters’ and begin ‘the official podcast of Toastmasters International’, The Toastmasters Podcast. We’ve also had the opportunity to travel to a few International Conventions to provide coverage of the event, and even record a couple of live shows in front of an audience. At one of those conventions, we met fellow podcaster Greg Gazin, and eventually invited him to become a co-host.

Q

The podcast has more than 100 episodes. How do you decide the topics and guests who will be featured in it?

Ryan: Generally, Toastmasters International will provide us a list of ‘leads’ based on a recent or upcoming issue of the Toastmaster magazine. We’ll read through the articles they provide, and choose the one(s) that we think would make the best episode. Of course, for upcoming Conventions, we typically speak with the educational session presenters, keynote speakers, and Golden Gavel recipient. After the Convention, we generally speak with the new International President, the World Champion of Public Speaking, and any new Accredited Speakers. Occasionally, we will come across an episode idea that is ‘out of the box’, and we’ll present it to WHQ for consideration, and determine if it’s worth pursuing.

Q

How do you plan every episode? What is the overall process that goes into creating it?

Ryan: On most episodes, two of the hosts are present. We’ll typically do our own research and formulate questions independently, and then come together to compare notes before the actual interview. We attempt to leave some space for spontaneity and for the possibility of the conversation taking a different twist than anticipated. We usually are speaking voice-to-voice to the guest for the first time when we are meeting to record the interview. We take a few minutes to meet, set the guests (and ourselves!) at ease, and make sure everyone is ready to go. Once the interview is complete, we’ll usually have to do some minor post-production editing, and then we’ll send the episode to WHQ for review and approval, after which we release the episode.

Q

Greg, you host two podcast shows on Toastmasters. How different is hosting Toastmasters podcast and Toastcaster?

Greg: ‘Toastcaster-Podcast for Toastmasters’, is my own creation, conceived in 2006 as a High Performance Leadership Project. Rather than compete, it complements the Toastmasters Podcast because it is not host/guest interview focused.

Toastcaster is designed to cover a wide variety of topics that might be of interest both to Toastmasters and future

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BEYOND THE DISTRICT Toastmasters, and in some cases offer an extension of those interviews. While most episodes center on communication and leadership related themes, others might cover other things like microphones or apps, effective use of technology, humorous episodes and even personal speeches.

Q

What are some of your personal favourite podcasts and what do you think makes a great podcast?

Greg: Each episode has a special meaning, but episode #104 was probably the most memorable. It was an interview with Sara Safari who was hanging off the side of Mount Everest when the Nepali earthquake struck. Her story the struggle, the emotion and her survival is permanently engraved in my mind.

A great podcast is one where you and your guests can have an enjoyable and honest conversation, enlighten the listener with knowledge, or encourage them to do something different. So I try hard to ensure that I ask the right questions to capture the essence of who the speaker is and what they are about to help bring the story out. Another aspect of a great podcast is having great co-hosts like Ryan and Bo whom you work with before, during and after the interviews. It’s great to be able to bounce things off each other and help fill in gaps you might have.

Ryan: My favourite podcasts tend to fall into two different classes. One includes podcasts where the hosts are personal and authentic, and I feel like I relate to them so well that I’d enjoy hanging out with them. We’ve had listeners say things like that to us. One reviewer has said, “I’d like the opportunity to buy these guys a beer”. Hopefully that means what we’re doing is resonating with the listeners. The other class are podcasts that focus on in-depth storytelling with high production value. A great example is NPR’s This American Life. The stories are endlessly fascinating, and the production often includes specially selected music and field reporting that includes the ambient noise of the environment where the action is taking place.

Q

Can you share with us your favourite experience, episode or interview of the podcast and tell us why is it your favourite?

Ryan: I really enjoyed putting together episode #062 from the 2012 International Convention in Orlando. On that episode, I had fun with production and field recording, including recording from within the ballroom at the World Championship, interviewing World Champion Ryan Avery and his wife Chelsea while they were surrounded by fans and media, and even recording from within the parks at Disney World. The episode begins with the music of ‘It’s A Small World’, which was recorded on the actual ride with my family!

Greg: One of my favourite experiences was doing a series of short live interviews at the 2017 International Convention in Vancouver. It was phenomenal hearing stories of members from all over the world. I had over 3 hours of material and most of it was exciting and relevant. The challenge was to select what to include and to edit down some of the dialogues. Speaking to so many Toastmasters from around the world all in the International Convention put all my Toastmasters skills, particularly impromptu speaking to the test. Another interesting experience was when Ryan and I were speaking with Dana Lamon during a pre-convention interview. Ryan and I had a plan for the interview, including a series of questions. When Dana answered all of them in his first response, we said, “Now what?” and proceeded to do the rest of the interview completely on the fly.

Q

How has hosting this podcast changed you as an individual?

Ryan: Co-hosting The Toastmasters Podcast has helped me stretch and grow my communication skills in new ways. I’ve learned to better manage performance anxiety by focusing my interest on the guest and topic, and on bringing value to the listeners. My listening skills have also improved. I’ve learned to carefully balance interview preparation with listening in the moment, as sometimes the unplanned, spontaneous questions can lead to the most profound and interesting answers.

Q

Ryan, you have been hosting this podcast for nearly 10 years now.

What's the future of this podcast?

Ryan: For the past 10 years, we’ve truly enjoyed the opportunity to speak with many amazing guests from around the world. We intend to continue sharing our discussions with incredible leaders and communicators with our audience.

CLICK HERE to leave your feedback on the article and it could be featured in Letters to the Editor!

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Edited and compiled by Padmaja

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018

COMMUNICATE 98 FEATURES

Communication and Gender Dynamics - The Intersection Dr. Bhavana Nissima holds a doctorate in Communication from University of New Mexico, and has taught several communication related subjects in the United States and

Dr. Bhavana Nissima

India for eleven years. She has mentored several books. She is a creativity and NLP Trainer, a popular writing coach, writing therapist and design-thinker. She is known as The Lightweaver for her abilities to weave ideas, places, people and objects together. She is also known as The Earthwoman for her love of all things natural and harmonious.

Q1. As a student who started off with Biological Sciences and who later forayed into the world of Communications, Gender Studies and Neuroscience, can you share with us how this journey has helped you in being a better communicator, coach and facilitator?

Natural science teaches the art of observing, collecting data and deducing information from it. It teaches one to dissociate and study. It encourages one to be objective. On the other hand, communication science teaches the complexity of interaction – of how we make meaning and how those meanings sculpt our experiences and consequences – what we do, with whom we belong and how we move.

Gender Studies brought in the critical lens of what is invisible, what is taken for granted and how assertion is both a psychological and sociological stance. Neuroscience returned me to human physiology and the brain, which is the seat of the experiences we process.

As a communicator, these multiple approaches helped me to quickly understand the other/s, become aware of my presumptions and be flexible in the way I communicate. As a coach and facilitator, I could quickly discern group dynamics, who needs what kind of attention and how to support them to achieve their goals. I am simultaneously aware of social dynamics and the psychological pieces of the puzzle.

Q2. What do you think is the role of emotions in formal communication? Do you think it is easy to disassociate completely from them and communicate?

There is a social prejudice against emotions. The only accepted emotions are positive ones. Other emotions are considered to be signs of weakness or flaws. Thus, most formal communications tend to be inauthentic. W e c o n s i d e r emotions to be problematic; I consider them to be allies who guide us to understand what and why we are experiencing in an event, or acting in a certain way. Now some emotions like anger, fear, or sadness may feel overwhelming. In such cases, it is possible to dissociate or detach oneself from it completely by following these steps: 1. Name the feeling/emotion you have 2. Observe how you are aware of this emotion (heart pounding, butterflies in your stomach, pressure in your chest, tightness of muscles etc). 3. Step out/away and see yourself in this state. 4. Decrease the size of the picture and put a frame around it. 4. Observe the picture. What do you learn?

Overwhelming emotions emerge from long-set default neural pathways which need to be disrupted, old memories resolved and new pathways built. So even if you dissociate for the moment, you will need to resolve the underlying issue.

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COMMUNICATE 98 FEATURES Q3. In a world which talks about teams and ‘collective thinking’, what would you say to the quiet individual who prefers to work on their own? How would you encourage them to communicate in a manner that nurtures their psyche?

Be who you are. There is nothing like ‘I must work alone’ or ‘only in teams’. The important trait is to be flexible. If team effort is useful for the particular project you have taken up, then learn how to work in a team. If you can figure out a way to work alone and effectively, then figure that out.

The important part is this—stop believing you are stuck as ‘this kind of person’ or ‘that type of person’. You don’t need communication to nurture your psyche. You need to believe in yourself. Communication is what you do in alignment with yourself.

Q4. How do men and women differ in their communication strategies and the way they approach leadership?

First and foremost, all men don’t behave in the same way, nor do all women. Some men pick up what is called ‘feminine’ qualities while some women in leadership positions pick up ‘masculine’ qualities. To move up the social hierarchy, currently masculine traits are privileged over feminine traits. Thus most leaders at some level, irrespective of gender, embody the dominant trait. This is changing with some male leaders deliberately choosing nurturing, collaborating, and lateral hierarchy for working.

However in non-leadership positions, there tends to be a gender distinction in communication strategies. Women tend to use language that builds connection and community and men tend to use procedural, task-oriented language. The social structure which gave men access to resources (money/assets/powerful network) and denied women the same has its consequence on the nature of communication. Women for centuries had to be dependent on men to derive what they needed for their survival. Thus they developed strategies to work with men to extract it. At the same time, for many men certain access to resources were a given and their challenges were different. This is reflected in the words used as well as style of communication. Words make the world and the world makes the word. Nowhere is it as evident than in gendered communication.

Q.5 What are some of the challenges you have come across as a communications consultant?

The challenges are as follows: Few understand the importance of audience-centred communication. Instead some want only words to sound or feel good. And then there are those who want to appear intelligent by using jargon.

Sometimes organisations don’t have a clear outcome defined nor are they aware of how communication may or may not aid in achieving their desired outcomes. Communication is one element in a system and works well when the system is clear about its core values and vision. Research in the field of communication other than mass communication (media/PR) in India is inadequate. This impacts the ecosystem of work in this area.

Q6. What role do communities such as Toastmasters International play in the building of interpersonal communication skills?

Interpersonal communication skills are essential skills for healthy living and responsible citizenry. How can we know what a parson’s opinion is on a particular matter unless they communicate? How will we listen unless they communicate effectively? Communities like TI help nurture strong democracies and equality within society. They encourage people who are shy/invisible to become visible, and provide a platform for them to assert themselves. This has ripple effects across the society and within families.

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Edited and compiled by Sridevi

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018

LEADER SPEAK

Managing the Moolah

DTM Alfred Ravi Tauro District Finance Manager

“As Toastmasters, wherever we go we shine, whatever we do we do in style, meeting amidst shiny banners at plush venues across the country. Do you think these logistics, reimbursements and a million other things that are made available on the fly are possible without a streamlined budget? Managing all that money is not child's play, so we bring you the experience of our efficient District Finance Manager DTM Alfred Ravi Tauro who calls it managing the 'M' resource.”

When I was interviewed for the District Finance Manager's role in June, I was asked about the qualities I would bring to this role. I boasted about having integrity, honesty and focus.

They fell for it, persuaded by my verbal power.

Then, a past DFM told me that being a DFM is like standing on a double edged sword. You are in the hot seat whether you spend the money or not.

Yet I thought that being the DFM may not be too stressful since it doesn't involve looking after an entire District, or ensuring the quality of education, or worrying about membership growth or renewals. I was wrong. I may not be married to this District but still have to handle the finances of this District 98 family.

Being a DFM is about dealing with a different aspect of leadership. Here, it's not about learning how to bring about growth directly, but about managing the existing and available resources. Reaching your goals when resources are plenty with fewer restrictions may be easier than when you have finite resources and are forced to impose certain limitations.

This definitely brings in conflicts as aspirations have to be curtailed and plans stifled. This is unavoidable due to the nonprofit nature of the organization and finite nature of the 'M' resource. Avengers' fans will agree that if resources were unlimited, then Thanos would have been a more peaceful being and not obsessed with wiping out half the universe.

However with limitations come opportunities to innovate. Every aspect of the Toastmasters forum provides a platform to learn and develop new skills, not just in speaking but in planning and implementation too. Being a part of the District's core leadership, there are some important things that I hope to learn better over the next one year: 1. Deciding what is essential and what is eye candy: What are your priorities right now? To fulfill the growth needs of your members or to put on a show bereft of quality which stretches your limited resources? I have seen club meetings that were hyped unrealistically but the end result was a poorly organised meeting with no mentoring of the speakers.

Priorities were misplaced and the focus was on glitter. Take care of the basics first, everything else is secondary.

2. Developing people skills: As communication is the cornerstone of the program, it becomes vital to have skills that can keep people informed and satisfied. One needs to keep an open ear and mind to listen to and understand the view points from across the table. When I was a Division Governor, if I did not receive my reimbursements on time, I used to have concerns and questions. Now it's my turn to face the firing squad and answer other people's questions and concerns.

3.Dedication to the role: Passion, enthusiasm, positivity – all this wears out over time when we are faced with hurdles and troubles. But when we stick to our commitment, we find solutions to deal with our problems. The more we involve ourselves the more we get in return.

There will definitely be more specific lessons to be learnt over the remaining duration of this term. Leadership is funny in that way. It keeps throwing tests at you even as you finish the last one. So the learning is never ending.

I look forward to finishing this term on a stronger note than it started and gaining more wisdom by playing this role. I hope that I can tell the next DFM that this role is not a double edged sword but more of an enriching and fulfilling experience.

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Edited and compiled by Disha

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018

THE TURNING POINT

Be the Change Mumbai Toastmasters has played a vital role in my life. Being a member of this club for the past five years has not only developed my public speaking skills but has also improved

TM Shekhar Khobrekar my listening skills. Earlier when I was at home, at the workplace, or with friends, I wouldn’t Mumbai Toastmasters

listen - I would only speak and speak.

However when I first stepped into the shoes of an Evaluator, things began to change. I

was left with no choice but to listen and make notes. It was extremely tough in the beginning. I could not share my ideas or thoughts on the topic spoken. I had to be a listener - a passive one at that. I remember the first speech I evaluated. It was very difficult for me to just sit with my mouth shut. I badly wanted to grab the mike and speak but I remained calm and did my work.

Gradually, things changed at work too. I work as a Sr. VP (Project Management) at SPENTA Housing Corporation.

There are a number of problems that we have to face onsite. Situations have to be evaluated, decisions have to be taken, and work has to go on. We cannot afford to waste time. Some of our projects are S.R.A. (slum rehabilitation) related, where we have to deal with slumlords and slum residents. Many times, unaware of the magnitude of what we do, they come and obstruct our work making us lose precious time.

On one such occasion, work was in full swing at a site. Huge bulldozers were digging out the earth and rock breakers were crushing rocks. Amidst all this I saw a huge crowd led by some Muhammadan clergymen charging towards us. They were yelling at us to stop the work. I knew panic was not a choice; I could not hurt their sentiments in any way either, I had to handle the situation delicately and smartly. Everyone was talking at the same time, just screaming away. I could not understand a word. I then remembered the listening skills I had developed at Toastmasters. I asked everyone to be quiet and narrate their problems one by one. A woman in her forties got up and spoke first. She said that they were facing problems because of the machines used to break the rocks. The continuous vibrations were felt in their homes. An elderly clergyman said that cracks were formed in the walls of the mosque which could be dangerous. Everyone voiced their grievances which were the same in different ways and all this while I just played the role of a listener. Then, very calmly I addressed the crowd. Seeking their permission, I offered to call the structural consultant who would ascertain if the cracks formed were dangerous or not. On his advice we would stop work as we meant no harm to anyone, only good will. As I said this, the crowd dispersed, content with my solution. No harm was caused in the process, and the situation was in my control.

Had I not developed my listening skills the entire situation would have spiralled out of control. I would have spoken without understanding the grievances of the people, and in the process severed relationships.

A volatile situation was diffused not because I had great speaking skills but because I used the listening skills I learned as an Evaluator at Toastmasters. Being a Speech Evaluator at Toastmasters has thus been the turning point in my life.

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Edited by Sridevi, compiled by Ruchika

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018

THE BREAKTHROUGH

Virtual Planning, Real Success Find it challenging to arrange a regular meeting for your club? Imagine having to arrange a meeting for Officers across the District! The District Council Meeting DTM Ajay Hiraskar (DCM) is a meeting where all the leaders of the District, ie, the District Officers, District Administration Club Presidents and VP-Educations come together to chart the course of the future Manager of the District. It is where important updates are conveyed, key decisions are taken and motions are passed. This year, a few of our District Officers arranged just that, although not in person, but virtually! Read on to know the story of how they achieved this breakthrough.

The year 2018-19 brought a new set of opportunities for the District Leadership Team. The International Board took a decision last year that the District Council Meeting (DCM) and semi-annual District Conference was to be conducted in a virtual manner. Thus, District Leadership teams had to identify technology and tools which would enable smooth conduct of the DCM while ensuring a quorum and virtual voting on key decisions.

Within District 98, this responsibility was fell on the shoulders of the District Administration Manager – DTM Ajay Hiraskar and the District Credentials Chair – TM Moazzam Syed Daimi.

DTM Ajay first identified the key challenges which could impact the conduct of a Virtual District Council Meeting. These were identified as follows:1. The primary issue was that members would be attending the meeting from various large cities and smaller towns, and a stable internet connection might be a challenge for some members.

2. The quality of conference calling using internet-based tools was found to be of poor quality, especially with a large number of attendees.

Additionally, the following requirements were also to be fulfilled:1. Quorum would need to be established to ensure that the DCM protocols were followed.

2. Participants would need to have the opportunity to raise questions as well as propose or second motions.

3. Voting by all participants would be required for approval of certain points.

Various tools and solutions were evaluated which could overcome the challenges enumerated while fulfill all the requirements. The conclusion was that no single tool or solution was available for all these things.

Therefore, independent solutions were identified which would serve their individual purposes, and the conference calling solution identified was Grptalk.

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THE BREAKTHROUGH

Grptalk is a solution proposed by a fellow Toastmaster which enables a conference call using the telecom network. This ensures excellent call clarity TM Moazzam Daimi irrespective of the number of participants and ensures that only we are able to District Credentials Chair track the attendance of participants with a documented report. Additionally, participants do not need to remember a username and password to log into the conference call, as the system dials all the participants simultaneously at the designated time.

Research on the various voting tools possible were done by the District Credentials Chair – TM Moazzam and he arrived at the conclusion that SurveyMonkey was best suited for the purpose. SurveyMonkey is a very well-known tool which has the option of anonymous surveys and instantaneous results.

It was also decided to host Virtual Division Council Meetings to acclimatize members with the process.

11 separate Division Council meetings were conducted by each Division Director on September 9, 2018 which were attended by their respective Division Council members and some of the District Officers. This ensured that all the members had the opportunity to experience the conference call and the voting process. All the meetings went off very smoothly and only a couple of them took more than the indicated time.

Additionally, a mock vDCM was also conducted within the key leaders of District 98 on September 21, 2018 so that each presenter was familiar with the flow of the meeting.

Having done everything possible to make the activity foolproof, it was finally D-Day on September 23, 2018. At 8.30 am the entire support team for the Virtual District Council Meeting converged at a common place in Pune. The team consisted of DTM Ajay Hiraskar, TM Moazzam Syed Daimi, TM Jayant Kelkar, TM Kaustubh Ghanekar & DTM Mayank Naidu. Other members who also helped were DTM Sameer Naik and TM Leena Bhortakke.

The vDCM meeting was initiated at 8.50 am and at 9.01 am, the meeting was formally started. The quorum was certified at 9.13 am and we had 324 DCM members on the call. All the discussion items planned were completed along with voting on key proposals and the call concluded at 10.09 am.

Mission accomplished and each participant has grown as a leader in the process.

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Edited and compiled by Shreya

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018

TI CONVENTION EXPERIENCE

A Dream Come True I have been a Toastmaster for 16 years and have attended quite a few District DTM Atul Srivastava RIL Toastmasters and Palava Toastmasters

Conventions, but I always cherished a dream to attend the World Convention. It got materialized this year during 22nd-25th August in Chicago. As a gift to my wife Manjari for joining Toastmasters 6 months ago, I took her with me to Chicago too.

The International Convention is a different world; a Toastmaster should attend it at least once in their lifetime. Toastmasters not only promotes communication and leadership, but also encourages global unity among people from diverse cultures amid unparalleled bonhomie. At a lunch table, my wife and I met a smartly suited man who looked like the Managing Director of a company, but he proudly introduced himself as a lorry driver from Australia. He had joined Toastmasters because he needed to train other lorry drivers with effective communication and leadership skills. At the new International President’s gala dinner celebrations, we shared a table with Toastmasters from China and Korea and danced with many Indians who were settled in the USA. I also bumped into a number of old friends from the Middle East fraternity. It was a big chivalrous rendezvous!

Manjari and I got chance to personally meet past and present International Presidents DTMs Balraj Arunasalam, Dilip Abayasekara, Mohd. Murad, Ted Corcoran and Lark Doley, apart from several International Directors, including the International First VP DTM Deepak Menon. I had read their articles in TI magazines over the years and thought that they would be very formal or maintain a distance with ordinary Toastmasters like me. But I was proven wrong. They were friendly, cheerful and behaved as if they were neighbours from across the street. They spent some time chatting with us about our clubs and readily agreed to be photographed with us.

There were wonderful educational workshops by world class leaders and speakers, on topics covering leadership, communication, overcoming personal challenges and a lot more. I liked Col. Mohd. Murad’s session about the importance of 5H for leaders (Head, Heart (with Honesty), Health, Humility and Happiness) the best because it was very practical and he presented it very naturally. I could track his growth from an ordinary Toastmaster to the world TI President. He was a great inspiration to me, because his is story gave me a resolve that if he could do it, even I could.

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TI CONVENTION EXPERIENCE

In addition, there were 9 professional speakers excelling in their respective fields who delivered a 20 minute talk and were judged by a panel in order to be passed as TI Accredited Speakers. Only 6 could qualify.

This year’s prestigious Golden Gavel award was presented to Keith Ferrazzi for his exemplary work in the field of behavioural transactions, which propelled many companies and societies to success. His rags to riches story inspired me the most. He negated the struggles of his childhood and youth, and rose to the pinnacle of success. Today, his company is in the business of corporate cultural transformations and he is also a great humanitarian and philanthropist.

At the Semi-Finals of the World Championship of Public Speaking, contestants representing Districts from 14 Regions all over the world were divided into 10 contest groups, with each group having about 11 Districts. One could witness a maximum of 3 Semi-Finals as their timings overlapped. It was a fierce battle indeed. Our TM Prathima Madireddy delivered her speech very dexterously with clarity and a subtle message which won everyone’s heart.

At the finals, my excitement knew no bounds! The ambience was truly world-class and well planned. The finalists had to deliver a different speech than they had delivered at the Semi-Finals, with one day’s gap. They were beaming with energy, enthusiasm and purpose and it was a treat to the eye to watch them perform.

Those who won the World Championship looked just like you and me, but they had great skill to conceive their thoughts simply and deliver them effectively. History was made when the top three positions were bagged by women contestants, Ramona Smith (USA), Zifang Su (China) and Anita Taylor (USA). To mark the icing on the cake, the new International President is a lady, DTM Lark Doley!

My dream visit to the world convention came to an end but I gained immensely from it. I salute the organizers, volunteers and advisors who made it all possible. Back at my home clubs, I encouraged members to attend the world convention at least once in their life time to more closely capture the fever called Toastmasters!

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Edited by Ruchika, compiled by Pooja

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018

THE OPINION PAGE

The Humorous Speech Contest Around contest time, you often find sour-faced individuals milling about in Toastmasters

TM AVS Prasad Vision Toastmasters, Hyderabad

clubs. Upon inquiry, you find that they are contestants for the Humorous Speech Contest.

Most of them lose what little sense of humor they had as they prepare for and deliver their contest speeches. As the contest date approaches closer, their sour or serious expression intensifies. Why? The usually enthusiastic Toastmaster audiences that clap for just about

anything seem hard pressed to even crack a smile. Humor, then, is serious business.

Here are a few of my thoughts from my experience as a contestant and subsequently, as a mentor for several contestants. Many people who contest don't really have a sense of humor. How would you know if you do? Recently at our club contest, a contestant who lost was complaining bitterly about the judging, and asked why x or y won, when there was nothing funny in their speech. "Mine was so much funnier!!" First off, I believe that a person who does not have a sportsman spirit is somewhat unlikely to have a sense of humor. But there's a simpler test. Do you often make people laugh? Do people say you're funny or have a great sense of humor? If not, you don't. As simple as that.

Having a sense of humor means that you see things in the world differently, and also know how to put those observations across in a funny manner. You know what people would find funny, and what they would not find funny. It's a world-view. People without a sense of humor don't have this instinct. They think that what is funny for them must also be funny for others. However, it is easy to disprove this. You may enjoy toilet humor but another person finds it gross. Some people find sexual innuendo hilarious, while others find it highly offensive. Thus, what is funny to you is not necessarily funny to others. So having a sense of humor really implies knowing what the other person might find funny - in fact, what many people might find funny. And being able to put it across in a manner that makes them laugh.

However, it is a good experience for a 'non-humorous' person to explore humor and get some idea of how to make a speech funny. This is where mentoring comes in. Choose a person who has been there, done that - a fun person, who makes people laugh, ideally one who has won contests. I mentored my club member, Srini, and he told me later that he really got an insight into how a change in wording - or sequence of sentences - makes something much funnier.

Finally, the golden rule is to accept the verdict of people around you. If they don't laugh, or don't find it funny, that means it is not. Dump it – however much you like the idea, joke, sentence, phrase, or action. I was asked by a contestant what I thought of something she had written. I told her it was not so funny, and then had to listen for five minutes about why it was actually funny, but that I did not 'get it'. Yeah right.

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Edited and compiled by Bharat

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018

IN BRIEF TCS BE@T Gandhinagar Toastmasters Club, Gujarat - Contributor: TM Sagar Majithia We, the Executive Committee of TCS BE@T Gandhinagar Toastmasters Club, plan one get-together for club members every month, because we feel that it is not only important for people to meet during a session, but also outside one. We usually plan a get together on the last Friday of the month.

We started with just our club for the month of July, then for the next we had Toastmasters from Kalpak join us too. In September we organised a fun Friday playing games and team building sports, and for our fourth get-together, everyone came in their traditional attire and played garba.

This has impacted the bonding between members positively in several ways. As the Ex-Com, we know our members better and have a one-to-one connection with everyone. We also see a big difference in the behaviour of members outside an official session, and learn more about what they are like and how Toastmasters would help them grow. During interclub outings, every member gets to know and learn from a different club, which gives us a chance to understand and enhance and our own practices.

The first get-together was difficult to organise, but once everyone saw the outcome we started to get queries, and with a little effort for consecutive get-togethers, we just had to send invites and members were more than happy to share good times with us.We are looking forward to experience the beautiful Girnar, Junagadh as part of our December get-together!

RISE Toastmasters Club, Pune. Contributor - TM Saurabh Chaube At RISE Toastmasters Club, we run two regular initiatives:1] WoW (Word of the Week): Since the past 18 weeks, we share the Word of the Week given by Toastmasters International every Monday.

2] '#IamaToastmaster because': We started this initiative because as a new club, we wanted to understand why members joined us. We wanted to reflect as to whether we were able to do full justice to our roles as Executive Committee members or club leaders. Along with (#IamaToastmaster because) we also disseminate one thing that members learned in Toastmasters that they incorporate in their personal life. We share all the inputs in the form of a poster using a standard template. This initiative has been up and running since the last 2 months and is still going strong. It has helped us boost the PR of the club as well, since due to it two members who had opted to take a break started their second phase in Toastmasters.

Vision Toastmasters, Hyderabad - Contributor: TM Meghna Craig Valentine is Toastmasters International's 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking. He produced a series of 52 speaking tips, which are simple to use but efficient and powerful. At our club we share his tips with the audience.

At each meeting , a member takes up the role of explaining and illustrating the Tip of the Day. The Tip is given, followed by an explanation and is correlated with a real life example.

For example - “Tip - 'Conflict is the Hook' Tip summary - In the movie series Star Wars, Darth Vader wreaked havoc on the galaxy. He was the prototypical 'bad guy'. His son, Luke Skywalker, faced one obstacle after another until they had their epic showdown in the final movie.

The hook to this story was the conflict. Through these movies, your interest is maintained because you knew that eventually they would have to battle and settle the score. You can relate to this because you've experienced conflict in your life. Probably not with your father who was terrorizing the galaxy, but some type of conflict with others.”

Members greatly appreciate these tips and find them useful. TM Adarsh says that using a few tips in his speech helped him bag the first runner up position in the Humorous Speech Area Level Contest; TM Uday, President of the club, says that the tips help him share life events and stories with others in a more memorable way.

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UNLEASH

Let’s Remember

TM Ankur Jadav Chatterati Toastmasters Club

As we stand here together, let's remember The times we spent with one another, The short gray pants and those cute skirts Passing the church with those vintage cuts Heading to school to study and play in dirt, Until we came home all tired and hurt, Waiting next morning for the bus horn to blurt, And carry us back to Nazareth's girth Let's remember Those vada pav delights, with friends who shared those tiny bites Those stolen lunches during recess times Since then, I have never felt as fulfilled on these fine dining nights Let's remember Punishments, flirtations and the wonderful times That brush off the arms and those sweet smiles Nothing can compare to the delight I feel Every moment I think about the crazy times reel.

Annual day was a time to cheer, to mix and to mingle and to celebrate what was dear, The school we belonged to and the playground we ran to, No matter what we otherwise in life went through.

Oh! how I miss those crazy nights when exam fears messed with our minds.

Friends were there to console when we gently cried and never left us by our side; up until our results were revealed and all of us delightfully squealed.

Let's remember The time when we parted ways to face the world in a thousand ways Each on his own, some far and some near holding in mind the experiences which we held dear.

We promised each other that we shall stay in touch But got carried away in Life's struggles that were too much Something was missing and we lost our ways until we said enough. Whatsup!!

And now, And now we meet again!!

To share our pains and gains, Right when we enter our mid-years We remembered those with whom we shared our fears Let's cherish those moments we spent so near Let's hold this moment close with our hands Cause we are a band of friends And 21 years being apart could not our friendship end.

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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018

HAIKU POETRY CONTEST

POETRY CONTEST WINNERS

1st Place

1

Light is what you seek Colours are the ones that reek Of plain prejudice - TM Pramod Mohandas TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club

2nd Place

2

They shined in her eyes Both hope and despair dovetailed The star-sparkling skies - TM Deepali Phal Toastmasters Club of Pune

3rd Place

3

His pallid white light sundered into a rainbow She was prism to him - TM Namrita Zakane Mapusa Toastmasters Club

Special Mention

passion, pique and pain entwined tightly together red, now has a name

We received over 50 entries for our Haiku Poetry Contest and each entry was delightful in its own way.

Thank you for your wholehearted participation and remember to keep a watch out for future contests!

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- TM Haleemunnisa Fatima MTC Advanced Toastmasters Club

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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018

THE WIRE

District 98 was a sponsor for 'The Last Word' - Annual Debate Competition organised by Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment

Open House Organised by RG Speakers Toastmasters Club, 22nd Sep 2018

Synergy Division A Conference Indore, 21st Oct 2018

JOINT MEETINGS

Dadar Toastmasters Club, GEP Toastmasters Club, TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club and SNTC Toastmasters Club, 9th Sep 2018

Thane Toastmasters and Ghodbunder Toastmasters Club 6th Oct 2018

MTC Advanced and Mulund Toastmasters Club, 13th Oct 2018

Click the pic to view the livestream

DTM Niteash Agarwaal and DTM Mayank Naidu went live on Radio One to talk about Toastmasters International

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District Director - DTM Ravi Teja conducted a Facebook Live session answering questions submitted by members

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THE WIRE

THE NEWLY CHARTERED CLUBS OF DISTRICT 98

WNS Toastmasters Club Division B Area 05

SOBO Toastmasters Club Division B Area 04

Mount Caramel Toastmasters Club Division A Area 03

SRIT Anantapur Toastmasters Club Division G Area 01

MTC Toastmasters Club Division M Area 03

Toastmasters Club Gurukul Education Division H Area 04

AVEVA Toastmasters Club Division E Area 04

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THE WIRE

MILESTONE MEETING CELEBRATIONS 50th Meeting

50th Meeting

RG Speakers Toastmasters Club 25th Aug 2018

Aurangabad Toastmasters Club 8th Sep 2018

500th Meeting

50th Meeting

Toastmasters Club of Pune 22nd Sep 2018

Toastmasters Club of Pune-South 6th Oct 2018

50th Meeting

100th Meeting

Chatterati Toastmasters Club 14th Oct 2018

SBM NMIMS Toastmasters Club 20th Oct 2018

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Tranquility

Toastmaster Gayathri Singh Madhapur Toastmasters Club

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