IMMERSE AND INSPIRE - ISSUE 01

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

The Expolanka Toastmasters Club has had rapid growth over the past ten years, rising to new heights while maintaining a distinguished position in District 82. I am honored to lead the club into its 11th year as the second female leader in the past ten years. Every member who has been, is, or will be a part of this fascinating journey has had the opportunity to witness extensive growth as great communicators and leaders, which aids the club in producing numerous effective speakers and eminent leaders within District 82 The journey from the club's inception to its empowerment has been extraordinary.

The joy of living comes from immersion into something that we know to be bigger, better, more enduring and worthier than we are. We, Expolanka Toastmasters inspire everyone to be bigger, better, more enduring and worthier than they are. This Toastmasters year's vision has been to Immerse and Inspire, remaining steadfast to the vision of our Patron, Mr. Hanif Yusoof.

This Toastmasters year, the Club has held all of its sessions around stimulating topics that have been crucial in fostering members' oratory and ecstasy. Which goes in hand with this year’s main theme.

The Expolanka Toastmasters Club has raised the bar and accelerated many awards over the course of the time, where in this year’s Area level humorous and evaluation speech contest Expolanka Toastmasters were able to stamp their territory by winning all categories.

The energetic and enthusiastic newly appointed Executive Committee that I have with the likes of, Kavya, Umair, Ikhlas, Anushi, Mackie and Arshaaq, together has allowed the club to continue to inspire the member experiences and immerse themselves and the club. I'm excited to break down barriers and take the club to the next level with a fantastic team.

TM Sahana Vithanagama President

?

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Headquartered in Englewood, Colo., the organization's membership exceeds 358,000 in more than 16,800 clubs in 143 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders

CONTESTING IS MY LIFE!

Contesting has been one of the best experiences I have ever had in Toastmasters.

On top of that when you win at the Club level, Area level, and in Division level, it is a different feeling.

I am so glad that I managed to get second place in the Division level this year in International Speech Contest. Although the journey was tough with the preparations, time management and even adopting to the online contests, it definitely grows you as an individual.

My suggestion to all the Toastmasters is to get this experience and feel the difference. You will never regret it.

TM Sameera Dilhan

Ravinya Herathge

Public speaking is one of the biggest fears I have. When I joined EFL, I got to know that there is a Toastmasters club within the organization where I will be able to overcome this fear. And when one of my colleagues invited me to join Toastmasters, I said ok I’ll join, because I wanted to overcome this fear and become a good public speaker and a good communicator. The first meeting I joined was themed as Harry Potter which was an online meeting and I joined to the meeting full of curiosity just to observe the meeting proceedings without talking, but I had to talk at the beginning and the end of the meeting to introduce myself and to give my comments about the meeting.

At that moment I realized this is the best place where I can learn, grow, and overcome my fears.

And today I’m very happy about the decision that I have taken to join Toastmasters, and as a new member, I’m looking forward to learning from all my amazing club members and becoming a good and confident speaker in near future.

I was told that by joining Toastmasters I could improve my public speaking and communication skills. Since I was a person with a severe lack of social skills, I found it to be quite interesting and wanted to go to one of these events that they hold, but I never did because I’m scared of people. But when I saw a newsletter of the club in my email, I was surprised to know that there’s one here at Expolanka so I decided to come to the meetings to learn about public speaking and as an additional benefit expand my network of people

It was when I went up on stage to deliver a presentation recently that I realized just how much I need to improve in terms of presentation and public speaking etiquette This made me want to try out the Expolanka Toastmasters Club and from the first meeting itself, I knew I made the right decision With the warmest welcome from the President of the Toastmasters Club and other fellow Toastmasters, I have received continuous support and encouragement throughout all my meetings I look forward to upskilling myself with the guidance of my Mentor and enjoying my time at Toastmasters.

TM

TM Prabodha Daulagala

TM Arshaaq Mohamed

WHAT IS YOUR STORY?

If I ask you a simple question today, "are you happy with your story?" What would be your answer? When I ask this question, I get many different answers. In the modern-day lot of people are seeking for different opportunities.

As human beings, we embark on opportunities every single day. In Toastmasters, also we look for opportunities. And in Toastmasters, we get a lot of opportunities. As a person, I think I was also searching for opportunities in Toastmasters, but I was not that keen to grab opportunities. Still, I had wonderful mentors who pushed me to go and grab those opportunities, and that is one of the most powerful things we have in Toastmasters, the mentors who guide us and push us to do a lot of exciting things in our journey.

Dear Toastmasters and dear friends, in whatever you do in your journey, grab that opportunity that comes your way and when you grab that opportunity, keep in mind that the results will take a little bit of time to come. Go through that core process, and if you go through the core process correctly, the results will come your way. And when you go through that process, don't blame time because there's nothing called the perfect time. You have to make the time perfect.

Expolanka Toastmasters has been a great place doing wonderful things for the past few years, and I'm humble enough to be a wonderful friend of this club.

From the time I joined Toastmasters, Expolanka Toastmasters have been inviting me to all their installations, and I have been here, and I have seen the progress, achievements, and leaders that your club has been producing. Last toastmaster year club did fabulous work and achieved many awards.

Let's continue the same momentum from last year and let us enjoy this year. Let us do our maximum best and learn from every single activity we do in this journey. Finally, let us transform together as a team.

District

Nisal Weerakon, DTM

"Not all dreamers are winners, but all winners are dreamers" Winner

MAKEASKILLEDSAILOR

The year started off at an elevated conclusion by the previous Executive Committee, leaving a plethora of challenges for the incoming Executive Committee to sail through. An excitingly daunting journey, and my enthusiastic team of freshers and I opted to step into it. But, what seemed daunting was the disguise of enrichment and empowerment which brought the theme for the year ‘Enrich and Empower’ to life The year was about exceeding expectations and elevating the standards set by the previous Executive Committee Amidst the peak of the third wave of Covid, a non-existent Exco bond, and extensive burnout with the online platform, keeping everyone connected and the meetings running was becoming increasingly challenging which got me to focus on the root cause rectification, INTERACTION. The Exco started meeting at our ever-so-homely cafe ‘The-place-that-shall-not-be-named’ over multiple coffees to discuss the way forward and also to have some interactive time together in order to bring an end to the existential crisis of a nonexistent Exco bond Now things started falling into place, the team was getting along together and towards the main focus of leading the club towards reaching greater heights

The year started off with an exemplary Entry into the decade themed meeting that witnessed the presence of all ten presidents in a single frame for the first time in the history of the existence of this prestigious club, as well as witnessing all the Distinguished Toastmasters to have been produced by this prestigious club. The year proceeded on with so many more interesting themed meetings leading towards the most anticipated moment of the year, the physical installation ceremony which had the freshers playing important roles like Mastering the Ceremony alongside being inducted as new members as well as being installed as club office bearers for the year. The event witnessed the accumulation of the Exco bond beautifully through an electrifying drama for the first time in the history of the club, an enthralling experience of talent and entertainment What better term could have fitted in if not for the term ‘The year of freshers’?

Having mastered the online platform with experience of over two years, it was now time to see members coming together physically which led to many new initiatives including the new members’ outing and orientation, fellowship meetups over coffee, lunch, and dinner which slowly yet steadily brought down the impact created by the burnout due to the extensive presence on the online platform. The club then faltered into the ‘President-goes-missing-physically’ phase of the journey whereby, I had to fly overseas for 5 months which had me sailing the ship from a different location, had the experience of managing things remotely not been attained, this wouldn’t have been possible, the year witnessed some remarkable moments during this period including the presence and victory of the club at Division level contest after a long hiatus

My return was during the peak of the ‘all-the-problems-a-person-could-ever-face-in-a-country-in-amoment’ period of this country but that didn’t stop us from advancing our journey of learning and growth, that was the point when the club resumed hybrid meetings ‘physical-meetings-combined-withonline-meetings’. We started witnessing the members in numbers, excited for this phase of ‘rekindlingthe-past-with-a-touch-of-pandemic-experience’ turning up physically which led to the penultimate climax of the year 2021-22, a fully-fledged physical meeting decorated with a top-notch work of art from the year, ‘the-memories-captured-into-photographs’ reminiscent of the meetings from the year

This meeting would go down as one of the best meetings in the history of the Expolanka Toastmasters Club The year also witnessed the highest participation of members of all categories beyond the club which was an empowering sight This was a year that transitioned from online to hybrid to physical with utmost grace and precision with the undying enthusiasm of each and every member of this club.

As the club was already strong in its presence in the fraternity, I noticed a dire need for a close-knitted CONNECTION with the company. For this reason, we came up with some very interesting initiatives that cemented the status of the Club within the company as one that stands strong on its pillars of communication and leadership. The most ambitious and impactful project during the year for this purpose was the Pathway to Lead leadership training series for the employees of Oki Doki (Pvt) Ltd which was a series of ten sessions of diversified content about communication and leadership, the pinnacle of which was the final presentation, an eventful evening witnessing the practical presentation about all that was learned by the members in the presence of the top management of the company. This alongside management perception accumulation and the club brochure had the word of the successful presence of Expolanka Toastmasters Club for a decade spread across the company. Making this year a ‘staying-true-and-humble-to-the-roots’ kind of a year.

One more important area that was a focus during the year was RECOGNITION. Recognition that motivates the members who outperform, outshine, and outreach to continue being the elements of eminence for the success of the club. From the recognition of the Mentor pool, the ten-year recognition award to the recognition of the highest performers, highest achievers, supporters, and servant leaders, ‘was-the-thirdangle-of-the triangle’ that allowed a smooth sailing of the journey. Interaction, connection, and recognition being at the forefront during the year had the club witnessing numerous achievements for the year, including the President’s Distinguished status, the Golden Club Award, and many more. The year saw multiple challenges in the forms of the deepening Covid crisis, the deafening economic crisis, and the detrimental fuel crisis ‘Let-me-fly-tosurvive-or-survive-to-fly’ kind of problems, yet, the resilience that was proven time and time again was momentous in allowing us to face the rough seas together. If not for my DREAM TEAM, the members, and the management support, the journey to Enrich and Empower despite all the challenges wouldn’t have been possible. Expolanka Toastmasters Club has been the epitome of resilience and growth for the last ten years and will continue to be so.

I am humbled by my journey from a member to the immediate past president and proud of my growth as an exemplary leader and an exceptional communicator It is the rough seas that have made me a skilled sailor Thank you for the trust endowed upon me, this has enriched and empowered me, to be what I am today and to do what I have done so far My wishes and prayers are for the future leaders of this esteemed club Let this club be a source of inspiration for all of you towards becoming exceptional communicators and exemplary leaders.

We are proud Expolanka Toastmasters and the club is here to Enrich and Empower.

TM Aboobucker Raza

CONTEST CHAIR'S EXPERIENCE

The Humorous and Evaluation speech club contest was successfully held on 14th October 2022 at EFL Campus Auditorium, with the participation of 5 to 6 contestants for the Humorous and Evaluation Speech Contest respectively. Chief Judge was TM Hashini De Silva.

Being the contest chair, essentially gave me the experience to coordinate the event for a Toastmasters speech contest, managing every aspect of the planning, including the location, refreshments, candidate eligibility, and coordinating other things with the chief judge. This role also helped me to see that each position is filled and that the officials are informed of their duties. This was a unique opportunity to develop leadership and communication skills by managing a speech contest.

And I am happy to see this time TM Usman Jauffer and Ikhlas Imtiaz made it to the Division I Humorous contest. And TM Sameera Dilhan and Ahmed Abdullah made it to Division I Evaluation Contest at the Humorous and Evaluation Speech Area contest held at Amana Bank Auditorium on 28th October 2022.

TM Kavya Reshani Vice President Education

It is my pleasure and privilege to write a few words for the Newsletter published by Home Club Expolanka Toastmasters club. Expolanka Toastmasters club is the best corporate club under the purview and has produced many leaders who have served the fraternity through their sheer commitment and passion.

As a club Expolanka has raised the bar to the highest level by being a president’s distinguished club for the past years and became one of the prominent corporate clubs in the country despite the situation in the country. Further Expolanka Toastmasters club has been a great brand ambassador and helped other clubs in the district.

As the Area Director of area I1, I am blessed to have Expo under my purview because it is a club that requires very minimal supervision. I am sure that Expolanka will continue the same way and produce great leaders and achieve many accolades in the future.

TM Gazzaly Moulana Area Director Area I1

EYES ON ACHIEVEMENTS

EDITOR'S NOTE THROUGH THE EYES OF THE MOST EXPERIENCED MEMBER

It was on the 5th of May 2012, I stepped into the Expolanka Toastmasters Club meeting for the 1st time in my life. Haven’t experienced a Toastmasters meeting before, but it truly captured my attention, and ever since then for 5 and half years, I have attended 138 consecutive club meetings without missing one!

Toastmasters International has offered me many benefits and is truly instrumental in my career growth. It offered me a platform to speak about any subject I wished for and nobody judged (except at a contest). It also boosted my confidence to the extent where I was able to have a flawless conversation knowing the right subject to speak at the right time with the right people.

The amazing network of individuals helped me throughout this journey and today I have developed many relationships both personally, and professionally and Toastmasters related leading to true and quality friendships.

The power of Mentors is something truly transformed my life from a Caterpillar to a butterfly. From Scerena Dirckze, DTM my first mentor, to Late Yusuf Jeevunjee, DTM everyone offered their time for my growth and only Toastmasters can dedicate so much

As I celebrate a decade of membership in Toastmasters, I would not be here without the support of all past and present members of the Expolanka Toastmasters Club. My message to all members who wonder how I could be consistent in my Toastmasters journey is that “When you feel like giving up, always recall why you started in the first place”.

Zaidh Naushard, DTM

Pathway to Lead

One of the initiatives that we were able to work on was the Pathway to the Lead program during the latter part of 2021/22. As an employee of Oki Doki (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of Expolanka Holdings PLC, and as a member of the Expolanka Toastmasters Club, I had the privilege to engage in this program as one of the program chairs. The objective of this program was to identify and groom a set of leaders and communicators within the organization through the values of Toastmasters.

We were able to get in many experienced Toastmasters from our club and also distinguished Toastmasters from the fraternity. Involvement in this program has helped me improve, specifically my organizing skills, which have also helped me lead from the front in conducting this program.

Toastmaster Of The Year

Becoming the Toastmaster of the Year in the prestigious Expolanka Toastmasters Club has been an honor for me in many ways. When I joined the Expolanka Toastmasters club, my prime motive was to improve my public speaking and leadership skills. When I evaluate myself over the past couple of years in my Toastmasters journey, taking up the Vice President Education role has transformed me into the person I am today. With the assistance of my mentor and the members of the club, we were able to do many things during the last year which also played a key part in achieving the milestone of Toastmaster of the Year.

T FOR PERFECTION, ART NOW!

We get passionate when we have dreams. When we are passionate about anything, we strive for perfection.

When we have objectives, we frequently want to launch them with a bang. We hope to become overnight celebrities. The optimal outcomes should be attained as soon as possible. The problem is that it takes time. The important thing is to start as soon as possible because it becomes better with time.

We sometimes come up with an idea that has the power to completely alter our lives or the lives of others. But we don't start working on it until the conditions are right.

It takes a lot of time after an idea has entered our minds. At first, the information is insufficient. The toughest part of our uncertainty is that we want to get off to the best possible start. No, most of the time that is not doable. We frequently stop before we even get started because of the thought, "I will do it properly."

Consider how much time we waste before taking the first step toward our objective What occurs is as follows Just as you were about to begin, you realized that you could do it more effectively You halt it and promise to finish it better tomorrow

I had the same emotion when I joined the Toastmasters club in October 2020 How I managed to juggle work, school, and life In my life, it's a question mark But after a few days, I realized that this was a terrific chance for me to hone my public speaking, leadership, and networking abilities Forget anything that was a hurdle for me What obstacles exist? It's my anxiety because I'm a new member and don't know much about Toastmasters, work-life balance, or meeting participation; as a result, when I spoke to the audience, I shook, missed my lines, etc

I thus discovered perfection In October 2022, I finally joined the Toastmasters Club after removing all of my obstacles Do everything as effectively as you can It's fine, that Even though you can't do anything properly, keep going Go forward and keep learning As you do it, you will improve Sometimes the choice will not be exact, but nonetheless, take it and execute it flawlessly

Don't only fantasize about becoming a superb speaker or leader; put your dreams into action Imagine you had the opportunity to take part in a significant event and demonstrate your capacity for doing so You are waiting for perfection if you try to use your lack of preparation as an excuse Don't let the chance pass you by Consider it favorably and perform well

When I joined Toastmasters, I hesitantly took that risk, and now I can proudly announce that I am the club secretary for Expolanka Toastmasters for the year 2022

I believe that I have further developed my leadership abilities as a result of which I was hired as the coinstallation chair for the Expolanka Toastmasters Club 2022 and given the chance to direct the Oki Doki route lead program. Looking back on the previous few months, I was at least able to broaden my network in various directions.

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”

TM Anushi Hewamaraba Secretary

MEETING MEMORIES

EDITOR'S NOTE

10 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE TOASTMASTERS CLUB

TM ZAFRANA NAFEES

From being an enthusiastic young member joining in 2012 under the leadership of the founding president and the team to being a Senior Toastmaster today, the past ten years has been nothing short of an incredible journey filled with memorable experiences. Every gathering was a learning experience, having the opportunity of working with senior members of the Club exploring different styles of leadership and management.

During my tenure as the Club Vice President of Education further being molded as a leader, I've had the opportunity to meet people of various expertise and widen my reach. It has been a pleasure to be a part of a club empowering it's members to blossom into the young leaders they are today.

Looking back to when I won the Club Table Topics evaluation contest in 2014, which was a tremendous experience, nothing makes me prouder than to witness young fellow members taking the stand at far greater levels today in area and division contests.

To say the least, I am humbled to have been a part of this journey so far, led by enthusiastic leaders who have been constantly delivering excellence with a commitment that undoubtedly takes the club to greater heights.

Wishing the present and future teams, the best in all future endeavors and look forward to supporting them to the best of my ability.

EDITOR'S NOTE

asure to be the editor of the first behalf of Expolanka Toastmasters 2022/23. lege to feature our past presidents, xperience, none other than District Nisal Weerakon, and international 2nd place winner experience to color e and Inspire newsletter. Alongside vely articles from our very own l.

A huge thank you to all the individuals who contributed wonderful and inspiring articles with busy schedules. Also, I have an energetic team by my side. President and Exco members for their endless support during the conception of this. As the editor of the newsletter, I hope that we were able to deliver valuable content with a lot to learn from each and every article. "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”

By, TM Anushi Hewamaraba, Editor 2022/23