SMEDLEY VOICE NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
Q&A: DTM N V Raghavan Menon
Q&A: TM Abhijit P Kuwalekar
Spring Equinox
Travelling Toastmaster’s Trip to the Asian Subcontinent
Keep it Clean, else it is a Smart Home for Germs!
Toastmasters Corner
Encouragement Never Stops @Smedley Toastmaster’s Club
Club No. 2046498, Area 43, Division T, District 20
NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
Inside This Issue Message from the Smedley Club President …. 3 Editor’s Note ………………..…………..… 4 ExCom 2016 - 2017 ………………….…….. 5 Cover Story ……… ..................…….……….. 6
Smedley Voice is a newsletter published by the Smedley Toastmasters Club in Doha, Qatar.
Spring Equinox, Poem …….……..……...….. 7 Travelling Toastmaster ……….....……..……. 8 Keep it Clean .……………...……..…...…. 12 Risks I Learned …..……...….…………....…. 14 Life is a Labyrinth of Doors ……….……..…. 16 Q&A: DTM Raghavan Menon ……....…. 18 Q&A: TM Abhijit Kuwalekar ………..…. 19 Q&A: TM Lesiley .………...…………..... 20
Q&A: TM Reshma ……………...…….… 22 Poem by TM Jayanthi …...……….....…. 24 Glimpses of Toastmasters Annual Conference 2017……..….………...….….. 25 New Members ……...……….…….…. 26
This newsletter is published for internal circulation among the members of the Smedley Toastmasters Club and to promote the ideas and goals of Toastmasters International. The Publisher and Editor does not take responsibility for the authenticity/ opinion of the articles and/ or authors, published in this newsletter. Toastmasters International and its logos are trademarks registered in the USA, Canada and many other countries.
Website Analytics ………………..... 27 Awards ………………………………... 28 Education Committee Report ………... 30
For comments or suggestions regarding the newsletter, please
Inspiring Quotes ……………………... 34
contact Rinith @ 55325680
Giggling Facts ……………………….. 35
or send an email to
Forthcoming Events ……………….. 36
email2rinith@gmail.com
Club meeting photos & expressions…. 37 Meeting Minutes QR Code …………. 40
Message from the Smedley Club President, TM Benov Jacob
Dear Readers, As the world changes, Toastmasters International is also changing. It is offering better opportunities to grow and learn. In the earlier days, Dr. Ralf C. Smedley believed that the opportunity to practice speaking and leadership offered the greatest value to the members, he didn’t see the need of a formalized education program. But over the period of time things changed, the toastmaster organization grew from one club to several hundreds. The first manual published by Toastmasters was in 1928 the “Manual for Toastmasters”. In 1942, Competent Communications manual was introduced which again went through a series of changes. In 1984, the Basic Communication and Leadership Program manual was introduced. The evolution of its educational programs and resources are a big part of Toastmasters International’s success and growth. Toastmasters training program helps members to develop skills in listening, giving feedback, decision making, delegating and mentoring.
Shortly before his death in 1965 at the age of 87, Toastmasters founder Ralph C. Smedley wrote: “As I look back at over half a century of connection with the Toastmasters movement, I am impressed by the fact that a simple idea put to work in so simple a manner, has grown into such an instrument for service for so many people. It must have met a real need.” Definitely this wonderful organization is continuing to evolve and help its members. In 2010, the Toastmasters Board of Directors crafted a five-year strategic plan. They started the research and analysis for the revitalized education program - Toastmasters Pathways, for personal and professional development which going to be effective by next year in our region. ‘Pathways’ is designed to help you build the competencies you need to communicate and lead. It is a modernized learning experience suited to our changing global society. You will also have the opportunity to develop additional skills which you can use not just in your club, but at your job as well as in your community. Adjusting to change can be difficult for a few, but it is important to learn, evolve and grow personally and professionally. No Learning is Ever Wasted. Looking forward for the smooth progression to Pathways.
Benov Jacob CC, CL President 2046498, Smedley Toastmasters Club
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
Fellow Toastmasters,
“There are some magical numbers in life to bestow upon and I surely consider another gracious milestone by presenting you the latest edition of Smedley Voice your very own Newsletter, which we hope you will enjoy” As I always say, Smedley Voice newsletter is not just one of those newsletters that you take 30 seconds to glance through. It is documentation, a journal, a collection of experiences, a story, awards bestowed, and events; all in a nutshell! It is something that every toastmaster who has set foot in Smedley Club will hold dear to their hearts as it keeps them in touch throughout lifetime. I can keep writing this on-and-on and-on, but let me pause and appreciate some good things that did happen: Great Learning – The learning experience that we get just by being inside Smedley Toastmaster's Club is a zillion!!! We learn from every single conversation that happen here. Great people and friends – I think this is the best of the best part. We have made exceptionally great friends in this journey.
Passion with mix-Community – community is endless which keeps on crawling and growing ever since we stepped into public speaking. We had opportunities to excel by sharing and caring especially in terms of presenting expertise, thoughts, skills and overcoming challenges wherever we go. I express my sincere appreciation to DTM Raghavan, Division Director TM Abhijith Kuwaker, Area Director TM Dr. Abdul Hameed, members of EXCOM 2016-2017 especially club President TM Benov, VP Education TM Noorudheen, TM Lesiley and other Sr. Toastmasters in upbringing members to excel and also in helping this newsletter grow. We do appreciate TM Jayanti for suggesting Spring Equinox theme and for wholeheartedly accepting to deliver two Poems related to this newsletter. I also owe my gratitude to each and everyone for your valuable contributions and for tirelessly pooling their respective talents in this collective effort.
Smedley Club is and always will be an integral part of our lives. In our outgoing pursuit of excellence, bear this in mind; always look to the future but never forget your past. As you pursue the pages of this newsletter, it might perhaps be appropriate to spend a minute reminiscing upon the months that was and think about the contributions you can make in terms of articles and experiences to help us improve our upcoming editions. Sincerely yours, Rinith. KT Newsletter Editor & VPPR Smedley Toastmasters Club
QR Code for Newsletter
CLUB PRESIDENT
TM Benov Jacob
VP EDUCATION TM Noorudeen Veetykadan
VP MEMBERSHIP TM Jayanthi
VP PUBLIC RELATIONS TM Rinith KT
SECRETARY TM Ashokan Karuvan Kandy
TREASURER TM Mohammed Musthafa Ali SERGEANT-AT-ARMS TM Kiran Kumar Putta
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
The astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere began on Monday, March 20 and will end on Wednesday, June 21. The spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is also known as the March equinox. It's called the "autumnal (fall) equinox" in the Southern Hemisphere. Since night and day are nearly exactly the same length – 12 hours – all over the world the event is called the equinox, which in Latin, literally means 'equal night' (equi – equal, and nox – night). Since we are releasing this newsletter during this fall, we thought of naming Spring Equinox as our newsletter theme, where our club members are rejuvenated by award winning spree during all seasons. Toastmasters @Smedley Toastmasters Club are undoubtedly overjoyed, as we are leading with passion and gifted with Educational Awards, TI Award, District 20 CWD Award, Super club Award, Membership Gold Award, President Distinguished Club Award, Membership Maximus Award, TALK UP Toastmasters Award. All within one umbrella! And that's Smedley Toastmasters Club. Well done team!
Equinox equinox oh my spring equinox Cherish and celebrate my equinox of freshness and blossoms of my spring equinox Chillness gone sunshines hot and the wind breeze cold oh my spring equinox Makes my blood fresh and gushes like river flows to valleys and plains Thus approves and proves my thoughts fresh too Equinox equinox oh my spring equinox Viewing through the windows Lush green leaves gives Nostalgia of my childhood days Hobby as it stoops down to catch a dragonfly... Watching dragonflies flying around boggy hollow..mind blowing, Oh my spring equinox you brought my memories back Thank you oh my spring equinox . TM Jayanthi, VP Membership
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
TM Lesiley Mathew
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.� This quote from Saint Augustine sums up my opinion about travelling. Till my 21st birthday, I had travelled only to India and back while living in Qatar. When I was 22, my dad took us to America via Europe. That trip opened my eyes to the different places, people and philosophy that prevailed. In that one month trip, I learned more geography, economics, history and politics than I ever learnt in school. Today, I make it a point to travel with my family to a different destination every year. I find that a lot of my expatriate friends in Qatar travel back to their home country every year to visit family. I agree that visiting family, especially parents is important, and we do that too. But we
also save a week or two to visit another place. For those of you whose home country is within the Asian subcontinent, these are a few places that I recommend. If you visit your home country for a month, then you can take a week off to travel to a place nearby. One such destination is the Maldives. If you love water, then you’ll love the brilliant blue beaches, the thrilling water sport activities, wonderful warm weather and the marvelous mouthwatering multi-cuisine that Maldives boasts of. Maldives in the Indian Ocean is made up of over 1000 small islands. The air tickets from your home country to Maldives may be cheaper and the distance shorter. You can find great deals on expedia.com and booking.com for hotel stays in your price range. We stayed at the Kurumba resort, the first resort to be opened in Maldives. We took the all-inclusive option for dining, which means that all your meals are paid upfront with the hotel stay and you can eat at any of their eight dining options, including Italian, Indian, Arabic and Seafood restaurants. Breakfast buffets boasted of sumptuous dishes of all kind. Our favorite dish was the special Kurumba pancakes topped with caramelized bananas and melted white chocolate mixed with Nutella. We tried out kayaking on the first day and almost paddled into a wall of tiny crabs. At the last minute, we managed to steer away. As if that wasn’t enough fun, the girls went tubing while my husband and I sat on the beach waiting patiently. Our
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
brave girls also went para-sailing while my husband and I sat quaking in our shoes on the boat. The girls sat on a rod and were shot up into the air a 100-feet above us by a parachute that was tied to our boat. They could see the entire island and the surrounding sea for a full five minutes before the parachute was pulled back down. As if water games weren’t enough, we also tried out two pools – the swimming pool and the pool table to keep us occupied during our time on dry land. We also tried out fishing and caught a couple of red snapper fishes that the chef prepared for us the next day at lunch. All in all, Maldives left us with some great memories and we swore to return back in a few years. However, I must mention that in March 2017 a travel advisory has been issued against travelling to Maldives due to H1N1 outbreak. Perhaps it may be safe to travel to Maldives after 2018 or you could consider travelling to Mauritius. While we wait for the outbreak in Maldives to clear out, I have an equally compelling destination to suggest near the Asian Subcontinent. That destination is none other than Singapore, also called the Lion City. The flight ride may vary from 2 hours to 3 hours from the Asian sub continent to Singapore. Singapore is one of the cleanest and greenest cities I have ever seen. It is clean due to the high penalty for littering and it is green due to the multitude of trees and shrubs. Singapore is a beautiful city with a rich heritage and an affluent economy. The Ritz Carlton in Singapore boasts of the second best view in the world overlooking the Marina Bay Sands, Gardens By the Bay and the iconic Singapore flyer. Our sightseeing in Singapore city showed us the diversity of the population. The night safari is one of the best in the world to witness the lions, tigers, elephants and many other animal friends in action at sunset. During the second half of our stay, we moved to the Sentosa Island that boasts of the Universal Studios and the Merlion statue (half lion, half mermaid) that brings fortune to Singapore. The girls enjoyed the rides at the Universal Studio including the Mummy ride, Transformers ride, Jurassic Park and the Shrek show. We stayed on Sentosa
Island at one of the only ten under-water hotels in the world – Ocean Suites. From our room, we watched sharks, sting-rays and star fish swimming lazily through the aquarium while taking a nap. Overall, the trip to Singapore drilled a hole in our pockets, but every day was spectacularly special in Singapore. As a travelling Toastmaster, every destination is best when you enjoy it with your family and I strongly believe that my girls have learned a lot more about economy, geography and history than I ever did. With that, I hope to continue my travel logs in the next issue to talk about destinations close to Qatar that you can visit during Eid holidays. Let me end with a famous quote – Travel is the only thing that you can buy that will make you richer!
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
Keep it Clean, else it is a Smart Home for Germs! You Have 21,000 Germs Per Square Inch On Your handheld device, whether it be laptop, mobile or desktop! Can you believe this? Yes, it's a proven fact. "A microbiologist at the University of Arizona counted bacteria on workplace surfaces for a study sponsored by The Clorox Co., makers of Clorox bleach. Office toilet seats had 49 germs per square inch, he found. But desktops had almost 21,000 germs per square inch. Desks, phones, computer keyboards and mice are key germ transfer points because people touch them so often..." ~ CNN.com When it comes to day to day electronic gadgets, all we tend to think about is the stuff we see on the screen, keyboard and handheld mobile devices. Most of us tend to neglect the basic fact of keeping them clean. Every computer, laptop (in fact all electronic gadgets) have vents that channel hot air out. These vents should always enable air to pass out. You should avoid any blockages. For example, if you are using the laptop on a desk and have blocked one of the air vents with a book or something else on the desk, it’s safe to assume the laptop will overheat, regardless of the design! Also, if there are vents under the laptop, you could try propping it over the desk by placing the laptop on a couple of books, taking care not to cover the vents. It is common for dust and dirt to block air vents. In fact, computers fail and have intermediate problems due to excessive dust build up. Apart from air vents, laptops breathe through the keyboard. Therefore, ensure the keyboard is free of any dirt or grime.
Bacteria Farm that live on smart phones In a recent report, scientists have also found over 500 types of bacteria and nearly 30 types of fungi from 27 handsets. It was a study from UK that had suggested that mobile phones and computer keyboards are dirtier than toilet seats. Both devices carry the sweat and grime and provide a perfect breeding ground for microbes. The University Of Surrey students made imprints of their mobile phones in a Petri dish which was allowed to grow for a few days. Most of it was harmless, but they did find Staphyloccoccus aureus – which can cause everything from staph infections to food poisoning. Messy keyboard when opened found food particles, kitten hairs and pet pheromones, and so on..
So, what can you do?
Avoid to have refreshment in front of a laptop especially keyboard (eating biscuits, shawarma, burger, and of course sneezing in front of laptop screen)
Keep clean to stay healthy: No matter how tempting it is, swabbing with damp cloth will do to an extent, however washing with water is always a bad idea!! First of all, you’ll want to turn off your computer and unplug your keyboard. Turn your keyboard over and try to shake out any loose particles. This part can be pretty gross, especially if you tend to eat at your desk. It is suggested to get a can of compressed air and spray it over the keys to remove any extra debris that may be lying in between the cracks. Compressed air is available at any supermarket or computer store. Take a slightly damp cloth and run it over the keys to remove any fingerprints and any other dirt that might be settling in on your keys.
For laptops, use dusting brush and just run it over the keyboard to make sure all remaining particles of dust, dirt, food, etc. are removed. Take a slightly damp cloth and run it over the screen to remove any fingerprints. In a "nutshell", you can easily disinfect and sterilize the surface by dampening the corner of the soft cleaning lint-free cloth with a bit of water and an antibacterial cleaner designed for cleaning surfaces or sanitizing spray made for disinfecting electronics and gently wipe off the back of the smart phone and the buttons. That should take care of some of the nasty critters. Avoid using paper towel or tissue paper to clean as that can leave scratches on the screen just because they are made of wood pulp. (compiled and edited based on reviews from corporate end-user experience)
Please note that relevant pictures were taken from internet for illustration purpose only.
-TM Rinith. KT
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
Risks I Learned
I
always liked adventure,
weather Personal Life or Official Life. Many times it pays but many times I fail too. I used to plan in such a tight schedule that many times even Margin for delay cannot help me to complete the task. All this changed when I went for a trip in 2013. In 2013 I went for a trip to visit a place of worship at Kolur, Karanataka (Remote Place). When I was travelling back I was to Board a train from KUNDAPURA (Remote place ) at 11.30 P.M. and I was with my family (wife and two Kids). As a person always ready to take challenges in my life I planned to Board the train at Midnight. I reached the station at late night and found no porter there to carry the Luggage. My Wife said let us go back to a bigger station and stay there overnight and take a morning train. I did not agree and I started hunting for a porter. I got two boys who were workers there, but at 11.pm. there was an announcement that train is late. I waited further, children were restless and bored. We somehow managed them. After 12.a.m porter carrying the luggage started to the platform and took to the place where the train has to be boarded. It was an extreme end of the station and I found no proper platform, no Lights and no roof there. After some time it started raining and we were securing ourselves in an umbrella. It was dark there, Kids started crying and the train was 30 minutes late further. It was the most horrible experience of my life. We cannot go back as it was at the end of the platform nor we can stand there. Wind started blowing. Finally when the train reached we boarded and I found even my passport is wet.
This was a great learning experience for me. What went wrong that day? I started thinking.
i. Children and family are highly vulnerable, if I would have been alone I could have managed the situation. Look at the weak links or vulnerable areas before venturing into a project. Analyze the situation before planning. ii. Situation can be totally different at different times. The same situation can be dealt bitter in day time but at night the darkness, makes the rain and wind more destructive. Resources can be hired at day time better than at night. Scenarios can be changed totally depending on variables. Dormant Risks may get active depending on Variables. Identify the risks. iii. Margin for delay is something we always keep but if crisis is prolonged due to delay from others it is difficult to manage. Look for unexpected events. Analyze the Risks. iv. We were travelling in rainy seasons hence probability of rains and winds were more. When risks are analyzed always look for probability of Variables which can activate the risks. With this we can determine the probability of the risk. Determine the probability of Risks. v. Look for pessimist scenarios so that you are either prepared or alternative options are searched. Look for alternation options if available to avoid the risks. Avoid risk if Possible. And vi. I was not prepared to take the risk of Darkness, rain and wind at night. Torch and umbrella can help for certain time but wind and severe rain cannot be faced with that. Risk can be mitigated / responded and balance is the ‘residual risk’. ‘Residual risk’ is what has to be faced in after risk mitigation/ Responses. vii. There was no roof at the end of the platform. Taking challenges is good but understand the situation before taking them. If train is boarded at day time we would have been less vulnerable to rain and wind. Taking Challenges without analyzing the risk is foolish. Many times it is better to proto type a situation to understand the ‘inherent risk’. ‘Inherent risks’ are the risks which are always there in any situation. Minimize it’s impact by tweeting with the situation / or with a compensating control. After this incident I was cautious and I used to plan well in advance. I stopped travelling late night or unknown places without proper contacts. I started studying the travel plans better before executing the same.
TM Gopikrishnan
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
TM Lornalyn
“We may have these excruciating pains from the thorns of life. But life goes on.� At times in your life, people come and you know right away that maybe they are meant to stay-to be there for you, to love you, to teach you lessons, to let you figure out who you really are in this amazing world. These people may be possibly strangers that you accidentally met on the subway in restaurant at the downtown, long lost friends, old friends, colleagues and perhaps your neighbors. But, there is this striking fact, that when you looked straight to their eyes, you feel from the bottom of your heart that they will affect your life in some profound ways. Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes, things happen to you that may seem horrible and may have these excruciating pains from the thorns of life. Then you think life is so unfair, that He seemed to have favorites and unfortunately, you are not one of them. You start questioning your existence and trying to go deeper in searching the real essence or ponder why you exist.
Realize that you only have one chance to live a life and in just a blink of your eyes, when he desires to take it away, you cannot do anything. So live life to the fullest, make the best out of it. Don’t worry what lies tomorrow. Worrying will just cast a big shadow behind small things. As what the Author, Victor Hugo said, “Short as life, we make still shorter by careless waste of time. It’s like, the older we get, the shorter life seems! There’s no sadder example of wasted time than a life dominated by fretting. I remember the story I once heard from my Philosophy Professor when I was in my College years. There was one American woman whose dream of riding a train through the English Countryside came true. After boarding the train, she kept fretting about windows, temperature, complaining about her seat assignment, re-arranging her luggage and so on. To her surprise, she suddenly reached her journey’s end. With deep regret, she said to the person meeting her, “If I’d known I was going to arrive so soon, I wouldn’t have wasted my time fretting so much.” Well, it’s so easy to get sidetracked by worries that won’t really matter at life’s end-difficult people, tight budget, people who are luckier and wealthier than you, and envy stranger who tries to ruin your life every day. Acknowledge the brevity of life and teach yourself to number your days and you may gain a heart of wisdom-through life’s journey. To be braved enough to open another door. On the other hand, keep opening a door constantly, but you always have to remember that it’s not always the appearance of the door that will speak what’s inside. A house with a golden-carved door might have emptiness inside and an old wooded-door might have warmth and comfort inside. Life is unpredictable! And yes, we can never discern what will happen tomorrow. Just like when you open a new door, you don’t know what lies inside. A door might open and will lead you to your downfall and sorrow. These realities can’t be avoided. Inevitable! But there will always be that little voice in you which hold the key to the right door-the voice of Him that whispers, “My child, turn the knob and open the door!”
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
DTM N V Raghavan Menon TLI Chair, Immediate Past Division Q Director DTM journey? * Who is your role model? I’m proud of every step I took towards my DTM My role model in life is Mahatma Gandhi & my role journey. I learnt many new concepts & methods of model in Toastmasters is my Mentor Subha communication & leadership in this journey. In fact Anupindi. my journey in search of learning is not over with DTM; it’s still continuing. * What is the message you want to send across? Dream it, Believe it, Do it. * What advice do you have for new members? New members should attend meetings regularly and * What makes Smedley Toastmasters Club unique? should prepare well & deliver one speech per month. Starting with the name itself, which incidentally was In between they should take up other meeting & suggested by me. The only club with that name in leadership roles in the Club, Area or Division the entire middle East & only the third in the entire Excoms. Never say “No” or “Let me think” to any world. Members’ enthusiasm & friendship are other opportunities coming your way, even if you do not points that make Smedley Toastmasters Club unique. know how to do it; your seniors can guide you how to do it. * How important is it, in effective communication, to listen? Do you have any advice about how to do * What are your keys to success in life? this? Definition of success is a little complex; it varies from God has given us two ears & one mouth. That itself is person to person. As far as I’m concerned, if you a proof that we should listen twice than we speak. In enjoy what you do, you are doing the right thing. my opinion only a good listener can become a good Successful person is one who finds happiness in leader. whatever he does. * What is one thing you are most proud of your
TM Abhijit P Kuwalekar Division T Director, District 20
* Who is your role model? For TMI activities it is Ralph Smedley * What inspires you? Challenge * Three things about Smedley Toastmasters Club Good Camaraderie, Competitive Spirit, Constant Additions of New Members
* What advice do you have for people interested in participating for contests? Keep participating in Contest & improve your communication skills by becoming proficient Orator. TM Abhijit says that sincere efforts will help the Smedley club achieve targets both at an individual and club level.
* How long have you been abroad? Do you think that was a mistake to stay away from your home country? 11 years & No. * Tell us about your Toastmasters experience. Challenging * What were the challenges you faced during the Toastmasters journey? The most important Challenge has been trying to clean the Paper Clubs.
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
TM Lesiley Susan Mathew
What are you working on at the moment? Every year, I have tried to focus on specific aspects of Toastmasters. Last year, I worked on completing my CC and CL manuals, and took a role in the excom to complete my ALB title. This year, due to frequent travelling and a heavy workload, my involvement in Toastmasters has been limited to mentoring members and working on evaluation. I completed only a couple of speeches from the ACB track. Next year, I hope to attend more meetings.
You have about 30 seconds to captivate an audience, is that enough? What's your thought on this? 30 seconds is enough time to capture the attention of the audience and convey the opening of a speech, but it is not enough time to convey a complete message or a thought. That's why even impromptu speaking or table topics as we call it, requires at least 1 minute.
Three things about Smedley voice: When Smedley Voice was started in 2015 under the PR leadership of TM Benov, I never thought that it would evolve to such a wonderful newsletter in just a span of three years, I'm proud of the fantastic work that TM Rinith and his team did to publish newsletters with advanced graphics and superb style. The articles within the newsletter are creative and well crafted.
What impact does your speaking skills have on your children? My children are proud of my trophies, and they brag about my speeches to our family and friends. But for children to get good at public speaking, they have to speak themselves. I enrolled them in public speaking classes for children. Leah, who is thirteen, is part of the ICC Eves gavel club and Lisa who is not old enough to be in gavels, goes to TM Susan's public speaking classes for children under 12. My speaking skills have helped me to mentor my children's speeches and helped them to become better speech writers.
How did Toastmasters help you? Toastmasters has definitely helped me to get over my fear of public speaking. I'm not fully cured though since I still have a lot of skills to work on - proper eye contact, body language and gestures, word wizardry. If I continue writing and delivering speeches, I know that one day I can be a champion speaker.
What is the biggest lesson you've taken away from Toastmasters? The biggest lesson that I've learnt is being positive is the only way to influence others and build a great team.
What are some challenging speaking situations you encounter? When I stand in front of an audience, three fears come into play - the fear to look into the eyes of the audience, the fear that I'll go blank and the fear that I'll say something wrong and mess up. It is very difficult to overcome these three fears, and I still suffer from it at times. The key is to learn to overcome these by using every opportunity you get in the club to speak and become a confident speaker. What kind of speeches and presentations have you given? My first few speeches were bland and boring. I took topics like leadership and wove in other's stories. Then I got a valuable advice from TM Koka Prasad. He told me, "Write personal stories and incidents that happened to you." Ever since I have focused on personal stories. I also found that I like to make people laugh. That's how I ended up focusing more on humorous speeches. For my advanced manual, I have taken the Speaking to Inform manual to learn to present well since I do frequent presentations at work.
What was the title of your winning speech and why do you think it was well received? The title of my winning humorous speech was "The PM" and it was well received due to excellent mentoring from the humorous king TM Philip Cherian, his dear wife and my great coach, TM Pavithra, and the word wizard TM Vinod Pisharom. Mentors are the real reason behind the success of any speech writer.
What is the biggest reward you have received so far? The biggest reward that I have received from Toastmasters is the camaraderie and the friends that I have made from Toastmasters. We are a unique group of people who love to communicate, share ideas and help each other. I enjoy coming to meetings and conferences to enjoy and learn at the same time.
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
TM Reshma Shetty ‘s Perception
TM Reshma Shetty is currently working as Cardiac Sonographer in Hamad Heart Hospital. She joined Smedley Toastmasters for being a better public speaker. Let‘s see what TM Reshma has to say.. Tell us a little about yourself. I basically hail from Udupi in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Having studied in a Kannada medium school till Grade 10, I went on to complete my graduation in Sciences and post graduate certification in Cardiac Sonography. I have lived my formative years in a village and have a brother elder to me by 9 years. He is a doctor based in the UK. After my marriage in 2001, I moved to Mumbai where my husband worked and was there till 2008 before I moved to Doha. I am a trained cardiac sonographer and currently work at Hamad Heart Hospital. I am a family person and love being with them. I am religious and believe that God looks after those who have faith in Him.
When did you start the Toastmaster journey?
Tell us about your family. Did they help you prepare for the contest?
What does true leadership mean to you?
I have a daughter who studies in Grade 8 and a son who is in Pre-4 (LKG). My husband works for Qatar Foundation as a Project Manager in the Pre-University Division. My family has been supportive of me in all my journeys including the one at Toastmasters. I use them as a bouncing board for my ideas. I practice my
What is the one thing you couldn't live without?
speeches with them and seek their feedback. They help me in any way they can.
I joined Toastmasters in September 2016.
What do you think of our excom? The current Excom is composed of very supportive people who are especially very encouraging of the beginners. They continuously try to bring the best out of each individual.
In my view, true leadership is about realizing and releasing the full potential of those being led.
My Family and their continued happiness.
What is your greatest fear? Of being alone.
What is your favourite place to be? Wherever my family is.
How, according to you, was Smedley Toastmaster Centogether?
What is your favorite thing to do?
I was unable to attend this particular meeting as I was not in Doha that day.
I love Public speaking.
Where is the best place you have traveled to and why? Switzerland for its breathtaking landscape and the climate in Summer.
What is the one thing you cannot resist? Chocolate.
What is the greatest challenge you have had to overcome thus far in your life?
Tell us anything that might surprise us about you. I am very courageous despite the appearance of fragility.
What do you think of our newsletter? It is quite interesting to read and has reports on the events that happen and are going to happen. Nice design, presentation and some of the articles are inspiring.
Striking a balance between my working life and motherhood.
According to you, what are the challenges to becoming a succesful person? Fear of rejection and unable to take risks are the biggest challenges towards success.
What do you like most about the Toastmaster community in Qatar so far? The community is friendly and creates a comfortable environment at each meeting.
What are the best five things you've done in life? Learnt different languages, Learnt to Drive,
How does it feel to be a contest winner? It gives me the encouragement to move forward and further unlock the potential in me.
What is the most important lesson you learnt from the contest? There is an opportunity for everyone who makes an effort to be a winner.
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
Equinox equinox oh my spring equinox Brought my present day Watching on medley smedely Spirits oh competitive spirits moves on a sunny day On a Friday Was the day of my holiday Equinox equinox oh my spring equinox Lyn and (sa)leek Made the week Equinox equinox oh my spring equinox Eaten on a table tea n pea with Gopi Equinox equinox oh my spring equinox Electrically energetically Bestly Leslie Brightly rightly Gauge and judge Value and evaluvuuu Equinox equinox oh my spring Giggling and riggling Hopping and jumping Mind blowing and glowing Jogging and enjoying Taken a cotton Oh my equinox Noor pour &hammer the humor Dean (vpedu)of the smedley Brought the cotton remedy Equinox equinox Thank you oh my spring equinox .
Theme Poem by TM Jayanthi, VP Membership
Glimpses of Toastmasters Annual Conference 2017
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
TM Ajmal UK, hails from Kerala (Palakkad) India. He was born on 20th May 1990. He holds BTech in Electronics and Communication and is working as Sales Engineer in the field of Industrial Automation and Instrumentation. He is married to Reemah. His wife holds MBBS intern from MeS Medical College Kerala. TM Ajmal’s father is a school teacher and mother a house wife. His younger sister is doing BTech Civil Engineering. TM Ajmal’s interests are Swimming , Driving and Playing Basketball. He is living in Qatar from 2 years and joined Toastmasters through Speechcraft program.
TM Rajiv Kumar, hails from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. He is a Mechanical Engineer working in Qatar Gas. He is married and got a 4 years old daughter Rithvi. He is in Qatar since 2012. TM Mohamed Zubair Mohamed Mafaz recently joined our club, hails from Sri Lanka. He is work with Qatar Islamic Insurance Co. as General Insurance Risk underwriter. His passion is to conduct fitness sessions and public speaking.
Smedley Toastmasters website
analytics shows analyzed data from all touchpoints in one place,
for a deeper understanding of our visitors. Over 82.6% of visitors are new visitors to our Smedley Toastmasters website. With this analytics we are tracking the behavior of each visit and we do hope the analyzed data will allow us to improve engagement on our homepage.
Last 1 month statistics
Smedley websites was accessed from 10 countries during last 1 month
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
Educational Awards achieved in the term 2016-17:
TM Shanmugam Jothinathan- ACB
TM Riyas Cheemadan- CC
TM Maimoona Abubaker ACB TM Noorudeen Veetykadan CC, CL, ALB (eligible for triple crown)
TI Award for the Club • Smedley Award • TALK UP Toastmasters Award • Eligible for President Distinguished Club (achieved 9/10 DCP points) Additional District 20 CWD Award Smedley is Eligible for: • Member Maximus Award: Club that add 4 new, dual or reinstated members • Super club Award: Clubs achieve, Smedley Award, Talk up Toastmasters & Membership Maximus Award Personalized award for Benov Jacob • 10 Member sponsor Award by TI • MEMBERSHIP GOLD Award – by District 20 CGD for Introduce 3 new members
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT Chair: TM Noorudeen Veetykadan Vice President- Education Vice Chair: TM Shana Shirin P Associate Vice President- Education
Smedley Toastmasters Club organized 19 successful meetings in the current term until April 2017. Amongst those, one meeting was a joint meeting with our sponsor club KEF Toastmasters Club. All meetings were designed to adopt the Toastmasters "learn-by-doing" philosophy, wherein each member learns at a pace suitable to his or her leadership and communication goals. Special interest were taken to make meetings interesting and informative. The hundredth meeting was a grand celebration held at Oasis Beach Club Resort. It had an attendance of more than 90 people. Themed "Centogether" the attendees included current and former club members, dignitaries from Toastmasters fraternity in Qatar and their family members.
Members: DTM NV Raghavan Menon TM Bijith Biju Sadan TM Jose K TM Rimzan Zackeriya TM Vimal Raj TM Benov Jacob TM Lesiley Susan Mathew TM Girija Vasudevan Chari TM Rasha Rafiq Abualhasan
To receive feedbacks in various perspectives, club invited 8 Senior Toastmasters from other clubs as General Evaluator and 2 Senior Toastmasters as Evaluators in different meetings. Club also invited a Senior Toastmaster TM Abdul Hameed, a champion speaker TM Nisha Shivram as guest speaker and a Champion Evaluator TM Kit Baritt as an educational module presenter on Speech Evaluations. To get a Non-Toastmaster perspective Dr. Wendy Treynor, USA who is a happiness expert, spoke as a guest Speaker in one of the meetings. Speechcraft: Club conducted a 6 sessions Speechcraft session for 19 participants. Educational modules on first 6 projects of Toastmasters Competent Communicator Manual, Introduction to Toastmasters Educational Program, Selecting a speech topic, Introducing a speaker and Evaluate to motivate were presented by Senior Toastmasters. Consequently, 11 speechcraft participants completed first 3 projects and joined the club as a member. Speech Contests: In January 2017, club conducted mock contests for Table Topics and Evaluations to train members for Club contest. In February 2017, Club conducted contests in four categories viz Humorous Speeches, Table Topics, Evaluations and International Speeches. As per Toastmaster Internationals procedures 2 of the top winners from each category were selected for the Area Contests. Other Educational Modules: After the speechcraft, Senior members from the club presented various educational modules on communication and leadership skills. Achievements: 1. Club became Presidents distinguished Club for the consecutive 3 rd year with 9/10 DCP points. 2. 5 Club members were winners in the Area Contest. 3. 2 Club members won 3rd prize in Division Contest.
GUEST ROLE PLAYERS: Meeting # 91
Date
General Evaluator
Club Name
03.08.2016
TM Sunil Kumar
92
17.08.2016
TM Hameed MT
94
21.09.2016
TM Nisha Shivram
97
02.11.2016
TM Kit Baritt
98
16.11.2016
TM Abdul Hameed
99
07.12.2016
100
22.12.2016
TM Zakaria Aboobacker DTM Sameer Moosa
101
04.01.2017
Ooredoo Toastmasters Club Doha Toastmasters Club Talking Matters Toastmasters Club Filcom Toastmasters Club ICC One Toastmasters Club ICC One Toastmasters Club Dukhan Toastmasters Club Doha Advanced Toastmasters Club
DTM Mehboob Shrivastava
Evaluator
Club Name
TM Ravikumar
ICC One Toastmasters Club Doha Toastmasters Club
TM Niloufer Samel
GUEST SPEAKERS: Meeting #
Date
Guest Speaker
Club Name
Project
92
17.08.2016
ICC One Toastmasters Club
ACS-Facilitating Discussions
93
07.09.2016
TM Abdul Hameed Dr Wendy Treynor
Non Toastmaster
I can Heal
95
05.10.2016
TM Nisha Shivram
Talking Matters Toastmasters Club
ACS- Special Occasion Speeches
97
02.11.2016
TM Kit Baritt
Filcom Toastmasters Club
Effective Evaluations
OTHER EDUCATIONAL MODULES: Meeting #
Date
Speaker
Project
102
18.01.2017
TM Noorudeen Veetykadan
Evaluate to motivate
105
01.03.2017
TM Noorudeen Veetykadan
Best Club Climate
107
05.04.2017
TM Bijith Biju Sadan
Organizing a Speech & Get to the point (CC P2 & P3)
108
19.04.2017
TM Jose K
How to Say it? (CC P4)
109
03.05.2017
TM Vimal Raj
Meeting roles & responsibilities (Planned)
110
17.05.2017
TM Noorudeen Veetykadan
Using Body Language (Planned)
111
07.06.2017
TM Lesiley Susan Mathew
Mentoring (Planned)
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
DCP ACHIEVERS: Member name
Award
TM Rasha Rafiq Abualhasan
Competent Leader
TM Noorudeen Veetykadan
Competent Leader
TM Noorudeen Veetykadan
Competent Communicator
TM Riyas Cheemandan
Competent Communicator
TM Noorudeen Veetykadan
Advanced Leader Bronze
TM Shanmugam Jothinathan
Advanced Communicator Bronze
TM Maimoona Abubaker
Advanced Communicator Bronze
CLUB CONTEST WINNERS: Name TM Noorudeen Veetykadan TM Lornalyn Tallod TM Saleek Poovakundil
Category International Speeches International Speeches Humorous Speeches
Award First Prize Second Prize First Prize
TM Noorudeen Veetykadan TM Praveen Gangadharan TM Gopikrishnan Mallampala Kuttatil TM Lesiley Susan Mathew TM Noorudeen Veetykadan
Humorous Speeches Table Topics Table Topics Evaluation Evaluation
Second Prize First Prize Second Prize First Prize Second Prize
AREA CONTEST WINNERS FROM CLUB: Name TM Lornalyn Tallod TM Noorudeen Veetykadan TM Saleek Poovakundil TM Gopikrishnan Mallampala Kuttatil TM Lesiley Susan Mathew
Category International Speeches Humorous Speeches Humorous Speeches Table Topics Evaluation
Award First Prize First Prize Second Prize Second Prize Second Prize
DIVISION CONTEST WINNERS FROM CLUB: Name TM Noorudeen Veetykadan TM Lesiley Susan Mathew
Category Humorous Speeches Evaluation
Award Third Prize Third Prize
Conclusion: With many achievements in terms of Distinguished Club Program and Contests, we believe that the club had a successful term with regard to education and training. We wish to continue the same momentum in future also with full vigor.
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
INSPIRING QUOTES
As we all know, a good impromptu speech begins with a quote; In this newsletter too we continue to share some inspiring quotes circulated in our Smedley Toastmasters WhatsApp Group which refreshes, inspires and encourages all of us on a day-to-day basis..
GIGGLING FACTS
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
Forthcoming Events
We Want You! Are you bursting with great ideas and have the need to lead or collaborate with cool people? Are you a star
negotiator? Do you like to
have fun?
JOIN SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS DIVISION - T , DISTRICT 20,
CLUB - 2046498, AREA 43, DOHA, QATAR
A glimpse of club meeting photos and expressions
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
A glimpse of club meeting photos and expressions
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
Meeting Minutes QR Code
Scan the Meeting Minutes QR Code from your handheld device to view readable format of all the surviving records of what was said, done and bestowed at the Smedley Toastmaster Club.
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose members
of
SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS
helping
improve
communication,
Meets on every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays At Sharq Capital
their public
C-Ring Road, Doha, Qatar.
speaking, and leadership
Reach Smedley Toastmasters Club by contacting one of us:
skills.
TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL VALUES:
TM Benov Jacob - 55841255 Email: benovj@gmail.com TM Noorudeen Veetykadan - 33529140 Email: clicknoorudeen@gmail.com TM Shylesh Kumar Kunnanattil - 66954281 Email: skunnanattil@gmail.com OUR CLUB MISSION
Integrity, Respect, Service And Excellence QR Code for Newsletter
EVERY TOASTMASTER’S
We provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.
JOURNEY BEGINS WITH A SINGLE SPEECH !
QR Code for Website
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NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | SPRING EQUINOX 2017 | VOL 3 ISSUE 3
Smedley Toastmasters Club C-Ring Road, Doha, Qatar