eloQuence edition no 54 (400 Meetings) by WMC Toastmasters Club

eloQuence ISSUE NO. 54

SEPTEMBER 2020

400 Meetings

OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION

PERSPECTIVE

PAGE 1, PAGES 12-13

PAGES 18-33

'WMC & ME'

FEATURE REMINISCING ON THE ROOTS PAGES 14-17

WMC TOASTMASTERS CHARTERED IN 2003| KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN CLUB NO: 603459| AREA 9 DIVISION D| DISTRICT 20

WMCToastmasters

wmctm

WMCToastmasters

https://603459.toastmastersclubs.org/

FELICITATIONS PAGES 2-11

REFLECTIONS PAGES 34-38

The President's Desk Celebrations!! In 2003, few legendary toastmasters saw a dream. Dream of being unique; dream of becoming leaders; dream of nurturing new leaders. The dream turned into reality and within no time, WMC Toastmasters became one of the leading clubs on the island.

TM Yashodhan Abhyankar

To mark the celebration of the 400th meeting of the club,this special edition of eloQuence, depicts the bond between the club and it’s members both present and the past.

For WMC, eloQuence is not just an ordinary newsletter. Every member in the club contributes towards making it a treasure to preserve forever. In this edition, we had requested members who have left the club to write about their affection towards WMC and they readily agreed, which shows the love they have towards the club despite being physically away. This year we are releasing and edition of eloQuence every month, which gives an opportunity to members to express themselves on a wide range of topics, thereby helping them to become better writers, better people. Members are encouraged to articulate their feelings and thoughts and make it a feast for the readers. Editors and designers then work hard towards presenting the eloQuence to make it a treat to the eyes. The outcome – a well crafted eloQuence. I take this opportunity to congratulate all the members on the occasion of our 400th meeting. Iam certain that there will be special editions of eloQuence marking our 500th and 1000th meetings.

A Note from your VP Public Relations Fellow Toastmasters! I read it recently and it rang a bell in the mind. “You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.”- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

TM Sukumar Swaminathan

Twenty charter members led by the founder, mentor and a sponsor chartered a club that has gone many a mile creating its own course, challenging conventional norms and setting new standards. The ways were revolutionary but then why follow a norm when ordinary people can do extraordinary things when working and thinking together.

Recently, I had the rare privilege to witness the club’s seventeen-year history first hand, as I was compiling the content for our never-seen-before type video, yes, that was the brief given to me! Events of the highest order that were bankrolled by hopes more than the actual green stashes, milestone celebrations that were out-of-the-ordinary and personal growth stories that now had an aura of the phantom. I saw it all, I was bedazzled! The saying from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad rhymed more now. We are in our 400th meeting and I wish we have many 400s more. True to the tradition of the club, in not keeping to the tradition, we should keep experimenting and that’s how we will keep evolving. Our identity is in being unique, our members much like the others may be modest, must continue to nurse the desire to achieve the unordinary and our passion must fly high with vigor. We should not just adopt ‘pathways’ but implement and scale new ‘pathways’. There is a joy in learning, but certainly more in giving. Under President Yashodhan and on behalf of the Excom, I am pleased to design the third installment of eloQuence for this term which is a culmination of the past and the present with a hope that our future will shine bright! Today let us celebrate “Being you, being WMC Toastmasters for the 400th time!”

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Felicitations

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"IT GIVES ME IMMENSE PLEASURE TO CONGRATULATE WMC TOASTMASTERS CLUB ON THE OCCASION OF 400TH MEETING. IT IS INDEED A GREAT MILESTONE TO REACH. I WISH THE CLUB ALL THE VERY BEST IN ITS PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE."

T.L Joy, Mentor, WMC Toastmasters Club

Nandakumar Kandanat, Charter Member

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"I wish to heartily congratulate WM C Toastmasters Club on successfully reaching the milestone of 400th meeting. New Toastmaster clubs ope n all the time with great enthusiasm but many do not survive beyond the first couple of years. In this context this milestone is a really major achieve ment for WMC Toastmasters Club.

T.S Srinivas, DTM Charter Member & Past President, WMC Toastmasters

My best wishes to the Excom and the members of WMCTMC for a great yea r ahead."

400th meeting! Wow! What a proud moment for each and every one of you WMC members, past and present! As someone who was your Area Director and Division Director in the not-too-distant past, it is an honor for me to raise a toast to your Club Sponsor AS Jose, all your leaders and members past and current. As you stand proud and tall at this milestone of 400th meeting, you can joyfully look over your shoulder at your achievem ents. I have been witness to the many accolades and prizes your club has bagged in contests and the leadership positions your members have held. All this would not have been possible without your club founder ’s vision and your subsequent presidents’ inspiring leadership. To get here, you must have weathered many storms and braved many challenges. I salute all those who must have honed their skills by being members as well as those who must have brought laurels to your club! Knowing how vibrant you are, I’m sure your club will scale even greater heights in the days to come.

Dr. Gita Ponnuchamy, DTM

Nandakumar Kandanat, Charter Member

Remember to enjoy the present moment as you journey along. As Dr. Abdul Kalam said, “The sides of the mountain sustain life, not the peak. This is where things grow, experience is gained and technologies [techniques] are mastere d." Enjoy your journey. May you celebrate many more milestones! Long live WMC! Best wishes DTM Dr. Gita Ponnuchamy Division C Director (2005-06) Toastmasters bring out the extraordinary in the ordinary

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I still vividly remember that afternoon of 2009, when I was kind of forced to attend the meeting of WMC Toastmasters Club (WMC or the Club), as a reluctant guest. Before attending the meeting, I thought I am making a sizable trade-off for a siesta on a Friday afternoon and that too, after having a heavy, sumptuous lunch! However, that was one of the best Toastmasters’ (TM) meeting I had probably ever attended thus far. I was left thoroughly impresse d with the quality of speeches, assignments and the overall time spent, which was informative, educative and somewhat entertaining too. The meeting environment seemed positive, encouraging and less rigid or chocking in many ways.

TM Sandeep Rajpopat

That’s it! From that day, I had decided that this is THE CLUB to join, to further hone my communication and leadership skills. But, in early 2010, I left for India (assuming for good) as a bachelor but returned in mid2011, after getting married and finally joined the Club in 2012, along with my wife Puja. We both were proud members of the Club till 2016, which is when we took a comparatively longer sabbatical, only to take care of our son – Nakssh.

But those four years of TM journey were fabulous in many ways, for both of us. We learnt a lot and still have fond memories of cohosting Massrahiya (a landmark event organised by the Club for English short play contest from across the Kingdom). For me, the time was even more rewarding and enriching, since during that stint, for couple of years, I had the opportunity to represent the Club in speech contests at Area, Division and even District level. These successes imparted greater confidence, while also making me humble and indeed provided me with an opportunity to raise the WMC flag higher and to bring laurels to this already famous and well-respected Club. I was also fortunate to present my views on India’s Union Budget, in a special session organised by the Club. In fact, having attended several clubs in the past, I and Puja thought that WMC Toastmasters Club stands apart as an outstanding club, due to the illustrative reasons and factors such as:

1. It is that vibrant club, which believes in truly thinking out-of-th e box and attempting to do things in somewhat unconventional and unique ways, of course for positive results. 2. The Club always does things at much bigger and broader level. Certain initiatives and their scale is at times unthinkable in a TM environment, but that is what makes the Club a trend-setter and frontrunner in many ways. 3. Anybody who would have attended Club meetings (as member s or the guests) would certainly agree that members’ warmth and camaraderie is simply contagious. 4. The Club has pedigree of producing several great commun icators and leaders, who have excelled not only in TM fraternity, but even outside and are leaving their marks in society at large. 5. The Club believes in giving its fair share back to the society through various initiatives like Youth Leadership Programs, Speechc raft sessions and in fact, has its own Gavels Club too. 6. Many of the founding members of the Club are still very actively involved with the Club, that too with same level of enthusia sm, passion and humility for more than 16 years now, which is a rarity to see.

Therefore, I and Puja truly think that WMC is not a club, but an Institution in itself, which bestows knowledge in a funlearn way, to those who are truly seeking. While this amazing Institution is celebrating its milestone 400th meeting, we convey our heartiest congratulations with great joy and pride, to its past and present members and extend our best wishes to the Club, to celebrate many such momentous occasions. Jai ho WMC Toastmasters Club and may long live its legacy. Yours sincerely, Sandip Rajpopat

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Dear Mr. President & Members of WMC Toastmasters Club, Congratulations on yet another milestone in the history of WMC Toastmasters – 400th Meeting !!! I am delighted to see your club rise from one success to another. The vigor and vivacity of an organization is solely dependent on it’s individuals. With sincere scions & stalwart seniors on it’s roster, WMC’s success story is no surprise at all. The entire Toastmasters fraternity of Bahrain is proud of WMC Toastmasters.

DTM Guraz Wankadia

Starting in 1905, after 20 years of struggling to form a sustainable Toastmasters club, our founder Dr. Ralph C. Smedley managed to finally light a permanent flame of continuous learning in Communication and Leadership in 1924. As the first Toastmasters Club gave rise to many more in the city, state, country and the continent, the movement became unstoppable, spreading globally.

Every time a Toastmasters club gives birth to a new club, it is purely due to the concerted efforts of a handful, at times even a single, individual(s). It is this individual or small group of individuals, that are responsible for the prolific growth & titanic existence of the Toastmasters movement since the past 96 years. To that effect, I am personally grateful to your founder member & 1st Presiden t Dr. Babu Ramachandran for having carried the torch of enlightenment from his home club Manama Toastmasters to light-up a path of Learning & Self-Development for many more to benefit from. I wish WMC Toastmasters many more years of Learning, Leading & Transforming. May ‘elQuence’ be the strength & eternity the lifespan, of WMC Toastmasters. Much Love & Respect. DTM Guraz Wankadia.

TM Kishor Sebastian, Charter Member Greetings to All, As an Entrepreneur , I always cherished the priceless moment s which I spent with WMC Toastmasters. As a charter member ,I was lucky to be associated with the founders / sponsor s & mentors of WMC Toastmasters Bahrain during its formatio n. In the quest of fulfilling my dreams, I left Bahrain for good and moved to Kuwait and started my own business enterprise which we have expanded to other GCC countries as well.

Wow, It is the 400th mile stone meeting of WMCTMC. On this memorable occasion, I would like to express my warm felicitations to all the WMC Toastmasters in Bahrain. It is truly admirable that as a club you could reach this pinnacle of excellence while empowering fellow human beings. May your example of success, resilience and strength in facing challenges through the years inspire other toastmasters clubs in the region .

The confidence and determination which I got through club activities paved its way to the foundation of my journey. I am deeply indebted to WMC Toastmasters club for transform ing todays Kishor Sebastian. My sincere thanks to Mr. A S Jose, , Mr. Mathew Ommen , Mr. T L Joy , Mr. Suresh Karunakaran , Mr. Santhosh Abraham and of course our founder Presiden t Dr. Babu Ramachandran for their guidance and support. As a charter member, I also could introduce many new faces like Mr. Regy Xavier , Mr. Job Antony, who later became Presiden ts of this great club.

On this occasion I raise a toast to WMC Toastmasters club Congratulations on a job well done. May you continue to nurture the rich legacy of our club and pave the way for the future generations to follow. May God bless WMC Toastmasters Club Bahrain always.

WMC Communication

Education Update Congratulations! TM Bilal M Hussain For completing Pathways Level: 1 Effective Coaching

Membership Update

WMC Toastmasters Club wishes its members TM Priyanka Gaikwad (Left) & TM Bilal M Hussain (Right) A Happy Members Day (1st September 2020)

WMC Toastmasters Club takes pride in welcoming its new members: TM Rajeshwari Alpesh Chouhan & TM Nidhi Kailash Wadke Happy Toastmastering!

WMC Toastmasters Club takes pride in cheering its reinstated Members: TM Biju Jacob, TM Sathish Mudalayil & TM Ovin Crasta Happy Toastmastering!

WMC TOASTMASTERS CLUB congratulates our VP Membership TM Anil Kumar for steering the Club's memberships to achieving the Smedley Award

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Feature

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On a pleasant evening in September 1997- I sat with a steaming cup of coffee at the Mascot Hotel, the flagship five-star hotel in the capital city of Trivandrum in God’s own country, Kerala. Across me sat Gopi (Gopi Kallayil- Presently Chief Evangelist, Digital Transformation & Strategy at Google) sipping his coffee. Gopi my affectionate friend was on his vacation to India from San Francisco. On every vacation we would catch up, share experiences, talk of anything and everything under the sun, including the sun. This was our way of reinforcing the bonds of love and friendship. DTM (Dr.) Babu Ramachandran

“I am a CTM”. Gopi said with passion.

“What is that? “ I asked. He launched into something called ‘Toastmasters’ and how he used to speak at clubs, get evaluated and win prizes. It sounded crazy to me. He launched into what Toastmasters was all about (something I do now with my friends) but I was confused.

I was touching the age of forty and halting his flow I interjected “I am Mr. Gopi Kallayil (left) along with Dr. Babu Ramachandran (3rd from the left) at the Toastmasters International settled as a medical doctor and I don’t see how this can help me Convention held at Reno Nevada, USA, in 2004. though I too enjoy speaking in public”. “Babu, trust me this helps“ he replied.

But then there was not a single Toastmasters club in Kerala. I pushed this conversation on Toastmasters to the farthest corner of my brain and continued to dwell in the world of Augmentin, Paracetamol, pains, aches and sprains which brought me my bread and butter…

Dr. Babu Ramachandran (left) with Mr. Gopi Kallayil (centre) at the convention displaying his award- 1st place in International Taped Speech Contest.

New Beginnings 1998 December - I boarded the flight to Bahrain seeking greener pastures . Gopi mailed me “Babu when you settle in Bahrain, look up Toastmasters”. So he had not forgotten! One Saturday in 1999- I was curious to know what this self-learning experience in public speaking was, I walked in as a guest to the Manama Toastmasters club meeting with little bearing to what was in store for me. Having dabbled with college politics where I used to address many gatherings, in my mind I had this subtle rhetoric feeling “What more can “Toastmasters “teach me? “

That first meeting was an experience- I still recall Speakers waxing eloquently, someone called TMOD, a General Evaluator, Timer controlling lights like at a traffic signal etc. etc. By the end of two hours I realised that there was a lot more that I needed to learn about mastering the art of effective communication. April 1st 2000- ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step’. I was inducted as a Toastmaster at the Manama Toastmasters club. Informative, entertaining meetings ensued and every Saturday opened new paths for me. I was content with being an ordinary member without taking any club positions. One day in 2003 June (“I don’t recall the exact date”)- A.S. Jose whom I fondly address as Josettan telephoned me. The conversation went on these lines: AS Jose: “ Babu , the World Malayali Council ,Bahrain intends to start a Toastmasters club and I want you to be the President. “ Me : “ But Josetta ,I am happy in Manama Toastmasters. “ AS Jose : “Babu , this is an opportunity to lead a new club and empower others. You are free to choose the day of the meeting. Launch the club. You just need to come over once in 2 weeks, give your Presidential address and go back. Do it for one year and then go back to Manama Toastmasters. I guarantee a good team to support you. “ Me: “Give me 24 hours to reflect on this. “ AS Jose : “I will give you 48 hours. “

That evening I pondered over this subject with my better half, Mary.

DTM A.S Jose

Mary: “Oh, so you are leaving Manama Toastmasters because you have been offered a position, Ha! Ha!... However, since Josettan wants you, take it up. He foresees something. “ Next morning, I gave my consent to Josettan. At my request he agreed to fix the meeting days on Fridays (twice a month).At a meeting called by him , I met a grey haired man (Our dear Suresh Karunakaran) , a curly haired flamboyant Santhosh Abraham, a bubbly Ganapathy Narayanan and several others (my memory is fading so I don’t recall all names).The ball started rolling and the club formation took place at the Carlton hotel. I had the privilege to be nominated as the Founding President , Suresh Karunakaran as the Vice President ( Education ) Santhosh Abraham as Vice President ( Membership ) and Sajeev Menon as Secretary.

Yours’ officially, WMC TMC:

There were twenty members in all. Our meetings at the Carlton hotel began taking shape. My plans on that day were definite. Take a sabbatical from Manama Toastmasters Club, give presidential addresses at every meeting and return to the thick of things in Manama Club which inducted me into the oastmasters fold, after a year... Did this work out?? After my first Presidential Address at a regular meeting, I recall Mathew Oommen (our pillar of support) approaching me. “Babu you did really well though there was some nervousness. After a few meetings your Presidential address will flow naturally”- it was so true. I gradually got the hang of it. Meeting after meeting WMC TMC took baby steps. And slowly but surely the WMC Toastmasters filtered into my blood stream like an intravenous fluid (Sorry for the medical term). The club became a part of my being and I realised that I would not go back to Manama Toastmasters after a year as planned. I still held on to my membership with the Manama club for a few years more before giving it up finally. And together with our members we set forth to strengthen WMC TMC. It was not smooth sailing all the way. There were challenges. WMC stands for World Malayali Council and the WMC Toastmasters club was supposed to be an off shoot of the parent body and it was planned initially for only people from God’s own country – Kerala, at least some people thought so. However, we had other plans. At the first Area council, attended by Suresh and me, I announced that WMC Toastmasters would open its doors to all irrespective of region or language. This raised eyebrows but with the strong support of Suresh and others we stood firm. We even resolved that if needed WMC could be expanded to be read as “WEAPONS OF MASS COMMUNICATION “. However, this change was not necessary as the objections slowly disappeared. The first theme was “WITH EVEN GREATER ENTHUSIASM “. And it was true. Though the member strength was around twenty and there were times when we met with just ten attendees, yet the enthusiasm remained strong. Step by step we built up the club. October 2004- The club members of the term 2003-2004 decided to have a grand installation ceremony and chose the five-star ambience of the Hilton Hotel (the present Golden Tulip). Eyebrows were raised. Never had a Toastmasters club planned an installation like this. WMC Toastmasters did it. With Captain Mahmood Al Mahmood as the chief guest and the veteran journalist Mr. Soman Baby as the guest of honor and in the presence of many dignitaries from the Toastmasters fraternity and other community leaders, the lamp was lit to mark the official journey of the WMC Toastmasters Club. Lighting a lamp to launch a Toast,masters club may also have been a first of its kinf excercise in the Toastmasters fraternity. The lamp was not a symbol of any religion, it was to send a message that WMC TMC would spread light everywhere.

Our newsletter eloQuence took shape in the first term itself as a quarterly publication and it reflected the goals, the aspirations and the creative talent of our members.

Fueling our enthusiasm We needed funds to run the club and this is where our greatest supporter stepped in -Mr. Hussain Al Ansari, Former General Manager of BAPCO who helped us find sponsors for our activities. Our club will always be indebted to him for his generous assistance. Youth Leadership Programs & Speechcraft Programs Our team decided to modify the format of Youth Leadership and Speech Craft programs without changing the basic structure of TMI guidelines.This initiative succeeded beyond expectations.

With our first speech craft in BAPCO, we proved that we could mould leaders and communicators. The success of the first speech craft program led to one more. I will always proudly claim that one of the greatest success stories of WMC TMC is the formation of BAPCO Toastmasters club, which is now a top club in the island. We extended our reach further and trained fifty Zain telecom employees in the art of effective communication. Programs such as these allowed WMC TMC to think “Out of the Box “ while empowering others without compromising on TMI guidelines (we continue to practice this philosophy till date). Youth Leadership programs, with a difference, was our other hallmark. Instead of just one or two coordinators conducting YLPs,we had a full team who trained the young minds in various aspects of communication and leadership. The team of coordinators mentored and groomed young leaders; even today many of them are in touch with us. If I recall correctly, the first YLP experiment , led by Suresh Karunakaran, was for the Indian Ladies Association. The first Inter Toastmasters short play competition” FACES PHASES” was organized by WMC Toastmasters. Eyebrows were again raised and staunch Toastmasters came out with their displeasure. But we persisted and this event added another feather to our cap. From the stage, we embarked on to the Silver Screen with “CINERGY 2008, a short film competition open to all on the theme “Why not ...the possibilities are endless “. The event took the island by storm. Twenty-two short films were screened and an eminent jury proclaimed the winners. Requests came in from various quarters to make CINERGY an annual affair but we decided against it. Scaling new frontiers, WMC Toastmasters curated an in-house full length play “THE LAST SHADE OF GREY “written, directed and enacted by our members. The venue of this major event was the Gulf Air Club. We forayed further with novel programs like “ EXPONENT “ under the presidentship of Job Antony, bringing in eminent speakers who addressed Toastmaster gatherings on their area of expertise. Such initiatives helped us to strengthen our roots bringing us to where we are today. However, with all this going around we did not deviate from our educational goals. WMC TMC brought back laurels from District, Division and Area level as well as in the International Arena. Almost every year we were in the category of “President’s Distinguished Club “achieving DCP goals. My Memoirs For me, WMC TOASTMASTERS is not a club. It is a family with guardians and children many of whom are well settled in various corners of this planet. The WMC TMC alumni group is quite active and our bonds grow stronger with every passing day. The success of our club has always been possible due to the selfless commitment of our members. As I am reminiscing the past, that I hold so close to my heart, an adaption of the well-known quote - “IF YOU GET OUT OF WMC TOASTMASTERS WHAT YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF WMC TOASTMASTERS, YOU WILL NEVER GET OUT OF WMC TOASTMASTERS “plays the peart part! The journey continues.... Long Live WMC TOASTMASTERS.

Perspective: WMC & Me

TM Nalini Vipin

The unblinking stars adorned the sky Their smiles showed the way that I must tread... I saw no darkness, no twisted light Just a glow of warmth that paved my way.

My thoughts, my dreams Hidden deep within ... Bloomed unhindered And dotted the sky... Speeches, projects Were a cakewalk... When I had you’ll, by my side. A nod, a look, a smile, a pat So much to remember So much to write ... Into my treasure chest I dip my pen... This story like a fairy tale Will never run dry.

A little crazy, a little sane, We made the world A unique place ... Precious memories Like a warm embrace Wmctmc and me Our bond still strong... Our story goes on ! A promise A shelter A hope A dream ... Wmctmc My home!

Here...I fly ... Like a kite knotted To the post, that past Rooted yet I fly high... I fly high!!! 18

CTM Sajeev Menon

It was 2003; I can remember the veteran Toastmasters ATM AS Jose and CTM Mathew Oommen going out of their way to bring a few people together to kick start the WMC Toastmasters. I was lucky to be one of the Charter members. I still have the Minutes of the meeting held on 11th July 2003 at Carlton Hotel (I am not sure if this hotel still exists), where in the Charter office bearers were announced as follows: Sergeant At Arms - Mr. Ajit Joseph – Tel. 9876983 Secretary – Mr. Sajeev Menon– Tel. 9677821 Treasurer – Mr. Shaju K Jose – Tel. 9129954 VP Public Relations – Mr. MCA Nasser –Tel 9196661 V P Membership – Mr. Santosh Abraham– Tel. 9615797 V P Education – Mr. Suresh Karunakaran – Tel. 926667 President – Dr. Babu Ramachandran – Tel. 9071303 The rest is history. It has been 17 years since, and the Club has hit 4-century of meetings. That is simply amazing. I still remember, we at WMC TMC, went outside the remit and limit of a conventional Toastmasters Club. It was to become a family away from home. Such was the exuberance and frenzy that hovered around it. I still remember the ghostly skit ‘The Last Train’ and the eerie pipe smoking old stoopy man, that I played. Toastmaster Lissy Jolly was my ghostly wife. What a script it was! Penned by Suresh Karunakaran and directed by none other than our own Rekha Utham aka Rc. It has been 17 long years. The Club is almost nearing the end of its teenage. The Club today has outgrown its members into an institution. It has sustained its own character and charisma. The members may have turned over, yet nothing has changed the Club. The legacy has always been handed down and upheld by newcomers.

DTM Mohandas

It was in May 2012 that I remember attending a WMC meeting and a farewell treat for Jyothi and I in the mezzanine space of a restaurant opposite the Indian Club before we said goodbye to Bahrain. It is where I got introduced to WMC as well as several other clubs such as NSS, KCA, Indian School, Alba etc. It's a whirlwind of memories of demo meetings at BAPCO and Deloitte with Chechi and her undying spirit, the trainings, the contests won and lost, the skits, shortfilms, Suresh’s Othello version, YLPs, the various personalities I rubbed shoulders with, the little skirmishes, patch-ups, and the colourful Bahrain life. Nine years can’t obliterate those memories unless visited by Mr Alzheimer or someone equally unfriendly. 400th meeting roughly works out to 17-18 years since WMC was born from the days of Hilton hotel meetings. A dynamic leader like Ganapathy has taken the initiative to bring the old members into an issue of Suresh’s artistically themed newsletter- eloQuence that will surely transport us back to those halcyon days. Covid is destructive but in a way it has prompted us to weld together those broken links, to reconnect and open up new vistas of friendship. I preserved this Shakespearen quote a friend sent me last month, “New friends are poems, old friends are alphabets. Don’t forget the alphabets because you need them to read the poems.” True, I have new Toastmasters connections and friends here in Palakkad, but my learnings and experiences with WMC help me to read and deal with them.

WMC TMC will always remain as one of the milestones in my life’s journey. A junction at the crossroads of my life journey, where I re-discovered myself. It is where I realized for the first time that one does not really require a spoken language to become a master of communication. I wish WMC TMC many more meetings full of vibrancy and vigour.

DTM Dinesh

While on the last lap of completing the DTM, one may face this dilemma , what next? Having seen scores of DTMs, retiring happily not to surface again, there are some who do their bit silently by remaining active. WMC TMC on the other hand , has an alumni that probably has more members than the club itself. These seasoned TMs, however, wish to remain most humble and interact freely. Occasionally, few veterans surface once in a while joining the family, and adding their colorful presence . Immediately after the DTM, scores of parents, well wishers, wanted me to start a Gavel Club for equipping the children with life skills. That journey of a little over Ten years has helped the community we serve. I have few Gaveliers, as they are addressed as, pass-by the club, periodically, boosting our commitment to serve. One of WMC TMC veteran, DTM A.S. Jose, has been a forerunner in the propagation of Gavel's Club in the state of Kerala. His cherished vision to have a Gavel Club along the length of Kerala state in each district must have been fulfilled , I hope. I am sure each one of us CAN do our best to the community we are in. Let's rejuvenate and rededicate ourselves to this mission on this special occasion.

TM Manohar

I still remember the day when my close relative, a member of WMC Toastmasters Club, forced me to join the club at ‘gunpoint’. I attended a few trial meetings and later joined this vibrant club. Although I was not very socially active those days, I could notice a lot of improvement in my professional and personal life. The friends’ circle we had in the club was energetic and the intimacy and togetherness in the formal and informal meetings were really marvelous. Conducting the Toastmasters meetings by distinctively following all the protocols is the significance of WMC Toastmasters Club. The senior members of the club used to encourage members to introduce their innovative ideas and participate in the meetings. This indeed was a very rare experience. Apart from my professional career, Toastastering at WMC Toastmasters Club has helped and supported me to pursue and excel in my passion for management training and photography. The informal gathering, members’ family gettogether, discussions and debates on various subjects and motivation to bring out the inherent talents by providing opportunities through events such as Drama, Short Film Festivals and other stage shows, are the main influencing factors. I don’t think we will get such motivation or opportunities from any other Toastmasters club or from any other social clubs. Thus, WMC Toastmasters Club always stands OUTSTANDING and transforms its members to be OUTSTANDING.

TM George Nedumparambil

When did I join this Toastmasters club? Don’t remember. My guess is that I was with the club for five or six years. Did I benefit? Yes, of course I did, tremendously. I learnt that the ability to enjoy a joke is not quite the same thing as saying one. Ability to listen to music and enjoying is not quite the same thing as doing it myself. I learned how much I lacked and am happy to say to a great extent WMC fixed it for me. The exposure that I got to make short speeches helped me enormously in my professional life. The confidence that I gained in facing an audience came in handy when I had to do professional presentations on core area of my specialty to officers and staff within the bank and outside. It helped me a lot when I had to speak at clients’ office or during the seminars where I got invited as a speaker. I left Bahrain in the year 2011 to return back to my home town Kochi also known as Ernakulum. As the saying goes, one’s heart really belongs where one spent childhood and growing up years. Lulu hypermarket is just about 3 km away and the heart of the city, Marine drive 5 km away. Life over here is quite relaxed in many ways similar to Bahrain. But the congested roads with multiple modes of vehicles make driving a herculean task; the two wheelers are like mosquitoes with their origin and turns indeterminable for someone in a four wheeler. It is a miracle to survive without hitting one of them. Health wise, the good news is that so far I have had no occasion to avail of the facilities and treatment offered at international level multispecialty hospitals that abound in my city. My hope is that I may never have to avail of those excellent facilities offered by them, except for walk in basis to consult doctors. How do I pass my day? The truth is that I do not have any spare time!! Don’t get the idea that I am engaged in some gainful profession that brings in money. Not at all. I write and most of it is about busting beliefs and the ‘business’ that goes around in the name of faith. As readers you would have guessed that in that process I have become a character best avoided at all cost in the society that I live. Besides this passion, I listen to music, old ones with a classical bend. 21

I watch news for half an hour, not lending my ears again to the channels repeating the same thing throughout the day. One favourite is political satires. I do also watch English movies on TV and read National Geographic, sadly not available in book form these days. I travel, twice or thrice abroad. My hope is (I am now going to make everyone attending the meeting in person to treat me as undesirable), that rupee will appreciate to the levels (about 45) it was when I returned to India so that I may be able to continue doing travel. I am happy to know that many familiar faces in WMTC are still around in Bahrain. On the occasion of 400 th meeting, my heartiest congratulations and best wishes for a wonderful evening. I end by saying that any one visiting Kochi has a friend in me and need not have to check into a hotel. I promise you that I won’t convert you to my ways!

TM Anita Komath

‘The Art of Communication is the Language of Leadership’, said James Humes. WMC Toastmasters Club (WMC TMC) is the right place where both Communication and Leadership goes hand in hand. WMC TMC is very close to my heart. I was a part of this club for 5 years and had taken up the position of Secretary twice and Treasurer once. It’s a perfect place to groom ourselves to be better listeners, better orators and better leaders. It helps us in developing skills required to be a good speaker - be it as a Grammarian, an Ah-Counter, a Timer, an Evaluator or a Table Topics Master. I have been there and done it all. We have a certain decorum – an extremely organized platform and a formal dress code with ‘Punctuality’ being our motto. Although it’s just a 2 hours’ session from 4-6pm with a 10 minutes’ tea break, we leave the hall feeling so confident and with an immense sense of satisfaction that yes, we have moved one step ahead towards mastering communication skills. With DTM Dr. Babu’s intervention and efforts, we were fortunate to get the best ambiance, The Crowne Plaza Bahrain, which gave an added plush environment. Although we were around 50 plus members, all from different background and religion, we were one when we got together and spoke one language - English. I completed my Competent Leadership Program which was not so difficult. Despite DTM Mohandas’s constant motivation to go ahead and speak, I could not master the art of Competent Communication. To speak amidst veteran speakers and stalwarts of our club was not easy for me, although stepping on to the dais for them was a cake walk. ‘To communicate is an art by itself ‘, they said. We had guidebooks which would help us draft a speech. We were also assigned mentors to help us. Through Toastmasters, I also got an opportunity to participate in the play ‘The Last Shade of Grey’ directed by DTM Rekha and DTM Suresh Karunakaran. I even got to participate in a Short Film. I was fortunate to be the Counselor for WMC Gavels Club and have also been a part of the organizing committee of Gavel Club Annual Contest.

TM Gayatri Kamath

“Eye contact very important”, “give that pause”, “ Don’t clutter your power point presentation”… even to date after a decade, these suggestions hold good, whenever I have to address an audience, such is the impact of WMCTMC on me. My days with WMCTMC were one of the most valuable years of my life. There was a lot of learning opportunities. Each member of this club was just like any good sculptor who chiseled away so many unnecessary elements and added much required dimensions to my personality. This is not just about public speaking. Here I met some of the finest human beings, who with their exemplary lifestyle had a positive influence on people around them. I got exposure to what it meant to be involved in social causes, creativity, fine arts, and above all people's simplicity and kindness. I had some of the most joyful memories. There was laughter, fun, and camaraderie among members. We had our share of challenges and differences. But as they say when there is clarity of goal and when all are trying their best to learn and grow, everything will fall in place. Through this journey with WMC TMC I have earned some very close friends. To summarize, I just would like to say a big ‘Thank you' to all my fellow WMC TMC teammates on this special occasion of the 400th meeting.

Toastmasters has given me so many opportunities to explore. It has had a great influence on me in my life. So friends, if you wish to be better leaders of tomorrow, be it for your day-to-day life or your work place or in a society TOASTMASTERS is THE right place. Go for it! 22

TM Abhimanyu Gopinath

TM Thanuja Anil

Every human communication has 3 essential parts: Sending the message, Receiving the message and then giving feedback. WMC TMC taught me all of the above and MORE.

Mabrouk to WMC TM Club for reaching the 400th meeting. This is an exciting milestone and I am very happy to be a part of it.

What is interesting is the “More” part, the other are “Elementary, Dear Watson!”

My bonding with the club has been so amazing. It has been an enchanting and enriching journey, an enjoyable and educative experience of connecting and collaborating with many dynamic people.

How many times have you been encouraged to think? Enough number of times? You are one of the few fortunate ones! Currently, majority of us focus on getting a job done. Why it has to be done, how it has to be done are questions that generally considered a waste of time! WMC TMC encouraged me to think. Being in a sales job, public speaking and networking was not my concern but more of a habit. I could speak to a gathering without thinking twice. Without Thinking Twice is what I want to emphasize. WMC taught me to Think. To Think with empathy. To Think and communicate effectively. To Think of myself as someone who could also give to the society.

WMC TMC is unique in its approach to communication. In its continuous search for excellence, it is a pioneer in many ways. If I were to pin my most memorable moments, I would only be lost. There are so many; my first ice breaker speech, my first table topics, my first humorous speech, which was a hit, my entry into the Division level International speech contest and above all, what stands out my involvement in the Short film contest "Cinergy". May this club scale new heights year after year and gain much more recognition for its innovativeness, simplicity and courage in its approach thereby showcasing the true meaning of being extraordinary.

How many time have you been encouraged to make mistakes? Congratulations and best wishes. The answer to this is that in the conventional world, encouragement is for success not failures. Although it has always been the failures that taught us valuable lessons! WMC TMC encouraged me to be innovative. Creativity has no boundaries and can only thrive when free. WMC has always pushed me to push the boundaries with innovation. Guidelines and boundaries are to maintain administrative decorum but not to make it monotonous. It is in the company of such a group that positive thoughts will flourish which will translate into action. WMC TMC has given me much more than what I can list out or even explain. There are many lessons that have changed me as person at work or home. I shall forever remain indebted to the wonderful club and it’s lively members who have a contagious positive energy. I wish the very best to WMC Toastmaster’s Club and look forward to more than 400 occasions like the 400th! 23

DTM Rekha Utham

When you muster yourself up on a Friday afternoon in spite of the carb lethargy of the weekend’s sumptuous, truly wanton orgy of food which defies the term lunch and defines and upgrades itself to a feast and stand in front of your wardrobe to choose what to wear for the 4pm Toastmasters meeting it has to mean something!! Sixteen years I have been a member of this club. That is a commitment. A commitment to myself that I belong here and nowhere else. A commitment to the eternal curiosity within, to learn new things. A commitment to my own inherent wandering lust of discovering new paths which lead to roads less travelled upon. To that flickering temper of mine, seeking new challenges, new ways of doing things, yearning to run away from boring routines WMC has withstood the test of time to meet me squarely and keep me engaged to date. When I joined I didn’t have a need to improve my public speaking because I never spoke in public!! My arena was my private life and circle of friends and family and there I was already eloquent! Vociferously so! I could express myself fairly well at the workplace and did not see any need to be more so. My language though not ‘Tharoorian’ was fairly incomprehensible and pregnant with nine letter words to impress anyone!! It was Gabriel Garcia Marquez who wrote ‘Solitude is fine, but you need someone to tell you that solitude is fine’. That is exactly what WMC did to me. I was good, but it was WMC who told me that I was good! It was a huge revelation! It had never occurred to me! It should have been basic, as simple as your two times tables, as easy as your first nursery rhyme, but the fact is we have been conditioned not to praise our own selves or even look at ourselves with love! That is what WMC showed me. Myself through the eyes of others! I suddenly became a brilliant burst of a million myriad potentials! When I learnt to appreciate myself, it opened me up to appreciating others and learning from them. The more I learnt the more confident I became. Life threw open doors where I needed to speak publicly! When I look back joining WMC was the way life was preparing me for my own future. When people sought me out to revise their speeches, help them deliver it, prepare them for job interviews, write documents for their ambitions, help them prepare for their role in a play or movie I discovered how soul fulfilling “giving” can be. It was just a few minutes from the pages of my life but those few minutes got woven into their stories and the contentment that I got from it cannot match being on the cover of the Times a hundred times! That is what WMC is to me! Mirror to my own self which reflects itself back to everyone who needs it. In its framework all my aspirations to be who I am is fulfilled!

TM Nidhi Wadke

For quite sometime now I have heard about Toastmasters and had a general idea that this platform was to help people to improve their public speaking skills, confidence etc. Yet, I did not take a keen interest to join the movement until I noticed that my stage fear was increasing. I finally made up my mind and joined WMC Toastmasters Club. In today’s world, communication and decision making skills are essential for developing leadership attributes. I believe that Toastmasters can bring out the best in me and help me become a better person not only in my professional but also in my personal life. The tool which I find most helpful and significant in Toastmasters is mentoring. Apart from it being an effective tool for shaping an individual and help them grow, the knowledge and skills of the mentor are like a treasure chest to source from! Mentoring provides professional networking and personal support facilitating success in life. WMC TMC has really good mentors who are really helpful in bringing out the best in me. To sum up, I am really grateful to WMC TMC where I can mould myself into a confident person and a be a leader of tomorrow. I am sure there are other factors as well which will help me to grow into a better version of my own self.

TM Kiran Poithaya

The Fight-or-Flight response is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack or threat to survival. I am belong to the group who perceives public speaking as a harmful, threatening event. All my life, I had opted the strategy of ‘flight response’ to avoid public speaking. However, this approach was conflicting with my ambition of becoming a business leader. That’s how I decided to switch my strategy to ‘fight response’. My decision to join a Toastmasters Club was easy since the basic objective of this organization is to develop effective speakers. But the tough part in this process was joining the right club. One of my ex-colleague and a good friend had strongly recommended WMC Toastmasters Club. I went on to attend couple of sessions as a guest. I had the privilege of attending The Annual General Meeting (AGM) as a guest and could witness the zeal of both former and current members. I was really impressed with the people from whom I will learn immensely to stride ahead with confidence. In the month of July 2020, I joined WMC Toastmasters Club. WM Toastmasters Meeting No. 399 was my 3rd meeting as a member. I was formally inducted into the club in the very same meeting. In my short journey of 3 meetings with the club, I succeeded in completing my Ice Breaker Speech and also took up a role. This clearly reinforces how encouraging the club is in welcoming a new member to learn. I am confident that this journey will be a life changing one, both for my professional and personal life. Although my heart says that I should have joined WMC Toastmasters Club much earlier, my mind consoles me with the adage ‘Better late than never’.

Pin drop silence and darkness like a winter night...my body was frozen with fright and emotionlessness. I was unable to say a word! This was me, standing under the dazzling light of the elegantly decorated Meeting Hall of Crowne Plaza Hotel during the WMC Toastmasters Meeting. I was fully prepared to deliver my Ice Breaker speech but after the few initial words of gratitude, I felt numb and was lost for words. I had lost the sense of time, place and purpose. There was an ugly ringing sound in my ears and I was struggling to see through my wide open eyes. It was sheer darkness all around me. TM Masood Shah

I never hid in a crowd or stopped from expressing my thoughts in front of people. In fact, I had been teaching at a nursing college and had other opportunities of speaking to known crowds. But this time, the experience was different. After quite a few moments, it started dawning on me and I could faintly see two faces with beautiful and compassionate smiles looking at me as if saying ‘C’mon, you can do this’. The next moment I was able to see every one waiting patiently for me to speak. I picked up my lines and delivered my speech completely. I was awarded the “Best Speaker” for the herculean task that I did. That was my first fight amidst the fear and vulnerability of fading and falling. My pride, happiness and sense of achievement touched the seventh sky. Later, in a few months I realized why I was awarded the Best Speaker that day, when I was voted the Best Speaker for a new Toastmaster. Besides those two beautiful smiles, there were a number of other people who affected me in the most positive way to educate and support me through my public speaking goals. ‘Masood ji, never say NO to any Toastmasters’ role!!!’ This was the proud VPED of the club. Who made me go through almost all the roles starting from TMOD to General Evaluator. ‘Masood ji, how’s your family back in your country? What happened to your daughter’s admission?’ This was one of the most senior and compassionate chartered member. ‘Masood, bring back your Ice Breaker (the end part).’ ‘Why sir?’ ‘I feel you can expand it to prepare a humorous speech for the upcoming speech contest.’ This was the President of the Club who along with another Toastmasters friend eventually made me a humorous champion. ‘TM Masood, I have observed that your critical thinking is exceptional! Why don’t you try to evaluate speeches?’. This was the VPED in the next year who made me a good evaluator and winner of Evaluation contests, although he had unknowingly engraved on me his own habit of going over time. The members of this club are so very bound with each other that they are ready to help everyone every time. Besides learning public speaking, I have made some really good friends here who are now friends beyond the boundaries of the club. I meet them at coffee shops and go for movies. We visit each other’s home and enjoy different cuisines. My Toastmasters’ journey is ongoing with WMC Toastmasters Club and so is my goal of becoming a fine speaker because I believe there are no perfect speakers and there is always room for improvement. This platform has changed my life beautifully. I have worked and enjoyed in some very respectable positions like Vice President Public Relation and President of this esteemed club. WMC Toastmasters Club is a very supportive, convenient and unbiased club which supports its members unconditionally. It is because of the great vision of its chartered members who have resolved to keep it intact. I had come to know that this club used to be a part of World Malayalee Council and was dedicated to the same ethnic group only but the chartered members of the club were brave enough to make it accessible ‘to all’. And yes! Those two beautiful and compassionate smiles of hope were cast by DTM Rekha and TM Roshni sitting side by side. I will never forget that picture that got captured in my mind that day… Long Live WMC Toastmasters Club!

TM Murali Udayakanth

When you look for the best Toastmasters club in Bahrain, you are sure to find WMC Toastmasters Club at the top of the list. I was to be a member of the NSS Toastmasters, and I thought we followed almost all of the protocols outlined by TMI. Upon joining WMC, I realized that almost all the instructions are followed to the letter â&#x20AC;?Tâ&#x20AC;? except for finishing on time! It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take long for me to realize that this was the norm and a legacy at WMC Toastmasters Club. Every meeting at WMC, be it an educational session or functional roles, incorporates in itself a zeal to attain perfection and excel. The club expects you to be prepared and always be receptive to improving yourself. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that why most of us joined Toastmasters? Meeting twice a month, even with that additional extended time, brings in great return for the time spent in every meeting.

TMÂ Rajeshwari Chouhan

As a club member, it gives me great pleasure to write about " "WMC Toastmasters and Me". I have always worked upon setting goals for various aspects of my life. I work on personal goals that are both short and long term. My communication goals and the Toastmasters way of achieving those goals made me contemplate for several days, and finally, I joined WMC Toastmasters Club . I look forward to achieving my goals with Toastmasters movement and WMC Toastmasters Club.Thank you đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x160;

Enjoy the journey polishing your rough edges and sparkle all along!

TMÂ Joe Francis

I joined WMC with the sole purpose of improving my public speaking skills and to get more opportunity to practice my speeches. I could have achieved that by joining any of the 100+ Toastmastersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; club in Bahrain. I visited many clubs before I made a decision on which club to join. After visiting few clubs as a guest, my decision to join WMC was easy. I chose to join WMC by seeing the dedication of senior members and the excom towards the wellbeing of club and its members. Unlike many other toastmastersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; clubs in Bahrain, WMC members come from different professions, cultural backgrounds, and countries. With a good mix of experts and novices, I found WMC to be a place to learn and practice without getting intimidated, and be appreciated for every efforts you make ,nothing goes unrecognised with empowering and excellent feedback. Apart from public speaking, WMC gives its members opportunities to improve interpersonal skills, organizing skills and motivates them to take up leadership roles. I found these encouraging as an INTP (MTBI personality type) and I found myself hesitant to take leadership roles outside my area of expertise. 27

TM Vijayanivas Ramachandran Saju

I have often wondered how Bahrain has such a high number of Toastmaster Clubs, much disproportionate to its population. It cannot be that the Bahrain population has acute public speaking issues worse than its neighbors. Then I got my answer when I was scanning the country for joining a Toastmaster club. Such popularity is due to the stellar work done by flagbearer clubs like WMC Toastmasters Club. Every social group wants to effect change in its members that clubs like WMC have done. Every splinter club wants to be a WMC! As such, Toastmasters is unlike any other organization. The collective vision that the organization has set for itself is simple to understand and follow. It wants to address public speaking issues and create a friendly environment for fixing the problem. The clear and honest vision of the parent organization transcends member clubs. It was palpable in all the clubs I visited as a guest. And in that, WMC was not any different. But quite clearly, WMC wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the same too. It was visible starting with the warm invite I received from the late Dr. Usha Devaraj to visit WMC Toastmasters. The invite came when I dropped her back from a meeting at another club where she was a member, and I was a guest. I was happy to attend as a guest, and it was quite clear why and where WMC was different. The warmth, the friendliness and the camaraderie was all too visible. The meetings stood out for its innovative mix of the WMC DNA with that of the parent Toastmaster Organization. WMC had quite clearly managed to carve out an identity of its own without losing the overall organizational vision. The greeting, the clapping, the encouragement. All genuine. All heartfelt. Eventually, I ended up joining the club, going on to serve as a VP Ed for a term. Unfortunately, I have not been regular for a while, primarily due to my semi-working Fridays. I hope that I will be able to get back to full Toastmastering at some point. Every successful organization needs the right mix of experience and fresh ideas. WMC founding seniors have kept their invisible umbilical cord intact and have shepherded the young blood whenever required, without crushing their spirit. Their commitment to the organization despite their busy social, private, and work-life is admirable. Be it the moment of truths or the general body meeting; there are always fireworks but never any resulting burns. Constructive criticism is well received, with necessary corrections made. The real success of an organization is measured when institutional checks and balances work without overt dependence on individuals. This is truly reflected in WMC Toastmasters, when year after year, the executive committee is chosen without any friction, and the transition smoothly executed. Every time I see a committee eager to carry on the club legacy, adding their personal imprint, I think these guys are good. Then comes along the next committee carrying on the legacy raising the bar even further. WMC can be proud that it attracts, inspires and transforms talent. The club has reached 400 meetings. Its real legacy is the positive impact it has on its members. I am sure that the collective gratitude of those it has touched along the way is reflecting on the Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success. Let me join them in expressing my appreciation for welcoming me wholeheartedly and helping me grow as an individual. I wish WMC all the very best. May you continue to spread love and positivity around.

TM Norman Dass

TM Ganapathy Narayanan

Did I join Toastmasters so that I improve my leadership skill? The answer is NO. Did I join Toastmasters so that I get rid of Stage Fear? The answer is NO. Did I join Toastmasters because I wanted to learn Public Speaking!? Hmm, NO not even that!!

WMC Toastmasters and I share a bond that has been unbreakable ever since my first meeting as a guest. I always wanted to be a confident speaker…in English, but sometimes I found it difficult as the fluency of language was not there yet. WMC Toastmasters provided me with the right opportunity to improve and explore my skills as a speaker and as a leader.

My Life’s big day 14th November 2015, my relationship status in Facebook got changed from Single to Married. A year prior to that in October 2014, one day there was an email from my Manager stating “you are invited for Toastmasters meeting. Meeting begins at 7 pm. Below is the location”. I attended the meeting and saw people giving speeches.

In WMC Toastmasters we have the right mixture of people with a focused approach. Nobody is superior or inferior to one another, all of them are sailing in the same boat with a helping and supporting attitude.

In 2012, I had attended one of my friend’s wedding, in which the groom i.e my friend gave a speech on how the bridegroom met and how they got closer in relationship. People were clapping in the hall and the scene was really a memorable one. That night I dreamt that on my wedding day I too will give a wonderful speech. And when I attended the Toastmasters first meeting, I felt YES this is the platform which I was looking for. This platform will help me in gaining confidence in giving a beautiful speech on my Wedding Day. And yes I did give a speech on my Wedding Day. My dream was fulfilled. Many people praised me for that speech. Whether they really liked my speech or they just said to make me feel happy that’s a mystery. Whatever it was, my heart was happy! Later I realized Toastmasters meeting is a good platform, where you can improve your communication skills, leadership skills, learn public speaking; which will not only help me in my professional life but also in my personal Life too, so I continued. A journey of Thousand miles had begun with a single step of “Toastmastering” in 2014 to fulfil one dream –One Speech for just one day. Expecting it to help me in fulfilling many more dreams, in Life in the coming days.

In WMC Toastmasters, the turnout of members is high. Also, the vision and mission of the club stands out as a symbol of unity in diversity. WMC Toastmasters took a risk of venturing into a few mega events, which later turned out to be a huge success. Each mega event was a unique experience of its own. As a charter member of this wonderful club I can confidently declare myself to be a proud WMC TMCian…..

TM Yashodhan Abhyankar

The day I attended my first meeting, I got connected with WMC. A warm welcome, smiling faces, and helpful comments from others. All this attracted me towards the club, and I decided to enroll myself. WMC is a place where I got constant encouragement for trying something different. So I started thinking out of the box. It gave birth to the character of Digu Nana, who became an integral part of my speeches until my mentor started tearing his hair out about it. For me, attending WMC meetings, taking different roles, and delivering speeches have always worked as a stress buster. One might argue that the act of delivering a speech itself is stressful. But after a while, you start loving this stress. After delivering a speech, you feel relaxed and satisfied; it boosts your confidence, and the next day when you resume your work, you feel more energetic and charged up. By now, I have become one of the old members of WMC. Although senior by the number of years, as far as fluency in speaking and command over language is concerned, rich vocabulary and appropriate grammar are concerned; I am still in a junior grade. There is a lot to discover about public speaking, and WMC is the best place to learn and have fun. At WMC, we help each other to enrich our communication skills. We provide each other with invaluable advice and support. Sometimes we argue, we even fight at times, but at the very next moment, we again jell together. Yes, for me, WMC is a home away from home.

TM Abdul Rahim Hasan

Friend, philosopher and guide…well, as I sit and reminisce, one man who befits this phrase in my Toastmasters odyssey is DTM Kothandath Mohandas, an ex-member of WMC Toastmasters Club. He left the island a few years ago. His wife, the unflappable and unpretentious Deepaji was also a Toastmaster of no less calibre. I used to lovingly call her chechi (elder sister). Whenever I think of Mohandas, waves of inexplicable nostalgia wash over me. Back then I was a member of Karnataka Club Toastmasters. Working for Cathay Pacific Airlines (Unitag Co.), the gumptious Mohandas and the hardcore Toastmaster that he was, campaigned hard and opened a corporate club and named it Unitag Toastmasters Club, for the benefit of the employees of the Unitag company. I was not working for Unitag. But the man was so fond of me, he got me into Unitag Toastmasters Club…! It is in this club that I delivered my seventh project – Research your topic. Being a die-hard Rafian, I spoke about Mohd. Rafi, the legendary singer. Being a devout Rafi fan himself, Mohandas who had already delivered one of his ACB projects on Rafi in NSS Toastmasters Club, seemed to have been greatly impressed with my speech. During the break he took me aside. Dropped the tea bag into my cup and told me “Rahim, have your tea….but you must deliver this speech in my home club, WMC.…we have a meeting on Friday, you should come” That was my first rendezvous with WMC Toastmasters. Those days the club used to meet at Mercure Hotel, Seef. As I stepped in with Mohandas, I was clean bowled by the sheer energy in the hall. I still feel the aura and ambience of today’s meetings are nothing compared to the vigor and vitality of those days. As I settled down bashfully, I said to myself, wow, this is called Toastmasters. My speech was evaluated by Rekhaji with her characteristic insight. She looked like a surgeon to me that day with her precision and clarity. Well, until now I am not able to figure out why it took me almost 12 years to make a second visit to WMC. The only justification I have is, as lame as it may sound, I was busy with two clubs.

I was a girl living with my dreams - singing and dancing, following teacher’s instructions and parent’s decisions. During my singing sessions, my Dad met our family friend, TM Ganapathy Narayan. He introduced me to the Club with a smile and a few encouraging words. It was December 2019. I enrolled myself into WMC Toastmasters Club.

TM Pragati Nagendrakumar

Generally, many times in school, I have heard people around saying ‘Stop talking’, Keep quiet’, ‘You are talking too much’, ‘If you speak in the class, you will be punished with imposition.’ But here in the Toastmasters Club, the team experts always encourage with the words ‘Speak. We want to hear from you.’

WMC Toastmasters Club gives us an opportunity to learn many new concepts. The first thing I noticed was how welcoming Toastmasters are. I was awed by the diversity. I felt like a stone in front of a mountain. The little confidence became negligible. Slowly I gained confidence and delivered my icebreaker speech. They were there to focus on the art of speaking. My Mentor TM Anil Kumar motivated me by telling me the five tips of speech storytelling – crack a joke, use quotes, ask a question, make a bold statement and visualize your speech. The word of the day and grammatical corrections also helped me to learn new words. Timer set on the speech made me nervous. I have seen these colours on traffic signal lights but not during a speech. Green light at the traffic signal means to go but here it is a different approach. I stopped speaking when I see the green light on the timer. Pathways was a new path for learning how to lead a team. Online courses were available to improve our networking skills and the use of updated technology. I was wondering if speaking needed these many techniques. Yes, the way you speak means a lot. Speech conveys thoughts, emotions and opinions. I studied how to be a better person. Dr. Smedley wrote about how when people cannot speak up and express themselves, this whole side of their personality and intellect just remains offline. How to speak is an art. The evaluations, feedbacks and the reviews moulded me to be a better speaker within six to seven minutes. If there is no feedback, I would carry on with the same mistakes. The process of learning by taking up the roles assigned to you is a huge responsibility. I am overcoming the fear and phobia of speaking in me. We meet different people daily in our day-to-day life - friends, teachers, doctors, younger children, elder ones and likewise, people from different age groups and from different walks of life. I realised that I must know how to speak to them. The toastmaster tips arm you with the skills and confidence to overcome your mistakes and the fear of public speaking so you are better prepared for a world looking for great communicators. WMC Toastmaster Club is the right platform for transforming and offers a supportive environment. I started living in reality. It made me realise that ‘You can win too.’ Earlier I had the fear of failure. Now I think and work. I learnt to face everything in an open-minded way to achieve the desired goals. I found my own voice.

TM Ponnambalam Thirumalai

‘WMC Toastmasters Club is like a family to me’, said I. ‘I already have a family. I want to be in a Toastmasters Club to compete and to perform better’, said my friend who had come as a guest. That is when I asked myself the question. What does WMC Toastmasters mean to me? WMC Toastmasters Club was a promise, given to me by a Doctor that I also can speak and win hearts just like he does. After joining the Club, I witnessed how he won their hearts not just by the way he spoke, but also with his love and attention to each and every one he met. Initially the regular visits were just to watch in awe how DTM Usha Devaraj, TM Mani Lakshmana Moorthy and DTM Rekha Utham owned the stage and captivated the audience. I equally enjoyed the long breaks and post-meeting chit chats in the lobby, since there were Toastmasters who joined as couples, including myself. It was a family get-together for most of us. Little did I know that lifelong relationships were being made in that lobby. To name a few – Roshini-Joseph, Pooja-Sandeep, Anil Nambiar and Saju Ramachandran. The uncalled jovial interventions during the regular meetings and the serious interventions during the Moments of Truth by members, especially by Dr. Suresh Karunakaran, taught me that however friendly we are to each other, whether senior or relatively new member, we should always come forward and raise our opinions and concerns to carry forward the legacy of our Club. Along with these experiences, I was also able to win the hearts of Gavelier of WMC Gavel Masters. It all started with specific individuals in the Club. Although most of them has already left the club, the nurturing atmosphere they created still remains. After a break, when I started attending the meetings with mostly new members, I realized that it’s no longer the individuals but the spirit of WMC Toastmaster Club that kept me coming back. Indeed, WMC Toastmasters is my family. A place where I don’t have to compete to win hearts.

‘The only way to do great work is to love what you do’- Steve Jobs A rudimentary truth but then if life were to rain Apples every day, no one would go hungry!

TM Sukumar Swaminathan

In a perfectly inelastic world, if we are not elastic we will not survive. At least that was true in my case. It took me 3 jobs and growing exacerbation to realize that I am not good at what I am doing! I did not choose my jobs. They chose me because I was young, was searching for jobs and did not have a particular plan anyways! You must understand that as vagabonds, we have much more important things in life - to be a free spirit, to live a life with friends and so on. Mere mortals won’t understand!

Two years down and I realized that my wayward lifestyle was not taking me anywhere! I needed to step up and take action. I stepped down from work and joined into the world of education much to the shock of my parents. They wondered who would leave a plum job in a multinational Nestle and start all over again. I gave them the ‘perfect answer’- ‘The only way to do great work is to love what you do’ and I wanted to do that! They did not buy it- how well they knew me! I stepped down not because I was going to do something I love but because I was losing it at my workplace and before the bosses could catch me losing, for pride’s sake, I had to move away unscathed. And when all the boys of my age were having fun at college I was slogging, so why waste it, I thought… So there you go - I left a happening career (according to my parents and all who I remotely knew) and joined college. The only thing I made sure was that I joined the same college as my friends who were pursuing formal programs. I picked up whatever I had saved (read that as a loan with my father being an unwilling co-guarantor) and got into the advertising and communications program. Though I joined with an ulterior motive, I realized that management classes energized me. Between studying Brands, Copywriting, Marketing Management and Consumer Behavior, I discovered the theories and their applications made more sense. They were not abstract. I exceled throughout the program. By the time the year ended- I was popular among my batch, MBA students and the faculty because in the course of the year I had represented the institution in more than 25 meets and competitions and won an award for myself and the institution most of the time! I was sought after and most of the management seat MBA students paid me to get their projects done! I became selfsustaining. At the end of the program, I was offered an internship at the prestigious Ogilvy & Mather, Chennai! They told me that I had to work for six months at the agency without a pay scale! Most would have lapped up such a role. I despised it! Work and no pay did not make any sense. I rejected the offer and picked up a sales job with Colgate Palmolive. That was 18 years back…I grew up the corporate ladder, got a MBA degree and today I am a director in a fortune 500 company. Successful right? YES. But all along did I love what I did? NO. I like what I do, I am good at what I do but I do not love what I do! I compromised 18 years back. I moved on and adapted. I found success but I did not absolutely adore what I did. As an Inc.com study puts it, over 70% of the world’s workforce do not like their career paths! I am one in that statistic. I am successful but I don’t love what I do. You must be wondering by now, the perspective was about ‘WMC & Me’ and there is no mention of WMC…! Murali Udayakanth brought me to the club in 2019. He invited me to visit the club and see the proceedings as a guest without any obligations. I came in. I liked the format. I thought to myself- this will help me in delivering better impromptu speeches. I do that all day along with my team, my partners and customers. Three meetings over a period of 3 months, I signed up. A few months down the line as I was orienting myself to the ways of the Toastmastering world. TM Ganapathy called me and invited me to pick an Excom role! It was all happening fast so I nonchalantly said that I will pick up the PR role. DTM Thuraya installed me along with the current Excom members and I don’t know what ensued but suddenly it was as if I was teleported back to 2001-2002! All of a sudden, I am blazing on the tracks. I am loving what I am doing; a part of me that had submitted itself to the mundane ways of the world was fighting back. As I posted more, I was cheered for more. Our President TM Yashodhan, the Excom team and the senior members started going out of their way offering support. Every idea was well received by the team and I was egged on! As we become more knit, in my conversations with senior members such as Dr. Babu, Dr. Suresh, DTM Rekha and TM Ganapathy, we reminisced WMC’s glorious days and they would encourage us, the current Excom team, to march on with the torch… WMC Toastmasters Club reignited in me what I had extinguished 18 years ago. WMC Toastmasters Club unsealed a door for me that I had long closed. I now see why people do quality work, how people achieve amazing heights! I now see that to start over or cross over, we don’t need to make drastic changes in our lives. WMC Toastmasters has given me hope! I see the ‘rudimentary truth’ with a bit more clarity now. As far as my journey is concerned, the ‘great’ is yet to come, I just ‘love’ what I am doing at the moment. Thank you WMC Toastmasters. 33

Reflections

Recap: Meeting 398 by TM Asif Sheikh Meeting Started at 4:00 pm on 7th August 2020 Meeting Theme was â&#x20AC;&#x153;Speechathon: Break the iceâ&#x20AC;?. A total of 23 members were present. Wow, what a fantastic meeting, again; our president TM Yash has done it by making this meeting a great learning experience. As Sergeant at Arms (SAA), I started the meeting at 4:05 pm, with a welcome message and explained some basic meeting rules. Then I handed over to TM Yashodhan Abhayankar, our president, who called the meeting to order and requested SAA to get TM Manoj to join the meeting. Our multitasking president again introduced himself as a grammarian of the day. He also introduced the word of the day "Commence." And with a small presentation, TM Yashodhan explained the definition and meaning of the word "Commence" and announced that "the TM who will use this word the maximum number of times will get a Kit Kat." Suddenly all TMs sprouted a smile on their faces. Then he introduced the Ah counter of the day TM Jefrey Abraham who is also our VP Education. He explained his role amusingly and handed control back to our president. Our President, in his address, highlighted the Toastmasters journey which started as a single club in 1924 and since had spread across 143 countries. He connected the dots starting from TMI international to "District 20" to Division "D" to Area" 9" and to our club WMC. He then narrated a story of the "Elephant Rope". The story was about an elephant cub who was 'chained' to a small rope. The fact was that he could break the 'chain' easily, yet as a young cub, he did not! As the time passed, the cub turned into a mammoth adult yet he remained 'chained'. To-date he did not break the 'chain' or event attempt! The moral of the story was that, an invisible rope is holding all of us, just like the elephant, from commencing any venture and suggested that we break this 'psychological' rope to feel the difference ! Furthermore, our president, with his unique tone, introduced the Toastmaster of the day TM Masood Shah, our Immediate Past President of the club. TM Masood Shah welcomed all TM and explained the theme "Break the Ice". He also highlighted the history of the toastmaster club in Bahrain, which started in 2003 by DTM A.S Jose.

TM Masood then introduced timer of the day TM Pragati Kumar. Education Our first speaker was TM Kiran with his Ice breaker speech "Mic Drop" entertained us with his life journey from a smalltown Mahi till Bahrain. The second speaker was TM Murali. With his ice breaker speech "My little journey", he explored the Bangalore city lifestyle and how he ventured into advertisement industry. The third speaker was TM Saju; with his ice breaker speech "Rolling stone", he showed us how he is maintaining his health and how he came to Bahrain. The fourth speaker was TM Ganapathy with his ice breaker speech "again the music of nature," and with energy, he started his speech and told us about his struggle to speak English when he was in India. He ended his speech with the famous song â&#x20AC;&#x153;baharo phool barsaoâ&#x20AC;?.

Evaluation This part was also a great learning experience TM Pragati reported her timer's report to general evaluator TM Vivek and followed it by asking the evaluators to evaluate to. TM Kiran was evaluated by TM Joe, TM Ram evaluated TM Murali, TM Sukumar evaluated TM Saju, TM Apurva evaluated TM Ganapathy , TM Bilal evaluated DTM Manoj and TM Jefrey was evaluated by TM Anil. Finally before the President adjourned the meeting, votes were counted and the awards were presented: TM Murali received the Best Speaker Award TM Apurva received the Best Evaluator Award TM Vivek received the Best of three Award as GE TM Masood also received the Best of three Awards as TMOD with the President himself receiving the Best Grammarian Award. All in all it was an enjoyable evening.!

The fifth speaker was TM Manoj Pandey. With his speech "SRP' he told us to raise yourself and be passionate about your work. The sixth speaker was TM Jefrey; with his ice breaker speech "Full circle" with full energy, he took us to his life spent in India and shared the experiences of his childhood, which he is reexperiencing with his children now. With that, we ended the education section, and the president called ExCom to present their report. TM Pragati read the previous meeting minutes and our VPPR TM Sukumar presented the dashing eloQuence. TM Anil outlined the club growth report, new member updates and TM Jefrey presented the DCP points achieved to-date. All ExCom thanked the club members for the tremendous support. With a short time to spare, our president requested DTM Dr. Babu to bring the resolution, as detailed in the secretary's report, for the endorsement of the club members. The resolution was passed.

Recap: Meeting 399

by TM Jefrey Abraham

Summertime instills memories of relaxation, lazy days at the beach, extended family and lots of food. These memories are more pronounced today given the current uncertainty and lack of mobility. However, WMC toastmasters under the theme “Shades of Summer”, did its virtual ‘best’ to bring about a feeling of a summer break. Members were decked in their colorful summer best with virtual beach backgrounds from the maldives and malabar. The meeting kicked off with our SG&A, TM Asif setting the stage by doing some summer cleaning (or housekeeping rules) before we ran off to the beach. Afterwhich TM Yashodhan, our President, took control and guests were warmly welcomed with a bright smile starting with our GE for the day Division D Director DTM Sajitha, who was friendly and positive while giving a stark warning of the potential heat stroke from her evaluation. Other guests included Theertha Raj (8th Std student), Lena Elizabeth (9th Std student) and a sweet couple, named Sunil & Meghna. The schedule of activities for the day was proposed by TM Anil and seconded by TM Joe. Now, no summer beach party can begin without a 100 year old folk tale and our President inspired us with a story that was littered with loan sharks and pebbles. Long story short, the bad guy (loan shark) lost, and everyone lived happily ever after. All jokes aside, “Think out of the box and you will be able to get out of any situation” was what was imparted by our President, reminding that in essence that is who we are as Toastmasters . The President then introduced the Grammarian, TM Priyanka who took the stage like the bright sun of noon, invigorating us with her sharp rays, through the word of the day, “invigorate”. The Ah Counter, TM Abdul Rahim followed suit like the setting sun in the evening that keeps the atmosphere cool and calm. He accounted using filler words akin to Vocal Garbage and encouraged every speaker to consciously avoid them at all cost, by keeping a free and calm mind.

Recap: Meeting 397: "Friendship" Next was a surprise indeed when the President along with the Excom broke out into song and wished the TMOD, TM Apurva, a very Happy Birthday in Hindi no less. The TMOD set the tone with a quote from author Henry James - “Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language” and she went on to paint vivid pictures of summer that brought togetherness and oneness-colorful dresses, lemonade, beaches, picnic, barbeque, sweat, lazy evenings, site visits, hot cars, feeling young and energetic, families coming together, playing games, going to the beach etc. She reminisced of her summers that included going back home (to Mahe, Kerala) and playing with cousins, ducking the mosquitoes and playing in puddles. Later the timer was introduced, TM Kiran, a child of Mahe himself who told a famous one liner “Time and Tide waits for no man”. He also reminded the speakers to “Pin” his timing screen to respect the time. The TMOD then went on to start the Education session inspiring us with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever”.

The 2nd Speaker - TM Sukumarwith the speech title “Wrecked” starting his oratory speech with a quote from a great Roman Orator, Marcus Cecero, “Man is his own worst enemy”. Two recent direct / indirect man-made disasters set the stage viz. the oil spill off the coast of Mauritius followed by the ammonium nitrite fueled blast that ripped across the city of Beirut, Lebanon. His passionate speech highlighted the direct correlation between environmental destruction and human suffering because of man’s desire for profitability. And the commonality is that all these companies were registered in Panama. His issue was not with the companies themselves but with countries that enabled such companies to conduct business without doing any proper due diligence in their ability to perform complex and dangerous operations. He concluded that man was wrecking the whole universe and we have to change in order to rejuvenate our planet for future generations. The 3rd Speaker - TM Bilalour Area 9 Director took a long and extended effective coaching class with the speech aptly titled “G.R.O.W”. It was quite a technical speech with a plethora of acronyms with him finally resting on the acronym G.R.O.W. which was created by Alexander Graham/Alan Fine/John Whitmore that stands for Grow, Reality, Options and Will. This has been the most effective and used model by 54% of coaches in all types of coaching including executive, career, life and sports. He went on to expound on GROW and how aspiring coaches

Education Session Our 1st Speaker - TM Pragatiwith her speech “Impact of Music in Education” chartered her journey with the arts (dance and music) while breaking out in song with an oldie hummed by her father often to her as a baby, “Mere sapno ki rani kab ayegi tu”. Her father greatly influenced her journey in music with her first instrument being the xylophone. Integrated in her daily memory of musical influence included the Alarm clock / the Morning meditation / sound of kitchen utensils / the school bus etc. Other people than her dad, the award winning music director: AR Rahman, her dance & music teachers, improved her thinking skills and helped her become a better person. She went on to explain how music helps one to improve performance due to its analytical and pedagogical approach. She closed her speech highlighting that music a fantastic interactive tool to enjoy life.

can use this model. Ultimately it was quite an informative session that would have probably found more meaning to a target audience and not a general audience.

Smiling summer faces / Photograph After spending much time on the beach and getting a slight tan from the three speeches, it was time for some photos, and our VPPR snapped his zoom fingers and everyone’s whitened smiles came on screen. Sadly, only my virtual beach background came to the foray The next session was the heart pumping Table Topics session. Thankfully the TMOD swiftly calmed the audience nerves by asking people about their favorite summer destinations and drinks.

Table Topics Session Our TTM Manoj Pandey came into the forefront with his prepared and thematic topics. However, due to a severe heat stroke he ended up changing the theme from “shades of summer” to some form of “Independence”. A few of the interesting topics included (please don't mind the grammar): 1. Today we are independently interdependent. 2. I love to be a slave than being interdependent. 3. Independence is not meant for stupids. 4. Women have not still received independence from the male dominated societies. 5. If we are going to be slaves again which country will capture or control us? I’m sure most members found themselves at their wits ends with these questions and probably needed a stiff drink (whisky or vodka?) after that round. Business Session The excom went about their usual business with the highlight of the session being the induction of 3 new members to our club - TM Kiran, TM Rageshwari and TM Nidhi. Good job VPPM. Of course lets not forget about our eloquent and vibrant VPPR who was ready with his WMC blow horn encouraging all members to be more active on social media and also giving a snapshot of our 400th gala meeting. Meeting Introspection and Assessment Session The time for self-reflection was led by our honorable GE - DTM Sajitha, Division D Director who greeted the club and appreciated the fact that WMC loved challenges. She also applauded the Excom. Reports - Evaluators / Grammarian / Ah Counter [This recap has become a bit exhausting for me so I’m just going to mention only a few points going forward. Kindly excuse me for breaking the third wall .] TM Yashodhan liked the speech so much that he likened his own singing to that of a crow - “Noise is when I sing and music is when you sing”. “Music is what we’re born with beginning with our cry”. TM Murali - Constructive criticism peppered with love. TM Ganapathy - “Too much information too little time”. “Recheck your system, sounds were cracking in between”. “Why so serious” [reminded me of the Joker’s one liner from the Dark Knight] Grammarian: TM Priyanka - highlighted the best and worst of proper diction. Loved that everyone used the word of the day freely or was it frivolously [I don't recall]. Ah Counter:TM Jefrey got put onto the spot with his 4 Ahs by the Ah Counter, who went on to give a primer on how to weaponize our Ahs and use pauses. GE gave some constructive suggestions on fixing our IT issues and also on overshooting our time [well we do have to keep our mantra “do not finish on time”] . Though our TMOD lacked her summer smile, she swiftly took control from the GE with words full of life that shone bright. “The seasons are made by each one of us. It can be a summer, autumn, winter all our life, it is in our hands”. Completely agree TMOD, thanks for those inspiring worlds. Before finally handing the floor to the President she further inspired us to stay young and energetic with another one of her quotes by George R Martin - “Summer will soon end and our childhood as well”. After a long and warm summer session, our President directed the members back home but not before giving out some surprise gifts in the following awards: Best Speaker - TM Sukumar, Best TT - DTM Rekha, Best of Three - TM Apurva, Best of TAG - TM Priyanka & Best Evaluator - TM Ganapathy All in all it was a great time under the “shades of summer” with a host of activities with a few minor heat strokes that were soon cooled by our role players.

Editor: TM Sukumar Swaminathan Contributing Editor : DTM Rekha Utham Editorial Panel (PR Sub-Committee) DTM Dr. Thuraya Juma Abdulla DTM Manoj Kumar Pandey TM Apurva Divakaran Feature Contributors Dr. Babu Ramachandran: Article & Photos

Stock photos: Canva.com Designer: TM Sukumar Swaminathan

WMC TOASTMASTERS CHARTERED IN 2003| KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN CLUB NO: 603459| AREA 9 DIVISION D| DISTRICT 20

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