Communicate 98 - February 2016 Edition

The District 98 Newsletter

COMMUNICATE

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COLLABORATE

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CELEBRATE

FEBRUARY 2016

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

Core values are a small set of timeless guiding principles that are essential to an organization.

Toastmasters International’s values are: Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence. The entire Toastmasters program depends on the integrity of each member, that is why it is our first core value.

-Daniel Rex Executive Director of Toastmasters

Beena Mandrekar, DTM

International

Newsletter Editor, District 98

When we decided to go with this theme of IRSE (Integrity Respect Service and Excellence) many Toastmasters responded enthusiastically. They all agreed that Toastmasters puts a lot of faith and belief in what we do. As Daniel Rex said, Competent Communicator Certificates are awarded to members merely on the say so of the Vice President Education.

The implicit trust and integrity is a very important factor of Toastmasters.

The most interesting thing about the structure of Toastmasters International is that our organization chart is a pyramid. The individual member is on the top, and everyone and everything else exists to serve and support him. A leader exists only to serve. When the member is happy with the club, when he is delighted with his performance, he respects you and he is loyal to you.

This loyalty is your reward. It is a powerful force.

Gordon Hinckley said, ‘Mediocrity will never do.

You are capable of something better.’

How often have we let slip the fact that the speech we gave was not so good…but we still go on to the next level…Why? Is it because we have no monitor?

Can we be our own evaluators? Let us do things repeatedly till we become very good. Let us make excellence a habit.

‘It is a funny thing about life, if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it’.- Somerset Maugham

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COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

Features

25 IRSE CHANDRASHEKAR DP, DTM

Program Quality Director

Articles

6 VETERANS TALK

COIN OF HONOUR DR. BRILLIAN SK, DTM

District Director

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No Shortcut To Success

DON’T TRY TO REMEMBER IT...WRITE IT

HEMANGINI B

CHANDRASHEKAR DP, DTM

Toastmasters Club of Pune

Program Quality Director

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26 DISTRICT 98 CORE

YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Know Your Leaders

VIKRAM CHANDRA

Area Director F2

14 INTER CITY JOINT MEETING

29 TEAM

Communicate 98

SNEHA

Mumbai Toastmasters (MTM)

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CONTENTS

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

20 The Great Fun Meeting

9 Power Of Words To Fix The Scratch AJIT SHAH

Toastmasters Club Pune Camp

11 Learning From Toastmasters

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KARAN GUPTA

My Love My Valentine

Deloitte Hyderabad Toastmasters Club

NACHIKETA GOYAL

Division Director, Div B, District 41

3 ways to be connected with your

District 98 on the GO !

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A TOASTMASTER OF MANY TALENTS

TOASTMASTERS SCALING NEW HEIGHTS

SUDHA K

ELAN Toastmasters Club

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TOASTMASTERS - A PLACE FOR LEARNING AND EARNING

ROLE OF GENERAL EVALUATOR PRIYANKA SADAN

AMRITA SARKAR

Mumbai Toastmasters Club (MTM)

Toastmasters Club of Pune South East

17 THE RECOGNITION CLOCK MANISH RAHATEKAR

Area Director F3

TABLOID A DIGITAL FLYER TO CONNECT YOU ALL Know what’s going on in other Divisions/Areas/Clubs  Mail us your Division/Area/club achievements to make your clubs presence in TABLOID  Let us know how unique is your club  Happenings @ your Division/Area/Club  Acknowledge your club members while they complete CC,CL

For more information please visit www.d98tm.in/site/tabloid.html www.d98tm.in

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COIN OF HONOUR

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

‘Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolised.’

- Albert Einstein When I was in school my teacher once said ‘Respect is not demanded, it’s earned’. This statement encompasses a universe in itself. Respect is one of the CORE values at Toastmasters. Respect however has been misconstrued and if I may add tilted towards Idolization.

We know many who DEMAND respect even within a voluntary organization like Toastmasters. This very fear and the demanding, results in the individual being disrespected. This indicates the descent of a Role Model from grace to disgrace. We must endeavor to command respect rather than demand it. We are all here for a purpose, do justice to your role and keep moving. In the leadership journey there are bound to be differences of opinion. Engage in a healthy discussion, agree, disagree or agree to disagree but move together to help everyone achieve excellence. Let actions speak louder than words; let us create more role models across the District.

I am privileged to have one such Role Model in my team.

This is my salute for this member who is truly living the value and has thus earned respect amongst the district officers.

A silent, smart and

Dr. Brillian S. K, DTM District Director suave toastmaster. He has been the mastermind behind all the data crunching and analysis of various reports. He has been contributing tirelessly.

Recently, in spite of his mother passing away, he was present for a discussion on Eloquence the same evening. Even though he had the option to opt out, he chose to opt in. Keeping aside personal grief he contributed to the larger good. It is my honour and privilege to have Mohan Karambelkar, DTM in my team. It is with pleasure that I present the Toastmasters Coin of Honour for living the CORE values to Mohan. It is members like him that make the journey worthwhile.

As we continue our journey in this wonderful movement, I invite you to create an environment of trust and respect for every individual. 2gether we can make things happen.

Cheers!

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DON’T TRY TO REMEMBER IT...WRITE IT

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COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

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YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

The Raisoni Toastmasters club conducted its mega event of Youth Leadership Program of Toastmasters International club at Shradhha House, Nagpur on the 29th of Jan 2016.

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.

YLP(Youth Leadership Program) is a program where students from different schools are trained in communications skills and leadership skills. YLP was an initiative taken to guide school children with their presentation skills. The schools who participated this year for YLP were- Delhi Public School, Poddar School, South Point School, Bishop Cotton School, Raisoni Vidhyaniketan Suklli, Raisoni Vidhyaniketan Ambazari. YLP was a five session program where an extensive training was given to the school children to incorporate body language, voice modulation, eye contact and to portray confidence with the right use of stage. The Mega event was judged by Mr. Sandesh Vyas the Co-founder & CEO at National Olympiad Foundation & BeeBrave Foundation. The winning school was Delhi Public school for the best speaker and Raisoni Vidhyaniketan Suklli stood second. The best role play trophy was won by Delhi Public school.

The event was organized under the guidance of Dr. Mrs. Manisha Zilpelwar- Toastmasters in charge of Raisoni College & Raisoni Toastmasters club. The philosopher and guide behind YLP was Mrs. Aarti Deshpande. The mentors who supported the event were TM Sunny Gupta, Himani Goswami and Vasundhara Bissa and the entire staff of GHRCCST. This event was featured in one of the Major newspaper editions in Nagpur.

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- Norman Vincent Peale

Vikram Chandra Area Director F 2

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POWER OF WORDS TO FIX THE SCRATCH ‘Your

speech and performance really rocked yesterday’.

I was on cloud nine when I received this message from a person who I admired since my high school days.

By yesterday he meant 2nd of August 2015 celebrated as friendship day and incidentally also the day when we had a reunion of class X students. We met after 27 years in Sholapur. I was asked to give the opening address at the reunion and it was after a span of 15 years that I was behind a lectern and in front of a crowd of more than 100 people. I of course enjoyed the experience, the audience applauded and the current Principal of my school appreciated my efforts.

The message I received the following day in my phone box spoke volumes and more importantly ignited a spark and inspired me to improve and refine those skills.

Now how exactly was I to do that…? It was a Google search that led me to Toastmasters. Until then I never had a clue. After a couple of phone calls, two meetings as a guest and discussions with the President and Vice President, I became Toastmaster Ajit.

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

seats. They energized the audience and kept them wanting for more. Their speeches slanted heavily towards the use of appropriate humor as one of the most effective tools in entertaining the audience.

They also showed how you can use stories, real life incidents and humor to make your message meaty, meaningful and magnificently memorable.

The number one champion Qahtani also emphasized the importance of diaphragmatic breathing and asked the audience to join him. This helps he says to calm down before taking the stage.

One very important observation I would like to highlight is that each one of them has been a member of Toastmasters for almost 6-7 years. They continuously learn through practice, dedication and improvement.

They value feedback. Qahtani and Manoj said they were not able to speak more than 30 seconds during their first table topic experience.

They were true ambassadors and proved that being an effective communicator is an acquired skill and anyone can be a champion speaker if you keep on practicing and speaking on stage. Listening to them was like twenty years of their collective experience compressed in a four hour module which leapfrogged my learning curve and inspired me to dream big. Thank you World Champions and district officers for giving us this opportunity.

The World Championship of Public Speaking 2015 had just concluded and I heard the names of Qahtani, Aditya and Manoj being mentioned by senior club members. One of the members also shared the winning speeches of Qahtani and Manoj on my whatsapp as a PR exercise. Their winning speeches impressed me and I became their fan.

I have been extremely fortunate to hear and interact with all the three world champions exactly in the sequence of their ranking, in a span of 70 days. It started with Qahtani at Confluence in Hyderabad, Aditya at the Officers Training Program in Pune and Manoj at a joint toastmasters meeting in Pune.

All three were sharply dressed, stood straight with confidence, were affable and respectful in person and enjoyed the adulation showered on them. They readily posed for the selfies. Qahtani was a selfie addict and most of the time it was he who clicked and obliged the fellow Toastmaster.

Once on stage the world champions set the stage on fire. They keep their audiences on the edge of their www.d98tm.in

Ajit Shah Toastmasters Club Pune Camp

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LEARNINGS FROM TOASTMASTERS

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

Toastmasters is a fraternity I joined rather reluctantly and with a huge superiority complex. I honestly felt it had nothing to teach me, nothing to give me and no value that it could add to my life. Famous last words, as it turned out. In the year and a half that I have been a Toastmaster, I have met an amazing and diverse group of people. People who genuinely love and support one another in all things and a vibrant community firmly established in the principle of doing good work.

I have learned many things, but there are 3 that stand out which I want to share.

Lesson 1 – People will invest in you I was flabbergasted when I realized this. People in Toastmasters will blindly, selflessly and fully invest in your success and future. When I participated in the Evaluation contest, there were dozens of Toastmasters who helped me, guided me, mentored me and wished me well. There were those who told me I had made them proud and those who simply hugged me in celebration of my success. It was a humbling experience.

Lesson 2 – People will surprise you The biggest pain in being a club officer is extracting

Karan Gupta Deloitte Hyderabad Toastmasters Club commitment from members. You run after people to get them to take roles and speech slots and pray for meetings to be successful. Along the way, you find people who give their all for Toastmasters. They come to all meetings, give speeches, take up roles,

Just a few out of the dozens who wished me well www.d98tm.in

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Lost in the crowd @Confluence 2015 shadow EC members, actively participate in all your initiatives and even turn up in Division events on weekends. All while getting absolutely no credit. It is these people who are made into leaders by Toastmasters.

councils that you create memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Lesson 3 – Your life will change forever

It is also the only drug I would strongly recommend to all. If you wish to join a vibrant community of speakers and leaders, Toastmasters is where you should be. If you think that you are better than these people, it is even more important that you come here and realize how much you have to learn in life. I certainly did.

It is simply not possible to remain a grouchy distant person when surrounded by people like these. The loving, supportive environment that Toastmasters creates is unmatched and perhaps a dying trend in the modern world. You tend to hold on to it, for it is in those club meetings, contests, conferences and

Toastmasters is a drug of the most dangerous kind; instantly addictive, makes you feel on top of the world and has immense side effects on your life.

No man is an island, Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main...

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MY LOVE MY VALENTINE

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

I spent a sleepless night and waited patiently for Valentine’s Day to dawn. I was anticipating the excitement of something new that I had planned and I could not sleep till 4 AM. Finally the bright morning sunlight woke me up and I jumped out of bed. The moment the clock struck 12 noon, I ran out on the streets of Gurgaon, with the love of my life. Oh, it could not have been a better valentine.

All that happened was a result of sheer love. A Valentine’s day cannot be good unless it is planned and I had done my planning well in advance. One day prior to the ‘V’ Day, I visited a popular restaurant and placed the order so that all arrangements were in place.

My heart skipped a beat as I reached the place and waited eagerly for the order to arrive. I tapped my foot and swirled my keys and heard the clock go ticktock. The time was just right. There I was, standing outside the restaurant, hoping not to be let down by the love of my life. My thoughts wandered and I was dreaming until the waiter shook me awake.

Yes the food that I had order the previous day was placed in my hand and there I was, with the love of my life (‘FOOD’) on the streets. I went to IFFCO Chowk, the center of Gurgaon and saw people sitting there, waiting for somebody to feed them. They clearly could not afford a meal. I went up to each one of them and gave them the food that was ordered only for them.

Don’t they deserve the love that we get? Don’t they deserve happiness? Don’t they deserve to be amongst us? Food was just a medium to express my love to them. Good deeds don’t cost a fortune and what better day to express them than on Valentine’s Day! If you want to do the same just post on Face book with a hash tag - #MissionFoodForAll.

Nachiketa Goyal Division Director, Div B, District 41 of affording even one meal a day. On this Valentine’s Day, I took another step forward and went on to give food to 120 people on the streets of Gurgaon. When I reached home, I was in a happy state of mind and a memory of 120 people smiling. When I went to bed, my heart said to me, Nachiketa, there are 89,999,880 more. I had a small smile on my face and finally slept like a baby.

‘If you want to eliminate hunger, everybody has to be involved ’ - Bono

90 million people sleep without having the capability

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THE INTER CITY JOINT MEETING

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

Mumbai Toastmasters Club (MTM) was in for a pleasant surprise when our enthusiastic executive committee announced an inter city joint meeting with Toastmasters Club of Pune (TMCP). Both these clubs agreed to meet half way to attend the meeting in the beautiful hilly region of Lonavla on a pleasant Sunday morning. This was unprecedented, in the history of District 98. And like eager beavers we were excited and went about organizing this meeting cum educational session cum picnic, all rolled into one.

The objectives of the meeting were manifold – to interact/network with Toastmasters from a different city, share your Toastmasters experiences with them, observe and implement the best practices of a different Toastmasters club. Such inter-city joint meetings also give Toastmasters an opportunity to deliver their speeches in front of a larger audience with diverse backgrounds and club cultures. Another key positive is for a speaker to receive a recommendation or evaluation that might not have been suggested before in his home club. Considering that both MTM and TMCP share 15 odd years of Toastmasters journey between them, the regular TM meeting of prepared speeches and the evaluations was quite informative. Even as we relished the sumptuous lunch in the hotel, we continued to bond with our fellow Toastmasters from Pune and forge new friendships.

Apart from the regular Toastmasters meeting, we also had an enlightening educational session conducted by DTM Prasad Sovani on how to prepare for

Sneha Mumbai Toastmasters (MTM) the international speech contest. He stressed on the importance of having a powerful opening and conclusion, developing the characters in the story, using vivid imagery and preparing the speech to touch our head and heart.

The star guitarist from Pune, Tm Shaayaan Sheikh, regaled us with his melodious music. Many members delivered their P1 ‘songs’ in front of the large audience confidently, knowing that we will never throw eggs at them! We chose to join them in their singing and drowned all discordant notes! And with that the joint meeting came to an end, leaving us with some beautiful memories that will be etched in our hearts for long.

MTM-TMCP posing for the camera www.d98tm.in

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ROLE OF THE GENERAL EVALUATOR

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

Nothing in this world is perfect. However, we can surely improve on our imperfections in leadership and communication through the excellent learning platform provided to us at Toastmasters. And just as we, improve; it is imperative that the quality of our Toastmasters meeting improves as well. With this in mind, Mumbai Toastmasters Club has been organizing various education sessions for its members to become aware of the various benefits.

After conducting the first education session this year on the role of the TAG Team (Timer, Ah-counter and Grammarian), a second education session was conducted at Mumbai Toastmasters Club on 17th January, 2016, by Aditya Maheshwaran, DTM and Sneha Satyamoorthy, highlighting the role of the General Evaluator (GE).

The education session began with a small role play that caught everyone’s eye. Sneha and Aditya provided an array of examples where things could go wrong and meetings could fail to make the right impact. Such as when the GE comes to the meeting late, when the TAG Team members are not briefed about their role or when there are no suggestions to improve the meeting. Even the smallest errors could have a negative impact.

Listen observe and evaluate were the three mantras stressed upon throughout the session. This ensures that the meeting runs smoothly. It is imperative that the GE arrives half an hour before the commencement of the meeting. This gives him time to highlight the duties of the TAG Team as each has a pivotal role to play. In order to give their valuable feedback it is imperative that members (new or old) taking up these roles are aware of the role and how they can add more value to the meetings. The GE has to ensure the meeting proceeds in the planned manner.

Feedback has to be given to toastmasters in their role as a leader. A GE has to see that the evaluators provide the necessary guidance to the concerned speakers to achieve their goals. The General Evaluator can add suggestions to the evaluator’s recommendations, if he feels it would encourage a speaker.

The General Evaluator’s delivery report includes the qualitative aspect and logistical aspects. He has to point out whether the meeting started and ended on time. He has to closely observe the role bearers. He evaluates the tone of the meeting that is set by the Sergeant at Arms in the beginning. There has to be enthusiasm that will encourage the members to actively participate in the prepared speeches and the

Priyanka Sudan Mumbai Toastmasters Club (MTM)

Table Topics.

The General Evaluator has to ensure that the theme chosen by the Toastmaster of the Day is well connected with the audience. The Table Topics can sometimes scare off a person. To encourage the members and guests present, a balance between easy and difficult topics is required.

In the last 15 minutes Aditya and Sneha answered several questions asked by an eager audience.

[The three Mantras were reiterated: Listen Observe and Evaluate]

‘A Truthful Evaluation Of Yourself Gives Feedback For Growth and Success’

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- Brenda Johnson Padgitt

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TOASTMASTERS- A PLACE FOR LEARNING AND EARNING

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

[A rustic soul looking for passion and avocation usually gets lost in a mirage, where there is a price for everything] How many times have you encountered a situation when you have to give something in order to get something? Almost every time I believe. The materialistic world always demands something in return. This situation is especially true when it comes to learning.

Personal learning which makes us strong comes at the cost of bad experience which we have to undergo and professional learning – well it needs no explanation. Years back when I had my first encounter with Toastmasters I was spellbound to have found a platform where learning gave something to you in return.

Toastmasters and Me: Toastmasters introduced me to a unique platform where people extended a helping hand to every staggering speaker. They moulded and converted self conscious, stage scared individuals to flawless orators in no time. As my journey proceeded I understood it was not only about preparing speeches, coming up to a fairly known audience and blurting out what you have learnt.

Toastmasters was also about pushing your own boundaries, walking the creative terrains and exploring territories which you did not know existed.

Learning while earning: Coming to the core point of my discussion of learning while earning. What do you learn or rather what do you earn as you learn? Although Toastmasters is generally projected as a learning community where you absorb something of value in every meeting, one aspect that goes un-discussed is in every meeting you earn new connections, meet new people and earn a new perspective towards your life.

You earn the pleasure of contributing to your club; let your creative juices flow with something as simple as an innovative table topics session. Go an extra mile and attend new clubs where you learn about new club approaches and ideas and earn appreciation for your time and effort.

Amrita Sarkar Toastmasters Club of Pune South East together towards a common goal and help each other climb the communication and leadership track you earn new connections, new contacts and make friends for life.

My journey with toastmasters till date has been most fulfilling and enjoyable. Irrespective of a crazy work week I always looked forward to the Saturdays when TMCPSE meets. Every Saturday is a session to learn about a new topic presented by the TMOD and earn the opportunity to meet new people from all walks of life. Every Saturday is an opportunity to earn that most coveted ribbon and a pat on your back for taking a step towards being more creative and organized in life.

I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life' - Maya Angelou

Earn Networking skills: As we all know toastmasters and networking go hand in hand but in Toastmasters you don’t learn networking skills – you earn them. When you work www.d98tm.in

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THE RECOGNITION CLOCK

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organizing the event. Every contribution, small or big, is recognized. The recognition can vary from a ribbon to a plain certificate. And every time someone is recognized, his confidence is boosted and his engagement levels improve.

Jay had been working on a project with tight schedules. He delivered the project on time. He also volunteered to take up additional responsibilities to oversee the launch of a new venture. He mentored the new hires. At the end of the month, he realized that he had stretched too far and had to juggle the priorities to be on track. His work life balance had been impacted. Each day was getting cumbersome keeping up with the tight demands. Assignments were coming his way left right and center. He felt drained out. At the end of the Quarter, he realized that he had experienced a burn out. I have come across many individuals who have gone through similar experiences.

The ability to volunteer and step out of your comfort zone is encouraged and immediate recognition helps cement the action. It prevents the risk of falling back to the old types. Mentor- mentee relationships are also useful in keeping ourselves open to learning.

What you learn in Toastmasters, you can apply in your professional life and you can seek answers for the challenges you face there. Resetting the recognition clock in one has a direct impact on the other. I had my recognition clock reset today, how recently was yours set?

Manish Rahatekar Area Director F 3

‘Don't watch the clock; do what it

does. Keep going. ’ - Sam Levenson

One of the observations that I have made as a Toastmasters is that you get recognition every time you volunteer to take up a role or be a part of an event. The activity can be as simple as doing a timer’s role in a contest or being a conference chair

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A TOASTMASTER OF MANY TALENTS

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

ble dedication and commitment in successfully guiding toastmasters achieve their goals. It has been a great platform for visionary leaders like TM Chandra, TM Alfred, TM Rajneesh and so on, who have led from the front, nurtured the newcomers and raised the benchmark every time. My journey in ELAN TM club has been remarkably enriching with the support and mentoring. It has helped me understand the purpose and importance of communication and leadership in every aspect of life.

Did your club pass through any trying period since its existence? What is your advice for those clubs on how to handle and survive in tough times?

‘Persistent Persuasion is the Power to Progress’

Sudha Kolleru is an artist by passion and paints oil on canvas and also does charcoal sketching.

Our reporter Sanjeev Patra caught up with her and had a long and free flowing conversation. A few excerpts….

First of all I would like to ask about your entire journey in Toastmaster organization. How and when did you get inspired to join this? Did you find it fruitful and was your Leadership mission accomplished?

My journey in toastmasters began in 2013. I was introduced and greatly motivated, guided and inspired by TM Chandra for his exceptionally outstanding leadership skills and excellent communication skills. I felt Toastmasters is the perfect platform to enhance and revamp my skills along with the satisfaction of service and mentoring fellow Toastmasters. My journey so far has definitely been fruitful and I believe, I still have a long way to go.

Could you tell me about your journey in ELAN Toastmasters Club - one of the most popular clubs of Hyderabad – the only one to produce three Division Directors? How did this club become such a successful community club of Hyderabad?

ELAN TM club has always been known for its remarka-

During my tenure as the President of the club in 201415, we had sudden withdrawal of VP-Education twice in the term. Due to personal and professional commitments this is an unavoidable situation and is a common challenge among TM clubs today. As the role of VP- Education is very crucial for the growth and development of the club, such disturbances can cause the club to loose its focus and quality.

In order to survive such a tough situation it is advisable to form a shadow EC for the club where these members would not only embrace their responsibility with sincerity but also would be well experienced and trained in carrying their role earnestly! In this way by entrusting servant leadership we can successfully handle the situation.

You are now working as the ‘Division Club Extension Officer” of Hyderabad at present? How do you handle this new role? What are your plans and visions to add new clubs for Division?

My current role as ‘Division Club Extension Officer’ is very interesting and challenging. I can directly spread the benefits and importance of toastmasters personally and professionally.

I reach out to colleges, corporate companies and communities, educating and enlightening them on how Toastmasters can make a difference in their life by making them more competent. My vision is to make more and more people understand, adapt and adhere to toastmasters and make a remarkable progress and success in life while maintaining the quality rather than quantity in their respective clubs.

How did you keep your EC team motivated throughout the year? We need a leadership pitch from you.

The main attribute which helped in keeping the EC motivated throughout the year was to delegate, empower and accommodate their opinions and sugges-

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tions. This helped in developing a sense of responsibility and belongingness to the club. They were motivated to execute new innovative ideas without diluting the quality and purpose of toastmasters. Team spirit was greatly encouraged and importance of measurable results from measurable goals was focused. Balance of quantitative and qualitative metrics in regards to club members, meetings, achieving DCP goals etc was closely monitored.

to coordinate, communicate and cultivate a common congenial environment and interaction among people of different opinions, thought processes and mindsets while facing challenges, last minute changes and adverse situations. And this had to be done with ease and accountability.

It has definitely brought out leadership skills in me providing me a platform to know my potential better.

How do you manage time between family, work, personal leadership goals so successfully?

Do you practice any other hobby apart from Toastmastering? Why do you feel there is a need for this for Toastmasters? How a Toastmaster should keep himself/herself engaged in this?

I am a successful professional, proactive mother of two beautiful daughters, a committed toastmaster, a passionate artist and still look for opportunities where I can contribute in improving the society and myself. I strongly believe: where there is a will there is a way. Nothing in life is impossible if you put your heart, soul and mind into it. This confidence and trust that I carry with me, has helped me compartmentalize my time, energy and most importantly my focus on various areas of interest and successfully accomplish them.

I am an artist by passion and paint oil on canvas as well as do charcoal sketching. This basically for me is a stress buster rather than a time consumer and helps me refocus, refresh and revive myself in working towards my goals. I enjoy teaching art whenever possible and also participate in art exhibitions and galleries.

I strongly feel it’s very important not only for a toastmaster but also for any individual to follow and engage in enjoying a hobby in life.

Do you have any message for all the woman toastmasters of the District?

My message to all the women toastmasters would be to pursue their dreams, become consciously aware of their potential and work hard till they achieve it.

As Swami Vivekananda said [Arise, Awake and stop not until your goal is achieved] One needs to be consistent and persistent in working towards their progress along with constant selfintrospection and review for improvement from time to time.

When this is followed diligently the element of stress becomes an element of irrelevance and what reflects and radiates is a beautiful smile from within!

Apart from being a successful leader, you are also known for your strong command over the English language.

Thank you so much for the compliment. My sincere advice to improve one’s command over the language is to read, speak and write the language as much as possible. It is also advisable to listen to renowned speakers.

Thank you very much for your time. It was wonderful talking to you.

The Best moment in your TM journey so far?

When I received the Golden Feather Award for my contribution and dedication towards toastmasters, I was the happiest.

You worked as "Logistics" Chair in the recently concluded "Confluence" in Hyderabad. How was your experience?

As a ‘logistics chair’ for the toastmasters conference, it was the ultimate experience for me. The idea was www.d98tm.in

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THE GREAT FUN CLUB MEETING

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

Jan 21 2016 Imagine if you will, a club meeting with 116 attendees.

This can be counted as the largest number attending a single Toastmasters meeting! The Mapusa TM club had decided to have a dinner meeting as a celebration of their one year of existence.

So how did we get 116 attendees? We followed the district formula from Hyderabad. We promised fun at a great price. We charged Rs 200/- per head for dinner and unlimited Sangria or Mulled Cider. How did we do it so cheaply? We conducted speech craft and leadership sessions and found a sponsor to subsidize the event.

attendees are asked to imagine being at a dinner or reception.

TM Vinay regaled the audience with a humorous gem.

DTM Farida our District Admin Manager told a tall tale in the hope that clubs would start practicing this oft forgotten format of speaking.

The icing of the cake was a wide ranging education session by Program Quality Director Chandrashekar.

We served snacks at all the tables, and people enjoyed their snacks while being transported to another dimension for the duration of his speech.

The meeting was in epicurean terms, haute cuisine rather than traditional fare. Table topics and jokes were peppered throughout the meeting, rather than at a fixed segment. This was done for the speech evaluations as well. Doing this kept the energy level up from start to finish. The refreshment break was dinner, and music blared so attendees could get their blood pumping by dancing!

This was all well and good, and it brought in the crowds. But it wasn’t just fun. Our members used this opportunity to do speeches in a live setting. The meeting started with TM Lowell raising a toast. And after everyone had had dinner, halfway through the meeting, TM Jervis gave an after-dinner speech. As experienced TMs know, generally these speeches are given in a sterile meeting environment where

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COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

So what was the take away? Members were so enthused by this show of vibrancy that they renewed their membership immediately without needing to be hounded. The club was rejuvenated with this effort and the biggest advantage was that the family members of toastmasters finally learnt why they keep spending time at Toastmasters. District leader

Chandrashekar set a sterling example by putting down his contribution of Rs. 200/- right away, proving the fact that he is a toastmaster first and a district officer last. Three Cheers!

Program Quality Director Chandrashekar with various committee heads of Eloquence 2016

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NO SHORTCUT TO SUCCESS

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

‘A scratch stays only as long as you don’t polish it ‘ This famous message which resonated at the World Championship of Public Speaking was delivered by the international speech contestant of 2015, Aditya Maheshwaran DTM. Aditya was invited to address the Pune Toastmasters at the recently held Officers Training Program. I was keenly observing and listening to him. He is not only an eloquent speaker but a wordsmith too! I was saying to myself... ‘Indeed how lucky can he be? He is a born orator.’

Aditya was sharing with us, his journey in the Toastmasters. He told us about his first table topic speech "Globalization" and how he fumbled and never made it beyond a certain limit. He also spoke about his initial experiences regarding speech delivery. He used to look at the audience alright, but there was an invisible script between him and the audience which he used to read in his mind. When I heard it, I exclaimed ‘My Goodness! I do the same!’ He started his journey in Toastmasters with the same skill set which I have now. Can I reach his level of excellence?

Gradually, Aditya uncovered the secret of his success.

He said that he delivered 20 speeches to complete the Competent Communicator (CC) level [this means that he delivered each speech twice]. When I heard it, my mouth was agape. He said you may get the CC after delivering 10 speeches. But do you feel that you are a competent communicator? And if not, speak again and again till you are satisfied. The journey of Toastmasters is not just improving public speaking skills but it is a journey of self-transformation. Initially

Hemangini Bhortakke Toastmasters Club of Pune he chased ribbons and trophies but one day he realized that people often recalled his speeches when they met him. This led him to believe that he could make an impact on people’s mind. When he was declared the first runner up, he received messages from all over the world. In one of the messages, a French lady explained how she was inspired by his contest speech and came closer to her brother with whom she was not talking for many years. Aditya recognized that his speeches can change people's lives. He showed us how his speeches took shape over the period. He was trying for international speech contest since 2008. Finally, he got success in 2015.

Welcome Bharathi Devi Gentlemen, Ladies please welcome Area Director F1 Bharathi Devi .

She has volunteered to replace Sowmya who has quit due to family reasons. Let us all help her to achieve the Area Goals.

Now let the drums roll for Formula Once racer Area F1Director Bharathi effective from Feb 1,2016 - Brillian SK, District Director

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TOASTMASTERS SCALING NEW HEIGHTS

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

Area Director TM Sanjay Upadhyay encouraging and wishing good luck for this exciting event

President – TM Amol Nitave (opening address) TMC Amdocs – Hosting Club Toastmaster of the day – TM Piyush Raj

General Evalutor – TM Akshay Chillal www.d98tm.in

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FEW WOW MOMENTS

Toastmasters from 5 midnight were ready to different clubs of South begin the meeting. GoEast Pune – Amdocs, ADP, ing through the motions, Barclays, Dresser Rand the SAA opened with a and TMCP South East deflourish and as the meetcided to hold a joint meeting slowly organized iting, 3500 feet high, atop self, everybody forgot Fort Tikona. They started their aches and pains. their journey on a cold The meeting ended with cloudy evening at 9.30 President handing out pm. They took with them, the awards for best logs of wood, tents and prepared speech, best President of TMC Amdocs, TM Amol Nitave torches. In terms of lattable topic speaker and congratulating all the winners. eral distance the trek was the best role taker. Finaljust a kilometer and a half ly everybody went in but the path was steep their tents exhausted and arduous. As they but happy. trudged up, some showed Next morning at sunrise signs of fatigue and some all were up and eager to others were groaning take in the natural beauwith body ache but the ty. It had not yet sunk in determination to reach but they had created the top held good and at history by conducting a 11.30 pm they finally made it to the top. They quickly joint meeting of Toastmasters at 3500 feet high at organized themselves and set up tents and by midnight.

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IRSE

COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

The theme of the February newsletter is very close to my heart. The Toastmasters values of Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence (IRSE) are the fundamental reasons for my interest in this movement.

Often, I challenge myself to push my individual limits as long as I can keep those values in the forefront of all my endeavors.

The journey began two years ago at the International Convention in Malaysia. It was my first experience of a Toastmasters international convention. Like a boy in a candy store, I was amidst the extravagant proceedings planned out by the world headquarters for its members.

To allow a newbie like me to get a grasp of the convention and make the most of it through the next few days, each International Toastmaster Convention has a planned ‘First-Timers Gathering’. When I walked into that room, little did I know that I would step out with a new perspective of myself and of the world around me. My physical view remained the same, but my perspective vision had changed.

That shift took place when I heard a speaker share his childhood moments with us, the first-timers, at that hall. Here is his story…

“I was 8 years old and was on a visit to my grandparents’ in Ohio back in the United States to spend the winter months with them. There I came across a ranch a little far away from home. As a child, I was curious to know more about that ranch. When I asked my grandfather to tell me more about it he said that the ranch was where he kept all his valuables and where he stored his memories of life. Further curious, I asked whether I could see it. My grandfather in kindness agreed to take me there the next morning. Excited, I could barely sleep that night in my wait for the morning when I would go to see what was in that ranch.

In the morning, we walked for about a mile till we were standing in front of the old ranch door with a small

Chandrashekar (CSK) PQD – District 98 Toastmasters International

rusty lock. I looked up at my Grandpa eagerly as he reached into his pocket to pull out the key. Alas! He had forgotten it at home. Thus he asked me to wait near the ranch while he made his way back to the house to bring the key. Old as he was, it took him a while to return and the wait had propelled my anticipation of what was inside. Finally, the door was open and I was delighted. All the possessions were pricelessly attractive. I moved around in awe for a few hours and tried my best as a young 8 year old to soak in the nuances of all his memories.

Then it was time to walk back home for lunch. On our way back, curiously I asked my grandfather why he had such a small lock when the ranch was so big. I wondered aloud how that small lock could protect such precious possessions. My grandpa knowingly smiled at me and asked me to wait till we had eaten our lunch. I obeyed yet eagerly awaited his response. When we had eaten, I asked him again to which he replied that small locks keep honest people honest.

I learnt that day that if I stay true to my values; the size of the lock, small or big, doesn’t matter. What is inside the ranch does not determine my action because if it is locked then I must not open it owing to my integrity.”

That boy is who we know today as Dan Rex, the CEO of Toastmasters International who is heading an organization of 330,000 people. To me, the kid in the candy store, the Toastmasters values of Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence that I had only seen printed in ink on paper were now alive, vibrant, and available for me to imbibe. That moment, my mere physical view changed into a perspective vision for life.

Friends, I urge you to adopt at-least one of the Toastmasters values and stay true to it all your life. As you know Dan grew up with the value of Integrity and that alone was enough for him to pave the way to the pinnacle of success.

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COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

KNOW YOUR LEADERS DISTRICT 98 CORE

BRILLIAN SK

CHANDRASHEKAR DP

ARVIND NAIR

FARIDA DSILVA DIAS

DISTRICT DIRECTOR

PROG QUALITY DIRECTOR

CLUB GROWTH DIRECTOR

DISTRICT ADMIN MNGR

NISHANT MEHTA

SRINIDHI DASAKA

CHINMAYA DAVE

SOMNATH B

DISTRICT FINANCE MNGR

DISTRICT P.R. MANAGER

DISTRICT CHIEF JUDGE

DISTRICT WEBMASTER

BEENA MANDREKAR

MOHAN KARAMBELKAR

PANKAJ KOTHARI

VENKATA RAMANA DITTAKAVI

DISTRICT NEWSLETTER EDITOR

DISTINGUSHED CLUB PROG MNGR

DISTRICT PARLIAMENTARIAN

CHIEF AMBASSADOR, REVITALIZED EP

CHETAN THAKKAR

ANAND KUMAR

ANKIT JAIN

HITENDRA BHADANG

DISTRICT LOGISTIC MNGR

MANAGER CLUB EXT AND GROWTH

ASST CLUB GROWTH DIRECTOR

CREDENTIALS CHAIR

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COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

KNOW YOUR LEADERS DISTRICT 98 CORE

NIKHIL SALVI DIVISION B DIRECTOR

NITESH AGARWAAL DIVISION C DIRECTOR

RAVI TEJA MARUPPU DIVISION E DIRECTOR

ARUNA THAPA DIVISION F DIRECTOR

PRITAM AREKAR

NAMRATA SRIVATSAVA

PRAMOD MOHANDAS

REEBA GEORGE

AREA DIRECTOR A1

AREA DIRECTOR A2

AREA DIRECTOR A3

AREA DIRECTOR A4

VIPUL JAIN

SAHIL SHARMA

EKNATH HOLE

CHETAN THAKKAR

AREA DIRECTOR B2

AREA DIRECTOR B3

AREA DIRECTOR B4

MOHIT CHABRA DIVISION A DIRECTOR

AREA DIRECTOR B1

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LEO PAULOSE DIVISION D DIRECTOR

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COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

KNOW YOUR LEADERS DISTRICT 98 CORE

NAGAPPAN P

RAHUL KALE

ANUPRIYA SINHA

ARUN NAWGE

AREA DIRECTOR C1

AREA DIRECTOR C2

AREA DIRECTOR C3

AREA DIRECTOR C4

AKBAR KHAN

SHAILESH NATU

SANJAY UPADHYAY

TUSHAR SONJE

AREA DIRECTOR D1

AREA DIRECTOR D2

AREA DIRECTOR D3

AREA DIRECTOR D4

NAVNEET PERI

MANASA INAMPUDI

RAJASEKHAR M

PAVAN S

LAKSHMI KIRAN M

AREA DIRECTOR E1

AREA DIRECTOR E2

AREA DIRECTOR E3

AREA DIRECTOR E4

AREA DIRECTOR E5

BHARATHI R

VIKRAM C

MANISH R

DARSHAN KHANNA

PRATHIMA M

AREA DIRECTOR F1

AREA DIRECTOR F2

AREA DIRECTOR F3

AREA DIRECTOR F4

AREA DIRECTOR F5

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TEAM NEWSLETTER EDITOR , District 98

BEENA MANDREKAR WEBMASTER , District 98

SOMNATH BHATTACHARJEE

NEWSLETTER LEAD

SANJEEV PATRA Representing HYDERABAD NEWSLETTER LEAD

AISHWARYA CHANDRASEKARAN Representing PUNE NEWSLETTER LEAD

PAVAN PUNJABI Representing MUMBAI TECH TEAM

SHALINI GANDHAM

NEWSLETTER LEAD

COLIN SAVIO COELHO Representing GOA

TECH TEAM

RAJIV PINGALE

TECH TEAM

MIHIR MANDSORWALE

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COMMUNICATE 98 | FEBRUARY 2016

Disclaimer: Although great care has been taken in putting together this issue, we apologize for any inadvertent errors or omissions. The newsletter contains individual views of contributors. District 98, the District Director or the Editor may not subscribe to the same. You may report errors and suggestions to newsletter@d98tm.in

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