Communicate 98 January 2020 Edition

JANUARY 2020

District 98 Presents

Division M - Goa

Division EFGH - Nagpur

Division BM - Mumbai

Division A - Bhopal

Division EFGH - Vizag

Division EFGH - Hyderabad

Division CDOP - Pune

Division BM - Mumbai

EDITOR'S DESK

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear Readers, A tick in time and everything changes. 2019 changed to 2020 and we welcomed a new year and a new decade! Time is quite fascinating, isn’t it?

January was a month of trials and tribulations, of new resolutions and a decade overhaul. Phew! too much if you ask me. Tough times lie ahead and we must tighten up. In fact, even team Communicate 98 wasn’t spared. Three of our dedicated members had to step down owing to personal reasons. And it is with a very heavy heart that I break this news to you, that we will be releasing a bimonthly issue for the last quarter of our Toastmasters year.

However, we are Toastmasters and we do not mull over issues out of our control, we take charge. So, without further ado let us have a glance at what the January 2020 edition has in store for you.

In our January edition of the newsletter, as we step into this new year we gain wisdom and soothe our souls.

First, we walk you through the cumulative learning and leadership grooming session of our leaders in the season 2 of the Toastmasters Leadership Training Program held throughout the District. Next, we introduce you to a lady whose resilience and perseverance speak for herself, Mrs. Shilpa Agrawal - Mrs. Universe Lovely 2017. Furthermore, we interviewed a Toastmaster from Mumbai whose relocated to Australia, to learn more about how different yet similar we all are.

Along with this, we even have a message from our District Director, Venkata Ramana Dittakavi.

From the DPRM’s desk to sketches, poems, memories and personal stories from members across the District, we have covered something for everyone! Also, don’t forget to check your name if you’ve won the December Trivia contest!

So, what are you waiting for? Flip through the pages and lose yourself in the world of Communicate 98 put together beautifully by you, our member's contribution and the hard work of team members! Also, if you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to write to us at editor@district98.org.

Haleemunnisa Fatima Editor, Communicate 98

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

FROM THE DPRM'S DESK

DISTRICT PR MANAGER'S NOTE

Hello Toastmasters, We are already into the 8th month of this Toastmasters year and I am sure each one of you have benefitted from your journey.

In my last note to you I had spoken about the two main points of focus of the DPRM team this year namely LetUsBrandItRight and LetUsTakeToastmastersToPlaces.

In January we had two PR events, one in Morbi which is Tier 3 town where we want to have a community club. The other one was in Hyderabad where the event happened at the National Book Fair. We were able to reach out to hundreds of non Toastmasters and are looking forward to increase our membership count via this while also contemplating a Telugu club in the short to long run.

At the Toastmasters Leadership Training Program, I am sure many of you have benefitted from the Branding session which was a part in many Divisions. It was a privilege to take these sessions personally in Pune and Vizag.

As we move forward we now want to focus on reaping the benefits of the events already conducted while also engaging in other meaningful collaborations.

I wish all of you the very best for the upcoming contest season ! Give your best when you are on the stage. Aim to be a happy participant when you get off stage. That, for me, has been the biggest achievement !

We always look forward to your suggestions and emails. Please drop a line at dprmd98@gmail.com and let’s get started!

Ravi Sharma District Public Relations Manager

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

DISTRICT OFFICERS 2019 - 2020

District Officers 2019 - 2020 Venkata Ramana Dittakavi Mukta Nadkar Dipankar Das Aaron Colaco Revathi Mocherla Ravi Sharma Ravi Teja Marrapu Jasvindersingh Bhatti Avaanticka Narayan Harshad Khiera Amandeep Singh Harshita Lalchand Satish Reddy Eadala Divesh Tiwari Joy B Hans Mythili Sarathy Vinay Kumar Srivastava Akhil Pillai Himanshu Inamdar Khushboo Kanodia Deval Patel Aviral Patle Jyotendra Sharma Tapas Saha Saikumar Iyer Neha Warrier Shekhar Khobrekar Sanjan Shetty Ranjini Rao Ankit Pachauri Ravi Asher Sanjay R Vishnu Medikonda Sandesh Banger Sakshi Srivastava Suneel Potdar Satish Poondla Shweta Saraf Sushil Pawar Manideep Raja Shekhar Satyaram Sandeep Raj Madasu Sanjona Jonnavithula Adnan Ali Uday Kiran Sodima Annish Mohapatra Jayasree Karthik N S Saisudhan Sutrave

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District Director Program Quality Director Club Growth Director District Administration Manager District Finance Manager District Public Relations Manager Immediate Past District Director Division Director A Division Director B Division Director C Division Director D Division Director E Division Director F Division Director G Division Director H Division Director J Division Director M Division Director O Division Director P Area Director A1 Area Director A2 Area Director A3 Area Director A4 Area Director B1 Area Director B2 Area Director B3 Area Director B4 Area Director B5 Area Director B6 Area Director C1 Area Director C2 Area Director C3 Area Director C4 Area Director C5 Area Director D1 Area Director D2 Area Director D3 Area Director D4 Area Director D5 Area Director E1 Area Director E2 Area Director E3 Area Director E4 Area Director E5 Area Director F1 Area Director F2 Area Director F3 Area Director F4

Annem Yasaswini Sainadh Gupta Vineela Padmaja Balla Gautam Ayyalasomayajula Siddharth Vedulla Surekha Thandra Devika Padam Animesh Mahapatra Chaitanya V Eshant Gupta Manav Makhija Mrunal Hatwar Akashdeep Agarwal Vaishalee Sheth Mavani Deepa Rajendra Shetty Santosh Akella Ajay Kumar Syona Fernandes Clyde Tellis Utkarsh Ajay Shah Vasudha Lal Nabanita Das Suhas Ananthanarayanan Ramya Kesharwani Vikram Sikka Pramod P B Neil Doshi Sagar Pawar Dhaval Vyas Jayeshkumar Pindoriya Chandrashekar D P Vijay Kalke Pavan Teja Basva Smita Mishra Mayuri Assudani G. K. Aajay Shireesh Nadkar, DTM Mayank Naidu Ankit Dasgupta Shubhangi Pandey Mario Rozario Avinash Kumar Sharma Ramakanth Konatham Usha Udayshankar Bharat Shah Haleemunnisa Fatima Basudhara Choudhuri Ron Billimoria

Area Director F5 Area Director G1 Area Director G2 Area Director G3 Area Director G4 Area Director G5 Area Director H1 Area Director H2 Area Director H3 Area Director H4 Area Director H5 Area Director J1 Area Director J2 Area Director J3 Area Director M1 Area Director M2 Area Director M3 Area Director M4 Area Director M5 Area Director M6 Area Director O1 Area Director O2 Area Director O3 Area Director O4 Area Director O5 Area Director P1 Area Director P2 Area Director P3 Area Director P4 Area Director P5 District Parliamentarian District Credentials Chair District Logistics Manager District Training Manager District Chief Judge District 98 Pathways Chair DCP & Awards Chair District Marketing Manager Club Extension Chair - Community Club Extension Chair - Corporate Club Extension Chair - New Initiatives Club Coach Manager Club Coach Manager Club Coach Manager District Audit Committee Chair District Newsletter Editor District Communications Chair District Webmaster

COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH

PR Event - Amdavad Toastmasters Club

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

COVER STORY

TOASTMASTERS LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM - II Jack Welch said ‘Before you become a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.’ We Toastmasters know what Mr. Welsh truly wanted to convey regarding leadership.

Let me take the opportunity to take you through how our leaders groom themselves and thrive in helping others become leaders. District 98 conducted its second leg of the Toastmasters Leadership Training Program (‘TLTP’) across 7 states of southern, western and central India. This spanned across January and February 2020. These sessions were customised to the needs of the members across different divisions. The motivation behind this was to give the member and specifically club officers the maximum benefit of training through a balance of knowledge and experiences.

We spoke to Division Directors, Area Directors and also Convenors of these TLTPs to understand what happened at these events and what was special! Here’s a look city wise:

Mumbai:

This time the Mumbai, Toastmasters Leadership Training Program was held on two different dates/locations (January 5 and 12) so that members can choose a convenient date and location for them. Approximately 350 members from 50 clubs attended the TLTP on both days. The event was designed to be concise and effective. The agenda was minimalistic to discuss roles in depth rather than gloss over multiple items and risk suffering information overload. As a souvenir, Toastmasters branded diary was given to all the attendees.

Pune:

Pune Toastmasters witnessed 2 days of fun and learning as Divisions C, D, O and P came together and conducted the second Toastmasters Leadership Training Program on 11th and 12th January. Our ever-supportive and all-time host Persistent Pune ArPg Toastmasters Club hosted this event in their wonderful facility at Nalstop, Pune.

Over 450 participants attended the training program, most of whom were Club Ex-Comm officers. With a wonderful line-up of trainers on both days, the program was enriching and exciting, to say the least. Besides the break-out training for the Ex-Comm officers, there were several other sessions including Judges Training Program and Branding. The event was attended by various District Officers including the District Trio.

The energy was at an all-time high, thanks to the energetic fun activities conducted by the MoCs of the event. A well-planned and a well-executed event, this training program has added a chapter of learning to the wonderful leadership experience of all ttendees. As per member feedback from previous years, the focus of the event was majorly directed towards Judges Training Program and Chief Judges Training Program. Ergo, the other pieces of training were less and smaller.

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

COVER STORY

Goa:

Areas M 4&5 conducted their TLTP on 12th January 2020 at Dempo College of Commerce and Arts at Bambolim, Goa. The trainers for each of the roles were mostly new to Toastmasters or leadership roles. Each trainer was assigned a senior member as a coach to help them prepare for the session. This step was taken to empower new leaders in Goa which in turn improves their performance in their respective club as they understand their role better. As the number of leaders rises, the odds of creating new clubs proportionately increases.

Following the breakout was a curated panel discussion where case studies were brought up and the Executive Committee had to offer solutions to tackle the issue. It helped the leaders apply their decision-making skills and arrive at a process to prevent similar problems.

We had two leaders who attended from Mumbai to train our leaders in Goa. Division M Director Vinay Kumar Srivastava who trained the attendees to be fair and honest judges. Aaron Colaco, DTM gave a session on mentoring and its importance. We had the opportunity to gain insights from their knowledge and experience outside Goa which encouraged new ideas that could be implemented.

Ashley Lobo, DTM shared his suggestions and advice on how to prepare for contests and more importantly how to prepare contestants to have a good contest. This session was done specifically to increase the odds of Goa Toastmasters to reach the district stage.

Club's executive committee members, club members and guests enjoyed the Club Officers Training, a wonderful session on Mentoring, Preparing Contests and Judges and Chief Judges Training Programs.

The energy, interaction and enthusiasm of the Executive Committee, members and guests made the session a big success.

Vizag:

The Toastmasters Leadership Training Program, conducted on 19th January 2020 at Visakhapatnam, proved to be bigger and better than the previous TLTPs organised in the city.

The district officers and organisers hold this TLTP close to their hearts as it's the first time for Visakhapatnam to host a day-long TLTP.

The presence of District PR Manager, TM Ravi Sharma added immense value to the training program. His riveting session on TI branding guidelines left the trainees with an amplified sense of ownership towards the organization and their actions representing it.

Division Director, TM Harshita, laid a strong foundation for the forthcoming sessions of the day with her session on District goals.

The trainees were of the areas E4 and E5. Some trainees were even from the clubs that are yet to be chartered. The session on Club Succession Plan by TM Ratnakumar Vadapalli, a past Area Director, gave the officers a road map to achieve their club goals. Divisions EFGH PR lead, TM Madhuri Vadditandra threw light on the education program, aptly catering to the needs of the trainees with her Pathways education session.

Area Director, TM Sanjana Jonnavithula's session on Toastmasters’ hierarchy, contests and conferences refreshed the trainee's knowledge and readied them for the upcoming opportunities.

TM Ravi Sharma's Chief Judges Training Program was the cherry on the cake, creating an influx of judges into the Toastmasters fraternity.

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

COVER STORY

With the ambience of the L&T guesthouse by the beach, it was memorable Sunday for Vizag's Toastmasters.

Indore:

First edition of TLTP was received very well by Toastmasters of Area A4, which saw participation from more than 60 members from 4 different clubs. The event was graced by the presence of Program Quality Director, Mukta Nadkar, DTM and Division Director TM Jasvinder Bhatti, who interacted with members and discussed on many aspects of club betterment.

With great hosting by TCS, Indore, the Executive Committee breakout sessions were conducted in separate facilities, where each trainer carried it in workshop fashion. More focus was kept on interactivity and members were welcomed to get their queries answered.

PQD Mukta herself visiting Indore and interacting with Toastmasters was a big motivational boost and sparked new enthusiasm among members and they got to understand how their club fits in a bigger picture of an Area, Division and District 98.

The event was well dispersed with breaks where people could relax a bit from training and connect. There were three such opportunities in the form of “Breakfast”, “Lunch” and “High Tea”. Attendees took advantage of them and forged relationships with members of different clubs and district leaders.

A category of award was decided for “Club with most participation” – which motivated clubs to encourage maximal members to attend the TLTP. Avantika University Toastmasters Club won the title with 20+ members from their institute alone.

Nagpur: Joint Area H4 H5 and G4 conducted their Toastmasters Leadership and Training Program on 19th January, 2020. This was the first time in the history of Nagpur that the registrations crossed the100 mark!.

The clubs which are yet to be chartered but are in the pipeline also attended the training and got themselves well prepared for their job ahead.

The participants were given a welcome kit along with Toastmasters International Pin and a Thank you card.

The Executive Committee members from Raipur joined in as well. TM Joy B Hans, Division H Director and TM Smita Mishra, District Training Manager came all the way long from Hyderabad to share their Knowledge and Experience with the Toastmasters fraternity in the city of oranges.

Club's Executive Committee Members, Club Members and Guests enjoyed the Club Officers Training, a wonderful session on Club Elections and Judges and Chief Judges Training Programs!

Huge Energy, Enthusiasm and Exuberance in the Toastmasters of Nagpur made the training a fun and learning experience!

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DID YOU KNOW? Remember the wonderful interactive training sildes on the day of TLTP? Yes, those slides were modified by the Training Team of District 98.

Let us know what the motivation was how did the team accomplish this from our District Training Manager, Smita Mishra.

1. to give the member the maximum benefit of training through a balance of knowledge and experiences 2. to bring in collaborative wisdom including best practices across the District How did they go about it?

Understanding what the members need, building customized training agendas in different divisions based on annual and semi annual term clubs, building and adding to case studies repository, ensuring train-the-trainers, seeking feedback actively post every training program.

COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

COVER STORY

Bhopal:

TLTP in Bhopal was conducted on January 26, 2020. It started with the host, Area Director Aviral Patle’s remarks followed by a small address by Division A Director - Jasvinder Singh Bhatti, and then Trio's address – Club Growth Director Dipankar Das, DTM followed by Program Quality Director Mukta Nadkar, DTM.

Immediately after the Trio's address, was a session on District Elections by Mukta and then the Eloquence Pitch by Dipankar followed by the Club Officer's Training Programme.

Post the club officers training, Chief Judges Training Program was conducted by Mukta Nadkar, DTM followed by Judges Training Program by Dipankar Das, DTM.

Post lunch there was a Panel Discussion with the Trio and Division Director, moderated by Aviral Patle.

With new knowledge and understanding, our new leaders now step into the next phase of their journeys. We wish them the very best for their upcoming roles as club representatives and LEADERS. Edited & Compiled by: Tanya

FROM THE DISTRICT DIRECTOR'S DESK When our members get the best experience, it’s an indication of success. DISTRICT 98, in all aspects, is moving forward with great guns, all because for your commitment, passion and hard work.

The season of renewals is about to start, let’s all as members and leaders renew and continue with our Toastmasters journey! As for the leaders, your Area Director visits play a crucial role in it, so continue to encourage your clubs and members.

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Venkata Ramana Dittakavi

COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

D98 TRAVELLING TOASTMASTER

1

2

1. Hardik Shah - member of Mumbai Toastmasters Club attended the meeting of TGIS Toastmasters, Distirct 105, Dubai.

3

2. Mayuri Assudani - member of Nagpur Toastmasters Club attended the meeting of Toastmasters 75, Distirct 59, Paris.

4

3. Nishant Mehta - member of Stellar Toastmasters Club attended the meeting of IFSC Toastmasters, Distirct 71, Dublin.

4. Deepak Tekchandani - member of Goregaon Speakers Community Toastmasters Club, Mumbai

Get your Picture Featured Here: Pose with the team members of the visiting club or with their club standee when you attend a meeting in a different District. Submit your photos for a chance to be featured in the newsletter. Send your pictures to editor@district98.org. Happy Toastmastering!

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

FEATURED

Shilpa Agarwal

From Mrs. to Mrs. Universe Married at the tender age of 20. From being a housewife, mother and contemplating suicide to overcoming her grief and turning an entreprenuer, to now being crowned Mrs. Universe Lovely. Shlipa Agrawal has experienced the lowest of the lows and risen like a phoenix from the ashes!

This is Shilpa Agrawal’s story in her own words, as she shares with us her life experiences and the way ahead!

C98: As a corporate trainer and mentor to upcoming fashion models, how important do you think a good command of language and public speaking is?

SA: I feel good command of language is not only extremely important but necessary. You can use any language that you are comfortable with, it can be Hindi, English, Marathi, or any other language but you need to be clear and confident while you're speaking to someone. You need not use extensive vocabulary or huge phrases but clear and grammatically correct language also instills self-confidence and makes you feel better while communicating. Another necessity according to me is being authentic whilst speaking. If you seem fake to others you might lose your confidence too.

Toastmasters is a perfect platform for anyone who wants to learn the art of public speaking and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn.

If you are determined to achieve success then age is just a psychological barrier and not a physical one. We recently heard about Mr Fauja Singh who is 100 years old and participates in various marathons. I am planning on participating in contests for grandmothers when I am 70-75 years old.

My life has been like a roller coaster ride, there were many ups and downs. I have been clinically depressed twice, I tried committing suicide at the age of 22, during the hospitalization my mother came up to me and reminded me that I am not a coward but a fighter. She reminded me that it’s okay if I make a few mistakes, that's a part of life, we can always get back up and rectify our errors.

That's when I decided to change my life. It wasn't easy for a high school graduate to become an entrepreneur.

C98: You have proven that age is just a number and success can be achieved at any age. You have also faced many hardships in life, what inspired you to keep going and in turn have a positive outcome?

SA: Yes, success is more about your mindset than it is about your age. I won Mrs Universe the age of 38, I started running at 37, I am doing power-lifting at the age of 40.

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

FEATURED

From keeping myself poorly, from being obese to becoming Mrs Universe. From zero fitness to becoming a brand ambassador for fit India campaign.

I've started meditating to calm my mind and always heed my mothers' words whenever I am feeling low and beaten by life. I believe in healthy distractions like good music and TV to uplift my mood, or a nice long run to clear up my mind. After being determined to win Mrs Universe and achieving my goals the one thing that I have realized is that self-love is of utmost importance and my major source of inspiration.

A reality check that nothing can be achieved without putting in efforts also helps me from staying practical and staying calm. All of this inspires me to keep on with my journey to try and learn new things cause we only live once.

It's okay if you make mistakes, we’re humans, we’re bound to make mistakes. Make sure you work on it and make it better. Take in all the negative advice and comments, listen to them but never internalize everything. It's okay to take things in with a grain of salt.

Have confidence in yourself and keep going.

Edited & Compiled by: Tanya

WINNER OF TRIVIA

C98: You are quite versatile in your professional life. How do you manage to be a CEO with being a mom and a fashion model?

SA: Women are multitaskers. It’s like their superpower. A lot of times people came up to me and said moms should stay at home for their kids, to take care of their needs. That is not something that I believe is good for the welfare of the child. They need space to grow as well. As for being the CEO of my company, it was quite demanding initially but with time, as I got to know more about people working there, the work my husband demands from his employees, it becomes enjoyable.

Through this all I learnt the art of delegation and that helped me balance all three things.

If I am required to do something in the fashion industry I try to work it around my work schedule or over the weekends.

Modelling is something I enjoy from the bottom of my heart so it never feels like work. It rather replenishes me for my workdays, having such a hobby makes it even easier to handle other responsibilities.

C98: Lastly, if you could suggest one important, life-changing advice to our audience, what would it be?

SA: Never give up. No matter how difficult the situation is, but never quit. You never know if you’ll get another shot at life.

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Trupti Iyer UBS Toastmasters Club Answers to the Trivia Contest of December 2019!

1. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 2. NANDALAL BOSE 3. PANGOLIN 4. NOKIA 5. MUGHLAI PARATHA Questions can be found on Pg. 14 of the December 2019 Edition

COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

LEARNINGS

Nidhi Dubey Palava Toastmasters Club

Fall 7 Times, Rise 8 When someone speaks in front of hundreds of people with ease, a thought comes to my mind: “When would I be able to do so”? While it’s easy for some to shine on stage, for me, it’s a hard nut to crack.

Being a Talent Acquisition consultant my field demands good public speaking and networking skills. And I find Toastmasters to be the best platform for gaining these.

For me Toastmasters is that force which has given me strength to unleash my inner geek. For both personal and professional reasons my journey with Toastmasters has been abrupt. While I am still trying to maintain the continuity, below are my learning’s throughout my journey.

1. Embrace your Flaws: There is a difference between “getting judged” and “getting evaluated”. In Toastmasters people are not sitting there to demotivate you or to count your mistakes. They give feedback to bolster your confidence and improve your skills. Think about the most “helpful mistakes” you made and turn them into your strengths. Face it and be flawsome.

2. Personal Reflection: Prepared Speeches help you to discover your interests and makes your mind more open. In Toastmasters, this starts with the Icebreaker speech. The first speech itself helps you to find out your area of interest and what really excites you. For better writing I do research and share my experiences. So, researching a speech topic is learning in itself. This has helped me in discovering myself and how I can change and improve.

3. It's okay to not know: It's not okay to not try: An impromptu speaking is the best example of it. You really don’t know about the speech topic until you step on dais, but when given a try miracles happen. Waves of thoughts created from the ocean of experience and knowledge sweep out the stage fear as focus completely gets shifted towards productive thinking. Sometimes we speak so good that proves to be a surprise for self. Your true self comes out at that very moment and hence you know where you need to work on. The best part is here nothing is right or wrong. The confidence of other members in me and my trust in Toastmasters is helping me a lot in continuing my journey with them.

To conclude, I know my Toastmasters journey is going quite slow but as said by Confucius "It doesn't matter how slowly you go as long as you don't stop" and I will not stop. Cheers!

Edited & Compiled by: Vaibhav

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

INTER TOASTMASTERS TOGETHERNESS

Custan D'souza

From Bombay, To Australia C98: How long has your Toastmasters journey been and how vivid was your experience through the years?

C98: Kindly share your valuable learnings from Toastmasters that will inspire our members.

CD: My journey with Toastmasters started about 3 years ago when my wife and I were at the Southland Mall in Mentone, Melbourne. I was introduced to Toastmasters by a lady named Ms. Annie who handed over to me a Toastmasters Flyer and asked if I would like to come and check it out. After that day there has been no looking back, I began with counting Ah's and Uhms and went on to writing and preparing speeches for club meetings and competitions. I must say that life with Toastmasters is a journey and as one of my club mentors puts it 'You don't come to Toastmasters to become good within a Toastmasters Club but to apply that knowledge in personal and professional life’.

My experience with Toastmasters has been suspenseful, cheerful, exciting and daring.

CD: Toastmasters has been able to transform lives and boost my confidence in conducting meetings and public speaking. I have witnessed a turnaround in confidence and speaking skills of other members too within 6 months of joining. Just stick to the curriculum, step up and volunteer for different roles as they say 'A Toastmaster wears different Hats'. Great leaders are great communicators. As said, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, hence, one needs to follow the learning material and complete the projects one step at a time. Once we do what is necessary, one day we will be doing what is impossible.

C98: You are a member of an Australian Toastmasters club and you have visited Toastmasters clubs in India as well. What is the similarity and uniqueness in diversity?

CD: Regarding leadership, my aim is to complete my Innovative Planning module and apply it in my Personal and Professional life. I have completed Innovative Planning Level 3 Connect with Storytelling. I have also been training new members. Apart from this I also participate in National and International contests on behalf of Kingston Toastmasters Club.As per my long term goal, I would like to be a professional speaker and motivate and inspire audiences all over the world.

I have been fascinated by international speakers like Mr. Jim Rohn, Mr. Brian Travy, Shiv Khera etc. and I would like to follow in their footsteps someday.

CD: The Toastmasters club meeting agenda is almost standard, however, it is the people's culture, community and language that bring in the unique flavor to every club. Like your finger print no two clubs or individuals are the same. Clubs in Melbourne have people from different nationalities, for example South Korea, Vietnam, UK, America etc whereas clubs in India would have more people from the same state. The speeches are based on local preference, news, views and current affairs.

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C98: Lastly, do you have any plans for the leadership journey in Toastmasters.

Edited & Compiled by: Sakshi

COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

YOUR GROWTH STORY

Surya Saraf Palava Toastmasters Club

Share Your Knowledge “Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.” ― Dalai Lama XIV I have been working in the corporate world for around 10 years now. I was always passionate about sharing my knowledge with students. I believe that knowledge increases in multiple ways when it is shared. It was one Monday afternoon when I got a message from Dr. Susan Varghese. She had been my Professor in the MBA college from where I graduated in Mumbai.

Last year in July, when I was in Pune, I had mentioned to her that I would be happy to share my learning with the students of the college where she was now a Director Susan Ma’am asked me if I could conduct a session for the new batch of around 600 MBA students in her college. There was a slot of 4 hours available in their induction week which was in 5 days. I was a bit hesitant initially as there were only 5 working days left and the college wanted a 4-hour workshop to be conducted. I had done presentations in my college and office but to face a young bunch of 500-600 students for a four-hour workshop was a bit scary.

The kind of questions that started coming to my mind wereWill I be able to make my speech interesting, informative and humorous?

Will I be able to engage them?

But being a Toastmaster helped me fight my fear of facing a big crowd and gave me the confidence I needed. I dedicated regular time every day in those 5 days and was ready with a 4-hour workshop to be conducted.

On the day of my presentation, it rained like cats and dogs in Mumbai, but I eventually made it to the college in Pune. I started my workshop on a humorous note to connect with the audience. I continued with the workshop by often asking questions and comments. At the end of these four hours, the bunch of students were quite happy with the practical knowledge they gained.

That day, on that stage, I truly understood how Toastmasters instilled confidence in me and shaped my life for the better.

Edited & Compiled by: Tanya

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

CREATIVE CORNER

KNOW YOUR DISTRICT

1

This city is known as the city of lakes in India.

2

This city is famous for its oranges!

3 1

This is the Heritage City of India!

4

This suburb in southern city India is famous for "Durgam Cheruvu" and has become a hub of IT industry

BHOPAL

NAGPUR

AHMEDABAD

MADHAPUR

5

This city is a legislative capital for its state and is situated on a famous river.

PORVORIM

ART BY: Rachana Amballa

Eminent Toastmasters Club

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

UNVEIL

Castle Ruins

Anjana Suresh Baner Toastmasters Club

Listen to the whispered voices from the stones, Weighed down by years of history on their bones, Milestones of man, they mark the hillside, Fighting the flow of time - a riptide.

December Bandits Proudly they don a mantle of moss, Cloaking their profound sense of loss.

Gunmetal skies and rusting trees, Long forgotten are their former glories, Leaves are swirling copper confetti.

Only their ruins stand in your memories.

The wind seems to wail as if in grief For losing its warmth to winter - a thief.

The clouds are its partners in crime, For gagging the sun in daytime And for acting quite inhumane By letting loose way too much rain.

Namrata Sharma They are hardened criminals you see, RG Orator Toastmasters With veins of iron and souls of steel.

Every year they perform their villainy, Club Following which is the wind's cacophony.

Self-love In this hassle of life most of us have actually forgotten the true meaning of self-love because we are busy finding our happiness in others and end up living in misery.

Self-love is - taking complete care of our body, mind and soul which eventually opens up the various doors of our magnificent life. It is about embracing our own flaws without developing self-hatred. Some people confuse self-love with selfishness. It is not about becoming possessive or getting obsessed with your own self instead self-love is making your aura influential and positive so that the folks around you can sense the fragrance of the love that you have for yourself.

Stress, anxiety and depression are common in each age group. Be it a teenager or an adult there is so much chaos in everybody’s life that people end up criticizing their own self. You can’t hate yourself just because the circumstances are unfavourable.

The best remedy is self-exploration. When you start deeply exploring your own self , you’ll realise wonders of your own soul, without deteriorating your mental or physical health. You’ll acquire peace amidst the chaos of life.

But the question is how to start this exercise of self-exploration? Go into the deep abyss and know about the kind of person you are. Explore your capabilities with creativity. Yes, if you love any of the creative skills, be it writing, public speaking, painting, photography or anything else then start working on it. You’ll easily find the answers to various questions you have about your life.

We humans feel anxious when we are alone and are overthinking. But what if you make the best version of yourself with productive outputs in that solitary self -time? Solitude leads you towards peace, and peace leads you towards acquiring a prodigious life. This eventually nourishes the mental health of a person. The one who lives in solitude creates more productive outputs. There is a pool of pessimists around you who may always try to pull you down, hinder your growth and make you criticize/dislike yourself. But if you really love yourself then there is no negative power in this universe that can stop you from moving ahead on your path.

Remember, just abandon self-criticism and replace it with self-love and your soul will set sail on the quest to discover its magic!

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

IN & AROUND

1st Anniversary - RG Orators Toastmasters Club

100th Meeting - Sinhgad Toastmasters Club

1st Anniversary - Kharghar Toastmasters Club 1st Meeting - Goregaon Speakers Community Toastmasters Club

50th Meeting - Kharadi Toastmasters Club

50th Meeting - Mastek Toastmasters Club

150th Meeting - Dadar Toastmasters Club

150th Meeting Entrepreneurs

-

Toastmasters

for

Pune

600th Meeting - TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club Area A1 Joint Meeting

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

IN & AROUND

Joint Meeting - BKC Fireflies Toastmasters & Bombay Toastmasters 25th Milestone Meeting Anurag Toastmasters

Joint Meeting - Mahindra Worli, Mahindra Kandivali and Bombay Toastmasters Joint Meeting - Oracle Mumbai Toastmasters, Eminent Toastmasters & Goregaon Speakers Community Toastmasters Club

PR & Membership Toastmasters Club

Event

-

Kharghar

25th Milestone Meeting of SVECW Speech Weavers Toastmasters Club

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Joint online Table Topics meet of SVECW Speech Weavers and Hitam Toastmasters.

Toastmaster Kinjal Shah at TEDx Lakhota lake Jamnagar

COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

ELOQUENCE 2020

ELOQUENCE 2020

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COMMUNICATE 98 | JANUARY 2020

COMMUNICATE 98 TEAM

EDITOR

DISTRICT PR MANAGER

Haleemunnisa Fatima

Ravi Sharma

CONTENT CURATORS

Sakshi S.

Tanya Arora

Vaibhav Zarkar

COMMUNITY MANAGERS

Abhijit Roy

Aseema Sulakhe

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Communicate 98 January 2020 Issue Designed by: Haleemunnisa Fatima

A DISTRICT 98 PRODUCTION