SEPTEMBER 2013
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1
ABOUT US Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, the organization has more than 280,000 members in 13,500 clubs in 116 countries.
CLUB # 1240201, AREA 17, DIVISION O, DISTRICT 20
From the Editor’s desk Greetings Fellow Toastmasters and Guests,
It gives me great pleasure to officially release the Bright Horizons Toastmasters Club newsletter for 2013. For us at the club, this year has been an eventful one full of fun and full of fun-filled surprises. This was also one of the first years to introduce several new initiatives taken up this year, ranging from hosting joint meetings to social dinners to venturing out into the open on bicycles; all of which we would love to share with our members and friends through this newsletter. In addition to the interesting articles contributed by our wonderful members, we have included two special sections highlighting; why our members chose to be a part of BHTM, and the feedback we have received from our guests, whom we would love to see transform into members.
While only the highlights of our club can be captured within this newsletter, please feel free to connect with us on the below links to receive exciting updates and information regarding our club. Facebook: www.facebook.com LinkedIn www.linkedin.com Lastly, this newsletter would not have been possible without the help of our members. A special shout out and a big thank you to Natalia Desai, Snehal Sawant, Richell Green and the other club members for their significant contributions towards helping piece this Newsletter together.
Krystle K. Nazareth VP – Public Relations Bright Horizons Toastmasters Club
Table of contents President’s Message…………………………..
4
Area Governors Message……………………
5
Meet the Executive Committee………………
6
Why join Toastmasters………………………..
7
Amazing Articles ……………….………………
9 - 14
Why choose Bright Horizons? …………….
15
Themes and Events……………………….......
16
Guest Feedback…..……………………….......
21
Senior Editor Assistant Editor
Krystle Nazareth Natalia Desai
President’s message “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”. This quote by Hellen Keller is one of my favorites and it truly signifies the essence of Bright Horizons Toastmasters Club; walk into any of BHTM meetings and one will find members cheering, encouraging, and supporting each other to conquer their fears and realize their true potential – all with the help of Toastmasters program. Bright Horizons has grown to become a family where every single of its member matters and brings in something new to the table to make a difference. We are proud to have an eclectic mix of members; senior seasoned toastmasters like DTM Don Prades, DTM Bobbie Hoxit, DTM Anil lobo, Immediate Past President TM Musaddik and TM Mehrnoosh who’re are always there to guide the club; and the younger enthusiastic lot, who are forever teeming with innovative ideas. They together form a formidable combination to make it one of the most happening clubs in town. With such a strong team, we already have some accolades in our kitty just three months into the year. We’ve qualified for the Smedley award and we’ve also achieved four goals from the Distinguished Club Program (DCP) points. What’s more, we’ve had some exciting joint meetings with other clubs in Kuwait and each one of them was a runaway success with attendance hitting more than 70 people at our joint meeting with Arifjan Articulators and another one with Timbre Talkers. Bright Horizons also hosted an Iftar gathering during the holy month of Ramadan as a PR event that saw participation from members of different clubs in Kuwait. And finally this Newsletter; a project initiated by our VP (PR) Krystle Nazareth and VP (Education) Natalia Desai who I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart for all their hard-work and dedication. My message would be incomplete without thanking every member of our executive committee, who relentlessly works together towards one single goal – of taking Bright Horizons to the pinnacle of success. We plan to roll out many more electrifying meetings through the year, achieve many more laurels for the club without shifting focus on the growth and improvement of individual members.
Snehal Sawant President Bright Horizons Toastmasters Club
Area Governor’s message Why on earth is my phone singing “Good Feeling” on a Friday morning? Isn’t the alarm only set for weekdays? And who left the curtains open on such a bright day? Suddenly I’m sitting up in bed wideeyed and apprehensive. It’s my first time at "Bright Horizons" and I want to be dressed in my Friday best. The second I walked into their meeting, I realized this club was unlike any other I’d been to. That was roughly a year ago. Today, I'm waking up before the alarm goes off, still rummaging through my closet hoping to find something I haven't worn yet and wondering what I can say this morning to sound smarter than I look. That is the kind of enthusiasm this club instills in everyone who walks through their doors. The club is home to a Division Governor, 3 pioneers of the Toastmasters movement in Kuwait, Division and District level contest winners and some of the most vibrant guys and girls. In short, this is a brilliant blend of experience and exuberance. From books stores to beaches and tantalizing Table Topic ideas to thoughtful PR activities, the members of Bright Horizons have always delivered on their promise of education and entertainment. With one of the most proactive executive committees going around, and every member eager to contribute, you just can't help but feel like you too want to be part of this wonderful team. So it's no surprise that they've added so many new members becoming one of the first clubs to achieve the Smedley Award this year.
Recently, Bright Horizons went through a trying transition and held their first meeting at their new home, the American Creativity Academy in Hawally. There were concerns raised on members dropping out of the club with the change in venue. With nearly their entire roster and plenty of guests in attendance, all such concerns were unequivocally dispelled. So, to the members of Bright Horizons, give yourselves a pat on the back. You've clearly shown how much the club and its success means to you. Bright Horizons is a club that truly lives up to its name and continues to raise the bar every year. I wish all its members the very best and look forward to working with and learning from this exciting group of trend setters.
Vinod Raman Wariath Area 17 Governor
Meet the Executive Committee Snehal Sawant President Member since Oct ‘11
Natalia Desai, CL VP Education Member since Jan ’12
Interests: Reading historical fiction and biographies, learning different sports and working out, spending time playing with my 3-year old daughter
Interests: Reading. Art, Public Speaking, Taking long walks and Yoga.
Blossom Rasquinha VP Membership Member since Mar ‘12
Krystle Nazareth VP Public Relations Member since Sep ’11
Interests: Reading, sports, travelling
Interests: Modeling, singing, experiencing different cultures
Gopal Treasurer Member since Aug ‘12
Vidya Satish Secretary Member since Feb ‘13
Interests: Gardening, trekking, HAM Radio and spending time with my children
Interests: Painting and photography
Praful Thummar Sergeant at Arms Member since April ‘13 Interests: Reading, music and computers
Why join Toastmasters? Toastmasters is a platform for members to build and develop their communication and leadership skills. According to Toastmaster International, there are over 290,000 toastmasters registered in 14,350 clubs, spanning across 122 countries. Toastmasters provides an environment conducive to developing one’s public speaking skills through feedback of other club members. Members routinely gather at a club meeting, where toastmasters take on various roles ranging from leading to timing to evaluating. The communication and leadership development of a Toastmasters club member is tracked through the Competent Communication Manual (CC) and the Competent Leadership Manual (CL)
THE BENEFITS OF TOASTMASTERS MEMBERSHIP
Participation in a unique and proven program for developing your communication and leadership skills. A positive and supportive atmosphere in a community of learners. The opportunity to find your voice while learning to tell your story with confidence. Regular and constructive feedback from other learners as you practice organizing your thoughts and presenting them clearly. Experience in leadership development through professional training and involvement in various roles in the club Unlimited opportunities for personal and professional growth. Access to a wealth of educational materials and resources on public speaking, listening skills, meeting protocol, the use of technology in presentations, and effective communication in conferences and meetings. A free subscription to the Toastmaster, a monthly magazine that provides insights on communication, leadership, club activities and other relevant topics.
Find the confidence within you
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Where do we want to go with our careers by Elvis Noronha Today we live in a world where the only thing permanent is “CHANGE”. And although we may not want to accept it, accept it we must. The current situation we see around us in the country makes us wonder what the future holds for us. But this article is not about accepting the change we are witnessing, but about where we want to go. Where do we want to go in our lives, our professional lives i.e.? Most, if not all my career has been accumulated from my working experience in Kuwait and basically one organization. I spent 10 years in same organization, and through hard work and dedication was able to rise the ranks. I was what the world termed as “Successful”. Then the news came: “RESTRUCTURING”. It wasn’t too long afterwards that I found myself staring into the long dark night that awaited me. The night that echoed my fears of the unknown. Companies today don’t have the time or resources to help employees manage their careers. They are too busy surviving the competitive landscape. As I learned the hard way, it’s important that we plan our lives; especially our careers. We can make anything of our lives if we believe, plan and work towards our goals. Its never too late to change or start a new career. Did you know that Ray Kroc was in his fifties when he started the McDonald business.
So you must be thinking what can we do to manager our careers. For starters I would recommend that we stop and analyze where we are in our careers. Attend career management seminars, read management books and most effective method of all, find a mentor/ a trusted friend who can guide us in our career decisions. In addition, I would also like to share these 3 points in career management which I believe are fundamental to our progress in our careers : Take a sabbatical – Very often we hear Hollywood actors who take sabbatical from movies to take up stage acting. An act of being productive out of the routine, for routine can kill the soul. Go on a real vacation, dare to leave your laptop at the office (where it really belongs), switch off your mobile and just take in the experiences your holiday has to offer. As Ovid, the Roman poet said, “The field that has rested gives a bountiful crop”. Its important that we rest to recharge our batteries or we could run the risk of being burnt out. Re invent yourself : Today the most sought after employee is someone who is adaptable, willing to learn, do new things and show different skills, so be ready to take on new responsibilities, venture into projects that you have no special knowledge of. Sign up for new courses, volunteer for company projects that does not come under your JD. Expand your horizon and try something you’ve always wanted to – creative writing, fashion designing, interiors etc.
Where do we want to go with our careers by Elvis Noronha You could also look at the possibility of going back to school to get that degree certificate that could help in advancing your career. Manage people, including your boss : There are bosses and then there are bosses!!. If you are going to manage your boss and the people around you, then you need to know who they are. Try to find out where they come from to get an idea where they are going. Let’s not forget that our career, like our lives is all about people. You may be the smartest, most attractive, hardest worker, innovative person in the room but if the people you work with, don’t like you; chances are that you are not going to get too far on the career highway. I believe everything happens for a reason and all things work together for good. Life may surprise us about its plans for us, but wouldn’t you rather have a plan to follow than fall upon the whims of bosses and board management.
Diadems of Triumph by Natalia Desai The BEST experience of my life was well-captured by extravagant and mind blowing, power packed speeches. In its true essence, this was the event of a LIFETIME. What more can one say of a life-altering experience. Three days (May 9th -11th ), a world where brilliant minds converge. Our destination – Dubai. The District Toastmasters Annual conference (DTAC) left an impact that still carries its mark on me today. Little did I know that when I took that flight out of Kuwait for three days, I would meet fantastic people and build memories that would last a lifetime. I may not have been competing on such a huge platform but my friends, TM Vinod Raman, TM Taylor Picone, TM Raymond and DTM Anil Lobo were at their spunky best. THAT gave me enough and more reason to catch that last plane out of Kuwait; to cheer our heroes who would represent us in the Humorous, Table Topics, International and Evaluation speech categories. From the moment I stepped foot onto that plane, I knew this was going to be different. I could taste the sweet, tangible air of success and excitement. Our plane took us to Dubai – The land of dreams. Few lessons learnt along the way: Know your surroundings: We reached our hotel at 11pm on May 8. Unpacked our clothes for the next morning and chop-chop! Our Snooze alarms set, we hit the sack. The next morning while the contestants’ i.e Anil, Raymond and Vinod hopped onto a cab and coasted towards Intercontinental Dubai Festival City; the rest of us had a sunny breakfast by the pool and made our way there in high spirits. No one warned us of the challenge we were about to face - Hailing a cab in downtown Dubai. An hour long and sweaty walk on the streets of Dubai, flailing hands and achy legs later we were speeding away in a cab. We arrived 30 minutes fashionably late and right in time for DTM Anil to deliver his evaluation on stage. Next up was TM Vinod who delivered a humorous speech on “Big Fat Indian Weddings”. At Table Topics we had TM Taylor who decided to look at “The glass is half full or empty” from a different perspective. And TM Raymond who swayed our hearts with his beautiful story “Life goes on” about forgiveness when it came to the murder of his father in his International speech. The next day, we lost a suitcase in the cab back to the hotel we stayed in. Unfortunately, none of us took a cab fare receipt (mental reminder to first time visitors in Dubai). That didn’t deter us from the competition. We moved on. It’s about the ‘We’ and not the ‘Me’: We travelled together, we faced challenges together and we cheered thunderously as each of our people got up on stage to deliver a speech or evaluation. In those moments we were a family of toastmasters. It didn’t matter whether we were from Active Minds, Bright Horizons, Timbre Talkers, Mace Springs, Capitol Speakers, or Kuwait Advanced Toastmasters. We were all toastmasters from Kuwait. In the end it mattered not what club we came from, but how we all stood up as one toastmaster family. Simple joys are to be found everywhere: In the banner parade, we took pleasure in representing Division – I. At the gala dinner, we danced till 2am and were the only division to leave our jazzy footprints on the dance floor. And then we woke up 3 hours later to be there at the finals on Day 3. Talk about dedication and fervor to have fun. That would be us. We know how to pack in quite a punch and still wake up and handle ourselves responsibly.
Diadems of Triumph by Natalia Desai In a nutshell, DTAC 2013 taught me things that I’d never dreamed possible. I know that believing in oneself is the key to success. On a personal note my biggest lesson, My Uno Momento was the Joy I felt when one of our own, walked up on stage to claim an award. Two major awards in the Humorous Speech, third place winner (TM Vinod Raman) and first place winner in Table Topics (TM Taylor Picone) to take home. I felt their euphoria and related to it as my own accomplishment. We all came home winners, Inspired and riding high on the experience of our lives. Next year, DTAC 2014, we all go together as a toastmaster FAMILY with many more awards to claim for our division. See you in Oman!
“To me it’s always been about the journey, the road map that takes us to where we unleash our potential” ~ Natalia Desai, VP -Education
Good Luck favors those who are prepared by Noor Mohammed You never know what opportunity is going to knock on your door next. As for everything in life about choice, there are only two cases. You grab it or you don’t. When it knocks, you better be prepared to grab it. These opportunities come in various disguises. They come as problems, people, ideas, threats or as presents. The problem usually with most of us is recognizing them. Some of us are good at recognizing and some of us are not that great. How do we recognize an opportunity? Let’s break the process down, shall we? An opportunity is defined as “A set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.” It can be represented as follows: Your opportunity Things about the world you know are true
Things other people don’t understand
There are two things here to be noted, if you ever need to make a good use of an unborn opportunity: • Your perception about the reality and the extent to which you can objectively view the world. Your ability to distinguish between truth and illusion. • Your knowledge about, current trends, what’s happening and the general perception of others in areas where you are interested in gaining advantage. These two aspects have certain prerequisites • A strong perception about who you are, your beliefs, your assumptions • A general plan for your life, with areas you want to focus on • A burning desire to grow There is an underlying factor, which makes everything above, possible and to effectively recognize an opportunity is PREPARATION. Sometimes, even after considerable preparation involving detailed planning, we may not be able to take advantage of an opportunity. Why? However carefully we might plan to succeed, there is a minor probability of uncertainty of things going wrong. Because unknown variables (those which we didn’t prepare or think of) come into play unexpectedly, posing risk. This is called BAD LUCK. Luck is defined as “Success or failure brought by chance rather than through one's own actions” This bad luck is roughly inversely proportional to your preparation. In English it means, the more you prepare, the less is the scope of bad luck. If you want good luck to favor you, then you better prepare well, to cover most of the bad luck. And then all what remains to happen to you, is GOOD LUCK.
Who Reads? by Richell Green Being an avid reader, a lot of times I have encountered the question, “Why do you read?” I’ve heard a wide variety of answers to this; the most favourite being “It puts me to sleep”. Without batting an eyelash, my prompt reply is, “Because reading helps me forget”. Forget what, you ask? Anything, everything. The very existence of my being. It always leaves me mesmerised; taking me to places I can only dream to visit, giving me insight into things I could never naturally comprehend, helping me communicate with people no matter what the conversation, teaching me how to interact with a wide range of personas, understanding humanity. Most importantly, it builds character. Reading opens doors to information about any subject on earth, practical, theoretical and even magical. In today’s age, where electronic devices are running rampant, it’s hard to come across children who are passionate about reading. Tell them about the benefits and they counter-act by saying that they can’t visualise books as well as they can see their video games. It’s true; the present generation is practically murdering the English language. The habit of reading needs to be inculcated in them from a young age, be it on the iPad or the Kindle. (Mind you, nothing can replace the smell of books!) Reading exposes kids to new vocabulary. Even when they don't understand every new word, they absorb something from the context that may deepen their understanding of it the next time the word is encountered. When parents read aloud to children, the children also hear correct pronunciation as they see the words on the page, even if they can't yet read the words on their own. Futurologists predicted the death of the printed word but, ironically, Internet has made reading more and more a part of people's daily lives. The paperless society is moving in, but that’s not a bad sign. The internet is a treasure trove of information, knowledge, wonder and fantasy. It all depends on one’s ability to process the good and disregard the bad, where both reading and critical thinking skills are of prime importance. Common readers read for one purpose and one purpose only. They read for pleasure. They read to be entertained. They read to be diverted, assuaged, comforted, and tickled. The evidence can be found all around you. For these people, life revolves either around work or family. And when they do find some “me-time”, they do not want to spend it stressing over hard hitting topics. And so they choose to delve into the mundane. Franz Kafka voices, "I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound or stab us. If the book we're reading doesn't wake us up with a blow to the head, what are we reading for? So that it will make us happy, as you write? Good Lord, we would be happy precisely if we had no books, and the kind of books that make us happy are the kind we could write ourselves if we had to. But we need books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like the death of someone we loved more than ourselves, like being banished into forests far from everyone, like a suicide. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. That is my belief.“ This belief needs to be instilled in all of us. A belief that makes us want to stand up and say, stab me, for life is not worth living without drama. Pick up a book, any book, and let it blow your mind! And don’t forget! The book is ALWAYS better than the movie!
Why BHTM?… from our members Toastmasters has a great positive impact on my life. I believe that the benefits of Toastmasters membership exceeds far beyond simply public speaking and leadership. It is like a transformation process where you meet like-minded people, have a good time and learn by doing. Change is normally painful or stressful. But not when you are with Toastmasters ~ Ripal Shah
To me, Bright Horizons is ‘one big family’ with loving people. ~ Venkat
“Toastmasters has helped me to grow on a personal as well as social level. I got a chance to interact with people and make new friends. I am proud to be a member of a club where there are plenty of opportunities for growth by taking up roles and where I have the full support and encouragement from Excom and other members ~Rajesh Bhardwaj
Life has become more enjoyable after joining Toastmasters. It has helped me in my career and to see things with positive attitude. I am able to socialize more freely now. ~ Jumana Dalala
“It has helped me to be more social and I’ve found it easier to interact with people. ~ Richell Green
BHTM is a passionate club, whose members are friendly, energetic and enthusiastic. What happens when you join them is mutual induction. They induce their positive energy into you, to learn, to grow and to be a better person. And they learn from you. If you are planning to join as a new member or a seasoned Toastmaster, you might consider BHTM for keeping yourself motivated!”
~Noor Mohammed
Everyone loves BHTM (Successful joint meetings)
“The biggest event of the year ( June 28th 2013) was hosting toastmasters from Camp Arifjan – The meeting had a turnout of over 70 members. Special thanks to TM Venkat
Leaders from BHTM and Timbre Talkers on August 20th (Above) Bright Horizons Met Mace Springs Toastmasters on July 26th 2013 (right)
Bright Smiles!!!!
The range of themes is endless at Bright Horizons, ranging from Middle Eastern classic to different color codes and anything that makes us stand out from the rest.
Diverse Themes Bright Horizons is known for some of the most diverse themes… …. and its members are known for complying with the theme…
… some are known for taking it even more seriously…
…but in the end, the meetings have always been rewarding “Our back to school meeting was a huge success, attracting over 15 guests and members, where the audience was more than the chairs”. Toastmaster of the Day, Ripal
Successful Outdoor Events
The Iftar dinner held on July 28th was a SPECTACULAR success, with over 25 members from various clubs and their families attending and having a good time…
Iftar Dinner
… and when the weather’s good, we prefer to carry out the fun activities outdoors.
Biking event
This camaraderie at BHTM attracts guests to join us as members.
And our family grows‌.
A big bright welcome to our new members ( clock wise from top) : TM Mustafa Jariwala, TM Zainab Mirza, TM Noor Mohammed , TM Vanita Bindal and TM Pooja Venugopal,
And our guests say‌‌ I find the synergy between the juniors energy and the seniors proficiency. I find it the right place for the amateurs of communicating with educated people. Warm smile of the audience makes me comfortable speaking. ~ TM Hareth Al Saadi
Bright Horizons Toastmasters Club, true to its name, is like a ray of beautiful sunshine, the one you would like to wake up to on a Friday morning. This is why their meetings are full of promise, full of hope and filled with positive energy. Elements that any aspiring leader would like to develop or possess. ~ Area 62 Governor Raymond Hernandez A close and welcoming club considered as a second family by all its members who share the same compassion of communication, interaction and a dream of one day being able to competently lead and effectively influence others through words thus making a difference in society while fulfilling their own goals of becoming a leader by example to those around them. ~ Norman Roxas DelosSantos This place is beating with energy! A tight knit community with incredible people. I am definitely coming back! ~ Ghina Zand Alhadid
BHTM is a good reason to wake up early on a Friday morning. The club is one of the liveliest one i have visited and that makes you want to be a part of the meeting, not just attend but be a part. Have been looking for a speaking slot since May. How about giving me one now ?? ~ Zahra Husain
Round the corner
• Beach Meeting
• Social dinner – Part Deux • Happy Halloween • Merry Christmas everybody • Happy Birthday Bright Horizons