Engineer by District 20 Toastmasters

Engineer www.keftoastmasters.com

Vol: 4

Rel: 1

ENGINEER

July 2013

A KEF Toastmasters Newsletter

TAC-Q DTAC News

Gavels Corner

Meet the new Excom KEF toastmasters

Family Day 2013

Abdul Wahid Ismail President - KEF Toastmasters 2013-14

K E F To a s t m a s t e r s , C l u b n o : 1 5 7 1 5 9 0 , A r e a 1 2 , D i v E , D i s t r i c t 2 0

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ear readers, it is time for the first release of the KEF Toastmasters Engineer newsletter for year 2013-14. New Year, new EXCOM and an exciting list of events lying ahead of us for the year. But before we dive into that, let us look back on what a fantastic year we had which just passed. KEF toastmasters was awarded the best club newsletter and website not only division level at TAC-Q but also at the district level in DTAC in Dubai.

We had our first DTM, achieved by our founder president DTM Raghavan N.V, and trust me to be part of the meeting in which he achieved this feat was truly inspiring. Our Gavels brought in laurels at most of the Toastmasters events conducted during the year keeping the KEF flag high and also individually at their respective schools and other association events. A testimony to the hard work been put in by TM Sybille Sajeet and other senior toastmasters working with the Gavel club. The icing on the cake was, KEF achieving the Presidents Distinguished Club status once again towards the end of the year. This would not have been possible without the hard work of you fellow toastmasters from KEF under the able leadership of TM Manzoor and the then EXCOM. Looking forward, we have a new EXCOM which has taken over with the goal of maintaining and exceeding the progress that KEF toastmasters is making AND also to bring out the genius in each of its members. The focus will be more on making each memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toastmasters experience enriching, fun and changing their life for the better in the process. You will read more about it in the subsequent pages and releases of this newsletter. As I mentioned this is the first release of the newsletter by the new EXCOM and its editorial team. As always, our members have taken up this challenge and will try to bring you something interesting and full of learning through the means of this newsletter. But the success of this newsletter is not possible without you and your precious feedbacks and suggestions. From the editorial team and KEF toastmasters we wish you all a very blessed month of Ramadan.

TM Manoj Chandrasenan Editor, VP - PR

Publisher: TM Abdul Wahid Ismail

CLubs Officers: President: Abdul Wahid, VP-Education: Ashish Mohandas, VP-PR: Manoj VP-Membership: Manju Santhosh, Secretary: Jyothikumar Chandran, Secretary: Harshal Gandhi, Sgt@Arms: Rajiv Bhosale & Murugesan About us: KEF Toastmasters, Club 1571590, Area 12, Div E, District 20. Meeting Venue: Telugu Cultural Academy, Behind Gulf-Times, Doha. Meeting Days: 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month, from 7.00pm to 9.30pm Email: keftoastmasters@googlegroups.com Phone: +974 5577195 w w w. k e f t o a s t m a s t e r s . c o m | J u l y 2 0 1 3

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CO N T E N T S Engineer - A KEF Toastmasters newsletter 4 Be Best, Be Humble Message from Division E Governor TM Saquib Raza Khan

5 Stretch your limits Message from Area -12 Governor TM K. Thayalan

6 At Your Service Message from KEF Toastmasters Club President TM Abdul Wahid Ismail

7 Passing Thoughts

»» p.9

Message from KEF Toastmasters club Immediate Past President TM Manzoor Mohamed

10 EVENTS at a Glance KEF Toastmasters at TAC-Q & DTAC - 2013

12 Family Day - 2013 KEF Toastmasters and Gaveliers celebrate family day

14 Meet our EXCOM »» p.24

»» p.17

Meet the members of the new EXCOM for KEF Toastmasters for the calendar year 2013-14 and know what they do.

Club Mission:

»» p.18

The mission of KEF Toastmasters Club, is to provide a positive and supportive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth. w w w. k e f t o a s t m a s t e r s . c o m | J u l y 2 0 1 3

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B e b e st, b e h u mb l e From the division governor

the race towards excellence there is no finish line. But in a race the winner is the one who comes first. That person is termed the best. Without competition we would not have had progress that we witness today, and the race is still on. There will always be a winner yet there will be someone who will perform better and create new record. The race will be on and on. The winner is the one who gives his best shot. The one who out-performs himself. The one who sets next milestone (The Goal). The one who strives to achieve it. The one who always feels that he still has more in him to perform. The time you feel that you have mastered it, your desire will vanish.When there is no desire, the chances are that your winning streak ends. You will no longer be the best. When you start believing that no one can beat you, you will stop competing. You will hate losing. Your ego will beat you. You won’t be a winner anymore. When you are not a winner you cannot be the best. BE HUMBLE. If you are humble, when you lose you will look in to yourself. You will try to identify your weaknesses. When you do that, your weakness will become your strength. You compete with yourself. You will be the best.Be humble to be the best.Toastmasters program teaches you to be Humble. Toastmasters, creates Leaders. Toastmasters, guides you to be a servant leader. Once you are a Servant Leader you will learn to be humble.The Members of KEF Toastmasters Club have been doing wonderful job in Toastmasters fraternity and have won accolades as the Best Toastmasters club in DIV E. It’s Due to the Humble leaders of KEF that they have been able to reach the finish line in a best possible way. I wish all the best to the KEF Toastmasters Club and its members to achieve greater success and make DIVISION E to be the Best in District 20.

Saquib Raza Khan Division Governor - 2013-14, Division E, District 20

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str e tch yo u r l imits TM K. Thayalan. area- 12 governor 2013-14

heartiest Congratulations to KEF Toastmasters Club members and the Ex-Com of 2012-13 for achieving the President Distinguished Club award for 2012-13. It is a remarkable achievement and you have done it. I had the wonderful opportunity to closely associate with the club in the last few months and witnessed how they stretched their limits to achieve this coveted award. I also extend my warm wishes to KEF Toastmasters Club members for bringing out their first Newsletter – Engineer, for the year 2013-14 in the very first month of the Toastmasters calendar. It shows their commitment for yet another successful year. I still remember 24th October 2010 – the day we held the Demo meeting for KEF Toastmasters Club. I had the privilege of being the first speaker of the meeting as I had taken up the role of Sgt. at Arms. It is a pleasure to have witnessed the successful take off of this club that day and to now speak of the club’s remarkable achievements within the short period of 3 years. It is an honour to have KEF Toastmasters Club, one of the most vibrant and dynamic clubs in the Division, in Area 12. The club is strengthened by committed, result oriented leaders and dedicated members. I am certain they will work together and stretch their limits even further to develop themselves and thereby the club. It will in turn ensure that Area 12, Division E and District 20 achieve more. The new EXCOM is an energetic team that will realize their ambitious plan of achieving a perfect 10 / 10 DCP points. Area 12 too is undeterred in their intention of achieving the President’s Distinguished Area with the help and support of each and every member of Area 12. It includes chartering two new clubs and adding 80 plus members to Area 12. We are looking forward to KEF playing a pivotal role in this ambitious initiative. A dear friend of mine inspired me to join Toastmasters by relating how the program was engineered to encourage him stretch his limits. This helped him realize his potential. After 7 years of being a Toastmaster I strongly believe that the program has made a positive impact in my life and I am reaping its benefits on a daily basis. I have no doubt that many of you feel the same. Dear friends, don’t you think it is your time to share the benefits you gain from Toastmasters with your friends? Invite them whose lives you know will be transformed by joining the Toastmasters family, let them be filled with the sense of satisfaction and optimism which you experience everyday, thanks to Toastmasters. w w w. k e f t o a s t m a s t e r s . c o m | J u l y 2 0 1 3

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at yo u r s e rvic e TM abdul wahid ismail. club - president

t gives me great honour and pleasure to serve as President of this distinguished Club for the term 2013-2014. There are so many people that I would like to thank, from previous Presidents to all the club members, past and present, which have made KEF Toastmasters a flourishing and exciting place for us to improve our communication and leadership skills. We are dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants- metaphorically referring to people who succeed by building on previous successes. Building on previous successes is what makes KEF Toastmasters so popular today. Hence, a special thanks to all whose ‘shoulders’ we are standing on today. Moving forward, I wish to share my thoughts among our members this year. “Grab every opportunity”. Leadership opportunities do not always knock on your door. You need to grab them when the option arises. Let it be a club officer role or chairing an event, go ahead grab the role without hesitation and carry out to your best.“Be aggressive”. Set your individual goals and aggressively work towards achieving it, else you will never achieve them. You are spending your time and money on something which needs to bring about a change in you from what you are, so you need to work with an intense desire to excel and succeed. “Develop yourself; develop others”. Toastmasters is not just about developing yourselves. It is also about developing others. It is a platform where members can give and take graciously. Toastmasters provide many other benefits. In addition to offering a flexible self-paced program where you can acquire effective presentation skills, Toastmasters is a place where you can become confident and persuasive in front of a group, give constructive feedback, and develop leadership skills. It is said “Planning without action is a daydream and action without planning is a nightmare.” Nothing worthy is going to be accomplished without a little planning and effort. Hence, I encourage you to set one goal to accomplish during this Toastmasters year, keeping in mind the above thoughts. Consequently, as we give gratitude to those that have made this club successful, develop ourselves and others, set and execute our goals aggressively, we will once again achieve the President’s Distinguished Club status. Wishing you all the best. w w w. k e f t o a s t m a s t e r s . c o m | J u l y 2 0 1 3

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passing th o u ghts TM Manzoor Mohamed. Immediate past president

What

I learned being the president of KEF toastmasters club.

Stepping into the shoes of a leadership role as the president of KEF toastmaster club, I vouch the experience was overwhelming and rewarding. When the club founder president DTM Raghavan urged me to take up this role, I knew the challenge will not be less than a roller coaster ride. There were times in this tenure, I cursed myself for adorning the part but after crossing the road, I am very much happy though not fully contented. Each role in your life bestows with you jewels of experience and this had been no different. I pen to share with you the three jewels I learned in this tenure of presidentship. 1. A leader is nobody without a team; there is a myth that a leader shall create followers to improvise his ideas. But that notion is wrong; I have experienced the same at our club and now I am not surprised why Toastmasters proposes an EXCOM to run the club. What matters foremost is that you build a team which will guide you and do it for you. The leader needs to find the right people and right path for your team, finally inspire them. 2. A leader is a master planner and quality controller; with your team you build plans but who will create the path for it? It’s you, the leader. You need to think ahead of all. And that’s not the end. At each step you need to monitor performance and circumstances to realign to the goals. 3. A leader is a good communicator; this was the top of all for me. It’s not about being a good speaker or charmer but if you are, then fine. If you don’t talk to and understand your team members, make precise communications at the right moment; you create the recipe for failure.The scripture above would be too theoretical for some but I have lived it for one full year. What more can you expect from a deed. So friends, if you ponder about becoming a leader at work or in social circle, grab the opportunity of becoming the president of a toastmasters club; After all it doesn’t come with any strings attached, only opportunities. w w w. k e f t o a s t m a s t e r s . c o m | J u l y 2 0 1 3

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Member Moment Manju Madhu Santhosh the VP-Public Relations for KEF Toastmaster 2012-13 kept the club flag flying high by grabbing the awards for the best newsletter and website at this years TAC-Q and DTAC. ENG: TM Manju, first of all, congratulations on your achievements at the recently concluded TAC-Q and DTAC. Could you let our readers know what the journey was like? Thank you. Than mine it is Club’s achievement. It was a learning period for me. Soon after I joined the club, I was assigned to be the VP PR. It was the experienced EXCOM members DTM Raghavan, TM Bindu etc, who has helped when ever I got confused. All the members and gaveliers cooperated very well to contribute their ideas and articles. This has lead to get these glories for our club. ENG: How long have you been associated with Toastmasters and what was your motivation to join a Toastmasters club in the first place? I am here for the past 1 year. At first I was invited for an open house by TM Bindu. Though I wasn’t so keen to join Toastmasters, but I joined anyways. Later took up the role of VP PR. Now I enjoy each meeting and try not to miss any. I am learning each day and I am getting motivated to continue. ENG: If you were to pick one change in you which is a result of joining Toastmasters, what would that be and why? It has increased my confidence level. I can feel it. ENG: So, VP-PR last year, VP-Membership this year - what next in your journey of Toastmasters? It just happened. I just want to learn and improve my skills as long as I am here. ENG: How do you manage your time between your personal life and the activities which are needed with the toastmasters club? It is as same as how I manage my professional life and my personal life. Compared to our senior Toastmasters I don’t spend much time with the club. But I believe it is all about planning. ENG: What would be the one advice you would give to any new members of the club or our guests who are looking to start their journey in the Toastmasters world? Toastmasters is wonderful place where you can see yourself changing or growing with a positive attitude. You will groom yourself and build your confidence to a higher level.

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M e e ting 65 TM JyothiKumar chandran - Club secretary

eeting No 65, held on 24th June, was one of most hilarious ones in the recent times. This was mainly because of the charming speaking abilities of the TMOD, TM Philip Cherian. He definitely has a ‘’ funny bone ‘’ which was deployed to the full effect to the merriment of the assembled TM’s. The meeting theme was ‘’ Deceived’’, which was received well by attendees and stories were revolved around this theme by the TMOD. Sgt at Arms, TM Rajiv Bhosale, called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm. After which, the President TM Manzoor P.M. introduced the TMOD TM Philip Cherian. The Ah-Counter was managed by TM Vijo Varghese. TM Manoj C was the Grammarian of the day, and your’s truly, the Timer. We also had a guest, Mr. Ghulam brought in by TM Rajiv Bhosale. The meeting picked up momentum with the TMOD, regaling the audience with his funny anecdotes.

There were two prepared speakers for the evening. TM Manju M.S. gave her CC-P5 (Body Language) titled ‘Prevention is better than Cure’ where she stressed the importance of having proper sitting and standing posture. TM Manzoor P.M. gave his 20th speech from the Advanced Communication Series -Technical Presentation Manual Project 5 ( Enhancing a technical talk with the internet). He spoke about ‘Rainwater Harvesting ‘.Both of them received good comments from their evaluators TM Ashish Mohandas & TM Gil Bangalan respectively. The highlight of the day was the excellent Table Topics session by TM Manoj Pillai, which added to the fun. The thought-provoking questions and the way he conducted the same was well appreciated by all present. They included: SMS @ 10 pm | best SMS you will receive in the morning | have you ever disclosed with your wife, your expectations from her | expectations lead to disappointments. TM Najmudin N.C. carried out his maiden role as the General Evaluator. He emphasized the importance of evaluation and facilitated speaker evaluations. In the business session, the Club President TM Manzoor P.M. invited the VP-Education TM Abdul Wahid Ismail to announce and recognize two important achievements of the meeting. TM Manzoor P.M. was given a standing ovation by all members for successfully completing his Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB) and TM Manju M.S. was awarded the Half CC ribbon by Area Governor TM Gil Bangalan. The club gained a valuable 1 DCP point with this meeting making the total DCP count up to the 65th meeting to be 8/10. The President adjourned the last meeting of the term 2012-2013 expressed his sense of pride and satisfaction on the club activities for the year. He wished the new EXCOM and members a wonderful year ahead. w w w. k e f t o a s t m a s t e r s . c o m | J u l y 2 0 1 3

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Tac - q events at a glance

TAC-Q 2013

“Communicate

DPS-MIS School Auditorium Wakrah - Doha.

to Conquer” was the theme of this years Toastmasters Annual Conference - Qatar, which was held on the 19th of April, at

TM Manju Madhu Santhosh bagged the prize for the best newsletter and website for KEF Toastmasters. DTM Raghavan N.V. was recognised for his achivement of the DTM status at this event. Other major recognitions included KEF Gavelier Treasa Antony and Gavelier Sayeem Sadiq bagging awards in their respective categories. The day was a powerpacked one, with the best speakers from Qatar vying for glory in various speech categories. The day also had some fun activities specially noteworthy was the tiny tots dancing to “Gangnam Style” and later a fantastic fusion of Punjabi dance and music. The day ended with a sumptuous dinner and a live band.

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dtac events at a glance

DTAC 2013

The Division 20 Toastmasters Annual Conference, DTAC was held in Dubai from 9th to 11th May 2013. Our Founder President DTM Raghavan N.V and Past President TM Najeeb A.J. bagged several individual District awards. TM Manju Madhu Santhosh bagged the prize for the best newsletter, connected social media and website once again, albiet this time at the District level. But the icing on the cake, which made the entire division proud was our Gaveliers making a huge impact here as well. Gavelier Treasa Antony grabbed the 2nd prize for Evaluation contest and Gavelier Sayeem Sadiq got the 3rd prize for the Humorous speech contests.

K E F To a s t m a s t e r s r e c o g n i t i o n s a t D TA C 2 0 1 3 w w w. k e f t o a s t m a s t e r s . c o m | J u l y 2 0 1 3

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fami l y co m e s first family day 2013

embers of KEF Toastmasters Club and KEF Gavel club recently gathered along with their families to celebrate the spirit of bonding. The event was held on Friday 5th July 2013 at the party hall of Quality Hypermarket. Declared as a fun day for members and their families, the event was thoroughly enjoyed by all those who attended.

After individual introductions, the crowd was divided into two teams – Tom & Jerry by the Master of ceremony TM Manzoor P M. The two and half hours of speech free ambience was augmented by a very closely contested Quiz program conducted by TM Harshall Gandhi, suspense filled yet totally involving Thumbola by TM Jyothikumar Chandran and TM Najeeb Abdul Jaleel and the entertaining ‘Bear or Bull’ – word game by TM Sermina Hafiz and TM Manju Madhu Santhosh.

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Team Jerry scored maximum points in the games. Prizes were distributed to the winners before concluding with a sumptuous dinner and a song by the sensational TM Ashish Mohandas. Apart from creating a platform to develop communication and leadership skills, KEF Toastmasters periodically conducts similar team building events to improve the interaction among its members and their families.

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Meet our e xco m KEF Toastmasters excom 2013-14 TM Abdul wahid ismail President & Chief Executive Officer. The president holds the most important office in a Toastmasters club. President provides the leadership and guidance the club needs to meet its standards and to become a Distinguished Club.

TM Ashish mohandas VP-Education & Training. Maintaining the Toastmasters educational program. The office of Vice President: Educcation is a critical office in a Toastmasters club. The Toastmasters educational program depends on the vice president education to carry out the club‘s mission.

TM Manju madhu santhosh VP-Membership. Responsible for building membership and ensuring a strong membership base. The role is vital to the growth and success of the club.

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TM Manoj Chandrasenan VP-Public Relations. In charge of the promotional activities for the club which includes the website, newsletter & promotional campaigns.

TM Jyothikumar chandran Club Secretary. Responsible for keeping clear and accurate records of club business, including membership records and correspondence with Toastmasters International and others.

TM Harshall gandhi Treasurer. Treasurer is responsible for book keeping and financial records, which mainly involve keeping clear and accurate financial records of club business and for seeing that the club remains financiallly stable.

TM Rajeev bhosale Sergeant-at-arms. Sergeant at arms is responsible for maintaining club properties, arranging the meeting room and welcoming members and guests at each meeting. They are the most important roles to ensure smooth functioning of a Toastmasters meeting.

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TM T. Murugesan Sergeant-at-arms. Sergeant at arms is responsible for maintaining club properties, arranging the meeting room and welcoming members and guests at each meeting. They are the most important roles to ensure smooth functioning of a Toastmasters meeting.

TM Manzoor Mohamed Immediate Past President: Provide guidance to the current EXCOM in all matters of the club and also be as the mentor for new club officers and other aspiring members.

E X C O M

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World of Gnome short article

ell, the history of gnomes is still a mystery to many. But we do know that:

Gavelier:

Noopur Santhara

I am a 11 year old with imagination, speaking sklls and lot of confidence. Before coming up till the stage and speaking was just a dream. Now, it is a dream come true. I study in class 7 in Birla Public School. My hobbies are reading, dancing and always having a good time. But something I love, SPEAKING, thats what brings me here, in Gavels club. My journey in Gavels club so far has been fascinating! So many friends, a lot to speak.... Ahhh, I just love it!

Real gnomes are earth spirits who make flowers, plants, trees, crystals, and minerals grow. They add colors to nature and work with fairies to ensure the protection of the earth’s treasures. Gnomes have the ability to disguise themselves so they can go about their business undetected. To regular humans, gnomes look like an ordinary object such as a tree stump, a watering can, or an acorn squash. Therefore, there have never been any real gnome sightings by humans!. Some gnomes carry magic mushroom spores in their pockets when adding colors to nature. The spores help the gnome work faster and make the coloring more permanent. Magic mushroom spores are too tiny to be seen, even by fairy eyes. Gnomes are adaptive, fascinating creatures. Since the beginning of time, they have been the subject of tales and debate in almost every country.Some gnomes are crafty and sly. Gnomes are known by many names and thought to be many things however little is truly known about these elusive beings.

In European folklores, gnomes are dwarfish, subterranean goblins or earth spirits who guard mines of precious treasures hidden in the earth. They are represented in medieval mythologies as small, resembling dry, gnarled old men. Unfortunately, many were captured and made as slaves, tending the gardens of dumb suburban people. Some managed to escape, only to be eeking out a living in the woods and living in burrowlike homes, like those of hobbits Worse yet, they had been cursed by an evil tract-house developer to freeze into a clay form when a human sees them. In case, if you spot wonderful little creatures that dance around and play with mushrooms, short, stocky little people with big noses, beards, blue tunics, and red pointy hats : Yes..!! They are totally Gnomes.

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Ramadan always brings with it a strong communal atmosphere and ties between the community are Mohamed Ibn Abdelwahab Masjid strengthened Doha - Qatar greatly as a Photo Courtesy: Ashraf Kotb - Microsoft result. w w w . k e f t o a s t m a s t e r s . c o m | J u l y 2 0 1 3 https://www.facebook.com/akotbphoto

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R amadan

Gavelier Amruta Manoj

very year Muslims from all over the world and from all ethnic and economic backgrounds begin fasting from dawn to sunset every day during a most blessed month in the Islamic tradition, known as Ramadan. But what makes Ramadan a blessed month? Why do Muslims fast during this month? What are the spiritual benefits of fasting? Ramadan is a month long spiritual journey that over 1.4 billion Muslims engage worldwide. Muslims show their gratitude to God for this guidance by abstaining from eating, and drinking during Ramadan, as a way of coming closer to God and developing a deep inner awareness of God’s presence in life. This internal mechanism of feeling God’s presence leads the soul to do right even under life’s most difficult situations, and protects the soul against wrongdoing even when it is the easier or more tempting path to take. One of the most important qualities fasting seeks to develop within an individual is humility before God and God’s creation. Hunger and thirst cause one to realize that if it were not for God’s Mercy and Sustenance, one would be in a most difficult and undesirable state of affairs. Fasting is a humbling experience, which is an important characteristic of a righteous soul, for false pride and arrogance can never live side-by-side with sincere piety.

millions of people go through everyday without food, water and other basic necessities of life. Fasting bridges the gap between rich and poor, sustained and impoverished, fulfilled and needy. This experience should then inspire compassion and mercy, which is manifest by generosity of wealth and time to help those in need. Muslims are encouraged especially during this month to go out and feed the hungry and to spend their wealth on good causes, such as building schools, hospitals, soup kitchens and so on, in the tradition of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, whose generosity would increase ten-folds during Ramadan. In the Islamic tradition, God promises to return all acts of goodness and generosity in this blessed month by ten-times, both in this world and in the hereafter. Due to the blessings and rewards associated with Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to share their food with their neighbors and to invite guests to their home to begin the fast at sunrise and for breaking of the fast at sunset. In conclusion, Ramadan is a celebration of God’s guidance to humanity.

The act of fasting, therefore, also provides the fortunate, wealthy members of society to experience for a time the pain and suffering which w w w. k e f t o a s t m a s t e r s . c o m | J u l y 2 0 1 3

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S ci e ntific facts gavelier Dany Sunish Varghese

What is the most advanced robot around

today

Honda Motor Corporation’s Asimo , with its humanoid Appearance and ability to walk and climb stairs has been dubbed the world’s most advanced robot . Yet during the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, there was a surprise that this triumph of Japanese robotic engineering wasn’t deployed in the reconnaissance and clean up operation . Instead ,US made military robots were drafted in . Perhaps that’s because Asimo is primarily a PR device whose ultimate function is in domestic setting or helping the elderly . Elsewhere , researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have created one the world’s most sophisticated snake like robots and a team at the University of California is working on robots the size of insects . While Asimo’s walking is undoubtedly impressive, robotic snakes and bugs can reach parts that Asimo can’t . So, a robot’s sophistication should really be measured against the tasks it’s been designed to perform

How does the heat from the Sun reach Earth? The Sun fuses 620 million tonnes of hydrogen into helium every second . Every time a helium nucleus is created, six photons are emitted . Photons are electromagnetic radiation and they can travel quite happily across the vacuum of space .When they hit Earth , they are absorbed by the atoms of the atmosphere on the ground surface and warm it up.

Why do cats like boxes? Because they feel warm and safe . Cats have few predators , but still prefer to sleep somewhere they cannot easily be seen They use ambush tactics when hunting , and a box is a good place from which to spring out . They also seek warmth and cardboard , a good insulator , feels nice and warm to sit on.

When will the Milky Way and the Andromeda collide ? It has been known for decades that our closest large galactic neighbor , the Andromeda galaxy is heading to our own galaxy at around 120km/s . But until recently , astronomers were unsure whether Andromeda would score a direct hit, a near miss or a glancing blow . While it’s quite easy to measure the relative approach speed of Andromeda , it’s very difficult to measure its exact direction of motion . But a few months ago ,using the space telescope , astronomers finally pinned its trajectory. It will collide head on with the Milky Way, in about four million years’ time.

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I study in Bhavanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Public School,7th grade. I have been in the Gavelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club for the past 6 months.To be an Astronomer is my goal to achieve. I love to read a lot of books and to play sports like football and chess.

How high can helicopters fly? Helicopter flight at high altitudes is problematic , as rotors produce less lift than at lower levels where the air is thicker. Conventional engines also become inefficient, so gas turbines are used instead. Most helicopters can fly to about 5,000m, but in 2005 , French pilot Didier Delsalle landed a helicopter on the summit of Mount Everest at 8,850m.

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G r e atn e ss o f th e gr e at whit e

Gavelier steve johnson - first cc from kef gavels

From

deep under water, he comes at a speed of heart-throbbing 40 kilometer per hour. Like a missile, he keeps his eye on the target. Cruising through the water he gets closer…. closer…closer and hits his target with such explosive energy, that he comes out of the water with the prey in his mouth as far as 3 meters in the air. The GREAT WHITE SHARK is not called ‘Great’ for no reason. From its wonder of sensing seismic waves or movements in the water to its ability of smelling blood in the water even when its in the ratio of one in a billion. It is Ultimate Predator of the waters. But like all other great persons

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and ‘beings’ they were never great from the beginning. In fact, the baby great whites are perhaps some of the weakest creature where it is born. Because when they are born, they are offered absolutely no protection from their mothers or fathers, which is seen in some animals. Alone, only 70% of baby great whites make it to their first birthday. Why? Because, without protection these future ‘Apex Predators ‘, are just ‘ Apex Prey’. Because at this age, they can only feed on small fish. And as size matters sometimes, other sharks find them as an easy catch; even adult Great Whites themselves show no hesitation in being a cannibal for sometime.

Overtime these creatures grow and the ones, who make it across their first birthday, are still in danger. Because they cannot survive on just the small fish - Sharks cannot stop moving. They even move while they sleep. Because of the extra muscles given to the jaws, they lack muscles in their gills and so need to keep moving. And with the high metabolism rates caused by their large bodies, they end up with just one problem in their food… They need more calories. And so they end up tasting mammal flesh and start hunting what they were built for. But even after that, they have fight with other sharks and Great Whites for food to survive.

......fun facts on the great whites W T S S

hen a great white shark is born, along with up to a dozen siblings, it immediately swims away from its mother. Baby sharks are on their own right from the start, and their mother may see them only as prey.

he pup (which is what a baby shark is called) will live its life at the top of the ocean’s food chain. But before it grows larger, the pup must avoid predators bigger than it is—including other great white sharks.

hark attacks on humans are rare. However, the species of shark that tend to be most dangerous to humans include great white sharks, tiger sharks, and bull sharks. harks have acute hearing, good eyesight, and a keen sense of smell. They use all of these senses for hunting. Sharks have been around for some 350 million years.

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. u n i B a y n n a n lier A inting by Gave

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fr o m th e pr e ss

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K E F G av e l Exco m

2013 - 2014

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Gaveliers elected their Excom for the year 2013-14. Office bearers are President : Gav. Ummer Siyad , Vice President : Gav. Aarya Dinesh & Abigyan Kishore, VP Education: Gav. Rosy John & Gav. Rahul Sajeet, VP Membership : Gav. Anna Antony, Secretary: Gav. Rose Mibu, Sergeant @ Arms : Gav. Rachael Rony & Gav. Athul Manoj. Gavel Cub Co-ordinator is TM Sybille Sajeet.

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Upco ming e v e nts 1. The 2013 Toastmasters International Convention will be held on August 21–24 in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the Duke Energy Convention Center. 2. Division E Grand Workshop - LEAD WITH HUMOR - 20 September 2013 3. Division E Judging Workshop - 22 November 2013 4. Combined workshop by Area 12 and Area 18 on Oct 25 - details will be updated soon 5. Toastmasters Annual Conference - Qatar - 25 April 2014 6. District Toastmasters Annual Conference, to be held in Oman from 14 - 16 May 2014

Editor’s blog - are you important (actions vs emotions)

hen people say “you know you are important to me” the best answer is “I don’t know.” Think about it before you answer.

There’s great social pressure to say “yes, of course I know that” when asked by a parent, spouse, boss or old friend, but that pressure confuses your abstract feelings about a person with an evaluation of how they behave towards you. Feelings and actions are different things, and the fact someone feels you are important to them doesn’t guarantee they treat you well, or that they should be important to you. Feelings and actions are different things. As important as feelings are, if they don’t influence behavior feelings have little meaning for anyone but the person having them. If I love you, but treat you horribly, or ignore you, or behave selfishly and never consider your needs in any of my actions, I’m betraying those feelings (whether I realize it or not). It’s therefore not about whether I love you or care about you, but how my behavior towards you reflects those feelings. That’s the basis for healthy relationships: a connection between feelings and behavior, or emotions and actions. All too often our actions and emotions are disconnected from each other. Either through fear, disfunction, or ignorance, our emotions never make it out of our hearts and into actions that have meaning for the people we care about most.

There are similar truths in the workplace. To be told a project is important, but not to get the resources you need to do it well is a kind of lie. It’s a disconnect between the word “important” and any action that would embody importance. The person with the disconnect might not realize they are betraying themselves, but they are. Either you’re not important enough to deserve the resources and they’re deceiving you by using that word, or they are incompetent in not giving you the resources your importance merits. It’s a low bar to ask “you know you’re important to me, right?”

The

better question is “does my behavior express to you how important you are?”

Did you know ? The average Toastmasters members annual income is $50,000 to $74,999. 30% members earn $100,00+ anuually.

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c lu b m e mb e rs

Achievements

Advanced Communicator Bronze

- TM Sybille Sajeet and TM Manzoor Mohamed

Congrat ulations Halfway to Competent Communicator

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- TM Manju M S and TM Rajeev Bhosale

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c lu b N e ws

Achievements

KEF Toastmasters is President’s Distinguished Club KEF Toastmasters Club attained President’s Distinguished Club status when we got two more Advanced Communicators qualified with their 20th speech. This is the pinnacle of club achievement in Toastmasters International and we reached it with a strong kick at the end. We wish to thank each and every member of our club for making this goal achievable.

Yes we did it..

We take a moment to celebrate this achivement and get rejunevated for our next challenge.

An evening to cherish - dtm night - revisited

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vISION OF THE CLUB

To become the best Toastmasters Club in the Division by achieving the Toastmasters International, District, Division & Area Goals.

mISSION OF THE CLUB

The mission of KEF Toastmasters club, is to provide a positive and supportive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.

A Toastmasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Promise

- To attend club meetings regularly. - To prepare all of my speeches to the best of my ability, basing them on projects in the Communication and Leadership Program manuals. - To provide fellow members with helpful and constructive evaluations - To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow. - To serve my club as an officer when called on to do so - To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters educational and recognition programs. Visit us at:

www.keftoastmasters.com www.facebook.com/groups/keftoastmasters www.twitter.com/keftoastmasters Also:

Division E: www.divisioneqatar.org District 20: www.d20toastmasters.org www.toastmasters.org

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This newsletter is published for the internal circulation among the members of KEF Toastmasters Club and to promote the ideas and goals of Toastmasters International. The Editor does not take any responsibility for the authenticity/opinion of the articles/ authors, published. Toastmasters International and its logos are trademmarks registered in the USA, Canada and many other countries.