DUBAI CHAPTER Toastmasters Club | Club – 7492 |Area 7 | Division B | District 20 |
Volume 2 – 2013-14
Oct – Dec 2013
How to Judge? 13
Leadership Message 6 D’Chaps Family Day Out 29
TOASTMASTERS HAVE TALENT Around the world with 80 Artists 15 Artwork courtesy Megan Duncanson – MADART Studio
TOASTMASTER’S
PROMISE GET TO KNOW
DUBAI CHAPTER No.7492, AREA 7, DIV B, DISTRICT 20
PRESIDENT Gemma Zust 050 659 1102 g.u.zust@gmail.com VICE PRESIDENT-EDUCATION Deepak Gulati 055 668 1921 Genxdel80@gmail.com VICE PRESIDENT-MEMBERSHIP Abdel Rahman Al Houseiney 050-473 3087 aelhousseiny@gmail.com VICE PRESIDENT-PUBLIC RELATIONS Abdul Khaliq 050 45 00 802 akhaliq.mohammad@gmail.com SECRETARY Sadaff Habib 055-1011782 sadaffh7@gmail.com TREASURER Ambujmani Tripathi 050 2761656 tripathi.ambuj@gmail.com
As a member of Toastmasters International and my club, I promise: To attend club meetings regularly To prepare all of my speech and leadership projects to the best
of my ability, basing them on projects in the Competent Communication, Advanced Communication or Competent Leadership manuals To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments To provide fellow members with helpful, 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 upon to do so To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters membership offers To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters educational and recognition programs
SERGEANT AT ARMS Manish Goyal 055-184 7083 manish_goyalji@hotmail.com
Visit our website: http://7492.toastmastersclubs.org/
Connect with Us:
To maintain honest and highly ethical standards during the conduct of all Toastmasters activities
GET TO KNOW
TOASTMASTERS FACTS ABOUT
Q. WHAT IS TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL? A. Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational
TOASTMASTERS
organization that aims to improve ones communication, public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. Ralph C. Smedley (February 22, 1878 – September 11, 1965) was the founder of Toastmasters International. The organization has more than 280,000 members in 14,350 clubs in 116 countries.
Q. WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN A TOAST MASTERS CLUB? A. Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening, and thinking – vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership potential and foster human understanding. Members in a Toastmasters club work through a series of educational programs (at their own pace) designed to improve their ability to write speeches, design presentations, and deliver them. Leadership and communication skills are intimately bound. Some might argue that leadership is nothing more than the ability to effectively communicate a vision. As your communication skills improve, your ability to lead will improve as well.
Q.
CAN I HAVE SOME IDEA ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS DURING A TOAST MASTERS
MEETING?
A. There are three basic parts to the Toastmasters meeting: the prepared speeches, Table Topics, and evaluations. In the prepared speaking portion of the meeting, several Toastmasters will give a prepared presentation or speech before the group. Speeches are usually designed to meet the requirements of one of the projects in the communication manuals. "Table Topics" is an extemporaneous speaking exercise where the speaker speaks "off the cuff"; that is, the speaker responds to a question or topic that is not known beforehand Feedback is called evaluation, and it is the heart of the Toastmasters educational program. You observe the speeches and leadership roles of your fellow club members and offer evaluations of their efforts, and they do the same for you. The purpose as an evaluator is to provide honest reaction in a constructive manner to the person’s efforts, using the evaluation guides provided.
Q. WHY DUBAI CHAPTER TOASTERMASTERS CLUB A. Dubai Toastmasters is the mother Toastmasters club
Founded October 22, 1924 Updated Brand August 17, 2011 Leadership George Yen, International President Mohammed Murad, President-Elect Jim Kokocki, First Vice President Mike Storkey, Second Vice President Daniel Rex, Chief Executive Officer Benefits • Clearer communication • Improved leadership skills • Enhanced teamwork • Effective meetings • Increased productivity • Positive mentoring • Complements existing training programs • Cost effective Toastmasters Member Demographics Gender distribution • 52% female • 48% male Number of Toastmaster Clubs Worldwide clubs: 14,350+ U.S. clubs: 8,500+ International clubs : 5,850+
Toastmasters will help you to: of Dubai and has gathered a
wealth of experience since it was born 15 years ago. Our Club stands proud as both members and guests learn and grow by speaking before an audience and working with others in a very supportive environment. Our club is representative of something more than a typical Toastmasters club where 20 to 30 members meet once every fortnight for about 2 hours - it is a family of people with a shared drive for self-improvement and to help others. Each meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice conducting meetings, giving impromptu speeches, presenting prepared speeches, and offering constructive evaluation.
Speak and present compellingly Think quickly and clearly Become a strong leader Listen effectively
You will learn these skills and more in a supportive, self-paced, fun atmosphere.
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
SINCE WE LAST SPOKE….
I
t’s like three months ago when we released the first issue of 2013-14 Orator. I am overwhelmed with all the appreciation received from the members of this great club Dubai Chapter. D’Chaps you are the lifeblood of this club, you are all amazing. Nothing is possible without “YOU”.
Was I relaxed after releasing the first issue? Honestly, on one hand I celebrated the launch of the first issue on the other I was thinking how to maintain, if not exceed, the expectations of all the members. At times that can be tough. But not impossible! Especially when you have a team that is committed and willing to go an extra mile to help. This second issue is another example of that extra mile contributed by all of the D’Chaps. Last time I didn’t have words to thank you all, this time I can go on thanking you in a loop. During the life of a Toastmaster we are bound to learn and improve as a leader and as a speaker. Each role helps us learn something new every day. Experiencing the role of a VP – PR has strengthened my belief on this quote of a Napoleon Hill: “It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others succeed”
As usual our members have contributed with their ideas, articles and much more. Be generous in expressing your views on their efforts. Let’s briefly look at the highlights of this issue: Inspiring & Motivational Messages from the leadership of Dubai Chapter. How to Judge? Timely contribution by our member TM VP Menon as we are getting closer to the contests. Toastmasters have Talent – An initiative from half way across the globe by TM Andy Cristofori, in his quest of discovering the talent in Toastmasters. Seven wonderful articles by seven wonderful Toastmasters TM Abdel Rahman, TM Aadil Kadri, TM Pradeep Kumar, TM Saleha Ambreen, TM Richa Khera, TM Manish Goyal & TM Vinay Satheesh With this issue I am pleased to announce Dubai Chapter’s presence on the World Wide Web. Please connect with us to get updates on club activities and events. Make your presence felt by actively participating in discussions and sharing ideas.
Enjoy reading! Help us improve by sharing your views on social media or at the clubs officers email address officers-7492@toastmastersclubs.org .
Abdul KHALIQ VP Public Relations Dubai Chapter ORATOR SEPTEMBER 2013
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TABLE OF
CONTENTS December 2013
6 LEADERSHIP MESSAGE 7 President’s Message 8 From the Desk of VP Education 10 From the Desk of VP Membership
11 FYI 11 ExCom’s Day at the Studio 12 Distinguished Club Program
13 EDUCATIONAL SESSION
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13 How to Judge? By VP Menon
14 INITIATIVE WORTH SPREADING 15 Toastmasters have Talent Initiative by Andy Cristofori
16 ARTICLES 16 7 Lessons from Sachin’s Farewell By Aadil Kadri 19 Power of Feedback By Abdel Rahman 21 History or Chinese Whispers? By Pradeep Kumar 24 Straight from the Madhouse By Richa Khera 25 Toastmaster Problems By Saleha Ambreen 27 Health is Wealth By Vinay Satheesh 29 D’Chaps Family Day Out By Manish Goyal
32 CLUB UPDATES
FEATURES 15 Toastmasters have Talents TM Andy Cristofori – in his quest of discovering the talent in Toastmasters
21 History or Chinese Whispers? An Article by Pradeep Kumar a member of Emirates Toastmasters Club
40 Your Chance to Win Answer the Simple Question for your chance to Win a Souvenir from Toastmasters Copyright Notice: Toastmasters International, the Toastmasters International logo, and all other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International. Any logos, banners and material used in preparation of this newsletter are provided at Toastmasters’ website for members’ use. Any extract used from Toastmasters manuals is credited to Toastmasters with a reference to the original manual/guide.
Dubai Chapter – Club Leadership
MESSAGE
Supporting Toastmasters International, Dubai Chapter
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
TIME CERTAINLY FLIES WHEN YOU ARE HAVING FUN!
D
ear Talented Toastmaster, Can you believe it is the end of the year? Time certainly flies when you are having fun! This quarter has been jam packed with moving moments in both our club and beyond. In just 12 weeks we have rejoiced in the soul food that is music in our Musical Meeting, and bid a sad farewell to two special ladies who always led us in song, TM Beena George and TM Michelle Vanvelzon; we have celebrated Dubai’s winning bid to host EXPO 2020 and we have mourned the passing of the revered Nelson Mandela; we have debated the death penalty and rejoiced in the spirit of Christmas. What eventful lives we live and what a colorful world we live in.
following the Club standards that have been tried, tested & cemented by our Club forbears and TMI. These include practices such as shaking people’s hands when you enter and exit the stage, addressing each member as “TM __”, My personal reflections on this quarter bring gratitude using power point as Wordmaster, utilising the microphone when at all possible and many other small for the wonderful members who have displayed generosity with their time, skill and enthusiasm for the details which together make for consistent & professional Club Meetings. Let’s polish our performance! benefit of the Club, and a commitment to striving for “All Aboard! We are leaving the quality of their own performance and that of our Club meetings. I have witnessed new members blossom as platform on another amazing they put their heart and soul into their P1 and P2 journey!” projects, or completed their first evaluations with Now for the big crescendo – the Annual Club Contest! courage and enthusiasm. I have seen members of all Contest time is a very exciting time of year. levels offer their hand with fabulous food, articulate Anticipation, nerves and excitement battle each other articles, mindful mentoring, magnificent minutes, for a front row seat. It is a huge opportunity for artistic agendas, melodic music and a wealth of growth laid out on a platter for all to share and take part in. If you are a contestant batten down the wisdom. Every helping hand is recognized and remembered. If we display team work like bees making hatches and get practicing in the mirror, the shower and driving to work. If you are mentor call up your honey we get Golden Glistening Performance! Let’s mentees and coach and encourage them. If you are a continue to enrich the club and ourselves. As you read judge actively sign-up to the panels of Clubs where in my email this quarter the personality and presence you’ve always wanted to witness great speakers. If you of each single one of you is highly valued. Without you, are none of the above (“yet”) call me and we will find and others like you, we would not have a club, let alone you a role in our contest and others so that you too such a solid, prestigious and successful club! Remember can be part of the journey. All Aboard! We are leaving “ubuntu” (“I am because of you”) – we are because of the platform on another amazing journey! each other. Thank you for “giving cheerfully and receive gratefully” (Maya Angelou). I feel that next quarter we can sharpen our performance even further by strictly ORATOR SEPTEMBER 2013
Your President, friend & cheerleader Gemma Zust President Dubai Chapter 7
FROM THE DESK OF VP – EDUCATION
THE ONLY PERSON THAT CAN SAVE YOU...IS YOU
H
ow true… This is what is written on the visiting card of the founder and owner of "Dream Doers" Swapna Nair. Indeed stimulating enough for me to think and try to find out some words for our own magazine.
On 27-Dec-13 evening, I reached at the inauguration ceremony of "Dream Doers", possibly Swapna's biggest venture so far and am sure, most exciting too. Exhilarative enough for her, intriguing enough for me. I have questions. What exactly does it take to go for what you wish to have? What is it that forces you, pushes you to stand up and grab it? What is it that makes people fulfill their dreams, when there are enough mind barriers, logistics obstacles, money issues and a million other hindrances that could stop you, tell you that it is not that easy, hold on, time is not right and blah blah blah.... But even then, against all these adversities and knocks that life has to offer, one rises up and goes for it, for his dream, dream that he has been visualizing it to make it a reality. So that brings me to the next question; what makes one get up, muster all that courage, knock all the odds down and pockets that very dream. What makes it happen? Who makes it happen? The answer is not that difficult, it is .............. YOU. That's it?? Is that it??? Have I answered the mind boggling questions that I was blabbering a minute back? Yes, I have. It is YOU. However, the story doesn't end here. We all know that it is one's self
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“Remember, it is YOU who will make it happen...because....” who can make it happen, but even when we have the answer so crystal clear; why do many of us not achieve what we aim for? Why do many times we fall short of our goal? Is it the lack of persistence, bounded dedication, procrastination, limited beliefs, narrow vision? What is it? Could be all of it, could be some of it, could be just one of it?
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FROM THE DESK OF VP – EDUCATION Thanks to the visiting card lying on my sofa with imagery of self-belief, creating some resonance with me of what fill this space. I was able to conclude that I could write this, with the kind of thoughts that I would wish to share and the dots I wanted to connect… only because I chose to do so, only because I believed I could do it.
“Let's not forget those who make it happen are not different people” Let's not forget those who make it happen are no different to ourselves. They didn’t come from Mars, they have the same time that we have, 24 hours a day. They are for sure...humans. If they can, why can't we? As I gathered above, there can be many reasons for not reaching ultimately where we wish to, but in my opinion, the biggest could be, limited beliefs. Only if we tell ourselves that we could do it, we will be able to do it. There is no way that we will fall short of our ultimate vision. There could be delays, there could still be dreary things happening around us, stopping us, but it is the belief which will take us there. In my opinion, it is a process of keeping oneself motivated. I chose to write this article at 2 AM, when I really had no clue what I wanted to write. ORATOR SEPTEMBER 2013
You are no different, we are no different and nothing can actually stop you to chase your dream. Remember, it is YOU who will make it happen...because.... The only person that can save you...is YOU..
Deepak Gulati VP Education Dubai Chapter
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FROM THE DESK OF VP – MEMBERSHIP
IT IS IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT TOGETHER WE STAND STRONG AND HEALTHY
W
e are now 58 active members in Dubai Chapter Toastmasters club, with our last 3 additional members joined since Oct-2013.
Hello Toastmasters, We are now 58 active members in Dubai Chapter Toastmasters club, with our five most recent members joining since Oct-2013. It is important to highlight that together we stand strong and healthy records with a very high retention rate of our current members. We continusely receive new visitors to our club, however, our average visitor per meeting dropped to an average of two visitors per meeting instead of five compared with the last quarter. It is also important to highlight the support we get from our senior members in each meeting. The challenge we have now is the low attendance of the newly joined members and to enroll them in the required meeting roles. On a final note, I request every member to book his calendar on Friday, Jan, 24th for the club annual contest and to volunteer for contest role, it is an excellent experience and will help you to shape your future as a Toastmaster and to complete part of your leadership manuals roles.
Five New Members Smedley Award Achieved
Average of 2 guests per meeting. 58 Active Members
Abdel Rahman Al Housseiny VP Membership Dubai Chapter
ORATOR SEPTEMBER 2013
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EXCOM’s DAY AT THE STUDIO
ORATOR SEPTEMBER 2013
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DUBIA CHAPTER DCP UPDATE
ORATOR SEPTEMBER 2013
12
“How to Judge?”
A
s the contestants are gearing up for the contest season, judges are sharpening their pencils. Our member TM VP Menon a veteran
Toastmaster delivered a judges training for Table Topics in a session organized by Division B & F. If you missed it or would like a refresher TM VP has shared with us some valuable tips on “How to Judge?”. It’s equally important for both Judges and Contestants to understand the rules of judging.
What is judging?
The Judge’s Guide
Judging is a subjective process that we try to make objective.
Take notes Use suggested points Use other point values Pluses and minuses Tie breaking Judge
Judges have an obligation to: Contestants Toastmasters International Audience Themselves
Judging Categories (Table Topics Contest) Content Development Effectiveness Delivery Physical Voice Language Appropriateness Correctness
Judging vs. Evaluating Judging = selecting a winner Evaluating = appraisal and advice Judges’ decisions are confidential! Good Judges Are … Accurate Fair Trustworthy Knowledgeable Good listeners Barriers to Objectivity Speaker position Champion for the underdog Halo effect Reverse halo effect Second time around Not the norm Prejudices and personal preferences ORATOR SEPTEMBER 2013
VeePee’s two cents
Its just a role Arrive on time Be normal, Act normal, Stay normal Keep it simple Don’t watch the watch Don’t watch the phone Contact Chief Judge for clarifications Don’t carry it home It just keeps getting better
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Ideas, Initiatives & Inspirations
HAVE IDEAS?
WRITE TO US WATCH OUT THIS SPACE FOR INNOVATIVE IDEAS
INITIATIVE WORTH SPREADING TOASTMASTERS HAVE TALENT Around the World with 80 Artists Good morning, afternoon and/or evening, My name is Andy Cristofori and I am Area 24 Governor, Southern Division, District 69 in Australia. I am also the Toastmasters coordinating "Around the World with 80 Global Minds and their Arts”. The list of countries/regions with artistic Toastmasters featured in "Around the World with 80+ Global Minds and their Arts" is growing every day. We now have 46 countries/regions represented. If you know an artistic [amateur or professional] Toastmasters in any country please send them an email and ask them to nominate
Australia Austria Bahamas Bangladesh Belgium Brazil Brunei Canada Caribbean Cyprus
England Ethiopia France Greece Grenada Guyana Hong Kong India Ireland Italy
Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Kuwait Lagos Latvia Lebanon Mauritius Mexico Nepal
With your help this project be very successful. Please forward this email together with the attachments to all other Clubs in your country/region, to your Area Governor, Division Governor and District Governor. If you have a website or a Facebook page, please post this project. You can find more information about me on my LinkedIn or Facebook page - Andy [Armando] Cristofori - and I am more than happy to connect with Toastmasters from all over the world. ORATOR DECEMBER 2013
These Q & A will clarify some key points:Q: Can any artistic Toastmaster be nominated? A: Yes, no matter how unusual the art may be. Q: What happens after a nomination has been received? A: All are sent a short Q & A form so we can begin the process. Q: Do they need to be professional artists? A: No, professional and amateurs are welcome. Q: Will you feature only Toastmasters? A: Yes.
New Zealand Papua New Guinea Peru Portugal Romania Saudi Arabia Scotland Slovenia Singapore South Africa
Spain Sri Lanka Sweden Netherlands Trinidad & Tobago USA
Please nominate yourself and/or another Toastmaster NOW! DEADLINE for nominations is 31st January, 2014.
Initiative by Andy Cristofori Andy Cristofori is a CEO of Xanadu Corp in Australia. He is Area 24 Governor, Southern Division 69, Australia. For nominations contact him at XanaduCorp@icloud.com
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7 LESSONS FROM SACHIN’S FAREWELL SPEECH The Hidden Message By Aadil Kadri
T
he “Die Hard” & “Expandable” fans could not hide their tears when the Master was thanking from the center of the Wankhede Stadium, after his last performance. To surprise all he was with a paper with pointers so that he does not forget anyone. If you noticed he started with his late father and went on to thank till the fans who yelled Sachin…Sachin, in such a brilliant order covering his parents to family, in-laws, friends, gurus, people on the field, off the field that one can never debate if he missed anyone. The perfectionist, the finisher and the
ORATOR DECEMBER 2013
the legend may not return to field again but even in his last speech he taught us a few lessons.
Let me try to put forward a few lessons from Farewell Speech:
1. Retirement is inevitable He said “My life, between 22 yards for 24 years, it is hard to believe that that wonderful journey has come to an end”. Message for you “Retirement is inevitable – gymnasts retire at the age of 18, athlete at the age of 25, other sportsman at
“There are no shortcuts to success; you have to really work hard to achieve your dreams” 16
35, and you may be at the age of 55 or 60. Only politicians never retire so they don’t have to worry about money after retirement. But you are not that lucky, you should always remember that you have to save & invest enough for your golden years.” 2. Do not find shortcuts He said “My father gave me freedom at the age of 11, and told me that [I should] chase my dreams, but make sure you do not find shortcuts. The path might be difficult but don’t give get complacent and I would to your financial success. She up…” stop working hard.” He also is… & she needs big Message for you “There are no thanked other coaches. appreciation for that. Even if shortcuts to success; you have she is not interested in Message for you “Why ‘God of to really work hard to achieve managing finances, make sure Cricket’ need a coach? He was your dreams. Avoid “get rich she participates in setting goals talented and luck in his in his quick” schemes, whenever you & her goals should get higher favour when injuries occurred think about shortcuts in priority than your personal but why an advisor? investments, think of Snakes & goals.” Coach/Advisor is someone who Ladders game.” can give advice based on his 5. Have balance in your life 3. Coach can play important role experience, keep your head cool He Said “Time has flown by. I He said “And it all started from & can take decisions without wanted to spend so much time the age of 11 when Ajit emotional impact.” with them (kids) on special (brother) took me to Archrekar 4. Behind every successful man, occasions like their birthdays, sir, my coach, and from there there is a woman their annual days, their sports on my life changed. Sir has day, going on holidays, He Said “Anjali (wife) took the never ever said ‘well played’ to whatever. I have missed out on initiative to step back and say me because he thought I would all those things.” that ‘you continue with your Message for you “This is a cricket and I will take the “One thing that is Regret. Before starting financial responsibility of the family’. common in every case planning process for our clients, Without that, I don’t think I we conduct couple of Life would have been able to play is – they are not able Planning exercises. And one cricket freely and without to give quality time to thing that is common in every stress”. case is – they are not able to Message for you “If your spouse family. Time is give quality time to family. Time is homemaker that doesn’t flying…. ” is flying…. ” mean she is not contributing ORATOR DECEMBER 2013
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will not only ensure success but give you the all elusive satisfaction which we all seek, albeit unconsciously. And once you achieve your goals – try to do something for society.”
6. Being healthy He said “I would be failing in my duties if I did not thank all the doctors, the physios, the trainers, who have put this difficult body together to go back on the field and be able to play. So a big thank you to all three of you for keeping me in good shape.” Message for you “Managing stress free life is not just making good investments and buying mediclaim & term insurance. You have to keep yourself abreast on daily basis. Keeping a healthy diet, exercises, managing stressfree work life, regular medical checkups are few things which one must follow. Life it not a 100 mts race where you put
your best in the first 25 mts. It is a marathon with lot of laps and you need to keep replenishing yourself to see yourself a winner.” 7. Bigger Purpose
Apart from the final thanks-giving speech, one thing which Sachin has repeated again and again in his interviews is that having idols in life is important but our own individuality needs to be nurtured. He was a great fan of Gavaskar and Viv Richards. But he does not mirror any of them. He had the stability of Gavaskar and attack of Richards. He came to cricket when new forms of the game like one days and T-20 were flourishing. He adapted to those styles and in fact introduced few shots which millions of fans would remember forever. Sachin gives us the motivation and focus for sure, but ultimately we also need to use our own judgments when the moment arises. So whether its choosing an investment or a job we need to assess our strengths, opportunities and the situation and then do what is best suited for us.
He said “I had a brief message for the team. I would like to repeat that. I just feel that all of us are so, so fortunate and proud to be part of the Indian cricket team and serving the nation.” Message for you “Try and figure out the–bigger picture and make the best of what you have. Feel and appreciate what you are part of. In finance your family well-being can be your salvation, so try to Well Done Sachin… We will miss achieve it without you… accumulating tensions. This will not only ensure success Aadil Kadri is a Group Manager – Advisory at Continental Financial Services. He is a: Certified Financial Planner, FPSB - India Qualified Life Member Million Dollar Round Table - USA Member FAAIDA ( Financial Advisors Association of India) Member of Dubai Chapter since Apr – 2010.
ORATOR DECEMBER 2013
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FEEDBACK A Natural Process By Abdel Rahman
F
eedback is a natural process, it exists everywhere, think about the annual appraisal, the elections, revolutions, stock values, global warming; they are all different forms of feedback.
conversation over a coffee, task review, going to formal appraisal.
In order to give feedback you should have a clear goal; goal setting is an essential step. Tell your people right from the beginning that you are Feedback brings people back on going to let them know how they track, in the corporate life; Statistics are doing regularly. shows that 25% of performance comes from goal settings and 75% from feedback. No response causes problems: people will never know whether they are on track or not and problems will become bigger. There are different forms of feedback, starting from an informal ORATOR DECEMBER 2013
Steps of an effective feedback: Give a feedback immediately; don’t wait until they do it again. Be specific and factual; tell people what they did right in a specific situation and what you liked about their behavior and performance.
Give a feedback immediately; don’t wait until they do it again. 19
Be fair and consistent; give praise even if you are busy or distracted, otherwise they will live in ambiguity and will never know what is the right thing to do. Tell people how you feel about what they did, and how it helps the group. Stop for a moment of silence to let them feel how good you feel. Encourage them to do more of the same. Shake hands in a way to make them feel you support their success. As an example of effective positive feedback is: "Arshad, I really appreciate your dedication and sense of responsibility in the last meeting; you really helped the club to look better by taking the last minute role and by delivering all the role duties as per the TMI manual. I feel you are a person We can depend on in tough situations. You should be proud of yourself, keep it up in your next roles"
Your aim is to help people reach their full potential, catch them doing something Right. Most managers spend their time catching their people doing something WRONG. Constructive feedback is harder to deliver than positive feedback, it has to be done perfectly or it will bite back. Remember first it should be done individually not in a group. Never attack the person, talk only about the behavior that will help them not to be defensive. End the reprimand with praising, shake hands in a way to make them feel you think well of them but not of their performance in this situation. Realize that when a reprimand is over, it’s over. Example of an effective constructive feedback is: "Alfred I felt you were not up to expectations when you did not show up in the last meeting and you did not inform us in advance.
This is not an acceptable way to behaive and you put all of us under tremendous pressure to cover your role. I believe you were under extreme pressure outside of the club to have put us this position and I am sure you know how to avoid this in the future. You are a very valuable member to the organization and I value your contribution." Remember, when you end a constructive feedback by a praising people think about their behavior not your behavior. It applies everywhere, in professional life, in all directions, peers, boss and subordinates. In social life, never assume your friends or your family can read your mind, go and give them feedback tell them how do you feel. The best minute you spend is the one you invest in people; So take the time and do it.
Abdel Rahman is working in the capacity of Program Manager at Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing contributing to the tourism sector development and 2020 vision. He likes reading, walking and riding bicycle, enjoy the most sharing experience and life lessons with a friend over a cup of coffee. Believes in hard work, dedication and resilience values to achieve anything in life.
ORATOR DECEMBER 2013
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HISTORY OR CHINESE WHISPERS? A Great Story Told or a Great Story Sold By Pradeep Kumar
H
istory as a subject fascinates 1. His & almost everyone. May be it is 2. Story because it is natural for a person to want to know how he has My problem with history is that, I will never get to hear his story from reached, wherever he has. He him. expects history to give him these answers to fulfill this curiosity. This problem of history could very History in some form is well be explained by the game, that communication of information from is better known as "Chinese one to another, from one Whispers" generation to the next generation. But is there something that could be wrong with history? Is it A Great Story Told or a Great Story Sold. If I was to break this word "History" into two, I would have:
ORATOR DECEMBER 2013
Chinese Whispers is a game played around the world, in which one person whispers a message to another, which is passed through a line of people until the last player announces the message to the entire group. Errors typically accumulate in the retellings, so the statement announced by the last player
"What is History, but a fable agreed upon?" Napoleon Bonaparte 21
differs significantly, and often amusingly, from the one uttered by the first. Reasons for changes include anxiousness or impatience, erroneous corrections, and that some players may deliberately alter what is being said to guarantee a changed message by the end of the line.
papers. Whatever you write on these papers, they carry it with them, unless they realize. Information could be either filtered or altered of changed completely.
70 years after the author's death. The government of Bavaria, in agreement with the federal government of Germany, refuses to allow any copying or printing of the book in Germany, and opposes
From this definition we could analyze, that when a communication that is made from one person to another in the same frame of time, is not free of defects, could history which is then a communication between generations be free of defects? Napoleon Bonaparte once famously quoted, "What is History, but a fable agreed upon?" A fable can be defined as something that has no documentary evidence to certify its authenticity. But if enough people want it to be true, it becomes the truth. So strong is this comparison to a fable that it deserves a thought that who might these "enough people" be? Let us for the sake of simplicity call these people "the system" The system has defined or framed our history in a particular way, that the information that they want the next generations to know, only that information is passed on and the rest is filtered away. The minds of the children are like blank ORATOR DECEMBER 2013
Prominent examples of the system it also in other countries but with less success. filtering away information are many. I would in this article take 3 examples 1. The Political restrictions imposed on free sale of the Autobiography of Adolf Hitler called the “Mein Kamph” or “My
Struggle”, is one such example. At the time of his suicide, Hitler's
2. The Political Restrictions imposed on free sale of biography of Nathu Ram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, called "Why I assassinated Mahatma Gandhi" is another such example. The system does not want the people at large to know the other version of the story.
official place of residence was in Munich, which led to his entire estate, including all rights to Mein Kampf, changing to the ownership of the state of Bavaria. As per German copyright law, the entire text is scheduled to enter the
“Let us be guided by our minds alone and stay in the Present”
public domain on 1 January 2016,
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3. Salahuddin or Saladin, one of the greatest Arab warrior who had won the city of Jerusalem had set an example by letting the prisoners of war leave the city unharmed back to their lands in Europe. So great was this act that he was respected equally in both the Middle East and Europe. But there is also a version of History, that says that Salahuddin had let go the prisoners, but against a price that was paid to him.
So all that matters, the time that really matters is the time between So what options are we left with. we gain our consciousness till the Given the limited power that each end of our time. Anything that happened before that is bunk. of us has, would we like our Anything that does not satisfy the In such times, where the system children or future generations to does not promote open debate continue learning the history as is litmus test of tangible cause and and argument, how can we presented to them and make them effect is bunk. Therefore, in my opinion, we must never make an develop our children and what are have an opinion accordingly? Or opinion or judgment on anything we putting them through in terms are we going to challenge the of fabricated history. Which Status Quo, and make them realize or anyone, just based on what History teaches us. Remember, the version of the story is correct or that there is more to digest than pages in the book were limited and which is wrong, how can we what clearly appears? possibly ever know? Since this article has been penned the vested interests were always at work. by me, allow me my readers to There is a dialogue in one of the give you my opinion. I would Let us therefore not live our lives epic Batman movies by an epic Super Villain Joker that I would like rather follow what Henry Ford had guided by what happened in past to say about History. or what was told by someone in to mention. He emphasizes that "History means nothing to me. past or by anything that was the system has an established History is more or less bunk. It's a written in the past, unless it could order. tradition. We don't want be scientifically proven even today, “Introduce a little anarchy, Upset traditions. We want to live in the if the experiment was repeated. the established order, and present and the only history that is Let us be guided by our minds everything becomes chaos.� worth a tinker's damn is the alone and stay in the Present. May be the system here is trying to history we make today." prevent that chaos or may be just trying to achieve vested interests.
Pradeep Kumar is a Commercial In Charge – Middle East Business Unit at Kaltenbach + Co KG. He is a member of Emirates Toastmasters Club. Hobbies Interests: S for Squash E for Economic S for Salsa E for Evolution S for Swimming S for Speaking ORATOR DECEMBER 2013
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STRAIGHT FROM THE MADHOUSE Today I can understand… By Richa Khera
F
or a Dubai born child, studying in India for 7 years of my under grad and grad was a complete eye opener. The maximum I’d have ever shared my space was my room with my brother! Which, was a complete disaster. My parents were always so mad with the yelling and fighting that they decided to give up on teaching us how to share and gave us our own rooms. Too bad, I got used to living in my own space. During my undergrad in India, it so happened that the university had an excessive admission of girls and three seater rooms were converted to four. Girls still poured in and my room being the largest in the girls hostel had to accommodate five of
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us. It turned into a madhouse! Slowly, I started sharing my space, my time, my thoughts and my dreams (never my food!) My room mates were my everything. Every night was like a slumber night. It was like living in a chick flick movie and I realized how important it was to have people around us.
each other. The tremendous amount of diversity that we picked up from each other made us what we are today.
Today, I can understand more than just my emotions, see the world through some one else’s eyes, dream for another person, be happy for others, love, learn, wish for good things to happen In our senior years we were given for somebody else as well and single rooms, but barely did we stay pray for another’s happiness. alone. We would always have Above all, I can share! ourselves huddled in one of our rooms and spend crazy time with
“Today, I can understand more than just my emotions” 24
TOASTMASTER PROBLEMS Is it worth it? By Saleha Ambreen
T
ill date we have only seen, read, or heard the advantages of toastmasters. So did you know the 10 disadvantages of Toastmasters.
on your door mat that night. You take your wife along with you for the meetings – one more taboo => No more humour on husband-wife jokes!
Demand and toastmasters More space required. directly proportional. The increase in number of trophies would just result in taking up more space to place one more new cupboard in your high rent-little space apartments. Life partner. You reach home late after meetings- you can expect to sleep
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Your family members start demanding more of whatever they want, now that you will have to leave them at home if you have a contest the coming weekend.
“It is still totally worth and a pride, to be a Toastmaster!” 25
yourself free once in two weeks for a toastmaster’s meeting, but also for some GYM work. Don’t forget your oats and brown bread to suffer with!
Toastmaster-ities! You meet your toastmasterscum-family-friends; you are stuck with nothing but a common topic of toastmaster which your family’s ears are saturated with.
The Toastmaster monster. People are afraid of us as their ‘toastmaster monster friend’ may either start boring them with the speeches or drag them too, to become a member. More number of bills. “You really have to go for the meeting? Fine, I shall go
Topics Be it to watch people while in the metro, make new friends around, new boss, newly married, vacation to your hometown or a tour, visit the doctor, discussion with your teenage daughter or what so ever, the main idea behind all this is nothing but finding a topic for your next speech. That’s selfish! VLCC Slimming Sessions. Now that’s another pain. Not just will you have to keep
shopping or some kitty party in the evening”, “Dad, You have to let us go for this movie, if you want us to join you this Friday for your contest”, Now decide, Bills along with your membership fees? Saleha Ambreen is a Journalism student
Ticket Bookings. Be it a business meeting to the US or a trip to your hometown to attend your sibling’s wedding, you plan them all making sure you don’t miss your meeting and you have to return before the next meeting. What a stress! Not for the family anymore. “WOW!! Mom, I love you for making my favourite dessert today. Can I have a bit of it?”—“NOOOOO YOU CAN’T!! That’s for my club’s special family meeting tonight”
Having said all that, It is still totally worth and a pride, to be a Toastmaster!
Saleha says about herself: I keep thinking most of the time, that's my hobby, and that's probably because I'm too lazy to do anything else. I do play Piano specially when I need some peace after that busy week of studies, deadlines and other stress. My first article for the Toastmasters magazine, hope all the readers to read and like it. ORATOR DECEMBER 2013
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HEALTH IS WEALTH Have you been sick lately? By Vinay Satheesh
H
ippocrates, The Father of Medicine had once said, “Let your food be your medicine – Let your medicine be your food”
My health history for last 5 years:
Total no of leave from duty – 31 days Sick leave due to a neck sprain – I would like to share with all of you 1 day my personal experience which Vacation – 30 days proved to me that food is really a During the last 5 years, I never had medicine. fever or cold & I never felt lack of Eating foods rich in antioxidants and Vitamins protect us from minor and major diseases. I am sharing with you how regular intake of foods rich in antioxidants and vitamins (Fruits & Vegetables) protected me from minor diseases.
energy in my daily routines. Even if I closely interact with persons with fever or cold I am confident that I am not going to get it. Its purely because of the regular intake of raw vegetables and fruits (fruits are cleansing agents) which I include in my diet.
“Just include raw fruits and vegetables in your diet”
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My breakfast (Last 5 years) First 2 years: A mixture of Oats/Raisins/Sunflower seeds/Cherries/Almonds (I used to buy a breakfast food known as “Dorset” which you will find in Carrefour). Next 3 years: A pack of fresh fruits which I buy everyday from the super market on the ground floor of my office building. Some days I bring from home. Fruits I eat include: Melon mix: Sweet melon/Rock melon/Honey dew melon One box of carrots cut into round pieces (I used to take from home) One box of white or black grapes (Keep it at least 10 mts in salt water) One box of pomegranate (my favourite fruit) with cucumber. In terms of looks, it looks fantastic....Red & Light Green (Straight from home) One box of Mangoes (King of Fruits). My Lunch 50% poison + 50% nutrients........ gets neutralized. No apparent benefits to health.
My Dinner Cucumber & any of citrus I have recently included juices as fruits part of my diet. My juicing Pomegranate (Major source of combinations include: antioxidants) Beet root (major source of Green apples (Major source of antioxidants) antioxidants) & any of the citrus fruits
Here is a minimum target for you...............Just include raw fruits and vegetables in your diet either in the morning or evening , I can assure you will have a protective lining all over your body which normal virus cannot by pass (May be,,, an Olympic gold medalist Virus...)
Wish you all Gooooooood Health & Viiiiiiiiiitality!
Vinay Satheesh is a Property Manager at Fortes Holdings. Vinay likes sports, movies and driving. Above he likes to stay healthy by eating healthy. Because he believes in “Health is Wealth”. His motive to join Toastmasters is “"To perform better, the capability of public speaking is very important".
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D’CHAPS FAMILY DAY OUT AT ZABEEL PARK Did we have fun? O’ YES! By Mansih Goyal
I
was on a continuous journey for the last one month. As soon as I reached Dubai, emails popped in my mailbox and then whatsapp messages that our club is organizing a day out picnic for our Toastmaster with their families at Zaabeel park . After a month long and hectic schedule of work it was a wonderful idea of a family picnic. I was very excited but at the same time I was a little upset (Not literally) , because my wife was not here and the idea of a family picnic without family made me a little upset but there was my
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hunting for the parking for almost half an hour, I could managed to enter in the park. Cold air in little sunny afternoon was making the weather very Friday, 20th December, 2013 was pleasant. As I entered, there was the day of picnic and we had to an attendance login system to reach at 11.30 a.m. but I got a little our picnic. Mr. Abdel Rahman late and reached 12.00 and after was logging in every person in Toastmaster family to take care of me, so there was no second thought about attending this picnic. I was all ready for fun.
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his camera as an attendance and we all were posing like a celebrity on the Red Carpet.
There were perfect arrangements for food, seating and games. All the credit goes to our organizing team who reached very early in the morning and reserved a perfect spot in the park, or else we would have ended up barbecuing on a road side or a car park area! There were two separate BBQ counters under two separate shades for vegetarians and nonvegetarians, which was a relief for vegetarians and probably increased their appetite. It was a lovely gathering of around 40 people, which included members from toddlers to senior citizen. It gave a feeling of a big joint family going out for a picnic. It was a wonderful experience interacting with the families of our club members. A picnic is incomplete without food. All members brought varieties of foods, sweets, juices and cold drinks. Our BBQ master chefs TM Qaisar, TM Deepak, ORATOR DECEMBER 2013
TM Abdul Khaliq were trying different things and we were the victim of their delicious experiments. Smell of BBQ food was all around and attracting me to grab it. It is evident from the picture below how the members enjoyed the delicious food.
Now it was the time to test fitness. There were two teams comprising of ladies and gents and we had to show our full strength in tug of war. There was tough competition but finally team 1 won because I was in that team. After testing of combined power of men and women everybody wanted to see woman power. So there was a tug
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of war for woman only and believe me, it was a tougher competition. After this game all husbands were more scared of their wives. Then we tested power of kids and we were very happy to see that our world’s future is in strong hands.
While we were all enjoying the gathering, a rather emotional moment came when it was announced that our immediate past President TM Beena George is leaving Dubai soon. We all will always be thankful for her support and guidance at every level and aspect of the club.
When everybody was playing games, there were some romantic couples who stole few moments for themselves and enjoyed beautiful weather.
Then we played many other games and showed our mental and balancing strengths. There were separate games for men, women and kids and everybody was very enthusiastic to participate. But I did not understand what happened to TM Deepak, TM Abdel, TM Gemma and TM Aadil, why they suddenly started walking on their hands.
Everyone enjoyed every minute of togetherness. I was very happy to see smiling faces all around. We all left around at 5.30 pm with return gift of good memories.
This is what the toastmaster is. It gives such a wonderful moments which fill our life with full of joy and happiness. I am thankful to our Ex-com for arranging such a beautiful & well organized picnic and I am proud of being a member of the Toastmaster family. We Rocked as always….
Manish Goyal is a Senior Risk & Internal Auditor with Bukhatir Group. He likes to dance, read books and play cricket. He says “I would like to develop and enhance my public speaking and leadership skills and want to develop strong connections”.
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WELCOME ABOARD
DUBAI CHAPTER WELCOMES
YOU TO THE CLUB
WELCOME ABOARD Chrine Kordahi Member since: October 2013 Mentored by:
Occupation HR Manager Organization SABIC Hobbies/Interests Motivation to join Toastmasters
Anindya Kar Member since: October2013 Mentored by:
Occupation Investment Banker Organization Standard Chartered Bank Hobbies/Interest Travelling, Reading, Running Motivation to join Improve my public speaking skills Toastmasters
Surya Nair Member since: November 2013 Mentored by:
Occupation Property Consultant Organization DAMAC Properties Hobbies/Interests Listen to music, reading books Motivation to join To improve my conversation skills Toastmasters and gain confidence in public speaking.
Mohammed Rashid Member since: November2013 Mentored by: TM
Occupation Internal Audit Manager Organization Sharjah Islamic Bank
Hobbies/Interests Reading and Public speaking Motivation to join To polish my people skills Toastmasters
Sajid Rashid Member since: November 2013 Mentored by:
Occupation A lawyer turned Banker work in central operations department Organization Dubai Islamic Bank Hobbies/Interests Personality development, reading and social activities Motivation to join Personal branding & social network Toastmasters
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DUBAI CHAPTER – HALL OF FAME
REVITALIZING THE MOMENTS Recapping the meetings – Oct to Dec 2013
DYNAMIC TMODS BEST SPEAKERS BEST EVALUTORS
Club Dubai Chapter
Committed Role Players
Project Speakers
EVALUATORS
Meeting No. 471 – Dated 14th October, 2013
Theme of the Meeting
World Food Day
Toastmaster of the Day
TM Saleha Ambreen
Best Role Player
TM
Best Table Topic Speaker
TM
Best Evaluator
TM
Best Speaker
TM
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DUBAI CHAPTER – HALL OF FAME Meeting No. 472 – Dated 28th October, 2013
Theme of the Meeting
World Pasta Day
Toastmaster of the Day
TM Chirine Kordahi
Best Role Player
TM Chirine Kordahi
Best Evaluator
TM Sandeep Adnani
Best Table Topic Speaker
TM Col Murad
Best Speaker
TM Richa Khera
Meeting No. 473 – Dated 11th November, 2013
Theme of the Meeting
Diwali – The Essence of Celebrations
Toastmaster of the Day
TM Abdul Khaliq
Best Role Player
TM Abdul Khaliq
Best Evaluator
TM Beena George
Best Table Topic Speaker
Guest Ms. Surya
Best Speaker
TM Sadaff Habib
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DUBAI CHAPTER – HALL OF FAME Meeting No. 474 – Dated 25th November, 2013
Theme of the Meeting
Abolishing the Death Penalty
Toastmasters of the Day
TM Gemma Zust
Best Table Topic Speaker
Guest Mr. Abhihail
Best Evaluator
TM Sandeep Adnani
Best Speaker
TM Richa Khera
Best Role Player
TM Gemma Zust
Meeting No. 475 – Dated 9th December, 2013
Theme of the Meeting
Music from My Heart
Toastmaster of the Day
TM Beena George
Best Table Topic Speaker
TM Vijay Kumar Balan
Best Role Player
TM Beena George
Best Evaluator
TM Swapna Nair
Best Speaker
TM Puneet Joshi
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DUBAI CHAPTER – HALL OF FAME Meeting No. 476 – Dated 23rd December, 2013
Theme of the Meeting
Christmas
Toastmasters of the Day
TM Qaiser Amin
Best Table Topic Speaker
TM Ambuj Tripathi
Best Evaluator
TM Abdel Rahman
Best Speaker
TM Richa Khera
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GLIMPSES OF CHRISTMAS MEETING
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GLIMPSES OF CHRISTMAS MEETING
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ANSWER THESE SIMPLE
QUESTIONS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A
$OUVENIR
FROM TOASTMASTERS
ALL YOU NEED is this issue of Orator and answer the questions
CAN’T GET ANY SIMPLER!!! Q1: How many meeting did we have during Q2 of 2013-14? a) 12
b) 7
c) 6
Q2: Who said “Time flies when you are having fun”? a) TM Gemma b) TM Beena c) TM Swapna Q3: TM ________ said “Give a feedback immediately; don’t wait until they do it again. a) TM Abdel Rahman
b) TM Deepak c) TM Sadaff
Q4: Who was the TMOD of our meeting no. 476? a) TM Qaisar
b) TM Chrine c) TM Saleha
Q5: Who is traveling around the world with 80 Toastmasters? a) TM Andy
b) M Ashok
c) TM Sandeep
Q6: “There are not shortcut to success” said by a) Sachine Tendulkar
b) TM Aadil
c) Col. Murad
Q7: How many DCP points Dubai Chapter has so far? a) 4
b) 9
c) 10
Q8: In last five years how many sick leaves TM Vinay has? a) 5
b) 15
c) 1
Q9: “Let's not forget those who make it happen are not different people” written by a) TM Ambuj
b) TM Abdel Rahman c) TM Deepak
Q10: "What is History, but a fable agreed upon?" said by a) TM Richa
b) TM Pradeep
c) TM Aadil
Q11: Today, TM ________ can understand more than just emotions. a) TM Richa
b) TM Shahjahan
c) TM Deepa
Q12: Who highlighted the problems with Toastmasters? a) TM Manish
b) TM Saleha
c) TM Vinay
Email your response to TM Abdul Khaliq VP PR @ akhaliq.mohammad@gmail.com by 15th February, 2013
Tedious? Not to worry. A link will be sent with these Q&A. All you need to do is √
*
(tick). Simple, right? Then what are you waiting for, WINNING is just
a click away
* The winner will be picked up by a draw in case of more than one correct entry