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FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK On the other hand, my friend spoke flawlessly with oozing confidence. I watched her in awe and self pity, but that day I decided to learn this art and master the skills of speaking fluently. Our respected TM Girish Kumar helped me turn my dream in to reality as he invited me join NTI TM club. I had always heard that learning never stops. Swami Vivekanand says,
Willingness to learn something new everyday When I was in Class 8, I along with another girl were chosen to represent our class in a school debate. It was my first chance to represent my class at a bigger stage and I was elated at the opportunity. I was good at speaking clearly and had a good voice as well. My Hindi language teacher helped me prepare several points for the debate and got them rehearsed from me a few days before the final.
“Arise, awake and stop not until the goal is reached” I did that, I did not stop. At 40 I learnt to swim and I learnt to drive a 2 wheeler at the age of 45. I am still on the journey to improve my public speaking skills. With the gratitude, support and love from the fellow members I got the strength to play various ex com roles from SAA all the way up to President and have come a long way through this journey.
My mantra of success is to be willing to learn something new every day
On the day of the debate I was sitting in front of 800 students on stage. I had mixed feelings and soon we will surprise ourselves. of butterflies in my stomach and sense of achievement. I was sure I would do well as I had spoken in front of my class at several occasions. However when my turn came, I realized that I had lost my voice, my eyesight was blurred and I kept repeating the words as no thoughts came to my mind. The sight of so many eyes staring straight at me gave me heebie jeebies and I was in tears. I quietly climbed down from stage and sat down in a corner. I did not want to be seen, Sharda Daga | President | NTI Toastmasters noticed or talked about. NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR In every role that we do at toastmasters’ right from the sergeant- at- arms to judges everyone is on a journey towards self improvement and success-ship. What better theme could we have for this season,
‘Log on to Success-ship.’ Noopur Joshi| VPPR | NTI Toastmasters Club
CONTENTS We have come to the end of the calendar year, which announces the contest season. Contest means, a lot of preparations, practice, polishing the skills learnt at Toastmasters and applying them to use to win the race. But this race is like no other, because it is not just the top three who win but everyone who is a part of it, participating, organizing, hosting or witnessing, everyone is winning, Because winning in toastmasters means learning.
• From the President’s Desk • A Note from the Editor • NTI completes 400 sessions
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Success of the club
• Club Celebrations • Club Achievement -
6 Smedley
Awards
• Insights • Comedian Dan Nainan visits Muscat • Club tall tale Contest • Moments of Truth • Meet and Greet - The worl Champion of Public Speaking • Member Highlights - A visit to Dubai Toastmasters • Competition vs Creation
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Share with us If you too have something valuable to share with us, something that changed your perspective towards life or a lesson you learnt the hard way or anything that would inspire other members contribute towards our next newsletter issue.
NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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NTI COMPLETES 400 SESSIONS
NTI Toastmasters club celebrating their 400th session was an important, incredible and interesting milestone, that has few parallels in Oman. Longevity along with vitality is an important indicator of good health. I congratulate NTI TM club and there members for having successfully crossed this milestone and aiming for greater glory. Not every club that gets chartered achieves this landmark. Not every club born gets the kind of leadership that helps club thrive. Not every club gets the continuous flow of new members to keep there energy levels flowing. Not every club is blessed with so many district level officers. Guests who attended their first meeting at NTI, go on to join the club. They carry the torch to
become club presidents, area directors, division directors and even district directors. That is the power of NTI TM club. It is amazing to be a part of such elite group since the day the club was formed . Having seen the growth and development of members during these years fills my heart with pride and honor. I am truly delighted to see the NTI TM club growing, glowing and gearing up to meet bigger challenge of maintaining the pole position in Oman. It is just that special something with NTI that a new member quickly settles down and becomes an integral part of the club. I have seen it happen year after year. Nearly 300 members have learned the nuances of public speaking and developing their leadership skills at NTI in
NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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NTI COMPLETES 400 SESSIONS last 400 weeks. NTI has produced over 50 club, division and district level officres. A numbers of champion speakers have honed their skills on the stage of NTI. Like many Toastmasters club, there is a big churn out of members every year. Many clubs are not able to cope up and falter. New members are hard to find. Leadership is unable to raise the bar. With NTI, the story is different. Although, the churn out is quite high, they are able to attract new members with ease. There are many new members who have quickly understood the advantages of taking up leadership roles and proved themselves. By doing so, not only they enhanced their leadership skills, but also planted a fertile seed in the minds of fellow members that if you want, there is way. NTI TM is the way. One need not be a fortune teller or a crystal Rajesh Daga | DTM | NTI Toastmasters Club ball expert to predict the future of NTI TM Club. Having been through many ups and downs, troubles and traumas, NTI has risen from the ashes to conquer the Toastmasters fraternity in Oman and beyond. I am really proud and excited to be a members of NTI TM specially at this time, when quite a few new members are setting the bench mark higher and experimenting to find their best. Its not very far, that one of our own NTI TM member will soon reach the World champion of public speaking levels and also take up a leadership role at the District level.
Hats off to NTI TM members. Shine brighter, rise higher.
NTI Toastmasters meet Every Sunday At 7.45 om At National Training Institute, Al Khuwair NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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400 TH SESSION CELEBRATIONS
NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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400 TH SESSION CELEBRATIONS
NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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CLUB ACHIEVEMENTS
Smedley Club Award Added 5 new members to the club TM Ganeshan
TMPaskeran
I am a Chartered Accountant from Chennai, Sounthern part of India. I am working in Electricity Holding Company SAOC as Financial Controller. I would like to continue with Toastmasters as a life time member.
I am a Finance Manager at Special Technical Services, Oman. I am from Colombo, Sri Lanka. I have completed CIMA and ACCA and MSc. I have been a toastmaster for a year before and enjoy being at NTI.
TM Bisikesan
I am working in Rusayl in Reem Batteries and Power Appliances co. SAOC. I am from India. I hope through toastmasters i will become a confident speaker and an effective social networker too.
TM Varun
TM Tahir
I am a Mechanical Engineer win Oil and Gad industry working for Takamul Investments S.A.O.C. I am from Mangalore, India. I hope to grow as a better leader by honing my communication skills.
I am a Training Manager at Precision Global training. My intention to join toastmasters is to sharpen my presentation skills and get an opportunity to improve my talent and skills further. NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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INSIGHTS There is an adage
“Nothing succeeds like success “ What does this mean? This means success leads to opportunities for further and greater success. It is common to see that one who has tasted success obtains even more triumphs and glories in quick succession. Of course success is not natural. Nor it is an element of luck, fortune or providence. It is not like just you think about success and it comes to you on a golden platter. There is effort behind each successful person in life. If you dig deeper into this you will realise that there has been hours and hours of toil, hard work and preparation along with the right approach, attitude and willingness which makes a person successful all through.
beg for work and was sent away by people when he approached them. Finally after due hardship, he tried to make a living by selling clothes on street pavements and doing small odd jobs. He would spend the night on those pavements whether it was summer or winter. But all the traits of a successful person as mentioned hitherto where present in him and he managed to find work in the film industry. From here on, the patience and perseverance exhibited by him throughout his tough journey lead to him become one of the most successful people in the film industry. He turned out to be a millionaire who is still revered and respected by all southern celebrities.
There are many such success stories of ordinary person and celebrities today that had the “Never say die “attitude. Behind every success story is a great effort, lot of hurdles and setbacks. If you observe, all these people have overcome this with patience and perseverance to succeed in Have you studied the lives of successful people? life. It is generally different from that of an ordinary person. In fact successful people have similar A successful person is one who does not like to traits which have made them successful. They be defined by a failure. In fact success comes only all seem to share the same DNA which has after undergoing failures. These failures give you directed them towards the path of success. a learning experience to do better the next time and every time. Though borrowed from different sources these are the general traits which can be seen in them, Winston Churchill once said that like Passion to achieve, Taking Ownership and Responsibility for their acts, Being Honest in what they commit, not losing sense of direction, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the refusing to accept failures. To top it all one major courage to continue that counts.” trait is to believe in themselves. The moral of the tale, then, is that success does Here it would be pertinent to quote the success breed success, but not overwhelmingly. Whether story of my own Uncle who from a poor and the second part of the dictum, that failure breeds humble beginning went on to become one of failure, is true awaits further experimentation. the most notable film producers in South India. He led a life of poverty without having a morsel Mahesh R. | CC, Member | NTI Toastmasters of food to eat during his initial days. He had to NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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COMEDIAN - DAN NAINAN VISITS MUSCAT
C o m e d i a n DanNainan
NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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CLUB TALL TALE CONTEST
First Place :TM Paskeran Brahman | Second Place : DTM Rajesh Daga |Third Place :Yaqoob Aluafi NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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CLUB TALL TALE CONTEST
TM Dinesh T Judge for Tall Tale Contest
MTM Sabiha Salar Judge for Tall Tale Contest
MTM Shyamla Iyer Judge for Tall Tale Contest
MTM Noopur Joshi
TM Mahesh R.
TM Yaqoob Alaufi
TM Yogesh Naik
TM Manoj M.
MTM Vrunda Joshi
MTM Nilofer Tanna
TM KD Sharma
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MOMENTS OF TRUTH experience with Toastmasters is a positive one. There are six critical moments of truth in which clubs have an opportunity to create positive impressions. The Moments of Truth session was conducted on 15th November 2015 by TM. Kishore George. The evaluation results and the suggestion for improvement received from the members are list below. This will be presented to ExCom members for analysis and to prepare the action plan for implementing the corrective measures.
1.
First Impressions
Discuss what guest’s first experience and observe when visiting a club and whether or not these impressions encourage them to return.
Kishore George | VPE | NTI Toastmasters A club’s most important goals are member service and personal satisfaction. In order to keep members active and recruit new members, clubs must provide courteous, attentive, and capable service to every member and guest. “Moments of Truth” is a module from Toastmasters International’s the Successful Club Series. It discusses the standards necessary to create positive impressions about club service and provides a club evaluation exercise. When anyone comes in contact with any aspect of Toastmasters, the person forms an impression based on his or her experience at that particular time. Clubs must remain cognizant of these crucial, decisive times and ensure that every
Suggestions for Improvement: • Can have a dedicated greet master to introduce guests. • No guest book and visitor name tags. • TMOD/Greet master should welcome the guests and give a chance to at least introduce themselves. Guests came late should be given the chance to introduce themselves.
2.
Membership Orientation
Consider to what degree the club acquaints new members with the Toastmasters education and recognition system, their responsibility to the club, and the club’s responsibility to the member. Suggestions for Improvement: • The mentoring should be more active and should be monitored by VPE. • Education program should be carefully planned and cater to the needs of members.
NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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MOMENTS OF TRUTH • Education program to be more specific.
3. Fellowship, Communication
Variety,
and
Verify if the club offers a warm, friendly, and supportive environment that encourages enjoyable learning. Suggestions for Improvement: • Thank you note for guests. • Follow up with guests to motivate them to visit again. 4. Program Planning and Meeting • Record the details of the guests in the guest Organization book. • Highlights of the social events to be presented by the members who had Judge whether or not club meetings are carefully planned, with well-prepared speakers and useful attended the event. evaluations. • Inter club events to be encouraged.
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MOMENTS OF TRUTH Suggestions for Improvement: • Mailing list and WhatsApp list are not properly maintained. • Attempts should be made to ensure that mailing list is updated once in a month. • Everyone should know who is the administrator or moderator of the list. • Objectives of the speech are not met in some of the speeches. • Schedule for speeches should be prepared for six months.
5.
Membership Strength
Discuss whether the club’s number of members is not only sufficient to provide leadership, but also to fill meeting and committee assignments. Be sure to evaluate the club’s membershipbuilding and retention practices. Suggestions for Improvement: • VP Membership (VPM) should conduct a survey and analyse the reason for attrition. Based on the survey result, VPM to suggest an action plan in consultation with the ExCom. • Guest book records are not maintained and VPM has to follow up with the guests.
• Membership campaigns to be conducted in companies and communities. • Toastmasters who brings new members/ guests to be recognised on the stage. • Referral program to increase the membership strength. • Name tag to be provide for guests and members
6.
Achievement Recognition
Evaluate the club’s performance regarding the tracking of each member’s educational progress, immediate submission of completed applications, and consistent recognition of achievements. Suggestions for Improvement: • Progress chart to be circulated to members on a monthly basis. • Toastmaster of the month and list of achievers of the month to be emailed to members every month. • DCP points may require more explanation for new members.
SNEAK PEEK
NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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MEET AND GREET - WORLD CHAMPION OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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MEET AND GREET - WORLD CHAMPION OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
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MEET AND GREET - WORLD CHAMPION OF PUBLIC SPEAKING photographed with him, he was patient. He must have been photographed more than 200 times with different people. And despite all that he remained cool and was ever smiling, occasionally cracked jokes and kept the environment friendly. There was no sense of superiority and he was extremely humble and approachable. He was to deliver his way of achieving success the theme was YES YOU CAN, wherein he explained the way forward through visual aid and practical demonstration. In a true spirit of toastmasters, he displayed his excellent skills of presentation with the active involvement of the audience. He guided people through exercises and well crafted slides. Yogesh Naik | CC, Member | NTI Toastmasters The session was concluded with question and answers; it was great to see people approaching him with genuine questions. True to his “We always see the World leaders walk leadership skills he was candid to submit facts, the talk on the Screen , we admire them failures and struggle. They were morale boosters , we get influenced by them and to an and reinforced my belief; Leaders are made at Toast Masters.
extent try to follow them.”
Imagine a day, when you actually share a space with world leader, shake hands with him, take many selfies, feel his presence, listen to him, question to him and admire him. Yes thanks to office bearers of Toastmasters in Oman, a new comer like me had an opportunity to share space with Mr. Mohammed Qahatani, the world Champion of Public Speaking at Toast Masters International Convention 2015.
Something that I liked the most about him was his simplicity , approachability, smile and sense of humor which kept every one engrossed throughout ….yes truly,
“He was a leader made at TOASTMASTERS.”
He showed exemplary leadership skills once he reached venue, he was center of attraction instantly. Every toastmaster wanted to get NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
CD recording of the program available. Kindly Yogesh copy.
Contact TM Naik for a
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MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS - A VISIT TO DUBAI TOASTMASTERS
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COMPETITION VS CREATION
On your mark, get set, GO!!! There goes the gun and the runners are off. Muscles spasming, adrenalin rushing and all the focus is on the finish line. We have a world record and new fastest man in the world and the last one is yesterday’s news. Competition is the life blood of all things we love on ESPN and STARSPORTS. But it doesn’t stop there, we have become a civilization of racehorses just running on the track of life looking over shoulders and pushing harder only when someone rears up from behind. I believe that man if he ever should compete, is with himself or even better an idea.
“The focus should be creation not competition.” Being creative allows us to think out of the box and come up with ways to improve not only ourselves but show others how they can as well. The Olympics claim Citius, Altius, Fortius but take it to read as Faster, Higher and Stronger…. Than my competitor!!! Remember when Carl Lewis’s 100m dash in 9.86s installed him as the fastest man in the world after which came Donovon Bailey, Maurice Greene and now Hussein Bolt. No disrespect to any of them or their achievements but they are competing with their predecessors and not really challenging a limit. Lets go back to the 1950’s when scientists and doctors came up with an idea that a human being could not run one mile in less than four minutes, stating that we lacked the structure, lung capacity, aerodynamics and even if done, that our heart could not take the strain and such person would drop dead that
very instant. But on May 6th 1954 that idea came crashing down when Sir Roger Bannister completed the task in 3 minutes and 54 seconds and lived to tell the tale. Many since Sir Roger Bannister have done the same feat, and at better times, but it is his name that lives to this day. This event has since then, been an inspiration to the world to go beyond the limits.
Competition stems from the saying that history remembers only the first man. Hence, the importance to get there before everyone else, at whatever the cost is something most of us would logically agree with, but it is such a diminishing idea. Mobile phones were long around when Apple launched the Iphone. Back then mobiles were tactical in nature, “It has a calculator, flashlight, and camera - fits into my pocket.” And here Apple was saying imagine this in your pocket. It was the late Steve Jobs’ creative genius that gave birth to products that revolutionized industries, the music industry with the Ipod, the computer industry with the Macintosh and phone industry with the Iphone. It made him the best CEO in the world, a position he held a year after his passing!! The secret to his success- he was never in competition with anyone, be it Microsoft, Samsung and all the other players. He just loved creating new and better products.
Competition creates divide, not just between the competitors but to the bystanders.
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Let’s go to India in 2001. Kingfisher had monopolized the Indian beer industry. The first foreign player to enter India was SAB Miller. They started by acquiring local brands and strengthening them. The competition for market share was ruthless. The people now identified themselves as loyalists to Kingfisher or foreign converts. I joined SAB Miller in 2007 and even then there were certain places in Bangalore where you couldn’t order anything else other than a KF or risk getting roughed up!! As if keeping the peace wasn’t a challenge enough; now we have people fighting over labels, brands and ideas, all trapped by the notion of one being better than the other. It doesn’t end here, but the real question is where does it go next?
Varun Kumar | CC, Member | NTI Toastmasters
Doctor Clifford Stoll says that if you want to know what the future holds for us, don’t ask the mind and see more than just the obvious, the Doctors, Engineers or Economists, ask a more than just the finish line and the day we do Kindergarten teacher. And that teacher will that, is the day we change our world around us. show you that students compete in the second decimal places, in examinations that only teach you how to score well in them. And when that day comes, we can
really start learning more than just ON YOUR MARK< GET SET < GO!
How can we be creative? • Simple exercises like to find five alternate routes to your house rather than the fastest one. • Expand your mind to think beyond the competitive plane. In the words of Wallace D Wattles, nothing in the world is denied to you because you are’nt fast enough or because someone else is denying it to you. • Learn something new every week: like cooking, carpentry, learn a language, or any skill that you don’t have but could benefit from; are some of the ways we can light up
NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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INVITES ISSUED
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INVITES ISSUED
NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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evaluation and Humorous Speech Club contest Coming soon...
NTI Toastmaster Club • Where Leaders Are Made NTI Building • Al Khuwair Service Road, Al Khuwair www.http://1079197.toastmastersclubs.org/
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