Communiqué - June 2015

TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai

COMMUNIQUÉ June 2015

Thank You My Mentor Involve To Evolve The Trip To Kashid And a lot more inside...

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Editorial Dear Readers, Be it at home, or at workplace, in every sphere of our lives, we have a mentor. Let’s take a moment and thank those special toastmasters who wholeheartedly put efforts to make us better leaders and communicators - our mentors.

The mentors and mentees eventually develop a camaraderie and work coherently towards the growth of the club thereby contributing in completing club goals. For the third time, since the foundation of TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, the club was recognized with the prestigious Golden Gavel, awarded by District 41. We could only accomplish this milestone because of the dedication shown by each and every club member. Thanks to all the members of our club for their enthusiasm and efforts in helping the club scale greater heights.

Welcome to the Sixth edition of CommuniquĂŠ!

Have fun as you browse through the pages of this exciting new edition full of wonderful articles and updates from the club!

Looking forward to your suggestions.

Happy Reading!

Editorial Team

Editorial Team Neha Agarwal, Mohit Sharma Somnath Bhattacharjee, Kriti Gupta Please send your feedback, comments and creative ideas for future issues to: mumbai.toastmasters@tcs.com

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nside this issue

Scarcity was Bliss………………………………………………………………………………………….…....1 If you think, you Can!..…..……..……………………………………………………………………………….2 Joint Meeting………...…...…………………………………………………………………………………….3 Is this the Place?...... .....…..……...…………………………………………………………………………….4

Involve To Evolve……….....……..……………………………………………………………………………..5 The Trip To Kashid...……....…………………………………………….………………………………………7 Speech Marathon. .....…..………………………………………………………………………………………9 Together but Alone.....…..………..…………………………………………………………………………...10 Thank You My Mentor.………………………………………………………………………………………...11 Contest Season…. .....…..……..………………………………………………………………………………15 Rendezvous……………... …...…….…………………………………………………………………………17 Club Achievers…………………………………………………………………………………………………19 Club Achievements...…………….....………………………………………………………………………….21 Know Your Ex-Com.……………………………………………………………………………………………23 Oration 2015……………………………………………………………………………………………………25

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Scarcity was Bliss

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t’s still crystal clear in my mind, the days when I sat on the carrier of my fa-

ther’s bicycle and he paddled towards the lush ‘Sabzi Mandi’ near our house. It used to be thronged by humans from all strata of the society, clad in all possible colors one could think of and trying all possible tricks to get to the vendors first.

There was no refrigerator to keep the vegetables fresh, so the daily pilgrimage to the market became a ritual followed with utmost austerity. There was a high probability of meeting a formidable aunt or a ‘granny’s–uncle’s-son’s-wife’s-

Shruti Sinha Being an avid reader, she loves the magic world of books. Writing and public speaking have always been her passion. She is an adventure freak and never misses any opportunity for adventure sports. She also has a taste for music and loves to play the guitar.

nephew’, who would be more than happy to buy me a ‘Kismi Bar’. It was such a treat!

There were countless things that could entice a young girl like me. Iridescent glass bangles made a rainbow in the middle of the market, the polka dotted red skirt kept me longing for it a great while, ice-cream vendors had their own ways of garnering my attention and the florist’s elaborate stall laden with a rich assortment of flowers had its own charm. The daily bicycle ride was a pleasure that my heart would never forgo. It taught me that we cannot always have what we

want, instead for satisfaction, we need to share whatever we have.

You might be wondering where is the ‘scarcity’ part of the entire thing? The answer is - It is a part of each of the things that made my childhood happy.

The scarcity of ‘shopping malls’ and ‘online vendors’ gave me innumerable unforgettable moments with ‘Real People’. It gave me a chance to learn many of the latent lessons of life. The scarcity of laptops and cell phones kept everyone’s lives simple. We read and appreciated, we dreamt and discussed. How can one mingle and grow with virtual people who have photo-shopped faces? Are we not missing the warmth of the togetherness and the joy of meeting people who had so much to share...?

Sometimes I really wish I could rewind my life. The bliss of scarcity was my heaven on earth...What was yours?

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If you think, you Can! 3th March 2015, standing on the podium in front of distinguished guests and hosting a very prestigious ceremony... is an exhilarating experience.

The felicitation ceremony of the 13th batch of the Advanced Computer Training Centre for the visually impaired was conducted by TCS at Banyan Park. The educational program lasted for 45 days which included imparting critical software

Ankit Dasgupta

knowledge to the visually impaired trainees with the support of

M N Banajee Home for Blind.

He is a big foodie, a football freak and a talented speaker. He is always curious to learn all tidbits of public speaking. Adventure runs in his veins, he enjoys cycling, biking, running and trekking.

He loves meeting new people and making friends.

The event was organized by TCS and it was graced by the presence of Commander Sabu Matthew, Corporate Head Administration, TCS and Ms. Nina Screwvalla, Global Head of TCS Maitree. The dedication and zeal showed by the 11 trainees was mind blowing. It was indeed a privilege to be the Master of Ceremony and contribute to this thoughtful initiative by TCS Maitree team. After talking to the trainees and getting to know them better, I realized that if you have the determination and dedication to achieve, what you think you can, then nothing will be an obstacle for you.

The acknowledgment received from the audience in the form of a round of applause was the signal of a job well done. I was happy to represent TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club at such a glorious event and make our club proud. In the end, for all those talented trainees, I would like to say,

“Life's battles don't always go to the stronger and the fastest man, But sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.�

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Joint Meeting

T

CS Maitree Toastmasters Club con-

ducted its 335th session as a joint meeting with Dadar Toastmasters Club on February 7th, 2015. The meeting was made possible due to the joint efforts of TM Dushyant Songaonkar (TCS Maitree Toastmasters club) and TM Harshal Kulkarni (Dadar Toastmasters club) who co-ordinated with both the club members to organize the joint session. The session was an eclectic mix of fun and learning. Presiding Officer, TM Nikhil Salvi (Dadar Toastmasters Club) entertained the audience with a quick quiz on the starting date of renowned and veteran clubs across the world. Since the theme of the meeting was “Kishore Kumar - The King of Melodies”, the audience enjoyed the musical atmosphere throughout the session with melodious songs and impromptu singing. Starting right away with the song ‘Yeh shaam mastaani..’, Toastmaster of the Day, TM Ankit Dasgupta (TCS Maitree Toastmasters club), set the tone for the meeting and hooked the audience with interesting revelations about the legendary Kishore Kumar.

The prepared speakers enthralled the audience and at the same time offered some insights and lessons as a take away. The role players from both the clubs enthusiastically participated and helped in conducting the meeting smoothly.

The meeting was concluded by Presiding Officer, TM Krishnadas Nair (TCS Maitree Toastmasters club) where he felicitated the winners and articulated the memorable, mystical, musical nature of the session.

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Is this the Place?

Up above there somewhere, they sure do hear me say Some answers for some questions, followed by confusions Inside a heart there is a thought, which always does sway Is this the place you made, for all of us to stay?

I see the beauty in the sky, I see it on the ground Nature in harmony, with everything around

But something is still missing, and everyone is at fight

Mohit Sharma

Beauty in the inside is nowhere to be found

He has keen interest in sports, stand-up comedy and movies.

He loves penning down his thoughts in the form of beautiful poems.

The calm blue sky above us, appears now to be grey Inside a heart there is a thought, which always does sway Is this the place you made, for all of us to stay?

He is known for his subtle sense of humour. Talking about the musical instruments he plays, mouth organ, guitar, violin, and the list is endless.

We hear the jingling coins, and the cuckoo sings alone More than love and peace in mind, greed is what we own The eyes instead of rainbow colors, see color of the skin

Smiling faces but anger in heart, deception is now the way Inside a heart there is a thought, which always does sway Is this the place you made, for all of us to stay?

I stand amazed and wondering, they look at me and smile To show that their creation, is not at all fragile Just then I see two small and pure souls, giggling by my side Ignorant smiling faces, little hands and feet agile Only love surrounding them and nothing there to hide The sight that I witnessed there, then made me to realize The beauty that our hearts carry, weighs more than its size

The thought that I had in my heart now starts to go away This place is not what they gave us, but we made it this way Let’s restore the lost faith, love and peace, so someday we can say This is the place we always dreamt, for all of us to stay!!

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Involve To Evolve

H

erbert Spencer in his book ‘Principles of Biology (186 4)’ advocates the

preservation of favored races in the struggle for life; also known as ‘survival of the fittest’. Isn’t it true even in our everyday life? Stronger the communication, better are the chances of survival in a fiercely competitive professional world.

A common misconception amongst the majority is that you are either a born good orator or you can’t become one. Communication skills are something in-

herent in a selected few. Hence, those selected few hold an upper hand at sur-

Pramod Mohandas He is a movie buff and a football fan.

His innate skills are incomparable when it comes to public speaking and interpersonal communication.

Besides oratory, he also has a hidden talent of singing.

He loves hanging out with friends. Being a foodie, he also likes exploring different food joints.

vival in the day to day rat race. Even I patronized this school of thought until I stumbled upon a platform called Toastmasters International.

In reality, you are neither a ‘born’ good orator nor can you ‘become’ one; you can only ‘evolve’. The World Champion of Public Speaking, Dananjaya Hettiarachchi in his winning speech ‘I See Something’ states that everyone is unique. Public speaking or communication skills are not an exception. It's only perception that makes us feel that some individuals are better than others.

During my journey as a Toastmaster, I too, have observed the same. Be it immense confidence, powerful expressions, overwhelming stage presence, pleasant body language or even a simple smile, everyone brings something wonderful to the podium making them unique. The path from being unique to a great public speaker is just a matter of evolution.

“The secret to become a great orator lies in participation.”

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How can you ‘evolve’?

Toastmasters program, through a holistic education track, sequential meeting structure, roles on offer and onus on feedback yearns to involve as many people as possible in a session. The theory of evolution into a good public speaker is in fact, ‘ Involve to Evolve’.

The more you participate in meetings, the more you can improve through constructive feedback. Regularly attempting project speeches, attending trainings, conferences and contests expose you to experienced and professional speakers who help you learn techniques and tricks to hone communication skills.

The secret to become a great orator lies in participation.

Involve yourself in Toastmasters program and ‘evolve’ your communication skills. The next time you have an opportunity to take up a meeting role, give a project speech, participate in a contest or even attend a meeting, just grab it with both hands.

If only Henry Spencer had written his book

today, he sure would agree that in a bid to survive the jargons of a competitive life, you need to ‘Involve to Evolve’.

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The Trip To Kashid

T

he World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.

Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. With that thought and of course to get away from the archaic weekday blues, we, the Toastmasters, went on a two day Trip to Kashid on 31st January, 2015.

It all started with just a thought of planning a weekend trip and having fun

Awani Sharma Her knowledge of movies is so much that she is known as the database of movies. Be careful while challenging her in dumb charades!

together somewhere, but what added cherry on top was a bunch of 20 Toastmasters, who made it to the trip on the serene beach and scenic beauty of Kashid.

She loves to pen down her thoughts in the form of poems. She also likes traveling and exploring different places. She aspires to become a successful orator.

When we all started the journey, we couldn't wait to reach the destination. But soon everybody realized that a journey is best measured in friends rather than miles. Somewhere between laughing like retards at jokes, clicking pictures and making videos all the time, we never realized when we reached the destination, enjoying the entire experience of travelling in that jetty over the Arabian Sea.

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Also known as the Goa of Maharashtra, this is one place that is a much sought after destination for the quintessential beach-guy/girl in you. We wasted no time and went to Kashid beach where we played in water, enjoyed water sports, had long walks on its beautiful black sand and basked ourselves in the glory of its beautiful sunset. Then the DJ at midnight followed by bonfire with soothing notes of guitar and melodious songs was just like icing on the cake.

“The World is a Book, and those who do not travel read only a page. Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. �

Nobody wanted to return from that beautiful place but it was the company of all, which actually made the memories beautiful. So, with a promise to plan more such trips in future, we returned to Mumbai. But there is a kind of

magic about going far away and then coming back all changed. So are we....more Enthusiastic, more Delighted and more Bonded than before!!!

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Speech Marathon 4th February 2015, love was in the air. The love for toastmasters platform was surely evident on Valentine’s Day

when the speakers, the role players and the audience gathered at TCS Neptune, Thane, for the 336th session of TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club.

While most of the speeches were centred on love, affection and Valentine’s Day, there were few others that inspired the audience to pursue their hobbies and follow their dreams without considering age as bar.

Followed by the speeches, there was an Induction Session conducted by Toastmaster Chinmaya Dave to give an overview about Toastmasters International. Through the use of visual aids, he explained what is Toastmasters International, its history, how it operates along with its organizational and structural hierarchy. He also spoke about the history of

TCS

Maitree

Toastmasters

club

and

the

awards

it

has

received

in

the

past.

He then invited Toastmaster Raunak Kulwal and Toastmaster Krishnadas Nair to answer the queries of the audience.

The session was concluded with an evaluation round where evaluators provided their feedback for the prepared speeches. The members learnt more about their club and the nitty-gritties of good speech.

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Together but Alone

S

mart phone has made our life so much better. It will not be wrong to say

that it has become our closest friend, the one we will do anything for, drop anything for, and even break away from an important conversation to be with. Almost all of us have that ubiquitous green and white icon on our home pages.

WhatsApp, sure has changed the way we communicate.

We live in an era of instant communication. We instantly message, we instantly

reply and if someone breaks this protocol, we instantly assume they hate us. I

Jyoti Purohit She is optimist and a fun loving person.

too used to be a fan of WhatsApp like most of the people. With the introduction of latest feature of double blue ticks, let’s pay condolences to the privacy that is left behind and also a

She enjoys travelling, trekking and exploring nature.

To her adventure is freeing oneself in the arms of nature.

minute of silence to our evergreen

excuse

“Sorry yaar, just saw my phone!”

She believes that everything happens for a reason.

So, one should live in the moment.

This is what WhatsApp has done to our social life. About my personal life, I realized that after

waking up in the morning, the first thing I would do was to check Facebook and WhatsApp. I was always sleeping late and spending considerable time on FB doing nothing but clicking links until I forgot what I was actually looking at. It was a routine for me. Sometimes I remember those conversations that I used to have with my friends, but when I talk to the same people on WhatsApp, I could hardly remember anything. Cleary this shows an alarming need to shift focus from “Phones” to “Faces”. It seems evident to me, we are getting used to a way of being alone, together. Aren’t

we tired of being socially sanskari??

Enough!! I’m not letting FB and WhatsApp take up a chunk of my productive hours. I have taken a sabbatical from WhatsApp and other instant messaging apps like Facebook messenger etc. and trust me, it feels surprisingly pleasant.

Life is more beautiful now.

And with that, I’ll leave you with a beautiful line written by Gary Turk

“Look away from the phone, shut down the display. Take in your surroundings, make the most of today."

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Thank You My Mentor n learning you will teach and in teaching you will learn.

This learning and sharing cycle has two key points or people; a mentee and a mentor. In this edition dedicated for thanking the mentors, let me share my insights about the wonderful mentors, I am lucky to have, who have shaped my journey in Toastmasters.

She reviewed my First speech (P1) even before she became my

mentor; she was destined to be

my mentor, it seems. A charming personality who has loads of talent, she is a person who believes in perfection. A strong diction and

a good command over the English language, she taught me the nittygritty of speech writing. Having repeated conversations over phone just to make my speech develop the content worth delivering, solving my silly doubts about the content, she always had the perseverance to make me improve. Motivating me even after a speech was not up to the mark, she made me confident to become a better speaker.

And not only speeches, she was also there to give me suggestions on any role I took up, be it the Contest Chair or the Master of Ceremony. She is the Immediate

Past President of TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club. Thank you SURABHI KINARIWALA for being there always and making me move ahead in Toastmasters.

He is one of the pioneers of TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club. He has a plethora of knowledge with regards to Toastmasters. Ask him about any Speech in any International Contest, he knows it all. He became my mentor when I was preparing for the International Speech Contest, and I can truly say, the minute details needed in a contest speech, be it content, delivery, gestures or pace, no one could have made me

understand them better than him. His step by step process for making a perfect speech makes me ponder that he should take this up professionally. Under his mentorship my public speaking skills have improved leaps and bounds. He is the Assistant Lieutenant Governor-Education and Training of District 41. Thank you CHINMAYA DAVE for bearing with me patiently and making me a better speaker. It is rightly said,

“A mentor helps you to see the beauty in your dreams.�

-ANKIT DASGUPTA 11

Thank You My Mentor My mentor has a plethora of knowledge and with

constant support, I got to know

his

my strengths & my weaknesses. He moti-

Thanks a lot NILESH for your assistance

vates me to be a better version of myself

and intellectual support for introducing me

every passing day. I would like to thank my

to club. I look forward to relying on your

mentor PRAMOD for his constant guidance

expertise and advice to become a confident

and support.

speaker.

-AWANI SHARMA

-ANKIT MAHAJAN

Thank you SURABHI for

When NAMRATA

teaching me

became my men-

that every

tor, she was in

speech is not

Lucknow. I never

a contest

even met her

speech.

once by that

And motivating me when I almost gave up

time. I knew her

the hope of becoming a better communicator.

by the comments she made on my speech

Thanks for devoting your time and being kind

reviews. Her perspective, personality and

and patient, while correcting my mistakes.

thought process came out through those

Your suggestions like reading books, delivering

comments. Thanks Namrata, for making me

book talk and writing diary have been won-

a better speaker, a better person and

derful for my growth.

above all a better receiver.

-ANKIT JAIN

-ASHUTOSH CHATURVEDI

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Thank You My Mentor

PK (Perfectionist Kind) Whenever I share my speech for

Thank you MOHIT for all that you have done

review, he treats like his own, and gives

for the club and thank you for your support

cerebral recommendations. PK- You are my

and guidance. You are a great influence in my

customer care centre, as you said it once “I

life ranging from the kind of speeches to write,

am available 24 * 7” and YES! YOU ARE!!

roles to undertake, professional decisions to a reality check of what I wanted to achieve and

Keep motivating, keep guiding, and Stay in

what I have achieved. I hope I make you

action – PARAKH KUKREJA – you Rock!!!

proud one day :D

-ANKUSH MARWAHA

-NAMRATA SRIVASTAVA

Calm, composed, cool —such is the personality of DUSHYANT. He is my mentor

not only It is tough to be champion but it is tougher

within the boundaries of Toastmasters but

to bring champion out of other people.

also within the four walls of office cubical. I

PRAMOD, you are not only champion speaker,

never hesitate to ask for his help, be it for

but you also have the knack to create cham-

reviewing speech or be it related to concerns

pion. Thank you for being my mentor.

in office. Over the past one year, more than a manager he has become a good friend of

-SAMEER PATIL

mine.

-NEHA AGARWAL 13

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Thank You My Mentor

He is a leader who influences others in such a

way that it builds people up, encourages and

A very level headed humorous personality!

edifies them so that they can duplicate this

SAMEER has the knack of reading between

attitude. I have seen all emotions in

the lines n understand the feelings behind

CHINMAYA. He is a good mentor, a dedicated

any speech I have asked him to review... an

Toastmaster and above all a good friend of

ideal mentor

mine.

-KRISHNADAS NAIR

-NILESH MISHRA

Blessed is

A mentor who

the person,

made me walk in

who has a

the magical world

mentor

of public speaking.

who never

He not only re-

allows the

viewed my speeches

mentee to quit and that too, in a very crea-

but also gave

tive way. PRAMOD knows art of getting the

genuine and motivational feedback after

work done even if I don't do well. Empowered

each speech and even after each role. His

with efficacious communication techniques, he

speech reviews are really commendable. He

never allows me to Give up in my Toastmas-

is a perfectionist by nature. ANKIT DAS-

ters journey! Thanks Pramod!

GUPTA, I am really grateful to have you as

-DUSHYANT SONGAONKAR

my mentor.

-RAJESWARY NAIR 14

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Contest Season

T

CS Maitree Toastmasters Club's International Speech and Table Topics Contest was held on March 1, 2015 at TCS

Powai. With International Speech Contest Chair Kannagi Mishra, Table Toics Contest Chair Pragya Mittal, and Seargeant At Arms team including Rishabh Singla, Pramod Mohandas and Chinmaya Dave, contest became a sacred platform for a myriad of speakers to hone their public speaking skills. Chief Judge, Ruchin Bhavsar from Mumbai Toastmasters Club along with his team assessed the contestants on various parameters and helped in making the event a grand success.

For the International Speech Contest there were 8 enthusiastic speakers with exemplary speeches. The Table Topics contest had 15 participants who were tested on their impromptu speaking abilities. The topic was "Sometimes you need to run before you can walk".

Club Level International Speech and Table Topics Contest International Speech Contest Participants Parakh Kukreja, Ankush Marwaha, Ankit Dasgupta, Awani Shama, Krishnadas Nair, Ankit Jain, Neha Agarwal, Dushyant Songaonkar

Table Topics Contest Participants Anandkumar Deethi, Ankit Dasgupta, Ankit Jain, Ankit Mahajan, Ankush Marwaha, Dushyant Songaonkar, Awani Shrama, Kriti Gupta, Neha Agarwal, Nilesh Mishra, Parakh Kukreja, Raunak Kulwal, Saikumar Iyer, Sameer Patil, Satyam Pandey Winners International Speech Contest : Awani Sharma Table Topics Contest : Sameer Patil

March 15, 2015 saw many enthusiastic Toastmasters get up from their cosy and comfortable beds, to reach TCS Yantra Park, Thane at 8 am in the morning. They were united for the event “Unite To Ignite�- The Joint area contest of the three Areas D-3, D-6 and D-7.

Sergeant At Arms Kriti Gupta, Chief judge Nikhil Salvi (Dadar Toastmasters Club, Mulund Toastmasters Club) and his team, Master of Ceremony Namrata Srivastava, Contest Chairs Shruti Pandit (Mumbai Toastmasters Club) and Atul Morey (Bombay Toastmasters Club) made the event successful. Various dignitaries from Mumbai graced the occasion with their presence.

The event was conducted smoothly without any glitches, due to the efforts put in by Mohit Chabbra, Jyoti Purohit, 15

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Ashish Paithankar and Raunak Kulwal.

Awani Sharma and Sameer Patil represented TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai in Area D7 International Speech Contest and Table Topics contest respectively.

Sameer Patil won the Area D7 Table Topics contest and made the

club proud.

“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt...”

Sangam Auditorim, TCS Yantra park, Thane housed a spectacular full house Toastmasters event – 'Inspire 2015 Division D Annual Conference' on Sunday 12th April, 2015. Members of various Toastmasters clubs across Maharashtra, Gujrat and Madhya Pradesh came to the venue to be a part of Division D Annual Conference of 2015.

The event was successfully planned and organized with the support of Division D Governor JP Chaurasia, the conference conveners Raunak Kulwal, Kannagi Mishra and Pragya Mittal.

The conference witnessed the Division Level International Speech and Table Topics Contest and inspiring speeches by the district officers: District Governor-Ritu Arora, Lieutenant Governor Education & Training-Brillian SK and Lieuten-

ant Governor Marketing-Chandrashekar DP. Toastmaster Sameer Patil from TCS Maitree Toastmasters club, the winner of Area level contest, participated in the Table Topics contest.

Toastmaster Deepka Ramnani as the Master of Ceremony, kept the atmosphere lively by his heavy dose of laughter.

Pramod Mohandas and Tarani Arunachalam (Recall Toastmasters Club) were flawless as they took the respective roles of International Speech Contest Chair and Table Topics Contest Chair and conducted the spell bounding contest.

Several other Toastmasters gave their generous contribution as role players to make this event a successful and memorable one.

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Rendezvous Almost 13 years into TCS, he is a diversified personality. Known for his excellent presence of mind and sense of humour, he has finished a full length Marathon, swam across Arabian Sea, served as Club Secretary, won Humorous Speech Contest and has many more feats to his name. In short, Toastmaster Sameer is an all-rounder; known for his never give up attitude.

Sameer Patil



Here is an excerpt from a small talk, Mohit had with Sameer about his experience while representing our club at the Division Level Table Topics Contest.

Mohit Sharma

First of all, congratulations on winning the Area level Table Topics Contest. Tell us about your experience while representing our club at the Division level.

Thanks Mohit. It was a great experience. More like a roller-coaster ride. You are scared when you are in it. But once it is over, you want to take it one more time.



What was your motivation behind the participation in this contest?

I will be honest here. I was really uncomfortable with the idea of participating in the table topics contest. The only way to overcome this fear was to participate. So, I jumped in.



You have served our club from January - June 2014 as the Club Secretary in the Executive Committee. Tell us about the challenges faced by you and your learning from that role.

The previous Executive Committee had set such high standards that it was tough to meet that level. But I enjoyed that experience, especially the ex-com meetings. As a part of my job, I was supposed to create the meeting reports. This experience really enriched my writing skills.

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

‘Age is just a number’, you took this quote way too seriously. You swam all the way from Elephanta Caves to Gateway of India, conquering the Arabian Sea. What were the challenges that you faced in taking your hobby to a whole new level?

If I talk about the top most challenge, then it would be age. Though I really don’t think I am old ;). But when you enter the water for a practice session, it is then you realize that you had worked hard the previous day. It is tough to recover physically within 24 hours.



How do you maintain balance between your personal and professional life along with all these things?

I have to give all the credit to my wife. She always supports me in all the endeavours. She takes extra responsibilities so that I get that extra rest. For example she ends up driving me around over the weekends or getting up early with me to cook some snacks before a practice session.



How has Toastmasters helped you groom as a person in your personal and professional life?

I must say I have come a long way. When I delivered my P1, my Ah-Um count was in double digits (individually). I thought it would take me forever to improve. But the President (Mohit Chhabra) at that time told me, “Within 7 months, you will see a lot of improvement.” I am not sure how he had arrived at that formula but I was really able see a lot of improvement in the next 7 months. The Toastmasters experience helped me in personal as well as professional life. The ability to speak in front of an audience indirectly made me confident in other spheres of life.



What is your message for the new club members and fellow Toastmasters who aspire to participate in the contests?

The key to succeed in the contest is attending sessions regularly. Every session is a new experience in itself. Every speaker has something new to share. When you are armed with this experience of all the sessions, you are ready to take on the contest challenge. I want to assure every new club member ( I hope they have continued reading so far), “Whether you believe it or not, there will be a big improvement in 7 months!”.

“Whether you believe it or not, there will be a big improvement in 7 months!”

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Club Achievers Triple Crown Winners You need to attain any three of the following to be eligible for winning the Triple crown Award: Competent Communicator, Advanced Communication Bronze, Advanced Communication Silver, Advanced Commu-

nication Gold, Competent Leader, Advanced Leadership Bronze, Advanced Leadership Silver and Distinguished Toastmaster.

Two members of our club achieved the title of Triple Crown.

Parakh Kukreja CC, CL, ALB

Namrata Srivastava ALB

Pramod Mohandas CC, CL, ALB

Ankit Jain ACB

Deepak Ramnani ACB

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Dushyant Songaonkar CC, CL

Sameer Patil CC

Raunak Kulwal CL

Neha Agarwal CL

Krishnadas Nair CL

Ankit Dasgupta CL

Ashutosh Chaturvedi CL

Surabhi Kinariwala CL

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Club Achievements

Golden Gavel : TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club received Golden Gavel for the third consecutive year.

Membership Payment Campaign Award : The club received this award for Membership Campaign in the Toastmasters year 2013 - 14.

Other Club Awards Smedley Award : Renewed/reinstated/added 5 members between August 1 ,2014 and September 30,2014 Talk - Up Toastmasters : Renewed/reinstated/added more than 5 members between February 1, 2015 and March 31, 2015 The 10-In-10 Award : Renewed/reinstated/added 10 members in 10 days from March 21 - 31, 2015 The Super-20 Award : Renewed/reinstated/added 20 members in 10 days from April 1 - 10, 2015 21

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Know Your Ex-Com

President

Vice President Education

Vice President Membership

Vice President Public Relations

Pramod Mohandas

Krishnadas Nair

Ankit Dasgupta

Kannagi Mishra

Just give a second thought

He is called as ‘God’ in the

He is a big foodie, a football

She is not smart enough in

before telling him your

club who hails from

freak and a talented speaker. handling smart phones. For-

plans. Such is his convincing ‘Brahmand’, a place in Thane

He is always curious to learn

getting her mobile phone at

power, he will change your

Mumbai.

all tidbits of public speaking.

every third place she visits, is

plan completely within a

He is known for his broad

Adventure runs through his

couple of minutes.

spectrum of talents – playing

veins as he enjoys cycling,

He is a foodie, be it veg or

guitar, running, dancing, and

non - veg, he can gorge on

public speaking.

biking, running and trekking. lary, she is known as a ‘vocabmaster’ of the club.

Also, he loves meeting new She loves to travel, know the people and making friends.

any food item. At times, he enjoys cooking as well.

her innate habit.

Due to her wonderful vocabu-

local culture and try different cuisines.

I dream of: Charlie’s Chocolate factory Cuisines I love: Anything and everything I can’t live without: Loads of food

I dream of: World recognition Cuisines I love: Anything cooked by me I can’t live without: Books Favourite pastime: Watching movies, reading

I dream of: Making all my

I dream of: Having a life full of

dreams come true

happiness and fun

Cuisines I love: Anything well

Cuisines I love: Pasta, momos

cooked with chicken in it

and road side chowmein

I can’t live without: Books

I can’t live without: My hus-

Favourite pastime: Observing

Favourite pastime: Reading

the surroundings

non-fiction

band Nikhil Favourite pastime: Watching Game of Thrones, painting

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Secretary

Treasurer

Sergeant At Arms

Immediate Past President

Neha Agarwal

Pragya Mittal

Raunak Kulwal

Surabhi Kinariwala

‘Smile and the world smiles

Don’t go by her Marwari

Hailing from Indore, he can-

She is known for her strong

with you’, she knows this

background, she is not at all

not resist delicious

determination and dedica-

secret which is why you will

a miser.

namkeens. He can even have tion. Due to these character

always find her with a refreshing smile on her face.

She is known for her loquaci- cakes and pastries garnished traits, she is a budding enthusiastic entrepreneur. ty. She can be called a social with namkeens. He is a big

A dedicated Toastmaster,

butterfly.

also serving as the club

The only thing which can

secretary, she is fun-loving

fan of ‘Bhai’ (Salman Khan)

Music is the food for her

from Bollywood.

soul.

make her get up early in

For Toastmasters, being

Ever smiling and ever charm-

and helping, always ready to

morning is a Toastmasters

Sergeant At Arms, he is ever

ing, she has helped the club

take up any responsibility

session.

ready with all the arms and

to grow by leaps and

ammunition.

bounds.

and likes cooking .

I dream of: Owning a sweet

I dream of: MBA degree from

I dream of: Owning a well

I dream of: Creating an anima-

home one fine day

IIM and handsome life part-

built flat in a posh society

tion movie one day

Cuisines I love: Anything

Cuisines I love: Chat items and

cooked by mom

desserts

Cuisines I love: Dosa, chats, ice creams I can’t live without : Friends and phone.

Favourite pastime: Traveling, cooking , reading

ner ;) Cuisines I love: Anything my mom cooks or sponsors :D

I can’t live without : My mom I can’t live without : Water

I can’t live without : Food, family and friends Favourite pastime: Sleeping

Favourite pastime: Hanging

Favourite pastime: Watching

out with friends, watching

Television series

American TV series

and talking 24

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Oration 2015

T

here is one event that can drive about hundreds of Toastmasters each year to leave aside their personal or pro-

fessional commitments and come under a common roof. A roof under which one can experience great camaraderie of several Divisions across the country, hugs of old buddies, threads of new friendship and making of history as several astonishing speakers leave their mark in the minds of the listeners forever.

Yes, the three day event ORATION 2015 was, in all respects, the most noteworthy event of the year.

Like all events start with a bang, ORATION went one step ahead and started with a big bang, quite literally. On Friday

May 15, the event kick started with and amazing opening ceremony and thunderous Nashik Dhol performed by Jagdamba Foundation Dhol and left people tapping feet, hooting and applauding. Ex Army Captain and CEO of Mahindra Special services Group Raghu Raman was the first keynote speaker and left a lasting impression with his thoughts on storytelling. Dr. Rahul Joshi sang songs and mesmerized the audience.

The second day of the event, Saturday May 16, started with Dr. Rahul Joshi’s Music clinic, followed by a voice modulation workshop by the man behind the mesmerizing voice of ‘Big Boss’ – Vijay Vikram Singh. The key note Speaker Natascha Chadha taught the audience a Clown’s guide to public speaking. Parkour expert Deepak Mali showed the

techniques and taught us basic lesson: ‘To achieve anything in life, all we have to do is to step out of our house’. Ah! How can we forget the talent show by some of the toastmasters who happen to possess unveiled talents.

The much awaited Table topics contest started and left us awestruck with the participants’ skill of thinking and speaking on their feet. The topic was ‘What goes around comes around’.

Finally Deepak Ramola and RJ Erica enthralled the audience with their own stories. Then came the event we all looked forward to ‘Mumbai Enigma’ at Radio Club. A night filled with shear madness. Everyone danced until the last announcement for dinner. Strangers became friends as they faintly remembered each other dancing to a common tune and imitating each other’s steps.

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Sunday May 17, the final day started with the installation of new district officers. We are proud to

have

one

officer

from

our

club

–

Mohit Chhabra, Division Director Division A, District 98.

The day advanced with yet another round of

amazing keynote speakers – Sandeep Thakur, Gauranga Prabhuji and Divyansh gupta, all of whom got standing ovation from the crowd. At last it was time for the much awaited International Speech contest.

All the champions of Divisions gave each other tough competition and must have given the judges a tougher task.

Hearts pounded as the winners were announced. Toastmaster Prathima Madireddy won the Table Topic Contest and Toastmaster Aditya Maheswaran won the International Speech contest. Toastmaster Aditya, a second time winner in a row, will now represent District 41 in the World Championship of Public Speaking at the Annual Convention of Toastmasters International to be held in Las Vegas August 12-15, 2015.

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Participate, Enjoy, Learn You can be a part of a Toastmasters event as an audience, but if you really want to enjoy it and learn the process volunteer! Following club members of TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai volunteered at ORATION 2015 and made the club proud. Let’s applaud them and at the same time, learn from them about the joy of volunteering.

Mohit Chhabra

Namrata Srivastava

Voice over and backstage volunteer

MoC coordinator and MoC Opening Ceremony

Pramod Mohandas

Chinmaya Dave

MOC Opening Ceremony and International Speech Contest Sergeant At Arms

Contest Chair International Speech Contest and Volunteer Registrations

Neha Agarwal

Ankit Dasgupta

Volunteer Registrations

Volunteer ORATION 2015 Newsletter team

Awani Sharma

Parakh Kukreja

On camera interview

Volunteer Registrations and Contest Sergeant At Arms

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Follow us on

TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai “Making Effective Communication & Leadership a TCS-wide Reality” Meetings are held fortnightly in Thane/Andheri and in Powai office. Meetings are open to all TCSers. A typical meet has 30 members and guests, who participate in the Club's Communication and Leadership program.



Powai : Every alternate Friday: 9.30 AM to 11.00 AM



Thane/Andheri: Every alternate Friday: 9.30 AM to 11.00 AM

** Schedule and Venue are subject to changes depending on room availability. Communication of this is done in advance **

We may know where to go, But they show us how; When we hit failures or ever feel low, With faith in us, they lead us to our goals somehow; They see a bit of them in us and help us to grow, So, lets thank them all, those out there, the MENTORS, right now!!!

Club # 616631 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Copyright © 2015 TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai All rights reserved

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Involve Evolve Inspire

Learn to lead, lead to Evolve

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