Communiqué - December 2012

TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai

Communique!

Club News And Events December / 2012

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Speech Marathon Session What is life?

Tryst with Destiny – My Take as an evaluator Let‘s Create Golden History Resonance 2012

Editor Desk

From the desk of Club

Dear Readers,

Mentor The Legendary Sam What Toastmasters means to me?

New Club website Inspiration from Michael Notaro Distinguished Club Program

Welcome to the first edition of TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club newsletter Communiqué! , Our club‘s new chronicle!

Primarily, Communiqué! , will highlight the spectrum of activities that are aligned with our club motto – ―Making Effective Communication & Leadership a TCS-wide Reality‖. Every issue will showcase the milestones we cross, the successes we achieve and the learning we imbibe while treading this path. Also, Communiqué! Will serve the purpose of creating awareness both amongst all our members and the guests, about what we do and more importantly, how we do it.

Having said that, we‘re still open towards what else communiqué! , should concern itself with.

That‘s where you come in. All readers are welcome to write in with their contributions, ideas and feedback to mumbai.toastmasters@tcs.com. This newsletter is not your normal pdf, instead it is an engagement platform for you to connect with other members and each other. Together, let‘s make this a truly successful interactive platform.

From all of us in the editorial team – happy reading!

Speech Marathon Session The marathon session of the Toastmasters‘ Club on the 29th Sept was special and unique indeed. With the registration for the Mumbai Marathon in the air, the marathon of speeches evidenced the brimming enthusiasm of toastmasters and guests who wanted to add the special flavor to their Saturday morning.

As the marathon of speeches reached the finishing line, it was time for yet another special event of the encounter with ―Moments of Truth‖ which was conducted by Toastmaster Haider. The guests and the members actively participated in expressing their experiences of being a part of the club and suggested recommendations wherever necessary.

The Marathon Session of Toastmasters Club evidenced a lot of learning and enjoyment. We look forward to more of such sessions which add a feather on the Toastmasters‘ cap and bring them all together.

What is life?

It was one of those days in the office where you have a lot to do, but you just don‘t feel like. I sat with my colleagues in the canteen, catching hold of one of the rare moments that I knew would end soon. Everyone was watching the shoe being thrown on Mr Advani, and I was sure everybody was enjoying the moment, when suddenly Rahul said ―Kya saab hota hai life mein‖.

Crudely translated which means ―what are the things that happen in life‖. I was bored of the news anyway so I stirred up a conversation by asking something that sounded like Aristotle. I asked ―So what is life after all?‖ Rahul yelled ―fun‖ to which Sandeepthi replied ―work‖, Rajat shook his head saying ―hopelessness‖, Rupali gave a wicked smile and said ―coincidence‖. I had suggestions until I left the canteen but the question did not spare me even after I reached my desk.

I had to stand in front of the customer and give a presentation, and the only words that came out of my dry mouth were ‗umm‘ and ‗ahhhs‘.

That‘s the time I realized that something has to be done. After attending the first Toastmasters Session, I was amazed at how some people could speak flawlessly on the stage. I wanted to become one of them.

Today, after five years of Toastmasters, the journey still continues.

Haider Kantawala- ACB, ALB, Strategic Solutions

Deciding not to give up this time, I was pondering on Rupali‘s answer ―coincidence‖. I am a mathematician and the probability of you being where you are, having the parents that you do and having the LIFE that you have is just 0%. You might as well have been born in Somalia in a family that has not eaten in days, or in Sarajevo, where almost the entire population is displaced. As I was breezing over the mails, my eyes came across a story that I stored in one of those inaccessible corners of my laptop where no one could find it but me. The document was titled ―The Meaning of Life‖. When I had first read it a decade ago it painted some amazing images – some hysterical and some touching, almost beyond description. I hoped it became a prescription to what to do with the rest of my life. I believe Life does mean something and this story says it all.

Robert Fulghum was a young man, studying Greek language and culture in Greece for the summer. Alexander Papaderos had founded an institute devoted to the healing of wounds of war on the island of Crete. At the end of a two-week conference, Dr Papaderos asked, ―Are there any questions?‖ And Fulghum, half jokingly asked ―What is the meaning of life?‖.

Papaderos said ―I will answer your question‖, pulled out a small piece of mirror out of his wallet and said these words ―When I was a small child, we were very poor and we lived in a remote village. One day on the road, I found the broken pieces of the mirror. A motorcycle had been wrecked in that place. I tried to find all the pieces and put them back together, but it was not possible. So I kept only the largest piece. This One. And by scratching it on a stone made it round. I began to play with it as a toy, and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places, where the sun would never shine- in deep holes and crevices and dark closets. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places that I could find. I kept the little mirror and as I went about my growing up, I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. As I became a man I grew to understand that this was not just a child‘s game but a metaphor for what I might do with my life. I came to understand that I am not the light, nor the source of light.

But light – truth, understanding, knowledge – is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it. I am a fragment of the mirror whose whole design and shape I don‘t know.

Nevertheless, with what I have, I can reflect light into the dark places of this

world – into the

black places in the hearts of men – and change some things in some people. Perhaps others may see and do likewise. This is what I am about. This is the meaning of my life.‖ And then he took out his small mirror and holding it carefully, caught the bright rays of daylight streaming through the window and reflected them onto my face and onto my hands folded on the desk.‖ Every encounter in life is a lesson and each one you meet has a unique story to tell. If you are willing to listen with all your heart, you will get new reasons to feel better about life, about love and about yourself. We all have something special to offer each other. May the light that each one of you shine on others get reflected back on you a hundredfold.

Keep Learning….. Keep sharing……

Tryst with Destiny – My Take as an evaluator I might be too small a person to evaluate a speech, which was delivered on 14th of August 1947, but nevertheless I would like to take the risk, for all the sessions that I have attended and all the learning‘s that I have accumulated so far being a Toastmaster.

It need not require any introduction to the context and the situation in and around which the speech was delivered. Years of struggle, pain and loss of so many lives must have had left everyone's heard full of grief, sorrow and with a very little light of hope! Add to that the miseries associated with the recent partition with millions of Indians had to leave their native and take a long walk to a totally unknown world.

I joined Toastmaster 6 years ago for the simple reason to be one of the good speakers. In this journey, I have learnt a lot and still learning. Simple things like welcoming the guests/ audience, felicitation and one of the most important things being speak for the audience.

I enjoy cricket among all the sports. I love reading about India, its history, places, culture, and tradition. I wish to go around all the places in India. I also like listening to soft music and keep mumming them in solitude and also bogging my better half.

Rohit Kumar

I thought the above little backdrop will help to understand the importance of the content. We need not trouble our gray cells a lot to understand the general purpose of Inspiring and also Persuading the audience present the assembly then.

The speech by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru can be grouped into 3-4 agendas, mainly the introduction which set the context, the body which talked about end of pains to the beginning of happier times, our responsibilities, the things we needed to do and finally showed his gratitude to those who contributed in this success. Nehru ji showcased his all-around views for role of every nation around to maintain Freedom, Peace and Prosperity.

The first paragraph clearly summarized the context of what had happened to all of us in the past , the struggle, pains, martyrdom, till the very moment which was about to unfold. The moment of freedom, expression and also gave a hint of what would be required by all of us. A pledge to the service of nation.

[Nehru ji rightly touched upon the chords of what must had been going through the audience's mind in the very first paragraph, with reference to the past what had happened with us, what would be unfolding now and in the future and what we would need to do. It very well set the agenda for what could be expected later.]

The inspirational view of the speech could be derived from the very next paragraph. Considering that everyone would have been very low, he talked about the very characteristic of Mother India of how she had always braved all the failures and successes in the past and had taken strength from her values to rise again. What we had seen was a long stretch of difficult times but now we lies in front of us is a period of celebration, celebration of freedom, celebration of expression.

This ended with a challenge to the audience if we were ready to take the given opportunity and work for achieving the success which awaits us.

[It hits upon the ego of the audience.]

The next few paras made a list of things we needed to work upon, in the area of poverty elimination, getting rid of ignorance, diseases and provide equality of opportunity would end only when we would not have any more tears and sufferings for our countrymen. What could come in our ways like we could get into petty, destructive criticisms and ill will of others, while we carry on with our work. Also, what we needed to be a more responsible individual as freedom and power brings responsibilities.

[This clearly showcased how visionary Nehru ji as a person was and thus takes this opportunity to help the audience visualize what could lie before them. He listed what we needed to do now on.]

Pandit ji also touched upon the concept of Freedom, Peace and Prosperity which he explained cannot be maintained in isolation and all the communities, societies and nations have to be the participant to them.

[This I feel was the apt thing to do at this moment, as this was something that we as Indians would be witnessing as the time moves on.]

Nehru ji took the opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to the success of Mother India and started with his gratitude and the morals which Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, had lived by and what should be our aim to pursue.

[I feel this helped to touch upon the emotions of the audience as many present must have had lost their near and dear ones in our struggle and also love for the Father of the Nation.]

Nehru ji intermittently spoke about the pledge that we would need to take to devote ourselves to the service of the nation and put in words to build confidence for being part of a great nation which even western world looked up to and would write about.

Nehru ji concluded the speech with a reconfirmation to the Mother India about our service and also sent out a message to the entire world for India's cooperation in Freedom, Peace and Prosperity.

[In the end, what is worth mentioning about the choice of eloquent words, powerful phrases used throughout? Likes of “Long time ago we made a tryst with destiny...”, “At the stroke of midnight hour....”, “At the dawn of history...:, “Freedom and Power bring responsibility.”, “the ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe tear from everyone...”, “The appointed day has come- the day appointed by destiny...”, “the future beckons to us..”.]

History of TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai The Toastmasters initiative came to TCS, in Mumbai, with the help of Maitree and some members of TCS who believed in the promise of Toastmasters. The first club started off in June 2004, in Mumbai, and since then there are clubs in Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi, Kochi and Trivandrum too. Today we have two chapters in Mumbai at Malad and Powai.

The TCS-Maitree Toastmasters Club is a ―Corporate Club‖. Therefore, unlike local Toastmasters Clubs that are open to all, this club is open only to TCS employees and for members of its patron organization - Maitree. This is the first registered Toastmasters Club in Mumbai. Our club is Mumbai‘s Oldest and Biggest corporate Club Several TCS Toastmasters have successfully completed the two basic certifications offered by Toastmasters International i.e. the Competent Communicators (CC) certification and the Competent Leaders (CL) certification. We also have a few ACB's (Advanced communicator bronze)

Let’s Create Golden History

My Fellow Toastmasters Friends, Last Toastmasters Year (2011-12), our club achieved 10/10 DCP Goals and became ―President Distinguished Club‖ for the first time since its inception in June‘2004. It was a great moment of pride and honor for all the club members as ―TCS Maitree Toastmasters‖ being the oldest club in Mumbai was able to achieve this coveted title for the 1st time. The credit goes to the impeccable leadership of Anurag Sinha and the team who made it possible for the club to reach new heights.

Three things which describe the ardent passion of the Tenacious President of the TCS Maitree Toastmaster ClubMumbai are Toastmasters, Trekking and TED. A keen quest for knowledge makes him a voracious reader both in the print and online world. Insouciant and zealous towards life, he wishes to ameliorate himself and things around him progressively.

Mohit Chhabra - CL

1st July‘2012, a new Toastmaster year began and new ex-com members took charge. Yours truly was bestowed upon with the opportunity to serve as the President of the enthusiastic and talented club. Since, I was stepping into big shoes of Anurag sir, I had to ensure that the club maintains the same height which it achieved last year if not more.

Like every organization our club has certain goals and guidelines on how to achieve them. I pondered on what goals we should set for this year which are as challenging as last year‘s, yet a step ahead of what we had already accomplished in the previous year.

Few days later, I got the following mail from our District Governor Vinay Jain:-

“Dear Toastmasters of District 41, Gold has always been a prized element, a measure of prosperity, beauty and security. Gavel is a symbol of power, order, decorum, decision making, and a marker of important events about to unfold or just concluded.

In the Golden Gavel award that our district has initiated, these attributes come together. The coveted award will be given to clubs that excel in the way they nurture, add and motivate members who go on to achieve their educational goals and the way its officers carry out administrative tasks.

The criteria that need to be met for a club to earn Golden Gavel award for 2012-13 are as follows: 1.

DCP goals: The club should be a President’s Distinguished Club by achieving 10/10 goals on the Distinguished Club Program by May 10th, 2013.

Distinguished Club Program History

2004-2005: Achieved 3 of 10 goals.

2005-2006: Achieved 5 of 10 goals.

2006-2007: Achieved 5 of 10 goals.

2007-2008: Achieved 4 of 10 goals.

2008-2009: Achieved 8 of 10 goals.

2009-2010: Achieved 5 of 10 goals.

2010-2011: Achieved 5 of 10 goals.

2011-2012: Achieved 10 of 10 goals.

2012- 2013?

2.

OTP: In addition to the DCP criterion requiring 4 club officers to be trained in each semiannual officers training program organized by the district, all 7 officers of the club must be trained in at least one of the OTPs. 3.

MOT: The club should have conducted the Moments of Truth module from the 'Successful Club Series' at least once by January 31st, 2013. The module is available as a free download from: http://www.toastmasters.org/MofTruth.aspx (The score achieved under each section of MOT is to be reported to LGET upon completion).

4.

Trained Judges: The club should have at least 5 members who should be trained judges having attended Judges training and at least 2 members who should have attended Chief Judges Training post July 1, 2010. The names of such members should have been updated with LGET team by their Division Governor.

5.

Membership strength: By 30th April 2013, the club should have membership strength equal to at least the base number i.e. no. of members as on 1st July 2012. (For clubs which split in the year 2012-13, and form additional club/s, this clause will not be applicable.)

6.

Administration: Membership dues payment of at least 20 members must be uploaded by 30th September for October 2012 to March 2013 period and by 31st March for April to September 2013 period.

7.

Semi Annual and Annual District Conference: Both President and Vice President Education of the club are required to attend District Council meetings at each of the two District conference or else they need to assign a proxy, to represent the club on their behalf. Two active members from the club must be present at each District Conference and need to attend the District Council meeting to earn this point.

All clubs that meet these criteria of excellence will be awarded Golden Gavel award at Oration 2013. Let's do it. Let's go for the gold. May you all rise and shine!

District 41 Trio – Vinay, Prasad and Ritu” Bingo!!!

Here it is, the new vision and mission for our club i.e. ―Golden Gavel‖ and that‘s how the work towards achieving this BIG goal started. 6 months into the TM year (2012-13) and we have achieved 7/10 Goals from the Distinguished club program and 0.5 (50%) of each of the seven goals for the coveted Golden Gavel.

I would like to urge you all to work with 100% dedication and commitment to get the coveted ―Golden Gavel‖ for our club and create the history for the very 1st time.

Let‘s go for the gold.

RESONANCE 2012 The semiannual conference of District 41 of Toastmasters International, was a unique, fun filled and learning experience for all those who had been in the Conference room of Swissotel, Kolkata, on the 3rd and 4th of November‘12. The event evidenced the magnetic charisma of some of the best personalities across the globe which triggered the enthusiasm and confidence of all attendees. The two days long conference was an amalgamation of ―learning from everything‖ to a healthy competition of shinning as the best.

A happy go lucky, yet love to think. Extremely candid and love to socialize. She aspires to be an Orator and strongly believe that words can create wonders!

Atrayee Bhattacharya

Day-1 Morning shows the day, and so did the ―yogic‖ start of the conference. Founder of OmniDELL (Omni Dimensional Engagement in Lifelong Learning) and public speaker Saurabh J. Sarkar enlightened the audience with his insight of ―learning with living‖, abiding by the principles of KY21C (Karma Yog for the 21st century). The speaker emphasized on the revolutionary influence of Karm Yog in helping one harmoniously integrate their personal and professional lives.

It was time for the formal Inauguration of Resonance 2012. Dean Thompson from US Consulate lighted the Lamp to grace the occasion and presented his key note address.

With a positive vibe in the air, the conference progressed towards the ―Hall of Fame‖, a gesture towards recognizing the outstanding achievements and contributions of the toastmasters of District 41. The District Officers took over the stage and the energetic applaud of the audience uplifted the spirit of the toastmasters.

Our division Governor, Brillian S.K. was awarded with the title of ―The Best Area Governor 2011-12‖ (Area-D3) among other accolades he earned for the himself and the Division.

This was followed by the much awaited Panel Discussion on ―Do we have enough opportunity for women today to become successful leaders?‖ Punita Singh, the ex-District governor, moderated the discussion in which some of the most eminent women – Anjum Chopra, Richa Sharma and Rita Bhimani participated. Besides sharing their experiences as they traversed along the path to success, they also threw light on the ways and means by which women can be empowered and made self-sufficient so that they can rise up against subjugation and dominance.

It was now time to gorge on some rich Bengali cuisines comprising of mouthwatering specialties like ―macher jhol‖ and ―misti doi‖ .The delicacies lived up to the expectations of one and all and added an extra flavor to their taste buds.

And then, it was time for the ―music to the ears‖ which set hearts resonating. The dynamic and mesmerizing Vikas Jhingran, the first Toastmaster from Asia to be the World Champion of Public Speaking, left the audience spell bound with his award winning speeches. He inspired toastmasters to pursue their passion and dive into their inner self in order to deliver their best.

The audience felicitated the world champion with heartiest applaud and a standing ovation.

After the awe inspiring speech, it was time to evidence some real time action. Ten evaluators from the different Divisions across District-41 presented their evaluations in the evaluation contest, in their efforts to strive the honor and glory of their respective Divisions. It was truly an amazing experience to listen to the best evaluators from across the District and it helped the member of the audience to sharpen their evaluation skills too.

The cherry on the sumptuous cake, was the cultural evening that followed. From the amazing performance of Saurabh Sarkar and team to the DJ night, which set feet rolling, it rejuvenated everyone as they called it ―a day‖.

Day-2 Sunday, 4th Nov 2012, the digital clock on my mobile read 8 AM as we entered the venue of the District Council meet on the day 2 of Resonance 2012. The auditorium was full of people inspite of the last night‘s Cocktail and DJ party which went till 12 midnight.

The meeting was headed by District Governor, Vinay Jain and it included the executive committee members of District 41. The meeting included the reports of how District 41 had fared this year and achievements of various Divisions, Areas, Clubs and individuals in particular.

The meeting was followed by a session on ―The Bounce Forward Theory‖ by Sam Cowthorn.

In October 2006, Sam was involved in a head-on collision with a semi-trailer in which he was pronounced dead. After resuscitation he faced severe injuries including the amputation of his right arm above the elbow and severe damage to his right leg. Initially distraught by the prospect he may never walk again he maintained a strong mental attitude and now is a motivational speaker, success coach, self-help author and entrepreneur. He is also the winner of Young Australian of the Year award for his work as a motivational speaker.

His speech enthralled and motivated the audience so much so that he got standing ovation from the crowd thrice.

The most awaited part of the meeting then came with the commencement of humorous speech contest. The ―30 something ― Vikram Poddar carried the proceedings by introducing the rules of the contest and the contestants in his signature tongue in cheek style.

The topics chosen by contestants across ten Divisions were a refreshing change from the usual wife and marital humor and included topics ranging from mothers to maids in India and from engineering colleges to north east Indians striving for an identity in their very own country.

Every speaker left the audience spellbound and ―in stitches ―of laughter. The curtain raiser of Orations 2013 by the very zealous TM clubs from Hyderabad followed the contest.

The Day2 and final day of the conference ended with a felicitation ceremony of all those who had made the event possible and contest results.

District 41 Evaluation Contest : 2nd Runner Up - Niranjana Menon from Pune 1st Runner Up - Amit Kumar from Mumbai Winner - Shalini Sharma from Hyderabad District 41 Humorous Speech Contest : 2nd Runner Up - Rajesh Nair from Mumbai 1st Runner Up - Phani Bhagwan Duvvuri from Hyderabad Winner - Romeo Ningombam from Hyderabad

With participants winning from Division D in both categories, its time we all gear up for Orations2013 and keep the flag of Division D soaring high with lot more participation at the event and many more awards and recognitions The two day conference was an event which would be remembered for the stupendous hospitality, remarkable arrangements, friendly and nurturing collaborations , unforgettable experience and some spectacular learning‘s which will remain as memories for a lifetime.

From the desk of club Mentor The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs * of opportunity.

In Aug 2009, I met Jayesh Anandpara who introduced me to the world where leaders and orators are made- ToastMasters International. He was the Area governor and member of our club.

My supervisor Nikhil Kapadia encouraged me to start the club sessions at Malad. Few days later with the help of TCS Maitree and Jayesh we had our first demo session at Malad which was a success and finally the sessions started at Malad in November 2009.

The need of Toastmasters was felt because most of the associates lacked the confidence of communicating with others and expressing their thoughts as they were from Vernacular medium.

Anurag Sinha, Immediate Past President

Nothing in life is achieved without any difficulty, we also faced hard times but as it is said ―The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it...”

It was not easy for us to publicize the importance of the club to the associates. We took the help of mailers and skits to encourage people to join the club. Sreejith, Mehul, Vibhu Vatsala,Yasha , Shaheen,Adit Paul,Saurabh, Devendra,Priyanka, Sethu and Shabbir took the responsibility on their shoulders and with the hard work of my team the quality of our sessions improved and Toastmasters made TCS Malad twinkle in the map of TCS mumbai.

Along with Malad now we are having regular sessions at Powai. We have had few demo sessions at Vikhroli and Banyan Park. We got significant help from Rajiv, Namrata, Anushree, Kriti, Karthik , Chinmaya , Mangal , Haider, and Mohit to maintain the level that our club has achieved.

We had won the ―President Distinguished Award: 2011-21‖ and ―Founders Award‖ which is a great honor for any club.

Toastmasters have helped me in better Planning , Organizing , Communicating and Empowering young associates .I have seen the confidence sparkling in the eyes of associates which was missing. The club has helped many associates to improve their communication and leadership skills and I believe that everyone should avail this opportunity.

Lastly I feel satisfied as I have seen club sessions at Malad grow from saplings in to a fruitful tree.

* The rungs on the ladder are wooden or metal bars that form the steps.

The legendary Sam “Some poems don't rhyme, some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end, not all flowers are fragrant and not all trees give shadow. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next” We remain engrossed in our own lives very often until the journey so far seems to contract in a single moment. It is this moment which decides the course of your action ahead. It changes the way you think, the way you perceive things, the way you deal with oddities and even the way you think about your own self.

The moment is defined as Kairos (Greek Word to describe a moment).Such a moment came in my life a couple of days ago when I heard the most captivating, inspiring, emotional and at the same time rational, full of faith yet backed by scientific facts ,speech at Resonance 2012 by Sam Cowthorn.

Namrata has been an active member of TCS Maitree Toastmaster Club-Mumbai for 2 years now.

After completing her CC and CL she has started with the ACB level and is determined to be a DTM by the end of 2013. An explorer by nature she loves writing, travelling and meeting new people.

Namrata Srivastava – CC,CL

When we entered the conference room that day ,we saw a tall ,rather taller than most of the people I had seen in my life, man who was smiling cordially at everyone he saw and had the charisma and poise which made everyone's head turn towards him. I had seen his photograph on the banners in the auditorium. He was posing with a guitar and had that infectious smile. He was no different from his picture. We decided to get a photograph clicked with him primarily because he was handsome and secondary and tertiary reasons being his acclaimed fame which includes winner of the Australian of the year award, world acclaimed motivational speaker to name a few.He greeted us warmly and extended his left hand. Little amazed by the gesture I shifted my cell phone from my left to right hand and shook hands with him. The photo sessions got over and we sat down for the session. His session stood in between the brief tea break and the sumptuous lunch.

The auditorium was packed and Sam rose to speak. His initial introduction by the emcees comprised of phrases like ―disabled‖, ―frightening car accident ―,‖he lost his right arm and leg‖, ―He was declared clinically dead for three and a half minutes‖ etc. etc.

I was now occupied with a sense of sympathy for him not realizing that after the next few hours I will feel the same for myself. He was unconventional in his methods.

He did not use the stage or the podium to deliver his speech. He came down walked, jumped skipped hopped, climbed up chairs and kept moving throughout the room and in his own words he described it as ―Intentional and purposeful.‖

“Charisma doesn’t overshadow character” He repeated this sentence as he walked from left to right corner of the auditorium. In context of public speaking he said that it is your values, morals and integrity which define who you are on stage and not how the way you look.

He narrated how he met a fatal accident emphasizing that it was his own fault. The day was very clear in his mind and I could picturesque every word he spoke.

He said bye to his wife and kids while setting out from home. Everything was cheerful, the weather, his mood, and his kids, his wife, the song he played in his car…………..

He met a friend for lunch and while leaving shook hands with him instead of the usual embrace they shared. That was his last handshake with his right hand.

As he speeded on the highway he felt asleep and his car suffered a head on collision with a heavy vehicle.

He was pronounced dead as his heart stopped for three and a half minutes. After resuscitation he faced severe injuries including the amputation of his right arm above the elbow and severe damage to his right leg.

While he narrated this he detached his artificial hand from its prosthetic arm and showed how he had programmed it with his latest IPhone 5.

A family photo of his wife and 3 kids appeared on the screen and Sam continued how he was pronounced handicap and told by the doctor that he will have to spend the rest of his life on wheelchair. That he will never be able to hold his daughter in his arms, that he will never be able to play guitar, that will have to be dependent on others, that he will never be able to run and dance around and that we will never be able to drive again.

But what Sam believed in was: "It is your decision and not condition which determines what you are " What followed was a yearlong fight against his condition from a state of denial to acceptance and then of changing things. With faith, attitude and the proximity of his loved ones he created his own future.

Standing in front of us was a man who was told that he would never be able to walk again and he was jumping all around in the room and here we are who feel lazy and unessential to reach out to people whom we love and who love us.

Standing in front of us was a man who was once bed ridden and was supposed to be on wheelchair all through his life and today he was talking to unknown people, travelling and meeting everyone with open arms and here we are who at times do not even exchange smiles with people who work for us or work with us.

“Happiness starts by choice and it starts with you” He conducted an exercise where everyone had to stand and greet everyone in the room with the happiest expression possible. The energy levels in the room rose exponentially. When you want the world around you to be happy you need to be happy at first place. Another remarkable section of the session was the introduction of Bounce Forward theory.

In times when nothing seems to be at the right place and things start falling apart, we tend to bounce back to the original happier state because it seems to be a familiar territory. But Sam suggested that why don‘t we try to bounce forward instead and go to the unknown. Try new things and explore the unexplored.

One should remember that Crisis creates opportunities. It is on you that what you focus on – The crisis or the opportunities it creates. To explain this concept he asked the audience to glance through the room for 10 sec and notice everything that was green. He then asked everyone to close their eyes and take names of everything they had seen in these 10 sec which was purple.

It is therefore your focus on things which determines their importance in your lives. It was because of this focus that the pain he suffered in his arm 24/7 was inconspicuous to him compared to the beautiful things in life he focused on.

When we were kids we always crossed busy roads holding hands. That is what is required in times of disparities – Holding Hands in Traffic. He told how the support of his family and loved ones and their belief inspired him to face the biggest challenge of his life.

Finally Leverage happiness that fuels success. Happiness starts with your own self. You are the average of five of your closest people. So remember to keep good company because ―Proximity is Powerful‖ He also cited that the greatest investment one can make should be in himself –investment in his own brain. He even touched on various aspects of decision making with the 10/10/10 principle.

Before making any decision think how will the decision impact you, the people around you and the society in general for the coming 10 days 10 months and 10 years.

One should always be grateful to whatever he has in life and should respect and cherish its presence. In any adverse situation the challenge should be to survive through it and ―Turn should to musts‖ He concluded the session with a beautiful song which he played on his guitar and asked the audience to sing along with him. He is one of the few people in the world to be able to play a guitar with an above elbow amputation.

“Take this opportunity and sing along. After all when you see a man who has no arms perform for you” were his words.

For the next few minutes the whole room was singing along with Sam “I am blessed. I am blessed.

Every day that I live, I am blessed.

When I wake up in the morning Till I lay my head to rest, I am blessed. I am blessed.”

As he finished the whole auditorium rose for a standing ovation and the applauses weren‘t just stopping. His speech was by far one of the best speeches I had witnessed. It was once in a lifetime experience for all those who attended. He made us cry, laugh and instilled a feeling which made us all feel grateful of whatever we have in our lives: our parents, family, loved ones, the company we work for, the money we earn, the home we live in and most importantly an abled body.

Not everything you have in life will stay with you forever but with faith, gratitude and the right attitude you can always make the best and most of the things around you. We are all here for a specific purpose and each one of us has a unique destiny. The challenge is to identify your purpose in life thus making your life more purposeful and worth for yourself and others.

Hats off to the man who taught me the much known principles of life in a way that they will stay with me forever and beyond.

What does Toastmasters means to me? ―Toastmasters International ― I heard this word for the first time from my communication skills mentor during the ILP. Public Speaking has always been my passion and hobby, it was easy for her to detect this and she suggested me to join this club.

When I came to Mumbai I got tagged the very first day to GESS, I came to know that this club‘s meeting is held in the same office which is a good luck for me. I joined and now i am proud to be a part of TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club.It‘s been only 6 months for me but this has helped a lot in communicating with various other teams at work, presenting my views and most precious thing gaining confidence.

Public Speaking has been my Interest and hobby. I have always searched for opportunities where I can communicate to the crowd.

I consider communication to be very important in one's life.

Whenever I have to communicate to the users or the interface teams I find that proper communication solves many problems instantly Toastmasters is helping me a doing this.

Surabhi Shrivastava, My Profile, GESS

There are times at work when one miscommunication leads to heavy loss, with Toastmasters I learned to mix in the environment of corporate world and express myself powerfully.

Along with communication my leadership skills also started shining, I am the official SAA of the club, While playing this role I learned how to coordinate with the team and people around us, whether they are near you or geographically apart.

My qualities were marked by my PM and I have been given the responsibility of L & D SPOC of my team. It would have been very tough for me to manage the whole team without the experience that I got from TM. It doesn‘t stops here TM is a platform where creativity is mixed with professionalism and a polished gem shines in the end. From art to science, music to meditation, lots of topics are discussed and you get in touch with the competitive world where you need to be updated.

When you research for a topic to speak your knowledge and you‘re writing skills enhances, in the software world where documentation plays a key role, Toastmasters teaches you how to give your thoughts proper words and grammar.

I hope i could learn a lot more from here and would suggest all the readers to think about waking up early just for one day and who knows it could be you sharing your experience about TM in the next edition.

Club level Humorous Speech and Evaluation Contest The session on 1st Sept was special indeed, as it laid down the stepping stone for the Toastmasters International ―Humorous Speech and Evaluation Contest‖.

Toastmaster Chinmaya, Contest Chair for the Evaluation Contest, took the show ahead. He explained the rules of the Evaluation Contest for the convenience of all.

Toastmaster Atrayee was the demo speaker. Her speech entitled ―The Big Birthday‖ revolved around Cartoon Shows and their effect on children. The speech stressed on the crucial role of parents in being aware and guiding their children appropriately, in order to minimize the malicious impact of cartoons The second half of the session, the Humorous Speech contest, was conducted by Toastmaster Atrayee.

Have you seen our new club website?

Have you seen the club calendar?

Any doubts on meeting roles?

Get yourself online and get connected to the club community!

https://knowmax.ultimatix.net/sites/corp_maitree-cop/tcs-maitree_toastmastersclub/default.aspx

Have you used online agenda to make reservations for meeting roles?

Use the link below to book your slot either for speaker or for role player

http://toastmasters.peoriadesignweb.com/cgi-bin/tcs_616631/agenda

Inspiration from Michael Notaro, DTM Toastmasters International Past President SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TOASTMASTERS Aristotle once said, ―We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.‖ Habits are a part of life. What begins as a simple choice is repeated day after day, month after month and year after year. Over time, our habits — whether good or bad shape our destiny. To begin 2012, I offer you seven habits of highly effective Toastmasters!

Be early. Great things happen when you are early for a Toastmasters meeting. You can greet a guest, initialize the agenda, hand your manual to your evaluator or help with room preparations.

Best of all, you will be relaxed and seated when the meeting starts.

Be prepared. Preparation is vital to a successful Toastmasters meeting. Prior preparation prevents poor performance. When things are done at the last minute, or not done at all, the meeting quality suffers and members stay home.

Be positive. Attitude is contagious. Members join to learn, grow and have fun! Project a positive attitude of fun and enjoyment. Encourage new members to sign up for speaking and leadership roles early and often.

Be supportive. When members show interest and support each other, everyone succeeds.

Encouragement is like a mental vitamin, and it begins with you. Nurture a supportive, encouraging club culture and watch your club thrive.

Be courteous. Toastmasters is a people business and all people have feelings. Some members are sensitive, while others are thick-skinned, but all expect courteous treatment. Say ―thank you‖ and ―please,‖ and apologize when appropriate. Treat your club mates kindly and watch them reciprocate.

Be a goal-setter. Effective Toastmasters stretch themselves and encourage others to stretch, as well. If you are new, reach for your Competent Communicator award. If you have a CC, reach for CL, AC or DTM awards. If you have a DTM, earn another one (like I did). You will grow, and others will catch the excitement and grow along with you.

Be ready for anything! Toastmasters is a learning experience and anything can happen at any time — from ire alarms to power outages to speaker no-shows. Be flexible and seize your opportunity to grow. If a prepared speaker cancels at the last minute, try a live- to seven-minute impromptu speech. You might be surprised at how well you do, and you may inspire your club mates.

Distinguished Club Program What is the Distinguished Club program?

The Distinguished Club Program (DCP) is a recognition program administered by Toastmasters International (TI). TI tracks the progress of clubs in meeting educational and membership goals and recognizes clubs based on the number of goals achieved during the period July 1 through June 30. Clubs can achieve 10 possible goals.

Sr. No

Goal

Actual

Needed

Met



1

Two CCs

2

2

0

2

Two more CCs

2

0

2

3

One AC Bronze , Silver or Gold

1

1

0

4

One more AC Bronze , Silver or Gold

1

0

1

5

One CL, AL Bronze , ALSilver or DTM

1

1

0



6

One more CL, AL Bronze , ALSilver or DTM

1

1

0



7

Four new members

4

4

0

8

Four new more members

4

9

0

9

Officers Trained (both required) June-August December-February

4 4

7 0

0 4

Submit on time (both required) October or April dues renewal Club officer list

1 1

1 1

0 0

How does participation in the Distinguished Club Program benefit my club?

10 The DCP works hand-in-hand with the club mission by providing a structured, supportive meeting environment that is productive and fun for all the members. As members set and meet educational goals, they develop confidence and critical communication and leadership skills, inspiring others to do the same. The club‘s focus on individual and collective achievement also helps build team spirit and club pride that is infectious and selfsustaining.

Activity



 



Total Goals 7

What is the progress of my club?

TCS Maitree Toastmasters club has achieved Select Distinguished club status. We have achieved 7 out of 10 goals (please see progress chart on right hand side).

Our club is third in District 41 to achieve Select distinguished club status in short period of time For 2012-2013 our aim is to achieve GOLDEN GAVEL award which is the highest award given to any club in Toastmasters.

Educational Awards Toastmaster Kriti and Toastmaster Sanil have earned Competent Communication (CC) Award.

Toastmaster Mohit (President) has earned Competent Leader (CL) Award.

Toastmaster Haider (VP-PR) has earned Advanced Communication Bronze (ACB) Award.

Club # 616631 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club “Making Effective Communication & Leadership a TCS-wide Reality” Meetings are held fortnightly in Malad and in Powai Office. Meetings are open to all TCSers. A typical meet has 25 members and guests, who participate in the Club's Communication and Leadership program.

Malad : Every alternate Thursday: 9.30 AM to 11.00 AM Powai : Every alternate Friday: 2.00 PM to 3.30 PM

Editor: Indrajit A. Suryawanshi, Secretary, TCS Maitree TM Club

Please send your feedback, comments And creative ideas for future issues to: Mumbai.toastmasters@tcs.com

All Rights reserved by TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai