PULSE : Volume 2 – Issue 1 by Newsletters of District 82

TM Haleem Ghouse, who was recognised with the Lifetime Award at Ovation 2015

District Director District 82 As I assume the office of the District Director (previously District Governor), I want to thank you for believing in me, yet again!

Make a Choice, to take a Chance, to Change your Life ! Happy New Year !! You heard me right! Happy NEW year to all my Toastmaster Friend’s. Welcome to a brand Toastmaster’s calendar.

new

year

When I think of the trust you have placed in me and the faith you have in our organization, I realize the immense responsibility that I have taken up and I feel privileged yet humbled.

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With a new year come new resolutions and I am sure you all have taken a new one. Before we get into resolutions, I want to thank you all, for making our district, one of the best Districts in the world (Probably No.1 as you read this message). In the 8 year history of District 82, this year we have surpassed many records, including the Maximum no. of distinguished clubs and the most number of Educational Awards. It has been an absolute pleasure and honor leading you all this past year as the Lieutenant Governor for Education and Training.

Every journey, they say, has a plethora of hidden destinations that reveal them to a seeking traveler. I believe that we, the members and leaders of District 82 are about to embark on a new journey together, a journey that can change our lives for the good. So, what does this NEW beginning hold for us all? As the Newly elected district director of District 82, I wish to share with you, my Vision for the New Year.

Negate – With years of experience and growth,

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some of our expenses at the district have grown. This year, on common consensus, we have decided to negate the expenses driven towards some flamboyant district events and practices and eliminate un-resourcefulness while we divert those funds to better every member’s experience.

Create leaders within the diversity amongst us, separated by the ocean we are two different nations with varied culture but combined we have a huge untapped potential. Introverts or extroverts, people with diverse personalities, ideas and attitudes, let’s bind them all with a common platform this year.

Expand – Having created a mark thus far in District 82, we now aim to reach out to the most deserving - the students and the youth, who can benefit from our wonderful movement and capitalize on the excellent program we have early on & to anyone and everyone who wants to overcome the fear of Public speaking. Reaching out to remote areas and aiding sick clubs is one of the top most priority this year.

WE Model - With empowering, out-of-the-box and customized training programs for our leaders and member’s and an increased budget to promote Toastmasters, Open New Club’s and sustain the sick one’s, we wish to transcribe the potential of the ME into the WE. I am counting on you to do what we do best – create leaders. 4

Let’s also recognize those with an idea and without a voice and empower the leader in each one of them. Our vision this year would be “To make the universal Toastmaster’s brand, a common brand in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka and outreach ourselves into the 2nd and 3rd Tier Cities.” As I look ahead, I see junctures awaiting us to synergise and co-create avenues which could take us in mutually rewarding directions. Make a Choice, to take a Chance, to Change your Life! Come be part of the journey at District 82

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Programme Quality Director District 82 I am privileged and humbled to reach you as Program Quality Director of our District 82, being the first of its kind replaced with the title Lieutenant Governor Education and training.

objectives. Then you will be able to realize members are better retained in our district and transforming to be more effective communicators and leaders.

Members of District 82 are famed to carry a luxurious legacy of being Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Distinguished District in a row and leading the world in consecutive years, thanks to our heroes of past who lead us in front. Now let us together continue our journey on the same path with grander emphasis on quality.

On behalf the district my Program Quality Team is empowered and geared to provide all aspects of education and training thru various initiatives such as Toastmasters Learning Institute (TLI), mentoring program and a Leadership Resource Pool. This is to support quality club program efforts and promoting distinguished club program to realize a healthy club environment. Together with my district leadership team, we will strive to plan and organize exciting conferences with more weight on networking, educational, entertaining and high take home value compared to the gleam and glamour.

Quality is a subjective attribute that is conditional, understood and perceived differently by different people. However, Toastmasters International was able to embrace many quality considerations to the program with lot more clarity with the change of all district leader titles effective 1st July 2015. We the members of District 82 should place equal or even higher importance and emphasis in providing quality club environment enabling our members to achieve their education goals. I believe it is the most opportune time to focus our minds in building quality clubs. Quality clubs are those that have variety to keep meetings fresh, interesting and have fun whilst achieving all education objectives. Let us make sure the atmosphere is exciting, enjoyable and inviting. The best clubs start and end on time and follow a fast-paced agenda that builds enthusiasm. It should encourage members to give speeches to meet objectives of each manual and provide positive evaluations based on the project

Hence, I invite all my members to join hands with unwavering friendship in all programs being offered during the year to improve ourselves with all different skills. Be prepared to be a part of club, Area, Division and District initiatives to ensure we spend another rewarding and Quality toastmaster year. Let me thank all leaders of the past, especially the leaders who lead District 82 to reach the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Distinguished District Status yet again in the just concluded toastmaster year for their limitless efforts and commitment. Dear Members, let us join hands to march the path of quality to realize our individual goals of the year.

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It is a pleasure to address you at the start of the new Toastmasters year! With the dawn of the new year we need to set our goals to achieve our objectives. We see a growing trend of clubs chasing awards at the cost of the quality of the club. It is important to achieve Club goals and aim for accolades. To achieve this the Ex-Co and members must work together, plan well and start early on education and leadership programme. We cannot compromise quality at any stage . It is equally important that all members enjoy the Toastmasters experience, otherwise the purpose of Toastmasters would be lost. Attend Semi Annual and Annual conferences as well as your Division conference and don’t be isolated in your clubs. Share your experience from conferences with other club members. In terms of membership growth, we will give priority to the following 5 points; Retain existing membership: Clubs and members alike should focus on retaining the existing membership of their clubs Attract new members: 80% – 90% of the clubs will opt for the minimum required 8 members to meet their membership goals. We want to encourage clubs to try and increase their membership in higher numbers. Clubs and members alike should also try to bring back members who have left. Introduce a Friend: All members should try to bring friends and guests to club meetings. When they experience the meeting, they are more likely to join you in the Toastmasters journey. 6

Club Growth Director District 82 Club growth: Area Directors should focus on all the weak clubs in their respective areas immediately. With the help of the District Trio, Arrange mentors / club coaches from the district pool towards achieving this. Clubs that feel they need the extra support should also seek out to their Area Directors proactively and revive their clubs. Open new clubs: Divisional teams should try and open new clubs. However, it is essential that the clubs that are being introduced are sustainable in the long term. They should have the capacity to maintain themselves in the long term. Don’t hesitate to seek assistance from a Club Coach/ Club Mentor if you feel your club needs it. Take the lead, get involved and work together to elevate your club experience. It is the quality of the experience that will help you grow as individuals and your clubs to grow as leaders in the District. I wish you all a successful year ahead!

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Public Relations Manager District 82 What a special era for the Toastmasters of Sri Lanka. An era of champions, who have left a mark and ignited a spark in the lives of many. Being able to consistently champion individuals through words and inspire action through leadership, are traits which unfold over a period of time in ones journey towards the greatness he or she desires. However each and every one of us can acclaim such greatness, if we have that passion to persevere, willingness to fail and learn, and most importantly commit consistently towards our dream. The platform provided by Toastmasters is the ideal arena to test our capability, push our limitations and break our barriers towards discovering our potential. Let this year be a new year to rediscover and reignite that hidden potential vested within you. We as the District PR team are looking forward in working along with you to help you discover this potential.

best suit the development in all aspects of your life. While I explicitly want to acknowledge the tremendous job done by the outgoing PR committee led by Pranav, our new team is eagerly looking forward in continuing the good work and raising the standards set. Our dynamic team comprising of Nisal, Yasangi, Gayantha, Mazin, Hingston and myself, are looking forward in connecting with you throughout this year and in the future through numerous initiatives to bring out the best in you. We are excited with the lineup of activities and initiatives planned this year, and we hope you share the same passion and excitement in really supporting us, in supporting you to take the brand of Toastmasters forward through learning, fun and excitement.

Make use of the benefits this platform offers to Pulse | July 2015

Finance Manager District 82 Dear D82 Toastmasters, I am excited to start this New Year as a Finance Manager. I have got enough opportunity to learn and exhibit my leadership skills in the past year.

I believe the wonderful set of leaders and energetic toastmasters will take this district to newer heights.

But, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be a challenging year ahead because the past year leaders have set strong results.

I believe the wonderful set of leaders and energetic toastmasters will take this district to newer heights.

I request every individual toastmaster of D82 to support this new team in achieving the membership retention, member development and club growth.

All the very best for your journey in this new Toastmaster year!

As a finance manager I will put in all my efforts to accomplish this mission of District of 82. Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Napoleon Hill

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Lord Buddha was staying with his disciples in a village and he was thirsty. He asked his disciple to fetch him water from the stream. The disciple went to the stream and to his dismay the water was muddy because of the children stomping around and the women washing clothes. He returned empty handed and told Buddha of his woes. Lord Buddha smiled and sent another disciple. He returned after a while with a jug full of clear water. The first disciple was amazed and queried Buddha how the second disciple got clear water for which Buddha smiled and said “Patience pays”. He waited till the water settled, the mud moved down and just scooped the clear water at the top. In Life too sometimes, we must be patient – have a wait and watch approach, things will change for the better, difficulties and problems will settle down and you will have a clear path. "Patience is the key to success." Especially in a Non-Profit organization like Toastmasters where people volunteer. It is very important as a Leader to be patient, courteous and an avid listener at all times.

Administration Manager District 82 “Beyond a point where people come together for a movement, they stay together because of a Leader. And a patient and calm Leader is one who wins the hearts of the people they work with.” Having experienced such moments where you grow and the love for you too grows manifold, is the best return about being a leader in Toastmasters. To all the incoming Officers, who take charge from July, 1st on wards; I might not have the rich experience or the wisdom of your age. But, there is one thing I can definitely tell you- Enjoy the next one year, there would be many a trying things come your way, don’t sweat over them, trust your team and go forward together. By the end of your tenure, if your team replaces you and takes the charge over from you, you have had a magnificent one year term! Good Luck to all my fellow Leaders!

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Chief Judge District 82 Leadership is not a popularity contest; it's about leaving your ego at the door. The name of the game is to lead without a title. - Robin S. Sharma My favourite quote! The fascinating fact about Toastmasters is the immense leadership opportunity it has to offer each member. While my five years of Toastmasteing has already helped me taste the platter of leadership this year is no excuse! It all started in Ovation 2013 when I played the role of co-contest chair. Contest management, contests ,and Judging have been an integral part ever since. This new role as District Chief Judge is a wholesome package of responsibility, preparedness & diligence .

who relishes the contest and dreams to have a fair contest at all levels and send the best contestant to the World championship. Leadership role is a roller coaster ride that fully unleashes the potential within us. Its a complete paradigm shift! Well, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m all geared up for the ride! In D82 its two nations that unites with one emotion "CONTESTS" !!! Happy Toastmastering!

This is a team role that involves mutual support from fellow members who play the vital role in contest management. I would love to build new avenues for training every member of the district 10

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When we began our journey one year ago, we had two very simple goals; one was to become a Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Distinguished District and the other was to become Number 1 in the world. At the moment, we have achieved both! One of the most important things that I have learnt in my leadership career is the importance of teamwork. No one, no matter how brilliant they are, can achieve anything on their own. It is just over 6000 members. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost the same as running a large organisation. We have a Management Team of 10 Division Governors, 41 Area Governors. To plan goals and to achieve those goals, we have to have teamwork. There can be no success without teamwork. District Council meetings, Division Council meetings, and Area Council meetings should be held regularly. At every point, it is working as a team and achieving objectives as a team that is most important. When we have so many people leading teams and we have so many people working together to achieve objectives, you cannot have everybody agreeing to everything. If we are all agreeing to everything, there is something very wrong there because we are all intelligent human beings and we all have our own ideas and opinions about the way things are done. Very often there will be disputes, debates and disagreements about the methods of doing things.

Immediate Past District Governor District 82 At the end of the day, a consensus decision has to be made amongst the team and once that decision has been made, that has to be the decision of the entire team. We should never have a situation where one person feels that their ideas were overruled or neglected. That will affect their performance and worse, it will leave ill feelings within them. That is not a good situation in leadership. Once a decision is made, whatever the decision is, if it is the majority decision taken democratically, we as leaders need to have a unified front. If we do that, and if we commit ourselves to this fantastic organisation, we will achieve our goals in the coming year as well. I wish the new District Team as well as the new set of officers taking leadership roles within their clubs all the best as they take on the adventures and challenges of the new year. Have a great year!

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Ovation 2015, the Annual Conference, was a fitting tribute to what was perhaps the most memorable year in toastmasters for District 82. Flavoured by the tastes, traditions and trends of two nations, Ovation 2015 packed a punch in to a fun filled weekend as District 82 selected their Champion Speakers. Commencing with the Business Meeting on the 23rd of May in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the three day conference weekend was welcomed in style with the colourful rendezvous that was the opening ceremony held at Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (commonly referred to as BMICH). Chief Guest, Past International President, Distinguished Toastmaster, and Accredited Speaker Dr. Dilip Abayasekara, delivered the keynote address for the evening. The years of service and dedication to the Toastmasters programme by TM Haleem Ghouse was recognised with the lifetime award presented at the opening ceremony. The conference then moved a little away from the busy commercial capital of Sri Lanka to the romantic beaches of Mt. Lavinia where the historic Mount Lavinia Hotel bore witness to the toastmasters of District 82 creating history of their own. Educational sessions conducted during the conference include; • “Impossible was nothing in the 4th Century, BC” delivered by Mr. Chevaan Daniel, a Group Director of a Media Giant in Sri Lanka • 'Talk the Walk and Walk the Talk' Essentials of Leadership delivered by DTM Deepak Menon – International Director of Region 13 • “Creation of Reality” delivered by Mr. Roger Konopasek, the Transformation Catalyst from Singapore and • Closing Session by Dr. Abayasekara on “Five Storytelling Secrets for Speaking Excellence” Members who could not attend for various commitments were kept up to date on all events by the dynamic live blogging team.

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Installation of the new District Team was conducted by DTM Deepak Menon, International President of Region 13, and the reigns have officially been passed onto to DTM Sastharam Ravendran, District Director for 2015/16. The main attraction of the Conference was of course the competition to pick the District Champions on Table Topics and International Speech Contests. Champions from the respective Divisions did not disappoint in the run up to select the District Champions. The time, effort, and dedication put in by the Conference Chair and the organising committee in the planning of Ovation 2015 was evident in the effortless execution of the conference. Kudos to the entire team for the tremendous success of Ovation 2015. In true Sri Lankan/ Indian style, the committee truly deserves a ‘thundering’ round of applause! With old friends meeting again and new friendships being made in the world of toastmasters, Ovation 2015 certainly gave members of District 82 something to remember. Winners: Table Topics Speech Contest 1. TM Tharindu Amarasekara (Division A) 2. TM Shyam Raj (Division D) 3. TM Dinal Edirisinghe (Division C) International Speech Contest 1. TM Arfath Saleem (Division A) for his speech “Orchestra” 2. TM Jaswanth Krishnamurthy (Division G) for his speech “Do you have a pen?” 3. TM Michelle De Silva (Division J) for her speech “Dare to Dance”

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Are you looking to inject innovation, inspiration and imagination at your club meetings? Look no further. For Toastmaster sessions teeming with life and learning, THEME meetings are the key. Every 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month, members of The Pinnacle Advanced Toastmasters Club indulge themselves in feast of creativity. As the first advanced Toastmasters Club in Sri Lanka, its members pride themselves on a unique practice: theme meetings that challenge participants to stretch their ingenuity and maximize their learning. Our meeting venue is the setting for a whole new world to come alive. Sometimes, we gather around a make-believe campfire, to relate personal anecdotes that touched us, and sharpen our skills in the art of “Storytelling”. At other times, we are transported back to the days of yore, when the great bard “Shakespeare” was in his prime, and together we celebrate his legendary contribution to literature. If you peep into our meeting room, don’t be alarmed to find Melody and Singing as a part of the proceedings… our “Musical” Meetings have had the entire club turn into a choir as we sing in tune to a classic favourite. One theme that was a fantastic hit with all club members was titled “Greatest Speeches of All Time”. Lincoln, Mandela, Gandhi, and other icons of the spoken word, were brought back to life through their immortal oratory masterpieces. Every participant in the meeting enjoyed the passion, purpose and performance of these Public Speaking greats. It definitely encouraged us to step up our own game so we could make a great impact with the words we use, as well. 16

We love to plan our sessions around topics as varied as Sports, Drama, Science… and some times, we even dare to subject ourselves to an advanced “Table Topics” Marathon, where each member has to speak for a minimum of three minutes, instead of the regular one minute. From Poetry to a TV Talk Show to a Courtroom Mystery, our theme meetings have definitely brought in an extra zing and zest to our educational program. Why don’t you give Theme Meetings a try at your club, too? They create a thrill like no other… and guarantee that your Toastmaster sessions remain house-full every time!

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strengths of team members was an interesting exercise, especially since it indicated that all team leaders had clearly chosen their teams well.

Any occasion that calls for a group of toastmasters to come together invariably becomes an experience to remember; old friends meeting again, new friendships being formed, experienced toastmasters sharing stories, new toastmasters with fresh ideas, and the combination of them all creates a blend of opportunities that ensures any occasion is worth remembering. New District Officers of District 82 would vouch that the District Officer Training Programme (DOTP) didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fail to deliver on that matter of course.

What was expected was to have a good time learning, to be inspired from the leaders in District 82 and to strengthen camaraderie within the network of toastmasters that make up what is at this moment in time the Number 1 District in Toastmasters International! The benchmarks have been raised high by the previous team of District Officers and the incoming team have their work cut out for them! We are confident that they will RISE to the occasion (toastmasters pun intended) and wish all Division Directors, Area Directors and other District Officers a spectacular year ahead!

DOTP for Divisions A, C, E, F, H, and J was held in Wadduwa, Sri Lanka on 13th and 14th June 2015. Officers in Divisions B, D, G, and I gathered for the DOTP in Chennai, India on 27th and 28th of June 2015. The expectation from a DOTP is education for the newly appointed officers on the conditions they need to keep in mind when planning for the year ahead. Being toastmasters, it is good to expect the unexpected when we congregate to learn. Chasing District Leaders around the training room playing Bull & Cage was certainly not expected! What was also not expected was a profound lesson in communication delivered through eager volunteers roaming around the back of the training room making animal noisesâ&#x20AC;Ś Participating in a psychometric study that shed light into the different qualities and

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Absent in the picture: DTM Sudash Liyanage, TM Scerena Jansen Dirckze

The beautiful Island of Sri Lanka did not just witness the onset of the sea breeze but also saw all the Incoming District Officers (Area Directors, Division Directors, Extended team) for the District year 2015 - 16 being trained in a two day residential program on 13 & 14th June 2015.

outdoor activity session conducted for team building.

The District Officers Training Program for Sri Lanka was held at Blue Waters Resort, Wadduva. The Sri Lankan contingent saw a 100% attendance.

We wish all the Incoming officers a hearty good luck to impart and implement the knowledge they gained at the District Officers Training Program.

The District Officers Training Program conducted at Esthell Village Resort in Chennai also opened doors on 27th and 28th June 2015 to a full house. A unique touch to whole program was an

The training aimed at providing a holistic knowledge about the District Protocols, rules & guidelines and the way the District functions.

TM Akshaya Mahalingam Administration Manager District 82

Thank You, Outgoing Leaders! Congratulations to club and district leaders for a successful 2014–2015 program year. Thank you for your dedication and the inspiration you continue to provide to members and other leaders. Member Privacy Notice To protect our members’ privacy, all member contact information is to be used only for official Toastmasters business. Email TMI if you receive emails unrelated to Toastmasters business: rhaddon@toastmasters.org

Review your club’s online DCP report for accuracy and target goals your club can meet. Use the dashboards to view your DCP progress: http://dashboards.toastmasters.org/ Email Toastmasters International if you find any discrepancies. The address is membership@toastmasters.org

Make sure education and membership award applications are submitted on time via Club Central. Toastmasters International receives more member award applications in June than in any other month. As a result, members who applied for awards in June may experience a delay in receiving their certificates. To avoid delays, submit award applications via Club Central.

Outgoing officers: Help your club earn Distinguished Club Program credit for the 2015–2016 program year by following these tips: • Encourage new club officers to sign up for district-sponsored Club Officer Training. Trained officers are better able to support their clubs. • Secretaries: Ensure your club’s new officer list was submitted via Club Central by June 30.

Check the month-end closing dates regularly to ensure your submissions are received and processed on time. Items with reporting deadlines include education award applications, membership applications, club charter documentation and club coach appointments. Annual Business Meeting—Plan Ahead In July, club presidents and secretaries will receive proxy information via email. Delegates will vote at the August Annual Business Meeting for international officer and director candidates and proposed amendments to the Bylaws of Toastmasters International. READ MORE AT https://www.toastmasters.org/Leadership-Central/The-Leader-Letter

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District Director

DTM Sastharam Raveendran

Mail@sastharam.com

Program Quality Director

DTM Sudash Liyanage

Liyanagesudash@gmail.com

Club Growth Director

DTM Ajantha Jayawardena

Ajanthadtm@gmail.com

Administration Manager

TM Akshaya Mahalingam

5rainbowsparkle@gmail.com

Finance Manager

TM S Sateesh Kumar

Sateeshkumar.Eks@gmail.com

Public Relations Manager

DTM Arshad Mohideen

pro@d82.org

District Chief Judge

TM Vijayalakshmi Soundarajan

Viji.Harini@gmail.com

Assistant Programme Quality Director – Sri Lanka

TM Ranishka Wimalasena

ranishk@yahoo.co.uk

Assistant Programme Quality Director – Tamil Nadu

TM Vidiya Prasanth

vidhyaprasanthenator@gmail.com

Assistant Club Growth Director TM Punsirimewan Kamburawala pkamburawala@yahoo.com – Sri Lanka Assistant Club Growth Director TM Arun Kumar Sridhar – Tamil Nadu TLI Chair – Sri Lanka

TM Scerena Jansen Dirckze

scerenaj@expofreight.com

TLI Chair – Tamil Nadu

TM Guruprasad Padmanabhan

gurupadman69@yahoo.co.in

Mentors Pool Chair – Sri Lanka

DTM Srianthie Salgado

sm.salgado@yahoo.com

Mentors Pool Chair – Tamil Nadu

TM Badhrinath Soundararajan

sbadhrinath@gmail.com

Assistant District Finance Manager – Sri Lanka

TM Ishani Kuruppu

ishanikuruppu@hotmail.com

Social Media Chair

TM Nisal Weerakoon

socialmedia@d82.org Twitter: @_Nisal_

Webmaster

TM Gayantha Samaradiwakara

webmaster@d82.org Twitter : @gayantha

Newsletter Editor

TM Yasangi Randeni

Editor-in-chief@d82.org

Co – Newsletter Editor

TM Hingston Lovell

Editor-in-chief@d82.org Twitter: mehingston89

Blog Master

TM Mazin Hussain

blog@d82.org Twitter : @mazin_hussain94

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Division A Division Director

TM Hussain Moosajee

hussaintmoosajee@gmail.com

Area Director A1

TM Saliya De Silva

Saliyads@yahoo.com

Area Director A2

TM Sarmaa Mahalingam

Sarma1@sltnet.lk

Area Director A3

TM Koshal Krishnakumar

Koshalkk31@gmail.com

Area Director A4

TM Milan Padukka

Milan.X.Padukka@rrd.com

Division B Division Director

TM K.V.Yuvaraju

Kvyuvaraju@gmail.com

Area Director B1

TM Santhanalakshmi Ramalingam

Santhana.Srinath@gmail.com

Area Director B2

TM Subhadip Banik

Subhadip.Banik89@gmail.com

Area Director B3

TM Samuel Whitefield

Samuelwhitefield@gmail.com

Area Director B4

TM Vamsi Sridhar

Vamsi.Sridhar@gmail.com

Area Director B5

TM Lavakumar Mudduluru

Lavakumar.Mudduluru@gmail.com

Division C Division Director

TM Ranmal Goonetilleke

Ranmal.G@gmail.com

Area Director C1

TM Muhammed Sheikh Ahmed

Muhammed@awakeningtm.org

Area Director C2

TM Imalee De Silva

Imaleedesilva@sampath.lk

Area Director C3

TM Tharindu Navodana Kankanamge

Navodanak@yahoo.com

Area Director C4

TM Keerthie Wijekulasooriya

Keerthiew@singersl.com

Division D

Division Director

TM Pravin Mani

Pravin1314@gmail.com

Area Director D1

TM Mythily Ramanan

Mythily@livia.In

Area Director D2

TM Prashant Sree

Prashantsree21@gmail.com

Area Director D3

TM Saravana Kumar

Mechsaravanaps@gmail.com

Area Director D4

TM Nishit Raj Jain

Nishit.Rajjain@tcs.com

Area Director D5

TM Vinutha Vivek

Vinu.Athena@gmail.com

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Division E Division Director

TM Daya Shantha Senarath

Dss.6.Nwk@gmail.om

Area Director E1

TM Munidasapathiranage Ananda Gunawardana

Anandag@boi.lk

Area Director E2

TM Manjula Samarasinghe

Manjulas@slt.com.lk

Area Director E3

TM Mohamed Minfaz Hilmy

Minfaz@sjmsassociates.com

Area Director E4

TM Dilrukshi Rajapakse

Dilrukshirajapakse@gmail.com

Area Director E5

TM Darshika N Koggalahewa

Darshika.K@sliit.lk

Division F Division Director

TM Bernadine Jayasinghe

Bernadinejayasinghe@yahoo.com

Area Director F1

TM M H M Z Marzook

Marzook@filotexlanka.com

Area Director F2

TM Shazuli Raheem

Shazuli.Raheem@amana.lk

Area Director F3

TM Prialal Desilva

Prialal@gmail.com

Area Director F4

TM Suhitha Karunanayake

Suhitha@expolanka.com

Area Director F5

TM Dilusha Gamage

Dilushagamage@yahoo.com

Division G Division Director

TM Vikram Nagaraj

Vikram10@gmail.com

Area Director G1

TM J. Antony Jerald Anand

Jerry2411@gmail.com

Area Director G2

TM Sunil G Baffna

Baffna.Sunil@gmail.com

Area Director G3

TM Lavanya Adapala

Lavanya.Adapala@gmail.com

Area Director G4

TM Sundaresan S.T

Sundaresan.Cug@gmail.com

Area DirectorG5

TM Vejey Subash Gandyer

Vejeysubash@gmail.com

Division H Division Director

TM Padmajith Jinadasa

Padmajith17@gmail.com

Area Director H1

TM Asitha Koshala

Akoshala@gmail.com

Area Director H2

TM Gamini Fernando

Gaminirex@gmail.com

Area Director H3

TM Priyankara Dias

Priyankaradias@yahoo.com

Area Director H4

TM P. Bandula Perera

Bandula@starpackaging.biz

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Division I Division Director

TM Karthick Mohandos

Cartick.Md@gmail.com

Area Director I1

TM Rajat Chandra Mathur

Rajatchandramathur@gmail.com

Area Director I2

TM Navaneeth V G

Vgnavaneeth5394@gmail.com

Area Director I3

TM Manickajamin.K

Manickajamin@gmail.com

Area Director I4

TM Kush Tripathi

Kushtripathi20006@gmail.com

Area Director I5

TM Ramalingam K

Ramalingam007@gmail.com Division J

Division J

TM Namini Gunasena

Namini.Gunasena@ifsworld.com

Area – J1

TM Moditha Attanagoda

Moditha.Attanagoda@hnb.lk

Area – J2

TM Mohamed Inshaf

Minshaf@virtusa.com

Area – J3

TM G. Thilini Weerasuriya

Thiliniweeray@gmail.com

Area – J4

TM Udeni Gnanaweera

Udeni.Gnanaweera@ifsworld.com

Pulse | July 2015

made it a family affair. They attended many of the conference that I went to. Of all the international conferences I have been to, my wife has been to all except one of the international conventions. She’s still not a toastmaster as she says one toastmaster is enough for the family. Although I’ve asked my daughter and son to join, they say “No dad, the expectations (from us) would be too high!”

Family means everything. In a journey such as mine, especially when I had to make many sacrifices, it couldn’t have been done without the family’s backing. I switched careers also partly due to Toastmasters because it revealed to me what I really wanted to do. And then from being a scientist to speech coach and trainer, that required a lot of support and willingness to take a risk. My children were very young (at the time) and they were fantastic. One of my earliest evaluators was my little daughter. What I found was that if I could not write and deliver a speech that she could understand, I was probably too complex for adults. The reason is, in order to be simple you have to be very clear in your thoughts. Simplicity is clarity. If I had to explain in a paragraph what I was saying in a sentence, then maybe that sentence should be corrected. When I was competing in my speech contests, my wife would listen for grammar and pronunciation, my daughter would also listen to pronunciation because they were being raised in American schools whereas I came from a Sri Lankan educational background. My son would run the stopwatch to check my timing, so we

It was a gradual transition. In 1992, when I was in the finals of the World Championship, there were articles written about me and soon there were people who were inviting me to speak, and then there were people who wanted me to coach them. People were asking me how much I charge (to coach) and that is when I realised, this is something important enough that people will pay money to learn what I have learnt through the sheer joy and passion I had for it. I started to coach as a business, working during the week as a scientist and working evenings and weekends coaching or training. In 1994, I registered my coaching business and in 1996 I told my wife I wanted to make work full time on coaching. It was tough because it caused a dip our finances. It is challenging and I could see why most people who try to transition end up

Pulse | July 2015

coming back. Because it is really a risk you take but there was something in my heart that said I either do this or I’ll be a liar to myself. And there were a lot of signs that I should be doing this. For example, I went to New York City to do a seminar and the ballroom was packed. There were a lot of people milling around trying to talk to me. And I noticed an elderly couple trying to talk to me but they couldn’t get to me. So I thought I should make it a point to talk to them. But they didn’t wait, they passed a note to me which said “Your message today was a spiritual impetus for us to carry on with our lives. We would like our 20 year old son to hear your message. Would you please send us a tape” and they had given their address. I had travelled 3 hours one way to New York City, 3 hours on the way back. On my way back, I fished out that note and looked at it again. And it overwhelmed me that people are that hungry for a message that I shared with such joy that was spontaneously created. I thought to myself, “This is better than a pay cheque. I can make a difference in this World.” Things like that made me pause and think, “What is the legacy you want to leave?” I told my wife, I don’t want to end up as an old man on a rocking chair one day wishing I had listened to my inner voice. No regrets. This is the life I feel I was designed to live. My wife used to crochet back then and she crocheted a saying for me which read “This is not just a job, I’m designing my life” I still have that today because she understood my need to listen to a call that I was gifted for and that I just studied out of sheer passion and now people were responding to it. To me, what she was saying was “I’ll walk with you” and I have a profound sense of gratitude for that.

getting to so many. But they were part of my Toastmasters life. In fact my children, when they were quite young, while we were travelling back from Conventions, they would evaluate the speakers they had heard. They were getting an education!

It started in my childhood. I tell people, if you are wondering what you were designed to do, one of the things you could do is think back to your childhood and ask what brought you a sense of joy. When I think back to my childhood days, another boy who was around our house and I used to write political speeches for each other. We used to stand on a box and deliver the speeches to each other. Well, we thought they were political speeches, but they probably were not. But can you imagine two children having fun writing and delivering speeches? For me, that was fun. As a teenager, I would memorise speeches. I didn’t even know (then) that

I had to consider whether I wanted to run for 3rd Vice President because that would mean a 5 year commitment. I had already put in 2 years on the Board as a Director. I had to ask my children and my wife “Should I?” and unanimously they said “go for it!” But part of their ability to support me came from the fact that they came for the Conventions and they saw the power of it and how happy I was and how I gained so much from 42

Pulse | July 2015

Toastmasters existed. I was drawn to the power of language, to touch peoples’ hearts and change the world. I would memorise sections (of speeches) because I thought it was fantastic. I never still thought of myself as a speaker. I was fascinated by speaking. When I was in High School, there was a notice for tryouts for an English Debate team. At that time, my best friend had been a debtor and really loved it. So I thought I should give it a try. And it was amazing. I pulled out speeches from my memory and made my case and I was easily picked to be on the Debating Team. Suddenly I was discovering things. When I came to the United States of America, I saw a tryout notice for an Oratorical Contest. I thought that would be fun and tried out. I ended up in Second Place and I was this fresh kid from Sri Lanka who doesn’t really know the culture. All this was building my confidence and continuing that love affair with language and influence. When I was in grad school I heard about Toastmasters and I told my wife “There’s this programme called Toastmasters and it looks like they give speeches to each other!” But then I forgot about it. Sometime later, when I had taken my first job as a chemist, my wife saw a notice in the newspaper for a Toastmasters Club meeting, I went for a meeting and I loved it! I switched to a different club because the meeting time was not good for me but the latter was not as good as the first club I had gone to; they did everything wrong! But for me, that didn’t matter. I was absorbing everything; table topics, prepared speeches, evaluations, ah counters… I felt like a little boy! But they did everything wrong! For example, the Table Topics Master thought I was a member of the club that he had not met and called on me to do a Table Topic speech.

And the topic he gave me was “Why should anyone join Toastmasters?” And I thought “That’s what I came to find out…” I thought I better think fast and made a speech and club gave me a Best Speaker award for Table Topics. Then they told me that it was a “Travelling Trophy” which meant I had to take it back the following week. And I thought “These guys have a way of building membership!” So I went back the following week, won the trophy again and I was discovering the joy of speaking. I joined the club even though they got many things wrong because it didn’t matter and I was interested in the Toastmasters programme. No one could have kept me out. I told them I was interested in being a club officer and within 6 months I was VP – Education. I loved it! I have been a member continuously for 29 years. And that’s how it happened. No one invited me to Toastmasters; I had already discovered that there was something in me that was attracted to this art of using the spoken word. I feel I had some capacity that became nurtured by reading. I would read speeches by Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and memorise them as a child in Sri Lanka. Obviously that’s something in me. Toastmasters gave me a vehicle to put it in an organised fashion and learn. One thing I did when I joined Toastmasters is I wanted to do was see how good I am. I won the District level Speech Contest in my first try. The danger in winning everything right away is that you think you are really good when you are not really good. I found that out when I went to the Semi Finals and I lost and I didn’t place. So finally I got to the point where I went to the World Championship and I saw. That’s when I sparked. (I decided) I’m going to work at becoming better. Toastmasters afforded me a forum to find out how I could improve and put me with people who could help me improve. And even people who can’t teach me can encourage me. And then I found I could do the same for them. So it’s a win – win situation.

Pulse | July 2015

There are two parts to this: grammar is important and you should use correct grammar. On the other hand, you can have a certain section of your speech where you are referring to someone speaking colloquially. Then you can insert that so that we can understand the context; not that that is the way you speak but that is how you have structured the speech to illustrate a point. For example, if someone says “Ain’t I…” if that is associated with a character in the speech, it is grammatically correct and that is conveying that you can’t if it is not consistent with the character. Ultimately, it is what you are trying to achieve in the speech. What is the purpose of the speech? Is (your use of grammar) an appropriate fit for that speech? In general, correct use of language in a speech is very important.

Many Toastmasters are not aware of all the possibilities in Toastmasters. Do you know that the average membership in Toastmasters is about 1.5 years? There is so much to learn. It is like a banquet table laden with dishes: one dish is maybe the CC (Competent Communicator), another is club leadership, another is District leadership, another is the PRO, another would be a committee chair. It goes on and on: learning opportunities everywhere. But the age in terms of attendance in the Toastmasters Club is 18 months. Some members get the CC, they think they’ve arrived, they’re good speakers and they go on. And they’re missing out on so many other possibilities. That is number 1. Number two is that people do not quite realise the power of the Club. This is the genius of Ralph Smedley. He thought about having a group of about 20 people form a supportive, positive learning atmosphere where people are not afraid to fail. And that why they will stretch and try new things out of their comfort zone. And

as they try them, they start getting better at it. And they are supported and encouraged and the good things they do are noticed and they are given tips on how to do things better. It all happens because unlike the world outside, we provide a safe place for you to fail. And then when you succeed, we make a big deal out of it. And this is what he (Ralph Smedley) instituted: positive atmosphere, applauding for everything: just for standing up to speak you get applauded whereas some of them grow up in school where they try to give a speech and they get slapped down and told not to speak again. It is very different in Toastmasters. Once you realise that, then you go out of your way to help create that atmosphere; you go out of your way to greet a guest, you go out of your way to make people feel capable and important. This is magic! And when people feel that, then they will say “Yes I’d like to try something like that.” And when they look back (at what they have done) they realise how far they have come. Number 3 is the power of mentors. Toastmasters has wonderful people who can help you get where you want to go. But if you do not ask they think you cannot help them. So ask them. Ask them. Ask them. One of the turning points for me was discovering that I had been asking the wrong people for help. They could not help me because they had never competed at higher levels. I went to a professional speech coach who had done a Masters in speech communication and speech pathology to work with me to take me to another level that Toastmasters would not have been able to give me. And I also called World Champions and asked for their input on my speeches. I was doing something that I had not done before. Then I reached the point where I went to the World Championship but I paid the price in order to do that. That is not something the average Toastmaster does. But it is all available, people are willing to help. I talked to a past International president who had been a chief judge at the World Championship who helped understand what the judges are looking for. That is the 3rd

Pulse | July 2015

I actually have a system: I call it the natural way of preparing a speech. People who are not trained first look at what they want to talk about, how it should be introduced, what should be added into the body, how it should end and that it their speech. That is not the way the mind normally works. I analysed how I was doing speeches and I codified it. In the system I follow, I start with the topic: if you do not have a topic you do not have a speech. Then you ask what the general purpose of the speech is: the general purpose is usually to inform, to inspire, or to challenge, or to persuade, it is the action that you seek to achieve (with your speech). Because now you are defining the direction of your speech. And then you bring in what you want to say which makes the body of the speech. Finish the speech strong by going back to the action you want to achieve with your speech. You go back through the speech and work on each part again till it is perfect. But it should start with your topic and what you want to achieve with the speech.

First of all, don’t work on convincing people to join. Work on making the programme an enjoyable experience. Make it such that people will want to join. Build the programme, recognise good effort, make guests feel welcome and do what you can to develop a supportive, positive learning environment that would make people want to come and check it out for themselves. Attend conferences and encourage members to also attend because it is there that you will see what a lot you can learn. When you invite people to come and see a Toastmasters meeting, do not tell them it is good for their development because by doing that you are telling them they have a fault they need to

fix. That would demotivate them and they wouldn’t want to come. Invite them because they would enjoy the experience in this wonderful programme that they can participate in. They can see how they can make themselves better in the process and also help others to learn from what they know. So it is a win - win situation.

I was on top of the World! Dhananjaya is someone who also has the passion for this. It was a great moment. I was really happy.

Don’t worry about winning. Because what you can give the audience on that day, no one else can. Do what you love doing, enjoy it. Because that is what Toastmasters is about.

Background: Dr. Dilip Abayasekara served as International President of Toastmasters in 2005-2006 with the theme, Find Your Voice, Serve Your World. He was twice a finalist at Toastmasters International’s World Championship of Public Speaking, placing second in 1992. He is among a small number of Toastmasters who have received accreditation by Toastmasters International for professional level speaking skills and outstanding contributions in public speaking.

Pulse | July 2015

Along with new ideas, aspirations and plans, the new District Council comes with a refreshed identity. In February 2014, the Toastmasters International Board of Directors voted to change all district leader titles effective 1st of July, 2015. The updated titles will apply to the newly elected district officers who will be the first to take on the new titles in District 82. PREVIOUS TITLE

NEW TITLE

District Governor

District Director

Lieutenant Governor Education and Training

Programme Quality Director

Lieutenant Governor Marketing

Club Growth Director

Secretary

Administration Manager

Treasurer

Finance Manager

Public Relations Officer

Public Relations Manager

Sergeant at Arms

Logistics Manager

Division Governor

Division Director

Area Governor

Area Director

TLI is headed by the Program Quality Director, DTM Sudash Liyanage and will coordinate learning events for members of District 82. TLI Events include the Judges Training Programme (JTP) and the Emergence education programme. DTM Sudash is joined by TM Scerena Janssen Dirckze, TLI Chair - Sri Lanka, and TM Guruprasad Padmanabhan, TLI Chair - Tamil Nadu, India. Pulse | July 2015

District 82 is starting the new Toastmasters year with a change to the Areas: we are now realigned according to geographical location of Clubs. Main objective in this move is to facilitate Area Directors (AD) to visit their Clubs more frequently by allocating clubs located within close proximity to the AD’s home clubs. Speak to your Area Directors to find out which Clubs your will be competing against in your Area Contests!

A member who has served as a VP Education or above would be eligible to be a Coach. Any member who wants to volunteer as a Coach should understand the commitment in time that has to be devoted to the Clubs they would be coaching: A Club Coach would be expected to work with struggling clubs to maintain at least 8 members or build membership by 5 members above the club base, achieve at least 5 DCP points, ensure at least 02 officers from the club attends the OTP and at least 02 members of the club attends a District Conference. Any member who is interested to take on the role of a Coach should send their nominations to the District Club Growth Director before 15 July 2015. The list of weak clubs will be published by 1 July 2015. A selected Coach would serve for 11 months commencing from 1st of August 2015.

District team will form a pool of mentors to assist Clubs that need the additional support. Senior toastmasters who have taken roles as Club Presidents and VP Education are eligible to be mentors. Each mentor will be given 1 or 2 clubs to assist. • Eligible members: Interested members can send nomination to be mentors. A mentor is required to visit clubs at least 04 times each quarter and guide the clubs on completing Club Success plans, Toastmasters branding, Moments of Truth, submitting payments to renew membership, check on DCP progress etc. • Mentors will be required to submit Review Reports to District Trio and to the respective Division Director of the club. Division Directors are to send a list of Clubs that need mentoring, e.g. Clubs with less than 12 members / less than 5 DCP points. Awards for outstanding mentors would be announced based on the performance of the clubs. Get in touch with the Chairpersons of the Mentoring Programme for Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka for more details.

Pulse | July 2015

Clubs have to submit 02 (two) newsletters for Golden Gavel points. Each newsletter should have minimum 6 pages to be eligible for points. For Golden Gavel+ points, clubs also have to submit a ‘Club Tabloid.’ A tabloid is expected to be more compact than your usual newsletter and should carry club news in the form of snippets. Outstanding newsletters will also be recognised at the Semi Annual and Annual conferences. Points will be awarded for quality of the content and the creativity of the newsletters. The deadlines to note are; • 1st Newsletter : 30th September • 2nd Newsletter: 31st January • Tabloid: 30th April

The PR Team will monitor web present of Clubs routinely. Clubs are to submit page insights for review for Golden Gavel/ Golden Gavel + points by; • 1st Term: 1st October • 2nd Term: 1st April

The District will reward Area Directors for outstanding performance based on the following criteria and timelines; • Officer List submitted by all clubs: Due by 30th June 2015 • 20 members maintained at all clubs: • 1st Term: 15th September, 2nd Term: 15th March • 100% AD reports submitted: • 1st Term: 30th October, 2nd Term: 30th March • Area Director to open one club: by or before 30th April • No Club loss: By 30th April • Distinguished Clubs (5 DCP points) achieved by all clubs: By 30th April

The District will reward Division Directors for outstanding performance based on the following criteria and timelines; • Officer List submitted by all clubs: Due by 30th June 2015 • 20 members maintained at all clubs; • 1st Term: 15th September, 2nd Term: 15th March • 100% AD reports submitted: • 1st Term: 30th October, 2nd Term: 30th March • All Area’s to open one club each: by or before 30th April • No Club loss: By 30th April • Distinguished Clubs (5 DCP points) achieved by all clubs: By 30th April

Pulse | July 2015

Use this guideline to mark off the criteria that need to be met for the prestigious Golden Gavel Award; 10 DCP Points: by 30th April 20 Active members or +5 growth in members over base Officer List submitted to TMI: Before 30th June Club Success Plan: To reach Programme Quality Director by 15th August Membership renewals: Minimum 20 renewals to be completed by: 1st Term: 15th September 2nd Term: 15th March Membership Awards: Win any 1 (one) of either Talk Up Toastmasters or Smedley membership building programme awards Newsletters: 2 newsletters to be submitted (See more details on page 49) Web presence/ FB Page: Insights to be submitted (See details on page 49) Moments of Truth: Complete first round of MOT by 15th August with either the Area Director or a senior toastmaster Judges Training: 3 (three) members to be trained as judges and the names to reach the District Web Master by; 1st Term: 30th August 2nd Term: 28th February 07 officers to attend the Officer's Training Programme OTP) and at least 4 officers to attend the Second Round Attendance in TLI events: At least 2 members to attend events Leadership Pool: 1 Member to participate, either VP Education, President, Past VPs of Education or Past Presidents Organise; A Successful Club Series Session (other than MOT): Before 31st October A Leadership Excellence Series Session: Before 31st March Minutes of the sessions to be communicated to the Asst. Division Director, Program Quality of respective Divisions with clear indication of the sessions Conduct the AGM of the Club: Officer List to be submitted by; Semi Annual Clubs: 15th December 2015 and 15th May 2016 Annual Clubs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 15th May 2016 Attendance at District Conferences At least 01 member to attend the Ovation Annual District Conference

Pulse | July 2015

Use this guideline to mark off the Golden Gavel+ Award criteria; 10 DCP Points: by 30th April 20 Active members or +5 growth in members over base Officer List submitted to TMI: Before 30th June Club Success Plan: To reach Programme Quality Director by 15th August Membership renewals: Maintain base membership in both terms: 1st Term: 15th September 2nd Term: 15th March Membership Awards: Win both Talk Up Toastmasters and Smedley membership building programme awards Newsletters: 2 newsletters + a Club tabloid to be submitted (Details on page 49) Web presence/ FB Page: Insights to be submitted (See details on page 49) Moments of Truth: Complete both rounds of MOT with either the Area Director or a senior toastmaster 1st Term: by 15th August 2015 2nd Term: 15th February 2016 Judges Training – 1st Term: 4 (four) members to be trained as judges and the names to reach the District Web Master by 30th August Judges Training – 2nd Term: 4 (four) more members to be trained as judges and the names to reach the District Web Master by 28th February OTP – 1st Term: 07 officers to attend the Officer's Training Programme (OTP) OTP – 2nd Term: 07 officers to attend the OTP Attendance in Training organised by TLI: At least 4 (four) members Leadership Pool: 02 (two) members to participate; either VP Education, President, Past VPs of Education or Past Presidents Organise; A Successful Club Series Session (other than MOT): Before 31st October A Leadership Excellence Series Session: Before 31st March A Better speaker series Session: Before 30th April Minutes of the sessions to be communicated to the Asst. Division Director, Program Quality of respective Divisions with clear indication of the sessions Conduct the AGM of the Club: Officer List to be submitted by; Semi Annual Clubs: 15th December 2015 and 15th May 2016 Annual Clubs: 15th May 2016 Attendance at District Conferences At least 01 member to attend both the Reverberation Semiannual Conference and Ovation Annual District Conference Pulse | July 2015

Beat the Clock:

June

DCP

OTP: Div. I, Div. H, Div. C &J

July

Smedley Award:

August

OTP: OTP: Div. G Div. B, & D Div. E Tu

International Convention (Las Vegas, USA) CSP MOT Sa Su Mo Tu Smedley Award:

September

Dues

Plan Th

Sa DCP: 10

Due: Membership-renewal dues for DCP credit

October FB Web Su

Best PB/ Web Page

November

Div. H

December

AGM

DCP10

Membership Building Programme TTT

OL GG

JTP/ EM Tu

JTP

OTP: Div. F OTP: JTP/ Div. A, EM Div. G Flyer

OTP: Div. H

OTP: Div. I

Membership Building Programme JTP /EM We

Flyer Th

DCP9 Sa

Membership Building Programme MOT Flyer Fr

NL1 Mo

Sa SCS Colour codes:

Div. A &E

Div. C, F, & J

Flyer Mo

Membership Ribbons Golden Gavel

PR Timelines

Flyer We

Newsletter Deadlines

Reverberation 2015

Nominations Open for Next District Council

Th DCP10 OL

Flyer

OTPs/ JTPs Conferences Membership Dues District Timelines

2015

Timeline

Distinguished Club Programme

Details of the deadline Goal 1: Two Competent Communicator (CC) awards Goal 2: Two more CC awards Goal 3: One Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB), Advanced Communicator Silver (ACS), or Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG) award

1st July 2015 to 30th June 2016

Goal 4: One more ACB, ACS, or ACG award Goal 5: One Competent Leader (CL), Advanced Leader Bronze (ALB), Advanced Leader Silver (ALS), or Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award Goal 6: One more CL, ALB, ALS, or DTM award Goal 7: Add four new members Goal 8: Add four more new members

Membership Awards

1stJune 1 to 31st August

Goal 9: A minimum of four club officers trained during the 1st training period. Training reports to be submitted online through District Central by 30th September

1st December to 28th February

Goal 9: A minimum of four club officers trained during the 2nd training period. Training reports to be submitted online through District Central by 31st March

30th June 2015 for clubs holding annual elections

Goal 10: For clubs holds annual elections, the club officer list to be received by World Headquarters by 30th June of the previous Toastmasters year to earn credit toward Goal 10. For clubs holding semiannual elections, the club officer lists to be received by World Headquarters by 30th June of the previous Toastmasters year and/or by 31st December of the current Toastmasters year.

On or before 10th October 2015

Goal 10: Octoberâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;March membership dues accompanied by the names of eight members (at least three of whom must be renewing members) to World Headquarters

On or before 10th April

Goal 10: Aprilâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;September membership dues and names of eight members (at least three of whom must be renewing members) to World Headquarters

1st May to 30th June

Beat the Clock membership-building programme

1st August to 30th September

Smedley Award membership Building Programme

1st February to 31st March

Talk Up Toastmasters Award membership Building Programme

Pulse | July 2015

2015

Colour Code

June

TTT Beat the Clock: GG DCP: 10

July

28th – Train the Trainer (Colombo, Sri Lanka) 30th – End: Beat the Clock membership-building programme 30th – Begin: Golden Gavel/ Golden Gavel + Award Programme

30th – Due: Club elections to be held and Club officer list to reach World Headquarters (deadline for DCP goal 10 and clubs holding annual elections)

DCP

1st – Begin: Distinguished Programmes

9th – Emergence Tamil Nadu (TLI Event)

OTP: Div. D & I, C&J OTP: Div. I OTP: Div. H, JTP/EM OTP: Div. F JTP/EM Flyer

August

Details of the deadline

12th – OTP: Division D (Chennai), Division I (Vellore), Divisions C & J (Moratuwa) 17th – OTP: Division I (Chennai) 19th – OTP Division H, JTP & Emergence (TLI Event) (Kurunegala) 25th – OTP: Divisions F 25th – JTP/ Emergence (TLI Event) (Colombo) 25th – Submission deadline for ‘Flyer of the Month’ PR Award

OTP: Div. G

26th – OTP: Division G (Chennai)

OTP: Div. A

26th – OTP: Division A

Smedley Award:

1st – Begin: Smedley Award membership building programme

OTP: Div. G & D

1st – OTP: Divisions G & D (Remote)

OTP: Div. B, Div. E

2nd – OTP: Division B (in Chennai) and Division E (in Sri Lanka)

JTP/ EM

16th – JTP/ Emergence (TLI Event) (Wattala or Moratuwa – venue to be confirmed)

International Convention

12th to 15th – The 2015 International Convention to take place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. 15th – Club Success Plan to reach Programme Quality Director for GG/ GG+ points

CSP MOT

15th – Complete 1st round of MOT for GG/ GG+ points

Flyer

25th – Submission deadline for ‘Flyer of the Month’ PR Award

JTP

30th – A minimum of 3 (three) members to be trained as judges and the names to reach the District Web Master for GG/ GG+ points

DCP10 OT

31st – A minimum of four club officers trained during the 1st training period for DCP

Pulse | July 2015

2015

Colour Code

September

Dues

Collect and submit membership renewal dues

Plan

Plan and publicize upcoming speech contests

Flyer

25th – Submission deadline for ‘Flyer of the Month’ PR Award

15th –Minimum 20 renewals to be completed by 15th September for the 1st Term

MOT

30th – Last Date for submission of Moments of Truth report

NL1

30th – 1st Deadline to submit a newsletter for GG/ GG+ points (Details on page 49)

Smedley Award:

October

Due: FB

1st – Deadline to submit nominations for best Facebook page contest

Div. B

17th – Semiannual Conference: Division B

Div. G, I

18th – Joint Semiannual Conference: Divisions G & I

Div. A, E

25th – Joint Semiannual Conference: Divisions A & E 31st – Joint Semiannual Conference: Divisions C, F & J

Flyer

25th – Submission deadline for ‘Flyer of the Month’ PR Award

SCS

31st – Organise a Successful Club Series Session (other than MOT) for GG/ GG+ points

Div. H

Dues CO Flyer Reverberation 2015

1st – Semiannual Conference: Division H 2nd – Submission window for Best Facebook page award nominations 15th – Dead Line for Semi Annual Dues for Distinguished Area Program 15th – Final call for all Divisions to communicate winner notifications 25th – Submission deadline for ‘Flyer of the Month’ PR Award 28th and 29th – Reverberation 2015 Conference in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Flyer

25th – Submission deadline for ‘Flyer of the Month’ PR Award

AGM

15th – Clubs on semiannual terms to conduct AGM and submit officer list for GG/ GG+ points

Nominations… DCP: 10

1st to 10th – TMI grace period for membership renewal dues for DCP credits

11th – Semiannual Conference: Division D

Best FB/ Web Page

December

30th – End: Smedley Award membership-building program

Div. D

Div. C, F, J

November

Details of the deadline

15th – Nominations open for next District Council

31st – Due: Club elections to be held and Club officer list to reach World Headquarters (deadline for DCP goal 10 and clubs holding semi–annual elections)

31st – End of first Term

Pulse | July 2015

attention to details like that. And my reaction is not that unusual because we all tend to see the world from a perspective that is tinted with our own priorities, expectations and experience.

Areas in District 82 are realigned this year according to the geographical location of clubs. It was done with the intention of making club visits convenient for Area Directors so that they can be in touch with clubs more frequently. But the first thought in my mind was “this is fantastic for the environment! Area Directors will travel less to visit their clubs, hence, less emissions… isn’t it great when process improvements make changes that result in more positives than we even intended? Toastmasters is turning green!” My profession in sustainability requires that I pay

Each individual’s purpose in Toastmasters is different. Each Toastmaster’s journey is unique. Those who stick with Toastmasters do so because they have experienced the value of Toastmasters in their own spheres. For me, that value was in the opportunity to learn and be inspired: Since joining Toastmasters 3 years ago, I have had the privilege to cross paths with Toastmasters from all walks of life. Each of them have taught me lessons, inspired me in many ways and encouraged me to try new things which helped me grow as a professional and an individual. I hope I always get the opportunity to learn something new from more Toastmasters because Ancora Imparo! (i.e. I am still learning!) Many Toastmasters would have their own stories to share from their journey in Toastmasters and no doubt would have a few more by the end of the year. We hope this edition of the District 82 newsletter will be a productive tool to every Toastmaster in their own journey in 2015/16. Keep inspiring! TM Yasangi Muditha Randeni Newsletter Editor

Pulse | July 2015