Toasted Tidings Sept 2014 by Qatar Toastmasters

www.qatartoastmasters.org QATAR TOASTMASTERS CLUB

CLUB No. 2910

Vol 10 Issue 1 September 2014 AREA 18

DIVISION Q

DISTRICT 20

EXCLUSIVE! OUR PRESIDENT’S MESMERISING TRIP TO TOASTMASTERS ANNUAL CONVENTION 2014

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Map of service to members

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Know your leaders

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History of World Championship of Public Speaking

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VP Membership in action!

Qatar Toastmasters Club Office Bearers 2014-2015

President

TM Rukhsana Khan tmrukhsana@gmail.com

VP Education

TM Sarita Jacob wisdom.jacob@gmail.com

VP Membership

TM Nevine Kamel nekamel@hotmail.com

VP Public Relations TM Senthil Kumar tmsenthilqtm@gmail.com Secretary

Treasurer

Sergeant at Arms

TM Azeez Mohammed azeezmoh@gmail.com TM Biju Mathew b.mathew2000@gmail.com TM Cipriano Collado cipriano.collado@yahoo.com

"What can make you a good speaker Article by Page 11

TM Seymur

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Revitalized Education Program

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Convention Fever - Cover Story

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Say Mashallah by TM Shaikha

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How Toastmasters Inspire Article by TM Azeez

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Why so serious?

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Upcoming events

Dear Toastmaster, Thank you for taking your time out to go through this award winning newsletter of Qatar Toastmasters Club. It is my sheer honor and pleasure to be associated with this newsletter for the past 3 years as an Editor, Sub Editor and Article contributor. I am thankful to the current excom for entrusting me with this responsibility. The theme for the first issue of Volume 9 had to be “How Toastmasters Inspire”. As the editor this is the first thought that came to my mind. When TM Dananjaya Hettiarachchi took the stage with his speech “ I see something ” it was really inspiring. When Muhammed Murad, DTM took the oath as the International President it was inspiring. When our very own president took a selfie with the stalwarts of public speaking it was inspiring. When our VP Membership went out to conduct two membership campaigns in a month it was inspiring. When our VP Public Relations was constantly following up with members to gather articles for the newsletter it was inspiring. Fellow toastmaster, we need not be great to do great things. You and I have that power to inspire others and trust me we can do it every single day. As a member of “the best club in Qatar” let’s commit to inspire others by doing our own share of responsibilities towards the club to keep the flag of Qatar Toastmasters Club flying high. Yours Truly, TM Thomas Joseph Editor

From the President’s Desk…. Dear Toastmaster: If you want to lead one day, you have to lead every day: Wise words spoken by Past International President John Lau, DTM at the Toastmasters International Convention recently held in Kuala Lumpur. More on the Convention later… Welcome to the first edition of Toasted Tidings, the official newsletter of Qatar Toastmasters Club, for the term 2014-2015. It is an absolute honour and privilege for me to write to you from the President’s desk. When I was thinking about the message I wanted to share with you, many thoughts sprang to mind but the idea “If you want to lead one day, you have to lead every day” echoed the loudest. For this is what Qatar Toastmasters do…every day. Starting from the day we join Qatar Toastmasters, opportunities for us to lead are endless: speaking at meetings, taking up roles, contributing to newsletters, helping at events, and supporting or even joining the Excom. Saying ‘yes’ to leadership means stepping out of our comfort zone and into our learning zone. The club is our closest learning zone. Whether we want to be a leader at work, at home or in the community at large, our world needs more leaders and more importantly, better leaders. I often look back on the past four years since I joined Qatar Toastmasters, in disbelief. Who would have thought I would be writing from the President’s desk one day? Certainly not me! Perhaps it was because I never saw a leader in me. But others did. They are the members of this amazing club where leaders are made. Here’s a startling statistic: Out of the 14,500+ toastmaster clubs around the world only about 1,300 achieved the maximum 10 points in the DCP Program of Toastmasters International last year. That’s less than 10%. Thanks to its leaders, Qatar Toastmasters is in the top 10% of clubs worldwide. This elite status does not come easy or fast. It takes years of hard work, team work and it takes members like you and me to lead…every day. So lead on, dear Leader, lead on. With best regards,

Rukhsana Khan CC, CL President, Qatar Toastmasters

EDUCATIONAL INFORMATIVE

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INFORMATIVE Know your leaders @ Division

TM SHYAM SUNDAR DIVISON Q GOVERNOR 2014-2015

Know your leaders @ Club

TM Rukhsana Khan President

TM Sarita Jacob VP Education

TM Nevine Kamel VP Membership

TM Azeez Mohammed Secretary

TM Biju Mathew Treasurer

TM Cipriano Collado Sgt. At.Arms

TM Senthil Kumar VP Public Relations

TM Williams Antony Imm. Past President

EDUCATIONAL World Champions of Public Speaking Each year, the Toastmasters International Convention culminates in the International Speech Contest, the final speech contest which crowns the World Champion of Public Speaking. A panel of experienced Toastmasters judges evaluate nine contestants from different parts of the world, all of whom have advanced to the finals following a year-long process of elimination through club, area, district and semifinal competitions.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE WINNING SPEECH OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF PUBLIC SPEAKING 2014

Pictured right: 2014 World Champion Dananjaya Hettiarachchi. 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976

Dananjaya Hettiarachchi, Nawala Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka Presiyan Vasilev, Chicago, Illinois Ryan Avery, Portland, Oregon, United States Jock Elliott, Bongaree, QLD, Australia David Henderson, San Antonio, Texas Mark Hunter, Albany Creek, QLD, Australia LaShunda Rundles, Dallas, Texas Vikas Jhingran, Cambridge, Massachusetts Edward Hearn, Chicago, Illinois Lance Miller, Glendale, California Randy Harvey, Sherwood, Oregon Jim Key, Rowlett, Texas Dwayne Smith, Decatur, Georgia Darren LaCroix, Auburn, Massachusetts Ed Tate, Aurora, Colorado Craig Valentine, Ellicott City, Maryland Brett Rutledge, Auckland, New Zealand Willie Jones, Honolulu, Hawaii David Nottage, Auckland, New Zealand Mark Brown, Mount Vernon, New York Morgan McArthur, Idaho Falls, Idaho Otis Williams Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio Dana LaMon, Lancaster, California David Ross, Norman, Oklahoma David Brooks, Austin, Texas Don Johnson, Torrance, California Jerry Starke, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Harold Patterson, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma M. Arabella Bengson, Islington, Ont., Canada Marie C. Pyne, Ireland Joe Boyd, Bellingham, Washington Roy Fenstermaker, Downey, California Kenneth Bernard, Australia Jim Joelson, Reno, Nevada Jeff Young, Los Angeles, California Dick Caldwell, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Michael Aun II, Lexington, South Carolina Evelyn Jane Burgay, Springfield, Virginia William Johnson, Aberdeen, Maryland

1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938

Andy McKay, Rochester, New York Bennie Powell, Los Angeles, California Charles W. Stewart, San Antonio, Texas Rudy Valle, Canoga Park, California Bert Angus, Transcona, Manitoba, Canada Stephen D. Boyd Dennis Nangers, Delano, California Grant R. Sheehan, Washington, D.C. Dale Smith, Goshen, Indiana Michael Yaconelli, San Diego, California John L. Nydegger, Lewiston, Idaho Anthony C.L. Bishop, Northridge, California Larry Beitel, Winston-Salem, North Carolina Robert Garton, Columbus, Indiana John J. Carver, Seattle, Washington Glenn E. Carroll, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Dean F. Berkeley, Bloomington, Indiana Edmund Shire Charles Jones, Fort Smith, Arkansas David Holmes Jr., Toledo, Ohio Charles W. Bryant, Tacoma, Washington Herbert Thompson, Wood River, Illinois Theodore B. Furlow, Long Beach, California George W. Armstrong, Omaha, Nebraska Albert Green, Jr., Seattle, Washington Charles Hilton, Mason City, Iowa Dalton McAllister, Fort Wayne, Indiana Robert Dellwo, Spokane, Washington Douglas Sherwin, Clearlake, Iowa Thor Myhre, Spokane, Washington NO CONVENTION NO CONVENTION Llyod Prante Cavett Robert, Phoenix, Arizona John McInnis David MacFarlane, Santa Monica, California William Roberts, Huntington Park, California Henry Wiens, Reedley, California

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NEWS VP MEMBERSHIP IN ACTION! Conducts two membership campaign in a month!

TM NEVINE KAMEL, CC, CL

Amidst the September heat in Doha on 3rd September, 2014, Virginia Commonwealth University - Qatar kindly extended the invitation to Qatar Toastmasters Club among other community members to its “Ice Cream” social event. It was a good opportunity for Qatar Toastmasters Club to be present among the staff and students of VCU-Q to promote and raise awareness about Toastmasters International - where leaders are made. TM Nevine Kamel - VP Membership of QTM received many visitors who stopped at QTM’s stall and showed interest to either attend the club’s meetings or attend a demo meeting on campus. TM Margarita Zuniga is kindly following up with the Dean of the university the possibility of doing this demo meeting soon on campus.

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NEWS

“ nother day of pride and excitement for Qatar Toastmasters Club when both the President - Rukhsana Khan and VP Membership - Nevine Kamel participated in Georgetown University SFS - Qatar Community Fair. This was an interesting event because Toastmasters was not introduced only to Georgetown staff and students but other visitors from the Education City and the neighboring stalls stopped at QTM’s stall to enquire about TI and QTM. At least 3 or 4 of them were ex-Toastmasters in their home countries and have recently moved to Doha, and were very happy they just found their long-lost family of Toastmasters!”

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ARTICLE What makes (or can make) you a good speaker? Do you want to keep your audience on the edge of their seats during your presentations? Do you want them to lean in to your every word even after your speech is over? In this article, you will pick up three tools that can help you become a confident communicator and a better public speaker. People ask me what it takes to become a good speaker. Since I have been in public speaking for over 3 years now, and during this time I have given more than 100 short and long speeches, I have come to realize that you need to know three mental and three physical elements to become a good and confident public speaker. Let’s dive in and start with the mental preparation. 1- Set your goal. Desire to become a good speaker. Set it as a goal for yourself that you will become a great and flawless communicator. Trust me, this will push you a lot. 2- Commit to it. Persistence is the key. Continuously keep your mind busy and engaged with public speaking and imagine that you are the best speaker. Then ask yourself – what does it take to get where I want to be? 3- Be brave! You are not the first one, you won’t be the last one. Be brave and go for it. You will be a step ahead. How about physical things? Now, for a moment imagine you ordered pizza. It takes an hour to get it delivered. When it is delivered, it is cold. Would you be happy and enjoy it as much as you would have enjoyed the warm pizza just out of the oven? No. Whatever your message is, if the delivery is not good, your audience will not enjoy the content. Therefore, delivery in public speaking is an essential part of success. 1- Use your voice. It is the number one tool in public speaking. Always warm up your voice, and watch videos how to “train’ your voice. 2- Practice nonverbal communication. Gestures, body movement and facial expressions make the major part of your message and can make or break your speech. 3- Make your listeners TALL Think, Act, Laugh, Learn. If you reflect these features in your speeches, you will nail any public appearance. Be away from boredom. Stand out with your speeches and presentations. Tell stories, add some humor and make a point. Follow these tips and your next audience will love you.

TM Seymur Rasulov has been one of the most active members of Qatar Toastmasters Club. He works at the Qatar National Library as a librarian.

EDUCATIONAL Revitalized Education Program As the world changes, Toastmasters International is changing with it. That means offering more and better opportunities to grow and learn. Toward that end,one theoforganization has exciting to share: After much thought, research and analysis, revitalizing its The educahis project, the organization’s most news significant in recent memory, will have a profound impactToastmasters on the lives of is countless people. ention program.

hanced program will offer:

The first step of this journey began with the Board of Directors’ 2010 Strategic Plan, a blueprint for the future. The Board called for a renewed focus  leadership Tailored learning to help members meet personal and professional goals on and a modernized communication program. Since then, time has been spent researching and analyzing the existing program by conducting surveys with and former members. In addition,experiences Board committees focused on identifying the skills, competencies and attributes  Communication andcurrent leadership skills relevant to real-world in a globally evolving marketplace learned through the education program, and helped to guide a project plan for the updated program.

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A clearer path for achieving education awards

Is the foundation of Toastmasters changing? No. The traditional core of our education system will stay firmly in place. Achievement and recognition remain at the heart of the process. However, the organization is taking the learning experience to the next level. Technology will become a powerful tool. The revitalized program will marshal and refine online resources to boost self-directed learning. You will be able to harness technology to improve your speeches and meeting roles. You will be able to access educational materials through mobile web applications on your smartphones and tablets. Video will become a key learning tool. Expanded digital content will be available, along with opportunities to reach around the globe and learn along with members in other lands. With such far-reaching technologies at your fingertips, you can expand your horizons on many levels. Toastmasters International aims to leverage the power of this global organization like never before. There is still much work to be done to ensure that the revitalized program meets the goals and objectives of all members and remains true to the foundation of the organization. Program developers are working closely with two groups of member volunteers:

Revitalized Education Program Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why is Toastmasters embarking on this project? A. To provide members with greater access to education materials, expanded learning resources and an educational experience with real-world application. In short, the goal of the revitalized program is to meet the evolving needs of our members. Q. What is the plan for developing the program? A. The Education Program Team is developing content and resources, and working closely with two groups of member volunteers: Learning Masters and Ambassadors. Learning Masters provide input on the revitalized program and Ambassadors communicate its benefits to fellow members. Q. How will I benefit from a revitalized program? A. You will benefit from improvements such as:

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Tailored learning to help members meet personal and professional goals A greater use of technology to boost self-directed learning Communication and leadership skills that are relevant to real-world needs A clearer path for achieving education awards

EDUCATIONAL Revitalized Educational Program Cont…

Q. What technology tools will I be able to use? A. At this point, not all of the specifics have been determined. However, the intent is to give you online access to educational materials , video and other learning opportunities, and provide you with the chance to reach around the globe and learn along with members in other countries. Q. Is everything in the education program going to change? A. No. Toastmasters is modernizing and enhancing the existing education program. The traditional core—and values—of the Toastmasters education program will remain in place. Achievement and recognition will still be vital. However, the way you can access educational content will change in dynamic ways. Q. What if I don’t want to access materials online? A. Then you can access them in print. Members can access materials both online and in print. Q. How are members participating in program development? A. The two groups of volunteers, Learning Masters and Ambassadors, play a key role in the project. Learning Masters offer their input and ideas during the various phases of the program’s development. They will also beta test new materials prior to the launch of the revitalized program. Ambassadors will update members on the progress of the program and spread the word about benefits to members around the world. Q. Can Chief Ambassadors and Ambassadors run for district office? A. Yes they can, as long as they feel they can commit the time to serve effectively in both roles. Both involve handling a considerable amount of responsibilities. Q. Will all education awards I have earned still be valid once the revitalized education program starts? A. All education awards you have achieved up to that point will be valid. Q. Will we be using the same manuals we use now? A. Manuals will change, but new materials will reflect the same core concepts. Q. What happens if I am working toward an award when the program starts? A. There will be a significant period of overlap (for a period to be determined) when the current education program and the revitalized one will be available concurrently. This will allow you to complete current education awards if you wish. Q. If I have questions, who can I contact? A. You can email educationprogram@toastmasters.org

COVER STORY

TM RUKHSANA KHAN, CC, CL

Toastmasters International created history when it held its 83rd International Convention at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia from August 20-23. It was the first time the biggest event of the Toastmasters year has been held outside North America. Some may have seen it as a gamble for the organization which has its roots in California, but it was a gamble that paid off. All records were broken as more than 3,000 delegates registered from all around the world, more than any other Convention in Toastmasters history. I was lucky enough to be one of them. The warm hospitality of the Malaysian people gave the event a Midas touch. More than 110 countries were represented at the Convention including a small but energetic delegation from Qatar. Regardless of which flag we were flying, everyone was united in their desire to learn from one other, cheer one another and have fun together. Any barriers based on race, religion or nationality were nowhere to be seen, only camaraderie, bonding and friendship building. The Toastmasters culture reigned and the positive energy throughout the mega 4-day event was electric. First timers to the Convention outnumbered seasoned convention goers. International President George Yen, DTM welcomed all

First Timers at a special session. The Opening Ceremonies were a colourful display of Malaysian culture, with dancers and drummers setting the mood for the extravaganza to follow. The audience was mesmerized by dazzling costumes, thumping beats and a visual spectacle that showcased the best of Malaysian diversity. The Keynote Speaker Robin Sieger, a motivational speaker from Scotland and author of the best-seller Natural Born Winners, shared his tips on how you can create true success in your life. The showcase event was the international speech contest. Qatar’s TM Koka Prasad was there, representing District 20 (all GCC countries except Saudi Arabia), plus Lebanon and Jordan. This was his fourth appearance in the semi-final, and no one else has represented District 20 as many times. I had the privilege of a front row seat to watch TM Koka give his wonderful speech “The Ride”. He had tough competition. There were a total of 91 semi-finalists divided into 9 groups. The winner from Koka’s semi-final would go through to the World Championship of Public Speaking on the final day. The winner was TM Dananjaya Hettiarachchi of Sri Lanka representing District 82 (Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu (India)). TM Dananjaya was crowned the World Champion of Public Speaking with his winning speech titled “I see Something”. For me he was the clear winner. His inspiring speech laced with good humor just blew me away. Apart from the main event there was other important business taking place. At the Hall of Fame event all clubs and 4

districts which achieved outstanding results last year were honoured, including our own District 20 which was recognized as a President’s Distinguished District. District Governor Vicky Mustafa, DTM and District 20 Lieutenant Governor Marketing TM Yasser Sulaiman proudly took centre stage to be recognized. We missed our dear member TM Subha Anupindi, the District 20 Lieutenant Governor Education and Training. One of the highlights for me was the privilege of witnessing the Presidential Inauguration of Mohammed Murad, DTM from Dubai. After 18 years as a toastmaster he stepped into the shoes of George Yen, DTM as the International President. To become Toastmasters’ highest ranking officer is an outstanding achievement and Mohammed is the first person from District 20 to serve as the International President. Mohammed took full advantage of his stage time by telling the audience how this was the very first Toastmasters event he had managed to convince his wife Zareena to attend. Until today she had not attended any toastmasters meeting or event anywhere…ever! It only took him 18 years to convince her!! Our International President was also honoured at a gathering of Region 11 which includes his home district (the Middle East) and 4 others, Great Britain and Ireland, Continental Europe, Southern Africa and the West Africa Territorial Council. He was presented with an official Convention teddy bear. It was a proud moment for all of us from Region 11, especially the Middle East, because DTM Mohammed is the first Arab to serve as International President in Toastmasters 90 year history. Among the other notable highlights were the Education Sessions. They were a feast for the mind. We were amazed by dynamic presentations from Jana Barnhill, DTM (also a PIP – to find out what this means, read on to the end) and former World Champions Mark Brown and Lance Miller. Other world class speakers were Douglas Krueger, Florian Mueck and Rory Vaden (a

former runner up in the World Championship). One of my personal favourites was Barbara Khozam, also known as Mrs. Happy Pants. Yes, you heard right. Mrs Happy Pants. This formidable customer service trainer from the US wowed the huge audience. Her laugh-a-minute presentation “Zap Negativity and Ignite Yourself” was good enough to earn her the prestigious Accredited Speaker status of Toastmasters International. Since its inception in 1981, less than 20 percent of all applicants have succeeded in joining this exclusive group. Today there are only 66 Toastmasters Accredited Speakers, including Mrs. Happy Pants. For those happy pants who couldn’t resist happy shopping, the Convention Store was the ideal place to pick up all sorts of goodies like pins and pens, manuals and books, club supplies and of course souvenirs. I also attended the Golden Gavel Event. The Golden Gavel is the highest honour offered by Toastmasters International to non-Toastmasters. It has been presented every year since 1959. Past recipients include Dr. Ralph Smedley, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Anthony Robbins, Dr. Stephen Covey, Robin Sharma and John C. Maxwell. This year’s recipient was Dato’Rohana Rozhan, CEO of Astro, a leading media entertainment group in Southeast Asia. The Annual Business Meeting was a nail biting time. I sat

on the edge of my seat as unexpected drama unfolded at the election for 2014-2015 international officers and directors during the Meeting. Candidates had been campaigning long and hard for the opportunity to help shape the future of our organisation. Qatar Toastmasters charter member George Thomas, DTM was running for the office of Second Vice President against Balraj Arunasalam, DTM. Balraj was elected but George’s election campaign was also very impressive and he won many, many hearts. We were using an electronic voting system and during the election for one of the International Directors (Region 4) there was a heated debate on whether the voting result was valid. We had to have a re-vote. Tension was so high that the Chair called a recess so that the Parliamentarian and senior leaders could make a decision on the objections raised from the floor. I am happy to report the election result was fair and due process was followed. I never realised how important parliamentary process is until that moment. Future Leaders of QTM, take note!

The pomp and ceremony reached its climax with the President’s Inauguration followed by the Closing Ceremony. Mohammed Murad, DTM and the other newly elected officers and directors were installed and Mohammed gave an impressive acceptance speech. UAE flags were flying high. After all the heavy action and deep learning was over it was time to let off steam and lighten up. Thousands of delegates dressed up in their finest to celebrate the President’s Inauguration with a sumptuous buffet of delectable dishes from all around the world. With that final boost the re-energized toastmasters hit the dance floor and boogied into the late hours. I had arrived in Kuala Lumpur not sure what to expect, and four days later I left feeling elated, energized and inspired. I also left with a much better understanding of how this great organisation works at the highest levels. I learned a lot, not least what a “PIP” is. It stands for Past International President! I can honestly say I have never attended such a stimulating and enjoyable convention in my life, and I came away with a new perspective of the Toastmasters organization and our Toastmasters way of life. I networked with likeminded learning addicts from every corner of the globe, making friends with Toastmasters all the way from America to Australia. The International Convention is a golden opportunity to experience the spirit, camaraderie and magic of Toastmasters. All in all it was an unforgettable experience I will always cherish. Next year’s Convention will be at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, USA from August 12-15. Here are three reasons why you should attend:   

To meet people from all over the world and experience unity in diversity; To learn from world class speakers and trainers at contests and education sessions; and To be inspired by Toastmasters International leaders.

In the words of Toastmasters International’s CEO, Daniel Rex, “Expand your Universe”. I say, don’t miss it, but be warned, Convention Fever is contagious!

ARTICLE Say Mashallah!-

By TM Shaikha Al Nassr

Have you ever complimented someone by saying ohh you look great today !!! and the other person instead of saying thank you, he or she freaked out and said say Mashallah !!!

What does Mashallah mean? It means may God bless you, and it is said when expressing appreciation, joy, praise or thankfulness for an event or person that was just mentioned. For example, if someone told you I got promoted you’d say something like oh Mashallah this is great news. Or I bought a new Ferrari Mashallah congratulations! Will you take me for a ride?!! People utter this phrase because it helps in protecting the other person from jealousy, catching the evil eye, or jinxing which is called Hasad in Arabic. We believe in the evil eye because it’s mentioned in the Quran and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that the influence of an evil eye is a fact. On the other hand, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that we can protect ourselves if we say the morning and the evening prayers. These prayers don’t take more than two minutes. I don’t want to focus on the religious aspect. I want to talk more about the Qatari society reinterpretation of the evil eye, and how it developed beliefs and habits about it. Most people here believe soooo strongly in the evil eye. Even people who are not religious at all and don’t memorise anything in Quran and Hadith would only memorise the Qur’anic verses and Hadith that mention envy or the evil eye. Let’s starts with compliments… most of the time we give compliments to make the person we talking to feels good about him/herself or what they have or what they have achieved. But you have to be careful because compliments could be really tricky!!! Imagine this incident. You visited your friend and saw her baby and wanted to compliment the baby.. So you’d something like “ohh your baby is really cute!” even if the baby is not really that cute and you didn’t say Mashallah….you might notice one of these reactions: Ohh my baby then she’ll try to hide him. Mashallah, mashallah so you’d say mashallah!! Or shshssh.. the woman forgot to say the prayers and will say them now.

ARTICLE Whatever reaction you got you’d be in an awkward situation. Believe me I’ve been there. Another serious case is where some people attribute all the crises happening in their lives that they can’t find a reason for, to the evil eye. If your not so cute baby gets sick it’s because your friends said that she’s so cute. If you had an accident in your Ferrari it’s because your friend said you have a cool car and didn’t say mashallah. When a dress gets ribbed she’d say it’s because I saw one of my friends looking at it last night. Even looking is sometimes is considered as an envy for the obsessed people. It has risen to the extent people have even started hiding most of the blessings they have. Take for example last week when my mom was chatting with one of her friends… saying I haven’t heard from you for a while where have you been?? She said I went to Dubai for a few days. But we know from her daughter’s Facebook page that she was in London for almost a month! She was hiding it so nobody will envy her and give her an evil eye resulting in not travelling again. The strong beliefs go even beyond …. Last year I attended a lecture for one of the best scholars in the Arab world in Linguistic programming and he was talking about success. He mentioned that he noticed a really strange habit in Qataris is they tend to hide their talents. He was wondering about it and looking for reasons until he found out why. They are so afraid to show their talent because they are afraid will be envied by their collegues will catch an evil eye. In conclusion, whenever you want to give a compliment to show that you are impressed. Don’t say wow and open your eyes wide …. For the strong evil eye believer you’ve just destroyed whatever you’re looking at. Try to say may God bless you or Mashallah.

A beginning of a wonderful journey–

By TM Kanchana Alupotha

ew months ago, I was privileged to join with Qatar Toastmasters Club, however I would be lying if I say I did not have any reservations at

the outset as I was entering an unknown territory. My initial intention of joining the club was to improve my communication skills. Later, I realized that this is also one of the best places to improve one’s self-confidence in public speaking. After seeing other members taking up roles and delivering speeches, I also aspired to challenge myself and discover my capabilities. Starting as a table topic speaker, I was privileged enough to be given either a role or an opportunity to deliver a speech in almost every meeting until now. When I reflect back at my short experience here, I strongly feel there are three key reasons why I was inspired to actively involve in the club. First and foremost, the amount of methodical guidance I received. A well grown Bamboo tree, higher it goes more it bends to earth. Similarly Qatar Toastmasters Club is a place, where you find lot of well grown Bamboo trees. No matter how far they have reached, no matter what positions they held, I felt the senior members always wish to welcome the new members and guide them. Secondly, the admiration. Since my first day at Qatar Toastmasters meeting, I noticed how the members admire each other and at the same time provide constructive criticism. Both of which are critical to assess one’s performance and carry forward the improvements to the next level. At last but not least, the motivation. To get a good harvest, the contribution of each plant is essential. The Qatar Toastmasters Club is where it is today probably because of the dedication of its members. The motivation of such a peer group is highly infectious to the new members to get inspired and succeed. It is just a beginning of another journey in my life. A journey which is enriched with guidance, admiration and motivation.

ARTICLE How Toastmasters Inspire

first heard about Toastmasters six years ago. It was one of my dear seniors at work who told me that I had good written communication skills, but what I need to concentrate on was speaking in front of an audience. He told me that the place I ought to be is Toastmasters. Then, I just wondered what Toastmasters was? It was only a few months ago when Toastmasters reappeared in front of me. I was speaking to my colleague and something caught my attention. It was the circular badge he was wearing with “Toastmasters” embossed on it. He was a Toastmasters member. After a little briefing about the club, he asked me to join him at a Toastmasters meeting as a guest. For the following few days, one thing subconsciously occupied my mind, the Toastmasters badge. I couldn’t stop looking for information about Toastmasters on the internet and was surprised by the enormity of its presence. Some of the testimonies I read made me admire the Organization. I made up my mind to attend the meeting. Unlike the regular meetings held, the first meeting I attended was a speech contest. I happen to enjoy the very interesting speakers and the proceedings continued as one would expect, but what took me by surprise was this unique feature that I had never witnessed before. The evaluators were being evaluated for their evaluation!! Later, I got to know that Toastmaster follows a “learn-by-doing” approach wherein members evaluate one another’s presentations including feedback to all role players involved. Inspired by the interactive way of learning I joined the club and started to attend the regular meetings. The unintentional use of pauses, fillers and repetitive words while we speak, leaves a disconnecting impression with the audience. This is the first lesson I learnt at Toastmasters when I took up my first meeting role as the ‘Ah Counter’. My following role as a Timer provided me with valuable insight in managing time and progress of the meeting. I was assigned a mentor to take up my project speeches. The orientation, expertise and support my mentor provided, made me wonder how much I was actually missing. The two speeches I delivered in front of the audience, was an experience. I went in with butterflies in my stomach wondering how the event would go by, but at the same time I was comfortable that the feedback would be positive, for Toastmasters evaluation looks to groom a speaker by providing with a constructive path up the ladder rather than being critical about it. The speeches made me break the ice and enter into the exciting world of public speaking. As I was looking ahead to concentrate on my project speeches, one day the President of the club called me and asked, if I would be interested in being the part of the Executive Committee by taking role of the Secretary? Like the first reaction most of us have, I told, I am not sure. With a smile, she asked me to attend one of the Executive Committee meetings and make my decision. The meeting I attended marked an impression on me. For a person who was just attending club meetings so far, it made me visualize the quantum of work that happens behind the scene to make each meeting and the whole year a successful one for the Club. I decided to be part of the Executive Committee. The last six months I spent at Toastmasters make me feel that it is an integral part of me. Inspiration is what comes along with Toastmasters at every step. Inspired by the complete learning curve approach, I joined the institution; the meeting roles provided me with nuances of speaking and time management. The guidance and the platform provided me with an opportunity to break the shackles of public fear, while the encouragement by the members helped me stretch a little more to realize my own capabilities and get the best out of me. From a nervous newbie to confident speaker complemented with my overall personal development, is what seems to be in store for me. I wonder how much ahead of present self I would have been, if I had taken the decision to join Toastmasters six years ago. Never too late, the last six months has been an inspired drive and I am sure the time to come would be a rewarding experience.

TM Azeez Mohammed works at Tanween as the finance manager. He is currently the club secretary.

NEWS UPCOMING EVENTS DIVISION Q WORKSHOP ON 18TH OCTOBER The foundation of Toastmasters is its Education Program, to reinforce this very foundation, Division Q is organizing "Back 2 Basic" Educational workshop to revive the Basic's what we learn/learnt from Toastmasters Educational Program. The Workshop is packed with contents, essential for new and old members. List of Topics to be covered by eminent Toastmasters are 1. Toastmaster of the Day 2. How to Say it 3. Find Your Voice 4. Inspire your Audience 5. Table Topics 6. General Evaluator 7. Evaluator 8.Toastmasters Etiquette CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

QATAR OPEN 2014 FINALS ON 7TH NOVEMBER

Qatar Open Youth Public Speaking Championship is a social responsibility initiative by Qatar Toastmasters since the year 2000. With its humble beginnings 14 years ago today this championship is well known among the youth of Qatar and has grown by leaps and bounds. Last year we saw an unprecedented attendance of 150 participants. The preliminary round, semi-final and grand finale of this championship are scheduled on 10th October , 24th October and 7th November 2014 respectively.

VISION â&#x20AC;&#x153;Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. Through our member clubs, people throughout the world can improve their communication and leadership skills, and find the courage to change.â&#x20AC;?

Mission We empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders

REFERENCES Toastmasters International Website : http://www.toastmasters.org Internet search engine DISCLAIMER This magazine is published for internal circulation among the members of Qatar Toastmasters Club, to promote the ideas and goals of Toastmasters International. Editor does not take the responsibility for the authenticity / opinion of the articles / authors, published. Toastmasters International and its logos are trademarks registered in the USA, Canada and many other countries.

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