VOL 5 : ISSUE#1 August 2007

Club 6392 Area 30 Division B District 79

¥Poetically Correct¥Happenings at Lagoon¥Table Topics Simplified¥Lagoon Big Bash Party¥Spice up your email ID

¥The Great Caption Contest¥Power up your Presentation

¥Tips for newly joined members¥A founder members experience¥Dependant Personality Disorder

Mohammed Murad’s

Lan sl de Victory!

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BREAK N NE S!

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see page 6

INSIDEINSIDE

Your wish is my command! As the President of Lagoon, my ̀ voice' is to fulfill your dreams. The only thing that stands between you and what you want from life is your Will to pursue it and Faith to believe that it is possible. All of us desire success but only few achieve it. Why? Because along the way we lose interest and thereby convince ourselves, that it is not possible and thus lose faith in what we do.

Life always brings problems, we can't live without them. The joy of life is in solving them and every time we solve our problems we breathe a sigh of relief and feel a sense of achievement. These tiny successes of life are the driving force to achieve more in life.

If food is for the body, thoughts are for the mind. The Toastmasters forum is a great feeding ground where only positive and motivational food goes into the minds of listeners. This environment truly lifts us and gives wings to soar to success.

It is my desire to welcome anyone who wishes to grow with us. Join us and exude confidence!

President, Lagoon Toastmasters: ATM-B, CL Jessie D’Souza

20th August 2007

02

The only thing that stands between you and what you want from life is your Will to pursue it and Faith to believe that it is possible.

Discover, Develop, Distinguish…three simple words, but they aptly describe what happens in Lagoon Toastmasters. I will speak from my experience to prove the point.

In November 2001 when my journey with Lagoon started, I never believed I could speak in front of people, manage somebody else's finances, motivate people to accomplish their own goals and lead a team to success. During these last few years I did all of these and more…In fact, I discovered myself and my abilities. Many of the members would have similar stories to tell - their journey of self discovery within Lagoon. On the other side, we have also seen established Toastmasters from other clubs join us, due to the vibrancy and energy prevalent in our meetings. These senior members have also helped Lagoon discover the better aspects of the Toastmaster program.

We have seen many “tentative” Toastmasters join Lagoon, go through the organized program on offer and develop into seasoned speakers and leaders. Each and every meeting of our club provides various opportunities for self-development. No wonder the membership numbers are swelling, to the extent that we are thinking of splitting the club into two to provide more and more speaking and leadership opportunities.

Talking about distinction in Lagoon is easy. Awards and recognition from Toastmasters International is very frequent, including the top Presidents Distinguished Club awards for the last five years in a row, all the membership awards, best newsletter awards etc. We have also won various accolades at speech contest including the District Toastmasters Annual Conferences (DTAC's). Speakers and leaders from Lagoon are being aggresively sought out by the Area and Division to take up responsibilities, in fact for the last three consecutive years Lagoon is the home club of the Area Governor. For the just concluded Club and Area officers’ training, three trainers were from Lagoon, the highest from any single club! This speaks volumes about the quality environment we have at Lagoon.

Having said all this, I believe that the journey is not yet over. There is still a lot of talent within our club waiting to be discovered and developed, taking us further up the path to distinction. To achieve this, we have to concentrate more on aspects like mentoring and planning, with focus on executing educational programs and retaining the membership. The new set of officer bearers, under the able leadership of Jessie, have the energy and ability to do just that.

Looking forward to a scintillating year ahead with all best wishes….Safeer Azeez

Asst Division Governor (Education) - Division B: CL Safeer Azeez

20th August 2007

03

There are lot of talents within our club waiting to be discovered and developed, leading to distinction.

d t s D sE i or e kd t s D sE i or e k

Dear Readers,Welcome to the first edition Beacon of the club year. The immediate past editor (who also happens to be my treasured mentor) ATM-B Suresh ES has passed on huge shoes for me to fill in. His work and dedication could be seen in each of the previous issues of our newsletter, and I thank him for providing a soft copy of all the material that he had on his computer.

To make the Beacon a success, a formidable team made of young Toastmasters from our club have brought out their talents in full force. Thank you MTM Smrithi, TM Vyshak, TM Tyson, TM Suhail, TM Sajeev, TM Thomas & MTM Rohini, your energy can be seen all over this issue.

A big THANK YOU also to a guest at Toastmasters, Prakash TC who happens to be a graphic designer by profession. He has designed the attractive 3-D logo that you see on the front cover. He has also been instrumental in designing the layout of the newsletter pages. Hats off to Prakash TC for devoting time for us.

Plenty of contributions have come in, and I have tried to include as many as possible without losing focus. Hopefully the next issue will be bigger and better, and we will then be able to accommodate all the submitted material.

In this edition we have some innovations including special interview style articles from veteran Toastmasters, a picture caption competition and a hand-drawn sketch. A very useful guide on preparing power-point presentations and an article on psychological disorders makes for very interesting reading.

For casual readers who may not previously heard of Toastmasters, I take the opportunity invite you to our club meetings, details of which can be found on the back cover of this newsletter. More information on the Lagoon Club and Toastmasters international can also be found on our club website www.LagoonToastmasters.com

Your feedback will be valuable in making the next issue even better. Please send your comments by email to the.beacon@eim.ae With that, I now invite you to continue on your journey through the newsletter. Discover, Develop, Distinguish!

20th August 2007

04

In this edition we have some innovations including special interview style ar t ic les f rom veteran Toastmasters

Vice President, Public Relations: TM Sailesh M. Ghaghda

The new 3-dimensional slogan “Discover, Develop, Distinguish” was voted in during meeting #144 held on 9th July. The 3-D’s are particularly significant because at Lagoon we first strive to discover our hidden skills and talents. The second step is to develop these skills and improve our communication abilities. The third is to distinguish ourselves and excel in whatever we do.More than thirty slogans were considered and narrowed down to three, before “Discover, Develop, Distinguish” was finally selected.This eye-catching logo has been designed by a Lagoon guest who happens to be a graphic designer. Thank you, Prakash TC, your efforts are highly appreciated.

Mr. & Mrs. Safeer Azeez proudly announced the arrival of their third child, baby Maryam on the 20th of June 2007.Lagoon members extend their warmest wishes to them on this joyous occasion and also offer a warm welcome to the latest ToastMaster Baby (TMB) of the club.With her father such a talented speaker and formidable leader, we can be rest assured that TMB Maryam will be one of the future super stars of Lagoon!

Happenings at the Lagoon Club

20th August 2007

05

It’s 3rd time lucky for TM Vyshak who accomplished the difficult task of obtaining a driving license after several months of practice.It was not immediately clear how much his toastmasters experience helped in communicating with his instructors and inspectors.Already at Lagoon Vyshak had the distinction of being the youngest toastmaster, now he adds one more - “youngest driver at Lagoon”.On a lighter vein one Toastmasters at Lagoon thanked Vyshak for sharing the good news with everyone because “we know that we shall have to be more careful on the roads”....The Lagoon club congratulates Vyshak on his achievement and wishes him safe driving.

*for Vyshak’s hand-drawn illustration, see the PowerPoint article on page 16

Happenings at the Lagoon Club

20th August 2007

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MTM Zubia Qureshi, TM Saji Oomen, MTM Maria Noronha and TM Prabakaran Rao are the latest to receive their Competent Communicator awards, greatly increasing the number of C.C’s at Lagoon. ACS Suresh ES has also been awarded the Advanced Toastmaster -Silver badge on successfully completing the Advanced Communication Manual.

Lagoon Club has been awarded the Presidents Distinguished Club Award for completing 9 out of 10 goals prescribed by the Toastmasters International. This is the fifth year in a row that Lagoon has earned earning this distinguished accolade from Toastmasters International.

TM Loy Machedo represented Lagoon at District Toastmasters Annual Conference 2007 in Doha, Qatar. He has done us proud by bring home the runner-up trophy in Table Topics. This follows up on our achievement last year of having won the first place in the Humorous Speech Category at DTAC 2006.

We are proud to announce the landslide victory of Lt. Col. Mohammed Murad which has seen him elected as the International Director. He took 9,152 out of the eligible 10,740 eligible votes , demonstrating his popularity. We can look forward to a very exciting year ahead.For more details and pictures, click the ‘forum’ link on www.LagoonToastmasters.com

Ahmed Abdel Monem MorsyAnil Kumar V.K.Anne MenezesBalan Vijay KumarDeep ThampanDeepak VSE S SathyanarayananFatima SuhairFrancis SebastianGilsonKrishnan BalasubramaniamMohammed A HamedNaveen Kumar SadhwaniParul Sailesh Ghaghda

Pradeep KumarPreyeshwari Sameer VayaRakesh DayalRohini KamathSailesh Mohanlal GhaghdaSajeev Chandrasekhekhar KrishnanSalim MKSameer A. VayaSmrithi AjitSuhair Abdul KaderThomas Jai LopezVivek Kariappa PurayilVyshak Suresh KumarWaseem Danish

The Lagoon Club continues to be a magnet for people wishing to enhance their speaking skills. In the past 6 months alone, 28 new members have been registered! Their names appear below in alphabetical order. In fact, Lagoon is the best club in the Middle East (District 79) in terms of Membership growth - no other club can beat our record of 40 members in the 2006-2007 TMI year.

No other club can beat Lagoon’s record of 40 members in the 2006-2007 TMI year.

Annual Club Party Celebrated at the India Club, Dubai on 29th June 2007.

20th August 2007

07Pictures are © .R.A.V.O.O.F. see www.LagoonToastmasters.com for more...

20th August 2007

08Pictures are © .R.A.V.O.O.F. see www.LagoonToastmasters.com for more...

Annual Club Party Celebrated at the India Club, Dubai on 29th June 2007.

TM Loy Machedo was the runner-up in the Table-Topics competition held at DTAC 2007 in Doha. We ask Loy to share some of his views on Table Topics with us.

BEACON: When did you join Toastmasters and Why ?

BEACON: In Toastmasters what is Table Topics?

BEACON: Why is so much importance given to Table Topics?

BEACON: What tips can you give someone who wants to be the Table Topics Master?

BEACON: How can one win as a speaker in Table Topics?

BEACON: What about Topics I don’t know anything about?

BEACON: What should I avoid as a Table Topics speaker?

BEACON: What if I did not understand what the Table Topics Master said?

BEACON: Is Table Topics something you need to practice for?

BEACON: Can a new member win a Table Topics contest?

BEACON: In your experience what has been the most difficult Table Topics question and why?

LOY: In late 2000, to compete and improve my communication skills.

LOY: The ability to answer in a very relaxed, cool and calm manner – especially when your back side is on fire!

LOY: Separates the real speakers who can think and talk clearly from prepared speakers.

LOY: Seek guidance if you don’t know what you are doing. Be creative. Prepare, Practice and Present well.

LOY: Just keep talking!

LOY: Learn to BS – it works!

LOY: Making fun of someone else. Don’t let the pressure get to you – that was the one thing I failed to do in the District finals.

LOY: Admit that and go ahead with whatever you did understand.

LOY: Everything requires practice.

LOY: Anything is possible in Table Topics. And we must always remember, a new member may not be new to the business of speaking.

LOY: Simple and general topics are more difficult because they are too vast and when you have vast bits of information coming to your head at lightning speed, you have to make a choice. So over there, the line between winning the 1st or 2nd can be very thin.

Immediate Past President: ATMS Loy Machedo

20th August 2007

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Table Topics Master Tips:Seek guidance if you don’t know what you are doing.Be creat ive . Prepare , Practice and Present well.

ViewpointViewpoint

Right from childhood, Rahul depended on others for decisions. Dress, food, and things to do, were all based on guidelines from parents and friends. He sought advice on what to talk; and required confirmation that what he had said was right. Always wanting to please, he would run any errand for anyone. He hated to disagree. His opinions were modified to suit the opinions of those around him.

Friends abused his nature. Doing their homework and personal chores, he would end up in disappointment and tears when it became clear that they did not return the support he felt was due to him.

It sometimes appeared that Rahul was a 'good, simple, obedient boy' but his limitations disturbed his parents from an early age. They felt that a spell in a boarding school may make him independent, but this ended in disaster. Rahul stopped eating and had to be hospitalized. The school insisted that they come and retrieve him. Rahul just could not manage alone.

After completing graduation, he took up a job as an accountant. At work, he had a pleasant smile and worked beyond office hours. He frequently asked for advice and enquired if what he did was correct. . He would never say 'no' and soon became the person on whom anyone could pile their work - the ideal companion for a lazy colleague.

This reached a point where he was not able to keep up with the work officially allotted to him and received an official reprimand. He felt cheated, let down, that nobody supported him even after he did so much for them. He stated that he was a 'simple soul' who did not have the skill to survive in the world. Shattered, negative feelings became florid and culminated in an episode of Depression. This led to the first visit to the Psychiatrist.

With psychiatric treatment, Rahul recovered from depression. After recovery, he stated that his parents had been encouraging him to move out and manage his own life. The doctor reinforced it as an excellent suggestion that could help him become independent. Rahul agreed to put it into effect. At this stage, he discontinued treatment.

Six months later, Rahul was back to the Psychiatrist, coaxed by his parents. He was refusing to move out from his parent's home. When interviewed, he said that he could not desert his parents in their old age. He argued that children were dependent on their parents and that there is nothing wrong with that.

....continued on the next page....

Article Contributed by: TM Dr. Balan Vijay Kumar

20th August 2007

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I t s o m e t i m e s appeared that Rahul was a “good, simple, obedient boy” but his limitations disturbed his parents from an early age.

.... continued from previous page ....

When Rahul was reminded of his promise to move out, he claimed that it was a matter of the past and presently everything was going smoothly. He felt there was no need for counseling at all. When asked what the last crisis had taught him, he replied that people at his last job were not good and this had led to the difficulty. He did accept that he was unduly dependant. Rahul angrily refused to move out and did not come back for consultation.

Several weeks later, an unscrupulous colleague, taking advantage of Rahul's difficulty to refuse requests, borrowed a large sum of money from him and disappeared. This hit hard and Rahul again relapsed into Depression. Once more, following medical treatment, he recovered. The Psychiatrist reminded him how promises made following the first episode of Depression were rationalized away. Rahul replied that he had now learnt for sure how his limitations were getting him into trouble and promised to make an effort to change.

He took up a flat for himself as promised. After initial difficulties, he soon started managing his own daily needs. At work he duly managed his responsibility and resisted the temptation to seek advice on little things. He was regular with counseling.

Counseling Rahul had several aims. These included helping him to understand and accept his shortcomings, realize how these led to various difficulties, and then take steps to prevent them:

tadopt healthier patterns of thinking and behavior, for example, develop assertiveness skills (stating his point or saying 'No' nicely, but firmly)

tintroduce gradual lifestyle changes that encouraged independence (like moving out of his parents house)

tavoid circumstances that could cause severe conflict with his dependant nature (for example, Rahul may not do well to open a business of his own)

The term Personality is defined as a pattern of thinking and behavior, that is typical of an individual and seen from early life, enduring over time and are shown across a variety of circumstances (a common example, some people are 'extroverts', some 'introverts').

Personality Disorder refers to a state when personality patterns are grossly maladaptive; that is, repeatedly lead to trouble. There are many kinds of Personality Disorder. Rahul's personality showed behaviors (like clinging, being unduly trusting and submissive), needs (to please people, be supported and taken care of) and fears (of separation and not being able to manage alone) that form the typical pattern of Dependent Personality Disorder.

People with a Personality Disorder often justify their behavior. They do not feel that they have a problem. They do admit their shortcomings when they are in serious trouble only to rationalize it later. Over the next few years, with regular counseling, Rahul made considerable progress. His dependant nature decreased significantly and he learnt how to live well despite his limitations.

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Several weeks later, an unscrupulous colleague, tak ing advantage o f Rahul's difficulty to refuse requests, borrowed a large sum of money from him and disappeared.

Article Contributed by: TM Dr. Balan Vijay Kumar

Doctor Balan Vijay Kumar is the Vice President,

Membership at Lagoon and is a qualified

Psychiatrist at Al Lulu Medical Center in

Sharjah.

r p aCybe s e kr p aCybe s e k

Stuck with an odd, long or simply boring email ID? Ever had to repeat your email id several times to someone before they made sense of it? Salvation is here if you know how to tweak your EIM (Etisalat Internet Mail) user account.

Just follow these simple steps and transform your online identity from something like tdx_1672@emirates.net.ae into lagoonite@eim.ae or even more glamorous in less than five minutes. Look, feel and sound good - all at absolutely no cost!

First log on to www.eim.ae and log in using your email id and password. Choose "Options" from the menu at the top. Then click "Email Aliases" on the menu at left. Type in a new ID that better describes you and is still easy to spell out to someone on the phone. Be sure to follow the guidelines provided when choosing your alias. Click the “Add” button when ready. You can have not one but up to THREE email aliases in your name. Here are some examples of how you can make your ID say something about you and still be easy to remember and pass around:

lagoonite@eim.aedesert_rat@eim.aemahesh1969@eim.aefund.manager@eim.aebest.speaker.ever@eim.aemohammed.ahmed@eim.ae

All emails sent to ANY of the above addresses and the original ID will still come to your email account. If you want to send emails displaying one of the new aliases, select it as your “primary email” in the options listed. That's it, mail away and see how much better it looks to the eye and sounds to the ear. More good news? You can change your aliases as frequently as you like, so let your creative juices take over!

IMPORTANT GUIDELINES:Email aliases are made up of the following characters only:þa-z and/or A-Z and/or 0123456789 and/or _ and/or . þEmail alias cannot contain blanks or tabs. þEmail alias may not contain punctuation characters. þAn email alias may contain one or more separating periods, but never

two in a row. Email alias is not case-sensitive. þAll email aliases must be at least nine characters long and should not

exceed 128 characters long. þEvery email alias must start with a letter. Email aliases must end with a

letter or number. þEmail aliases must not match mail user ids, an existing email alias or

system alias. þEach user can have more than one e-mail alias, and each alias can only

represent one user.

Article Contributed by: TM Sailesh M. Ghaghda

20th August 2007

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F o r d e t a i l e d instructions and terms and conditions relating to the use of email alias features, please refer to the EIM website:

www.eim.ae

BEACON: How did you come to know about Toastmasters?

BEACON: When did you join Lagoon Toastmasters?

BEACON: What is your current educational status at Toastmasters?

BEACON: What are your ambitions within Toastmasters?

BEACON: What was the biggest benefit of joining Toastmasters?

BEACON: What skills have improved after joining Toastmasters?

BEACON: Has the Toastmasters experience affected your career?

M. K. RAJAN: The first time briefly from local newspapers and then in detail from TM Mukundakumar.

M. K. RAJAN: In connection with our College Alumni Forum Annual get together in the year 2001, we invited some members of Sharjah Toastmasters Club to judge a speech competition held for our children. Seeing the pathetic performance of the participants, the Toastmasters offered to organize a Youth Leadership Programme. The success of this YLP, the enviable transformation the children had undergone after 8 sessions and formation of TKMCE Gavel Club by children, all inspired the parents to give a try. A Speech Craft was organized as a result in September 2001. I was one of the participants of the Speech Craft. This culminated in the formation of Lagoon Toastmasters Club in December 2001and the Club was chartered on February 21, 2002. I am one of the 22 founder members of Lagoon TMC.

M. K. RAJAN: I am a Competent Communicator and Competent Leader now. Currently I am working for my Advance Communicator Bronze title and aim to achieve same this year itself.

M. K. RAJAN: I wish to continue my association with the Toastmaster movement for life, continue my learning and help others to take maximum benefit out of Toastmaster programmes.

M. K. RAJAN: Joining Toastmasters completely changed my perspective. Before that I did not imagine that a 20 seconds Round Robin speech can be so long! The best thing I learned is time management and then the importance of keeping commitments. Another thing I cherish dearly is the circle of friends developed through Toastmasters. Now I have Toastmaster friends in many countries. Is it not amazing that you are recognized and accepted all over the world when you mention that you are a Toastmaster?

M. K. RAJAN: There is tremendous improvement in constructive and critical thinking, reading, writing, presentation skills and speaking. (Friends who knew me before and after joining Toastmasters will vouch for that). To prepare and present a proper speech we need to use all these skills. But the best improved skill, I think, is writing for which of course, one needs to improve reading.

M. K. RAJAN: I believe the Toastmasters training had a very positive effect on my career too. By taking up leadership roles in the Club and Area levels and assisting Division and District level organizers, I learnt a lot about organizing events, team work, delegation and follow up. By arranging a panel of 30 contest judges for the last Division B contest, keeping in mind various permutations and combinations, I proved, to my astonishment, that I am a good organizer! All what I learnt in Toastmasters had direct bearing in improving my career prospects as well. As my job involves negotiating and finalizing deals, reporting to management and leading a teams of engineers and draughtsmen, I could put into practice whatever I learnt and thereby excel in my career.

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All what I learnt in Toastmasters had a direct bearing in improving my career prospects as well.

Lagoon Founding Member: ATM-B, CL M. K. Rajan

... continued on next page ...

BEACON: Did you develop new skills after joining Toastmasters?

BEACON: In Toastmasters who has inspired you the most and how?

BEACON: Do you think you will ever stop being a Toastmaster?

BEACON: Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

BEACON: Who do you think should join Toastmasters?

M. K. RAJAN: Toastmasters has given me considerable confidence to deal with people. I enjoy helping others to grow and I am an active participant in many social activities. Toastmasters completely changed my social outlook and I think there is an overall improvement in my personality as a result of joining Toastmasters.

M. K. RAJAN: Many people in Toastmasters inspired me. TM JK Nair, TM CG Ganesh, TM Balu, TM Mohammed Murad etc. to mention a few names. Ganesh was the mentor of Lagoon TMC and he attended our meetings till he migrated to Canada. His pleasing, friendly and helping nature attracted me and he cared for Lagoon TMC during it's infancy as his second child. Balu is ever supportive, very organized, dependable and good at heart. Mohammed Murad inspired me with his humour, presentation and leadership abilities. When he was the District Governor, our District achieved many accolades from TMI and during his tenure we achieved full District status from Provisional and went on to become first District in the world first time and that too in the first year. I am happy to know that he is contesting as International Director this year. There were many other persons who inspired me like TM Lucky Sawlani, TM Ramanathan and TM Jaidev. But the person who inspired me most was JK Nair. He was the one who conducted the Lagoon Speech Craft. Later on I had the opportunity to work closely with him as Area Secretary when he was Area Governor. He is a perfectionist and a very hard working person. What ever he did, he did it uniquely and with passion. He was the 2002 DTAC Humorous Speech Champion and he presented his two children as human props first time in the history of Toastmasters championship contest and won the title. He migrated to Australia recently. All the above mentioned Toastmasters contributed immensely and were instrumental in the growth of Toastmasters movement in the UAE.

M. K. RAJAN: I believe in the saying 'Once a Toastmaster, always a Toastmaster'. What is learnt cannot be undone. Therefore I don't think a Toastmaster can ever stop being a Toastmaster.

M. K. RAJAN: I wish I had the opportunity to join Toastmasters 40 years back while I was doing my graduation. I believe that my fate would have been entirely different if that happened. Therefore I envy the youngsters who get a chance to benefit from Toastmasters and consider them very lucky.

M. K. RAJAN: There is no question who should join Toastmasters. All those who really care for self improvement should join Toastmasters irrespective of their age, education or profession. I joined at the age of 50. As I mentioned earlier students and youngsters who are starting their career will get maximum benefit if they seriously follow Toastmasters programmes. Leadership and communication skills were important in the past, are very important now and will be just as important in future. The fourth dimension, time is not at all important here.

Lagoon Founding Member: ATM-B, CL M. K. Rajan

20th August 2007

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I wish I had an oppo r t un i t y t o j o i n Toastmasters 40 years back while I was doing my graduation. I believe that my fate would have been entirely different if that happened.

... continued from previous page ...

TM MK Rajan is

one of the founder members and is fondly

referred to as one of the “Pillars of Lagoon”

Po chwer Te nikPo chwer Te nik

Need to give Powerpoint Presentation? Here TM Sajeev Krishnan gives us some handy tips to make your next effort even more effective.

Presentation Design¤Don't overload your slides with too much text or data. ¤FOCUS. In general, using a few powerful slides is the aim. ¤Let the picture or graphic tell the story. Avoid text. ¤Type key words in the PowerPoint Notes area listing what to say when displaying the slide. The notes are printable. ¤Number your slides and give them a title. ¤Use the "summary slide" feature in slide sorter view to prepare an Agenda or Table of Contents slide. ¤Prepare a company logo slide for your presentation. ¤You can add a logo and other graphics to every slide using the slide master feature. ¤Proof read everything, including visuals and numbers. ¤Keep "like" topics together ¤Strive for similar line lengths for text.

Visual elements ¤A font size of 28 to 34 with a bold font is recommended for subtitles. The title default size is 44. Use a san serif font for titles. ¤Use clear, simple visuals. Don't confuse the audience. ¤Use contrast: light on dark or dark on light. ¤Graphics should make a key concept clearer. ¤Place your graphics in a similar location within each screen. ¤The drawing toolbar is extremely useful to Insert clip art, Insert pictures, Use Word Art, Use text boxes, Insert charts and diagrams, Insert arrows, banners, and thought balloons.¤To temporarily clear the screen press W or B during the presentation. Press Enter to resume the presentation.

Text ¤Font size must be large enough to be easily read. Size 28 to 34 with a bold font is recommended. ¤It is distracting if you use too wide a variety of fonts. ¤Overuse of text is a common mistake. ¤Too much text makes the slide unreadable. You may just as well show a blank slide. Stick to a few key words. ¤If your audience is reading the slides they are not paying attention to you. If possible, make your point with graphics instead of text. ¤You can use Word Art, or a clip art image of a sign, to convey text in a more interesting way.

Numbers¤Numbers are usually confusing to the audience. Use as few as possible and allow

extra time for the audience to do the math. ¤Numbers should never be ultra precise: "Anticipated Revenues of Dhs. 660,101.83"

looks silly. Are your numbers that accurate? Just say Dhs. 660 thousand. ¤"The Break Even Point is 1048.17 units”. Are you selling fractions of a unit? Don't

show fils. Cost per unit is about the only time you would need to show fils.¤If you have more than 12-15 numbers on a slide, that's probably too many.¤Using only one number per sentence helps the audience absorb the data.

...continued on next page...

Article Contributed by: TM Sajeev Krishnan

20th August 2007

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Font size must be large enough to be easily read.

Size 28 to 34 with a bold font is recommended.

Po chwer Te nikPo chwer Te nik

...continued from previous page...Statistics¤Use the same scale for numbers on a slide. Don't compare thousands to millions. ¤When using sales data, stick to a single market in the presentation. Worldwide

sales, domestic sales, industry sales, company sales, divisional sales, or sales to a specific market segment are all different scales. They should not be mixed.

¤ Cite your source on the same slide as the statistic, using a smaller size font.

Charts¤ Charts need to be clearly labeled. You can make more interesting charts by adding

elements from the drawing toolbar. ¤Numbers in tables are both hard to see and to understand. There is usually a better

way to present your numerical data than with columns and rows of numbers. Get creative!

¤ PowerPoint deletes portions of charts and worksheets that are imported from Excel, keeping only the leftmost 5.5 inches. Plan ahead.

Backgrounds¤ Backgrounds should never distract from the presentation. ¤Using the default white background is hard on the viewer's eyes. You can easily

add a design style or a color to the background. ¤ Backgrounds that are light colored with dark text, or vice versa, look good. A dark

background with white font reduces glare. ¤ Colors appear lighter when projected. Pale colors often appear as white. ¤ Consistent backgrounds add to a professional appearance. ¤ For a long presentation, you may want to change background designs when

shifting to a new topic.

Excitement¤ Slides for business presentations should be dull! You don't want to distract the

audience. ¤ Sounds and transition effects can be annoying. Use sparingly. ¤Animation effects can be interesting when used in moderation. ¤ Too much animation is distracting. ¤ Consider using animated clip art ¤ Consider using custom animation¤ You can insert video and audio clips into PowerPoint. ¤ You can also insert hyperlinks.

Timing - Practicing Your Presentation¤ Talk through your presentation to see how much time you use for each slide. ¤ Set the automatic slide transition to the amount of time you want to spend

discussing each slide. ¤Are you using the right amount of time per slide? Decide which slides or

comments need alteration to make your presentation smoother. ¤ Change the automatic slide transition settings for individual slides to fit the

amount of time needed for that slide and practice again. Are you still within the time limit?

¤Decide if you want to remove the automatic slide transition feature before giving the presentation.

Content ¤Make a list of key words/concepts for each slide ¤ Read through the list before you begin. ¤Don't attempt to memorize your text; ¤ Your words will probably be different each time you practice. ¤ Think about the ideas, and your words will follow naturally.

20th August 2007

16

Using the default white background is hard on the viewer's eyes.You can easily add a design style or a color to the background.

Article Contributed by: TM Sajeev Krishnan

Illustration ©2007TM Vyshak Suresh

Conceptualized by: MTM Smrithi Ajit

20th August 2007

17

A creative idea from MTM Smrithi to have a lively interaction from Lagoon members by having a “Caption Contest”.Here are the responses to an email asking for the most humorous, serious and inspiring captions for the picture below.

ET David:1) A Mother's love & lagoon care me & you alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.....2) Love in all colours3) World's safest carrier & achieves the other side of the land.Loy Machedo:That is Jessie the President with Mubarak sitting comfortably at the first seat, Rajan hanging on (nearly falling off) in the second, Sailesh fighting for a place in the third, Rakesh hiding himself in the fourth and Smrithi watching the action in the last place.Shyam Joseph:1) Heavy ‘life-load’ on my shoulder….2) Relationship meets commitment, care and affection. 3) Competitive world! Slow people will always be out.Sunil Kumar:1) Even in deep waters "its Hakuna Matata". 2) Togetherness is Bonding and Love. 3) Sssssssssssh! It’s a Toastmasters meeting!Vyshak Suresh:1) Lagoon Toastmaster....Helping n developing and encouraging the newly born young speakers.....to grow well...n to develop there personality.....2) Hey mama....i cnt get on to u.....plz help me to get on u......(mama says....) hey kiddoooo.... try urself 'cause rest of ur lyf i wun b there to help u always.... try n try till u succeed.....Sajeev Krishnan:"All Hands on Deck!!!!”Jessie D’Souza:1) Together towards our Discovery........ our Goal.2) Thoughtful Lagoonites in Laguna.3) Silent meditation in the chaotic world.

Most Serious:World's safest carrier & achieves

the other side of the land.

Most Humorous:Sssssssssssh! It’s a Toastmasters

meeting!

Most Inspiring: Together towards our Discovery

...... our Goal.

Seasoned Lagoon Member: CTM, CL Sunil Kumar K. P.

20th August 2007

18

One thing I would like to tell new members is that they need to be C O N S I S T E N T , I N S I S T E N T A N D PERSISTENT and make sure they attend every meeting because they w i l l a l w a y s l e a r n something new and the benefits are immense.

Seasoned Toastmaster Sunil Kumar shares his thoughts on how Toastmasters can help, and gives helpful suggestions to new members.

BEACON: How long have you been a Toastmaster?

BEACON: What tips do you have for new members?

BEACON: What roles are important in Toastmasters?

BEACON: What if a new member is too shy?

BEACON: When should a new member give “The Ice-Breaker” speech?

BEACON: How to choose topics for the project speeches?

BEACON: Who is the best person to ask for advice on speeches?

BEACON: Do PowerPoint presentations help in project speeches?

BEACON: Any tips on using props to support project speeches?

BEACON: How long should it take to give the first 10 project speeches?

BEACON: How can a new member stop feeling nervous?

BEACON: Why are speech evaluations so important?

SUNIL: It's been almost 3 glorious years with Lagoon Toastmasters. I take this opportunity to mention that its been all positive in terms of personal growth, making friends and I have also managed to land a fantastic job through a fellow toastmaster.

SUNIL: If there is an opportunity to do a role, raise your hands instantly to take it up and realize what the saying "What you sow is what you reap" means.

SUNIL: The foremost being the PROJECT SPEECHES but attending every meeting and doing every role is also important, because you learn that what look simple from outside is actually quite challenging.

SUNIL: The least a new member can do to overcome shyness is get acquainted with fellow members and start doing smaller and simple roles.

SUNIL: Personally I feel the best way to give his/ her first speech will be after taking up small roles thereby gaining confidence. Doing small roles it gives enough confidence to give a winning Ice breaker which will set a perfect platform and momentum to go and complete the rest of the projects.

SUNIL: The best way to choose a project will be something which is close to your heart and making it simple. With this it will be easy to prepare and deliver a project instead of talking about rocket science.

SUNIL: According to me there is no end to learning and every member in the group has something to say about your speech. However in the case of competitions and corporate presentations one could approach seasoned toastmasters who have done it before and have won competitions.

SUNIL: One should know how to use a PP presentation the right way. It should not be too short or too long, making the audience yawn at end of the day. I suggest that anyone wishing to give a PP presentation should approach a senior Toastmaster who provide guidance in detail on the subject.

SUNIL: Like your project speeches, Props need to be simple and not too many. I have noticed the audience loves props especially when their usage is well timed.

SUNIL: I was one of the early birds in Lagoon to have completed my CTM / CL. Having done it fast my focus was to get the coveted badge rather than enjoying the preparation and presentation. My advise would be to enjoy your project and learn rather than looking at a time frame or the designations that follow.

SUNIL: Like I mentioned earlier the easiest way would be to get quickly acquainted with each and every member on a personal level followed by taking up smaller roles and most importantly attending every meeting.

SUNIL: If one has to be in the right track EVALUATIONS are a must. With the added feedback from every member, evaluations can help improve the roles and speeches that follow, allowing for greater progress.

20th August 2007

19

"The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.

The worst had happened - everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me?" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was wakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers."We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It's easy to get discouraged sometimes when things appear to be going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God. For all the negative things, we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it. Pass this on, you never know whose life may be in need of this today. Believe me, there are some days when we all feel that our huts are burning.

What does this word mean?

CONFIDENCE:Once some village people decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer they all gathered and only one boy came with an umbrella.... that's Confidence....

TRUST:Trust should be like the feeling of a one year old baby when you throw him in the air, he laughs.... because he knows you will catch him.... that's Trust....

HOPE:Every night we go to bed, we have no assurance to get up alive in the next morning but still we have plans for the coming day.... that's Hope....

KEEP CONFIDENCE !!TRUST OTHERS !!NEVER LOSE HOPE !!

>> Thomas Jai Lopez

>> David T Ekkadan >> David T Ekkadan

>> Smrithi Ajit

VOL 5 : ISSUE#1 August 2007

Why join Toastmasters?Discover the best way to Develop your communication skills, enabling you to Distinguish yourself. You deserve it!

Come join us at the Mubarakiya Hall, Nova Park Hotel opp. McDonalds on King Faisal Street in Sharjah.

When does the club meet?Lagoon Toastmasters meets on alternate Mondays from 7.30pm to 10.00pm

Anyone over 18 years of age can attend the meeting as a guest. For more details please contact our Vice President for Membership Dr. Balan or any of the club officers listed.

What is Toastmasters?All you need to know and more is just a click away:www.LagoonToastmasters.com

LAGOON CLUB

OFFICERS

President:

Jessie D'Souza

050-6266830

renex@eim.ae

VP Education:

Mubarak Ahmed

050-4623258

mubaraknida@gmail.com

VP Membership:

Dr. Balan Vijay Kumar

050-4974614

drbvkumar@hotmail.com

VP Public Relations:

Sailesh Ghaghda

050-6465816

ghaghda@eim.ae

Secretary:

Rakesh Dayal

050-2061109

dayal_rakesh@yahoo.com

Treasurer:

Pradeep CB

050-4672082

bhaspc@bp.com

Sergeant at Arms:

Smrithi Ajit

050-2340693

smrithiajit@yahoo.co.in

Imm. Past President:

Loy Machedo

050-6318519

manager@

quickelectricglobal.com

THIS NEWSLETTER IS FORPRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY.

All views and comments expressed hereinare personal and not to be construed as endorsed

by the publishers, Lagoon Toastmasters Club. Email your comments to the.beacon@eim.ae