District-41 E-Newsletter Nov 2013 Vol 5

8/13/2019 District-41 E-Newsletter Nov 2013 Vol 5

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CharterNew

Clubs

District: 41

Nov/2013 Vol 5

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1Editorial Page 2

2District Governors

Message Page 3

3New Clubs Brillian S. K.

- Page 4

4Survive & thrive

Sudarshan Gadhave - Page

8

5Remembering Navneet

Suneja - Page 10

6Masti @ Toastmasters -

Page 14

7 Learning to Lead - Page

17

8Contributors Page 19

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL

NEWSLETTER


2/19

Umesh Agashe, CC, ALBEditorNewsletter,2013-14Toastmasters InternationalDistrict 41

If you would like tocontribute in e Newsletter, or havesuggestions forimprovements, pleaseprovide your insights, emailyour views, feedback,suggestions at

[email protected]

Editorial

Umesh Agashe, CC, ALB

What you build, builds you, said world champion of public speaking 2012 -

Ryan Avery. Wont you agree that taking up an initiative to presentspeeches; to perform leadership roles in your club is actually building your

confidence step by step? Then how about taking this platform to more &

more people so that more people can benefit from Toastmasters? Indeed

building new club builds you too. Building new club provides you an

opportunity to take your leadership skills to next level. We are happy to

inform that District 41 has added 19 more clubs (till 30th October)

in the New Year.

So many of us have desire, willingness to start a new Toastmasters club in

our company or community, or we know about an opportunity where a new

Toastmasters club can be started. But most of us seat back because ofvaried reasons, & one of the reasons is lack of information. If you have an

idea about starting a new club, please read an article about basic formalities

of starting a new club by Lieutenant Governor Marketing, District 41

Brillian. Learn about things to be considered before starting a corporate

club from Leo Paulose.

Starting something is easy, but sustaining the same is difficult. Are youencountering challenge of dying club? Do you want to know how one suchclub not only survived but is now thriving? Read an article by SudarshanGadhve.

Only one thing can ensure clubs success & consistency in performance, &that one thing is quality of meetings. Read about how some of the clubs inDistrict 41 are organizing unique meetings to ensure that members have funwhile learning, in article Masti @ Toastmasters.

Toastmasters is not only about enhancing your public speaking & leadershipskills, it is also about creating those bonds of human network, its a family.Unfortunately we lost one of our leaders Navneet Suneja in a tragic accidentfew days back. Read the memories of fellow Toastmasters associated withhim, who worked with him, & who shared bonds of friendship with him.

This family is served by many leaders. In this issue we are presenting youstory of one such leader Pooja Sapra, Division Governor - Division I. If you

also want to share your story, your journey of learning to lead, please writeto us. If you know someone in your Area, Division who is a superenthusiastic Toastmaster, please let us know, let others get inspired to besuper enthusiastic Toastmasters. You can send your story or informationabout Super Enthusiastic Toastmasters from your Area, Division [email protected]

Keep communicatingUmesh Agashe, CC, ALBEditor, Newsletter, District-41
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


3/19

Prasad Sovani, DTM,District Governor 2013-14,District 41, ToastmastersInternational.

He is a communicationevangelist. By professionhe is a corporate trainerand has successfullytrained many students totheir satisfaction in India,Singapore, & Brazil.

You may write to him [email protected]

Dear members of the most enthusiastic district in the world!

The District Semi-Annual Conference is one of the major milestones

in the calendar of the district. We meet and have District Executive

Council meeting to discuss the status of the district and we gather to

have District Council meeting to know the future of the district.

In addition, we have training programs specially lined up for those

who come all the way to attend this conference. We also have speech

contests to promote the spirit of the competition and recognize

champion speakers amongst us. We also have an evening for fun!

This year, we are trying out something new! We are giving a chance

to our own trainers! Members of District 41, who can conduct training

but need an opportunity, will be provided with that opportunity! We

have identified four new trainers from our own membership, who will

guide us on a topic of their competence and add value to us.

In addition, we have the best trainers across the world! The best

person in our district for language training is Dr Punita Singh, who

will conduct a special session for us. And the best person in the world

in using props and constructing speeches, Palaniappan Subramanian,

(First Runner up in the World Championship of Public Speaking) will

fly all the way from Penang, Malaysia, to train us!

I would like all of you to attend this conference and network with

friends you havent met yet! Conferences are all about learning and

networking! Please get to know at least 10 new individuals, shareyour cards and spend some time to know them well. Who knows

what can happen after that!

I know at least two couples which first met at a Toastmasters District

Conference, and then chose to get married and are living happily

ever after!

I know people who got job offers at conferences and I know people

who have got business assignments at conferences!

For now, I am excited to be in the relaxed town of Puri, to be nearthe sea, enjoy its breeze and have a great conference!

Finally, before you leave, go nearer any member of the organizing

committee and thank him / her as a representative of the whole

committee! They will feel their time spent was worth it!

-Prasad Sovani, DTMDistrict 41 Governor, 2013-14
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


4/19


5/19

i. Add $40/- to the gross amount (Gross amount = Charter fees + new member fees + sixmonthly fees for all joiners as applicable)

ii. In case the $40/- is not added the Bank would deduct $40/- from the amount submittedthrough wire transfer in effect club payment would be short by $40/-

iii. To ensure completion of the charter payment the club would have to make additionalpayment of $40/-

iv. Unless this payment is processed the status would reflect on the system and reports as

partial payment made.v. Once the payment is made, a receipt of transfer of money and acknowledgement from the

bank must be submitted along with the list of members and the forms to process theapplication.

c. Demand Note / Postal Money order similar to our Demand Draft, this is payableinternationally. The demand draft making charges vary from bank to bank. Once the Pay Oder /Demand Note is ready it is sent to the WHQ via snail mail / courier.

Membership Application

This is probably one of the most laborious tasks as it requires the charter member application to be filledin and signed by the member and also countersigned by a club officer. To ensure that there are no

discrepancies, an excel sheet with the following headings maybe attached.

Name of Member, Officer Role, Contact No, Email id, Mailing Address

This would help the WHQ team process the forms without errors.

Signatures and Details in Forms 5 & 6

There are mandatory sections where signatures are required, before submitting the form, the officer mustvalidate signatures and ensure that the forms are complete in all respect.

Review of Forms

We recommend that every application to charter a club be sent to the LGM for review . This is toensure that there are no gaps and the club papers can be processed at the earliest. Once a formal reviewhas been completed the forms to be sent to new clubs team with a copy to the Division Governor, AreaGovernor, Marketing Team, District Secretary.

We take this opportunity to thank the following members for assisting in the growth of the TM movementin District 41 by supporting the formation of the new clubs: A Poojari, Achintya Agarwal, Amit KumarShroti, Anand Radhakrishnan, Ankur Rana, Antony Jerald Anand, Anurag Jindal, Arefunnisa Sayed, ArunMittal, Arvind Nair, Bhargav Vanaparthy, Biswajit Adhikari, Chandana Erande, Chetan Thakkar, Chinnappa

To know more about step by step process of

forming a new corporate, community or an

advanced club, please click here. This step-by-

step guide also includes all the forms which youneed to submit to Toastmasters International.
http://www.toastmasters.org/buildhttp://www.toastmasters.org/build


6/19

Nanaiah, Deepak Menon, Farida Dias, Gagan Batra, Gaurav Verma, Harkirat Singh Sareen, Harsh Singhal,Hitendra Bhadang, Inderjeet Singh Oberoi, Indrajit Suryawanshi, Jyotirmay Bhattacharjya, Leo KuriansPaulose, Mohammed Babrawala, Mohit Chabbra, Mukesh Kulothia, Natarajan Lalgudi, Late NavneetSuneja, Neeraj Gupta, Nikhil Kumar, Nikhil Salvi, Nitin Gupta, Parul Tyagi, Pooja Sapra, Prasad Sovani,Prathamesh Thakur, Puneet Choudhary, Rajnish Vyakaranam, Reeti Wadhwa, Rishi Kant Upadhyaya, RituArora, Ron Billimoria, Sangeeta S. Bahl, Sanjay Upadhyay, Santhosh Kamal, Shahab Saquib, ShijinKaruwath, Shubham Agarwal, Siana Dias, Simerjeet Kaur, Sriharsha Sravan Karavadi, Srinivas S.

Krishnan, Sumeet Miglani, Sushmin S, Tarun Mahar, Varinder Sharma, Vanshika Shrivastava, VikramPoddar, Vipin Abraham and Vivek Ghiria, regret if we have missed out anyone.

# Division Area Club Name Location Domain

1 A 1 3520798 Toast WiZardS Gurgaon Consultancy

2 A 2 3521387 Go Smart Gurgaon IT / ITES

3 B 2 3406282 Schneider Electric Toastmasters Noida Electrical Engineering

4 D 2 3553212 Federal Toastmasters Club Mumbai Mumbai Corporate Bank

5 D 3 3349716 Crown Toastmasters Mumbai Relocations

6 E 2 3484412 Syntel Pune Toastmasters Club Pune IT / ITES

7 G 1 2845360 IIM Ranchi Toastmasters Ranchi Higher Education

8 H 1 3543283 Quest-Qualcomm's EnlightenedSpeakers of Tomorrow

Hyderabad IT / ITES

9 I 1 3499545 Toastmasters Club of AMDOCS Pune IT / ITES

10 J 1 3454766 Guavus Toastmasters Club Gurgaon IT/ ITES

11 J 1 3555448 Blackrock Speaks GurgaonToastmasters Club

Gurgaon Asset Management

12 J 2 3120028 Techno Ariston Udaipur IT

13 J 3 3364013 XL India Toastmasters Club Gurgaon Insurance

14 J 3 3441784 IndiGo Toastmasters Club Gurgaon Aerospace

15 J 3 3527887 Stryker Toastmasters Club Gurgaon Medical EquipmentMfg.

16 K 1 3356982 TATA Motors Academy Mumbai Automotive

17 K 1 3367560 Recall Information Management Mumbai DocumentManagement

18 K 2 3447372 Wordsmith Toastmasters Club Mumbai Engineering & IT

19 K 3 3214743 MPSTME, NMIMS Chapter Mumbai Higher TechnicalEducation

List of newly chartered clubs till 30thOctober under District 41, Toastmasters International


7/19

Leo Paulose ([email protected]) involved in forming one of the corporate club from above list

(Toastmasters Club of AMDOCS) shares 12 things to consider for starting a corporate club.

1. Understand the need of the employees. Only and only go ahead with the decision to start a

club, if you see that there is a true need for Toastmasters in your organization.

2. Dedication and commitment are the key to starting a corporate club. You and your team

members will need to work hard in the beginning to ensure that the club is not only formed

but also sustains till at-least a year.

3. Form a core group among the group of interested people. You should be in constant touch

with this group and the work should be divided among them before starting the club.

Always ensure that this core group is in sync with one another.

4. Always take suggestions and feedback from higher management. This will ensure that the

Toastmasters vision and mission are in sync with your organization and that an intangible

benefit can be reaped by both parties involved.5. Conduct the meeting no matter what! It is always possible that you might get last minute

cancellations. Always be prepared for that and go ahead with the meeting. NEVER CANCEL

A MEETING.

6. Always keep the members motivated and show them the big picture. This takes true

leadership skills and a true Toastmaster needs to put his talent at display here.

7. Sell the idea. Use any and all mediums of publicity available, starting from sending group

mailers to sticking posters. Anything and everything counts!

8. Assign members from the core group to mentor new members in the right track. Help them

prepare their speeches and understand Toastmasters better.

9. As Toastmasters is new and the EC is also new, ensure that all the members are briefed in

detail about the roles and functionalities of the EC before the elections so that one can take

an informed decision.

10.Always clear any doubt, no matter how small it is with your area and division leadership.

11.Be prepared to take multiple roles during and after a meeting. At the end of the day, the

fact remains that, the first few meetings are solely dependent on the core group/EC.

12.Most importantly, have fun! At the end of the day, you should enjoy what you are doing and

trust me, starting a corporate club is a great feeling. Enjoy and savor each moment of it.

You'll definitely cherish them in the future.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


8/19

Sudarshan Gadhve, CC, ALBis working in John DeereTechnology Center India as aData Analyst in Data QualityTeam. He has served JDTCIToastmasters club as VP-PR& president and currentlyfostering growth of District41 as an Area Governor forArea I-1.

An avid Toastmaster,Trekker, Table Tennis playerand a Traveler (lot of Ts).He thinks person becomesrich with the number of

people he/she connects toand not with money. So helikes meeting people andmaking new friends.

To learn more from him youmay write to him at

[email protected]

Surviving & thriving: How to bring back a

club into action. We talked to Sudarshan

Gadhve, Area Governor Area I -1 who

shares his story of bringing back a

stagnant club into action.

Sudarshan Gadhve, CC, ALB

Q: When & how did you join Toastmasters?A: I joined this wonderful community called Toastmasters around 1.5 yearback. My clubs charter president one day asked me whether I want to joina club dedicated to improving public speaking skills as an officer which isbeing formed in my company John Deere at department level. Iimmediately said yes, because I dont like to miss opportunities. Thus Istarted my Toastmasters journey as VP-Public Relations for JDTCIToastmasters club, Pune.

Q: Please explain us the scenario, the challenge you faced in JohnDeere Toastmasters Club?A: The set of challenges which corporate clubs face are different from thosof community clubs. JDTCI Toastmasters chartered very well with healthymembership of 30 and we conducted sessions regularly for 4-5 months.After that attendance count suddenly started diminishing due to year endclosing and annual performance evaluation cycle work. Because of lowerattendance most of our meetings got cancelled and after couple of suchinstances members started feeling that club is not functioning and theystopped coming. At the same time, our club President got into higher

management role and because of loads of work he was unable to contributtime for Toastmasters activity. Due to all these reasons, club was instagnant stage and we could not complete even minimum renewal required

One another reason for the club to become defunct was related to money.Initially when we started, our management assured club members that themembership fees will be reimbursed after 6 months but due to someunavoidable process related glitches it took too long and finally it did nothappen at all.

Q: How did you plan & brought the club not only back in to actionbut also made it one of the thriving clubs in your Area?A: After seeing club in such situation, I had small talk with our presidentabout reviving the club. Seeing my energy and passion, he suggested me ttake lead to revive the club by giving some helpful directions. Having someteam leading experience in Employee engagement initiatives in mycompany, I stared gathering enthusiastic members and officers from ourclub. We formed a group of 4-5 people and started brainstorming on whatsteps need to be taken in order to rebuild the club. We decided to go stronon membership building and hence conducted meeting with our departmenheads and management team. We helped them understand benefits ofToastmasters to an individual & an organization. We requested them toidentify and send us the list of people from their departments, who wouldlike to improve their communication and leadership skills.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


9/19


10/19

Remembering Navneet Suneja

On 17th September shocking news of Navneet Sunejas sudden demise hit the

District 41, Toastmasters International. Immediate Past Division C Governor

Navneet Suneja passed away in a terrible road accident in USA. Fellow

Toastmasters closed to him shared their interaction with a dynamic leader, & an

avid Toastmaster.

He began his journey as Toastmasters in the year 2008. He served as the VPM for Toastmasters club of

Dwarka and later led this club as the Club President. His tenure as the Area Governor (2009-10) saw him

interact with numerous clubs and helped them achieve Select Distinguished/Presidents Distinguished club

status. He was the founding member of Toasmasters Club of West Delhi (TMWD) and North Sparks. In the

year 2011-12, Navneet also served on the Division A Council as Asst Division Governor, where he helped

with PR activities in the Gurgaon region. As Division C Governor (2012-13), Navneet led from the front and

he along with his team members, contributed 7 new clubs. Under his leadership, Division C also contribute

the greatest number of educational awards, to District 41.

After successfully leading Division C to new heights, Navneet had opted to take a year off from

Toastmasters and wanted to focus on his professional career. He had joined a new organization in August

2013 as an Operations Manager and was sent to US for a short term assignment. This is where he met wit

the fateful accident.

My association with Navneet dates back to 2009. This was my maiden year in Toastmasters fraternity and

Navneet was serving as an Area Governor, for one of areas in Gurgaon (Division I, District 82). We first meat an Area contest and Navneet was one of the few people I could instantly connect with. His simple, carin

nature made it so easy to interact with him. We worked together very closely in chartering new clubs and

holding numerous club/area contests. Before he left for USA, we had made plans to catch up once he was

back. Sadly, that will never happen. I will clearly miss his friendship and all the memories shared with him

will forever be cherished and remembered. Navneet touched many lives and was a great friend, to many

people he interacted with. He will always be remembered as a wonderful and caring human being. RIP

Navneet... you are missed every single day!!

Sumeet S. Miglani - District DCP Chair


11/19

I saw Navneet transform from a carefree, nonchalant person to a mature and charismatic leader. The

first thing I remember noticing about Navneet when I met him after he joined the Toastmasters Club of

Dwarka as a new member was his ponytail! In time, with his ponytail, he also shed his happy-go-lucky

attitude. The formation and mentoring of the Toastmasters Club of West Delhi was when Navneet cut

his teeth in leadership and his transformation began. By the time he took up the mantle of the Division

C Governor, Navneet had matured into a seasoned servant-leader who was looked up to as a role-

model. Navneet, you will be sorely missed.

Deepak Menon, TMI International Director, Region 13

'Saying grace before commencing a meal is a concept I am familiar with, but never have I seen it doneas gracefully and subtly as Navneet did at a meal we shared in Indore last year. All kinds of aromaticrotis had come to the table naans and kulchas stuffed with exotic fillings. After a long day of traveland training, I was exhausted and hungry and ready to dive into the food and call it a night. But Ipaused as I noticed Navneet shutting his eyes, folding his hands and quietly communicating with hisplate. My impatience vanished and I too looked at the offerings on the table and was filled with a rushof gratitude.So often we take our blessings for granted. The food that nourishes us, the jobs that sustain us, theexperiences that enrich us, the people who support us and love us We rush around obliviously, never

pausing to reflect on or savour or appreciate and celebrate the abundance that graces daily life. Thatimage of Navneet sitting across the table quietly saying grace has stayed with me and I invoke it toinstantly bring in a peaceful perspective.Some people inspire us with their words, some with their deeds. Navneet inspired me with his words,with his deeds and with his spiritual radiance. With his blend of dynamism, dedication and divinity. Withhis embodiment of grace.

Punita G. Singh, Past District Governor (2011-12), District 41

Navneet is still aliveI can feel him every day! Whether I am walking, eating, driving or sleeping,

flashes of my interactions with him still keep coming back. He was a person I could look upon for any

assistance and also be a punching bag. Even if I called him late in the night, he entertained my call and

remained a constant guide till his fateful trip to USA. When he used to call me sometimes late in the

night, I used to tell him jokingly, why are you troubling me so much? He used to laugh and dismiss it

and say, arey Dada, that is my job!!..... I wish now that he had troubled me even more.

Shouvik Datta, Area Governor- C1 (2012-13)


12/19

In July 2008, I took over as Division Governor and was invited to the installation ceremony of

Toastmasters Club of Dwarka. During the ceremony, I met the Executive Committee which had few

familiar faces but what struck me was this young member who took oath as the VPM of the club. He

was full of vitality and exuded confidence. Over the next few years, not only did he become a known

name across NCR clubs but a dear friend.

In the last one year, Navneet was instrumental in taking NCR to a different height; he provided selfless

service across various divisions and was always dependable. During his short span in Toastmasters, he

achieved what many cannot achieve in their entire lifetime. Before my travel to US, we met on 13thAugust; seldom did I know that it would be our last meeting.

Vinay Jain, Immediate Past District Governor, District 41

A few years ago I came across a guy in a ponytail held by a rubber band, wearing a shiny black

headband, struggling to speak, at Toastmasters Club meeting. From there to the post of Division C

Governor, Navneet Suneja had really grown and come a long way. A guy who constantly dreamed of

achieving more, Navneet did great job in motivating his team members to perform. His contribution to

the growth of clubs in our District will be talked for a very long time. He was taken too early, may his

soul RIP

Ritu Arora, LGET (2013-14), District 41

Navneet Suneja was a great friend, a great human being and a friendly soul. I had several opportunities

to work with him very closely particularly when he was a team member of Division A. He was so much

dedicated and committed to the Toastmasters cause, that whenever any task was assigned to him, it

was always considered done without any follow-up or reminders. His untimely departure from this

material world at the prime of his youth is still unbelievable. We are missing you Navneet.

We pray to GOD that his Nobel Soul rests in peace.

Naresh Kantoor, District Treasurer (2012-13), District 41


13/19

Many good people help others to expect some good returns, but there are few great people who help

others selflessly and silently, Navneet Suneja was one of them. He created so many opportunities for

me so that I can learn the new leadership roles, so that I get to know the format of the demo meeting,

so that I can get the TMI membership award and the list goes on and on I used to tell him Navneet

because of you, the world has become so much better place to live. I feel blessed to know, to work

and to be a friend of such a nice soul like Navneet..

Anju Agarwal, Area Governor C1 (2013-14)

I closely worked with Navneet in a Youth Leadership Program last year, and have ever since admired

him. He truly championed for a cause for bringing Toastmasters to the less privileged parts of our

society. Personally, I've always found him to be composed, sensible, and very helpful. His passion for

Toastmasters was contagious. I remember the last time I met him, right outside the airport, he handed

me the charter papers of a club and said, 'let's catch up for coffee when I come back.'

Though we may never catch up again, I'm fortunate enough to have known Navneet. He will always

have a special place in my memories.

Goodbye, Navneet.

Sunil Nair, Division-C Governor (2013-14)


14/19

Masti @ Toastmasters

Bored of the regular Toastmasters session with the routine Prepared Speech,

Table topics and evaluation sections? Want to add some spice to your

meetings? Want new ideas to rev up the fun factor in your meetings?

Jahnavi Chintakuntatalked to some of the club executive committeemembers across District 41 who organized refreshingly different Toastmasters

meetings. You will surely have a thing or two to try out something different in

your next meet.

300 Second Speech:

TCS Maitree Hyderabad Toastmasters Clubon its 300th meet hosted an intriguing theme of a 300

second speech i.e., speakers would have to etch a 10 slide presentation auto timed to 30 seconds each.

And what would the speakers talk about? Their passions!! Invite was sent across to all the clubs for

speaker and a thumping response leading to around 40 entries of which the best 8 were selected. Thespeeches made the audience witness the enthusiasm of a footballer, the inquisitiveness of a blogger, the

craziness of a maze artist, the magic of a movie sketch artist, the talent of a rock band vocal lead.

The uniqueness of the meeting was celebrated even better with members of the club getting customized

T-Shirts done for the occasion. Look at some of the feedbacks from members the meet was beyond

expectations, turned out to be truly inspirational and was worth every minute spent. Members of the

club would remember and cherish these memories forever. The subsequent meetings saw an even more

energized and enthusiastic crowd waiting to learn more and perform better.

Members of the club with customized T- Shirts celebrating 300 Second Speech


15/19

Power of Three:

Mumbai Toastmasters Clubcelebrated their 300th Meetingwith a theme Power of Three. They had 3

power-packed speeches by champions such as Avinash Agarwal (Motivational Speech),Vikram

Poddar (Humorous Speech) and Kunal Khanna (Speaking under fire). Also the meeting had a

talent show which witnessed 3 talents - a duet song performance, a dance performance and keyboard

performance. MTM also experienced a different and enjoyable Table Topics Session which had games onpublic speaking such as Just a Minute. In the end Hall Of Fame trophies were awarded by the club

President to 16 dedicated members who have contributed towards the success of club. Audience cheered

at various speeches, games and performances during the entire meet. Post this meet, the club is

witnessing higher energy levels and enthusiasm amongst members.

Mumbai Toastmasters Club celebrating 300th meeting

Accent Encounters:

Deloitte Delhi Toastmasters Club, for its 25th meeting, decided to try something different andorganized a meeting around the theme: Accent Encounters: The Good, The Bad and The DownrightFunny which focused around the various accents one encounters during their daily lives, their travels, oreven as part of calls with clients in various countries. The meeting was widely publicized by way of emailsand word of mouth for its whacky theme and the expected hilarity; this drove a higher participation fromboth members as well as guests to the meeting.

The TMoD introduced the theme of the meeting and narrated a few instances he had encountered wherepeople from differences parts of the world were conversing and hilarity ensued due to differences in theiraccents and speaking styles. Audience members were subsequently asked to narrate their own encounterswith accents, most of which drew smirks, chuckles and even roaring laughter.

The Table Topics Master had some challenging yet interesting table topics wherein speakers had to try andimitate accents from around the world or were put into hilarious situations arising out of how people fromdifferent parts of the world speak English.

The meeting ended on a very high note with most of the guests expressing their interest in becoming apart of the club, all of whom subsequently joined the club.

Fun and Frolic:

Mulund Toastmasters, Mumbaicelebrated couple of special toastmaster meets in their own style.


16/19

If one meet was hosted exclusively by the Women Toastmaster members in the club, the other meets hadextended Fun sessions after the Prepared Speech sections. For the Sesquicentennial meet (150th meet),there was a cake cutting ceremony followed by entertainment session filled with Duets, Solo numbers,Guitar strumming, Flute recital by the toastmasters. Yet another session organized on the eve of Diwaliwas an extended Toastmaster session which lasted for 3 hours. The venue was decorated to suit theoccasion and all members attended in Traditional Garb. The meeting had a regular prepared speechsection, followed by special educational session on evaluation and a fun session with games and a fashion

show. Also a surprise Toastmasters quiz was conducted where the members were racking their brains forthe right answer. Who says theres a reason to celebrate?! asks Mulund Toastmasters.

Dance to the Toastmaster Tunes:

Infosys Hyderabad Toastmasters Club hosted a scintillating meet with a unique Dance theme So You

Think You Know Dance. Toastmaster of the Day who also is a Salsa Trainer kick started the meet with an

amazing dance compilation video highlighting the essence of dance. The meeting was very interactive with

quiz on various dance forms and audience responded with great enthusiasm. Power packed prepared

speeches aka Choreographed Section, Table topics section where the speakers were asked to dance to the

tunes of the Table Topics Master soared up the energy of the meet.

Meeting ended on a high note with a Flash mob and the audience just said Yeh Dil Mangeee More...!

So, Dear Toastmasters, I hope you got enough inspiration to start off preparing for the next creative meet

in your club. We wish you success in organizing unique, fun filled meetings.

Did you miss the meeting? Then enjoy dance

performance in this unique meet on You Tube

by clicking here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hojSahKLNSk&featurehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hojSahKLNSk&feature


17/19

Learning to Lead

Everyone has a story to tell, & in Toastmasters we have stories from surviving

to thriving on the stage, & as a leader. In this new section we present you

stories of Toastmasters, their journey as a public speaker, their learnings

while serving as leaders in Toastmasters. In this issue we have a story of

Pooja Sapra, DTMwho is currently serving as Division GovernorDivision J. She earned coveted DTM award in July 2013. She shares her

journey as an Area Governor.

The year started with the District Officers Training Programme in July 2012 and I was all charged up and

excited to make my Area as Presidents Distinguished. While I was absorbing the role and responsibility of

an Area Governor, my mind started parallel processing of How to make my area as Presidents

Distinguished. That is the level of motivation/guidance provided in the Training programme in DOTP.

Next there was Officers Training Programme (OTP) for Executive Committee members at the club leveland Judges Training Programme (JTP) for all the toastmasters who aspire to be judges. It is important

that the contests are conducted properly and good judging is vital to this. And it is equally important for

the clubs to have their in-house judges for the club level contest. While I was doing a top-up OTP for Area

J3 in Jaipur, I also got a chance to conduct JTP for the first time.

(From L to R) Sangeeta S Bhal, Nagaraja Rao, Pooja Sapra

Along with all these activities there are Club visits to be done and reports to be filed on the TMI website.

Club visits are opportunities for the district, through the area governor, to support clubs and improve club

quality. During my Area visits I suggested that the clubs conduct the Moments of Truth Module. While I

was there to help them through the module, one of the club members was asked to present the module. It

helped the club member to achieve next Education Award.


18/19

After the regular meetings, I used to have short meetings with the Club EC to understand if they faced

any challenges while running the club or needed support of the district for anything. The Distinguished

Club Programme was always discussed and potential members highlighted for achieving would achieve

those goals for the Club. I also identified future leaders while doing Club Visits.

While the last set of trainings are going on, the contest season begins and the clubs start conducting

contests. That is why it is highly recommended to conduct the JTP before the contest season begins. 2 outof 4 clubs in my area had not conducted club contest before as these two clubs were relatively new, hence

I organized a workshop on How to conduct Quality Speech Contests in the month of August 2012.

Highlights of the Module

Types of Speech Contests and their Benefits What to do - Before, during and after the Contest? Responsibilities of the Contest Chair Reporting of the Contest Results to the Next Level Contest Checklist Contest Hosting Kit containing Certificates, Judges Guide and Ballots, Participant Eligibility Form,

Biographical Information form Contest Rule Book

After successful club contests, a Core Contest Committee was formed to organize the Area Level Contest.

This core committee was formed with one representative from each club. Each representative was

responsible to get one Judge and two role players from their own club. This ensured equal participation

from all clubs and fair show by judges. The whole set up also embarked the self-sufficiency within the area

to conduct a wonderful show.

Between the end of the contest season and beginning of the new term was a brief period with no official

activities to be conducted. So Area J2 planned to conduct a Joint Meeting in order to enhance bonding

amongst the toastmasters from all clubs within the Area. Theme of the meeting was "lets make new

friends.

However, during the planning and preparation phase we opened the meeting for all the clubs in NCR

region and the invite was shared across 4 Divisions. The meeting was attended by toastmasters from

more than 10 clubs spanning across 4 divisions.

With January, the second half term starts and we start with the trainings again leading to the Contests

and joint meetings in the Annual Conference in Hyderabad!

I have had a wonderful journey, faced many challenges, learnt some lessons and achieved a few

milestones. If somewhere along the way I have changed a toastmasters heart for the better, I am

grateful for it.


19/19

Contributors

Umesh Agashe, CC, ALB

Chief Editor, layout, design & [email protected]

Sita Ravinatula, DTM

Co Editor

[email protected]

Jahnavi Chintakunta, CL

Co [email protected]

This is a monthly e - Newsletter of District 41 - Toastmasters International. The sole purpose of this e - Newsletter is

to share success stories of fellow Toastmasters, activities at district level & spread the brand of Toastmasters. This e

Newsletter is a result of efforts by many contributors. If you would like to contribute in e - Newsletter or have an idea

for content or suggestions for improvement in e - Newsletter, please write to [email protected]
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Documents

District-41 E-Newsletter Nov 2013 Vol 5