Orator 3 final

ORATOR January - March 2015 1


3From the Editors Desk Campion in you TM Vinay Satheesh

5Message of the Division Governor TM V P Menon

6Message of the President Keep it on a high!!! TM Deepak Gulati

8Message of Vice President (Education) Essence of a word TM Abdul Khaliq

10Message of Vice President (Membership) Toastmasters, the turning point in my life TM Qaisar Amin

12Retirement quiz TM Aadil Kadri

17Taking your table topics to the next level TM Balan Vijaykumar

19Risks Vs Benefits of extreme sports TM Syed Yasir

21Meetings during January to March 2015

22Major events / Member achievements

23Toastmasters Album

CONTENTS

Copyright Notice: Toastmasters International, the Toastmasters International

logo, and all other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are

the sole property of Toastmasters International. Any logos, banners and

material used in preparation of this newsletter are provided at Toastmasters’

website for members’ use. Any extract used from Toastmasters manuals is

credited to Toastmasters with a reference to the original manual/guide.

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization

that aims to improve one’s communication, public speaking and

leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations.

Dr. Ralph Smedley (February 22, 1878 – September 11, 1965) was the

founder of Toastmasters International.

Toastmasters will help you to:

Speak and present compellingly

Think quickly and clearly

Become a strong leader

Listen effectively

You will learn these skills and more in a supportive, self-paced,

fun atmosphere.


Hello Readers, Welcome you all to the 3rd Volume of Orator. It’s the fighting season once again, club contests, area contests, division contests, district contests and the International contest.

There are championships in all fields of human activity. In this volume, I am writing about the fight which has a very positive end. It’s a fight

wherein the losers congratulate the winners and try for their better luck next time.

What happens when you are competing? You will put that extra energy, effort and undivided attention which will lead you to reach the attainment levels that you never experienced

before. It’s a learning which will be of real use to you in your personal and professional life since it

teaches you how to put that extra effort, how to handle the expectations of others, how to be

calm and perform to your best possible levels at the competition, how to handle success and failure and how to proceed further after the

event is over. Toastmasters is a simulator. It simulates real

life situations and makes us ready to take on the various challenges and competitions we face in our life with a smile on your face in a successful manner. I was not planning to compete in the club

contests since I was just back after my vacation and felt that I am a little out of touch and also

wished to avoid preparations since I was busy on certain commitments. In the toastmaster meeting before the club contest, Our Division Governor, Mr. V P Menon asked me whether I am participating in the club contests. I replied him that I haven’t decided yet and not prepared for it. He told me that if you miss this event then you will have to wait one

full year and insisted me to just participate by doing some quick preparations. I gave my name for Table topics, Evaluation and International Speech. I participated in the contest and I really enjoyed it. It gave me a different experience and also it was practice to me in the field of public speaking. The more times we step on to the stage, the more

times we face the audience, the more we practice on different stages and with different people, the more experienced we become.

To me it was a real experience for learning through practice and also a real experience of

learning from others. I was able to witness some excellent performances which will persuade me to perform better in future. I really enjoyed the championship on and off the stage, even though I am now completely off the

Champion in you

Vinay Satheesh (Member of TMI since June 2013, a real estate professional, also interested in movies, motivational books, exercise, chatting with friends/relatives, entrepreneurship and networking with good people)

FROM THE EDITORS DESK


stage to witness those champions who are still on the stage and moving to the next level. My accolades to all those who won in the area level contest and my wishes for their best performance in the division, district and international levels. There is a champion in all those persons who are members of toastmasters. I remember about a movie dialogue and I am sharing it with you by making slight modifications to it: It’s about how hard we hit and also about how hard we get hit and still keep moving. Champions always hit, they also get hit and they

keep moving forward. There is a champion in each one of us and it’s for us to discover it, nurture it and maintain it. Now back to business! This Orator carries as its theme the speech contests of Toastmasters

International. Therefore, relevant speech contest rules are extensively covered. My humble regards to all the members who

contributed articles to this volume of Orator. Enjoy reading this volume and I look forward to

your valuable suggestions. All the very best!

Official speech contests Toastmasters lnternational recognizes and

supports the following official speech

contests:

1. lnternational

2. Evaluation

3. Humorous

4. Table Topics

5. Tall Tales

6. Taped-for members of:

a. Undistricted clubs

b. Clubs in provisional districts

[Source: speech contest rule book of TMI]

For Late Comers

If a contestant is absent from the

briefing, the alternate speaker, if

present, is permitted to attend the

briefing in place of the primary

contestant.

If the primary contestant is not

present when the person conducting

the contest is introduced, the primary

contestant is disqualified and the

alternate officially becomes the

contestant.

Should the primary contestant arrive

after the briefing but before the

person conducting the contest is

introduced, the primary contestant is

permitted to compete, provided the

primary contestant:

1. Reports to the contest chair

upon his/her arrival.

2. Has all required paperwork in good

order before the person

conducting the contest is

introduced to begin the contest.

3. Waives the opportunity of a

briefing.

[source: speech contest rule book of TMI]


Dear Toastmasters, As they say “well prepared is half done”. As we approach the last quarter of this Toastmasters year, let us not only focus on the unfinished tasks for this year but also on what our plans are for the next Toastmasters year starting 1st July

2015. The club elections are going to happen and there is opportunities for you to take on leadership roles within the club. There are also leadership roles to be grabbed outside the club in the Area, Division & District and beyond.

These roles not only help you to serve the Club, Area, Division, District & beyond but also help you to touch the lives of so many Toastmaster members in various ways and make a small difference in their life. And at the end of the day, all this giving from your side helps you to get much more back in return. So start thinking, start planning and start preparing. I take this opportunity to thank you for all the support given to Division B this year and looking forward to the same as we approach the new Toastmasters year. I also hope and pray that you achieve all that you set to achieve. Wishing you all the best.

MESSAGE OF THE DIVISION GOVERNOR

Message of the Division Governor [Division B, District 20] V P Menon (A member of TMI since 2002, a trainer by profession, also interested in toastmasters,

photography, travelling, reading, music, movies etc.)

PROMISE OF EVERY TOASTMASTER CLUB MEMBER

As a member of Toastmasters International and my

club, I promise:

To attend club meetings regularly

To prepare all of my speech and leadership

projects to the best of my ability, basing them

on projects in the Competent Communication,

Advanced Communication or Competent

Leadership manuals

To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments

To provide fellow members with helpful,

constructive evaluations

To help the club maintain the positive, friendly

environment necessary for all members to learn

and grow

To serve my club as an officer when called

upon to do so

To treat my fellow club members and our

guests with respect and courtesy

To bring guests to club meetings so they can

see the benefits Toastmasters membership

offers

To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all

Toastmasters educational and recognition

programs

To maintain honest and highly ethical standards

during the conduct of all Toastmasters activities


The first time I read those words, I was left

intrigued. I was also forced to think that what

we want, what we wish to do, or in perfect

words, what we long to do, is a mishmash of

thoughts leading to a strange war between head

and heart. It is difficult to say who will win.

The words were PASSION QUOTIENT (PQ).

Yes, Passion Quotient. How do you measure your

passion? Rather, do you know that you can

measure your passion or in right words, your

Passion Quotient.

Bizarre right?

Well it is not really an oblivious thought for the

world. The pace that we are evolving at; we are

bound to live in a pragmatic and chaotic “so to

speak” hardheaded world, where it leaves us

with no or less time to think about one’s own

self.

Well you don’t agree?

Ask yourself when was the last time you

remember doing (or rather enjoying) something

that you like to do, adored it to the core and then

pursued it further to a level that is capable of

keeping you on a high. In short, you found your

passion and stayed in touch with it.

Difficult to imagine?

That’s where PQ comes into the picture. Well I

might not be concluding this article by giving

you a formula to calculate your own PQ, but am

sure that by then you would know what exactly

I am talking about.

At the risk of oversimplifying, let me tell you

that it is awfully important to find your own

passion, believe it in that IT CAN and IT WILL

work for you, closing your fist and making that

extra effort to get up every time you fall and just

follow it or even stalk it, if you have to.

Sounds like a cliché? I know, I know, so let me

make an attempt to make this cliché work for

you.

“A cliché is a cliché because it WORKS” ― Feige

Gornish

Keep it on a high!!! Deepak Gulati (A member of TMI since 1st July 2010, a Quality Assurance Officer in Finance Dept. with Emirates Airlines, also interested in photography, playing music & creative writing. He says that Toastmasters is no longer an interest …… it’s in his system now.)

MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT


Coming back to passion, or rather finding it, we

got to be a bit sensitive towards ourselves and

get connected within. Chatting with our own

inner self is a must, no gadget, no wifi, no

WhatsApp required, your wife or husband will

not nag about this chatting, unless you are loud

enough…shhhhh.

All you need is a 4 bar connection with your head

and gut at the same time, or let’s say more of gut

would rather do the justice.

Why gut? Because if you are one of those who is

a leftie or technically a “southpaw” up ahead in

your brain, you are going to be logical and

reasonable at most of the times. Well if you don’t

know, our brains are divided into two

hemispheres, right and left. Right side is

passionate, creative and emotionally expressive

and on the other hand, the left side is analytic,

logical and systematic. So you have a question

now, which side is more prominent for you. Well

if you use right hand for most of the activities,

you use left side of the brain and vice versa. It

could be difficult for you if you are

ambidextrous. Someone who can write with both

hands.

Personally, I don’t really believe in this theory

for hostile contradictions but let’s say I am not

writing to defy any well accepted theories of the

past.

So in a nutshell, for the sake of your passion,

make sure your gut is stronger than your head.

Another thing that you need to realize is that you

can discover it at any age and stage of life. Jan

Koum founded WhatsApp when he was 35. Ray

Kroc started McDonalds when he was 52, before

that he sold paper cups and milkshake mixers.

Chicken soup for the soul series of books, which

sold more than 80 million copies, were rejected

by 140 publishers.

Well am not trying to connect chasing your

dreams with pursuing your passion, but I guess

chasing passion can fulfill dreams and somehow

they are allied. I have a very strong opinion

about that.

Passion has kept Einstein, Kipling and Disney

going, as they wished to.

It can be me too. It can be you as well. Keep your

passion alive and if you manage that, keep it on

a high.

All equipment shall be available for

contestants to practice with prior to

the contest. Contestants are

responsible for arranging their

preferred setup of the lectern/podium

microphone and other equipment in a

quiet manner before being introduced.


More than a decade ago I watched Leonardo

DiCaprio’s movie “Man in the Iron Mask”. In the

movie Leonardo becomes a king at a very young

age. After all these years I still remember one of

his dialogues from the movie when he says “I am

a young king………………..but I am a king”. This

dialogue is still stuck in my head since then.

How you all doing? I hope Fabulous, Fantastic

and Rocking.

Most of us are not native English speakers. We

have overcome this barrier during our school

years and even as adults in our professional

lives. Sometimes some words lose their

meanings in translation, though. I must say it

happens to me quite often that I use a word and

I know its meaning but struggle to understand

the essence of that word.

When that happens to me I go online and try

searching for the essence of that word. If I am

lucky I get to understand the real meaning and

at times I don’t. Recently, I have been using this

word “commitment” rather frequently. It comes

in my tagline twice. I said to myself “isn’t it only

fair that I understand the essence of the word

that I use so frequently?” I went online and

searched the word “commitment” and this is

what I found:

According to Merriam Webster Dictionary a

word “Commitment” means:

: A promise to do or give something

: A promise to be loyal to someone or something

: An agreement or pledge to do something in the

future

: The attitude of someone who works very hard

to do or support something

Well………..no, I am not a word master and I am

not requesting a round robin session. However,

I do request you to read the meanings again.

It’s a beautiful word with such a deep meaning,

isn’t it? Doesn’t it sum up the entire life of a

man? As a child we have commitment towards

parents, school and teachers. As a grownup we

have commitment towards family, friends,

work, society and so on. Some of these

commitments are bestowed on us by nature, like

family. Some of the commitments we chose to

accept by choice. I call them voluntary

commitments. No matter what kind of a

commitment, bestowed or by choice, it ties up

people in a loop.

For instance if you tell your wife you will be

home by dinner time, that’s a commitment. And

Essence of a word Abdul Khaliq (A member of TMI since April 2012, Finance Manager [Development & Assets] at Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Certified sustainability practitioner with a certification in GRI financial reporting, loves nature and has a passion towards sustainability and adventure)

MESSAGE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT (EDUCATION)


if you don’t, that can have some serious

consequences as she might have cooked

something special for you. Or if you tell your

boss that he will get a report in couple of hours

and in turn he commits to his boss. And if you

don’t, it can create an embarrassing situation for

your boss and he might never forget that.

If we sit to think, lot of things revolve around a

commitment of a person. Similarly commitments

in Toastmasters are not any different.

Sometimes the entire club is dependent on a

commitment of one member. If a member is

unable to fulfill that commitment [for any

reason] the entire club feels the impact. Because

there are number of arrangements that take

place behind the scene and everything is tied up

in a loop. When one link goes missing the entire

loop loses connection. Yes! I agree! Toastmasters

is a voluntary commitment without any

emotional or financial impact.

Let me go back to what Leonardo DiCaprio says

“I am a young king………………..but I am a king”.

You must be wondering what similarity this

dialogue has with Toastmasters. Well, when he

said that, he meant, “no matter if people think I

am a young king but that doesn’t undermine the

fact that I am still a king”. Similarly no matter if

you think Toastmasters is a voluntary

commitment but that doesn’t undermine the fact

that it is a commitment.

That’s why always remember “Toastmasters is a

voluntary commitment…………………………but it

is a commitment”.

FACTS ABOUT

TOASTMASTERS

Founded

October 22, 1924

Updated Brand

August 17, 2011

Benefits

• Clearer communication

• Improved leadership skills

• Enhanced teamwork

• Effective meetings

• Increased productivity

• Positive mentoring

• Complements existing training programs

• Cost effective

Dubai Toastmasters club is the mother Toastmasters club of

Dubai and northern Emirates. A club that has gathered wealth

of experience since its inception in 1996. Our Club stands

proud as members try their best to practice what Toastmasters

has to offer. Our club is representative of something more than

a typical Toastmasters club where members gather together to

create an exceptional experience for days to remember and

allow one to utilize his/her potential in a supportive

environment. We are nothing but a family of people with a

shared drive for self-improvement and to help others. Each

meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice conducting

meetings, giving impromptu speeches, presenting prepared

speeches, and offering constructive evaluation or in a nutshell,

an opportunity to improve, to lead, to learn and to set

examples. We are Dubai Toastmasters Club.


On 18th April 2004 my colleague took me to a

meeting in Qatar. It was my first experience to

attend a Toastmasters meeting. I was thinking

that it’s going to be a boring meeting, since my

colleague was much older than me so I assumed

that bunch of old timers are going to sit around

the table and talk about something. “I WAS

TOTALLY WRONG” The room was arranged in a

U shaped set up and there were people from

different nationalities as well as all ages and of

course some attractive ladies too. I was

surprised that everyone welcomed me and

treated me in a way that they knew me from a

very longtime, as for them it was enough that I

am a friend of one of the Toastmasters.

Meeting started on the mentioned time in

agenda, the Sergeant at Arms gave a wonderful

opening by advising us to switch off the phone

or put them on silent mode, and then he further

guided us about the emergency exits and

washrooms. Most importantly he explained that

in toastmasters we do not talk about three taboo

topics that is sex, politics and religion. Then

president gave his opening address, a brief

history of the Toastmasters International. Then

he introduced TMOD Toastmaster of the day who

later on took control of the meeting and

entertained us in best possible way anyone could

expect. The meeting went on with word of the

day, prepared speeches session and then Break.

All this time I was really observing that how

everyone is committed to their assigned roles,

the timer, the Ah Counter, the Grammarian and

the Evaluators. They were all taking notes and

observing everything.

After the project speeches session we had a

break with delicious snacks. The meeting

resumed and TMOD introduced another role

player “Table Topics Master”. I had absolutely

no clue about what he is going to do. I only

understood it when I was called to talk on a topic

“Are you Pessimist or Optimist”. I did my best

and shared a story that I had read in my college

times. I was declared as the best table topic

speaker of the day. Once we were done with the

Table Topics, Evaluation session started and

they say that evaluation session is like the

backbone of toastmasters meeting because it not

only helps fellow toastmasters to improve their

public speaking skills, it also helps others to

understand the importance of knowing their

strengths that can be further developed.

To my surprise there was some one really special

assigned to monitor all the role players in the

meeting, The General Evaluator.

Toastmasters the turning point in my life Qaisar Amin (A member of TMI since April 2004, an investment banker by profession, also interested in toastmasters, movies, music, dancing and a lot more.)

MESSAGE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT (MEMBERSHIP)


Wow! What an experience it was to listen to

someone who was there to monitor everyone and

everything. He carefully scrutinized the whole

meeting and gave invaluable suggestions to all

the members.

Then and there I decided that this is the place for

me not only to develop my public speaking skills

but my personal grooming as well.

My dear fellow toastmasters, the moment I

joined Toastmasters, I consider it as a turning

point, because it has changed my perception

about life. There were many situations that I

have come across before toastmasters and I had

no clue how to face it then. But after spending

time with senior toastmasters I have learned

how to face the different challenges in life.

I came to Dubai back in 2012 and immediately I

started looking for a Toastmasters club that I can

join. When I used Google to help me out, I found

many clubs to choose from. So I gave it a thought

and selected the one that was established in

1996 and to my surprise it was the first club in

Dubai, the “Mother Club” of all the clubs in

Dubai. They used to call it “Dubai Chapter” and

the members call themselves as “D Chaps”. The

name was changed to “Dubai Toastmasters Club”

later on.

Each and every member is special in this club

because they treated me as a family member and

I was not new to Dubai anymore, because I had

family of my own to support me, guide me in

every step.

After being part of this fabulous and fantastic

club, I was given an opportunity to be a part of

the Executive committee of the club as Vice

President Membership. I must say that I did not

perform as I was expected but all the other

members are helping me and they brought so

many guests who eventually became our

members.

I try not to miss-out any meeting because in

every meeting I get to learn something new from

the life experiences of the other members and

most importantly a new word.

I as a VP Membership would like to request all

the members to at least bring one guest along

with them, and share their experience of

Toastmasters, helping them also to improve

their public speaking and communications skills.

If we can make a single person learn something

new, it will make a great difference and this

should go on.

For the International, Humorous, and

Tall Tales contests, introduce each

contestant by announcing the

contestant's name, speech title,

speech title, and contestant's name.

For Table Topics contests, introduce

each contestant by announcing the

contestant's name, topic, topic, and

contestant's name.

For Evaluation contests, introduce

each contestant by announcing the

contestant's name twice.


Not sure you're ready for Retirement?

Thinking about Retirement?

Is Semi-Retirement right for you?

Are you ready?

TAKE THE RETIREMENT QUIZ: (Please do not see the scores below. There is no right or wrong

answer. Tick the answers to the best of your first instinct)

1. Choose the statement that best describes your feelings about your full-time career work.

A - I love my work and would consider taking a pay cut if necessary.

B - Although I enjoy my job, I'm really motivated by the money.

C - I'm satisfied with my work, though problems and stress are a regular part of my job.

D - Most days I would rather be somewhere other than work.

E - I'd be happy to retire tomorrow

F - I don't work full-time.

2. My sense of self-worth is tied to my career success.

Usually Sometimes Never

3. My age is (check one):

- Under 30

- 31 to 40

- 41 to 50

- Over 51

Retirement Quiz Aadil Kadri (A member of TMI since April 2010, a Certified Financial Planner by profession, also interested in calligraphy & graphology)

Retirement Quiz


4. If I had a whole month free, I would (check all that apply):

A - Go stir crazy.

B - Take a vacation.

C - Take care of lots of chores around the house.

D - Try something new I've always wanted to do.

5. Check the statement that best describes your experience of work-related stress:

A - I am under constant grinding pressure at work.

B - Sure there's stress, but that's because my work is challenging and creative.

C - My work isn't too stressful.

D - I could deal with more stress—my job is dull and I am seeking more challenge.

6. I have a clear idea of things I would like to do in semi-retirement.

Yes Somewhat Never

7. I want to spend much more time with my partner and family or friends.

Yes Somewhat Never

8. My spouse or partner and I have a shared goal and vision about shifting to semi-retirement.

Yes Somewhat No I'm single

9. I am very interested in socializing with my work colleagues.

Yes No

10. I feel there is much more I need to do with my life, but can never find the time.

Usually Sometimes Never

Do you have the means to semi-retire?

11. I have saved money most years.


Yes No

12. My financial assets (including home equity I could access if I moved to a smaller home) are equal to:

A - 0 to 5 times my annual spending (the amount I spend each year for all my living expenses—excluding my pension)

B - 6 to 10 times my annual spending

C - 11 to 20 times my annual spending,

D - more than 20 times my annual spending.

13. I generally replace a car after owning it:

A - 1 to 3 years

B - 3 to 5 years

C - 5 to 10 years

D - 10 or more years

E - I don't have a car.

14. The total amount of my unpaid credit card or consumer debt (aside from debt I pay in full each month on a mortgage or car payment) equals more than one month of my living expenses.

Yes No

15. I have a budget that I follow every month.

Yes No

16. My mortgage will be paid off:

A - it's already paid off

B - in less than 5 years

C - in 5 to 15 years

D - in 15 or more years


E - I don't own a house, or

F - I could pay it off tomorrow but choose to invest the proceeds instead.

Scoring

Give yourself the points indicated below for each question, and then add up your total.

1.

a: 5, b: 0, c: 1, d: 3, e: 4, f: 5

score: ______

2.

Usually: 0, Sometimes: 2, Never: 4

score: ______

3.

under 30: 4, 31-40: 2, 41-50: 0, over 51: 2

score: ______

4.

a: 5, b: 2, c: 1, d: 2

score: ______

5.

a: 4, b: 0, c: 1, d: 3

score: ______

6.

Yes: 3, Somewhat: 1, No: 0

score: ______

7.

Yes: 3, Somewhat: 0, No: 2

score: ______

8.

Yes: 5, Somewhat: 2, No: 2, Single: 2

score: ______

9.

Yes: 1, No: 3

score: ______

10.

Usually: 3, Sometimes: 0, Never: 2

score: ______

11.

Yes: 3, No: 3

score: ______

12.

a: 0, b: 4, c: 7, d: 10

score: ______

13.

a: 10, b: 2, c: 1, d: 3,

e: 0

score: ______

14.

Yes: 3, No: 4

score: ______

15.

Yes: 3, No: 3

score: ______

16.

a: 2, b: 0, c: 3, d: 5, e:

0, f: 2

score: ______

TOTAL

SCORE:_______


What your score means:

15 points or less: You have some way to go. You are probably in the early stages of your planning for semi-retirement. You may simply need to continue building your savings. Begin thinking about

what you'd do if you weren't required to work full-time. If you need help brainstorming, you may want to take advantage of our 20 minute complimentary consultation.

15 to 29 points: You're getting close. You are well on your way to being ready to semi-retire, but there is still more to do. We'd be more than happy to look at next steps with you. Contact us today -

there's no obligation

30 points and above: You are ready. Life has brought you a long way and if you aren't already semi-retired, you are certainly thinking like someone who is. Your transition into semi-retirement should be relatively comfortable when you choose to take that step.

Disclaimer: The above quiz is just an idea to Retirement readiness. Kindly contact Qualified Financial

Adviser for reaching your goal of Retirement.

Upon being introduced, the contestant shall proceed immediately to the speaking

position.

Timing will begin with the contestant's first definite verbal or nonverbal

communication with the audience. This usually will be the first word uttered by

the contestant, but would include any other communication such as sound effects,

a staged act by another person, etc.

The speaker should begin speaking within a short time after arriving at the

speaking area, and is not permitted to delay the contest unnecessarily.

Twenty-five percent or less of the speech may be devoted to quoting,

paraphrasing, or referencing another person's content. Any quoted, paraphrased,

or referenced content must be so identified during the speech presentation.


Are you confident with your

Table Topics? Do you want to

take it to the next level? Here

are some suggestions.

Remember there are only 2

minutes… so you have to

create an illusion of perfection

in those 2 minutes.

Walk in as if you own the

stage, own the planet. Smile

and look at the audience and

then the table topic master.

Exude energy and enthusiasm.

And see to it that this energy

overflow exists through the

entire time you are on stage.

Next, focus intently on

listening to the topic.

If you strike ideas worth a

mine of diamonds as soon as

you hear the topic spoken out,

the task of creating the

illusion of perfection is easier.

If not, the challenge mounts.

Begin powerfully and

creatively. If you have

memorized a few quotes for

the occasion and one of them

fit in, well and good.

Otherwise, invent something

novel on how to begin your

speech. And do it fast!

Then, in 2 minutes, display as

many speaking skills as you

can.

Attack the topic from an angle

that nobody is likely to try.

Add conversation, this helps

you display your vocal variety,

gestures and body language.

Use words that will create

imagery.

Don’t tell one story for the

entire 2 minutes unless it is a

great story that drives home

the point.

Do something unexpected that

will drive home your point.

Make them laugh if you can.

Use Rhetorical Devices. They

make you look like a better

speaker than you are.

It is critically important to

drive in some structure into

your speech. Otherwise it

gives a feeling to the listener

that you are beating around

the bush.

If you get a rush of ideas,

immediately choose the best

ones…. Don’t waste time with

lesser ones.

End powerfully. It is vital that

you start the closing as you

see the Yellow light. By then

you have had some time to

think and talk on the topic and

should be having some ideas

on how to close with power.

Whenever you do table topics,

capture it on video. As you are

under pressure, most of your

limitations as a speaker show

up when you are doing Table

Topics. Videography helps you

identify these.

Taking Your Table Topics to the Next Level Dr. Balan Vijaykumar (A member of TMI since 2006, a Psychiatrist by profession and interested in reading)

Taking Your Table Topics to the Next Level


If you are preparing for the

contest, remember to go

through the judging sheet in

detail and make sure that you

do something to help the judge

give you a score on each of the

criteria!

Don’t walk away from the

stage as if you are defeated.

Walk away with confidence

and poise.

DUBAI TOASTMASTERS CLUB

No.7492

AREA 7, DIV B, DISTRICT 20

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PRESIDENT

Deepak Gulati

055 668 1921

[email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT-EDUCATION

Abdul Khaliq

050 450 0 802

[email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT-MEMBERSHIP

Qaisar Amin

056 916 1874

[email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT-PUBLIC

RELATIONS

Vinay Satheesh

055 107 6736

[email protected]

SECRETARY

Deepa Khemani

050 293 1625

[email protected]

TREASURER

Anindya Kar

050 657 1218

[email protected]

SERGEANT AT ARMS

Jose William

050 832 2964

[email protected]

Visit our website:

www.dubaitoastmasters.com

At each level of a

Toastmasters speech

contest, a specified

number of voting judges

and officials are

required. At club

contests, a contest

chair, chief judge, at

least five voting judges,

a tiebreaking judge,

three counters, and two

timers are appointed,

unless impractical.

The Speech Contest

Rulebook is the protocol

and applies to all official

Toastmasters speech

contests.

The lnternational Speech

Contest must be

conducted in English only.

The lnternational Speech

Contest begins at the

club level, and proceeds

through the area, division

(if applicable), district,

semifinal, and

lnternational levels.

Semifinals are to be held

at the lnternational

Convention, and will

include all district winners

randomly assigned to nine

separate contests.

All contestants' briefings

for the semifinal speech

contests will be

conducted simultaneously

by World Headquarters

staff.

All judges' briefings for

the semifinal speech

contests will also be

conducted simultaneously

by World Headquarters

staff.

mailto:[email protected]





http://www.dubaitoastmasters.com/


Despite several well-

publicized accidents, like the

25 year old Caleb Moore who

died while attempting a back

flip on his snowmobile during

the Winter X Games in 2013,

the popularity of extreme

sports has soared in recent

years and this become a

multibillion dollar global

industry.

Indeed, people die when risks,

mistakes or accidents are not

effectively managed.

According to data collected by

the National Electronic Injury

Surveillance System, more

than four million injuries

attributed to extreme sports

occurred from 2000 through

2011.

Mount Everest is the classic

example: from the first

attempt up until the end of

2011, there have been 219

deaths, which is 1 for every 25

that actually reach the

summit. In Skydiving, 526

people died from 2004 to

2012. In bungee jumping, 806

deaths are recorded from 1989

to 2008. There are on average

150 deaths per year in scuba

diving.

Overall, the sport associated

with the greatest number of

head and neck incidents was:

1. Skateboarding is on the

top, which produced more

than 129,000 such injuries.

2. Snowboarding, was linked

to more than 97,000 head

or neck injuries.

3. Skiing ranked third on the

head or neck injury list

with more than 83,000

cases reported, followed by

4. Motocross (off-

road motorcycle racing )

with in excess of 78,000

injuries.

5. “Base jumping”, in which

sky-divers jump from fixed

objects rather than planes;

there were 9 deaths and 82

non-fatal accidents.

Regardless of high risk

involved, there are numerous

benefits of extreme sports

that attract people, especially

the young generation towards

it.

The greatest advantage is the Adrenaline Rush

An “adrenaline rush” occurs when the adrenal gland is

stimulated through an activity that causes stress on the body, and certainly extreme sports

fall into the category of causing stress. According to the University of Maryland Endocrinology Health Guide, the stimulation of the adrenal gland releases a number of

hormones, including epinephrine, or adrenaline. This increases the heart rate and the force of heart contractions that facilitates

more blood flow to the muscles and brain, causes relaxation of smooth muscles, and helps with the conversion of glycogen to glucose in the liver. When a person encounters a potentially

dangerous situation, the

hypothalamus in the brain signals the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and other hormones directly into the bloodstream. The body's

systems react to these hormones within seconds, giving the person a nearly instant physical boost.

Risks Vs Benefits of Extreme Sports Syed Yasir (A member of TMI since March 2014, an engineer by profession, also interested in off-roading, camping & swimming)

Risks Vs Benefits of Extreme Sports

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Research--Statistics/NEISS-Injury-Data/

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Research--Statistics/NEISS-Injury-Data/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-roading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-roading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_racing

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17495709

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17495709


Strength and speed both increase, while the body's ability to feel pain decreases. This hormonal surge is often referred to as an "adrenaline rush."

Justin Anderson, PhD, a sports consultant for the Center for Sports Psychology in Denton, Texas describe this as “All your senses are in an acute level of awareness, and it’s that fight or flight response.

They can either do it and live or they die. That is what they are playing in to, and that is a very primitive thing that is going

on.”

Next amazing benefit is

Fitness Extreme sports also provide

an intense workout. For example:

Skateboarding for an hour can burn up to 500 calories while

also improving your balance, flexibility, endurance and

muscle strength.

Surfing can burn between 200 and 250 calories per hour. Your arms and legs will get a

great workout as you paddle out to catch those swells, and your core muscles are hit every time you do the "pop up" to stand up on your board.

Wakeboarding (or water skiing) burn between 400 and 500 calories per hour.

Cliff Diving can burn 600 to 900 calories per hour of

climbing, so imagine how fit you'll be after scaling that cliff for your fourth or fifth jump for the day!

Scuba Diving and snorkeling burns between 300 to 400 calories per hour.

Whitewater rafting burn 400 to 500 calories per hour, and

the upper body and core are

going to get an amazing workout as you push yourself through to the other side of the rapids.

Push the Limits and Self Confidence

So why is it that their last

accomplishment is never good enough? Why do extreme athletes always need to push it to the next level, closer to the

edge? Jenn Berman, PhD, a sports psychologist describes this as "The mentality is that

people who are drawn to extreme sports are risk takers. Each time they have a success they want to push themselves farther. Any great athlete tends to do that, but this is especially true in extreme sports. Once they accomplish something, they will start to

lose the rush, so they have to push themselves harder and set the bar higher.”

Of course, there is danger in extreme sports, but that can be minimized by thorough knowledge, experience and practice. Living life on the

edge teaches you that you are stronger than you think and that builds courage and self

confidence.

Every participant in

the World

Championship of Public

Speaking must present

an entirely new and

different speech than

given in any

lnternational Speech

Contest since January

1 of that same year.

Up to and including the

semifinal speech

contest, lnternational

contestants are

permitted to use the

same speech, but are

not required to do so.


Meetings during January to March 2015

The subject for the Humorous speech shall be selected by the contestant. The speaker shall

avoid potentially objectionable language, anecdotes, and material.

The speech must be thematic in nature (opening, body, and close), not a monologue (series

of one-liners).

In Table Topics speech, the topic shall be of reasonable length, shall not require a detailed

knowledge, and shall lead to an opinion or conclusion.

Contestants will receive no advance knowledge of the topic until the moment they are

introduced by the contest chair.


DTM Ramesh Anantharaman was appointed as the DTAC 2015 chair.

TM Raham Sitara attained the Competent Leader (CL) award.

Annual Club Contest on 23rd January 2015 : Annual club contest at Business Village on 23rd

January 2015 was an unforgettable event. The winners at the contest were:

International speech Humorous speech Evaluation speech Table topics speech

Winner TM Seetha Sagaran

1st Runner up

TM Anindya Kar 2nd Runner up

TM Sandeep Adnani

Winner TM Abdel Rahman

1st Runner up

TM Sandeep Adnani 2nd Runner up

TM Sithara

Winner TM Sandeep Adnani

1st Runner up

TM Abdel Rahman 2nd Runner up

TM Seetha Sagaran

Winner TM Vinay Satheesh

1st Runner up

TM Sandeep Adnani 2nd Runner up

TM Deepa Khemani

Meeting 503: TM Yasir Syed became the TMOD for the first time and he did it in style.

Meeting no. 506: A new beginning for Dubai Toastmasters Club since the venue had been changed

to Business Village. The meeting was further glorified by the educational session by Mr. R.

Shanker. Mr. R. Shanker spoke on application of the patterns of NLP to public speaking. The new

toastmasters TM Rajkamal and TM Sibasish were the TMODs and they did a fantastic job.

Area 7 contest on 6th March 2015: The winners of our club contest participated in the area level

contest. Our toastmasters won in three events. TM Abdel Rahman was the winner in humorous

speech contest. TM Sandeep Adnani was the winner in Evaluation contest. TM Seetha Sagaran was

the 1st runner up in International Speech Contest.

Major events / Member Achievements

Contestant’s Checklist [During the Contest]

1. In the one minute of silence before your introduction, set up any and all props and visual

aids. You may enlist someone to help you with this, but it is not the responsibility of the

contest chair or any other contest official to do so.

2. After your introduction, proceed immediately to the speaking area and begin your speech.

3. Check the timing signals regularly during your speech. If you see a red signal, wrap it up,

even if you're not finished with your speech yet.

4. Immediately following your speech, remove any props or visual aids from the speaking area.

You may enlist someone to help you with this, but it is not the responsibility of the

contest chair or any other contest official to do so.


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