d41 newsletter january edition

I Amhet One

I AmA LEADER

IN THIS ISSUE - JAN 2015, Vol 7

Editors Note Pg2District Governors Message Pg3Lighting the Fire of Enthusiasm Pg4-7Namaste India - Pg8-14 What it takes to Win! Pg15-18Mentors Pool Pg19-20C-r-a-c-k Initiative Pg 21-22

ThankYou Toastmasters Pg23-32A Morning with the Leaders Pg33-34Plagiarism - A way of life Pg35-37Meeting at Cambridge Pg38-40I Am pg41-42Talk up Toastmasters Pg43Editorial Team Pg44

Editor’s Note

It is difficult and almost impossible to define oneself in a single word. We behave differently in different situations. It is however our predominant passion and desire which defines us.Our association with Toastmasters International, attending meetings, preparing for roles and speeches and the camaraderie built with the members certainly culminates our potential and dreams. It defines who we are and what we are capable of.

I lie I trailI blame when I fail I dance in the rainI cry silently when I am in painI am selfish and heedlessI am kind and seamlessI dream in the dayI fight for my wayI want to flyUntil I reach the skyI am a learnerI am a fighter I am cynicalI am whimsical I am an achieverI am a believer...........................

Apart from the innate traits we were born with, what have we become in the journey traversed so far? What we have achieved? And most importantly what are we focusing on achieving? Ask yourself that.

With these thoughts, we have framed up the January edition of Toastmasters District 41 Newsletter. In this edition we have covered a host of articles from members across the district penning about what their association with TI has made them, we have an special contribution from our 2 dearest International Directors on TI Board, special initiatives like the mentors Pool, Crack Initiative and a roar of the ThankYou Toastmasters grand Success.

Please feel free to mail me your feedback or recommendations at [email protected]. You are also invited to share your articles /photographs or snippets for the upcoming editions.

Keep contributing, Keep learning and Happy Reading!

Namrata SrivastavaD41 Newsletter EditorToastmasters International

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“I am strong because I know my

weaknesses

I am beautiful because I am aware of my flaws

I am fearless because I learnt to recognize , illusion from real.

I am wise because I learn from my mistakes

I am a lover because I have felt hate and......

I can laugh because I have known sadness-Anonymous-

Jan 2015 Issue Vol 7

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Where Leaders are Made

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3Jan 2015 Issue Vol 7

ovember 21st, 2014, Crowne Plaza, New Delhi, Resonance 2014. Semi-Annual Conference of District 41, India. The stage was set, the lamp was lit, and the MC invited me to the stage, with a wonderful introduction. As I stepped up to make the 1st speech to the District as the District Governor, the entire hall waited for the opening address I was to deliver, and bham! I tripped and fell in front of an audience of 250 people from all across India.

If the world turned it’s head sideways, it would say the guy in love with me was apparently a Mr.Murphy, who stuck by me through thick and thin. ‘When everything should go right, and you have everything planned, it most certainly will go wrong.’ Mr.Murphy will ensure it.

Finally leaving a country, where no one speaks your language (Beijing, China, in this case), and bham! The flight will get cancelled, leaving you stranded at the airport, where the staff says, “solly, no Engleesh(sorry, no English).” Going up on stage to deliver the best speech of your life,

and bham! The collar mike falls off leaving you with a tail at about 45 seconds into the speech. Going for a division level table topic contest and bham! Someone else starts speaking on a different mike, apparently testing it out, leaving behind very confused judges, and an ever more confused you. If you think these are improbabilities, or better yet impossibilities… think again, these are real life situations that have happened to me. Oh, here was another opportunity Mr.Murphy had shown up in my life… the opening address, remember!

My mind reeled back to a recent Masterchef Class that I had attended. As the Celebrity Masterchef, the very good looking (he prompted me to say this ;)) Kunal Kapoor stepped up to start teaching us, folded his sleeves and put on his mike… bleep, bhahhh, bham… the mike started malfunctioning. 50 of us participants sitting there, were startled. I could sympathise with him, mike bloopers are something speakers are familiar with. After about 5 minutes in which he, his cameraman and assistant struggled with the mike, I started laughing. It wasn’t a smile or even a girly giggle. It was a full blown laugh. The audience stared at me, his crew stared at me, Kunal Kapoor himself stared at me! He finally raised an eyebrow and asked, “you find it funny, do you?” I smiled, and replied back, “Does the mike blooper define how well you cook?” P.S. the snacks he taught us how to make that day, were amazing!

Often we are faced with situations where things don’t go according to our plans. Do we give up? Do we sit down and raise a hue and cry? Does that really define who we are and what we can do? Do we let it define us? Something went wrong, so what? It didn’t work out the way we wanted it to, so what? You made a mistake, so what?

21st November, I slipped and fell, and I got up and went and delivered my message to the waiting audience. I have yet to thank the people who got me first aid post that. What defines us are not our circumstances but our ability to deliver despite the circumstances.

What defines you?

Reet Arora, DTMDistrict Governor, Toastmasters International, D41

Where Leaders Are Made

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WHATDEFINES YOU? Where Leaders are Made

Mentoring is very pertinent to our experience as Toastmasters and is fast becoming an integral part of our professional lives.

Dr. Ralph Smedley, the Founding Father of Toastmasters said, “We realize that the two most important factors in Toastmasters is Mentoring and Evaluations, there is no doubt that if these two are done well and there is a good Mentoring program, your club will be filled with spark plugs ready to fire upon request. Mentoring and evaluations create enthusiasm, and once you light that fire the only thing it needs is some kindling.”

Mentoring is a powerful and popular way for people to learn a variety of personal and professional skills. In fact, mentoring is one of the oldest forms of influence. Popular mentoring literature attributes the origin of the term to Homer, one of the ancient Greek storytellers. In his classic tale Homer tells of the King of Ithaca, who asked his friend Mentor to look after his son Telemachus while he fought to win the Trojan War. However, African scholars have noted that mentors were commonplace in Africa, long before the ancient Greek civilization.

Regardless of the origins of the term, most adults can identify a person who, at some time in their life, had a significant and positive impact on them – a person who helped make significant transitions in life. Mentors can be friends, relatives, co-workers or teachers. Most often, a mentor acts as a role model, compatriot, challenger, guide or cheerleader.

Y“


ou can count the seeds in an apple, but you cannot count the apples in a seed”. This truly describes the ethos of

mentoring which helps seeds blossom into fruit bearing trees!

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Mentoring describes a partnership between two people: the mentor and the mentee.

Mentor Program Goals

The Mentor Program in Toastmasters is designed and administered to help achieve some primary goals:

Experience accelerated growth and achievement in public speaking and leadership, including the mastery of basic skills, development of a personal style or technique, and control or elimination of nervousness. Specific characteristics that they would like to develop, and where and how they intend to apply the skills that they learn in toastmasters.

Learn roles, duties, procedures, and traditions, many of which are unique to Toastmasters, allowing you to maximize your contribution to, and enjoyment of, each meeting you attend.

The Role of the Mentor

As a mentor, your role is to tackle issues and blockages identified by the mentee. You will be somebody with knowledge and experience to draw upon and likely to be mentoring somebody your junior. Your aim is to provide practical and objective guidance and support to help your mentees become the persons they want to be. Sometimes counsellor and at other times critical friend, your insights and views could prove invaluable.

Understanding the mentoring processAll mentoring relationships follow a life cycle.

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Help define the specific levels of achievement and recognition both inside and outside of the Club that the mentored would like to achieve, and in what time frame.

Set meeting-related goals, and set an initial timeline for their completion. These might include a timetable for completing their first speech, first participation in table topics sessions, or fulfilling specific roles. Also included is setting a timetable for achieving the member's educational milestones, running for officer positions or involvement in speech contests and competitions. Goals can be documented in the Mentoring Achievement Schedule.

Develop supportive friendships with other Club members and create an ongoing experience of community as we all help each other to learn, grow, and achieve worthwhile goals.

Deepak Menon, DTMInternational Director, Region 13 (2013-2015)Toastmasters International

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The process starts with rapport building: creating good first impressions; dressing appropriately; working to create an environment of trust; employing positive body language; being self-effacing and adopting ice-breaking techniques. Most mentees need help in first understanding how Toastmasters works and then help with achieving the specific objectives for which they joined the Club. Sharing your own experiences is often the best starting point.

The next step involves setting the direction. A lot depends on whether the mentee has a good idea where they want to go. Rather than dictating what should be done, you will be looking for situations to empower your charge; always remember that your role is to help them build up their confidence and abilities to take responsibility for themselves and their own development.

Progress making involves maintaining and building the relationship by establishing boundaries, delivering to plans, finding appropriate support, and understanding progress. You will be expected to offer a sympathetic ear, a shoulder to cry on and always plenty of encouragement!

An effective mentoring relationship takes into account the careful handing of the winding down phase. At this point both of you will recognise all has been achieved and you can

start assessing the outcomes of the relationship.

What mentors need to do to build an effective relationship?

The best place to start is to understand what your mentee wants. They'll want you to show empathy. It is unlikely all your experiences will match their ambitions; but unless you can understand their point of view you're unlikely to have a good working relationship.

Challenge your mentee constructively. They might benefit from being stretched by setting their ambitions higher or addressing “uncomfortable” issues. Look to provide advice instead of “the answer”. Mentees often need guidance rather than a prescriptive solution. Sometimes a few practical pointers can produce dramatic improvements.

And friendship. You don't have to be the mentee's greatest friend. But without respect, trust and a degree of liking the relationship will feel uncomfortable.

They will want to know how the Club works. Your greater knowledge and experience of people and processes within the Club will prove invaluable.

Should your mentee need to make a difficult decision, or rehearse a difficult speech, you could be a useful sounding board to help them think it through.

Help them prioritise their ambitions and actions. Lack of direction sometimes results from being confused about the way forward.

Sometimes mentors help just by being there and listening when the mentee needs someone to talk to not directly involved in an issue. Think about each session so you begin to know instinctively when to talk, when to listen and when to encourage silence for reflection.Overall the effective relationship empowers the individual to be confident in his or her own abilities. This is achieved by nurturing your

Jan 2015 Issue Vol 7 6

understand the relevant issues, asks open-ended and fact-seeking questions and understands that silence is useful when information is being digested or breathing space is needed

It is important for mentors to convey understanding through feedback, reflecting back the mentee's feelings and accurately summarising their thought processes.

Overall, good mentorship is about empowering your mentee to:

ecome self aware - evaluating themselves, developing awareness of their personal strengths and weaknesses, their skills and their interpersonal relationships with others.

ecome self directing - following their own noses, going where their instinct and intuition take them, choosing the direction they want to take.

evelop a sense of their own purpose - understanding their personal needs, what interests them and what they want.

xperience their own success - the reward from feedback from accomplishments in which they have shared. Learning from their mistakes.

People who have been good mentees tend to become good mentors - good habits can be infectious!

Finally, a Mentor wears many hats but is not a consultant. A consultant is a person who uses your watch to tell you what time it is. A coach is a person who asks you what time you want it to be. And a mentor is timeless!

By Deepak Menon, DTMInternational Director, Region 13 (2013-2015)Toastmasters International

mentee and creating self-awareness.

What mentees need to do?You're only likely to get out of the relationship what you're prepared to put in. Taking ownership may seem scary but it might energise you into getting the most from your sessions.

From the outset give your mentor the respect and recognition they deserve; their time and energy is as precious as yours. Preparing for your mentoring sessions also helps. And, in between sessions, reflect on what what's been discussed, your progression and what you want from future sessions.

Take advantage of your mentor's wisdom and experience but don't hold back from challenging them where you think it's necessary and constructive; the disagreements can make the relationship healthy and stimulating.

Be honest at all times, particularly in your feedback on the effectiveness of the mentoring process. Don't be afraid to suggest the mentoring relationship isn't working; otherwise you'll be wasting both your time and the time of the mentor.

What makes a good mentor? A happy mentee is the best evidence of a good mentor. But, generally, a good mentor shows a desire and a willingness to give up time to help others, maintains a positive outlook, yet is able to be realistic and have a strong interest in their own growth and self-development. Good mentors tend to be self-assured, to give and receive constructive criticism and know how to challenge the mentee where and when it is appropriate.

To become a competent mentor you will need to be a good listener: more specifically an “active” listener. This involves tuning in to what your mentee is saying, giving them your complete concentration, and waiting patiently for them to finish, without diving in or making assumptions about what they are likely to say.

The effective mentor gently probes to

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T he dawn of January 2015 saw a congregation of Senior District Leaders from 2 TI Regions. I've had the opportunity to visit India for the midyear training and to share the stage with Fellow International Director DTM Deepak Menon and the 2 Region Advisors. It has been a life-enriching experience coupled with the inspiration to share and learn with them and the District Leaders of Region 13 & 14. I was edified with the DCP - the Dedication, Commitment and Passion of your leaders. The Brainstorming, Networking and sharing of experiences amongst the leaders were beneficial to the Leaders in helping them look into themselves and see how they can work towards leading the districts towards Distinguished status and above. It was indeed a trip well spent.

IndiaNamasteDTM Patrick Oei

International Director 2014-2016,Toastmasters International

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TM Poonam Rathod from the Editorial Team asked me to share my travel experience. Therefore I would like to share with you my private travel escapade with the 2 DGs and the 2 LGMs of D80 & D97P. Three of the wives joined us for the trip too.As a child I've always marvelled at the Taj Mahal. It was a great opportunity to tour this beautiful symbol of love. I was also humbled and edified to visit the Golden Triangle. We often get discouraged when the path to the destination takes more than long. However, out of curiosity and for the sake of adventure we took the less-travelled path to the tomb. It took us 5 hrs and we finally made it. I am glad we took a chance and saw this marvel. The weather was very cool which made our journey even more comfortable.

To say that I am impressed is indeed an understatement. The people are nice, sincere and hospitable in

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nature. The food was mouth-watering. I've always loved Indian food and though there is a slight difference in food platters & taste from what I have back home in Singapore. it was really a culinary experience. It was an awesome experience alright ! India felt like home away from home.

We toured the Amber Fort in Jaipur, Fatehpur Sikri in Agra. India is deeply rooted in tradition and culture. Studying the history of the Maharajas was fascinating. We also went to the Gandhi Memorial in New Delhi and the Gandhi Smithi. It was such a pity that many of the world's great men were assassinated. Learning about these great men and what values and ethics they stood for; was an awesome and an uplifting experience for me.

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The Taj Mahal at Agra was the icing to everything we had ever seen and experienced in India. The beauty, splendour, grandeur and the magnificence of the structure in the pictures cannot be replaced with the actual experience of being there.

To reflect upon the wonders of the Memorial, I am glad to see the economic progress of India and the prowess of its people. We are fortunate to have a large number of talents from India working in Singapore too.



India - this may be my first visit, but certainly not my last. The 2 Districts of India plan to bloom into 3 come July 2015. I look forward to see Toastmasters in India grow to 6 districts by 2019 and maybe 12 districts by 2024. Is this possible? Yes it is if you want it so. I wish all Toastmasters and my fellow friends in India at District 41, all the best.

DTM Patrick OeiInternational Director 2014-2016, Toastmasters International

"Where leaders are made"

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DTM Patrick OeiInternational Director 2014-2016,

Toastmasters International


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when I went on stage to collect the trophy – was a mental re-wind. Re-wind of a collection of intertwined stories of successes, failures, learning's, happiness, sadness, elation, frustration and what not. A story spanning many years in this wonderful forum called Toastmasters. But through this rollercoaster journey, if there is one common thread that helped me sustain, it's this – I re-invented myself at regular intervals.

That's sounds like me taking the credit. The truth is 'I got re-invented at regular intervals, with the help of many mentors and well-wishers'. But that's me. What's important for you is - When did YOU last feel re-invented at Toastmasters?

I recently met a senior Toastmaster and a good friend of mine. In our conversation she asked me if getting a trophy at the Semifinals

to win?By Aditya Maheshwaran. DTMWinner at the SemifinalsWorld Championship 2014, KL

s my name was announced as one of the winners at the Semifinals of the World Championship last year, the 15 seconds that followed - A


What it takes

KL Convention Center is a spectacular place!

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With fellow Semi Finalists at the World Championship of Public Speaking

With George Yen, DTM PID

India flag sways just as beautifully as 125 other flags at the #TICONV14 ...proud of the organization

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the 'peak' of my Toastmasters journey? Without batting an eyelid I said, as excited as a child, 'Yes'! After a pause, I asked her what she considered peak in her TM journey. And without batting an eyelid she replied 'Her club contest speech in 2008'. And before I could reply, she looked at me as if something had dawned on her. She said 'I can't believe that my peak at Toastmasters was over 6 years ago'.

Does it feel or sound familiar? She is not so different from any of us. She failed to re-invent herself each year, each season, each month – and ended up living in the past. Do you do that too, probably at times?

When I decided to contest, I had at least a dozen well-wishers who warned against it for things like 'reputation losses, 'credibility', 'mentee perception' if I lose in the contests. What if I lost at the club level itself? I know that they had my best intentions at heart. But unless I contested, I wouldn't be able to re-invent myself that year! And months later, I felt in the zone, at my peak – because I made that choice.So what choice are you presented with today in Toastmasters and in life? When did you last peak in life? In toastmasters? If it was over a year ago, hey it's time for something new! And that what it really takes to win. The rest, the CC manual can teach you!

Aditya Maheswaran, DTMSemi Finalist, World Championship 2014, Kuala Lumpur

www.facebook.com/adityaspeaks

Toastmasters InternationalWhere Leaders Are Made


With fellow semi finalist Palani from Malaysia

With the 1995 World Champion of Public

Speaking Mark Brown - one of the coolest guys you'll

see!

With the 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking Darren Lacroix

With the 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking Mark Hunter - 'A sink full of green tomatoes' one of my fav speeches

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What is the mentor's pool?

It is a pool of experienced toastmasters who are willing to share their knowledge and skills for the advancement of toastmasters clubs and individual members.

What is the scope of this pool?

We are growing and we have a lot of new clubs and new members. There is a huge demand for mentors to guide the new members through their CC projects. Also there are clubs less than two years old which do not have senior members to guide their members through their basic CC or AC projects. Mentors pool is an initiative to support the VPEs of clubs in their effort to find suitable mentors for their club members.

This pool is currently for the entire district. It consists of mentors from all divisions and is available to all eligible members of the district 41. To cut out red-tape and delays, the request for mentors may be made by the members or the club Vice President Education. You may send your request to [email protected]

Who is eligible to be a part of this pool? Who is eligible to avail its resources?

Mentor's Qualifications

Minimum of 2 years at ToastmastersMust be an active member of Toastmasters for the last one yearMust have served at least one term as a club officer (one term of six months)Must have completed project 7 from the CC manual

Mentor's attributesBeing available for the menteeMaking “listening” a priorityKeeping confidencesBeing open, direct and respectfulGuiding rather than directAppreciating that each mentee is differentWilling to go that extra mile for the mentee


Mentors Pool

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Mentor’s Commitment

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Available to spend at least 4 hours per week on MentoringWalk the journey at least for 6 months with the MenteePush / Pull the mentee as required to ensure that the mentee is moving towards his/her goalsReview goals at least once in two months

Mentor’s role

Provide help and support in a non-threatening, non-intrusive way, in a manner that the mentee will appreciate and value.

Empower the mentee to move forward with confidence towards what the mentee wants to achieve.

Create an informal environment in which the mentee can feel encouraged to discuss his/her needs. If this sounds interesting and you are ready to collaborate, register as a Mentor –http://goo.gl/forms/Clj0srWSv5

DTM Nagaraja Rao, for the initial concept (launched in 2009). All the contributors, direct / indirect for the constant questioning and critique this program would not have been launched.

This is an initial draft, it will undergo dynamic changes. We look forward to your support in taking this initiative forward!

Brillian S. K, DTMLieutenant Governor Education & Training2014-2015, District 41


[email protected]


References and Thanks

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JOIN THE

Revolution

{ }Let’s Get

http://bit.ly/CRACKteamLOG ON TO

C-R-A-C-K-I-N-G

registrationsopen


D41ers!

How would you like to contribute to the District's mission?

Would you like to take up a challenge that will stretch your potential to the next level?

What if I were to tell you that the next few months can serve as the best possible education in human relations without investing a penny if you join this initiative?

I invite you to explore an opportunity to make a difference to the District's performance this Toastmasters year (ending 30 June 2015). Join the C-R-A-C-K team!

Yes, you read that right. The CRACK team will be solely responsible for cracking club leads and help potential and/or interested entities transition into the Toastmasters fraternity. In essence, you'll be the architect of the district's future — responsible for the District's club building/growth activities!

The potential member will work directly with the Lt. Governors for Marketing — North (TM Sunil Nair) and South (TM Chandrashekar), who will guide, mentor, and train them to master what it takes to excel as a leader and a get a glimpse of life beyond your club.

It's not a seminar or a day-long training program. Instead, it's an evolving process, a one-of-a-kind apprenticeship that's even better than an on-the-job-training. It doesn't limit you to learn what you need to excel at something but to rise above it and look at it from a new perspective. It's an opportunity for your to rise above the club, yourself, and deliver service excellence.

Are you up for the challenge?

Lt. Governors for MarketingNorth - TM Sunil NairSouth - TM Chandra Shekar

D41, Toastmasters International


LGM North LGM South

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PROGRAMTHANKYOU

A G R A N DS U C C E S S



The Area Level Meet (E-2) held on 21st Dec in which 6 clubs had participated.

1. SIBM (hosts)2. Infosys3. Symphony4. Syntel5. Genesis6. Emerson

PUNE

Akash JainPresident (July - Dec. 2014),Mumbai Toastmasters Club,Area D6, Div. D, District. 41

Priya Mathur from CMC Hyderabad Toastmasters Club for completing her CC and CL series

PROGRAM

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Tushar Sonje Club Sergent at Arms - TMCP-Central

VP Education - ATTMC

K Sandeep ReddyAccenture Toastmasters Club

Shyamreddy Marpu from Elan Hyderabad Toastmasters club

TM Sailaja Revoori, CMC Hyderabad Toastmasters Club

HYDERABAD

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Arun GoyalClub - S2Tech TM

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MumbaiPics Courtesy: Ankit Jain

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Mumbai PIC COURTESY: MANISH KAMDAR

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MumbaiPICS COURTESY: TERRANCE RODRIGUES

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Mumbai

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GOA

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GOA

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one. On the bright and beautiful Sunday morning of January 11, Toastmasters of all Clubs in Mumbai got this chance. And just like everything else in life, some grabbed it, while others chose to sip coffee in their beds. ; )

Every year in Toastmasters, the District Trio of all the Districts undergo a mid-year training held in different parts of the World. The training is conducted by the Toastmasters Headquarters with the help of top Executive officers, Regional Advisors and International Directors. This year the training venue for Region 13 and 14 was none other than our own Aamchi Mumbai. The training was conducted on January 9 and 10 at Westin Hotel, Goregaon. Even after 2 days of busy schedule, some of the leaders chose to grace us by attending a Club meeting in Mumbai on January 11. The Club which got the opportunity was Mumbai Toastmasters, well known for its strong membership base, charm and of course, snacks.

The meeting hall of National College, Bandra West was nearly full 10 minutes before the meeting and the session started bang on time. The leaders present at the venue were: Toastmasters International CEO Daniel Rex, Toastmasters International COO Sally Newell Cohen, International Director Deepak Menon and our very own, District 41 Governor Reet Arora.

The session started with an educational, not to mention inspiring, talk by Daniel. He said that as a Toastmaster, one should always ask 3 questions to self:

1. Why did you join Toastmasters?2. What have you learnt in Toastmasters?3. What do you tell others about your Toastmasters experience?

He informed that the 5 core competencies on which Toastmasters focuses on are: public communication, interpersonal communication, learning & managing, strategic planning and confidence building. Daniel then asked everyone in the audience to share their


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Chinmaya Dave,CC, ALB

Assistant LGET District 41 (South)


by

Morningwith theLeaders

How often does it happen that you get a chance to meet the CEO of your organization you are a part of? Probably

once or twice; mostly, never; unless you are


with CEO Daniel Rex & COO Sally Newell

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Toastmasters experience and how Toastmasters has given them the courage “to take not a small step but a big giant leap”. He also answered questions related to, well – almost everything, from contests and Toastmasters vision, tohis journey in Toastmasters and Mumbai food.

The next session was taken by Sally. In a very stylistic manner, Sally talked about the most awaited change in recent history of Toastmasters: the change in education program with the launch of “Revitalized Education Program (REP)”. Clearing the mist of doubts, she gave the audience a crystal clear view of how the REP will be structured and what can one, as a member, expect from the REP. She also added that REP will not at all change the fundamentals of a Toastmasters meeting, i.e. prepared speeches, Table Topics and feedback will still be in place. She emphasized that how the REP will leverage the power of technology, yet will not change the amazing 'Club Experience' of a member. With the REP, a member will have more flexibility to choose electives, yet offering better learning and rewards more often.

everyone got the chance to interact with Daniel, Sally, Deepak and Reet. Members took the opportunity to ask questions, share their ideas and not to forget, get clicked.

In the end, it was a morning not just well spent, but well utilized, for it was one of the best days of my Toastmasters journey. As far as the rest of the Sunday is concerned, following things happened: Punjabi lunch with my fellow Club members from TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai; a meeting with Division D Governor JP Chaurasia, and a movie with my college friends. : )

by Chinmaya Dave, CC, ALB

Assistant LGET, District 41 (South)Toastmasters International

Where Leaders Are MadeAfter these two amazing talks, the Club meeting had a break out of 15 minutes for some stomach-love (read snacks). And yes, a big, chocolaty and delicious caketoo. After the break, theregular session of theClub progressedsmoothly.After thebreak,


Kunal Khanna, DTM

Co Founder - Mumbai Toastmaster Club 2007Division Governor - 2 terms. Asst. LGM,Conference Chair - Reverberations 2010

Professionally works for a UK Based, financial Services firm as a Sr VP.

Hobbies - Happiness Coaching, Public speaking coaching, Photography, Riding !!

Have you ever wondered, why are we always stressed upon to speak or write “in our own words”?

Have you ever thought about the significance of “OWN” in the above connotation?In the last few years, the word “PLAGIARISM” has quietly forced its way out from our passive memory to our active memory, as it's been used often and soon becoming a way of life.

According to Oxford, means, “the PLAGIARISM practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own”.

Somewhere between eating candies and making a

career, becoming the bread owner for the family we all find ourselves grown up unlike a fairy tale, faced with the realities of life. Amidst the quest to perform, to be successful, to be someone we consciously and sub-consciously put a lot of pressure on ourselves and find ways and means to make our way using whatever is available & whatever needs to be done!

The first time when I heard the above 3 statements/quotes, I was sitting in awe listening to an amazing speaker delivering a fabulous speech at my home club. The speaker followed by generously giving credits to the source where the statements were originally used which made me think and think aloud.

“Find your voice! Formulate your OWN thoughts in your own words”, often resonate in my mind every time I deploy my mind to think something or to do something. Plagiarism on the other hand is soon becoming a way of life. Unfortunately in the context of Toastmasters it is equally, if not more applicable, as young speakers and leaders try too hard on reaching the destination faster rather than enjoying the journey which is filled with donuts. Sometimes we have to slow down and smell the roses and not miss the donut by looking through the hole.

For young and not so young speakers, it can always be a challenge to develop apt content for a speech. Why worry when ideas, options, success stories are just a click away. This is where the first move towards a plagiarized mind starts blooming. We seek a tried and hopefully tested formula before successfully emulating it. But one must remember its always comfortable being in one's own skin. Your fellow Toastmaster's ideas,

Plagiarism by Kunal Khanna, DTM

– A way of Life !

“I will make you an offer, which you cannot refuse!”

“I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her!”

“My maternal uncle always said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know

what you are going to get.”

“”



stories, humor points, speech titles etc., are all heard and overheard multiple times. As a speaker you not only lose the opportunity to develop your writing skills but also end up losing your underdeveloped credibility. In a quest to perform outstandingly well and to win a ribbon, we end up disrespecting the intellectual property of others. At a club-level humorous speech contest, five speakers picked up the same (Husband –Wife) joke from internet and three used it at the start of their speech. I am sure you can imagine what would have happened next and how cheated their audience would have felt after three speakers mentioned the same characters from the web in their own personal life speech!

We have learnt from the champions and successful speakers that we should find our own speaking style, our own strengths and develop them to become unique. When we become unique we strive to deliver a “Never before, Never again” experience then why jeopardize it with someone else's content. Think about it! We have to ensure to dissuade ourselves from nurturing a plagiarized mind.This act is not only limited to speaking but can easily be found in leadership, yes plagiarism in leadership! What works for others may not work for you and vice versa. Notwithstanding the fact that, we learn from our leaders how to face various challenges, or seamlessly manage the show, somewhere we need to develop an attitude to observe all they do, but do only what our own mind deems fit. A true leader learns by doing things, making decisions, taking responsibility for which there is no substitute.

Start small, test yourself, take up a leadership role in a club meeting, become a part of an organizing committee for a local contest, mentor some members, try to lead by example in your own way, so that your actions can inspire others.

Sometimes great things can be achieved by just following simple measures, diligently while ensuring we remain true to our own selves and not what we want others to perceive us.Every year you make a resolution to change yourself....This year make a resolution to be yourself!


“

”By Kunal Khanna, DTMToastmasters International


I will make you an offer, which you cannot refuse! – Don Corleone in

Godfather

I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her! - Julia Roberts in

Notting Hill

“My maternal uncle always said “Life was like a box of chocolates, you never know

what you gonna get.” – Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump

37

y Experience in Cambridge TM ClubI came to Cambridge, UK on Jan 7, 2014 M



A meeting at Toastmasters InternationalCambridge, UK.by Sanjeev Patra

Sanjeev Patra at Cambridge City Communicators

The Meeting setup:

The SAA reaches the venue at least 30 min before to set up the entire room, putting everything in order. The first thing that caught my attention was their stylish colorful leaflets in a laminated form, distributed to everyone: 1. One leaflet contains short description about the club, why Toastmaster? Why Communication?, Why this TM club? What do we do? Club Info? Where? When? Online? Club officers with photographs and contact details? Club Mission statement in a footer.

2. Another leaflet: Club Membership leaflet: Contains: Application, Annual Cycle, Membership Fee, Club Treasurer Details, How to Pay, Club Bank A/c Details

3. Speech objectives of all 10 CC speech details, given in a leaflet.

4. Ice Breaking speech leaflet: Details how a member will give the first speech

for a 3-month onsite assignment on behalf of my company, AVEVA. I would like to share my experience with Cambridge City Communicator Toastmaster Club, Cambridge, where I attended few meetings recently.

Full-fledged online portal:

Before I started my journey, I contacted Cambridge City Communicator Toastmaster Club by email about my interest to attend the meetings in their club. The moment I sent the mail, I received the reply within minutes that they are ready to welcome me. Their speaking slots and meeting roles are all bookable on-line for their members. I find them very flexible for visitors interested to give their speeches. I got a speech slot in Jan 28, 2014 for my CC10 milestone speech. The best thing about their club e-mail id is it is received by all their EC council and everyone whole-heartedly welcome a guest by email and make a guest comfortable even before he reaches the venue.


a. TTM will pick up one or two lines from any part of a novel, and ask the table topic speaker to complete the story.

b. TTM tells a Fairy tale summary. Ask the speaker to tell similar story at a present context

4. The club is a cosmopolitan club as the members and guests were from different countries who come to Cambridge to study/work: Members are from Japan, China, Ghana, to New Zealand, Poland, Brazil, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Sweden, Pakistan and India. You have to be very attentive to listen to their actual pronounced names and understand their accents quickly. Members usually share the culture, or history or social dynamics of their countries as part of their Speech projects. It is quite enjoyable and interesting to learn about a Japanese way of having a breakfast with invoking God to Ghana's matriarchal society.

My CC10 speech was well appreciated by everyone with final thunderous round of applause in the end and chosen as the Best Speech of the Day. I received the Competent Communicator ribbon from the TMOE, most

5. Detailed program of the day Agenda, Role players (non-laminated format)Overall a simple and cost-effective way of marketing a TM club. The guests will be immediately impressed with the information even before the meeting begins.

Meeting Dynamics

Although they follow almost similar structure of Indian TM club meeting, I observed few exceptions:

1. A Table Topics Evaluator to evaluate all the table topics of all speakers in 5 min.

2. Evaluator introduces respective speaker instead of TMOD and reads out the speech objective of speaker. Evaluation segment begins just after the prepared speech segment. Table topics segment begin after 10 min break followed by evaluation segment, by all role players, then Table Topics Evaluator and finally GE.

3. The people here read a lot of story books or fictions in Cambridge. I find most of the table topic themes were based on story telling:

Jan 2015 Issue Vol 7Jan 2015 Issue Vol 7 39


memorable item for me. I got a great evaluation for my speech by an excellent speaker. My speech was about my own journey in TM, how I fumbled and trembled before an unknown audience in the first Speech Craft session, How I quit from stage in my first attempt of Humorous Speech contest two year before; How I reached to the District Level Humorous Speech Contest Final last year, How I am ending my milestone speech CC10 in front of completely unknown audience the place where English language is originated; How joining TM has transformed my personal and professional life. Everyone told me personally that it was one of the inspiring stories they have ever heard and significance of TM in life.

Overall, it was a great learning experience for me. I enjoyed every bit of it.

By Sanjeev Patra

Secunderabad Toastmasters Club (District 41, Division F, Area 2), Wipro Toastmasters Club (District 41, Division H, Area 1)




finds the best way to travel throughan unknown area. I am a pathfinder in toastmasters as my public speaking and listening skills went ahead of the fear, hesitation and reluctance. I became a speaker who was not afraid of expressing her views in front of the toastmaster stalwarts.. I became a listener who could pay attention especially through the act of hearing.

I was introduced to toastmasters through my manager. He had sent me an invite for the Division conference that was being hosted by my company. Hardly did I know that it would become such an integral part of my life. Soon, I came to know of a colleague who was interested in opening a toastmaster club in our office. My joy knew no bounds. A group of people started working day and night to achieve the nearly impossible target – 20 members. We were in a difficult situation as this was the bare minimum required to charter a club. Being an extrovert, I took over the charge of Public Relations for the club. Every single person I met and talked to, I would maneuver the conversation towards toastmasters. This opportunity gave me a chance to discover the

talent of convincing people and making them well equipped with the concept of toastmasters. Once, we were a chartered club, I always loved to give speeches but hardly tried to evaluate. Listening was not my forte, so I thought till we had the Club Contests in Sep-2014. To my surprise, I discovered that I was a good evaluator, infact much better than I assumed myself earlier. I went onto achieve the 1st runners up position at the Evaluation contest in Area E-1.

Toastmasters continued to help me by making different talents shine over the other prominent ones. At the executive committee elections of this term, I was elected as the President of the club. Apart from the other characteristics which made me a pathfinder, now the leadership trait is coming on the surface. As a pathfinder, sometimes I wonder which other untraversed paths would I take and in the process explore new routes for myself. Yes, I am a Pathfinder.

by Anupriya Sinha, CLTCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Pune, E-1

Toastmasters InternationalWhere Leaders Are Made

I am a pathfinder. Merriam Webster defines the pathfinder as a person who goes ahead of a group and

Yes, I ama Pathfinder.“

”by Anupriya Sinha

TCS MaitreeToastmasters Club,Pune



man”, my saying so might raise many eyebrows. I am neither an egoist nor an egotist. Why I said this is because a common man does not become a toast master. Not because he cannot but because identifying one's weakness, accepting it and trying to overcome the same needs courage and a courageous man cannot be a common man.

Toastmaster to me is not a mere platform to improve my public speaking. It is not also a focused approach to enhance my confidence while I am on a podium. Toastmaster has given me much more. I am one of those who are now beyond any phobia whatsoever. It has given me a sense of self-respect making me more complete man in my personal and professional life.

The format of the toast master sessions talks umpteen things. I still remember the days when I had to represent my company before external stakeholders and how afraid I used to be. Not because I was short on my knowledge or results but purely because I never believed I can stand before them without trembling legs and abnormal heart beats. Today when I think

of those days, even I myself laugh on me that how novice I was to underestimate my own power. But now because of the toastmaster format, even my body does talk per need.

How many people under the sky would decide to join toast master at the age of around 40 years? I did. Because I never wanted to be one such common man who even though knows his weakness and succumbs to it rather than fight it over. I could not be one such common man who sits silently and watches others improve. I could not be one who does not give it a try. Do you think age can be a factor for such realization? But this realization has changed me as a person. It has changed me as a professional. It has given me the power that I had but never realized that I have. Today I AM what I always was but never knew that I was. Today I am not only a common man but a toastmaster too. It's different. Trust me for that.

Vikash Gangwal,TMKTC, Div G

Toastmasters International Where Leaders Are Made

I AM NOT A COMMON MANby Vikas Gangwal



AM not a common man. Yes, you read it right. I know when the whole world around you says “Don't underestimate the power I

Namrata Srivastava

Poonam Rathod

Arijita Paul

Sagar Agarwal

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d41 newsletter january edition

Documents

i ama leaderin

issue vol

thankyou toastmasters

mentors pool pg19

namaste india pg8

special initiatives

special contribution

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