Professional Documents
Culture Documents
February 2012
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Toastmasters International Vision Toastmasters promise Editors note Message From: International President District Governor President
Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. Today, our membership is 270,000 strong. These members improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of the 13,000 clubs in 116 countries that make up our global network of meeting locations. Membership in Toastmasters in one of the greatest investments you can make in yourself. At $36 every six months, it is also one of the most cost-effective skillbuilding tools available anywhere. How Does It Work? A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a no-pressure atmosphere. A typical group has 20 to 40 members who meet weekly, biweekly or monthly. A typical meeting lasts 6090 minutes. There is no instructor in a Toastmasters meeting. Instead, members evaluate one anothers presentations. This feedback process is a key part of the programs success. Meeting participants also give impromptu talks on assigned topics, conduct meetings and develop skills related to timekeeping, grammar and parliamentary procedure. Members learn communication skills by working in the Competent Communication manual, a series of 10 self-paced speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking. Members also learn leadership skills by taking on various meeting roles and working in the Competent Leadership manual. In our learn-by-doing approach, we don't lecture members about leadership skills; we give those responsibilities and mentoring to help. Then we ask them to lead. Why should I join? The Toastmasters program offers many benefits that help people in all walks of life. As a result of participating in Toastmasters, you will: Increase your self-confidence Become a better speaker Become a better leader Communicate more effectively Membership is affordable a great value that can change your life that costs less than a dollar a day. Your initial investment: $20 New member fee $36 Dues for six months, plus any club expenses. (Some clubs may charge a nominal fee in addition to the regular dues for items such as meeting space and club supplies.)
Articles: I could have won Understanding Can we be children? My first phase at Toastmasters Tax saving full truth New Member Introduction : Srinivas Sharat Venkat Saad Satya Toastmaster of the month for January and February Committee Members, Past Presidents, District Leaders and Contest Winners
More than 4 million people have discovered the benefits of this proven learning waiting for? Joining is easy just a few simple steps:
Step 1: Visit a Toastmasters club. You can find clubs near you by using the Meeting Locations tool. Each group has a different personality, so you may wish to visit more than one. Your visit is free, and some clubs may allow you to return as often as you like. Its easy to find a time and location that works for you. Meetings are held seven days a week, mornings, afternoons and evenings. Its a good idea to call or email in advance to confirm a groups meeting time and location. Step 2: At the meeting, ask the vice president membership for a membership application and fill it out. Step 3: Give your application and dues to the vice president membership at the club. Once you are voted in by the existing membership, the club officer will send your application and fees to Toastmasters World Headquarters. Your New Member Kit should arrive in the mail in about two weeks (kits outside of the U.S. may take longer).
A Toastmaster's Promise
As a member of Toastmasters International and my club, I promise...
1. To attend club meetings regularly 2. 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 3. To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments 4. To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations 5. To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow 6. To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so 7. To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy 8. To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters membership offers 9. To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters educational and recognition programs 10. To maintain honest and highly ethical standards during the conduct of all Toastmasters activities
I have nothing to speak about. My life is so B-O-R-I-N-G. Maybe I should just quit Toastmasters. These surprising words from my mentee a new Toastmaster made me shudder. According to the National Science Foundation, the average person thinks 12,000 thoughts each day. Many of these thoughts could become terrific speeches. Yet too many members routinely discount the value of their own ideas. Many do give up on Toastmasters far too early. On average, 300 people quit Toastmasters every single day. Some leave because of job relocation or life changes, but many more leave because of loss of interest, believing there is nothing more to gain from Toastmasters. The average membership is only 1218 months. Imagine the gold miner who spends years digging for the gilded treasure, only to quit on the brink of discovery. All the time, money and effort in pursuit of riches are wasted. Similarly, the Toastmasters program requires dedication and effort, but it yields a marvelous bounty of success and confidence to those who persist.
I almost resigned from Toastmasters after my third manual speech in 1985. My evaluator mentioned so many opportunities for improvement that I felt overwhelmed; I believed it would take a lifetime to get it right. As Toastmasters, we all face obstacles, hurdles and frustrations: a disappointing speech, an overly critical evaluation or a nonperforming team member. At these times, a mentor or supportive club mate can provide much-needed encouragement, perspective and inspiration. Often, we grow most during these times of testing and discouragement if we persist. Toastmasters education program does not guarantee overnight success. Growth is gradual and steady if you attend meetings regularly, participate consistently and complete manual assignments. Yes, the Toastmasters program works, but you need to work the program. Persistence is the key. Set a goal and have your club mates keep you accountable. At some place along your Toastmasters journey, it will all get easier. You will find your voice and discover your natural power and influence. You will experience the confidence that comes from mastery built on a solid foundation of Toastmasters achievement. You will discover the resonant, authentic sweet spot that makes communication and leadership look easy and people will notice the Toastmasters difference! We live in a hectic and busy world. Between family, work, and social and civic commitments, it is easy to get exhausted and believe professional development is expendable. But rewards come to those who are patient and who persist. You can learn it all at Toastmasters, a place where leaders are made.
Dear Friends, It is easy enough to be pleasant when life flows like a song. But the person worthwhile is the one who can smile when things go dead wrong. As we usher a new year with joy smile and laughter, all what we take from the past is the experience. We gain experience at every meeting, at every leadership task we undertake. This is the right time to revisit the Toastmasters promise we gave when we joined. Let me remind you; As a member of Toastmasters International and my club, I promise... 1. To attend club meetings regularly
2. 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 3. To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments 4. To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations 5. To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow 6. To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so 7. To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy 8. To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters membership offers 9. To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters educational and recognition programs 10. To maintain honest and highly ethical standards during the conduct of all Toastmasters activities No matter what you are, from the international president, to the District governor, to the member, all of us are obliged to live by this promise. So let us once again resolve to live by this promise. Please read International President DTM Michael Notaros Viewpoint in the January issue of The Toastmaster Magazine. He gives us the Seven Habits of a Highly Effective Toastmaster. Let me wish you a happy and fantastic year 2012. May god shower blessings upon you and your family. May you find strength and courage to live by our promises, fulfill our obligations and become top class toastmasters. Kind Regards, Saleem Zameen M.Saleem DTM District Governor 2011/12 D82, TMI
Dear Toastmasters, "What do you get by achieving your goals, is not as important, as what you become by achieving your goals." - Zig Ziglar These words have come down to us from a famous American author, Ziglar. Our objectives can only be reached by unceasing effort. Our club has been, the highest ranking club among Toastmaster Clubs, the Presidents Distinguished Club, since the last five terms. We have to strive to make sure we reach our current club objectives, which is to maintain this ranking. In the Toastmaster organization, club objectives can only be attained by our members, reaching their respective personal goals. Let this be the term that we increase our participation and commit ourselves to making our club the best.
We are nearing the middle of the Toastmaster term and it is time to assess our personal goals as well as goals at toastmasters. What a great opportunity to review our personal goals! What exactly will you need to accomplish your next goal? Do you know how to complete your Communication and Leadership track? Maybe an idea for your next speech is eluding you? If so, speak to either your mentor for ideas and directions. Let the VP-Education know your goals, to help you in achieving them. Through this, we will get a chance to broaden our view and to see things from a different angle. With different perspective, provides learning opportunities and appreciation for others. We all have time, talents and treasures that have been entrusted to each of us. Work together to bring those gifts out, to serve others. I appreciate those who are willing to volunteer. This is a voluntary organization. I believe this shows great leadership. We are here to help each other in achieving our goals.
Understanding
Understanding
By TM T K Ramesh Betty Botter bought a bit of butter But said she, this butters bitter. If I put it in my batter It will make my batter bitter. But a bit of better butter Would make my batter better So Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter Better than her bitter butter And she put it in her bitter batter And made her bitter batter a bit better
I happen to read the above lines on a Sunday morning. This had come as part of the Gourmet Section. I casually read the first line and skipped it. Then wondered why I skipped it? When I was a kid I tried this tongue twister and failed miserably and this failure was embedded deep in my mind. Not to experience this failure again I skipped this time also. But something in me said let me try now. Instead of blindly repeating the statements, I first tried to understand the meaning of the entire paragraph. Once I understood the meaning, I could then repeat it though not very fast, but without any break in my thoughts or words or phrases. I realised that this time around I tried to understand the INTENT of the passage of that Betty Botter had spoiled her batter with a bitter butter and then realised that a bit of better butter will make her bitter batter a little better. Life presents us with contradictory and twisting situations, like the above tongue twister. If we try to tackle them by addressing the explicit statements that emanates from the situations then we cannot solve them. We may end up complicating the situation more. On the contrary if we pause for a moment and then try to understand the intent behind each statement or the situation, then we may get a better grip of the situation. While we may not still solve it fully, at least we may not complicate them. Like the way I did with tongue twister. I could not say it very fast, I could say it better without a break! Some Tongue twisters For students is the subject matter during exams For a father like me it is the on-going fights between the mother and the son For every husband it is the perennial tension created that exists between the wife and the mother For toastmasters it is writing the project speeches or speaking on a table topic, for the share market trader it is market dynamics We cannot solve these things! We can get an understanding of these things by trying to understand the hidden intent in these things!
Can we be children?
By TM Prashanth Sharma
Can we be children?
It was a sunny Tuesday evening. I was chatting with my Dad and Aunt, at my Aunts house in Padmanabhanagar, Bangalore. My aunt spends quality time with kids in the neighborhood every day. Hence kids come to her house to play. Happy, joyous and lively. Three kids entered the house. Trishala, Annaga and Shreyas. First they inspected the house to know whether all the family members are there. They found out that one person is missing. Then one by one they started asking questions about the missing person. Where is she? Why has she gone to her parents house? When will she come back? Why she went today only? How will she come back? They went on and on. They didnt stop until we stopped answering them.
We just asked them, what have they learnt in school? Immediately Annaga jumped in and told poetry, Song and Stories. She sang a song, recited a poetry and told a story of lion and a mice. We all applauded Annaga for her lively, but juvenile performance. Trishala jumped in and started singing. She also entertained us with a story. She was very happy when she was applauded. Shreyas, seemed not interested to perform. But, he came to the stage out of peer pressure. Shreyas narrated a half story, which didnt have a beginning or an ending. He boldly concluded his show by saying, story telling is boring, lets play now. My Aunt brought some gadgets for them to play. Immediately, all of them, started demanding for the same gadget. Then, they settled it between themselves, in a minute. They were playing their heart out, throwing gadgets down the stairs, till it touches the roof and every possible corner of the house. Neither there were rules, nor were there any boundaries for their game. They were defining the rules, and they were playing the game. Sometimes they blamed each other, but in the next moment they would have either compromised or sacrificed. Thirty minutes of play, brought back the memories of my childhood. Finally I also joined them. If not for them, I could not have relived the joy of being a child. They were competing, demanding, blaming and even quarrelling with each other. No matter what, they didnt stop playing the game. They were limitless, unconditional and unreasonable. They played the game. Sometimes I think, it would have been easier if I was a child. Completely expressing myself. Being in the competition yet out of it. Doing what brings me joy, happiness and satisfaction. I wish, come what may, I had the power of playing the game continuously without giving any reasons. I wish I could play the game of life without the past baggage on my shoulders. I wish I could be a child forever.
myself, what am I doing here?. Those moments are still fresh in my mind. Every time I attempted, I reached out of my comfort zone to experience another level of excellence. Being in the committee gave me a greater sense of responsibility and duty. I became more active in the club. I spent the next few months working on the quality speeches. The challenging thing was to introduce, the then president NR Sridhara in every meeting. I still remember someone telling Sergeant at arms role is better than the presidents role. In fact its true! Toastmasters is far more than public speaking. In my view, it's a self help-learning program that incorporates confidence, self-esteem, interpersonal and leadership skills. It allows people to learn from others. Finally, over time the best way to reduce anxiety in front of an audience is to simply practice public speaking. Doing this repeatedly reduces fear and builds confidence. The best way to come out of fear is to do the thing you fear the most. This is where Toastmaster International can help. It provides you an opportunity to try out speaking skills in all levels of its organization: club, area, division, district, regional or international. When it comes to recommending Toastmasters, I remember saying this to many people, I don't want somebody who is really desperate like me to miss this wonderful opportunity. It is a fact your audience most likely will not notice your nervousness, unless you tell them. They dont see your sweaty palms nor do they hear your heart pounding. In general an audience has a positive attitude towards a speaker. A little ah here or a stutter there will go unnoticed. Be yourself, know your material, be prepared and victory will be yours. Strive not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.
Serial No a b c d e f g h i j k
Particulars Investment Immediate Tax Savings Effective Investment (a-b) Maturity Amount of original investment Total Pre Tax Benefit on Deposit (d-c) Rate of Interest Effective Annual Yield (5 years) Tax on interest h Interest After Tax Maturity Value After paying taxes Effective yield after taxes on interest income
Senior Citizens 10000 3090 6910 16,187.49 9,277.49 9.75% 18.55 1,861.81 4,325.67 14,325.67 8.65
Others 10000 3090 6910 15,796.98 8,886.98 9.25% 17.77 1,744.31 4,052.67 14,052.67 8.11
If the tax benefit is not applicable (Which is most likely the case, if your annual income is above Rs 6 lakhs per year. Your PF and insurance most likely already touch Rs 1 lakh and you will not get the tax benefit shown in the table above). Your actual returns are shown in the table below. Serial No a b c Particulars Investment Amount Immediate Tax Savings Effective Investment (a-b) Senior Citizens 10000 0 6910 Others 10000 0 6910
d e f g h i j k
Maturity Amount of original investment Total Pre Tax Benefit on Deposit (d-c) Rate of Interest Effective Annual Yield (5 years) Tax on interest h Interest After Tax Maturity Value After paying taxes Effective yield after taxes on interest income
As can be seen, it is important to do our own analysis, and find out if the advertiser is disclosing all the facts. We should not blindly get impressed by the tall promises being made by the advertiser. We should do our own analysis and find out if the applicable benefits will apply to us or not.
Passions : Jogging and Yoga Interests : Reading Books About Toastmasters : I was a very shy person and always tried to avoid situations that demand public speaking. After joining TM, I am coming out of my comfort zone slowly and taking courage to go and talk in front of the groups. About sunshine Toastmasters club : So far it has been an excellent journey for me at Sunshine TM Club. It is like rewarding myself for associating with TM club. TM is a great learning place for me. Glad to be part of Sunshine Toastmaster Club. Really like the professionalism of this TM Club. It gives me profound privilege to be part of this esteemed club.
I am lucky to have a spouse who supports me and grounds me when needed. Passion : A balanced life Interests : M.S Subbulakshmi; Cricket; Tasting very hoppy Ales; Humor; Watching movies (created by people, who love nothing but movies); Personal Interests : Improve our roadway traffic and teaching Mathematics.
Recent achievements : Finishing my PhD; Moving back to India; Becoming a vegetarian. About Toastmasters : Public speaking is a skill that everyone can learn but there are limited platforms to learn. TMI is very good platform because of the TMI structure and the attitude of the members. About Sunshine Toastmasters club : Very Good. I am still understanding the club and getting to know the members.
I Joined Toastmasters in August 2010. So far, my journey in Sunshine Toastmasters has been fantastic. I took more than a year to break the ice. Now, I have completed four projects and I have declared, that I will complete CC in this term. I am on the verge of completing my CL. I have started giving speeches in different clubs. Giving speeches in different clubs is a memorable experience. This gives an exposure to different audiences and evaluations. I am also enjoying the responsibilities for which I have been entrusted. Being a Committee Member of Nexus Cricket tournament, in a short period taught me to manage my time, efficiently. I got an opportunity to learn, teach and lead, through Toastmasters.
Secretary Tarun R
Past Presidents
Founder President Kathiravan M. Pethi M. Venkat Dinesh Kumar Kumaran M. Pethi
Ravi Ramachandran
Sudharshan K
Chaya Nair
Gopalakrishna Hegde
T. K. Ramesh
Satyanarayana Raju
Ramgopal P
Sridhara N R
Venkataramanan S
T. K. Ramesh Area Governor, District Secretary, Asst. LGM, Education Committee Chair Ovation 2008, Co-chairperson Ovation 2011
Dirish Mohan Runner up District Table Topic Contest (2007); District Finalist International Speech Contest (2009); District Finalist Table Topic Contest (2009)
T. K. Ramesh Finalist District Humourous Contest (2009); Winner District Humourous Speech Contest (2010); Finalist District Humourous Speech Contest (2011); Runner up Division Evaluation Contest (2009)
January 2012
Contact us President : Diwarkar Reddy 8892243181 Vice President Education: VijayaLaxmi Bahirat 9886076684