Toasted Tidings April 2014

THE

VISIONARY

LEADER

www.qatartoastmasters.org Vol 9 Issue 3 April 2014

QATAR TOASTMASTERS CLUB CLUB No.2910 QATAR TOASTMASTERS CLUB CLUB No.2910 QATAR TOASTMASTERS CLUB CLUB No.2910 AREA 18 DIVISION EAREA 18 DIVISION EAREA 18 DIVISION E

A sneak peak into our leader’s lifeA sneak peak into our leader’s life–– PAGE 12PAGE 12

TOASTED TIDINGS PAGE 5

YET AGAIN

QTM ON TOP

PAGE 20

QTM

CELEBRATES

10/10 DCP

Qatar Toastmasters Club

Office Bearers 2013-2014

President TM Williams Antony

[email protected]

VP Education TM Thomas Joseph

[email protected]

VP Membership TM Jayaraj K . R

[email protected]

VP Public Relations TM Samanthi Gamage

[email protected]

Secretary TM Biju Mathew

[email protected]

Treasurer TM Saad Ghosn

[email protected]

Sergeant at Arms TM Eranga Wijeyawardna

[email protected]

TM Jais Thomas

[email protected]

Publisher TM Williams Antony

Editor TM Samanthi Gamage

Proof Readers TM Sarita Jacob

TM Rukhsana Khan

QATAR TOASTMASTERS CLUB

DOHA, QATAR

EMAIL: [email protected]

WWW.QATARTOASTMASTERS.ORG

MEETINGS ON EVERY 1ST AND 3RD SUNDAYS

RADISSON BLU HOTEL

AT

7 PM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Mission of a club

We provide a supportive and positive

learning experience in which members are

empowered to develop communication and

leadership skills, resulting in greater self-

confidence and personal growth.

Editorial

Page 3 President's Message

Page 4 We are the world

Page 5 QTM on top

Page 6 Champions of Qatar Toastmasters Club

Page 7 Glimpse of Area 18 Annual Conference

Page 8 News

Page 10 Rome was not built in a day

Page 12 The Visionary Leader- Cover Story

Page 15 What they say….

Page 22 This is how we roll…

Page 23 Get to know me

Page 28 It's Never Too Late- By TM Cipriano

Page 29 It's Now or Never- By TM Fathima, CC

Page 31 Hall of Fame

http://qatartoastmasters.org

http://www.radissonblu.com/hotel-doha/meetings

From the Editor’s Desk

Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s perfor-

mance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limita-

tions. —Peter Drucker

If you remember the days that you learnt to walk, gathered letter by letter to read a

word or even the effort you took in holding a fork and a spoon to eat from the dinner

plate…..

How many times did you fall?

How many times did you make mistakes and read a wrong word?

How many times did you drop the fork and spoon?

I remember some of these moments, except the times I walked and the results of such

occasions, how disappointed and discontented I was.

Every time when I failed and every time when I wanted assistance there was someone

behind me – my parents, my aunt and even my teachers.

They were my heroes and my true leaders!

Time passed by and I moved my steps from home to the society. Learning to walk

along the right path, with right skills and attitudes was my next objective. I learnt

many theories and did experience much ; thereby collecting a vast knowledge and

skills to be successful in life and career. However, I understood the importance of im-

proving the art of communication which makes the difference in the world.

Therefore, I started the journey of Toastmasters!

If I could spend time to improve my speaking, thinking, listening, and responding

skills at once, it was only at the Toastmasters with positive response to the roles

which I took up at meetings.

Toastmasters International - Where Leaders are Made, is a place where anyone can

learn to develop confidence and Real World Transferable Skills to succeed in the very

competitive world.

A leader in Toastmasters gathers information, then analyzes, interprets and under-

stands it before acting. A mentor recognizes an individual who has less experience and

cultivates that person’s potential and talents and helps him or her succeed.

These heroes are the helping hands and parents of the club who assist

and guide the other members to reach their destinations through

Toastmasters.

Samanthi Gamage Vice President Public Relations

Dear members of Qatar Toastmasters Club,

It is a great honor for me to lead one of the most vibrant clubs in Qatar. When I

took over as the President for the term 2013-14, I considered it as a privilege, but at

the same time I knew that it was a great challenge to be in a seat occupied by great

leaders who built the club.

Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is

defined by results not attributes. Qatar Toastmasters Club has been built by steady and strenuous

efforts of leaders with sheer dedication, determination and hunger for excellence.

The strength or caliber of an organization is determined by the leaders in its ranks and we are proud to

have great leaders like Past International Director, DTM George Thomas, current Lieutenant Governor

(E&T) District 20, TM Subha Sarma Anupindi, current Area 12 Governor TM Thayalan, DTM Shoaib

Kasim, DTM Mohan Varghese, DTM Raghavan, DTM Virendranath and many more.

The latest to join the bandwagon is current Area 18 Governor TM Juttas Paul. A visionary leader who

believes that everything is possible if one has the vision and courage to achieve it. This year he created

ripples among the Toastmasters fraternity in Qatar when he achieved his vision of chartering the first

Arabic Community club ‘Tamim Toastmasters’ in Qatar.

I believe that “it is not the position that makes the leader; it is the leader that makes the position”.

We are also proud to have champion speakers like TM Koka Prasad and TM Nevine Kamel as our

members.

This year we bettered our own record by becoming the first club in Qatar to achieve 10/10 DCP Points

and also Presidents Distinguished Club status on 16 March 2014.

During the Area 18 Conference on 04 April 2014 our club was adjudged as the Best Club in the Area.

We also won many other awards. We created another record when 4 of our lady members won all the 4

speech contests and will be representing the Area at the TAC-Q 2014. We are repeating this feat for the

3rd year in a row.

I often wonder as to what is the secret of the success of our club? The answer is quite simple - just like

the success of any organization is its workforce; similarly the success of our club is our “Members”.

I am very fortunate to have joined a club bubbling with passionate Toastmasters who inspire and

motivates other members to bring out their best. In such an environment I am sure that a member has

only one option ‘to go up the ladder’. I would like to sincerely thank all the members for contributing to

the success of this great club.

Remember— members might come and go, but Qatar Toastmasters Club is there to stay.

Regards,

Williams Antony

President

Qatar Toastmasters Club 2910

Area 18, Division E, District 20

President’s MessagePresident’s MessagePresident’s Message

Qatar Toastmasters Club is proud to have representatives of

14 countries as its members.

A true image of Unity in Diversity is presented by the members of this great club.

WE ARE THE WORLDWE ARE THE WORLDWE ARE THE WORLD

4

YET AGAIN QTM ON TOPYET AGAIN QTM ON TOPYET AGAIN QTM ON TOP

QATAR TOASTMASTERS MAKES A CLEAN SWEEP

AT THE AREA 18 ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2014

TM NEVINE KAMEL

INTERNATIONAL SPEECH CONTEST

TM SHAIKHA AL NASSR

HUMOROUS SPEECH CONTEST

BELINDA YARE, DTM

EVALUATION CONTEST

TM RUKHSANA KHAN

TABLE TOPICS CONTEST

5

WINNERS OF QATAR TOASTMASTERS CLUB CONTESTS—LAST 5 YEARS

Year Category First Second Third

2013 — 2014

International Nevine Kamel Belinda Yare Seymur Rasulov

Humorous Shaikha Al Nassr Nilesh Oturkar Belal M Khan

Evaluation Belinda Yare Nevine Kamel Jais Thomas

Table Topics Rukhsana Khan Nevine Kamel Samanthi Gamage

2012 — 2013

International Koka Prasad Clarivic Vistal Nevine Kamel

Humorous Aloris Dias Nevine Kamel Thomas Joseph

Evaluation Nevine Kamel Virendranath Thayalan

Table Topics Rayhanul Islam Thayalan Nevine Kamel

2011 —2012

International Nevine Kamel Mai Sharief Thomas Joseph

Humorous Thomas Joseph Mohamed Aklan Nevine Kamel

Evaluation Virendranath Rukhsana Khan Nevine Kamel

Table Topics Mohamed Aklan Edmund Chapman Nevine Kamel

2010—2011

International Thayalan Ashokan PV Vimalkar TK

Humorous Ashokan PV Belal Khan Allain Stiven

Evaluation Krishnamoorthy Edmund Chapman Ashokan PV

Table Topics Edmund Chapman Mohamed Aklan Juttas Paul

2009 —2010

International Koka Prasad Williams Antony PV Ashokan

Humorous Williams Antony Divakaran Rajesh Nair

Evaluation Krishnamoorthy Siva Raman Abdul Kareem

Table Topics Edmund Chapman Divakaran Sunny Mathew

CHAMPIONS OF QATAR TOASTMASTERS CLUBCHAMPIONS OF QATAR TOASTMASTERS CLUBCHAMPIONS OF QATAR TOASTMASTERS CLUB

Qatar Toastmasters Club is the only club in Division E that has been winning all the contests at the Area Level

consecutively for the past 3 years and this year there is yet again a “First”. For the very first time in the history of

Division E ladies will represent Qatar Toastmasters and Area 18 in all contests at the Division Level.

Qatar Toastmasters Club Area Contest Results

Speech Contest

Year International

First Place Humorous First Place

Evaluation First Place

Table Topics First Place

2013-2014 Nevine Kamel Shaikha Al Nassr Belinda Yare Rukhsana Khan

2012-2013 Koka Prasad Aloris Dias Nevine Kamel Thayalan

2011-2012 Nevine Kamel Thomas Joseph Virendranath Nevine Kamel

6

GLIMPSE OF AREA 18 ANNUAL GLIMPSE OF AREA 18 ANNUAL GLIMPSE OF AREA 18 ANNUAL

CONFERENCE 2014 CONFERENCE 2014 CONFERENCE 2014

7

NEWSNEWS

DTM George Thomas for 2nd Vice President

It is with great pride we announce that our founder member DTM George Thomas has been

nominated as a candidate for 2nd Vice President for Toastmasters International.

He is an active Toastmaster since 1996.

He served as District 79 Governor, led the District to President’s Distinguished District status

and registered the highest growth in membership and retention during the year.

He served as Region 11 International Director for the 2011-2013 term.

(http://www.george4vp.net/)

We wish him all the best!

Under the leadership of

DTM Saquib Raza Khan

as the Division Governor,

Division E became the

first club in the entire

District 20 to attain the

President’s Distinguished

Status on 14th March

2014.

Under the leadership of TM Juttas Paul Area 18 was the first area in the entire District 20 to

become the President’s Distinguished club.

Area 18: The First President’s Distinguished Area

Qatar Toastmasters Club created another record when it

achieved 10/10 DCP Points on 16th of March 2014. So far

we are only club in Division E with this amazing.

(Click below to see how we did it)

http://dashboards.toastmasters.org/ClubReport.aspx?id=00002910

Qatar Toastmasters: The First Club to achieve 10/10 DCP points in Division E

8

Qatar Toastmasters Club has a long history of achievements.

We are consistently achieving the President’s Distinguished status since past 10 years.

NEWSNEWS

QTM rocks at Oryx Awards!

Best Club President– TM Williams Antony Best V P Membership– TM Jayaraj Best Club– Qatar Toastmasters Club

Best Educational Achiever– TM Seymur Best Newsletter– TM Samanthi Gamage

Qatar Toastmasters Club wins 5 awards at the Area 18 Oryx Awards in the category of Best Club President, Best

V P Membership, Best Club, Best Newsletter and Best Educational Achiever Award for TM Seymur Rasulov.

9

Rome was not built in a day — A walk down the memory lane

It is said that “Rome was not built in a day” and the “Pyramids were not built by one per-

son”. The same goes with Qatar Toastmasters Club, the epitome of Toastmasters in Qa-

tar. A club built by many dedicated, determined and passionate Toastmasters. The Editorial

team of Toasted Tidings walked down memory lane, to remember the leaders who have

led the club to its achievements, since its inception in the year 1997.

Year Executive Committee Members

Mentor Past

President

President VP

Education

VP

Member-

ship

VP

Public

Relations

Secretary Treasurer Sergeant

At Arms

1997—

1998

No N/A Judith

Britten /

Frank

George

Thomas

Frank

Banaynal

Mubarak

Al Khulaifi

Dr. Ali El

Bahrawi

Balasubr-

amanian

Albert

Rosario

1998—

1999

No Frank

Banaynal

George

Thomas

Francis

Seles

Dr. Ali El

Bahrawi

Joanne

Dandres

Mariam

Sequiera

Ramesh

Subrama-

nian

Abel Ro-

sario

1999—

2000

Frank

Banaynal

George

Thomas

Dr. Ali El

Bahrawi

Mohan

Varghese

Moza Al

Malki

Eustace

Menezes

Josephine

Soriano

Manoj

Menon

Abdulla

Kutty Haji

2000—

2001

Frank

Banaynal

George

Thomas

Mohan

Varghese

Ommen K

John

Medhen

Tedla

Prakash

GK

Mohd.

Shoaib

Kasem

Timothy

Viegas

Anthony

Peter

D’Souza

2001—

2002

George

Thomas

Mohan

Varghese

Ommen K

John

Medhen

Tedla /

MM

Subha

Sarma

Anupindi

Mohd.

Shoaib

Kasem

Felix

Chacko

Thomas

Sankara

Nara-

yanan R

Deviah

NT

2002—

2003

Mohan

Varghese

Ommen K

John

Prakash

GK

Annamma

Mani

Mohd.

Shoaib

Kasem

Subha

Sarma

Anupindi

JS Paul Moham-

med

Nazeem

Karthikey

an P

2003—

2004

No Ommen K

John

Annamma

Mani /

Mohd.

Shoaib

Mohd.

Shoaib

Kasem /

Sudhir

Karthikey

an Palani

Rashed

Noman

Ashok G

Kamat

Haridasan

Nel-

lacherry

Ravi

Shetty

2004—

2005

No Mohd.

Shoaib

Kasem

Sudhir

Pandra

Karthikey

an Palani

Jose

Kurian

Ashok G

Kamat

Haridasan

Nel-

lacherry

Krishna

Nagara-

jan

PB Shaji

2005—

2006

No Sudhir

Pandra

Karthikey

an Palani

Haridasan

Nel-

lacherry

Ashok G

Kamat

Krishna

Nagara-

jan

Sandeep

Kumar

Lewis

Jesuda-

san

Subrama-

nian S

10

Rome was not built in a dayRome was not built in a day–– A walk A walk

down the memory lanedown the memory lane

Rome was not built in a day …….continued from page 8

Year Executive Committee Members

Mentor Past

President

President VP

Education

VP

Member-

ship

VP

Public

Relations

Secretary Treasurer Sergeant

At Arms

2006—

2007

No Karthikey

an Palani

Haridasan Nellacherry /

Jose

Kurian

Subha

Sarma

Anupindi

Lewis

Jesuda-

san

Kumara

Badugae /

Abdul Razak

Palakkal

Subrama-

nian S

Kabeer K

Thayalan

2007—

2008

No Jose

Kurian

Subha

Sarma

Anupindi

Lewis Jesudasan

Kailayapillai Thayalan

Rajesh

Nair

Kale Rao/

NP Sahoo

MA

Aexander

Srirthan /

Raghuna-

than

2008—

2009

No Subha

Sarma

Anupindi

Lewis Jesudasan

M.A.

Aexander

N Prasad

Sahoo

Edmund

Chapman

Raghavan

NV

Juzar

C.M.

Mohamed

Faizal

2009—

2010

No Lewis Jesudasan

M.A.

Alxander

Raghavan

NV

Williams

Antony

M Abdul

Kareem

Shrikant

Seludkar

Sunny

Mathew P

Baiju K Madhavan

2010—

2011

No M.A.

Alexander

Koka

Prasad


Krishna

Moorthy

Williams

Antony

Rukhsana

Khan

TK

Vimalkar

Manzoor

Mohamed

2011–

2012

No Koka

Prasad


Krishna

Moorthy

Manzoor

Mohamed

Juttas

Paul

Mary Jay-

aweera

Mohamed

Aklan

Thomas

Joseph

2012–

2013

No Kailayapillai Thayalan

Juttas

Paul

Williams

Antony

Rukhsana

Khan

Thomas

Joseph

Rehab

Sharief /

Samanthi

Gamage

KR

Jayaraj

Rayhanul

Islam /

Mahesh

Gowda

2013–

2014

Raghavan

N.V

Juttas

Paul

Williams

Antony

Thomas

Joseph

K R

Jayaraj

Samanthi

Gamage

Biju

Mathew

Saad

Ghosn

Eranga

W/ Jais

Thomas

11

Rome was not built in a dayRome was not built in a day–– A walk A walk

down the memory lanedown the memory lane

I joined Qatar Toastmasters Club in 2011 and within three months I was absorbed into the Ex-Com as the ser-

geant at arms. During this time I met an unusual man. He was the Vice President for Public Relations. He had an

uncanny aura to himself. He seemed not to be happy doing things the usual way thus he took it upon himself to

raise the standards in whatever he did.

Our senior members testify that it was him who revamped and

revitalized the Qatar Open Youth Public Speaking Champi-

onship conducted by the club since 1997 when he became the

Qatar Open Chair in 2011. Since then Qatar Open has been

growing stronger and bigger year by year.

This man or (shall I say superman) is called Juttas Paul. He is

truly a visionary leader. He is a leader who dares to dream

big, who inspires others to pursue excellence and someone for

whom “good enough is not good enough”.

Juttas Paul was born in Mutholapuram, a small village in

Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. He has a younger and an

elder sister and being the only boy was surely mama’s

favorite and the naughty one. He did his schooling in Kerala

and got a Bachelors in Mathematics and an MBA in Interna-

tional Business. His pursuit of excellence began at a young

age as he acquired various professional qualifications such as

PG Diploma in Computer Applications, Certified Enterprise

Architect, CGEIT, CISM, ITIL, MOFF and FCP.

He got married in 2007 and has three sons and a daughter. I

cannot help but mention that their names all begin with “J”.

Jerome, Johan, Joshua and Joana keep their little home alive

at all times.

It is said that if you want to get something done, give it to the

world’s busiest man. Father of four, Head of IT systems in Al

Jazeera, Area 18 Governor, countless involvements in other

professional and expatriate forums but you would never hear

him say “ I AM BUSY”.

There is a Japanese saying that “If someone can do it, I must

do it and if someone cannot do it, I must definitely do it”.

Well in his case he does the latter part a lot, which was

evident during Qatar Open 2012 which saw the highest amount of sponsorship raised for this event to date.

I personally was petrified when he disclosed the budget but I couldn’t see even a drop of sweat on his face.

It may come as a surprise to you that one fine day his boss told him that “you are doing excellent in your

professional work; however you need to improve your presentation skills moving forward”. He looked for

opportunities and eventually joined Toastmasters, though he jokes that initially he thought there would be a lot of

toasts. Well let’s raise a toast to his boss for giving us this great gift.

Speaking of his recent endeavor, the biggest Area conference in the history of Division E, I asked him why so

The Visionary Leader:

Cover Story By TM Thomas Joseph, CC

12

much effort for an area contest? To which he replied “It is not about the Area Conference; I wanted to achieve two

goals…

First, I want people to realize that in every position you hold, there are lots of opportunities for you to work,

perform and improve. We should not look at what people used to do and just continue doing so. We should look at

what your limits are and try to explore it to the fullest potential.

Second, I want to emphasize that our dream is our limit. Nothing else can stop us from doing things or getting

things done.

I hope this will encourage at least a few people to dream big in Toastmasters as well as in their personal &

professional lives, to achieve higher goals.”

I couldn’t agree more with him. Area 18 Conference was not a showoff, it was a showcase. A showcase of

ambition, talent, hard work and excellence.

It is said that if your dream does not scare you, it’s not big enough, but Juttas Paul doesn’t agree with this. He

says, “I never felt scared. It is my passion to take up things that are very challenging. Be it in professional life or

anywhere for that matter. I have taken up things even when I had no clear understanding about how it will work,

but an inner calling telling me that ‘yes you can’. When you push yourself out of the comfort zone and walk that

extra mile you achieve great things.”

Upon asking how he felt about his journey as the Area 18 Governor he said, “It was a good opportunity to interact

with all Toastmaster leaders in Area 18 and Division, which was a learning experience for me. It also provided an

opportunity to venture out to new fields such as colleges, universities, Arabic community, etc. and introduce

Toastmasters to them. Personally I earned many more friends too. It was a good experience letting more people

know about Toastmasters and when they realize the benefits, they embrace it.”

Man with the plan? No, not Juttas Paul as he claims that he did not come to Toastmasters with a plan. He took

Above: Sons of TM Juttas Paul from Left: Jerome, Johan and Joshua


Cover Story

13

things as they came. He says, “I have learned a lot from Toastmasters and hence I am obliged to give it back at

every opportunity available. Also my Toastmaster journey is just in the beginning stage, there is much more to

learn and progress.”

With so many things on his plate are you wondering how his wife and kids bear with him? Then you must do what

I did; pay a visit to his home.

I was playing with the four little J’s as I waited for our Area Governor at his residence last week to get this

interview. As soon as the doorbell rang three little J’s abandoned me and bolted toward the door to welcome their

Big J. Big J puts down his laptop bag on the chair, takes his 6 month old J in his arms and pats her back as he asks

all the three boys about their activities since morning. He listens carefully to each of them with a sincere smile. I

was thinking to myself if this man just came back from work or a vacation?

It was one of those moments in your life when you are reminded that “Life is beautiful”.

TM Juttas Paul steps down from the Governorship for Area 18 on 30 June 2014 but his legacy will live on for his

successors to carry forward.

Finally, do you want to know who inspired Juttas Paul the most? Let me put his answer this way, leaders are not

always made. Sometimes they are born...

Juttas Paul: The Visionary Leader

Above: TM Juttas Paul and his family


Cover Story

14

What they say….What they say….What they say….

Q1: When and why did you join Toastmasters?

I joined toastmasters in 1996 as charter member of the first club in Qatar – Doha Toastmasters. Initially there was no

particular reason for joining. I was impressed with the demo meeting and decided to join. It was for meeting friends

and to have some change from the routine activities. I always believed that learning never stops. Another intention of

joining toastmasters was to learn and improve myself.

Q2: How have you grown as a communicator and leader since you joined Toastmasters?

I could hardly speak in public when I joined toastmasters. My personal communication was also very weak. I have

improved by leaps and bounds after joining toastmasters. But I used to take leadership roles from my school days. In

the college I was elected as the Commerce Secretary. So I decided to pursue my passion – leadership. I grabbed all

the leadership opportunities that came my way and thus could become a leader at international level within a reason-

able time. Toastmasters is not just only about communication and leadership. It is about improving ourselves – per-

sonally, professionally and socially, and becoming a better human being.

Q3: What do you like best about Qatar Toastmasters club?

Qatar Toastmasters Club is a well-balanced club with the right mix of old and new members. I admire the leaders

produced by us who are upholding the core values of Toastmasters International, viz; Integrity, Service, Respect and

Excellence. It is really heartening to see our members dominating the toastmasters activities in Qatar and in our Dis-

trict.

Q4: What have you done in Toastmasters to gain leadership experience?

I have taken on all the leadership opportunities that came my way. Most of the time without knowing what is to be

done. You need to do your best in whatever you do in order stretch yourself and bring out the best in you. If you do

that in all the roles you take, you will excel.

Q5: What do you tell your friends and family about Toastmasters?

Toastmasters is the place where you learn by doing. It is the place where you are a student and a teacher, a leader and

a follower, a master and a servant, a mentor and mentee, a speaker and an evaluator. You can choose the pace at

which you want to progress. You can choose the goals you want to accomplish in communication and leadership –

The World Champion of Public Speaking or The International President.

George Thomas, DTM is the Immediate Past International Director and one of the

charter members of Qatar Toastmasters Club. He is the CFO for Intertec Qatar and

advisor to the Chairman.

15

What they say...What they say...What they say...


I joined Toastmasters in 2008 after attending a Speechcraft program conducted by Qatar Toastmasters Club. I joined

Toastmasters to primarily to improve my presentation skills which is essential to perform my duties in my job. But I’m

happy to tell you that I ended up learning much more than that.


My friends & well-wishers say that there is a marked improvement in me as a communicator & leader since I joined

Toastmasters. Leadership roles in the Club, Area & Division levels, as the Mentor for members & Clubs, as Coach for sick

clubs & as Sponsor of new clubs are some of the leadership roles that I have enjoyed over the past 5+ years. Thanks to the

leadership lessons I learnt in Toastmasters, currently I occupy a responsible position of the Chairman of KEF, an organiza-

tion of 500+ Engineers of Indian origin who are working in Qatar. For all these leadership roles, good communication is a

must. Therefore, I believe that I have grown as a good communicator as well since I joined Toastmasters.


With more than 14 nationalities as members, the multinational & multicultural atmosphere and the abundance of positive

energy flowing during the meetings make me feel that the 2.5 hours we spend every fortnight at Qatar Toastmasters’ meet-

ings are not enough. I have seen many members not going home immediately after the meetings. They stay back in the

hall, exchanging ideas & opinions with their fellow Toastmasters. That shows the love & enthusiasm of our members to-

wards our Club & our members. What I love most about Qatar Toastmasters is this fellowship among our members. I’m

sure this is the spirit of Toastmasters & the objectives with which the Founder Dr.Ralph Smedley started this great organi-

zation.

Q4: What have you done in Toastmasters to gain leadership experience?

I do not know what I have done to gain leadership experience. It would be better if I say everything fell in place. All my

Mentors especially, our current LGET-District 20 & the then Club President when I joined Qatar Toastmasters Club, TM

Subha Anupindi has played an important role in guiding me & sharing her knowledge whenever I needed. In my opinion,

there are plenty of leadership opportunities up for grabs in the Club, Area or Division levels. You must grab the opportuni-

ty when you spot it.


As my wife says, even if I’m sick & bedridden the whole day, come 6 PM on a Toastmasters meeting day, I get up from

the bed , wear the coat & there I go. She is right. Even I do not know how that happens. I get some extra power to go for

Toastmasters meetings even if I‘m not well. I’m sure all my fellow Toastmasters must also be feeling the same. Whenever

I get an opportunity, I tell my friends & relatives to experience Toastmasters. This is because I want my friends & relatives

to experience the goodness of Toastmasters that I have experienced. I have proudly displayed the Distinguished Toastmas-

ters plaque in my office as well as “DTM” is printed on my business card. I’m proud to be a Toastmaster.

Raghavan Menon, DTM is the Immediate Past Assistant Division E Governor for

Marketing. He is the Operations Manager at Intercol Communication W.L.L Qatar and

current Club Mentor for 2013-2014.

16



I joined Toastmasters in 1996 at Abu Dhabi Chapter. I heard about toastmasters from a friend of mine and was in-stantly intrigued into finding out more.


It was a great learning experience for me. The evaluations which I received from my evaluators, tips from my mentors have helped me to improve my communications skills- this has greatly helped me in my profession and in my day to day life. By taking various leadership roles in club excom to becoming Area Governor and PRO of Divi-sion E I have grown in stature. I am able to contribute to my profession and my community. The very fact that I was MDRT Chairperson for Qatar for 3 years and a member of Executive committee of Indian Business Professional Next group is the testimony of benefits I received by being a toastmaster.


The way the meetings are conducted, the opportunities given to its members to speak and take up roles, composition of members of different countries above all the team work which is there. I liked that most.

Q4 : What have you done in Toastmasters to gain leadership experience?

The leadership positions I have taken at the club, the area and the division plus the opportunities I got at the club, area and Division events. Also my contribution to the club, area and Division activities has helped me to gain a great deal of leadership experience by which I have immensely benefited.


I say only one thing: that it is a great place to learn the art of communication and leadership. Don't miss out on opportunity. I wish to state here that Toastmasters is a unique organization different from others in many ways. Be it communication, leadership or organizing events it gives a lot of scope to bring out our best in us and at the same time it brings recognition to one self- I have experienced this many a time in the last 17 years or so.

Virendranath, DTM is one of the veterans of Qatar Toastmasters Club. He works

for LIC and is also a member of Million Dollar Round Table.

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Q1: When and why did you join Toastmasters? I joined Qatar Toastmasters in June 2010, after completing their Speechcraft program. The main reason I joined was to break through barriers that were blocking my personal and professional effectiveness and growth. Those barriers were my lack of self-confidence and fear of speaking up in front of a group. I had been searching my whole adult life for a solution, and luckily I found Toastmasters! Q2: How have you grown as a communicator and leader since you joined Toastmasters? I cannot count the number of ways I have grown since joining Toastmasters. In terms of communication and leadership I am clearer in my writing, speaking, listening and thinking. I feel a huge difference and everyone who knows me has noticed the difference. I have gained the confidence and skills needed to complete all the speech and leadership projects in the competent communication and competent leadership manuals. Every speech and meeting role has been a challenge for me but a valuable learning opportunity at the same time. I have done things I once thought impossible for me, such as mentoring speech contest win-ners, performing as a master of ceremonies, and being a panelist outside of Toastmasters. Q3: What do you like best about Qatar Toastmasters club? I love Qatar Toastmasters’ team spirit and commitment to quality. You can feel the warmth and positive energy at every meeting. Our members come from all corners of the globe but we are a family of friends. Q4: What have you done in Toastmasters to gain leadership experience? I have served as club secretary and VP membership. I chaired the organizing committee for Qatar Toast-masters 15th anniversary gala. Most recently I was chair of the sponsorship committee for the Qatar Open Youth Public Speaking Championship 2012, an annual speech contest open to all students in Qatar be-tween 13-18 years. I have learned that Toastmasters is a place where leadership opportunities are endless. And you don’t need a title. Q5: What do you tell your friends and family about Toastmasters? Whenever I tell people about Toastmasters they tell me I speak with passion. I tell them how it has changed my life. I tell them how it can make a difference in theirs. I tell them to visit a club to see what I mean.

TM Rukhsana Khan, CC, CL is a well known lawyer in Qatar. She works at the

law office of Gebran Majdalany. Many new members look up to her for her contribu-

tions and achievements in the club. She is the past secretary and immediate past VP

Membership of Qatar Toastmasters Club.

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Inside each of us there is an inner voice that keeps on nagging till it finds its way out. That is exactly what

happened with me three years ago when I heard about Toastmasters International. I felt that finally the nag-

ging voice inside me will settle down because it will be heard. I always felt that I had something to share

with others. I could not settle down to serving the world only as a wife and mother, I felt there was more to

contribute with.

Toastmasters was the window that opened to me amidst four cement walls to allow fresh air into come in

my life. A cozy and trustworthy fraternity of people who joined forces across the globe to develop each

other’s communication and leadership skills, what else can anyone aspire for?

Since I joined Qatar Toastmasters club, opportunities for development came one after the other. It helped

me develop my public speaking skills as well communication and leadership skills. I was involved in many

special events organized by the club that aimed as well to serve the Qatari community. This has stretched

my skills and added a new word to my professional dictionary that is “community service”.

Toastmasters is not a place for the passive and pessimistic. It is a vibrant community that encourages its

members to develop and excel each in his/her own way. It is an equal opportunity organization that com-

prises millions of people around the world that come from different nationalities, religions and beliefs, and

while we all value the importance of diversity, we never focus on those differences but embrace the poten-

tial value they might add for the sake of a better communicating community.

I always tell my friends that I found “Nevine” the day I found Toastmasters. Every meeting I attend, and every contest I compete in, adds a piece to the unsolved puzzle in my life. The puzzle that each of us has to

solve in their quest for their unique identity. It is rather ironic that up till three years ago, I had very few memories to share with my sons, but now the album is full of energetic images, trophies, inspirational speeches to the extent that I do not know where to start from.

Nevine Kamel , CC,CL is an experienced HR Consultant with 15 years

experience in talent management & development.


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Q1: When and why did you join Toastmasters? I officially joined Toastmasters on 1 October 2012. After attending a couple of meetings as a guest, I found Toastmasters to be fun, educational and useful to my life. So, I decided to join in order to become a well-rounded individual and make the most of my time in Qatar. Moreover, joining this global organization was an extremely easy process. It was really worth every penny I paid and more, compared to the benefits and development I achieved. Q2: How have you grown as a communicator and leader since you joined Toastmasters? I had no formal public speaking experience before joining Toastmasters. I could improve my speaking style within a short period after joining Toastmasters. Toastmasters gave me an outlet to bring out my hidden skills, and practice what I’ve learned after joining Toastmasters. Speaking about a number of dif-ferent topics has opened my mind to new and exciting ideas, and thinking critically about these ideas has shaped my personal views and opinions. My growth did not happen automatically. Mentoring, both received and given, contributed to the develop-ment of my communication and leadership skills. Initially I used to think I was doing great, but the feed-back received was different at times. The variety of regular feedback I got, made it a lot easier for me to improve. There are no limits to learning in Toastmasters and there are no boundaries for growth. I have still a long way to go before I become an effective leader and an impactful communicator. But it is a fun journey be-cause everyone works together and tries to learn together at the same time. Of all the organizations I’ve joined, Toastmasters has had the greatest positive impact on my life. I believe the benefits of membership extend far beyond simple public speaking skills. It opened up a whole new world of leadership opportunities before me. All in all, Toastmasters has made me a better person. I sin-cerely hope to grow even more as a speaker and leader, as well as a better human being, through Toastmas-ters. Q3: What do you like best about Qatar Toastmasters club? It is the diversity of the Club’s members who come from varied cultural backgrounds. The opportunity to meet and interact with an immensely wide variety of people of different nationalities is fantastic. Moreo-ver, the club has a high volume of members, both fresh and senior toastmasters. This environment enables me to gain different, rich and inspiring experiences. The club tries its best to make people welcomed and puts a strong emphasis on being supportive to the peo-ple around. I love being surrounded with so many talented people who believe in me, who are interested in seeing me continue to develop as a leader and communicator, who are successful leaders and great

Sarita Jacob, CC, CL works as Group HR Manager at MAS Holding, Qatar. She

completed her Competent Communicator at an outstanding speed and is already

pursuing her advance level speeches.

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CONT... communicators themselves. Q4: What have you done in Toastmasters to gain leadership experience? I tried to expand my leadership experience by continuously pushing myself out of my comfort zone, falling down, getting back up, falling down again and getting back up again. I challenged and stretched myself without stressing too far. And I couldn’t do it alone. A variety of regular feedback helped me greatly. However, an honest evaluation is not easy to hear. Initially, I did not like criticism at all. But the stings of those simple truths turned out to be beneficial for my growth. Listening to the words of wisdom from ex-perienced leaders and accepting corrections, without taking them personally, helped me a lot. I strongly believe in the words “Give and it will be given back to you.” I accepted the mentoring opportu-nities wholeheartedly. By helping others to do better, I could reinforce my learning and put my leadership skills to practice. Q5: What do you tell your friends and family about Toastmasters? In today’s world, public speaking and leadership are core skills needed for dealing with people. We are required to use these skills many times every single day. Toastmasters provides me invaluable experience in both these areas in a structured manner. The feeling of improvement and accomplishment that comes with each finished project in Toastmasters cannot be matched. You’ll grow fastest if you want to, not just if someone else wants you to. So, if you have the willingness to try Toastmasters, it is a proven fact that you will learn a lot from it. I have personally witnessed many peo-ple grow tremendously through Toastmasters, even though they came without any prior experience. Toastmasters is an amazingly inexpensive coaching place for personal development. The most important ingredients in this are your energy, enthusiasm and desire for learning. So, if you want to keep growing yourself and better yourself, step outside your comfort zone and make Toastmasters a habit.

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QTM CELEBRATES 10/10 DCPQTM CELEBRATES 10/10 DCPQTM CELEBRATES 10/10 DCP

http://dashboards.toastmasters.org/ClubReport.aspx?id=00002910

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GET TO KNOW ME GET TO KNOW ME GET TO KNOW ME

Most of you know me by my name, Eranga, I come from Sri Lanka; currently work-

ing as Salesman with Almana and Partners. My wife is an extravagant character who

plays a vital part in my life and we are blessed with two kids. No hidden secrets in

life. Every person whom I associate with knows in and out about me.

Toastmasters, I consider as the best thing that has ever happened to me next to my

family. I only wanted to improve my public speaking skills but it definitely has

changed my life. It’s completely responsible for the happy life I live today. The im-

pact is so much that it has given me inexplicable confidence both in life and character.

Wow, if it's toastmasters in Doha it definitely has to be Qatar Toastmasters. The value it brings to its members is

amazing. I have never seen such a community of people so eager to help one another and always wanting to see

their flag flying high. My special gratitude to our senior members who are mentors; for the painstaking efforts they

have taken for individuals like me in helping them achieve great heights.

- Eranga. W

I’m Dawood VST, a graduate Civil Engineer from Anna University, India in the

year 2010. I’m presently working for Galfar Al Misnad since Aug’12 as Civil Exe-

cution Engineer for buildings. I’m a proactive person, self motivated, professional-

ly competent individual, nonstop leaner and these are the qualities that I bring to

my work. I am overall equipped with nearly four years of experience in Indian and

Middle Eastern construction industries especially in Buildings.

There are many reasons for one to join Toastmasters Club. According to me, the

primary reason for joining toastmaster is to speak effectively and efficiently in a

group to express our thoughts explicitly.

I joined Qatar TM Club because of its cultural diversity and great learning environment. It’s a platform where

people overcome the fear of public speaking. QTM is the best TM club that I’ve ever seen so far.

-Dawood VST

23


My name is Kanchana Alupotha and I am from Sri Lanka. I worked as a Quantity Sur-

veyor back in Sri Lanka after graduating from University of Moratuwa. In year 2009,

after my marriage, I came to Qatar and joined hands with the Qatar Construction In-

dustry. Subsequently, in 2011, with the arrival of our little angel, I resigned from my

job and became a full time mother. This year however, I wish to hopefully re-start my

career again.

I decided to join Toastmasters’ club, as I desired to improve my skills and confidence

in presentation and leadership.

What I like about Qatar Toastmasters Club is that it’s a very organized club with loads

of help and encouragement offered by fellow Toastmasters. I am glad I joined here and

look forward to a valuable time ahead.

-Kanchana

Before I got to know the Toastmasters I used to think that I was a good speaker. The question is how you define a good speaker. A speaker might have confidence or audible and clear voice, or stage control. However, a good speaker is the one who can bring all these key skills onto a stage aligned with a story that not only will grab the audience's attention, but also will give them a message to take home, leave them with a question and a positive impression. I think that is a good speak-er. And when tackling projects through icebreaker to P10, I learned that I can be a good speaker by only reflecting the feedback I receive from my peers and by prac-ticing more and more until I know my story.

I work at Qatar Foundation as an Electronic Resource Management Specialist. That is heck of a long title. I love playing with new gadgets, writing blog posts on personal and professional development, and I love reading articles and books to help me understand life and understand myself.

Qatar Toastmasters is a unique place where many great people get together twice a month and help each other craft communication skills. I am lucky to be one of them. I have visited at least 5 different clubs, and I with full confi-dence can say that QTM is the most diverse and dynamic club. I am privileged to be a member of this club, and I look forward to achieving more during my membership.

-Seymur

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I am Saji Ben, completing my 10 eventful years in Qatar. I work for Hamad Medical Corporation as Head of IT support and I have enjoyed a successful career to date as an IT Service Management Professional. I am from India and living in Doha with my wife and 2 children. Sometime back, I realized that leadership and effective commutation skills are the strong pillars of the professional career. My search for a professional coach ended when I attended my first meeting at Qatar Toastmasters Club. What I like most about being in Qatar Toastmasters Club is the discipline and the gracious atmosphere among the members. Now I am proud to say that I am a member of Qatar Toastmasters Club.

-Saji

I come from Marburg, 100 km north of Frankfurt. I have one identical twin brother and one sister back in Germany. My parents also live back in Germany. I am working since April 2012 for Qatar Petroleum in the Research & Technology de-partment. Before coming to Qatar I worked for 6.5 years in Perth, Australia.

I joined Qatar Toastmasters because I wanted to improve my public speaking skills.

I like the professionalism with which the meetings are conducted.

-Stefan

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My name is Azeez Mohammed and I come from the southern part of India. I have been in Qatar for the last 3 years,

working at Tanween as a Senior Finance Consultant. Academically I am a quali-

fied Engineer and hold master’s in Finance. On a personal front, my family con-

sists of me, my wife and my 2 year old daughter.

I was looking forward for a platform wherein I could meet people, hone my skills

and in the process become an active social player. Toastmasters would be an ideal

platform to achieve my goals with the interesting format for skill development,

involving projects scoped around the objectives of breaking the ice, voice modula-

tion and research on one particular topic.

I look forward for a long term and constructive association with Toastmasters.

-Azeez

I am Denisa Palii. I was born in Romania. I am in Qatar for 1.5 years. I am the only child in the family until the age of 17 when a brother, which now is 8, popped out, and I became the elder sister. Story ended?! Not yet! 2years ago story con-tinued and I became the middle child as I found out I also have an 36 year old sister. So far I believe life is a story full with surprises. I joined toastmasters because what better way to enhance your communication and lead-ership skills? What safer environment to develop ourselves?! I love Qatar Toastmasters because of the warmth and the positivity in the air and the fact that is proves it’s possible to keep a fun and friendly environment within a formal meeting.

-Denisa

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As a new member to Qatar Toastmasters, it falls upon me to give you a brief

resume of who I am, what I do and what brings me to live and work in the

State of Qatar.

Born in 1962, my name is Ian Charles Gault and I am originally from the

great city of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

As a citizen of Northern Ireland, which, depending on your political view-

point, is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,

yet part of the island of Ireland, both British and Irish Governments lay claim

to jurisdiction over my country and in so doing, both say I am a citizen of

their respective countries – therefore I am both British and Irish and carry

passports for both.

I am a qualified architect and ran my own practice for over 20 years based in

Belfast before I made a career move in 2006 and entered the Loss Adjusting

and Risk Management profession.

In 2009, I was ‘headhunted’ by my present company, Axis International Middle East, a firm of Chartered

Loss Adjusters, Risk Managers, Surveyors and Marine Consultants, and moved from Northern Ireland to the

Gulf nearly five years ago, originally living in Bahrain before moving to Qatar nearly three years ago to estab-

lish an office presence here for Axis Adjusters Qatar (part of the Axis International Middle East group of

companies).

I am presently General Manager (Qatar Operations) and also Technical Director (Construction) with respon-

sibility for major construction risks and claims for all our offices around the Gulf (Jeddah, Riyadh and Al

Khobar in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Dubai, Sharjah, and of course here in Qatar).

On a personal level, I have been married and divorced twice, and am the proud father of five children ranging

in age from 29 to 11 years old and comprising three boys and two girls. My eldest son and his wife are about

to make me a granddad (although I feel way too young to be a granddad!!!)

I was introduced to Toastmasters by Samanthi Gamage, who shared her enthusiasm for the organization,

which, I must confess to having been ignorant of until then (I now know something of the organization’s his-

tory and am amazed I haven’t come across it before).

Being naturally gregarious and socially active, I found myself drawn to Toastmasters by its desire to enable

each of its members to be positively active and involved from Day 1, giving each member , including myself,

an equal opportunity for personal development at his own pace and level and offering encouragement and the

platform for him or her to develop social skills, rhetorical capability and fully exploit his or her leadership

potential.

I am of the opinion that the interaction of cultures, races and nationalities here in Qatar, and in particular in

the local Toastmasters clubs, brings an added quality to Toastmasters membership that may be lacking in a

more monotheistic culture such as the one I come from and it is this interaction that has a fascinating and

powerful attraction for me.

I look forward to being an active member of the club insofar as my work commitments allow (I travel quite extensively and my position within my company and the work it undertakes puts me in a position where I am on 24 hour call 7 days a week).

27

It’s Never Too LateIt’s Never Too LateIt’s Never Too Late

By TM Cipriano ColladoBy TM Cipriano ColladoBy TM Cipriano Collado

Were you once a shy and timid person? Have you ever experienced standing in

front of people and being too nervous to speak? If you have, don’t lose hope. We

can overcome it because like you I also experienced the same … but like some of us

here learned from the just concluded Leadership Workshop, we should never stop learning and I be-

lieve that while we are leading, in my case as a father and a workmate, we’re also learning….

continuously. So I believe that It’s Never Too Late for us folks.

My name is Cipriano Collado, Jr. Some people misspelled my first name as “CYPRINO” and pronounced

my last name as “COLADO”. So I have to correct it. My first name spells – C I P R I A N O and my last

should be pronounced “COL YADO”. I was named after my late father - Cipriano Sr. who’s a retired

World War Two veteran. Actually he was a war hero and responsible for the mass slaughter of Japanese

soldiers during the war. My mother, named Resureccion, was a plain housewife. I am a naturalized Filipi-

no citizen and spent all my primary, secondary and tertiary education in the Philippines . I was one of

the four firstborn children of my father and I was the 3rd one among the firstborns. Actually, my parents

were both in widowhood when they met and both have children from previous relationships. My father

has six children while my mother has five. During my childhood, I was so shy, introvert and timid. This

behavior which really saddened me, was carried through my adolescence and until my adulthood. In edu-

cation, although I was the beneficiary of my father’s educational benefit earned for serving in the military,

I still struggled while in college because I had to work as a security guard to support my unemployed

mother as my father was not able to give her financial support when they were separated due to some dif-

ferences and misunderstandings. In college I took up BS Psychology in an attempt to understand the be-

haviors of the people around me and also myself to know what I really want to do in my life. Actually I

have a talent in the field of art specifically, drawing or sketching but I did not hone that skill which I re-

gretted later in my life. I was in the last year in college when I was assigned to work in a busy office envi-

ronment. For that reason, I was not able to complete the remaining practicum hours and a subject required

to complete my college course since I devoted most of my time to work.

While in the Philippines, I had a girlfriend who was my former officemate. Our relationship bore fruit – a

boy. But due to some personal reasons and some differences, we parted ways and our child was left in her

care. I went on with my life until an opportunity to work here in Qatar knocked on my door. And because

I was not earning enough in the Philippines, I grabbed the opportunity. While here in Qatar , I exchanged

love letters with another friend which eventually led to marriage. We were blessed with three children.

Two are still studying here in Philippine School Doha while the other one is already in the Philippines

pursuing her college education. Right now I have a strong conviction that my children should not grow

shy like me and must develop strong personality and become leaders in their own right and I will person-

ally train them to attain this goal and as I learned from our Leadership Seminar, we must continue learn-

ing as long as we are leading and I strongly believe that IT IS NEVER TOO LATE……

28

It’s Now or NeverIt’s Now or NeverIt’s Now or Never

By TM Fathima Shajitha,CCBy TM Fathima Shajitha,CCBy TM Fathima Shajitha,CC

A young man was walking on the wet seashore. He saw some fishermen at sea cast-

ing their nets and catching fish for the day. Curiosity made him approach them and

take a closer look. He noticed that one of them was carefully removing the smaller

fish from his net and putting them into his basket. However, to the young man’s ab-

solute surprise the fisherman was throwing the bigger fish back into the sea. He was puzzled and asked

him “Hey, what you are doing?”

“Catching fish for dinner.” The fisherman casually replied.

“Then why are you throwing away all those big fish?” the young man inquired.

“I am not that rich you know; I only have a tiny frying pan, he answered.

Do you think the fisherman was foolish to do what he did?

Yes indeed. Instead of cutting the larger fish to fit his frying pan, the fisherman threw away his precious

catch back into the ocean.

We are not unlike this fisherman my friends. How many times have we cast away our bigger dreams and

opportunities, fearing they were not just right for us? Doubting this to be the right time for change and

growth?

I was in a similar situation, immediately after my Post Graduate studies. I decided to work temporarily at

a coaching centre to gain some teaching experience. It was a mixed college. On the very first day when I

entered the class, I scanned the unfamiliar faces of the students. Instantly, I felt nervous and confused. A

chill ran down my spine, my palms felt moist with sweat when I absorbed not only the large number but

also their size, in terms of physical appearance! There were around 90 students and some of them didn’t

even look like students, they seemed older than me!

Usually, it’s the students who were scared of the teacher, but in my case it was the teacher who was

scared of the students. I went absolutely blank, forgetting everything that I had prepared the previous

night. I wanted the floor to cave under me and swallow me up! That however is not how things happen in

real life and so I summed up my courage and decided to face my fate. The following day offered no com-

fort. Without losing hope I tried my luck but with no success. I was convinced that teaching was not the

right profession for me. I cursed myself; I felt anger rising inside me compelling me to blame my parents

for not bringing me up as a confident individual. Finally I declared myself a failure and decided to give up

on my dream of becoming a teacher. When the bell rang, I hurried to the principal’s office and informed

him about my resignation.

He looked at me and said “Fathima, if you leave this job now, it won’t affect us very much. However it

may affect your whole life, your self-confidence will be lost forever, and then you won’t be able to come

back to this profession at all. My advice for you is to continue here for a few more months. I can help

you.” Hanging on to hope and the principal’s words by a bare thread, I decided to give it one more try. He

assisted me in taking up classes, gave me moral support, motivated me and tried to boost my confidence.

Gradually I could manage taking classes on my own. I even managed to inject some fear into those very

students who had looked intimidating when I first began.

29

Cont…..

It was when I joined a regular college after six months that I started to enjoy teaching. In addition to aca-

demic work, I was assigned the role of staff secretary of the college. On one occasion, representing the

whole staff, I had to deliver a speech before the entire college. I prepared my speech the day before but

did not practice it as we do at Toastmasters. Though I was somewhat nervous, I embarked on my speech

confidently. Unfortunately I noticed from the corner of my eye that Principal was looking at me and lis-

tening to my speech. In an instant, I lost self-control; my voice started to quiver, I forgot my sentences

and seemed dazed. To date I do not have a clue as to how I concluded my speech. That day I took a deci-

sion. Avoid any roles that demands speaking in front of an audience. I remained as a teacher, never ven-

turing into public speaking. I kept my deepest desire of becoming a confident individual locked away in

my heart never trusting myself to make an attempt.

When I came to Qatar, I made a resolution. “I will use this opportunity by doing whatever I can do to be-

come a confident speaker”. I stepped into this prestigious club where I joined with a hope making my

dream a reality. But when I started my journey at Toastmasters, there was an obstacle that I could not

ignore. The Table Topics session. First I thought I wouldn’t be able to continue my journey. I thought that

this was going to be yet another dead-end. Then a little voice inside me recalled the wise words of the

principal; “If you do not use this opportunity you will remain as you are forever”. Following the footsteps

of some toastmasters I took up different roles, with the sole hope of not being called as a table topic

speaker. The strong desire for change along with the encouraging words from my mentor TM Thayalan

and fellow Toastmasters, and the strong support from my family helped me to hold on to my dream of be-

coming a confident person.

Today I am not the best of speakers, but I am a better speaker, not the best of leaders, but a better leader,

definitely a different person, a changed individual. Today I have the courage to stand in front of you, to

speak before you, to share my experience with this audience. I am not comparing myself to any toastmas-

ter. But I compare myself with what I was yesterday, I compare myself to the speaker I was all those years

ago. Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates once said, “Don’t compare yourself with anyone

in this world; if you do so, you are insulting yourself”. Today I feel that I am a different person, even

though I have a long way to go. It gives me the courage to believe in myself, it gives me self-confidence,

the power to pursue my dreams.

Dear friends, be not like the fisherman. Don’t throw away your dreams no matter how big or unattainable

they may seem at the beginning. Believe in your own abilities, and chase after your dreams. If you want to

feel a difference in your life this is the right time for change. It is now or never.

30

George Thomas, DTM

Immediate Past International Director 2011-2013

District 79 Governor- 2009-2010

Division E Governor- 2005-2006

Area 18 Governor- 2003-2004

TM Subha Anupindi

LGET District 20 - 2013-2014

LGM District 20 - 2012-2013

Division E Governor- 2010-2011

District PRO 2009-2010

Raghavan N.V, DTM

Asst. Div E Governor for Marketing 2012-2013

Area 18 Governor 2010-2011

Shoiab Kasem, DTM


Virendranath, DTM

Division E PRO 2009-2010

Thayalan K


Thomas Joseph

Division E PRO 2013-2014

Koka Prasad

District 79 International Speech Champion

2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010

Mohan Varghese, DTM

District 79 Secretary 2007-2008

Juttas Paul

Area 18 Governor 2013-2014 31

VISION

“Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams.

Through our member clubs, people throughout the world can improve their communication and leader-

ship skills, and find the courage to change.”

MISSION

“Toastmasters International is the leading movement devoted to making effective oral communication a

worldwide reality.

Through its member clubs, Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts of

speaking, listening and thinking - vital skills that promote self actualization, enhance leadership

potential, foster human understanding and contribute to the betterment of mankind.

It is basic to this mission that Toastmasters International continually expand its worldwide network of

clubs thereby offering ever-greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from its programs.”

REFERENCES

Toastmasters International Website : http://www.toastmasters.org

DISCLAIMER

This magazine is published for internal circulation among the members of Qatar Toastmasters Club, to

promote the ideas and goals of Toastmasters International. Editor does not take the responsibility for the

authenticity / opinion of the articles / authors, published. Toastmasters International and its logos are

trademarks registered in the USA, Canada and many other countries.

GO GREEN

To save the trees and to leave planet earth with all its flora and fauna to our future generations, this

magazine is circulated to members only electronically. Think before you print this.

FEEDBACK

Your valuable feedback is very important for us to improve further as for every Toastmasters activity.

Please remember to send your feedback, comments, suggestions etc. to [email protected] or

[email protected]. Thank you!

Toasted Tidings April 2014

Documents

Transcript of Toasted Tidings April 2014