voice of dunes dec '07

President’s Message

Overcome your fear.

Join a Toastmasters Club

today!

Jathin AbrahamPresidentDunes Toastmasters Club

Voice of Dunes December 20071

Volume 2 Issue 1 Dec 2007Club No. 919010, District 79, Chartered 2006 The Semi-Annual Newsletter of Dunes Toastmasters Club

In this issue > >

Contests > Pg 2-9Special Feature Personally Speaking

> Pg 10-11Justforkix> Pg 12-13

Club News> Pg 14-15

On behalf of all the members of the Dunes Toastmaster’s Club I am happy to present our first

newsletter for this term.

As the New Year opens with the Club Contests, let’s all resolve to make amends and recharge

ourselves. In my opinion, if there is one thing we should all get personal about, that should be

self-improvement. Isn't that why we joined Toastmasters in the first

place? Let’s all set some ambitious goals and focus on advanc-

ing our speaking, organizing and leadership skills.

I now look forward to an exciting round of club contests.

With the existing and budding talent pool within Dunes, I

am sure we will come across as strong contenders in the

Area level contest.

I take this opportunity to wish each of you a successful year

ahead ! Happy Toastmastering in the year 2008!

From the Editor’s Desk

“According to most studies,

people's number one fear is public

speaking. Number two is death.

This means to the average person,

if you go to a funeral, you're better

off in the casket than doing the

eulogy.” ~ Jerry Seinfeld

One month ago when this newsletter was a mere twinkle in my

eye, I spent sleepless nights trying to figure out what this issue

should focus on. And then it struck me like a bolt of lightning!

With the club contests just around the corner, what better topic

to focus on than CONTESTS? So here you go Toastmasters, a

whole feature on contests, packed with pearls of wisdom from

Toastmasters who have been there, done that. I am sure you will

find a lot of the content in this issue both thought provoking

and useful .

Many thanks to all those who’ve chipped in to make this issue

happen.

Good luck with the contests!

Here’s wishing you all a brilliant year ahead!

MTM Shereen Saifudeen

VP Public Relations

The Contest Connection

A contest is a wonderful opportunity to

compare yourself with others from your Club,

Area, Division, District etc. and gain some knowl-

edge of where you stand in comparison, in the

opinion of others.

I have seen a few contests since joining

Toastmasters and believe me, it is a wonderful

experience; especially if you are one of the

participants. The eagerness for winning, the

shine in the eyes when you look at the trophies

that are displayed, the teamwork, the cheering

for your club representative in the contest, the

tension before the performance, the good

natured competition, well meaning comments

and suggestions, the no holds barred applause;

all of these make each contest experience

unique, and the further you go in the contests,

the more acute becomes all of the above.

Wonderful ExperienceI have also seen a lot of Toastmasters (including

myself ) who thought that they were very good

speakers learn the truth and be brought down

to earth, the hard way in the annual contest

season. Most of these unsuccessful participants

take it in the right spirit; however there are a few

who crib about the contest and about every-

thing associated with the contest – the selection

of judges, the contest chair, the timers, the

position of the timing device, the selection of

the venue, the acoustics in the hall, the sergeant

at arms, the pencils that were handed out, you

name it, there are so many reasons for this

person to lose and the actual winner to take his

rightful place. Luckily, this lot is few in number

and the numbers in this group keep coming

down.

Making the ConnectionAccording to me, my most important learning

from the contests is the meaning of connection.

A good speaker may do a good job of drafting a

speech, delivering in a powerful voice with

excellent body language and voice modulation,

but if you do not connect with the audience,

then you will never win. This is the same in life,

how many times have you come out of a cinema

hall and made your judgement that the movie

was no good?

Have you ever thought why you made that

judgement? The reason is the movie did not

connect with you. It is the same for any public

appearance or performance; be it a speech, a

mono-act, a drama, a dance, a ballet, a musical,

whatever. To succeed the performer must

connect with the heart or the mind or the brain

of the audience. A performer who connects gets

called for a repeat performance almost

always.

I hope this contest season will help us all to learn

to connect to the audience and here’s wishing

the Dunes Toastmasters Club All the Very Best

for this festive season and for the New Year

2008.

On why it is important to connect with your audience

A good speaker may do a good

job of drafting a speech, deliver-

ing it in a powerful voice with

excellent body language and

voice modulation but if you don't

connect with the audience, then

you will never win.

Eipe Eapen. C AC(S), AL(B)Asst. Division Governor MarketingDivision J, District 79

M: 050 451 6822E: [email protected]

Special Feature


Bill Clinton is known to have an unparalleled ability to connect with the public.

Here’s Bob Ramsay’s take on how he does it:

1. Eye Contact: He looks at you half a second longer than is appropriate. He uses his eyes as a

speaking tool to connect emotionally with his audience.

2. Gestures, Body language & Vocal variety: He is 'dynamic'. He moves his hands, his arms,

his head, his neck. His voice up and down, fast and slow, loud and soft. Everything is moving

nearly all the time, which presented an attractive image for people to pay attention to.

3. Simple Language: He hardly ever uses abstract English. ,You're rarely hear Bill Clinton say:

"We must create viable social options." Instead, he'll say: "You deserve to have more choices and

better ones too."

How Bill connects with his audience

Source: ReportonBusiness.com - Excerpt from an interview with Bob Ramsay

It’s Competition Time!

visiting other countries.

As you know, last GTAC was conducted in Doha,

Qatar and next one will be conducted in Bahrain

and trips to these places can also be coupled

with pleasure trips.

Invariably educational and training sessions

conducted by eminent toastmasters will be part

of these meetings. Therefore it is also an

excellent opportunity to update your knowl-

edge, clear doubts and get trained.

There are also many other hidden benefits for

those who organize such meetings. Many

Toastmasters behind the scene benefit by doing

various role-plays. Master of Ceremony, Contest

Chair person, Judges, timers, Tally counters,

Target speakers, Sergeant at arms etc. are some

of them. These apart, many organizational roles

are there outside the meeting, such as arranging

venue, speakers, judges, accommodation,

transport, entertainment, food etc. Needless to

say, all these provide opportunities to enhance

leadership, communication and organizational

skills of many Toastmasters involved.

The competition time in your Club is fast

approaching. Remember, only once in a year you

get such an opportunity. So dear Toastmasters,

take part in the contests and reap the benefits.

Let me quote the Olympic creed, “The most

important thing in Olympic Games is not to win

but to take part, just as the most important thing

in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The

essential thing is not to have conquered but to

have fought well.”

“Swifter, Higher, Stronger.” This is the motto of Olympics. Olympic Games

and World Cup Soccer are conducted once in

four years and heroes are born through these

competitions. Competitions provide opportuni-

ties to excel and it is the shortest route to many

achievements.

One has to compete to get admitted to a good

school or college, to get employment, to get

promoted and to achieve anything and every-

thing. Nobody can avoid competition in the

modern day world. In a democratic system,

leaders are elected through competition. No

wonder, it has become a part of our everyday

life.

Toastmasters are no exception. Competitions in

Toastmasters take place at various levels – Club,

Area, Division, District, Regional and Interna-

tional. Toastmasters consider competitions as

great opportunities to put their abilities to test

and identify their grey areas so that they can

improve performance by honing their skills.

Competition enhances creativity. Taking part in

a competition itself is enough to boost one’s

self-confidence. It is always a great enjoyment

and a wonderful experience.

BenefitsEven attending a Toastmasters contest has its

own benefits. Listening to eminent speakers and

learning new techniques, meeting and chatting

with international celebrities who have excelled

in speech competitions, meeting friends from

other Toastmaster Clubs, exchanging informa-

tion with other Toastmaster Club Officers and

The benefits of participating in contests

M. K Rajan. CLMember of Lagoon Toastmasters Club

Competition enhances creativity.

Taking part in a competition itself

is enough to boost one’s self-

confidence.

Remember, only once a year you

get such an opportunity. So take

part in contests and reap the

benefits.

Special Feature

Voice of Dunes December 2007 3

The Club level contest is a fantastic opportunity to enrich your Toastmaster experience.You can participate in the contest in 3 ways, as a: Contestant Volunteer or as a Member of the audience

Which ever role you decide to take on in the upcoming contests, you are guaranteed to learn something new. So don't miss out!

Get Involved, Experience a whole new level of Toastmastering

The Winning Mantra

The mantra for winning a speech contest is

"PPP" - Preparation, Practice and Presentation.

In each of these, there are a another three

hidden "Ps". They are Perspiration, Perseverance

and Patience.

The First ‘P’: PreparationWhichever contest you are attempting each has

its own preparation.

You may ask what is there to prepare for a Table

topics? I will say collect good amount of quotes

on different topics. Think of the people there or

events that took place on the day of the contest,

and try and use these in your reply. Try to

remember some jokes that you could use with

what you are talking about. Do these not

account for your preparation?

Then if you are going for the Humorous contest,

do not borrow jokes from the internet. I am sure

most of you are married, go back in time, you

may be able to get some funny incident or an

other that can be made into a story, and if you

happened to learn something out of it, then

great, it can be your theme for the International

speech as well.

There are also lot of opportunities with your

children, recollect and turn them into a story.

What ever be your material do not worry. Even if

it seems to be silly write it down. Put it aside for a

couple of days. In the meantime carry a pocket

book and try to note down any incident that

catches your attention. Later these can be

incorporated in the script. Try to make the body

of the speech bigger and bigger. Once you have

a good amount of script ready, say a 1000 words,

start to edit your speech. Remove all the filler

words - ands, sos etc. and you will be surprised

to see that you have less than 800 words. Now

work on this again to get a good 500 words.

Once you are happy with your script, select a

good opening and closing for your speech, you

could take help from your spouse, children, a

close friend and also from your mentors for this.

I am sure you know that a good speech is all

about telling them what you are going to tell

them, then telling them that and then telling

them what you told them. Decide on the title of

your the speech only at the very end. You may

think about names for your children but you

name them only after they are born, isn't that

right?

The Second ‘P’: PracticeAfter your script is ready, just read it aloud into a

tape-recorder and listen to it a few times. If you

are not happy with it, write and rewrite the

portions you did not like and try to improve on

your pronunciations. When in doubt, try to

substitute the word with a simpler one. You

don't want your adrenaline pumping during

your speech now do you?

Then comes the evaluation. There is no better

evaluator in this world than you!!!

Surprised? Then record your speech with a

handy cam and view it, you will understand what

I mean. I not only suggest that you watch it a

couple of time, I suggest you watch it during

different times of the day. Watch it when you are

happy, when you are relaxed and even when you

are in a hurry. At each of these times you may see

some thing different. Make a note of these and

then modify your delivery. When you are fairly

happy with this, you can now move on to the

third ‘P’ - Presentation.

The Third ‘P’: PresentationType your script in bold letters. Leave good

margins on each side (this is where you will

mark your staging).

Separate your paragraphs. My suggestion here is

to make one paragraph for each thought or each

point you want to say. Give separate colours, use

italics, bold or underline words you want to

emphasize. Our mind registers things better if

they are manipulated to enhance our visuals.

Remember then margins you left to write your

staging? This is what separates an ordinary

speaker from an extraordinary speaker. On the

margins write where you would be standing

while delivering a particular sentence.

For example if you are emphasizing a point you

want to come closer to the audience. And when

you complete your point, you want to go back to

Tips on how to prepare, practice and present your speech

Incorporate humour into your

speech. And when I say humour, I

mean good, original and really

polished humour.

It will give you the winning edge

over your opponents.

R. Sunderrajan, AC G/CLDivision Governor Division J, District 79

M: +97150 549 5829E: [email protected]

Special Feature


Collect quotes on different topics. They will come in real handy during Table Topics.

Don’t borrow jokes from the Internet. Use original humour - incidents from real life are often times funnier and more powerful than recycled internet humour.

Keep a pocket book to jot down any interesting ideas. Write down anything that catches your attention, no matter how silly it is.

Work on the body of your speech first. Once you are happy with that then focus on creating a really good opening and conclusion.

Decide on the title of your speech at the very end, after you have prepared your ‘winning’ speech.

non-verbally to convey that your thought.

You must also move to either side of the stage, if

you have different points to the same topic. You

may move horizontally and stop at different

spots if you are going to convey different roles,

like I was a trainee, move, I became a supervisor,

move, I became a manager, move further, now I

have been promoted as the executive manager

for the entire Middle east and Asia operations.

These staging techniques are used effectively by

actors and dancers. Dancers actually mark

squares on the stage so that only they know of

their existence and they memorize all the

coordinates of the stage. There is one popular

champion toastmaster who actually blindfolds

himself and moves around the stage while he is

rehearsing.Another technique is to visit the

venue a couple of times earlier and try to

rehearse your speech.If there are audio equip-

ment try them quite well in advance. These can

make or break your speech.

Get good guidance on the use of these, specially

the clip on microphones. There is no better way

to irritate the audience than to tap on the clip

microphone in the name of testing. Do not bend

down into the clip on to check your voice. Will

you be bending your head while delivering your

speech?

Another important thing to note is the use of

props. As far as possible avoid electronic props

for your six minute speech. According to TMI, the

timing will start if you come on stage and try to

adjust it. You will have to place the prop just in

the one minute allowed for the judges and once

you are introduced you will have to act on your

own. Take care of this or you may overstep your

time.

Now I myself feel the perspiration on my hands.

So Toastmasters, the very important thing I

would like to tell you before I close this is try to

incorporate humour and when I say humour I

mean good, original and really polished humour.

It will give you the winning edge over your

opponents.


P reparat ion T ips

Read your script aloud into a tape-recorder and listen to it a few times. Write and rewrite the parts of your speech you did not like.

Improve your pronunciation.

Don't stumble over difficult words. Simply substitute the word with a simpler one that is easier to remember and pronounce.

Record your speech and observe your body language and delivery. Make note of areas that need improvement and work on these.

P rac t ice T ips

Use a wide margin on either sides of your script and make note of the staging techniques you wish to use during your speech delivery.

Get to grips with the audio equipment available at the venue.

If you need to use a clip microphone, test this well in advance. There is no better way to irritate the audience than to tap on the clip microphone in the name of testing.

Avoid using electronic props for a 5-7 minute speech.

P resentat ion T ips

Special Feature

How to make a connection5 ways great speakers connect with their audience

The art of public speaking is actually

the art of connecting. And the people

we remember most are not those

with the smartest commentary or

sharpest wit. We remember people

we feel we connected with. ~ Penelope Trunk

Special Feature


1. Tell storiesA good way to make connections is telling stories. Stories that we construct from the pieces of

our lives are particularly powerful and makes people remember us.

2. Look deeply at individuals in the audienceRather than scanning the audience constantly, look at one person until you’ve made one point.

Get out the whole idea before you let your eyes move to the next person.

3. Be honest about how you’re doingComedian Esther Ku says the best thing to do when you can tell you’re not connected is to

acknowledge it. “If a joke fails, I poke fun at myself so I show the audience that I’m aware of what’s

going on.”

4. Smile, even if it’s fakeIf you smile at your audience, they are likely to smile back. And a smile engenders good feelings

and a true connection - even if the smile is forced, because we are pretty bad at recognizing a

fake smile.

5. RelaxA fake smile is okay. But overwhelming nerves is not. And audience can read uptight pretty

clearly, and they don’t like it - it’s not inspiring or trustworthy.

Butterflies in your stomach?Tips on how to control nervousness

Source: Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist

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> Relax. Deep breaths and a few yawns are a marvelous way of de-stressing.

> Don't apologize. Apologizing only draws attention to the things you really don't want or need attention to be drawn to and

which the majority of your target audience didn't even notice.

> Turn the anxiety into positive energy. Gather your nervous energy and transform it into positive, motivating enthusiasm and dynamism.

> Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.

> Understand that people WANT you to succeed. Your audience will want you to be stimulating. They want you to be informative and they want you to be

entertaining. Once you realize this then you can RELAX and enjoy your message, enjoy your rapport with

the audience and enjoy the whole process.

No Jokes!What to do when your humour backfires

Special Feature


Give your audience time to laugh! Use pauses to allow your humor to sink in. Your pauses send cues to your audience that they are

encouraged to ponder your words, and react accordingly. If they aren't laughing, it may be

because you’re not allowing them the opportunity to laugh. Take a breath now and then and

watch the laughter flow.

For those competing in contests, realize that the larger the audience you speak to, the longer

the audience takes to laugh. Don’t get disqualified because your 7 minute speech at the club

level goes 7 minutes fifteen seconds at the Area Contest and then at the Division level laughter

pushes its time to seven and three quarters of a minute. Plan accordingly so you can listen to

your audience's laughter without it disrupting your speech's timing.

An excerpt from Craig Harrison’s (DTM, PDG): Your Audience Speaks, Are You Listening?

Source: John Kinde’s Humorpower - www.humorpower.com

Power of Pause

> Pretend you were serious.Humor, properly delivered, should be a surprise. If your punch-line bombed, don't let your

audience know that YOU thought it was funny.

The “look of expectation” is what gives you away. It is that look on your face which begs for a

laugh. It is the same look your dog gives you at the dinner table waiting for a scrap from your

plate.

> Learn why your joke failed When a joke dies, one of the main things you should do is to learn from it.

After the talk, take some notes. Analyze the structure of the line. Look at the pacing and delivery

of the words. Were the funny connections relevant to the audience? Was the punch line buried?

A bad joke should receive a good autopsy.

> Use saversSome speakers use savers or bomb-lines to rescue them from a bad line:

“That is the last time I will use a joke that Fred gave me.”

“That line was funny when I practiced it.”

“Some of these lines are just for me.”

“Is this thing on?’ (Tapping on the microphone)

“My dog laughed when he heard that story”

> Make a serious point. “The reason I told you that story was….” In a speech, hopefully all your humor makes a point, so

this technique should be easy to use.

> Never explain the joke. Explaining a joke only makes a bad situation worse. Remember the “pretend you were serious”

advice.

Chances are you’ve told a

funny story at some point

and nobody has laughed.

What do you do when that

happens?

Contests - a humbling experience

With over one and a half years of experience

behind us as toastmasters, Dunes TMC is now

moving towards the 2nd round of club contests.

Within 6 months of formation we were fortunate

enough to be guided by our mentors to an

extent that we decided to give the contests at

the Club level and Area level our best shot. For us

it was more about making a mark at the Area

level than actually winning. Winning a prize at

the evaluation only gave our dedication a

boost.

After having seen the contests and faced the

heat their, I have for sure learnt a few tips from

the experience.

A club contest season consists of normally four

categories which are:

1. Table Topics

2. Evaluation

3. Humorous Speech

4. International Speech

I was lucky enough to represent the club for

three of the above except Table Topics.

Table Topics: Do’s & Don'tsAfter the club contests of the Table topics I

wanted to know why I failed and I spoke to the

mentors and judges who were present there..

This is where I started realizing the mistakes we

make without actually realizing that we make it.

In a Table topic contest, it is very important that

we form an opinion about the question or the

topic given. Most of the topics are hypothetical

and how we react to it is left to our discretion..

However, it is important that we take a position -

either we accept it or we don’t. For instance,

when I was asked the “Most interesting place in

UAE” , instead of naming a specific place in UAE I

spoke about all the places in UAE. This should

not be the case.

The other most important point to remember is

that whatever we say - it should have a definite

Introduction, Body and Conclusion.

This rule of thumb is applicable for Table Topics

as well.

Above all, always remember to respect the timer.

I always make it a point to start my conclusion

when I see the amber light.

Evaluation Tips In the evaluation session, I always try and pick

out a sentence from the speech which strikes me

most and begin with that as the Intro.

When it comes down to evaluation, we often

seen evaluators speaking a great deal about the

speaker’s history and speech details. Remember,

our role as evaluators is to evaluate the process

and not the speaker or the specifics of the

speech.

Try and visualize all the projects you have done

in the Competent Communicators manual and

see how he or she has addressed the speech

objectives. Again the golden rule is to make sure

that there is an Intro, Body and conclusion.

POSE which is a method of evaluation, is always

a sure shot method to do it in a structured way.

POSE is an acronym for Positives, Objectives,

Suggestions and Encouragement.

Tackling Humour In the Humourous speech, which I must admit is

the toughest competition, it is important to

know the audience. The first step to a good

humourous speech is to make sure that your

speech caters to the audience.

In my experience, I have always found the

humourous speech more difficult to do than

other speeches because the judges (who are

also part of the audience) can be from different

walks of life. Sometimes what is very funny for

you can be offensive for someone.

Last year when I did my Humourous speech at

the club level, I was awarded the first prize and I

thought is was funny, especially my take on

different nationalities including mine. But at the

Area level, after I presented my speech, my

mentors told me that my take on nationalities

did not gel well with some of the judges.

I am not saying I lost because of that. Mine

wasn’t the most funny one in any case. My

speech could only trigger giggles where as there

were some other contestants who made me

laugh my heart out. (I don’t laugh so easily at

A Toastmaster’s contest experience and tricks of the trade

Whatever contest you are taking

part in, my advice would be to

practice, practice and practice.

Keep yourself thinking all the

time and always look out for a

great topic.

Contests bring out the best in you.

You meet people who are as good

as or much better than you are. It

is for sure an eye opener.

Sajit Raja, CC

Special Feature


laughter from the audience is a message that

they are enjoying the speech.

Try to look for topics and some proverbs and see

how you attack those over a Table topic session.

These are some do it yourself tips.

Contest season is a season I love, because it

brings out the best in you. You meet people who

are as good as or much better than you are. It is

for sure and eye opener. Take my word for it -

push yourself in the contest and enjoy a

different level of public speaking.

Best of luck and what are you waiting for?

jokes because I come from a place where the

normal level of humour is very high J).

Don’t ever lift internet comedy and present it as

it is. Try to use them in conjunction with your

experience. Spouse bashing or Toastmaster

bashing are the most highly infectious topics

which will bring out laughter, but it should be

done with good taste. Timing is everything in

humour and it is important that you anticipate

the giggles and laughter and give the required

pauses in between.

International speech International speech contest is the most impor-

tant and widely contested contests at all levels.

Most important for the sheer distance it can take

you literally and figuratively. One amongst us

can be probably a winner of the international

contest not just at the club or area level but also

at the international level. With my limited experi-

ence, I have seen speeches that are really power-

ful and hard hitting making it to the winner’s

podium. Speeches that move the audience with

their motivation or inspirational level are the

ones that are chosen for the contests. If you are a

good speaker you can even speak on a humour-

ous topic and win the contest, something that

happened at the Gavalier’s club this year, but

then you really need to be confident to take that

chance.

One thing that I found odd during the contests is

that the International speeches are in some way

connected to personal tragedies. I do not know

why people choose that as a topic, perhaps it

works well to bring all the emotions and feelings

in your speech and perhaps the Bollywood style

of a blockbuster hit also lingers in their mind.

Do-it-yourself TipsWhatever the contest you are taking part in, my

advice would be to practice, practice and

practice. Keep yourself thinking all the time and

always look out for a great topic.

Try and attend the club meeting in other clubs

and make sure you attend the maximum

number of contests that are going on around

you. Always prepare the speech in advance and

get it mentored by a specialist, if possible by

more than one mentor.

Try to use humour in your speeches and get

used to it as “Humour” moves any audience and


8th Jan, 2008 > Humorous Speech Contest

> Table Topics

15th Jan, 2008 > International Speech Contest

> Evaluation

EligibilityTo be eligible to compete , an individual must:

1. Be a member in good standing of the club in which he or she is competing. A new, dual or

reinstated member must have dues and membership application current with World

Headquarters.

2. Have completed at least 6 manual speeches in the Competent Communication manual

prior to the club contest. However, a charter member of a club chartered since the previous

July 1 may compete without having completed six manual speeches in the Competent

Communication manual.

Speech Subject And Preparation1. Contestants must prepare their own speeches, which must be substantially original.

2. Each contestant must complete the Speaker’s Certification of Eligibility and Originality and

submit it to the chief judge prior to the contest.

3. Any quoted material must be so identified during the speech presentation.

4. Humorous Speech must be thematic in nature (opening, body, and close), not a mono-

logue (series of one-liners).

5. Table topics should lead to an opinion or conclusion.

Timing of the Speeches

International Speech 5 - 7 min Less than 4 min 30s OR More than 7 min 30s

Humorous Speech 5 - 7 min Less than 4 min 30s OR More than 7 min 30s

Evaluation 2 - 3 min Less than 1 min 30s OR More than 3 min 30s

Table Topic 2 min Less than 1 min OR More than 2 min 30s

Contest Rules

Duration Disqualification

Source: Toastmasters International Speech Contest Rulebook 2008

“It takes one hour of preparation for

each minute of presentation time."

~ Wayne Burgraff

So, Practice! Practice!!Practice!!!

Club Contest DatesTo register for the club contest, contact your VP Education:TM Anwar HussainE: [email protected]

Special Feature

Flattered!

I have heard that imitation is the sincerest form

of flattery. Recently I had an opportunity to get

flattered and thought of sharing this experience

with you all!

The first year of my journey in Toastmasters was

very exciting. Since I had set a goal to become a

Competent Communicator in a year’s time, I

used to spend a lot of time Toastmastering. I

should say that my family was bearing the brunt

of this. Whenever I used to practice vocal variety

and try to bring that ‘punch’ to the concluding

lines, my wife would come running and say

“Quiet! Quiet! Our neighbours will think that we

are having a fight.”

Big DreamsMy little daughter used to be a witness to all of

this but little did I know that I was unintention-

ally mentoring her! She would watch me

practice the speeches and then she would start

imitating me. We always had a good laugh about

this. I never seriously considered this until

recently when the Inter School DALA youth

festivals were announced. As usual we were

about to give in her names for the music

contests, then my daughter came running to me

and said “Dad, can I join for Elocution as well? I

want to walk up and down and shout and speak”.

I did a quick evaluation of her chances to win

and said “Darling, you will be the junior most (she

is 8+) in your category and it will be very tough to

compete with students of 13 years of age, and that

too against the very best talents from their schools!

Anyway, if you are particular, I will include your

name, participation is more important”.

Chip off the Ol’ blockWe sat down together and wrote a small speech

of 4 to 5 minutes. We took care to logically

organize the body of the speech. We brought in

an attention grabbing opening and a conclusion

with punch and effectively used every opportu-

nity to use vocal variety and gestures. To spice it

up, we added a bit of emotion and inspiration to

it!

During the practice sessions, I noticed that she

was trying to imitate what I have been doing

during my practice sessions, but I kept quiet.

Eventually on 7th December, she went ahead

and presented it confidently before an eminent

panel of judges and a lot of trained speakers

from other schools. We were not much bothered

about the results since the purpose for which we

came was already met, But when the results

were announced, we were spellbound to note

that she had made it to the No.1 spot!

I was flattered! She had proved herself to be a

Toastmaster’s daughter!

Also I could see a little Madam Toastmaster in

the making!

How a Toastmaster unintentionally mentored his daughter

During the practice sessions, I

noticed that she was trying to

imitate what I have been doing

throughout my practice sessions,

but I kept quiet.

When the results were

announced, we were spellbound

to note that she had made it to

the No.1 spot!

Vinod Kumar, CC

Personally Speaking


All

Smile

s: P

oo

ja V

ino

d w

ith

her

tro

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y

Winning Streak

After 8 months of Toastmastering I participated

in the club level contest and managed to snatch

the 1st & 2nd prize for International & Humorous

speeches. That was one of my most memorable

moments of my life.

I was told by the coordinators of our club that I

have to compete for the inter-gavel club contest.

I knew that the inter gavel contest was going to

be a tough one - It is here that toppers from

different clubs assemble for the best speaker

title. With the help of my parents and my

mentors I practiced hard. All the effort and hard

work did not go in vain; to my delight, I won the

“Best Humorous Speaker” award.

The very next day I took the trophy to school and

showed it to the Principal and told her that I

wanted to share my experience with everyone in

the school.

Now when I look back, I can see how far have

come from being a shy & timid girl who stood

with her head down in front of an audience,

struggling to find words to speak.

Today I am a confident Gavelier who can stand &

speak boldly.

Thanks to the Toastmaster’s organization for

giving me the power to identify my hidden

strength in communication.

I still remember when I was 9 years old I had won

1st prize for inter-school dance competition &

the next day I was very eager to take the trophy

to the school. The principal had announced this

in the assembly and praised me for achieving

this. I proudly stood on the stage and faced the

whole school with a sweet smile on my face.

At the end of her speech she asked me to share

my experience. On hearing this, suddenly a spark

went through my heart, my sweet smile had

vanished and I could feel my face turning red

and my eyes bulging out. With shaky legs I

walked to the mike.

My voice started shivering, I said Good Morning

to every one and repeated this a couple of times.

No other words came to my mouth, and my

mind went totally blank. The principal noticed

my pathetic situation, patted me on my shoulder

and asked everyone to clap their hands. As I

slowly walked back, I cursed myself for winning

the prize. I cursed myself for bringing the trophy

to school and creating a scene in front of the

whole school. Even though I have performed

many dances on stage, public speaking was one

of my worst fears.

Step-by-step

My parents were looking for a course for

children to improve public speaking skills. Then

in 2006, April my mother become a member of

Dunes Toastmasters Club and I finally joined the

Scintillators Gavel club in May 2006.

It was a new beginning for me and I gradually

started stepping out of my shell. The whole

atmosphere of the club fascinated me and

fellow Gaveliers, coordinators and mentors

inspired me. Finally I did my first project - The

Icebreaker where I bagged the best speaker

award. This really boosted my self confidence.

Each role in the Gavelier’s meeting allowed me

to develop my confidence and skills in each area.

The Table topics sessions taught me the power

of talking impromptu on any subject. The

Grammarian’s roles sharpened my command on

language. The AH counters helped me reduce

my unnecessary fillers and the Joke master’s role

helped me become a more jovial person. I was

now no longer shy about meeting people.

My Hidden PowerHow Toastmasters helped me overcome my worst fear

When I look back, I can see how

far have come from being a shy &

timid girl who stood with her

head down in front of an audi-

ence, struggling to find words to

speak.

Today I am a confident Gavelier

who can stand & speak boldly.

Personally Speaking


Malavika JayakumarScintillators Gavel Club

“There are three things to aim at in public

speaking: First, to get into your subject, then to

get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get

your subject into the heart of your audience”

~ Alexander Gregg

Myths & Superstitions

When I decided to write this article I happened

to talk to a friend and he said, what an inauspi-

cious day to start writing, “Don’t you realize

today is the 13th?”

For a minute I considered doing the obvious,

shut down my computer and wait for the 14th.

That was my reaction after I believed that I’m

not part of this genre. But am I?? That’s not

difficult to answer is it, given the fact that I

considered shutting down my computer.

Myths & Superstitions GaloreA superstition is an irrational fear of what is

unknown or mysterious. People all over the

world seem to have superstitions.

Myths, they say, never die. They only sleep.

American poet Stanley Kunitz put it aptly, when

he said, "Myths lie sleeping, at the bottom of our

mind, waiting for our call. We have a need for them,

since they represent the wisdom of our race." In

that context, the power of myths is immense. Let

me run you down through some of the very

common myths and superstitions that we tend

to believe in.

Friday the 13 is probably one of the most

common myths and probably something we all

can think of whenever someone talks of myths.

A black cat crossing in front of you is considered

very unlucky and is probably as common as the

No.13.

Tapping your hands on wood and saying

“touchwood” after mentioning a good fortune

makes sure that evil spirits don’t ruin it for you.

Three people don’t start a journey together. I

had a boss who thought that three people

shouldn’t go together for a meeting and he

made sure that the we would take different cars

and join the meeting separately. Now did that

help in securing more orders? I am not sure, but

I believe that if your customer is ready to beat

you up… then 3 is better than 2, so think again!

See a penny, pick it up; all day long you’ll have

good luck! How untrue in today's world. I

wouldn’t even consider picking a penny but

seeing a million dirhams, picking it up and then

being happy all my life... Hmmm, now that

sounds better doesn’t it?

If a man with two wives wants to marry a third,

he will first marry a tree, so that the new wife

may be the fourth. Wow! Come to think of it I

find managing one soooooooooo difficult!

To sneeze is auspicious, and we normally say

bless you, and that’s because it is said that when

you sneeze your heart stops for that few

seconds.

A shopkeeper will not make the first transaction

of the day on credit. It must be paid in cash. If I

was the shopkeeper, I’d never sell on credit and

all my customers would be first for the day.

A women carrying a child or a pitcher is a happy

omen. Two pitchers are considered even more

auspicious. So what happen if shes carrying

three pitchers?? Any guesses ?? May be she

would be in a circus wouldn’t she??

If a crop has grown exceedingly well, a black pot

or tattered shoe is suspended on a pole in the

field. This is to avert the evil eye.

But the myth that I truly want to believe is

woman have smaller brains than men.

Now before all you woman reading this article

get up in arms, let me put the matter straight,

though the woman’s brain is actually smaller ,

there is NO difference in the mental perfor-

mance. Ahmen! I hope all you woman are

satisfied with the argument, but do I agree with

that argument?? Now that’s for me to know and

you to guess.

To believe or not to believe, that is the question

Anup Hegde

Justforkix


Fear of the number 13 actually has a

name! It is termed Triskaidekaphobia.

The superstition surrounding the

number 13 is perhaps the most widely

accepted across cultures. So much so

that many cities do not have a 13th

Street or a 13th Avenue!

Hospitals and hotels regularly have no

room number 13!

And airplanes have no 13th aisle!

While In the west, the number 13

synonymous with bad luck , in China

the number 4 is considered particu-

larly unlucky.

Apparently, the Chinese words for

"four" and "death" sound the same, so

it is considered unlucky. Some hotels

don't use four or any numbers contain-

ing four when numbering rooms and

floors.

Did You Know?

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

What I wondered? And what you are.

Your everyday demands are so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.



When the blazing mother-in-law is gone,

When she nothing shines upon,

Then you show your dangerous sight,

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the husband in the dark,

Thanks you for your low pitch bark,

He could not see which way to go,

If you did not beat him so.

In the dark blue house you Sit,

And often you do Kit Kit Kit,

For you never shut your mouth,

Till the sun is in the south.

‘Tis your sharp and tiny nails,

Of which afraid are all Males,

Tho’ I know not what you are,



Twinkle Twinkle Little StarYour childhood poem takes a

different turn once yougrow up and get married!

Justforkix


Gurpreet Singh Anand

Quotable Quotes

Marriage is a three ring circus:

engagement ring, wedding

ring and suffering!

Then there was a man who

said, "I never knew what real

happiness was until I got

married; by then it was too late."

The letters of a 9-letter word is placed randomly in

this 3x3 grid. How many words can you find which

meet these conditions:

Each word must contain the letter ‘H' in the middle

Words must contain 3 or more letters

Each letter can only be used once

No proper nouns

Plurals are allowed

S E T

R H O

C A R

TARGET

Answers: Page. 15

>

>

>

>

>

The word etymology comes from the

Greek word 'etymos', which means real,

or true and ‘ology’ meaning study or

science of. Put them together and you

get the study or science of the real or

true.

In this Etymology Game, you are

presented with word origin puzzles to

solve. A number of possible answers

will be presented. You need to choose

the correct answer to score a point for

that question.

1. From which language does the word

‘umbrella’ come?

a. From German Ombrel, meaning 'shelter’

b. From Greek Ombrellos, meaning 'a cover'

c. From Arabic al-omra, meaning 'protector'

d. From Italian umbra, meaning 'shadow'

2. From where did the word ‘robot’

originate?

a. From Czech: Czech writer Karel Eapek first

used it in his novel R.U.R.

b. From Greek: 'rho' meaning 'not genuine,

artificial' and 'boitos' meaning 'like a

human'

c. From Latin: 'robotus' was one of highest

gods in Roman mythology

d. From Nepalese: 'ro-bho-tho' means 'ape-

like-creature'

3. Of what is a sufferer of ‘hippopoto-

monstrosesquippedaliophobia’ afraid?

a. Hippopotamus

b. Long words

c. People with large pink hats

d. Very large construction equipment

Answers: 1. d 2.a 3.b

Etymologic Game

Dunes in the Second Year

As Dunes Toastmasters Club completes the first

half year of the new term in December 2007, it is

now time to take a step back and reflect on what

we have achieved over the last 6 months.

HighlightsMembership

The club continues to maintain its membership

strength of 30 as in the previous year.

5 new members joined the club:

Bobby Cherian

Shabeer Ahmed

Gagarin V.P

Thomas K.J

Satish V.P

Training

Five Club Officers attended the Club Officers

Training

Club members attended majority of the

Training Programs arranged by Division J,

including:

Speaker to Trainer

How to conduct an Effective Meeting

How to Listen Effectively

The Art of Effective Evaluation

Targets The CC milestone for another 6 members is set

in March 2008.

The CL manual completion for 10 Members is

targeted by June 2008.

The Club is scheduled to conduct speech

contests during the first two meetings in

January and I hope to see some remarkable

performances.

It is a pleasure to note that despite Dubai’s

infamous traffic and fast lifestyle, members

make it a point to make it to the meetings (fairly

on time) and take their meeting roles seriously. It

is without doubt the burning desire of members

to become better communicators that drive

them to show such commitment.

In the coming days I look forward to members

achieving the goals they have set for

themselves.. And I look forward to awards and

accolades coming our way as we continue our

journey to fulfil our mission – the Mission of the

Toastmasters International.

Tracking the Club’s progress over the last 6 months

Anwar HussainVP Education

Club News


Have you set your goals?

What do you want to accomplish in

the coming year? Do want to

complete your Competent Communi-

cator program or perhaps work on

the Competent Leader program?

Whatever your goals are, let your VP

Education know. This will allow

Dunes to help you achieve your

personal educational goals.

So don’t sit back. Seize the moment

and contact your VP Education

today!

0

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11

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Competent Communicator: Speech Status as on Dec 30, 2007

The term gone by...

Club News


Entries received so far...

TM Anwar Hussain

Destined for Unbeatable & Notched Eloquent Speaking

Destined for Unique Network of Eloquent Speakers

MTM Manju Sajit

Ridges to Eloquent Speaking

Destined to Speaking Eloquence

Developing Speaking Eloquence

CC Vinod Kumar

Dubai's Unique Network of Elegant Speakers

CC Harinarayanan

Dubai's Unique Nest of Elegant Speakers

TM Sudheish

Dubai's Upper-school for Natural and Enthusiastic Speakers

Toastmasters,

We’re on the look out for a truly inspirational Club Motto.

So put on your thinking caps and rush your entries to the Editor at

[email protected] on or before the 10th of January, 2008.

This contest is open to all: Members and Non-members.

The winner of the Best Club Motto Contest will be announced on the 15th

of January, 2008 at the Club’s speech contest! Be there!

Best Club Motto Contest

3-letter words (8):

ash, has, hat, her, hoe, hot, rho,the

4-letter words (27):

ache, arch, cash, char, chat, cosh, each, echo, etch,

hare, hart, hast, hate, hats, hear, heat, hero, hers,

hoes, hose, host, hots, rash, shat, shoe, shot,

tosh


chaos, aches, chars, chart, chase, chats, cheat,

chest, chore, chose, crash, earth, ethos, hares,

harts, haste, hater, hates, hears, heart, heats,

horse, ochre, other, reach, retch, roach, share,

shear, shore, short, teach, those, torch,

trash


archer, arches, charts, chaser, chaste, cheats,

chores, haters, hearts, hector, others, rasher,

rather, sachet, scathe, search, starch, throes

7-letter words (8):

archers, charter, chasers, crasher, hectors, sharer,

shorter, torches

8-letter words (2):

charters, thoraces

9-letter words (2):

carthorse, orchestra

S E T

R H O

C A R

Answer to Target Puzzle

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b O

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ers

Indu

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Clu

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ers

Indu

ctio

n.

Gue

st s

peak

er -

Mal

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mar

Mee

ting

in p

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ess.

..

Gue

st S

peak

er: T

M S

asi,

Are

a G

over

nor

Photos courtesy: TM Anwar Hussain

New to Toastmasters?

To learn more, drop by...

President

Jathin Abraham

M: 050 778 2873

E: [email protected]

VP Education

Anwar Hussain

M: 050 854 7037


VP Membership

Jose Thomas

M: 050 215 0115


VP Public Relations

Shereen Saifudeen

M: 050 754 3528


Secretary

Renjini S. Nair

M: 050 482 9648


Treasurer

Hafis

M: 050 568 3689


Sergeant at Arms

Manju S. Viswam

M: 050 844 6619


Tail End


Dunes Toastmasters Club

Club OfficersThe purpose of Dunes Toastmasters Club is to help members overcome

apprehensions about speaking in public and to improve communication skills.

This goal is accomplished by providing a self-paced, focused speaking program

and a supportive, experienced group of people to assist you. You can become

more effective in formal public speaking, situations requiring impromptu

speaking, management and also in the exercise of leadership skills.

Even if you are not a member of the club, you are always welcome to our

meetings. You may take part if you wish, or just watch and listen. As a guest, you

will be introduced so that the members of the club know who you are, and we

encourage you to understand what Toastmasters is all about.

When

We meet every 1st & 3rd Tuesday at 7.00 pm

Where

Seminar Hall, Emarat Atrium

Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai.

You are cordially invited to be our guest!

There is no fee for guests and no obligation to speak!

For more details contact our VP Membership - Jose Thomas.

voice of dunes dec '07

Documents

issue contests pg

club representative

lot of toastmasters

club news pg

area level contest

contest experience unique

annual contest season

justforkix pg