smedley voice feb 2016 release

Smedley Speechcraft

Can Help You Get Over Your Fear!

SMEDLEY VOICE NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | FEBRUARY 2016 | VOL 2 ISSUE 2

Club No. 2046498, Area 43, Division E, District 20

Table Of Contents

Feb 2016 Volume 2, Issue 1

Inside This Issue From Division Q Director …………………..…........ 03

From the Editor’s Desk …….……………….……… 04

Cover Story: Smedley Speechcraft ……….…………. 05

Meet our Leader: She was Behind It All ……………. 06

Meet our Speechcraft Participants ….....…………… 09

Speechcraft Educational Modules …................……. 13

Some Tips: Topics for your next speech ……….…... 17

Meet Our New Members ...…………………….…… 18

Club Awards in Nov & Dec 2015 …….……………... 21

Tickling Toastmasters ………..………………….…...22

Meeting Minutes & Photos …………….……….….. 23

Smedley Club Meeting ………………..….……….… 31

Smedley Vo ice i s a

newsletter published by the

Smedley Toastmasters Club

in Doha, Qatar.

T h i s n e w s l e t t e r i s

published for internal circula-

tion among the members of

the Smedley Toastmasters

Club and to promote the

i d e a s a n d g o a l s o f

Toastmasters International.

The Publisher and Editor do

not take responsibility for the

authenticity / opinion of the

articles and/or authors,

published in this newsletter.

Toastmasters International

and its logos are trademarks

registered in the USA, Cana-

da and many other countries.

For comments or sugges-

tions regarding the news-

letter, please contact Le-

siley Mathew at 66053485

or send an email to

[email protected]

2

Salute To Smedley!

I always believe that a Speechcraft program is the quickest

means by which non-Toastmasters can jump right into the pro-

cess of improving their speaking skills and an effective means by

which a club can build its membership. When TM Lesiley

Mathew, the VP-Membership of the club asked me the question:

“How do I increase the membership of the club?”, I had no hesi-

tation in suggesting to conduct a Speechcraft program. I’m glad

that she listened to me and conducted a very successful

Speechcraft program. I have attended a few sessions of this pro-

gram & I enjoyed all of them. Feedback from the participants

was also very encouraging. As a result of this Speechcraft pro-

gram, membership of the club grew by 13.

That was a tremendous achievement. Congratulations TM

Lesiley for being the Coordinator. I have seen the progress made

by the participants and their contribution to the growth of the

club. It gives me immense pleasure to note that the Editor of this

newsletter TM Rasha was a participant of this Speechcraft pro-

gram. Congratulations TM Rasha for taking up this challenge

and bringing out this beautiful issue of the newsletter. Credit

must be given to the entire ExCom of the club led by the Presi-

dent TM Vimal , VP-Education TM Benov & Sgt-at-arms and

Assistant Coordinator of the Speechcraft program TM Mustafa

for assisting them to make it a grand success.

It will be incomplete if I do not mention a few words about

Smedley Toastmasters Club, my dear club of which I was the

President a few years ago. I love this club not just because it has

the name of our beloved Founder Dr. Ralph Smedley, but it con-

sists of a group of some of the best people I have met in Toast-

masters. It will be unfair if I mention only a few names; all the

members are dear and close to my heart. Wishing all the very

best to Smedley Toastmasters Club to reach higher levels and to

become the best club in Division E, this year. Good luck.

NV Raghavan Menon DTM

Past President- Smedley Toastmasters (2013-’14)

Current-Division Q Director

From Division Q Director

3

Division Q Director DTM Raghavan NV

DTM Raghavan is the

current Division Director

for Division Q during the

year 2015-2016.

DTM Raghavan has been

in toastmasters for over 10

years. In the past, he has

served as a president at

many clubs and has been

an Area Governor in the

past. He was also the

Chief Gavel Coordinator in

Qatar during the year 2014-

2015. He is the master-

mind behind the Smedley

Speechcraft program and

is a humble leader

respected and revered by

everyone within the

Toastmaster community in

Qatar!

Dear Toastmaster,

Being part of the Smedley Toastmasters Club has been a

great experience that added much value to my Toastmasters

journey. The minute I entered the venue where the club

meetings are conducted, I was warmly welcomed and I

encountered enormous encouragement by the Ex-com and

members.

I joined the club by participating in the Speechcraft program

- which is the main theme of this edition of Smedley Voice

newsletter- that was organized in October 2015. The program

was a great opportunity for all participants to unleash their

capabilities and get out of their comfort zone.

Although I joined Toastmasters earlier in May 2015, I believe

such as program is a great way to boost confidence and self

esteem especially that the schedule was always intense with

the contribution of many senior Toastmasters sharing their

experience and giving tips to the newbies.

Towards the end of the program, I felt that I owe Smedley

Toastmasters Club and I have to do something to give back

to the club. Since nothing could last longer than a “voice”

heard, I decided that Smedley Voice is my way of giving back.

This edition is rich with stories, tips and achievements, yet, it

conveys only little of the fascinating efforts that are always

behind the club’s progress and prosperity.

As this is the first edition issued in 2016, I wish Smedley

Toastmasters Club a very successful year and I hope that

whoever comes across this newsletter enjoys reading it!

Regards,

Rasha Abualhasan,

Newsletter Editor,

Smedley Toastmasters

From the Editor’s Desk

EXCOM 2015-2016

CLUB PRESIDENT

TM Vimal Raj

VP EDUCATION

TM Benov Jacob

VP MEMBERSHIP

TM Lesiley Mathew

VP PUBLIC RELATIONS

TM Shibu K Reghunath

SECRETARY

TM Vijesh

TREASURER

TM Ammad Kanghat

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

TM Musthafa A

4

Smedley Speechcraft

As I was new to Toastmasters, I came across Smedley Toastmas-

ters Club page while I was trying to know more about Toastmas-

ters in general. I called the coordinator immediately, TM Lesiley

Mathew and she said there was just room for one more participant,

I could still join although I had missed the first session. We met

somewhere across the road and she handed me the material and

left me thinking. Do I want to spend 5 more Fridays away from my

family’s weekend activities? And the answer was YES! I have to

admit that it was not a pleasant feeling that I got every Friday

because they were two important things for me but I knew the Speechcraft would not last for more than a

month and a half. Today, I can say that I made the wise move. After the Speechcraft I see myself not

only on the fast track but on the right track.

TM Rasha Abualhasan

5

COVER STORY

Smedley Speechcraft program in 2015 was a great learning experience for all participants as well as or-

ganizers. As a participant I believe I have really achieved my goal to fast-track my Toastmasters journey,

not only getting the chance to deliver projects fast and play more roles in a shorter period of time, but also

by being acquainted to senior Toastmasters who were not hesitant to sacrifice their Fridays to share some

tips and transfer their knowledge..

She was behind it all..

What was the idea behind the Speechcraft pro-

gram?

As you know, every toastmaster club requires 20

active members to be consid-

ered an official club. When I

became Vice President of

Membership for Smedley

Toastmasters, our club had

barely 20 members. My main

responsibility was to bring in

new members for our club. I

read on Toastmasters Interna-

tional website that every year

40% of club members drop out

due to one reason or another,

and that any club that con-

ducted Speechcraft programs

every year never had problems

retaining 20 members. As VP

Membership, I felt that it was

my duty to run a Speechcraft program and bring

in new blood into the club.

Conducting such a program is not easy ride, how

did you plan for it?

The mastermind behind the Speechcraft program

was DTM Raghavan. When I first expressed my

interest to run a Speechcraft, he motivated me

and explained everything that I had to do. DTM

Raghavan thought of everything and told me how

to run it. The Speechcraft ran in October 2015,

but we began planning in May 2015. It required a

whole lot of planning for the following aspects:

a. Marketing and publicity

campaign for the Speechcraft

program to get participants

through Facebook, newspa-

pers and club members

b. Planning each Speechcraft

session, scheduling the best

toastmasters as speakers

c. Scheduling the session con-

tent including assignments,

arranging role players for eve-

ry Speechcraft meeting such

as sergeant at arms, timers,

demo speakers, photogra-

pher, evaluators,

d. Finding mentors to help

participants with their speech

content preparation and helping mentors to per-

form their role as best as possible

e. Arranging snacks and delivery

f. Buying and engraving awards for participants

6

SPEECHCRAFT: MEET OUR LEADERS

Speechcraft program was a remarkable milestone in the year 2015-2016; it was a dream that came true for

Smedley Toastmasters Club. Definitely, dreams never come true unless there is persistence, passion and

hard work. These 3 elements were the traits of the lady who was behind it all.. TM Lesiley Mathew,

Club’s Vice President of Membership. As I was curious to know more about the program, I got the

chance to interview her..

“As VP Membership, I felt that it was

my duty to run a Speechcraft program

and bring in new blood into the club”

You mentioned there was a team behind the pro-

gram, can you briefly take us through the roles

and how you managed to lead the team?

I received 100 % support from all the existing

Smedley Club members and outside members to

run this Speechcraft. Everyone did their part so

well even if it was a small part. Here's the fantas-

tic team that helped me with this program:

Speechcraft Committee comprising of DTM

Raghavan, TM Jose, TM Vimal, TM Benov,

TM Ammad, TM Musthafa, TM Kamrudeen

Club members who brought Speechcraft par-

ticipants - TM Shibu (3 participants), TM

Maimoona(1 participant), TM Vimal(1 partic-

ipant)

Speechcraft session helpers - Our fantastic

sergeant at arms TM Musthafa, who even

came on a day that he was fasting to set up

the meeting room, TM Vimal and TM Rifna

for snacks, TM Benov for photography, TM

Rimzan who came to every single meeting

and helped with photography, evaluation and

just supporting me by being there.

Demo speakers TM Prathibha, TM Mai-

moona, TM Kamrudeen, TM Rasha.

Senior Toastmasters who were speakers for

the sessions - TM Koka Prasad, TM Philip

Cherian, TM Pavithra Philip, TM Asha Shiju,

DTM Raghavan, TM Jose K, TM Nisha

Shivram, DTM Gil Bangalan, DTM Virendra

Nath, TM Vinod Pisharom

Speechcraft mentors - TM Philip Cherian,

TM Rimzan, TM Jose, TM Benov, TM Vi-

mal, TM Shibu R, TM Girija, TM Prathibha

Ramesh

TM Vinod Pisharom who helped to engrave

the glass awards for speakers and participants

Maintaining finances by TM Kamarudeen

and TM Ammad

What was your communication strategy through-

out the program?

Communication with the speakers to schedule their

sessions was by phone and email.

Communication with Speechcraft participants was

through a Google group email to which I would

send the agenda, and also ensure that all the mate-

rial including assignments, content and video was

sent after each session.

Communication with Speechcraft mentors was

through a Whatsapp group and email to ensure that

mentors could keep up with the pace of the mod-

ules. Its not an easy task for mentors to help partici-

pants with speeches consecutively for 6 weeks.

Do you believe Speechcraft is only beneficial for

non-Toastmasters?

It is beneficial for people who want a crash course

in public speaking and is meant mainly for non-

toastmasters. But it is also beneficial to new toast-

masters who have not yet done any speeches or

have completed only one or two projects from the

Competent Communicator manual.

The program was intense in terms of participation

and educational modules, how did you manage

that?

The sessions were decided two months before the

Speechcraft program was run. I ensured that

speakers who taught the educational modules were

booked at least one month before the Speechcraft

program started to ensure that they had ample time

to prepare each module. It also required constant

reminders to the speakers.

I followed the Speechcraft manual as closely as pos-

sible to help all the Speechcraft participants prepare

well. I also provided sample speeches and good tips

on how to write speeches. This gave participants an

idea of what to write for speeches.

7


Now that the program is concluded, what do you

think was the best thing about it and what could

be done better?

The best thing about it is how well the existing

Smedley club members came forward to help me

in every aspect. Every

single person was so

helpful and did their

best to help out by be-

ing at meetings, help-

ing to find participants,

being role players. I

have never seen a better

example of unity from

any other group. We're

a fantastic club because

we are all willing to

help each other, and

take responsibility and

be supportive.

How frequent do you

recommend clubs to

organize a Speechcraft

program?

Speechcraft is a taxing program that requires

over 20 people to help out. It can be taxing to

club members. Every year would be ideal if your

club has a lot of members willing to help. But if

every year is not possible, then I strongly recom-

mend that every club should run a Speechcraft

program every two years. The main Speechcraft

coordinator can also get credit towards the High

Performance Leadership project by running a

Speechcraft program.

Can we expect another Smedley Speechcraft pro-

gram anytime soon?

It depends on whether a Toastmaster from our

club is willing to expend the time and effort to

run the Speechcraft program. I know that this

time it will be much more easier because we have

a schedule in place and we have already

developed the content for the program. I'll

definitely ensure that we run a Smedley

Speechcraft at least once in two years.

You were in direct contact with all participants,

you encouraged, you sup-

ported, you chased... How

do you see their progress

throughout the 6 sessions,

what difference did it make

for them?

I think that all of them really

learned a lot from the speech

craft program, even though

many did not pursue Toast-

masters after the course, due

to their busy schedules. We

have taught them the most

important aspects of public

speaking - great opening

and conclusion, good organ-

izational skills, the need for

good body language and vo-

cal variety, as well as developing speech content

through rhetorical devices like vivid description

using six senses, similes, metaphors and allitera-

tions. They also understand the importance of

positive evaluation and the power of practice. I

think they will do well in public speaking wherev-

er they go and whatever they do.

8


“We're a fantastic club because we

are all willing to help each other, and

take responsibility and be supportive”

“We're a fantastic club because we

are all willing to help each other, and

take responsibility and be supportive”

Noorudeen Veetykadan

I used to participate in elocution competitions

and seminar presentations in school and col-

lege level. I had even won prizes many times.

But recently I experienced stage fear while do-

ing some presentations as part of my official

work. I was a bit disappointed because of it.

At that time, I came across a newspaper adver-

tisement on Speechcraft. Immediately, I called

and spoke to TM Lesiley and later TM Rim-

zan. Both of them encouraged me to join the

program and shared their own personal experiences before and after joining Toastmasters. Consequent-

ly, I registered for the program.

It is said, “First impression is the best impression”. When I

entered the decent venue at Sharq Capital, I was greeted

my two smiling faces, TM Kamarudheen and TM Mai-

moona. TM Lesiley, TM Benov and TM Vimal came to me

and introduced themselves to me. Soon I was introduced to

many in the Smedley Team. I was enthralled to meet such

an interesting and affable group of people who were willing

to listen, share and advise. All the meetings of Speechcraft programs were systematic and arranged well.

I noticed the dedication of TM Musthafa towards achieving it.

My ice-break was on “Great Family, Amazing Life”. Frankly, I was too scared to deliver it. I drank a

whole bottle of water before my turn to deliver it. But slowly, when each speaker was encouraged by the

team, I felt comfortable. And when my turn came, I could deliver my speech well. My second speech was

on “We love our parents more when we become one”. And the final speech in Speechcraft was “Lessons

on Technology from Doraemon”. Both were appreciated by the evaluators.

There were wonderful Educational Modules in the program. Modules on Organising a Speech- by DTM

Raghavan, Body Language-TM Nisha Shivram, Vocal variety- TM Gil Bangalan and Word Usage- by

TM Vinod Pisharom; were excellent and impressed me a lot. The module on Evaluation was simply su-

perb. DTM Virendranath said if somebody takes a few steps and comes to face the public; that itself is

matter of appreciation. He said, “If such a person doesn’t speak a single word, still he deserves apprecia-

tion and encouragement to do better”. These words of encouragement made me to dream to become a

hunky-dory speaker.

And now, I am continuing my Toastmasters journey to realize my dream to be a craftsman in speech!!!

9

SPEECHCRAFT: MEET THE PARTICPANTS

“And now, I am continuing

my Toastmasters journey to

realize my dream to be a

craftsman in speech!!!”

Sheethi K

I came to know about the program through my husband’s colleague DTM

Raghavan NV and I decided to join to motivate myself and to improve my

confidence level. The arrangements were simply superb and the organizing

team was great and showed good team spirit always. I was very much

impressed by the atmosphere and was highly motivated by listening to

different speeches from experienced Toastmasters. I feel really good now and

I believe that I am on right track towards my goal. I will never forget the

audience’s response and feedback after I delivered my Ice breaker speech. I am definitely planning to

continue the Toastmasters journey as I want to give few more speeches to improve my skills.

Abdul Rab

I got to learn about the program through a newspaper ad and I

immediately made up my mind to join to improve my level of speech by

learning to organize public speeches. Throughout the program, it was

really exciting to see the enthusiasm of the learners. I was happy to see

how well organized it was and it provided an opportunity to deliver

projects with constructive criticism in both structured and non-

structured way. For me, learning about the personal stories of the

participants was a memorable experience. I still have to go a very long way and I think by joining

Smedley Toastmasters club, I will have opportunities to gain strength in the areas learnt during the

program. I think I would like to continue this journey to improve upon my speech craft and also to net-

work as much as possible.

Thava Mayooran

I attended Smedley toastmasters meeting twice as a guest. I came to know

about the speech craft from the club members. I had already decided to join a

toastmasters club to improve my public speaking and create a good network

in a new environment. I thought that this speech craft session will be a good

opportunity for that. As I knew the Smedley club and the energetic members

through the toastmasters meetings, I had a good expectation. I never got dis-

appointed in any session. Each and every session was organized pretty well.

The planning of the event was marvelous. The selection of guest speakers was

wonderful. The way the coordinator handled the participants should be appreciated. There was a good

flexibility given to the participants. At the same time whoever was willing to participate got an oppor-

tunity. The confidence level has been increased. It improved not only the public speaking, but also the

individual networking etc. My writing skills have been tested after a long time. The appreciations and

motivation we received in the speech craft sessions will be there always in the mind. There was so much

to remember. Listening to the best speakers and meeting new friends are particularly memorable. I am

planning to continue my Toastmasters journey to improve public speaking and improve the networking;

I have already started attending few meetings.

10


Maryam Mootasem

Every few days I flip through the Gulf Times to

check news and see what is going on in Doha and I

happened to find an advertisement that caught my

attention about the Speech craft, so I called the

number and the first person I spoke to was Lesiley

who was very friendly and welcoming and that was

the start of my journey with Speech craft

I constantly look for opportunities to learn some-

thing new, grow as a person and get out of my com-

fort zone and this seemed like a wonderful oppor-

tunity.

Being asked about my first impression; when you

have Koka Prasad presenting an educational mod-

ule on the first session your im-

pression can only be positive

and motivating, him sharing his

personal experience with public

speaking is very inspiring.

Besides that, walking in the

room to see all the friendly faces

and everyone was ready to help.

The team has done a great job

in putting this program togeth-

er, everyone was willing to go

out of their way to make sure

that participants are well taken care of and have

their needs met, we would even get calls to make

sure how we are doing with our preparation for

speeches.

It was well organized and you could feel how pas-

sionate and sincere people are and they were doing

it from the heart, for me personally Lesiley's smile

and positive energy was something to look forward

to in every session.

It has definitely been a great journey with a lot to

learn and apply, with each educational module we

were learning essential tips to improve our public

speaking and there is still a lot more to learn, the

program has definitely boosted my confidence,

my comfort in standing and speaking in front of

crowds, now I am more aware when I speak on

how I can strengthen my message.

I believe having different presenters has been of

benefit to us, because it allowed us to learn some-

t h i n g d i f f e r e n t f r o m e a c h o n e ,

I particularly remember Gil with Vocal Variety

which was a big proof that voice has a huge effect

on the delivery and the way the message

is perceived.

Also giving us -the participants- roles to take on

was a great added value.

Besides the nice moments we shared, the laugh-

ter, the inspiration, the personal

stories, I remember enjoying pre-

paring for the table topics for one

of the sessions and I chose the

theme happiness and it was nice

t o s e e t h e h a p p i n e s s

on people’s faces whenever they

got up to speak.

Also I remember for my P2

speech I did not finish writing my

speech and did not practice it not

even once, it was all in my head

and I gathered my courage and

pushed myself to deliver my speech regardless

and I just improvised and Thank God it was very

well received, it was titled "Children our best

teachers" and it was from personal experience

and very dear to my heart, I remember even get-

ting a comment from a TM that they could not

tell that I was not prepared and that made me so

happy.

I believe it is a must to continue the Toastmasters

journey because of the positive learning environ-

ment, because how I have seen people grow,

change and become more confident, because of

the new skills I can gain.

11


Nusrath

I have learned about Smedley Speechcraft program

through my sister-in-law TM Maimoona Abubaker. I

got excited to join and overcome one of the most

common fears; the fear of speaking in public.

To be honest before the first session started, I had the

perception that it is simply a program for speakers to

get together and practice speaking. But during the

first meeting not even for a second I lost my interest

and when the meeting concluded my perspective

towards Toastmasters has been changed drastically.

I highly appreciate the team behind the Smedley

Speechcraft for organizing such a well-planned pro-

gram which has surely benefited many; it was clear that the arrangements were excellent. There was al-

ways a striking arrangement of meeting agenda, materials and resources. Not to forget to mention the

timing and the venue of the meetings which were convenient to all participants.

I personally found that as I practiced and pre-

pared for my speeches, I started to improve not

only my public speaking skills but also my writ-

ing too. I could feel a boost in my self-

confidence as well.

I will never forget my first speech which is the

icebreaker.. As I was being introduced, I felt

more nervous than I have been in a long

time. While giving my speech I figured out that

I was shaking terribly and nervous to the core. I

spoke about myself and my journey to Qatar. At one point talking about my struggles I felt myself get-

ting a little emotional, but I kept it under control. During the break DTM Raghavan told me that I did a

really good job and he said it was really incredible.

And now that the Speechcraft program is over, I have already enrolled for the membership. Joining a

Toastmasters club will help you improve your speaking skill, listening, writing, and communication

skills. It helps you think on your feet. Toastmasters is a great place to meet people because there is al-

ways mutually positive feedback between members. By giving and receiving positive feedback I think

rapport is established much more quickly. And because I got the chance to join the club along with oth-

er new members If you do decide to join a club with a high volume of new members I have found this to

be even more helpful as everyone shares the same direction and is trying to learn at the same time."

12


Toastmasters is a great place to meet

people because there is always

mutually positive feedback between

members. By giving and receiving

positive feedback I think rapport is

established much more quickly.

Session 1 - Module 1: Importance of Public Speaking by Koka Prasad

In this module, TM Koka Prasad explained the importance

of having public speaking skills to stand out in your own

way. He took us through the benefits of Toastmasters and

what value it adds in each member’s life. He shared his

own experience on how his Toastmasters journey boosted

his self-confidence; gave him knowledge and opportunity,

made him popular and at the same time became a source of

gratification for many when they listen to his personal

stories. Moreover, Toastmasters definitely helps each

member make an impact by having his unique charisma

which inspires others; and that is exactly the purpose of

joining Toastmasters as it is a practical learning platform to

develop communication and leadership skills.

TM Koka Prasad encouraged all participants to proceed

with the program as they will definitely see the difference towards the end of the program.

Session 1 - Module 2: Selecting A Speech Topic by Philip Cherian

Selecting a speech topic might be the hardest part in

writing the speech, TM Philip Cherian made it easy to come up with

speech topics by categorizing speech topics into 2 main categories:

Personal experience; interests, career, family and education.

Some examples could be a successful parent, a bad boss, hobbies, a

helpful colleague, a personal achievement, etc. Reference material that

is acquired by online research, newspapers, magazines, etc. Future

forecasts, global warming, saving trees and natural resources, fashion.

In addition to the resources of topic selection; TM Philip explained how to narrow the topics to deliver

something relevant to the audience considering their background, the occasion, knowledge and ability of

the speaker, the timing and the duration needed to conclude the topic’s idea. Then the purpose of the

speech comes into place; be it a persuasive, entertaining, inspiring or motivational speech.

Session 1 - Module 3: Writing an icebreaker by Pavithra Philip

TM Pavithra Philip talked to us about writing an icebreaker and

using a common theme throughout the speech. She explained

how to overcome nervousness by practicing a lot, and also by

mingling with the audience. The most important tip is to re-

member to be confident and believe in yourself. After your

speech, do not berate yourself if you forgot important points.

Instead congratulate yourself that you had the courage to go up

onto the stage and say your icebreaker speech in front of an

audience.

13

SPEECHCRAFT: EDUCATIONAL MODULES

Session 2 - Module 1: Organizing your speech by DTM Raghavan

DTM Raghavan delivered a comprehensive module on

speech organization and how it helps both the speaker and

the audience connect together. To help the audience under-

stand the content of the speech, it should consist of three

main parts:

Introduction; tell what you are going to tell

Body; tell

Conclusion; tell what you told

Additionally, DTM Raghavan shared with us helpful tech-

niques to specifically organize the body of speech and this is

to make it attractive and maintain audience attention.

1. “3 supporting points” technique; support it with 3 points with anecdotes or examples.

2. “Chronological” technique; appropriate when a sequence of events are to be talked about.

3. “Geographical” technique; while talking about a travel or comparing something across various coun-

tries

Session 2 - Module 2: Introducing a Speaker by TM Asha Shiju

This light and interesting module shed the light on the im-

portance of introducing the speaker before commencing

with the speech delivery; a good introduction is essential to

get a speaker off to a good start and it should answer a) Why

this speaker? b) On this subject? c) To this audience?

TM Asha shared with us a structured way to build an intro-

duction:

Opening: Welcome the audience. Your name and title.

Speaker’s name, title, background and specialization

Body: Topic. Explain why this speaker and establish

credibility. Share what is in it for the audience and gen-

erate interest

Conclusion: Pass the attention and control of presentation to the speaker. Welcome the speaker. Lead

the applause

Finally, we were given some success factors to master the art of introduction some of which are:

Do your homework to know about the speaker, prepare the introduction and practice

Connect with audience, show enthusiasm and generate the same in audience

14


Session 3 - Module 1: Speech purpose - Get to the Point by TM Jose Kochukunjan

TM Jose has delivered a very interesting session

where TM Kamarudheen has demonstrated a motiva-

tional speech calling the audience to stop using the

cell phone while driving.

TM Jose shared a lesson that he learnt from his men-

tor in the beginning of his Toastmasters journey; “the

speech has to be from your life and you have to be

passionate about it”. Any speech should have both; a

generic and a specific purpose. The generic purpose

is simply the type of the speech; inspirational, motivational, entertaining and informative. The

specific purpose is the main point or message that the speaker intends to convey.

Once the generic and specific purposes are identified the speaker needs to start drafting the

speech content as per the structure and techniques explained earlier by DTM Raghavan. Addi-

tionally, the speaker looks for supporting details such as statistics, data, or personal stories.

Finally, TM Jose shared some tips on conquering nervousness; to familiarize yourself with the

venue a while before the speech, try to socialize with the audience, talk to them and shake hands,

prepare and practice well. Before ending this session, TM Rasha delivered another demo speech

on how to follow your passion which was evaluated by the presenter TM Jose as per the objectives

of P3 in the competent communicator manual.

Session 4 - Module 1: Gestures and Body Language by TM Nisha Shivram

Because our non-verbal com-

munication counts, TM Nisha

explained how to speak effec-

tively through body language;

posture, gestures, body move-

ment, facial expressions and

eye contact.

TM Nisha gave us tips how to

make a positive first impres-

sion because it is very im-

portant, she warned us that

body language is more truthful

in revealing our true feelings!

15


Session 4 - Module 2: Evaluate to Motivate by DTM Virendranath

In this session DTM Virendranath shared valuable tips on how to

give constructive feedback to the speaker, he stated that “honest

evaluations are upbeat and encouraging while offering suggestions

for improvement”.

In this session DTM Virenranath took us through some guidelines

to follow to provide effective evaluations; before the speaker deliv-

ers the speech, during the speech and during the evaluation. He

encouraged us to follow the “Tell and Sell” approach and support-

ed his points by giving real life examples of how evaluations could

be a detour point in a Toastmaster’s journey.

Session 5 - Module 2: Vocal Variety by DTM Gil Bangalan

The walking talking dictionary of Taostmasters in Qatar is here to take us through an interesting session

on vocal variety. DTM Gil Bangalan started with a triggering question: “Do you know the strength of

your voice? do you agree that your voice is you?” He explained how important it is to use vocal variety

when speaking and what value it adds to the speech.

As per DTM Gil, there are 3 voice enablers; pro-

jection, articulation and resonance. In that unique

session, DTM Gil shared his secret to mastering

vocal variety which is practice and he actually

conducted a breathing exercise to show the par-

ticipants how to improve the quality of their voice.

DTM Gil explained the 4 spices needed on top of

voice quality; volume, pitch, speed and pauses. In

addition, the participants got the chance to prac-

tice some reading and they were introduced to

some ideas of practicing vocal varieties with kids

for example!

Session 6 – Module 1: Word Usage by TM Vinod Pisharom

The recipe is simple, to deliver an effective speech, you

need to use you 5 senses; you need to hear, see, smell, feel

and taste speech. The speech has to be clear and simple

with no grammatical mistakes and jargons.

To make the speech more interesting, rhetorical devices

could be used and here lies the effect of word usage; simi-

les, metaphors, alliterations, triads. TM Vinod emphasized

that following the recipe with a pinch of salt;

creativity at the end will definitely make the audience all

ears..

16


It gives you sleepless nights. No, it is not your exam results.

It makes you irritable and anxious. It is not your appraisal at

work. It is………….. Finding the speech topic for your next

project. Though it sounds difficult, it is quite easy to get top-

ics if you search in the right place. Events that happen in and

around our home or work place make for a good idea if

properly handled. It is easier to write a full speech within an

hour if you stick to the objectives.

From your own experiences: The one advantage of using ex-

periences is that they are unique and are easier to remember.

You can present in whatever way you want – be it humorous,

inspirational or motivational. It is usually said, everyday life

experiences are not interesting, yet if properly phrased, they

make a good material for your speech. For example, my P2 speech was based on the events at home

when a prospective bridegroom came to see me.

From the work place: Office humor is well known to all. There may be many incidents which at that time

may not look like a good speech material, but on second thoughts will surely make for a humorous

speech. Better still, take the serious events and imagine how they would have turned out if you had spo-

ken something else.

From your Children: As always children are the source of inspiration and frustration for all. Especially a

teenager at home is a wealth of topics to speak about. I had based few of my projects on excess screen

time, uncommunicative adolescent and hyperactive children.

From your surroundings: One of my projects was based on a neighbor who went on to become a success-

ful entrepreneur having come from very humble beginnings. It was an inspirational speech for P3. There

are also your friends who will have peculiar habits which give you humorous leads.

From your travel experiences: Travel is fun whether it is planned or unplanned. It gives a lot to speak

about in the form of lessons learnt, especially when travelling with children and to describe the speciality

of the places through pictures for your P8, which requires visual aids.

From the books you read: Short stories and anecdotes you get from the books make a good opening

which will lead to an inspirational speech. Also newspaper articles, research findings all lead to good in-

spirational speeches. For example, I was reading a research finding on Internet addiction in young chil-

dren and I made it in to a speech for motivating parents to keep a watch on their children’s browsing

habits.

Topics are around you waiting to be shaped in to a good speech. It is just that you should have a Toast-

masters’ eyes to convert them into a great speech.

17

SOME TIPS..

THE TOPIC FOR YOUR NEXT SPEECH

TM Girija Chari

18

TM Joseph Eliezer

TM Joseph Eliezer is from Philippines and he lives in

Qatar now. He joined Toastmasters after being en-

rolled in the Smedley Speechcraft program. He has

become a confident speaker and writes excellent

speeches about true incidents from his life.

TM Kiran Kumar

TM Kiran is from Andhra Pradesh in India. He is a

Chartered Accountant and works for Qatar

Aluminum as Senior Accountant from 2010. He got

married in 2004 and his wife is a home maker. He has

two lovely school going children. He joined Smedley

Toastmasters through the Smedley Speechcraft program

and is an enthusiastic role player in every meeting.

TM Nusrath Tencherry

TM Thava Mayooran is from Colombo, Srilanka and is

famous for his extremely long name. TM Thava

Mayooran is a Chartered Accountant, currently work-

ing for an audit firm in Doha for last three years. He

got married last year and he lives in Qatar with his

wife. He joined Smedley Toastmasters through the

Speechcraft program.

MEET OUR NEW MEMBERS

TM Mayooran Thava

TM Nusrath Tencherry hails from Bangalore in

India. She lives in Doha with her husband and two

children - a boy and a girl. She has a bachelors de-

gree in Arts and currently works as Secretary in the

Tender Department for Salini Impregilo SP A Qatar

Branch.

19


TM Noorudeen Veetykadan

TM Noorudeen is an electrical engineer working with

Sony. He was born in Port Blair Andaman & Nicobar

Islands. His dad is a retired forest ranger and mom a

house-wife and now settled in Kerala, India. He is mar-

ried to Jaseena and they have a beautiful four year old

daughter Fathima. He is the cur rent

Secretary for Smedley Toastmasters club and a

promising leader of our club in all aspects.

TM Rasha Rafiq Abualhasan

TM Rasha is passionate about self development and in

love with Toastmasters. She is a Palestinian Jordanian

and works as a Strategy and Business Performance Spe-

cialist in Aspire Zone Foundation. She is a certified PMP

and Balanced Scorecard Professional. She is an over-

achiever, proven by the fact that she has completed 9

speeches in less than seven months.

TM Aijaz Ahmed

TM Sheethi is a home maker who lives in Qatar with

her husband and one child. Her husband is also a

Toastmaster with KEF Toastmasters club. TM

Sheethi is also a new member who joined after com-

pleting three projects in the Smedley Speechcraft

program.

TM Sheethi K

TM Aijaz hails from Srinagar in Kashmir, India. His

family consists of his wife Ishrat, his fifteen year old

daughter Khidaf and eleven year old son Najid. TM

Aijaz holds a BE degree in Computer Science, an MS

from BITS Pillani and MBA from Anna Malai Univ.

He currently works at RasGas in Qatar.

20

TM Girija

TM Girija hails from Chennai in India. She has two

sons. Her husband is her rock who propels her to the

unknown domain, making her stronger. She has a

bachelors degree in Physics and Masters in Social-

Work. Above all, her children are the glow behind her

smile. She is a dual member of ICC Eves and Smed-

ley club.

TM Sunish Narayanan Nair

TM Sunish is an Indian, born and brought up in

Mumbai and settled in Kerala. He is a bachelor in

Commerce with an MBA. He is married, with two

sons and currently works with Oryx GTL Ltd. TM

Sunish is a dual member of Excel and Smedley

Toastmaster clubs and is a division champion in the

Table Topics Contest held in 2014.

TM Shana

TM Sheena is from Kerala, India and is married to

Mr. Aneez who works with German firm named ZF.

TM Sheena is a proud mother of twin girls aged four

years. She has degrees in B.Ed, M.Com and MBA

(HR) and is currently working as a teacher in Noble

International School.


TM Sheena Aneez

TM Shana is from Malapurram in Kerala, India. Her

family consists of parents, two sisters, her husband

and one kid. She is an engineering graduate in Ap-

plied Electronics & Instrumentation. She is

currently pursuing her MBA with a specialization in

Human Resources.

21

CLUB AWARDS IN NOV & DEC 2015

TM Vimal Raj, CC, CL

TM Vimal Raj began his Toastmaster journey in

2011. He completed his Competent Communicator

manual in November 2015 and his Competent Lead-

ership manual in December 2015. He is currently the

C l u b P r e s i d e n t o f S m e d l e y

Toastmasters Club.

TM Lesiley Mathew, CC, CL

TM Lesiley Mathew began her Toastmaster journey

in June 2014. She completed her Competent Com-

municator manual and Competent Leadership manu-

al in December 2015. She is currently serving as the

Vice President of Membership for Smedley Toast-

masters Club.

TM Midhun Babu, CC

TM Ammad began his Toastmasters journey in 2011

when the Smedley Toastmasters Club was formed.

H e c o m p l e t e d h i s C o m p e t e n t

Communicator manual in December 2015. He is cur-

rently serving as the Treasurer of Smedley Toastmas-

ters Club.

TM Ammad Kangat, CC

TM Midhun Babu joined Toastmasters in 2012 and

he completed his Competent Communicator manual

in December 2015. He was the Immediate Past

Treasurer of the Smedley Toastmasters club in the

2014 - 2015 club tenure.

22

TICKLING TOASTMASTERS

23

Smedley Meeting # 73 at Sharq Capital on Wed, October 21, 2015

The theme of the meeting was "Association". Our omni-present sergeant at arms TM

Musthafa set up the meeting perfectly and introduced the president. The President handed

control to our TMOD TM Shibu Reghunath, who talked about what an association is. The

grammarian was TM Akhila Navaz, and she chose "conduce" as the word of the day.

"Conduce" means "to help to bring about". The Ah Counter for the day was TM Shylesh, our

cardiothoracic surgeon and the timer was TM Navaz, our enthusiastic smart toastmaster.

TM Lesiley Mathew gave her P8 speech on "The Story of Toastmasters", and explained how

Ralph Smedley founded Toastmasters on this day - 91st year of Toastmasters. TM Vimal Raj

then gave his P9 speech on "An Apple A Day", about his 20-hour days at work that led to

terrible health problems. TM Rimzan was our third speaker and gave a presentation on how to

handle criticism and defuse a situation. All three speakers were disqualified for exceeding time.

Then TM Maimoona conducted a unique turn the table topics session. The best table topic

speaker award went to TM Shylesh. The General Evaluator was our very own Area Director for

Area 43 TM Abhijit Kuwalekar. The best evaluator for the session was TM Benov. After the

meeting, all the toastmasters gathered together and sang "Happy Birthday to Toastmasters"

for the 91st birthday of Toastmasters International and AD Abhijit and TM Vimal cut the deli-

cious mango mousse cake. The cake was devoured in minutes with no traces left behind.

Club Meeting Minutes and Photos

24

Smedley Meeting # 74 at Sharq Capital on Wed, Nov 4, 2015

For Smedley Meeting # 74, TM Girija Chari was the TMOD and she chose "Winter Wisdom" as

the theme of the meeting. TM Jose conducted the installation ceremony for TM Girija, TM Akhi-

la and TM Navaz. Mrs. Sheethi K from the Smedley Speechcraft participated in this meeting as

an awesome "Ah Counter". TM Rasha from the Smedley Speechcraft was our grammarian to-

day and chose "Gregarious"(which means friendly) as the word of the day. I can say TM Rasha

was a gregarious gorgeous grammarian who was so popular and received 12 usages of the word

"grammarian" from all speakers and evaluators. Our timer for the day was our newly inducted

member, TM Navaz and he did an excellent job of timing.

The first prepared speech was an icebreaker speech by TM Akhila who spoke about her passion -

dancing. TM Lesiley Mathew gave a P2 speech about the latest drug on the block - cell phones

and persuaded everyone to give up texting while driving. TM Jose K gave an advanced P5 speech

from the story telling manual about the history of Kerala and the story behind the name "God's

own country".

This was followed by the table topics session by our VP PR TM Shibu. TM Shibu chose chal-

lenging questions about winter.TM Rasha won the best table topics speaker award. Our ever-

ready General Evaluator was TM Rimzan. The best evaluator today was not one but two evalua-

tors - TM Rimzan and TM Vimal. All in all, we had a beautiful evening with a lot of laughs and

happy moments. That's what makes our club special. As Dr. Smedley quoted, "We learn best in

moments of enjoyment".


25


Smedley Meeting #75 on Thu, Nov 19 2015 on Dhow Cruise

The Dhow Cruise meeting #75 was a shaky wavy ride through the

waters in Qatar on a beautiful moonlit night. We conducted the

meeting on the upper deck.

The sergeant at arms TM Musthafa briefed us on the fact that

there was no exit except to jump off the cruise. Then TM Vimal

Raj, the Club President opened the meeting.

TM Maimoona enlightened us on her love for driving through a

humorous speech, “Bas Khalas”. TM Rasha conducted the Ta-

ble topics session and the General Evaluator was TM Ravi Kumar,

the Division E Director for this year.

We had a gala time on board and enjoyed a grand sumptuous

dinner catered on the Dhow cruise followed by a photo session

with all the club members and their families.

26

Smedley Meeting # 76 at Sharq Capital on Wed, Nov 25, 2015

TM Vimal Raj described the theme of the day “it’s never late” and introduced TMOE, TM

Nusrath. She introduced the role players; Grammarian TM Noorudeen, Timer TM Kiran

Kumar, AH Counter TM Musthafa. Grammarian TM Noorudeen chose “Splendiferous” as

the word of the day, which means magnificent.

The first speaker was TM Navaz; who delivered his P-2 on “Friendship”. The second

speaker was TM Ammad; who delivered his P-9 on “Power of Words”. The final speaker

was TM Maimoona; who delivered her P-9 on “Grab the Share, Share the Grab”.

This was followed by an Educational Module by TM Rimzan on “Beyond the Club”.

The Table Topics Master was TM Thava Mayooran.

TM Jose was the General Evaluator.

TM Maimoona won the best speaker award. The Best Table Topics Presenter was a guest

Mr Anirudh and Best Evaluator was his mother TM Girija.

All together, we had a splendiferous evening with a lot of laughter and delicious snacks.

The 77th meeting of Smedley Toastmasters Club to be on 2nd December 2015 at Sharq

Capital.

Till then…..goodbye


27

Smedley Meeting # 77 at Sharq Capital on Wed, Dec 2, 2015

The theme of the day was “Whatsapp”. TM

Musthafa introduced Club Vice President

(Education) TM Benov Jacob and invited him

to chair the meeting.

TM Benov introduced TMOE, TM Thava

Mayooran. TM Thava Mayooran spoke on

how Whatsapp influenced modern life. He

introduced the role players; Grammarian TM

Moidu, Timer TM Noorudeen, AH Counter

TM Navaz.

Grammarian chose “Astonish” as the word of

the day.

The first speaker was TM Vimalraj; TM Vimal Raj delivered P-10 from CC manual, speech

entitled "Dial 300".

The second speaker was TM Rimzan; who delivered his ACG P-4 on “Coaching”. TM

Rimzan invited TM Akhila for a demo coaching session in which TM Rimzan pretended to

be a boss who got poor feedback about TM Akhila and wanted to talk to her about it. TM

Rimzan described how to handle such situations.

This was followed by the Table Topics session on the theme of the day, “Whatsapp”, which

was conducted by TM Kiran Kumar.

After the break TM Mayooran invited TM Girija for General Evaluation. TM Girija invited

TM Lesiley for an Educational Module on “New Members Presentation”.

Tonight’s Best Table Topics speaker was TM Moidu. None of the Evaluators qualified for

the award due to time disqualification. TM Benov took feedbacks from the guests.


28

Smedley Meeting # 78 at Sharq Capital on Wed, Dec 16, 2015

The last Smedley Toastmasters meeting of the year 2015 was conducted on December 16,

2015 at Sharq Capital.

The President TM Vimal then opened the meeting and switched hats to TMOD role. TM

Vimal entertained the audience in his usual humorous style. The theme of the meeting was

"Speakathon" due to the large number of speakers. The Grammarian TM Kiran introduced

the word of the day was "Stupendous" meaning amazing. TM Abdul Rab was our fantastic

timer who performed his role promptly and gave an accurate report when asked. TM

Sheethi, in spite of her ill health, played her role of Ah Counter well.

All the speakers did an excellent job. TM Musthafa gave his P2 entitled “Friendship”, TM

Girija gave her P6 speech entitled “Screentime”. TM Lesiley Mathew gave her P10 speech

entitled "Great Expectations" from our spouses. TM Midhun gave his P10 speech "First a

Man, then a Techie" that talked about the misuse of technology today. TM Ammad gave

his P10 speech entitled "Charity" and the happiness that charity brings to the giver and the

taker. TM Jothi gave an advanced module on "How to Break Bad News" and gave us

some good tips on breaking bad news, and explained the effect of bad news on amygdala in

our brain. TM Rimzan gave an advanced speech on being assertive and how to say "No"

without feeling bad.

The General Evaluator was TM Nusrath. The evaluators were excellent and really provided

great feedback to the speakers - TM Joseph Eleizer, TM Vimal Raj, TM Girija, TM Rimzan

and TM Kamrudeen.

The best speaker award went to TM Lesiley. The best evaluator was a tie between TM Gi-

rija and TM Vimal.


29

Smedley Meeting # 79 at Sharq Capital on Wed, Jan 20, 2016

The theme of meeting #79 was "New Year Resolution". It was the first meeting of Smedley

Toastmasters Club in 2016. Our Treasurer TM Ammad took charge as acting Sergeant-at

arms. TM Benov welcomed members and guests and opened the meeting # 79. He intro-

duced TMOE, TM Kiran Kumar Putta.

TM Kiran described the history behind “New Year Resolutions”. TMOE introduced the

role players; Grammarian TM Shylesh, Timer TM Ammad, AH Counter TM Sheena.

Grammarian TM Shylesh chose “Bellwether” as the word of the day, which is a noun and

mean “the leading sheep of a flock, with a bell on its neck”. Timer TM Ammad, AH Coun-

ter TM Sheena also described their roles.

TMOE introduced the first speaker, TM Nusrath who delivered her P-4 from CC Manual

entitled “Cherished Moments”. TMOE introduced the second speaker of the evening TM

Noorudeen who delivered his P-5 entitled “Mother-in-Law of Disasters”.

Next, TM Lesiley conducted an informative educational module on “Evaluation for Con-

test”. TM Lesiley then invited TM Rasha to perform a demo speech. TM Rasha was then

evaluated by 5 evaluators: TM Kiran, TM Noorudeen, TM Shylesh, Mr Saleek and TM Vi-

mal.

After the break, TMOE Kiran invited TM Benov for General Evaluation. Kudos to the Club

President and the TMOE for winning first and second positions in the demo evaluation

contest. TM Lesiley then handed over control to the General Evaluator TM Benov.

The Best Speaker award for this meeting was won by TM Noorudeen. TM Rimzan was

judged the Best Evaluator.


30

Club Meeting Photos

SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS

Meets on

1st and 3rd Wednesdays

At Sharq Capital

C-Ring Road, Doha, Qatar

Phone: 66053485

Email: [email protected]

www.SmedleyToastmasters.ORG

Toastmasters International

is a nonprofit educational

organization that operates

clubs worldwide for the

pu rp ose o f he l p i ng

members improve their

communication, public

speaking, and leadership

skills.

TOASTMASTERS

INTERNATIONAL

VALUES:

Integrity, Respect,

Service And Excellence

EVERY TOASTMASTER’S

JOURNEY BEGINS

WITH A SINGLE

SPEECH !

OUR CLUB MISSION:

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.

http://www.smedleytoastmasters.org/

smedley voice feb 2016 release

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