toasted tidings - june 2016
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TOASTED TIDINGS Qatar Toastmasters Club Club: 2910, Area: 18, Division: Q, District: 20 Volume 13, Issue 4, June 15, 2016
Leaders’ Messages… Pages 3-5
Mirror… Mirror… Page 7
Q4 Events… Page 15-27
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About Qatar Toastmasters Club ·········································································· 2
From the Editor’s Desk ······················································································ 3
Division Director’s Message ··············································································· 4
President’s Message ························································································· 5
Self-Reflection ·································································································· 6
Mirror… Mirror... ······························································································· 7
The Better You.. ································································································ 9
A to Z for Qatar Toastmasters ··········································································· 11
Area Contests ································································································· 15
Past, Present and… ·························································································· 16
Arabic Area Contests ······················································································· 17
TAC-Q 2016 ····································································································· 18
Riding the Waves ····························································································· 19
A Very Special Guest ························································································ 20
Qatar Open 2016 ······························································································ 21
About Qatar Open ···························································································· 22
Qatar Open 2016 - Grand Finale ········································································· 24
DTAC 2016 ······································································································ 26
Inspiration on a Platter ····················································································· 27
Useful Information for New Members·································································· 28
Members’ Educational Achievements ································································· 30
District Awards ································································································ 31
In Lighter Vein ································································································· 32
Snaps from Our Meetings ················································································· 33
Upcoming Events ···························································································· 34
Toastmasters International ··············································································· 35
Table of Contents
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About Qatar Toastmasters Club
Qatar Toastmasters Club Ex-com
President TM Krishnamoorthy Nair
VP Education TM Rajesh Nair
VP Membership TM Johnny Abou Zeid
VP Public Relations TM Rasha Abualhasan
Treasurer TM Nahar Al Muthawa
Secretary TM Bincy Chris
Sgt @ Arms TM Sinto George
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.
CLUB’S MISSION
Qatar Toastmasters Club email: [email protected]
website: http://www.qatartoastmasters.net Meetings: 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month
Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha - Qatar Time: 7:00 PM
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From the Editor’s Desk
Dear Toastmaster,
Believe it or not! We are fast approaching the end of this term
2015-2016. How time flies!
I welcome you to our fourth and last issue of Toasted Tidings
for 2015-2016.
Special thanks to each and every member who contributed to
this issue. It has been mere pleasure for me to be the editor of
this Newsletter of Qatar Toastmasters Club.
Since we are only a couple of weeks away from the end of the
term, our President TM Krishnamoorthy proposed the theme
“REFLECTIONS” to let us take a moment and REFLECT on
what we have gone through this year; all the achievements,
challenges and memories, to look at the takeaways, the lesson
learned and the changes this year made in us.
The outgoing quarter has been full of events and stories to tell
- on Qatar Open, club, area, division and district events…
Hope I have captured glimpses from all !
Happy reading!
Regards,
TM Rasha Rafiq Abualhasan
Vice President Public Relations
Qatar Toastmasters Club
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Division Director’s Message
Dear Qatar Toastmasters,
As we are left with a very few days for this term to come to an
end, I’m glad to address you probably for the last time as the
Division Q Director. Over the years Qatar Toastmasters Club
has grown into a “model club” in Division Q and this year also
that position is firmly held by the Club. As detailed in the
“Moments of Truth”, right from a guest entering the Club to
converting him into a prospect and finally “Closing the sale”
by getting him signed off as a new Member are the 3 cycles of
getting a new member. I have seen this happening very effec-
tively at Qatar Toastmasters Club, this year. Well done, the Ex-
com.
Vibrancy of a Club is seen by a visit to its website as well as
by reading its newsletter. Newsletter is the “face“ of a Toast-
masters Club. “Toasted Tidings”, the newsletter of Qatar
Toastmasters Club is a classic example of being the face of a
Club. I have noticed in the last 3 issues, members get oppor-
tunity to express themselves and their achievements are
shown for others to see it. It also has many useful articles in
them. I want to congratulate all the members & the VPPR cum
the Editor Rasha Rafiq for bringing out fantastic issues of the
newsletter in every quarter with all the news & achievements
of its members. As I understand this is the 4th issue of the
Toasted Tidings in this Toastmaster year. Well done, team
“Toasted Tidings”. I’m sure this also will be an excellent issue.
Looking forward to read it.
Thanks & regards,
NV Raghavan Menon DTM
Division Q Director
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President’s Message
Dear Leaders,
Our final edition of Newsletter of the current term is ready and
it is our pleasure to release it.
As we approach the last lap of current term, we have a lot to
celebrate – our achievements, the awards, good memories
etc…. It is also the time to reflect back and see where we
stand and where we go from here.
We are now in the holy month of Ramadan and this also gives
us the much needed opportunity to reflect back and emerge
stronger, to pursue our goals with renewed vigor and with a
sense of better understanding.
No wonder, our Vice President – Public Relations has aptly
chosen the theme of the Newsletter as “Reflections”
When I reflect back, I find myself many a time lost in the hustle
and bustle of our everyday life. Lost in the mundane and rou-
tine, with no clear sight of what I have always wanted to
achieve so desperately. In the process many times we forget,
pay less attention to what really matters in our lives - our fami-
lies, our health, our core values and principles… The same is
true for Qatar Toastmasters as we are all set to cross a very
important milestone in our Toastmasters calendar. So… let us
"REFLECT".
I find this edition also refreshingly different with wonderful in-
sights from our members and much more, beautifully present-
ed by our VP (PR) and hope you will enjoy it.
Regards,
Krishnamoorthy Nair, ACB ALB
President, Qatar Toastmasters Club
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It's often times of change that we reflect. When I turned 28 years old in
May, my day wasn't filled with the childhood excitement of receiving pre-
sents and everyone celebrating. It was a time for me to reflect on my
achievements for the previous year. It's something I have found myself
doing as I get older (maybe a sign I'm finally maturing?!)
However, to reflect on my achievements requires me to rewind back to
when I was 25 years old, and having a 'mini-crisis' in life. I was living in a
place I didn't want to live in the UK. I was working a job I didn't want to
work - a job that was having no impact to anyone's life. I was a dreamer -
someone who dreamed of everything and did nothing about it. My
dreams were simple: to travel the world, to become a great public speak-
er and to impact on as many lives as I possibly can in a positive way.
On my 25th birthday, having reflected on the previous year, and finding nothing to be proud of,
I took action. I spontaneously applied for a job in Qatar. I got the job, and I moved out in Au-
gust 2014.
Two years later, I have completed my Competent Communicator manual, I have traveled to
over 50 countries, and as a teacher, I hope that I have impacted on the lives of my students.
And in the final few weeks of my time in Qatar, I can be proud of what I have achieved. My new
adventures will take me to China, where I will help set up a school, as well as continuing my
travels in foreign lands and hopefully impacting the lives of others.
Had it not been for my spontaneous move to apply to Qatar, I would not have met so many in-
credible people along the way - friends who I can now call family. I would not have been in-
spired in such a way that I will never forget through Qatar Toastmaster meetings. I would not
have shared so many incredible experiences.
On a final note - I owe much of my achievements to Qatar Toastmasters and the people who
made me who I am. Those people know who they are. Thank you to the club for putting up with
my speeches (the good and the bad), for helping my get my CC so quickly, and for having so
much hope and faith in me. For this, I will never forget QTM and the special people who make
it the best Toastmasters in Qatar.
Thank you :)
TM Sameh Eskander, CC
Self-Reflection
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Wow, what a year - these are the first impressions when I look back at the year that was.
We have done amazing things in all aspects and all fronts. Really feels proud to be a Toast-
master and a Qatar Toastmaster in particular. Let us see what the mirror says...
In the education front, we are the winner of District Club DCP Achiever Award with perfect 10
DCP points. We had 4 CCs, 2 ACs, 4 CL/ALs including a Tripple Crown. We are the winner of
District Club Super 7 COT Award with the full Ex-com attending both the Club Officer’s Train-
ing Sessions. Our Members have been winners in the 3 English Area Contests and represent-
ed Area 18 in the Division Contests. Our Arabic speaking members made us all proud by being
Champions in Division Evaluation and Humorous Contests and coming in at Second place for
Table Topics Contest, thus representing Division in the DTAC 2016. Our members have been
MCs, Contest Chairs, Chief Judges, Judges and Role Players in all contests up the District lev-
el. We have QTM members in key leadership positions in the Area / Division and the tradition
continues.
Mirror... Mirror…
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In the membership front we are one of the biggest clubs in Qatar
with a very healthy Member Retention and New Members record.
The most important factors that contribute to this success are the
support we provide to our members and the high standards that
we maintain… consistently. No surprise, any guest who attends
our meetings does not entertain a second thought about any other
club as their preferred option. We have been the winners of all the
TI Membership awards - Smedley, Talkup Toastmaster and Beat
the Clock awards.
In the PR front we have done exceptionally well. Our website is the
talk of the town and our media presence - be it print, electronic or
social media have been outstanding. Our Newsletters are a class
apart. We have received the 2016 District PR awards for the Best
Newsletter (Captivating Communiqué), Best Article in External Media or Newsletters (Talk of
the Town) and Best Club with Social Media Presence (Connected Social Media) awards. I have
not seen any club or even us being so active in all possible media formats including QF Radio
(that was a coup) and even with Doha Film Institute.
And the feather in the cap has been the most suc-
cessful Qatar Open – Youth Public Speaking
Championships, the largest ever in terms of par-
ticipation - contestants and audience. We had tre-
mendous participation from Independent
schools, which has taken Qatar Open 2016 to a
different level this year. For this remarkable social responsibility initiative in its 19th year, chal-
lenges were huge but with support from our members and determination of our leaders we
could bring out the best yet. We look forward to a spectacular 20th edition next year.
At the heart of all these success are our members and the leaders who worked together tire-
lessly to make this a reality. Hats off to them! At the beginning of the term, we have indicated
that we will not be chasing any awards. We will be doing things right, with our members needs
in our minds and the laurels will automatically follow.
It also does not necessarily mean that we have achieved everything and can rest on our lau-
rels. This is also the time when we need to take time off and reflect on the events that shaped
what we are today. This is very important to maintain our position as the club of choice for any
aspiring Toastmaster in Qatar and live up to the expectation of our members. Together… We
can !
I conclude with a quote from the management guru, Peter Drucker, “Follow effective action
with quiet reflection. From quiet reflection will come even more effective action”.
Krishnamoorthy Nair, ACB ALB
At the heart of all these
success are our
members and leaders..
9
We are all like balloons; we have different shapes, different colors,
and different purposes. Not all balloons will fly, but if you fill it to
its right capacity and with the proper ingredients, it will soar up so
high into the sky, and so are we. It is only when we figure out our
goals in life, and tap into our full potential while pursuing them,
that we change our future to live a life worth remembering. It is on-
ly then when we grow ourselves and fly.
As Toastmasters we all joined this family seeking self-
development. So I want you to think about your Toastmasters
journey and I want you to ask yourself… Can you be better? Do
you deserve to be better? And are you sincerely trying to be better…?
I was born as a fourth child of two teachers. By the time my parents had me, they got, raising a
child, all figured out; they knew what to do, why to do it, and how to do it. Sounds familiar???
Their child raising style made me as straight “A” student since an early age.
As the undisputed top student, I grew proud, overconfident, and negligent. I studied less and
prepared lesser… Year after year, my grades dropped lower and lower… For a while I kept my
throne even with weaker grades, but within a few years I watched the top position slip away,
and by the time I graduated, the top spot looked as far as the tip of Burj Khalifa Tower.
My worsening tagged along into university days. I passed the first year with mediocre grades
but then I failed my second. At first I had every justification for my failure, I blamed the school,
the teachers, the exams, and I even blamed the weather… I blamed every external factor in-
stead of blaming myself… But that failure triggered my awakening… My disappointed father
offered to find me a job at a car garage, and that moment made me realize that I hit my lowest. I
had different dreams for myself and I couldn’t accept that as my new reality. I refused to be a
failure, I refused to be a quitter, and I definitely refused to come back home every day soaked
in grease.
At that moment I decided to take back control of my life and act SMART upon it. I returned the
next semester with a great self-confidence, I was filled with positive thinking and a YES I CAN
attitude. I was mindful that I have a long way to catch up on what I missed, but I knew that the
only one I needed to be better than was me, the old me, and I worked harder than ever to
achieve that. Getting back into the success club wasn’t easy and I struggled at times. Halfway
through the semester I asked for help from a group of friends, who supportively invited me in-
to their study circle to bring me up to their speed, and it worked. Since then I took responsibil-
ity of every failure and I managed to pass that semester but I wasn’t done yet. That was the
first step towards recovering my full capacity. Semester by semester, my grades went up high-
er and higher, until finally during my last semester I graduated as first in my class and re-
The Better You
10
gained myself. Those four years taught me how to act SMART in order to achieve my full po-
tential.
Les Brown said: “Accepting your current you, as the best that you can be, is dangerous, you
should always act to achieve your full potential” Since my university days I always applied my
SMART concept to maximize my takeaway out of every opportunity I encounter. and now I will
tell you how by acting SMART I am leveraging the most of my experience with Toastmasters.
To be SMART, first you need to have self-confidence. You need to want things to happen to
you and you need to believe that you can be better. In toastmasters I knew I can become bet-
ter. I embraced the positive energy in the club, the support of the seniors me, the encourage-
ment of my contemporaries, and confidently accepted the club’s trust to become an ex-com
member for the first time in my life. With this positive energy, I boost my self-confidence to fur-
ther awaken the leader in me…
Secondly, to be SMART, you need to be mindful. Mindfulness is realizing your goals and know-
ing that you can achieve them by bringing the best in you. With this attitude, I improved my
scripts, I improved my delivery style, and I went far beyond my comfort zones to polish my
strengths and develop my weaknesses.
To be SMART is to ask for help. Before every project I delivered, I reached out to my mentor
for precious hints. After every project I delivered, I adopted your constructive remarks… And I
leaned on the support of 2 vice presidents education to help me meet my goal in completing
both of my CL and CC manuals in a short period.
To be SMART is to take responsibility. When my table topics reply, my prepared speech, or my
evaluation did not get your best votes I took it as a sign that I needed to improve. After every
attempt I embraced new techniques to make me better, and better I have become.
And last, to be SMART is to try; in Toastmasters I spoke about different topics, I tried different
delivery styles, I did different roles, I tried things I have never done before and today I know
that I am better than before, I am better than me last year, but I am not done yet. I will keep on
trying and I will keep on experimenting until I get me all figured out, and reach my fullest po-
tential.
Quoting Nelson Mandela: “There is no passion to be found in playing small - in settling for a
life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” Friends don’t be afraid to grow beyond
measures for your purpose is to fly up high and you got all what you need within you.
Ladies and gentlemen I have been up, and I have been down, and both ends will vast unless
you bring out the better you every day. I urge you to be S.M.A.R.T in your approach; be self-
confident, be mindful of your goals, act upon then, be responsible for your results, and never
miss a single day without trying a step forward towards bringing the better you.
TM Johnny Abou Zeid, CC, CL
Link to Johnny’s speech: https://youtu.be/IMRdfQ_3n6o
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This is a list of helpful tips and information compiled by our members at QTM. Here is what
they have to say when it comes to all matters Toastmasters!
A to Z for Qatar Toastmasters
A to Z for Qatar Toastmasters (1/4)
A
Advanced Once you complete your first manual (Competent Communicator or Competent
Leadership), you will move onto the Advanced manuals.
Area 3, 4, 5 or more clubs make up an Area. QTM is in Area 18.
Ah Counter A role designated to counting the amount of ah ’s, um’s and other filler words
used by all speakers. By monitoring and highlighting it in your speech, you’ll stop using these
words.
B Bronze The next step in the Advanced manuals.
C
Competent Communicator The first projects from 1 to 10, designed to make you refine
the essential skills required to become an excellent public speaker.
Competent Leadership Roles within the meeting as well as leadership roles outside the
meeting. Competent Leadership is designed to develop your leadership skills.
Club There are many clubs around the world which host their own meetings. QTM (No.
2910) is of course, the best!!
Competition This is where you can see how far you ’ve progressed in your Toastmasters jour-
ney. Be sure to compete in all competitions at club level – it will be a big step outside of your
comfort zone, but very rewarding. If you do well, you will progress to the next levels in the com-
petition (Division, District then International).
D
Division 3, 4, 5 or more areas (see Area) make up a Division. We are in Division Q.
District 3, 4, 5 or more divisions (see Division) make up a District. QTM is in District 20,
which includes clubs from: Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and U.A.E.
Distinguished Toastmaster The pinnacle of Toastmasters. A DTM will have completed re-
quired projects from all their Competent and Advanced series manuals. They are a source of in-
spiration in each club. If you’re committed, you can achieve it in 3 years.
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A to Z for Qatar Toastmasters (2/4)
E
Evaluation Every speech is evaluated. This provides essential feedback to the speaker.
The evaluation is a mini-impromptu speech in itself. Complete this and you will be one step clos-
er to completing your Competent Leadership manual.
Excom (Executive Committee) An elected team of individuals in the club who make every
meeting happen – from membership, to the general running of the meeting and the monitoring
of your development and journey as a Toastmaster.
F Fun Yes, fun! Toastmasters is serious about your development, but fun in the meetings.
G
General Evaluation To maintain the high standards of the club meetings, a general evalu-
ator will evaluate every aspect of the meeting not yet mentioned – the positives and the things
that need improving.
Grammarian A role designated to highlighting the good use of grammar and the English
language, as well as highlighting areas of improvement.
Gold The final big step before becoming a DTM!
H Hurry! The sooner you register to a club, the sooner you can deliver your first speech.
I
Ice Breaker Your first speech (Project 1) in the Competent Communicator manual – a
speech all about you! Prepare from now!
Inspire Your Audience Your final speech (Project 10) in the Competent Communicator
manual – you’ll see the huge difference from your first project and your development in your
Toastmasters journey.
Introduction Every speaker and role player receives a proper introduction to maintain
the etiquette of the meeting.
J Joint Meetings 2 or 3 clubs in any given area might join together for a special meeting.
K Kafkaesque A word you may encounter as part of Word of the Day (see Word of the Day)!
L Leadership Toastmasters isn’t just about developing your communication skills. It is also a
journey to develop your leadership skills. There are many roles and projects to help you en-
route.
M Mentor Every member gets a mentor – an experienced Toastmaster to support you in your
Toastmasters journey.
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A to Z for Qatar Toastmasters (3/4)
N
Newsletter Look out for the QTM news in our very own newsletter – Toasted Tidings!
Non-Profit Toastmasters is a non-profit organisation. There is a membership fee (part of
which goes to the hiring of the venue, food and drinks during the meeting etc.) and the remain-
der to Toastmasters headquarters.
O Open (Qatar Open) The youth public speaking championship organised by QTM.
P
President Every club has a president – a person of experience and inspiration. They open the
meeting and they close it.
Prepared Speeches Members prepare speeches to deliver (from all manuals). The other
type of speech is the impromptu speech (which require no preparation).
Q
Q (Division Q) The Division that QTM belongs to.
Qahtani (Mohammed) The champion public speaker of 2015 (be sure to watch his
speech) – it could be you one day!
R
Responsibility You are responsible for your own progress and preparation. Mentors and
other members will support you in your journey. If you’re looking for more responsibility, you
can chair various committees, aid with the website and newsletter, mentor another member and
support various committees in the preparation of big events, e.g. Qatar Open.
Reflection Toastmasters is all about reflection. You ’ll be made to reflect throughout your
journey. This will accelerate your development in your journey.
S
Silver The next stage from bronze.
Sergeant at Arms The Toastmaster responsible for setting up the meeting – from food to
video camera to Toastmasters banners.
T
Timer Everything at every meeting is timed. Being an excellent communicator means
speaking within your time constraints.
Table Topics The legendary impromptu speaking season – a topic is given to you and you
must deliver a mini-speech on the spot. It may be daunting at first, but it is a very rewarding ses-
sion.
U Umm/ Ah Words you’ll stop using when TM kicks the habit and nerves out of you!
V Video All speeches are recorded and given to the speakers. Use it to help your develop-
ment and show your speeches to your friends.
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A to Z for Qatar Toastmasters (4/4)
W
Workshops Sessions held throughout the year where you can receive expert advice in dif-
ferent aspects of your public speaking.
Word of the Day Every meeting has a special word to be used throughout the meeting –
the aim is to improve your vocabulary.
X Experience The invaluable experience you get from delivering prepared and impromptu
speeches.
Y
You, you, you yeah YOU! It’s all about you. QTM will show you the path. It will give you the are-
na, the audience and the guidance. But it’s down to you to speak. The sooner you speak, the
sooner you become an excellent public speaker. Members in QTM have completed their Compe-
tent Communicator manual (10 speeches) in less than a year. On average, it takes about 2 years.
Z Zzz The excellent sleep you ’ll get, knowing you’re one step closer to achieving your dream of
becoming an incredible public speaker :)
Prepared by:
TM Sameh Eskander
15
Area Contests
We are indeed happy to announce that in the Area 18 Contests conducted on April 1st
,
2016, our members claimed top spots in 3 out of 4 contests.
All the contests were of very high standard. Congratulations to you all and we are
proud of you. Best wishes for the Division Contests on April 29th
, 2016.
International Speech: First Place - Nevine Kamel Third Place - Lesiley Mathew
Humorous Speech: First Place - Sarita Jacob Third Place - Lesiley Mathew
Evaluation: Second Place - Nevine Kamel
Table Topics: First Place - Johnny Abou Zeid Second Place - Nevine Kamel
16
Also we are happy to announce that our Immediate Past President TM Rukhsana Khan
has been unanimously elected as the Area Director, Area 18 for the term 2016-2017. Congratulations TM Rukhsana and wish you all success.
Evaluation Speech
First Place : TM Johnny Abou Zeid Second Place : TM Nevine Kamel Third Place : TM Sameh Eskander
Past, Present and...
17
Arabic Area Contests
Qatar Toastmasters Club is proud to be part of the Area 18 Arabic speech contest
hosted by Tamim Toastmasters Club on April 9th
, 2016. Our members were actively
present and guess what! QTM Champions showed their talents in Arabic as well.. They
proved that when you master public speaking you rock wherever you go..
Two of our members participated and won in three categories:
TM Nahar Al Mutawaa - 2nd Place - Humorous Speech Contest
TM Nevine Kamel - 2nd Place - Table Topics Contest
TM Nevine Kamel - 1st Place - Evaluation Contest
Thanks to Division Q Director - DTM Raghavan Menon and Area 18 Director - TM Surya
Narayanan who were behind the well-organized event.
Thanks to Tamim Toastmasters Club for organizing such a successful contest.
Thanks to TM Saad Ghosn and TM Johnny Abou Zeid as chief judges and thanks to
the role players.
Congratulations to all the winners..
18
TAC-Q 2016 Qatar Toastmasters have shone in
the Toastmasters Annual Confer-
ence—Division Q (TAC-Q 2016)
which was held on April 29th
, 2016
at the College of the North Atlantic
Qatar (CNAQ), Doha.
TM K Thayalan was the TAC-Q 2016
Chairman and the theme of the con-
ference was "Win with Words”.
QTM members were in big num-
bers, taking up various roles to
make this event a remarkable suc-
cess.
Qatar Toastmasters Club members
participated in 3 English catego-
ries; International Speech, Table
Topics and Humorous.
Our champions made it to the Dis-
trict Annual Conference (DTAC) in
2 Arabic categories:
TM Nevine Kamel: First
Place-Evaluation Contest
TM Nahar Al Mutawa: First
Place-Humorous Speech
Contest
Moreover, TM Nevine Kamel
won Second Place in Arabic
Table Topics Contest.
QTM is proud of its mem-
bers, keep up the great
work!
19
Riding the Waves...
Riding the Waves of Success.. A break from the routine was much needed, a different
meeting, a different place, a different format and a totally different setting. We celebrat-
ed our achievements in meeting no. 417.. We do not only master public speaking and
leadership skills, we also know how to have fun and build rapport.
Ship Safety Officer, TM Jayaraj, briefed the ground rules to be followed. Invited Presi-
dent to open the meeting.
Commander, TM Krishnamoorthy Nair, opened the meeting; welcomed the members.
Introduced the Captain & Chief Officer
Captain, TM Williams Antony and Chief Officer, TM Thomas Joseph, opened the
“education” session. Speakers delivered speeches in the following order:
TM Rajesh Nair, conducted the Award Ceremony for Educational achievers. President
TM Krishnamoorthy Nair, AD TM Surya Narayanan and IPP, TM Rukhsana Khan recog-
nized and presented awards. Awardees are:
TM Rasha Rafiq (CC), TM Nahar Al Mutuwa (CC), TM Johnny Abou Zeid (CC, ALB), TM
Senthil Kumar (CC), TM P A Krishnan (CC, CL), TM Biju Mathew (ACB, CL), TM Krish-
namoorthy Nair (ACB, ALB), TM Rukhsana Khan (ACB, ALB) and TM Williams Antony
(ACB, ALB).
20
DTM Naomi Takeuchi
Qatar Toastmasters Club was honored to have
DTM Naomi Takeuchi as a special guest in met-
ing no. 419 held on May 15th, 2016 at the
Radisson Blu Hotel - Venus Hall.
The meeting was well conducted by Toastmas-
ter of the Evening - TM Sameh Eskander who
chose "Little Things Make a Big Difference" as
a theme for that meeting.
The meeting was excellent and all segments
were interesting; 4 prepared speeches, 5 table
topics speakers and the evaluation session
was professionally led by DTM Naomi as a gen-
eral evaluator.
Thanks to all role players and attendees and many thanks to TM Muneer who captured
those moments of such a beautiful meeting. Many thanks to our VP - Education, TM
Rajesh who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this visit a reality.
A Very Special Guest..
21
A great initiative by big hearts and minds… This is how I see Qatar Open. When I joined Qatar
Toastmasters Club last year, I often heard members praising this initiative for its big success
and achievements, year after year. This year I got the chance not only to be in the core team of
Qatar Open 2016 but also to listen to inspiring yet funny and emotional speeches delivered by
the promising youth of Qatar. My experience with Qatar Open revealed to me that no matter
how big the investment we do to secure the future of our youth, the real investment lies in em-
powering these future leaders to be able to pursue a life of hard work, persistence and suc-
cess. The passion I could see in their eyes made me foresee a bright future awaiting them. I
personally wish I got the opportunity to be part of such an initiative when I was their age.
TM Rasha Abualhasan
Qatar Open 2016
22
Aligned with Qatar National Vision (QNV
2030) and as part of giving back to the com-
munity under the pillar of human develop-
ment, Qatar Toastmasters (QTM) is proud to
conduct the 19th Qatar Open - Youth Public
Speaking Championship. The contest serves
as a platform for showcasing the skills of
youth in Qatar in their quest to be great lead-
ers and communicators.
Qatar Toastmasters is a pioneer toastmas-
ters club in Qatar, affiliated with Toastmas-
ters International, a leading global non-profit
educational organization whose mission is to help men, women and children develop their
communication and leadership skills.
Qatar Open is one of the most anticipated and admired annual event of its kind among the en-
tire student community in Qatar. Over the years it has seen growing interest and participation
from students, academics and local community. The contest targets young adults in the age
group of 13 to 18 years.
Our theme at Qatar Toastmasters this year is “Together, we can…”, which shows that we be-
lieve in the value of sharing experience and knowledge. We believe that there is no better in-
vestment than investing in our future leaders. Holding the contest for 19 consecutive years
shows our commitment and dedication to this remarkable community initiative.
The contest was spread over three rounds in the first half of 2016. Preliminaries and Semi-
finals took place at Birla Public School on 25th March and 15th April respectively, while the
Grand Finale was held on 6th May at Crowne Plaza hotel.
To equip participants with needed skills and to provide them with clear guidance, Qatar Toast-
masters conducted three workshops in the run-up to the contest. Two workshops were sched-
uled exclusively for Independent school students with first workshop being conducted at Al
Bayan Independent School for Girls by Rasha Abualhasan and the second at Al Ahnaf Bin
Qais Independent School for Boys by Ehab Medhat. A general orientation workshop was con-
ducted by Nevine Kamel at De Bakey High School. In these sessions, students were given in-
sights on the various aspects of public speaking and speech preparation to help them prepare
for the contest.
Qatar Toastmasters is overwhelmed by the participation from the youth of Qatar and proud of
another successful edition of Qatar Open Youth Public Championship.
About Qatar Open 2016
23
24
The Grand Finale of the 19th edition of Qatar Open Youth Public Speaking Contest conducted
by Qatar Toastmasters Club was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Doha. A packed audience
comprising of members from Toastmasters fraternity, contestants, family members, teachers
and well wishers were in attendance to hear the ten finalists mesmerize the audience with their
oratory.
Qatar Toastmasters Club President, Toastmaster Krishnamoorthy opened the event and wel-
comed the audience which included the Chief Guest Mr. Khalifa Saleh Al Haroon, CEO - Ha-
roon United Group and founder of iloveqatar.net / ILQ Network and the Guest of Honor - past
Director of Toastmasters International, Distinguished Toastmaster George Thomas, the vision-
ary leader who started Qatar Open Youth Public Speaking Championship, way back in
1997. The Chief Coordinator of Qatar Open 2016 Toastmaster Azeez Mohammed opened the
contest by explaining the contest rules and invited contestants to present their speeches.
45 participants qualified for the semifinal round of which the top 10 made it to the finale. The
10 contestants who made it to the finale were Ghanem Al Kebesi , Aashiya Anitha Shaji,
Dhivyashri Ramesh, Carol Joseph Ayathil, Dany Sunish, John Tomy, Sumaya Adam, Sai
Prajwal Shandilya, Supprasanna Sivaprakash and Sheikha Hamed Sharbak. The reigning
champion Reuben Suju Varghese announced this year's winner Supprasanna Sivaprakash,
who’s winning speech 'Meow' was hilarious and at the same time had a beautiful message.
Second place went to Aashiya Anitha Shaji and third place winner was Dhivyashri Ramesh.
Winners received trophies, certificates and cash prizes. All finalists received trophies, certifi-
cates and gift hampers.
Qatar Open 2016 - Grand Finale
25
The highlight of the day was the wonderful
and thought provoking keynote speech by
the widely followed youth icon and promi-
nent entrepreneur with many accolades to
his credit, Mr. Khalifa Saleh Al Haroon,
who inspired the audience with a call to
follow your convictions no matter what
and success will eventually follow.
Among the dignitaries present were Toast-
masters Division Q Director Distinguished
Toastmaster Raghavan Menon, Division E
Director TM Ravi Kumar, Area 18 Director
TM Surya Narayanan, Speaker’s Bureau
Chairman TM Virendranath, Past Divi-
sion Director DTM Rajeshwar
Sundareshan among others. The
judging panel of senior Toastmasters
was led by the Assistant Division Di-
rector TM Thayalan.
Qatar Open 2016 was supported by
Tanween Properties, ApplusVelosi,
Qatar UAE Exchange, Teyseer Group,
Qbake and Dandy as part of their
Corporate Social Responsibility initi-
ative and managed by Trans Media
International as the event and brand-
ing solutions partner.
26
As curtains came down on DTAC 2016 - The Toastmasters District Annual Conference of
District 20, Qatar and Qatar Toastmasters have a lot to cheer about. DTAC 2016 took place in
Abu Dhabi from 26-28 May 2016.
QTM has won a host of awards, in all categories; Education- Program Quality (PQD), Member-
ship- Club Growth ( CGD) and Public Relations ( PR).
Two members of Qatar Toastmasters Club participated in the Arabic Contests; TM Nevine
Kamel in Evaluation and TM Nahar Al Mutawaa in Humorous Speech.
Toastmasters from Qatar made us all proud, TM Abhishek was Champion in Evaluation speech
contest, TM Sebastian was 2nd place winner in Humorous speech contest and TM Nisha was
3rd place winner in the International Speech Contest. Congratulations to all winners.
There will now be 4 Divisions in Qatar and QTM Senior members, DTM Virendranath and TM
Thayalan will be heading two Divisions. Congrats and best wishes to both of you.
DTAC was attended by 10 members from QTM and it was a truly enlightening and entertaining
experience. Wonderful contests, fabulous Keynote speakers, great organization, great camara-
derie and fellowship - it was a total package, an unforgettable experience never to be missed.
DTAC 2016
27
If there is one event that can cover up for all your learning, motiva-
tion and inspiration missed in toastmasters learning for that par-
ticular year – it is the DTAC!
After having attended few DTAC’s and understood what it is all
about, the word DTAC itself for me brings in a lot of excitement
and I look forward to attending the conference. This bundle or
package what you get is always memorable with a lot of learning
cum fun experience. This event showcases the best of best toast-
masters in the four categories – International Speech, Evaluation,
Humorous and Table topics in the whole district. You can find
people of diverse and multicultural walks of life not only partici-
pating in the contest but also inspiring and motivating the audi-
ence. No wonder you will find toastmasters attending the confer-
ence in a big way.
This year as usual the DTAC 2016 met my expecta-
tions all the way. The key note speeches were of
excellent quality and provided food for the thought
for the audience. I particularly enjoyed the sched-
uled sessions on laughter after having a sumptu-
ous lunch. I appreciate the organizing team’s effort
which has gone into making this event a memora-
ble one. The attending toastmasters were spoiled
with choices for accommodation in hotel packages
for different budget at a nominal cost. Can’t help
appreciating the minute thoughts put into even ar-
range the transport from the hotel to the venue in
the mornings and evenings.
DTAC 2016 gave me a refreshing break from my
normal routine and offered the opportunity to know
other toastmasters better. It was a conference loaded with inspiration and motivation in all
positive aspects. An event worth attending and an experience worth cherishing!
TM Rajesh Nair (ACB, CL)
Vice President – Education
Inspiration on a Platter
28
Below are a list of frequently asked questions that you might find useful in your journey as a
toastmaster.
Before you start, why not watch see what a typical meeting is like:
https://www.toastmasters.org/Membership/Club-Experience
It’s not just members from QTM who have benefited from TM, see what others have to say
about Toastmasters and what they’ve benefitted from the program.
https://www.toastmasters.org/Membership/Member-Testimonials
Why do people join Toastmasters?
People join Toastmasters in order to:
Practice public speaking and enhance their presentation skills.
Develop the skills to persuade and convince others.
Improve their self-confidence before a group of people.
Learn to think quickly and clearly under pressure.
Listen effectively and critically.
Train to become a good leader.
What do you learn in a Toastmasters Meeting ?
In a Toastmasters Club you will learn, by doing:
How to give an impromptu and prepared speech.
How to evaluate what you hear.
How to introduce speakers.
How to be a more effective leader of people.
How to Chair and run meetings.
Useful Information for New Members
29
How do I learn these skills?
When you join Toastmasters, you will receive two manuals, which support your journey in dif-
ferent ways:
Competent Communicator manual – 10 project speeches which refine different aspects of
your speaking.
Competent Leadership manual – leadership roles both inside and outside the meeting. The
roles vary in levels of responsibility, from taking a small role to help the smooth running of
a meeting, to chairing a committee to organize a speech craft in your local area
Your efforts will be evaluated by fellow Club members who will support you on the way. As
you gain proficiency, you will evaluate other members.
How soon will I be an expert?
People progress at their own pace. Some move faster than others. The more active you are
within the club, the faster you will develop and become an expert.
As you proceed, you will find that situations that once terrified you now holds no fears for you.
30
Members’ Educational Achievements
TM Krishnamoorthy Nair
TM Johnny Abou Zeid
Competent Communicator
TM Rasha Abualhasan
TM Nahar Al Mutawaa
TM Johnny Abou Zeid
TM Senthil Kumar
Advanced Leader Bronze
TM P A Krishnan
TM Johnny Abou Zeid
Competent Leader
TM Biju Mathew
TM Rukhsana Khan
Advanced Communicator Bronze
31
District Awards
‘Smedley’ Aug - Sep 2016
‘Talk-up TM’ Feb - March 2016
‘Beat the Clock’ May - June 2016
‘CGD Golden 50+ Award’
Program Quality Awards
The ‘Club DCP Achiever’
The ‘Perfect 10 Club Achiever’
The ‘Club Super 7 COT’
One ‘Triple Crown’
Club Growth /
Membership Awards
‘Captivating Communique’
‘Social Media’
‘Talk of the Town’ (Best article
in the Club Newsletter or Outside publi-
cations)
Public Relations Awards
32
In Lighter Vein
33
Snaps from Our Meetings
34
Upcoming Events
Club Officers Installation
& Club Awards Night
June 19th
, 2016
Club Officers Training
June 24th
, 2016
Division Q Awards Night
June 25th
, 2016
35
“To be the first-choice provider of dynamic, high-value, experiential
communication and leadership skills development.”
ENVISIONED FUTURE
We empower individuals to become more effective communicators and
leaders.
MISSION
Toastmasters International Website : http://www.toastmasters.org
REFERENCES
To save the trees and to leave planet earth with all its flora and fauna to
our future generations, this magazine is circulated to members only
electronically. Think before you print this.
GO GREEN