Contest Season 2016 Compete with Confidence! SMEDLEY VOICE NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | APRIL 2016 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3 Club No. 2046498, Area 43, Division E, District 20
Contest Season 2016
Compete with Confidence!
SMEDLEY VOICE NEWSLETTER OF SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB | APRIL 2016 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3
Club No. 2046498, Area 43, Division E, District 20
Table Of Contents
Feb 2016 Volume 2, Issue 1
Inside This Issue From Area 43 Director ……………………………… 03
From the Editor’s Desk …….……………….……… 04
Cover Story: Smedley Contest Fever …….………… 05
Contest: Meet our Champions …………………….. 06
Module: Evaluate for Contest ….....……………….. 14
Module: Guide to Table Topics ……………………. 16
Crafting a Humorous Speech ………….……….….. 17
A Whistle Blower ...…………………….……………. 18
Award Achievers …….……………………………... 20
Tickling Toastmasters ………..………………….… 22
Upcoming Events …...………..………………….…. 23
Meeting Minutes & Photos …………….……….….. 26
Smedley Club Meeting ………………..….…………. 29
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
does 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
2
Salute To Smedley!
Toastmasters is a fraternity of competitive people willing to
achieve excellence in Life through sincere efforts to follow
Toastmasters International Guidelines.
The core values a Toastmaster follows are :
Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence
The Annual Contests at Club, Area, Division, District and
International Level are the frontiers which every Toastmaster
tries to conquer in the quest to Achieve Excellence.
Smedley Toastmasters Club Excom & Members have taken
excellent efforts the entire Year and have been the Top
performers in AREA 43.
The Toastmaster to represent AREA 43 in the Prestigious
International Speech Contest at the Division level is from
Smedley Toastmasters Club. This in itself reflects the efforts
being taken by Smedley Toastmasters Club Excom & Mentors.
Smedley Toastmasters Club has grown exponentially from the
point of extinction due to the extraordinary efforts of Chief
Mentor DTM Raghavan and the members are doing justice by
excelling in the Toastmasters Fraternity at Various Frontiers.
Sincere Best Wishes to Smedley Toastmasters Club for their
Successful Journey ahead and accolades to come their way.
Abhijit P Kuwalekar
Past President– ICC One Toastmasters (2014-’15)
Current-Area 43 Director
From Area 43 Director
3
Area Director Abhijit Kuwalekar
TM Abhijit Kuwalekar is
the current Area Director
for Area 43 in Division E
during the year 2015-2016.
He has been a member of
Toastmasters since 2008.
In 2014-2015, he served as
the President of the
prestigious ICC One
Toastmasters Club. He is
a l so an eva luat ion
champion, and the current
nominated leader for the
position of Division E
Director for the next term.
Smedley Toastmasters
club members would like
to wish him good luck and
a great leadership journey
as Division Director next
year!
Dear Toastmaster,
Contest Season can be really nerve wracking for everyone in
a Toastmasters Club, the participants who have to stand in
front of a huge audience, the coordinators who have to find
role players and even the judges who have to listen to endless
set of speeches and judge without bias.
Nevertheless, Smedley Toastmasters has once again risen to
the challenge and done a wonderful job in conducting quality
club contests followed by a fantastic participation at the area
contest.
This edition will cover all the important events that took place
for contests. You can get some insights on how to win at an
evaluation and table topics contest from the articles that
summarize the educational modules covered in our club. We
also have interesting articles from mentors on how to write
humorous and international messages. We took the time to
interview our club champions to understand their journey and
to get some tips on what helped them become winners.
I hope that you’ll re-read this newsletter every time you go in
for a contest. And remember that contesting is not about do-
ing better than other contestants. It is all about doing your
best and becoming better than yourself.
Regards,
Lesiley Mathew
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 Contest Fever
5
COVER STORY
Contest fever struck the Smedley Toastmasters Club
in January 2016. It all began with educational mod-
ules on evaluation and table topics to prepare mem-
bers. Each module was followed by a demo contest in
which interested members could participate. The
educational modules and demo contest took place in
January 2016.
The Smedley Club Contests were conducted in Febru-
ary and March 2016. The Area contest for Area 43 was
conducted on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Smedley
Toastmasters came out with flying colors and bagged
7 trophies out of the 11 trophies at the Area Contest.
Sunish Nair
How did you prepare for the contests?
There’s only one way to prepare for the contest—
PPP. Practice, Practice and Practice. Only the
places of practice changed. I heard many other
speakers and mentally prepared myself to face
the crowd.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a young handsome man. Married to Kavitha.
Have two sons – Rohith, aged 15 and Rudraksh
aged 5. I currently working with ORYX GTL Lim-
ited as Project Cost Controller. I have been in
Qatar for more than 15 years. I’m thankful to God
for this life.
Tell us about your family. Did they help you pre-
pare for the contest?
I miss my elder son now. He used to be my timer
and permanent audience. Like always, I have to
thank my wife for the support – even though she
gets bored by hearing the same speech, still she
bears it. But the now the distance between the
speaker and the audience (my wife) is a bit more
long.
When did you start your Toastmaster journey?
I started my Toastmasters journey in 2007. Took a
break in 2010 and joined back in 2014
Is this your first time participating in a contest?
No, I have contested before.
What is the most important lesson that you
learned from the contest?
I learned how to become a better version of my-
self. This is a lesson which is always a learning
for me as I want to improve myself.
What advice do you have for people interested in
participating for contests?
Do not worry about the results. Every contest for
me is the just like doing your project. Bring out
what you have and try to improve. Winning will
automatically come behind you. I believe in the
motto—“Do not chase success. Do your part
and you will find success chasing you after a cer-
tain point.”
How does it feel to be a contest winner?
There’s no two thoughts about it. It always feels
great!
6
CONTEST: MEET OUR CHAMPIONS
TM Sunish Nair bagged three first prizes in Evalua-
tion, International and Table Topics Speech contests
at the Smedley Toastmasters Club Contest in 2016.
At the Area 43 Contest, TM Sunish came second in
Evaluation and Table Topics contest.
“To prepare for any contest, I follow
the principle of PPP – Practice,
Practice and Practice!”
Tell us a little about yourself.
Since I took up science as my subject, there was not
much creative writing in school. Of course you can-
not change the theorems and definitions to suit
your objectives! But when I had to do objective re-
porting in my Masters’, I understood that I enjoy
writing. Now I understand why I scored high in
languages during school and college. Keeping the
mind open to all the opportunities that come my
way and doing thorough ground work before start-
ing anything are my strengths.
Tell us about your family. Did they help you pre-
pare for the contest?
My husband and two sons were frantically search-
ing everywhere for my speech topics. At every step,
they gave me feedback from their own point of
view. Whenever I wanted to practice they were
ready with colored cards and time device. In fact
they are my harshest critics.
When did you start your Toastmaster journey?
I joined the ICC Eves Toastmasters club in 2014. I
was not new to Toastmasters itself as my younger
son is a gavelier since September 2013. I used to
look through his manuals and help him prepare the
speeches. So I had a fairly good idea of writing
speeches before embarking on this journey. A year
later I joined Smedley’s club to fast-track my goals
of earning CC, CL and ALB by June 2016.
Is this your first time participating in a contest?
I had participated only in Table topics in ICC
Eves last year, within a few months into my jour-
ney, but did not progress to the area level. But
this is my maiden success.
What is the most important lesson that you
learned from the contest?
Surely contest is an eye-opener with a larger au-
dience. It shows where you stand in your journey.
After you finish that contest speech, the calmness
that comes over you is the high point for which
you can go to contests again and again. To me,
contesting is more important than the results.
What advice do you have for people interested in
participating for contests?
Whatever the outcome, you are the winner. You
have won over your fear of public speaking
through one more speech. Enjoy the journey it-
self.
How does it feel to be a contest winner?
It felt like I was in seventh heaven as this was my
first contest win. The initial euphoria subsided
and then gave way to the feeling of huge responsi-
bility that rests now on my shoulders – the area
contests. The competition is against myself now
– to do better than before.
7
CONTEST: MEET OUR CHAMPIONS
Girija Chari
TM Girija Chari bagged three second prizes in Evaluation,
International and Table Topics contests at the Smedley
Toastmasters Club Contest in 2016. At the Area 43 Contest,
TM Girija came second in International Speech contest and
came third in Evaluation and Table Topics contest, walking
away with three trophies!
Vimal Raj
How did you prepare for the contests?
The first step for a contest speech is to prepare
a great speech. I always start with a serious sub-
ject and end up with a humorous speech.
Tell us a little about yourself
Bald and want to be bold.
Tell us about your family. Did they help you pre-
pare for the contest?
A family's love makes life beautiful. I have one
wife & one son at present. I always try to include
my loved ones as characters in my own speech to
arouse their interest in hearing my speech. My 5
year old son is my first spectator, proofreader &
mentor.
When did you start your Toastmaster journey?
I started my Toastmasters journey in 2012 when
Smedley Club was first started.
Did you always write humorous speeches?
I never realized that I had potential to do
humorous speeches till I started speaking at the
club and found people falling over with laughter.
Is this your first time participating in a contest?
No, this is my second time in Area level. The first
time that I contested, I got third place. The sec-
ond time I contested, I got second and the third
time, I will be the champion.
What is the most important lesson that you
learned from the contest?
Know your audience and give your best, may be
you will not be the winner, but you can win
their hearts.
What advice do you have for people interested
in participating for contests?
Prepare well, practice well and most
importantly, participate well.
How does it feel to be a contest winner?
My individual success lasts only for a short pe-
riod of time. The success of being a part of the
Smedley Toastmasters Club, which is now in
the limelight of Qatar Toastmasters fraternity,
will last the longest. We were able to bag seven
Trophies out of eleven in Area level. That's
what I am mostly proud of. After the contest, I
received about 5 personal calls from veteran
Toastmasters in Qatar. They valued both my
individual & team performance, which made
me even more proud of our achievements!
8
CONTEST: MEET OUR CHAMPIONS
TM Vimal Raj, the Club President of Smedley
Toastmasters Club bagged the first prize for the
Humorous Speech Contest with his instant dynamic
humor. At the Area 43 Contest, TM Vimal Raj bagged
second prize for the Humorous Speech Contest.
“Contesting and winning has helped
me become more self-confident both
at work and at Toastmasters.”
Maimoona Abubaker
Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I have lived in Qatar for the past 26 years with my
husband and four children. I am working at Maersk
Oil Qatar as a cost controller for the past eighteen
years. My dream is to become the World
Champion of Public Speaking one day.
Tell us about your family. Did they help you pre-
pare for the contest?
My family consists of my husband, me, four chil-
dren, and two grand daughters. I got a lot of sup-
port from them. They patiently sat through my
practice hours listening to my speech and gave con-
structive feedback each time. Also, my family gives
me the inspiration to write speeches. I have written
many beautiful speeches about my husband, my
children, my daughter in laws and even about my
grandmother. So my family has helped me gain
speech topics easily.
How did you prepare for the contests?
I prepared for the contest with lots of practice and
perseverance. I had a lot of help and encourage-
ment from my fellow toastmasters and mentors.
Toastmasters are a group of people who are always
willing to help each other. I had help from mentors
who were contesting themselves. It just shows the
selfless nature of Toastmasters.
When did you start your Toastmaster journey?
My toastmaster journey started in early 2014
Is this your first time participating in a contest?
No, In 2014, I participated for the ICC Eves
Humorous Speech Contest and came third.
What is the most important lesson that you
learned from the contest?
To never give up. If we want something with our
complete heart and soul, we should never give up.
What advice do you have for people interested in
participating for contests?
Lots of Practice. And also you must have a per-
sonal touch to your speeches.
How does it feel to be a contest winner?
It feels truly amazing. Like a long awaited dream
come true. I am competing in both Humorous
and International Speech Contests at the Division
level. One year ago, that dream would have been
impossible. But with enough practice and perse-
verance and my faith, I will be contesting at the
Division. Please wish me luck and come to cheer
me!
9
CONTEST: MEET OUR CHAMPIONS
TM Maimoona came second for Humorous Speech Contest and
third for the International Speech Contest at the Smedley
Toastmasters Club Contest. At the Area 43 Contest, TM Maimoona
was declared the champion at the International Speech Contest and
will be representing Area 43 at the Division E Contest for 2016.
Rasha Rafiq
Tell us a little about yourself
I am a project management professional with an
IT background and I currently work as a
Strategy Specialist in Aspire Zone Foundation.
Tell us about your family. Did they help you
prepare for the contest?
My family is supportive all the way. They
proof-read my speeches. They watch my rehears-
als and they get excited whenever I get back home
with a certificate or a trophy.
When did you start your Toastmaster journey?
I started my Toastmasters journey in May 2015.
Is this your first time participating in a contest?
Yes, this is my first year participating in contests.
How did you prepare for the contests?
The contest season was tough, especially that I
am a member of three clubs.. Honestly I did not
write specific speeches for the contests, I fo-
cused on projects in my CC manual.
What is the most important lesson that you
learned from the contest?
Never compare yourself to others, your competi-
tor is always yourself !
What advice do you have for people interested in
participating for contests?
Prepare ahead of time, listen to your mentors
and practice, practice, practice.
How does it feel to be a contest winner?
It feels awesome! For me being a table topics
winner means a lot especially that this category
needs no previous preparation, so it just showed
me I am capable of being a good speaker..
10
CONTEST: MEET OUR CHAMPIONS
TM Rasha Rafiq is a budding Toastmaster who has achieved
so much in the last six months, including completing her 10
speeches, editing newsletters, creating websites and her
latest accomplishment is becoming a contest winner. She
bagged third prize at the Smedley Toastmasters Club and
Qatar Toastmasters Club for the Table Topics contest, mak-
ing her an excellent impromptu orator.
“Prepare ahead of time, listen to your
mentors and practice, practice,
practice! ”
Nusrath Tencherry
Tell us a little about yourself.
I come from a small family with 5 members; my
parents, my elder brother, me and my twin sister.
I’m married to M.K.Basheer Ismail with 2 chil-
dren, a boy and a girl. I currently work as
Secretary to the Tender Department for Salini
Impregilo S.P.A Qatar Branch.
Tell us about your family. Did they help you pre-
pare for the contest?
I have a small and very sweet family. They were
very supportive, especially my daughter who
helped me in the preparation for the contest. She
would record my speech and even correct me if I
skip a line.
How did you prepare for the contests?
I practiced at every opportunity I could get. I
practiced it even while taking a shower or doing
any house chore and even at my office desk.
When did you start your Toastmaster journey?
I started my toastmaster journey through Smed-
ley Speech craft in October 2015.
Is this your first time participating in a contest?
Yes, this is my first time participating in a con-
test. I was just 4 speeches old during the club
contest.
What is the most important lesson that you
learned from the contest?
Speech contests are the best step towards greater
improvement. There is always room for improve-
ment. Work on your strengths as well as weakness-
es. Hard work and persistence pays off.
What advice do you have for people interested in
participating for contests?
I encourage everyone to take part in speech
contests whenever there is an opportunity. The
speech contest motivates you to become a better
speaker.
How does it feel to be a contest winner?
It feels incredible!! I really enjoyed being a part of
the club contest. Whatever the result, good or bad,
is certainly valuable.
11
CONTEST: MEET OUR CHAMPIONS
TM Nusrath Tencherry is a fairly new member who joined Smedley
Toastmasters through the Smedley Speechcraft program conducted in
November 2015. TM Nusrath bagged the third prize at the Smedley
Toastmasters Club Humorous Speech Contest and gave a humorous
speech about her quest for beauty. She participated in the Area 43 Con-
test and did a fantastic job!
Midhun Babu
Tell us a little about yourself
I am currently working with Qatar Tractor &
Equipment Co. as Senior Sales Engineer. I am
a BTech graduate in Mech Production from
SCT college of Engineering. I love listening to
music and watching any sport.
Tell us about your family. Did they help you
prepare for the contest?
My wife, Mrs. Sreedevi, is a software professional.
She gives me good support to my toastmaster
journey. She is also a very good critic who helps
me to improve while I practice.
When did you start your Toastmaster journey?
I joined Smedley Toastmasters Club in May 2012.
Is this your first time participating in a contest?
I had represented Smedley for Area contest in
Evaluation and Table topics in 2013.
How did you prepare for the contests?
I watched a few videos of evaluation from you
tube. I also watched some speeches and tried
evaluating.
What is the most important lesson that you
learned from the contest?
Toastmasters is a place where you have ample
opportunities to perform. A platform like a
contest is a great opportunity to judge our
performance, correct it and continue on the
path of improvement!
What advice do you have for people interested in
participating for contests?
Good preparation will help you perform better.
When you get an opportunity like a contest, try
to participate and make the best of such
opportunities. For that there is only one solu-
tion - PRACTICE.
How does it feel to be a contest winner?
When you take a role in a toastmaster meeting
as a timer or as a speaker, the moment you
finish the task and get that applause from your
ever supporting members, the confidence that a
toastmaster gains is immense. It takes the indi-
vidual to the next level. When it comes to an
event like a club contest, after winning, it makes
me confident and more importantly, it triggers
the drive to learn more and more through this
great organization.
12
CONTEST: MEET OUR CHAMPIONS
TM Midhun Babu has been with Smedley Toastmsters since
its inception. TM Midhun Babu enthusiastically took part
in the Evaluation Contest at the Smedley Toastmasters Club
and was declared the third prize winner at the Evaluation
Contest after delivering a fantastic performance and provid-
ing an apt evaluation for the test speaker at the contest.
“Good preparation will help you
perform better.”
Smedley Club Awards
13
CLUB ACHIEVEMENTS
Smedley has bagged innumerous awards this year both at the club
level and district level, for club achievements.
PQD Excellence Award: Club DRP Achiever
Smedley Toastmasters Club is entitled for a Ribbon and
Certificate for the President and VP Education who facilitated to
get the District 20 PQD Excellence Award. This award is given to
clubs who achieve 6 DCP Points before December 31, 2015.
PQD Excellence Award: Club Fast Track Communicator
Smedley Toastmasters Club is entitled for a Ribbon
and Certificate for the four or more members who
achieved the CC Award before December 31, 2015.
Club Award: Smedley Award for Membership
Smedley Toastmasters Club is entitled for a Ribbon
for achieving the annual Smedley Award for adding 5
or more members in Aug-Sept 2015.
Club Award: Talk Up Award for Membership
Smedley Toastmasters Club is entitled for a Ribbon for
achieving the annual Talk Up Toastmasters Award for
adding 5 or more members in Feb-March 2015.
President’s Distinguished Club Award
Smedley Toastmasters Club has achieved the Prestigious
Distinguished President’s Club status by Dec 31, 2015.
EVALUATE FOR CONTEST Evaluation Module was conducted by TM Lesiley Mathew followed by a demo contest in January 2016
for Smedley Toastmasters club to familiarize new members to evaluation. Here’re the highlights:
EVALUATION JUDGING CRITERIA is based on the sections below:
Analytical Quality – 40 % (Clear, Focused)
Recommendations – 30% (Positive, Specific, Helpful)
Technique – 15% (Sympathetic, sensitive and motivational)
Conclusion/Summary – 15% (Concise, encouraging)
ANALYTICAL QUALITY (40%):- the ability to accurately analyze the speaker’s strong and weak
points. This includes presenting the points in a sandwich method with 2 strong points, followed by 2
weak points and finally specifying another strong point.
ANALYTICAL POINTS TO EVALUATE:
CC Project 1- SPEECH CONTENT: Introduction : (Clear / Interesting / Attention grabbing )
Body : (Statistics / Testimony / Examples / Stories / Anecdotes / Facts / Visual aids)
Conclusion : (Impressive / Effective)
CC Project 2: ORGANIZATION Outline : (Chronological / Comparative / Topical / Problem-solution)
Overall organization : (Easy to understand / Easy to remember / Credible / Enjoyable / Logical)
Transitions : (Appropriate / Smooth)
CC Project 3: SPEECH PURPOSE : Type of speech : (Inform / Persuade / Entertain / Inspire)
CC Project 4 – HOW TO SAY IT? DICTION: Written for the ear? : (Clarity – Short words / sentences)
Usage of vivid words : (Descriptive / Creativity/ Imagination)
Incorporation of rhetoric devices : (Simile / Metaphor / Alliteration / Triads)
Presence of grammatical errors? : (Subject verb agreement / misplaced modifiers/ misused pronouns)
Pronunciation :Presence of jargons and unnecessary words?
CC Project 5 - BODY LANGUAGE : Stance / Posture : (Poised / Confident / Shy / Weak)
Movement : (Purposeful / Smooth / Nervous / Awkward)
Gestures : (Natural / Evocative)
Facial expressions : (Animated / Friendly / Genuine)
Eye Contact
14
EDUCATIONAL: EVALUATE FOR CONTEST
15
EDUCATIONAL: EVALUATE FOR CONTEST
CC Project 6 - VOCAL VARIETY: Volume : (Loud / Soft)
Pitch : (Varied / Conversational), Rate : (Fast / Slow / Normal)
Quality : (Pleasant / Friendly / Monotonous / Artificial)
Silence / Pauses : (Appropriate / Effective), Expressiveness : (Conveys emotion / meaning)
Voice : (Natural / Consistent / Clear / Modulated)
CC Project 8 - VISUAL AIDS: Type of visual aids :Appropriateness :
Visibility : Handling visual aids : (With ease / confidence)
CC Projects 9 and 10 - 3 Cs: Conviction :Credibility :Connect with the audience :
RECOMMENDATION (30%): This can make the difference between winning and losing!
Do not just say the weak point, BUT Explain “HOW TO IMPROVE” the weak point
Example: Grammar problem – ask speaker to :
A.Consider getting mentor to proof read, B. Memorize grammatically corrected sentences, C. Practice
the speech with mentor so that mentor can point out grammar issues. D. Take reading as a hobby.
TECHNIQUE(15%): Be empathetic/sympathetic/sensitive to target speaker’s feelings
Smile at target speaker and uplift speaker by mentioning positive points with enthusiasm
Think that you’re advising “YOUR BOSS” not your peers, to be gentle in evaluation
Never use word “IMPROVE”, say instead, “Recommendations for your speech”
Empathize—If you had the same issue, mention that and explain how you worked on it
CONCLUSION:(15%): DO NOT FORGET TO CONCLUDE (Conclusion holds 15 marks)
Please say “TO CONCLUDE” or “TO SUMMARIZE” LOUDLY to ensure judges hear you.
Keep an eye on the time. If you see “Red”, start concluding.
EVALUATION SPEECH FORMAT
Opening Statement, Contest chair, Fellow Toastmasters and my target speaker {Speaker Name}
Strong Point 1: Strong Point 2: Strong Point 3:
Weak Point 1: Recommendation 1: Weak Point 2: Recommendation 2
Strong Point 4: Conclusion: (Summarize strong points in single sentence followed by improvement and
conclude with a positive remark to speaker and begin with “To conclude” or “To summarize”):
TM Lesiley Mathew
For comments, you can reach her at [email protected]
Guide to Table Topics This is one of the segments in the Toastmasters Meeting which almost everyone is afraid of or rather
wants to avoid. Not only in Toastmasters, in our day to day life also, we come across some situations
where we are asked to talk on a subject, out of the blue.
Many a times, we find it difficult and struggle to put across our idea, if we have any, to the audience.
Many a times, we find ourselves going totally blank and have a feeling like sinking into the ground. This
is quite natural and we should not be ashamed of it. Rather, we should be developing ourselves and our
speaking skills in such a way that we are able to handle such situations with ease.
Table Topics segment in a Toastmasters meeting is the best opportunity available. We should use this
opportunity and develop our thinking and speaking skills to the best possible limit. With this idea and as
a helping or guiding arm to the new Toastmasters, I conducted an educational module on Table Topics
– basically the idea was to explain the requirement of being a good Table Topics Speaker and my ideas
on how to approach the same.
The below mentioned common ideas were put forward with certain examples –
Things to remember while attempting Table Topics :
Your table topics speech is also a speech and therefore we should have a proper structure for the
speech with an introduction, body and conclusion.
Do not fill the empty spaces with ums and ahs. Instead use pauses to a greater effect.
Preparation :
Read a lot – newspapers, editorials, books, novels even children’s school books.
Always be prepared to speak as this is the best opportunity to get rid of your fears.
Common Methods to attempt Table Topics :
PREP – method – Position, Reason, Examples and Position
PEP – you could straight away start with your position, examples and position again
PPF – Past, Present, Future – put some light into the past or background, what is the present situa-
tion and what do you foresee as the future
Personalize – Repeat the question / statement, then personalize it with your own example. Explain
the solution / achievement, then repeat the question / statement, and reaffirm your final opinion
TM Sunish Nair
For comments, you can reach TM Sunish at [email protected]
16
EDUCATIONAL: TABLE TOPICS GUIDE
17
EDUCATIONAL: CRAFTING A HUMOROUS SPEECH
Crafting a Humorous Speech Crafting a humorous speech is an unbelievably difficult task for many Toastmasters. After I carved a
niche for myself in humorous speeches, some Toastmasters approached me with a question, “How
do you make your speeches funny?” In my quest to become a humorous speaker, I have done a lot of
research and here’re some of those valuable tips that can help you in this quest if you want to be a
humorous speaker.
Tip # 1: Speech Material
The best humorous speeches are those written about yourself with self-deprecating jokes, first time
failures that you had, or a funny incident that happened to you, or a bad incident with irony in it.
Your personal stories are the best because they're unique and has elements of surprise and twist that
no one's heard before.
Tip # 2: Originality
Please note that originality is extremely important for humorous speeches. So try not to use jokes that
you've heard before because this can lead to disqualification. Remember that judges are always sen-
ior toastmasters who are extremely well read. If you liked a joke, then you can be 100% sure that at
least one person in the room will have heard the same joke and remember it well.
Tip # 3: Rule of Three—this technique is effective and has never failed me.
You say two points that are similar in nature and the third one should be completely different or ex-
actly the opposite of the first two points. A good example, “My husband was handsome like movie
stars, dynamic like champion speakers and … foolish enough to get married.”
Tip # 4: Using metaphors to compare two unrelated examples
Example: After getting married, my husband created a long list of tasks for me—cooking, cleaning,
laundry. After seeing that list, I realized that marriage was like joining the military.
Tip # 5: Exaggeration of a situation
Example: My husband expected me to be a goddess who would cook delicious food for countless
lives. But after I almost set the house on fire, he realized that instead of cooking delicious food for
countless lives, I MIGHT TAKE countless lives trying to cook anything at all.
Tip # 6: Twisting a famous quote
Example: I once went to a beauty salon and ended up getting a sea weed body wrap treatment that
unfortunately smelled like dead fish. That’s how I learned a great truth. An apple a day keeps the
doctor away, but a sea weed wrap can keep your husband away for a month or more.
TM Lesiley Mathew
For comments, you can reach her at [email protected]
A Whistle Blower
“A Teacher affects eternity. No one can tell where her influence
stops” said Henry Brook Adams, a famous American Historian.
Teachers are the ones who make us. They are an integral
part of our adolescent years. They make an impression
that lasts a lifetime. We may not remember their names
now . Yet.. there are a few teachers who impact you so
much, you remember their words till you reach your
grave. In short this is an ode to the unsung heroes in our
life who inspire us…..….the teachers.
Our school was the most popular school in the neighborhood. It was churning out rank
holders in 10th and 12th grades every year. So naturally it was the preferred choice of
many parents. I was enrolled in that huge school in my 6th grade. It was a very strict all-
girls school run by the nuns of a convent. We called them sisters or mothers. All were
women , the teachers, helpers, the administration staff…. There were only 2 men in that
huge campus, a watchman near the gate and the god in the church.
Every morning at 9 am, there was an assembly without fail, come rain or shine….. All the
1500 students will stand in their designated slots without talking to one another and wait
till the Mother Superior appeared on the stage to preside over. This might take anything
from 15 to 25 minutes. This was the most painful time for all the girls. Not because of the
harsh morning sun, not because of the waiting time but because of one whistle blower….
She was our PT teacher.
She took discipline and sports quite seriously…. more than our subject teachers’ worry
about completing our syllabus. She was omnipresent , yet you cannot see her always. But
when you talked to your friend nearby in the assembly, she would know that immediately
wherever she was. She would come stealthily behind you like a leopard on prowl. Until her
hand landed on your back and shocked you, you would not hear her. What a blow it would
be….. a ton of bricks broken on your back…When it came to discipline, she spared no
sticks. And sticks…She never carried one…. she instantly got one by breaking a branch
off a tree. That was when deforestation started I believe. We had PT classes once a week
only. But she occupied our minds 24/7. She never wore any jewelry and she was always
clad in a white sari. Her only ornament was a whistle in her mouth.
18
INSPIRATION: A WHISTLE BLOWER
19
INSPIRATION: A WHISTLE BLOWER
Whenever she catches us doing a mischief , she would say only this “You will
bring disgrace to your family if you behave like this”. At 11 and 12 years of age, I
was thinking not standing in a line or talking in Assembly are the only disgraceful
events. For all the terror she spread, at times, she showed her softer side. When
someone throws the ball right or matches her level of play, in any of the many
games she played, she used to smile a little. It was like a lightning streak crossing
an overcast sky… just a second. You blink, you miss it type.
One day ….around 12 noon in October month in 1984, suddenly all hell broke
loose. The entire school was dismissed and the students were asked to leave the
campus immediately. The reason… Our Prime Minister was shot at. The buses
were not running. Shops were downing their shutters. We had to walk through a
particularly crowded market area to catch a vehicle or the sub urban train, if it
were available. We really got to see the good side of our PT Teacher on that day.
She made sure we were accompanied by at least one teacher or parent past that
market place. That incident taught us that we were wrong in judging her to be
hard-hearted.
After more than 25 years, now when I look back, I understand her discipline had
taught me to be cautious when I had to spend 3 years away from my family, alone
in a working women’s hostel. It had helped me shield myself from awkward situ-
ations in my youth. She stays in my memory more than other teacher . Above all,
it had clearly taught me the importance of nurturing good character right from
childhood! Even now whenever I hear a long whistle……………..I stop and stand
in attention immediately.
There are a few people who leave an indelible mark in our life. Your friends, men-
tors, relatives, parents, anybody else …. All of them teach a value during the
course of their interaction with you. Some do it with a disarming smile, some
with a whistle and a stick like my PT teacher, some with a tight slap…The way
they teach may be unpleasant, yet it guides us throughout. Keeping an open mind
will help us understand those values. Believing that it is all for our own good will
help us live a better life. Because these values are tried and tested thoroughly.
By TM Girija Chari, CC
For comments, please contact TM Girija Chari at [email protected]
20
AWARD ACHIEVERS IN 2016
HIGH PERFORMANCE LEADERSHIP
Every aspiring DTM must complete a High Performance Leadership project
during their journey to DTM. TM Lesiley Mathew has completed her High
Performance Leadership project in this tenure by conducting the Smedley
Speechcraft program for 19 participants. This led to an increase in member-
ship and the completion of a milestone. Her achievement was published on
the District 20 Facebook website.
21
AWARD ACHIEVERS IN 2016
TM Maimoona, CC
TM Maimoona completed the Competent
Communicator manual and has received her award in
2016. She is currently serving as the Sergeant At
Arms at the ICC Eves ladies club and has already
completed two speeches of her Advanced Manual
“Humorously Speaking”.
TM Kamarudheen Narattayil
TM Kamarudheen Narratayil is a dual Toastmaster
who completed his Competent Communicator manu-
al in December 2015. He joined Toastmasters in
April 2014 and is currently the Treasurer at Doha
Toastmasters. His motto in life is “Do your best and
give your best to enhance the quality of life”.
TM Girija Chari is a dual Toastmaster who complet-
ed her Competent Communicator manual in April
2016. She started her Toastmasters journey in Sep-
tember 2014 and is currently the Secretary at ICC
Eves Ladies club during this tenure. She is deter-
mined to complete her CL and ALB in this tenure.
TM Girija Chari, CC
TM Rasha Rafiq, CC, CL
TM Rasha Rafiq is a dual Toastmaster and has com-
pleted the Competent Communicator and Competent
Leadership manuals in 2016. She is currently serving
as the VP Public Relations for Qatar Toastmasters
club and is also the newsletter Editor for the Smedley
Speechcraft Newsletter released in 2016.
22
TICKLING TOASTMASTERS
23
UPCOMING EVENTS - DIVISION E CONFERENCE
DIVISION E CONFERENCE , QATAR ON FRIDAY APRIL 22, 2016
AT COLLEGE OF NORTH ATLANTIC
REGISTER FOR FREE ENTRY AT :
http://goo.gl/forms/DtHlrOOQf5
24
UPCOMING EVENTS - DIVISION Q CONFERENCE
REGISTRATION FULL To be on a waiting list, please email
DIVISION Q CONFERENCE TAC-Q , QATAR
ON FRIDAY APRIL 29, 2016
AT COLLEGE OF NORTH ATLANTIC
25
UPCOMING EVENTS - DISTRICT CONFERENCE
DISTRICT 20 CONFERENCE 26—28 MAY, 2016, ABU DHABI, UAE
REGISTER AT http://www.dtac2016.com
26
Club Meeting Minutes and Photos
Excitement is impossible where there is no contest- Henry Cobot Lodge.
Meeting # 81 was the start of contests in Smedley Toastmasters Club for 2016. This evening we
had Humorous and Table Topics Contests. Vice President-PR TM Shibu Reghunath was the
Contest Sergeant-at-arms and invited VPE TM Benov Jacob to Preside the meeting.
TM Benov introduced the Chief Judge TM Thayalan Kailaya Pillai. TM Benov then introduced
the Contest Chair for Humorous Contest TM Lesiley Mathew. The contestants were TM
Noorudeen Veetykadan, TM Shylesh Kunnanattil, TM Maimoona Abubaker, TM Nusrath
Tenchery, TM Vimalraj and TM Joseph Daeda.
The hall was soon filled with uncontrolled laughter. After the Break the Contest Sergeant-at-
arms TM Shibu introduced the Contest Chair for Table Topics Contest TM Noorudeen as a
person who is unable to find his socks (something from his humorous speech). The Contest
Participants were then escorted one-by-one to the hall to deliver their table topic speeches. TM
Kiran, TM Shylesh Kunnanattil, TM Sunish Narayan Nair, TM Girija Vasudevan Chari, TM
Nusrath Tenchery, TM Rasha Rafiq Abualhassan, TM Thavamayooran Balasridharan and TM
N Kamruddin.
Smedley Club Humorous Speech Contest 2016 Results
1. TM Vimal Raj
2. TM Maimoona Abubaker
3. TM Nusrath Tenchery
Smedley Club Table Topics Contest 2016 Results
1. TM Sunish Narayan Nair
2. TM Girija Vasudevan Chari
3. TM Rasha Rafiq Abualhassan
All together, we had a fun-filled contest session.
Smedley Meeting # 81 at Sharq Capital on Wed, Feb 17, 2016
27
Club Meeting Minutes and Photos
Smedley Meeting #82 at Sharq Capital on Wed, Mar 2, 2016
Man is a gaming animal. He must always be trying to get the better in something or
other- Charles Lamb
Meeting # 82 was the second contest day for 2016 in Smedley Toastmasters Club. This
evening we had Evaluation and International Speech Contests.
TM Benov introduced the Chief Judge DTM N V Raghavan and the Contest Chair for
Evaluation Contest TM Ammad Kangath. The participants were TM Midhun S Babu,
TM Mohammed Ali O K, TM Girija Vasudevan Chari and TM Sunish Narayanan Nair
participated in the contest. The Test speaker was TM Afzal.
After the Break, our VPE TM Benov Jacob invited TM Shibu K Reghunath to chair the
International Speech Contest. The participants were TM Girija Vasudevan Chari, TM
Sunish Narayanan Nair, TM Rasha Rafiq, TM Vimalraj, TM Maimoona Abubaker and
TM Noorudeen participated in the contest. We had awesome, creative and inspiring
speeches by the participants.
TM Benov invited Division Director- Division E TM Ravikumar to address the gather-
ing. TM Ravikumar recalled his childhood memories while hearing the speech topics of
the evening. He also expressed his appreciation for the contestants and club’s activities.
Smedley Club Evaluation Speech Contest 2016 Results
1. TM Sunish Narayanan Nair
2. TM Girija Vasudevan Chari
3. TM Midhun S Babu
Smedley Club International Speech Contest 2016 Results
1. TM Sunish Narayanan Nair
2. TM Girija Vasudevan Chari
3. TM Maimoona Abubaker
All together, we had a fun-filled contest session.
28
Club Meeting Photos
SMEDLEY TOASTMASTERS
Meets on
Every 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.