COVER PAG

E DESIGN

DivITAC 2013 – Division I Toastmasters Annual Conference

Inscribing Excellence Inspiring Leadership DivITAC 2013 – Division I Toastmasters

Annual Conference – Kuwait Inscribing Excellence Inspiring Leadership

Talent Mining: A Sacred Duty of Leaders 11

A Date with the Don 14

Subtle Ways 15

‘Lobos Share Secrets’ 30

Gavel Montage 38

In Association with Our Generous Sponsors

Bahman International Travel Co.

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SPONSOR AD

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INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Leaders and Members of Division I, District 20;

Congratulations on the occasion of your 2013 Division Conference!

The Division Conference is where you can help the members enhance

their club experiences by inspiring them to continuously do their manual

speeches, receive evaluations, participate in meeting roles and grow as

members. When members are satisfied, they stay with our organization.

The mission of a Division is to enhance the performance and extend the

network of clubs. I would encourage you to work with your district team

to identify potential new clubs by reaching out to them to let them know

the importance of effective communication and leadership in their organization, family, workplace

and among friends. Saying it in fewer words to be more effective and getting connected with

people.

Thank you for your service to our organization. Please help to re-ignite the passion of our members

in your Division by inspiring each member to recruit one new member. Thus, the division

membership will be doubled and more people will benefit from our program. Please work with

your Region Advisor who is ever ready to help you to achieve your marketing goals.

Here are some excerpts from an interview we conducted with DTM John Lau:

What drives great leaders like yourself? Great leaders are driven by their passion for the organization. Their belief in the organization is able

to transform, shape and inspire people. I am inspired by the Toastmasters communication and

leadership program that has transformed me every day. Particularly in choosing the words, right

body language and vocal variety I used in my daily conversations with people. I always feel

encouraged to share Toastmasters values and benefits with friends. The other factor is to be able to

get up when we fail. When we fail badly, always examine what went wrong with our words,

actions and style; strategies to achieve our goals. Change the game plan and do it again. The more

one fails, the better is the person. Compete against ourselves always.

What lessons have you learned through your many years in Toastmasters? I have learned two lessons in Toastmasters. Always have the members’ needs and wishes in heart

and always have our organization’s growth in mind. There shall be no personal interest in play

when making decisions. All decisions need to be made to favor our members and organization.

Do you have any words of advice or motivational thoughts that you would wish to share with young, budding Toastmasters such as ourselves? We need to be humble, cool and patient always to learn, unlearn and relearn. Always respect our

mentors, elders and teachers. Listen, listen and listen always. Communication is 20% talking, 80%

listening and observing. Whatever you have learned, please share with friends so that another

friend will become better communicator and leader.

Toastmasters: Where leaders are made Yours sincerely,

JOHN LAU, DTM

President – Toastmasters International

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Message from Division Governor 5

Division I Report Highlights as Of 7th April 2013 6

Letter from the Editors’ Desk 8

A Treasure Chest of Stories 9

Once Upon a Time – The Toastmasters Movement in Kuwait 10

Talent Mining: A Sacred Duty of Leaders 11

A Date with the Don 14

Subtle Ways 15

An Afternoon Tête-À-Tête with DTM Pradeep Vincent 18

Teacher Toastmasters 19

Becoming a Better Listener 22

Unlearning With Ananya 23

Spreading the Passion 26

Ask Why Again! 27

‘Lobos Share Secrets’ 30

Defeated by a Beggar 31

Area Governors' write ups 32

Division I Council 34

DivITAC Team 34

On People, Perception and Procedure 35

‘Love at First Skype’ 36

Crossword Puzzle - How Well Do You Know Toastmasters? 37

Gavel Montage 38

List of Clubs 39

DivITAC Contestant List 41

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MESSAGE FROM DIVISION GOVERNOR Greetings, members and friends of Division I – Kuwait

This has been a wonderful year for us at Division I. Our

Division can rightfully claim to be one of the most vibrant

Divisions in the entire District 20.

The success story of Toastmasters operations in Kuwait began

in 1999 with the chartering of Kuwait Toastmasters Club. By

2010, the number of clubs in Kuwait reached 25.

Consequently, Kuwait was realigned to have two Divisions,

Division I with three Areas and 11 clubs, Division Q with

three Areas with 14 Clubs. Since then Division I’s growth has

been phenomenal.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the privilege of serving the

Division since I was unanimously elected as Division

Governor during DTAC May 2012. The Division has grown

in strength and now comprises of 5 Areas and 23 Active

Clubs with two more being chartered. They include one

ladies club, three corporate clubs and three Arabic Speaking Clubs. More than 200 new members

have joined Toastmasters during the last 9 months! The Division I Performance Report (DIPR)

included separately in this magazine, not only depicts that most of the clubs are active and vibrant,

but also indicates the magnitude of services rendered to their members in line with the mission of

the District.

We have been successful in chartering clubs in New Areas as a result of diligence and hard work of

my colleagues TM Anil Lobo, TM Muthukumaran, TM Santosh Shenoy, IPAG John Joseph, AG

Nouf AlAmmari, AG Sukdeb Chatterjee, TM Xavier Muthu, AG Colleen Lopez and many more!

Our biggest achievement during this term, I would say, is the team work & inter club relations

consequent to which all Toastmasters in Kuwait are mutually supportive and positively fired up!

The performance of Division I has been very gratifying. At this year’s Division I Toastmasters

Annual Conference (DivITAC 2013), the members and leaders of Division I term 2012- 13 will

celebrate with style and pride, a marvelous feast of excellence and exponential growth befitting the

theme of the conference “Inscribing Excellence - Inspiring Leadership”.

District Governor DTM Alex Ginete, Lt Governor for Education & Training DTM Vicky and Lt

Governor for Marketing DTM Shubha have extended their perennial support and guidance which

have enabled Division I to perform very smoothly. Division I has been able to perform exceedingly

well primarily because of the able leadership and hard work of DivITeam comprising ADG

(Education & Training) Anil Lobo, ADG(Marketing) Khaled AlHashem, AG(14) Deepak Bindal,

AG(17) Baburaj Parakkal, AG(19) Nouf AlAmmari, AG (36) Sukdeb Chatterjee, AG(62) Colleen

Lopez, Div. Advisor DTM Pradeep, Div. Webmaster TM Satish, Div. Secretary TM Reena Paul and

DivITAC Chair DTM Don Prades! On this occasion of the Division Annual Conference, I express

my hearty thanks, appreciation and gratitude for your support and contribution in accomplishing a

very satisfactory and gratifying term as Division Governor.

Salu John, DTM Division I Governor – Kuwait District 20

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DIVISION I REPORT HIGHLIGHTS AS OF 7TH APRIL 2013

DISTINGUISHED CLUBS � Mace Springs

� Capitol Speakers

� Pearl of the Gulf

� Kuwait Challengers

� Bright Horizons

SELECT DISTINGUISHED CLUBS � Active Minds

� South Kuwait

� Aim High

PRESIDENTS DISTINGUISHED CLUBS � Timbre Talkers

� Desert Pioneers

PERFECT 10 CLUBS � Desert Pioneers

CLUBS EXPECTED TO BE DISTINGUISHED � Kuwait Advanced

� Arifjan Articulators

� Kaico

� Al Koot

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR EDUCATION AND

TRAINING DCP 6 AWARD WINNERS � Aim High

� Timbre Talkers

� South Kuwait

� Desert Pioneers

� Active Minds

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR EDUCATION AND

TRAINING EARLY CC4 AWARD WINNERS � Timbre Talkers

� Desert Pioneers

CLUBS WITH 40 PLUS MEMBERS � Aim High

� Desert Pioneers

� Active Minds

SMEDLEY AWARD WINNERS � Aim High

� Bright Horizons

� Timbre Talkers

� Desert Pioneers

� Active Minds

TALK UP TOASTMASTERS AWARD WINNERS � Aim High

� Mace Springs

� Timbre Talkers

� Active Minds

MOST ATTRACTIVE CLUBS � Aim High

� Active Minds

� Timbre Talkers

� Arifjan Articulators

7/7 CLUB OFFICERS TRAINED � Aim High

� Timbre Talkers

� Mace Springs

� South Kuwait

� Desert Pioneers

� Active Minds

TOP 3 CLUBS WITH HIGHEST EDUCATIONAL

AWARDS PER 1ST JULY BASE � Timbre Talkers

� Active Minds

� Desert Pioneers

HIGHEST EDUCATIONAL AWARDS � Active Minds

� Timbre Talkers

� Desert Pioneers HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL

AWARDS � TM Raymond Hernandez

� TM Vinod Raman

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OUTSTANDING TOASTMASTER OF THE YEAR

AWARD 2012- 13 � TM Vinod Raman

MOST OUTSTANDING CLUBS � Active Minds

� Aim High

� Desert Pioneers

� Timbre Talkers

SUCCESSFUL CLUB COACHES � TM Colleen Lopez (Kaico)

� TM Stephen Erasmus (Kaico)

� TM Vinod Raman (Mace+ KCC)

� TM Muthukumaran (KAT)

� TM Sukdeb Chaterjee ( KCC)

� TM Baburaj (Master Minds)

� TM John Joseph ( Master Minds)

NEW CLUBS CHARTERED � Bhavans Community – Jleeb Shouk

� Rising Star – Mangaf

� Rawasi – Yarmouk

NEW CLUBS BEING CHARTERED � NKPIS – Abbassiya

� National Bank of Kuwait – Kuwait City

� Don Bosco – Salmiya

NEW CLUB SPONSORS � Bhavans Community

- TM Suresh and TM Sukdeb

� Rising Star

- TM Kannan Ravi and TM Saravanan

� Rawasi

- TM Jassem and AG Noof Al Ammari

NEW CLUB MENTORS � Bhavans Community

- TM Xavier and TM Praveen

� Rising Star

- TM Santhosh and TM Ramanathan

� Rawasi

–TM A.Rahman & TM Khaled Ammari

EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS � DG DTM Alex conducted Four

� LGET DTM Vicky conducted Two

� IP DG DTM Khalid conducted Three

� Judges / Chief Judges Trainings by

ADivIG Anil, Twice

� Evaluate to Motivate by IPAG John

� Learn the Art of Crafting Speeches by

DivIG DTM Salu John

� High Performance Leadership DTM

Salu John

� Building your Thinking Power AG

Baburaj

� How to Listen Effectively – AG Sukdeb

� Effective Speech Delivery Techniques

ADivIG Anil

� Mastering Debating Skills – DTM Don

Prades

� Demo Meetings – Four

� Youth Leadership Programs – Two

� Speech Craft Programs – Two

� Club Officers Trained Round – I 94%

� Club Officers Trained Round – II 80%

OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS HELD � Meet District Governor DTM Alex

Ginete and IPDG DTM Khalid AlQuod

� Meet DG DTM Alex Ginete and LGET

DTM Vicky Ferrer

� Kuwait Advanced TM’s Iftaar Meeting

� Joint Meeting Timbre Talkers and

Active Minds

� Aim High Chartering Ceremony

� Desert Pioneers’ 200th Meeting

� South Kuwait’s 150th Meeting

� Active Minds’ 10th Anniversary

Celebration

� Desert Pioneers’ Inter Club Tall Tales

Contest and Anniversary.

NO OF NEW MEMBERS JOINED TM IN

DIVISION I DURING LAST 9 MONTHS:

� 211

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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK

“Take the bull by the horns” was my most recent Table Topic. The

first thing that came to mind was this very project - A Souvenir

magazine for our Division Conference. Toastmasters worldwide

embody teamwork and this project would test our teams’ spirit to the

hilt.

Here, we give every club in the Division a common forum to express

themselves and highlight what sets them apart from the rest. We

offer everyone a chance to hear from some of the stalwarts – their

major achievements and those golden words of wisdom to be

imparted to us all. We brought into focus some of our newer members who are enjoying their first

foray into the Toastmasters world. Also more importantly, how do they encourage friends and

colleagues to join and experience everything that this

wonderful organization has to offer?

And we wanted to make all this FUN! From re-inventing

yourself, to meeting your perfect life partner and receiving

blinding success at work, our Toastmasters have wonderful

stories to share. From interviews to articles, crosswords to

collages; everything you’ve ever

wanted to know about Division-

I is here in a nut shell. And of

course the STAR event, the Division Conference - the contestants who

have battled their way with a chance at glory. They then plunge

headfirst to represent our division, on the grand stage of the District

Toastmasters Annual Conference to be held come May 2013.

We would like to thank all the clubs and members who took time to

send in their write ups and articles. Likewise, the Gavel club members

and mentors who supported us with various contributions. A special

note of gratitude to Toastmasters who made time despite having

erratic schedules. They genially allowed us to interview them amidst persistent calls, travel and

family time. We are deeply grateful to you all. Moreover,

this gave us an excellent opportunity to get up close and

personal with some of our Toastmasters. We would also

like to appreciate TM Mary

Matthew of Mace Springs TM

Club who contributed by

finding the best printing

company and soon-to-be TM

Norman Roxas DelosSantos for

helping with the overall design of this document. And last but not

least, we would like to thank our Division Governor DTM Salu John

and Asst. Division Governor for Marketing, TM Khaled Alhashem for

helping us with the sponsorship. Without all your support, this would

never have been possible.

Vinod

Snehal Natalia

Suryaprakash

Norman

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A TREASURE CHEST OF STORIES An Interview with DTM Alex Ginete- By Snehal Sawant

District 20 Governor DTM Alex Ginete is an articulate speaker and an inspiring

leader with a humble persona. He holds his audience captivated with his superlative

story-telling skills and here he shares with us how Toastmasters has helped him

master these skills.

How would you describe your journey from your first role at a Toastmasters meeting to becoming a DTM and District governor? For the past 12 years, my vocation has been focused on improving the

quality of life, of myself and the people nearest to me. I was first invited to

form a Toastmasters Club in 1999. One year later, I became a charter

member and founding president of what is now the Filipino Toastmasters Club in Bahrain. Being a

‘no-no to public speaking’ persona, I accepted the challenge. The intervening years have been a

satisfying expedition, harnessing and unraveling every potential hidden within. You just have to

work hard, be focused and complete the task ahead of all others. The day that DTM Ponnuchamy

reached out to me to form a club was a milestone. The second biggest milestone was when Past

District Governor DTM Philip D’Mello appointed me as a District Treasurer.

How has Toastmasters made a difference in your life personally and professionally?

Toastmasters has helped me become a more responsible person. I realized very early that it's an

avenue to become comfortable with people of all ages, races and creeds. It was in Toastmasters that

I kicked one bad habit—smoking. After trying unsuccessfully for almost 30 years, it was when I

delivered my CC on 29 May 2001 that, I finally got unchained from the offensive dependency.

Toastmasters also helped me improve my people-skills, which are required in the Information

Technology profession that I work in.

What advice would you give to inspire our budding Toastmasters who run out of steam and ideas for speech topics towards the end of their CC projects? Attend Toastmasters club meetings regularly and passionately. Always prepare in advance and

attend every Toastmasters event, big or small because each one is unique. Take note of things that

you see, feel and experience. Keep a journal of these things as possible speech topics. Write in a

simple word or phrase. This journal shall become a treasure chest you can open when you need to

prepare a speech. For everything that you see, feel and experience, there is one great story to tell.

We have heard you narrate some beautiful stories. Did Toastmasters help in honing your story-telling skills? I love my childhood. I am indebted to the simple life experiences I had in our breathtaking yet humble

village setting. Toastmasters abetted me to relish and relive those golden memories and allowed me

to share it with the world. I encourage every toastmaster to reminisce their childhood and formative

years. Recreate and replay these events with the array of people who made them what they are. Even

today, I continue to sharpen my story-telling skills as I share my humble stories.

What's the next goal you would like to achieve? I always believe that, “when you are not here, you are elsewhere”. The choices we make today will

ensure our rightful place in the future. Certainly, the next best step I would do at the end of my

term as a District Governor is to go back to my drawing board. I have to review the past years

events, accomplishments and encounters; draw up a ‘revised plan for the future’. Nonetheless, my

main priorities shall remain - ’Move Forward and Keep Focus’ for a better self in order to serve best

my family, my people and the community.

‘Let’s do today’s work today.’

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ONCE UPON A TIME THE TOASTMASTERS MOVEMENT IN KUWAIT

It was October 1998 when I saw an advertisement in a Kuwaiti

newspaper about an orientation meeting for a non-profit educational

organization. At the time, I worked for the Human Resources

Department in Kuwait Airways, so it caught my interest. The meeting

was held in AMIDEAST in Jabriya.

When I went to the meeting, I saw Ms. Kim Lane, (a Toastmaster

from USA) talking about an organization that started a long time ago.

Being a trainer myself, I fell in love with the program because it

solved one of the biggest problems we face in the training field. Most

of our trainees disconnect and drift away from what they're being

trained on because of the pressures of life. We can't help them

because of the training logistics. The program that Ms. Kim talked

about, provided the continuity that enabled us to better serve our trainees. I immediately signed-up

to join the program, and in February 1999, along with others like Don Prades and Musaddik

Peshimam, I became one of the charter members of the first ever Toastmasters club in Kuwait, the

Kuwait Toastmasters Club.

Kuwait Toastmasters Club remained the only club in Kuwait till January 2002 when I got together

with a fellow trainer in Kuwait Airways. He liked the program but wanted to provide it to an

Arabic speaking audience. That was when we chartered the first Toastmasters Arabic speaking

Club in the world, Al-Qurain Toastmasters Club.

Kuwait's first corporate club was the Kuwait Challengers, which was chartered in May 2002 in Al-

Mulla Company. The clubs that followed were both community and corporate Clubs. The

languages used were English and Arabic. Some Clubs were bilingual. The first French speaking

club was La Pearle Du Koweit, which was chartered in February 2010; but unfortunately it did not

survive. In fact, five clubs were chartered in Kuwait that did not survive and were unchartered.

The first Area organized for the clubs of Kuwait was Area 14. That Area was organized during

GTAC (Gulf Toastmasters Annual Conference) in 2003. The first Division organized for the clubs of

Kuwait was Division I, which was organized during DTAC 2004 that was held in Kuwait. Since

then, we’ve grown to be nine Areas in two Divisions serving 46 Clubs.

The Toastmasters movement started in the academic body in Kuwait with SERAYE Toastmasters

Club in June 2009. This Club was chartered at the Administrative Sciences College of Kuwait

University. It was followed with Clubs at GUST, ACK, and Bhavans School. I hope that other

academic institutions follow them in providing the program to their students and faculty. In fact, I

was able to get the approval of the Ministry of Education of Kuwait to introduce the Toastmasters

educational program to the teachers and students of the government schools. The approval is under

process and hopefully we'll see its results soon.

The Toastmasters movement in Kuwait is booming and clubs are growing. I expect that we will

become bigger and better (hopefully a District) with each passing year, as we go forward in serving

the developmental needs of our members.

Abdullah Almahdi, DTM Charter Member of First TM Club in Kuwait

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TALENT MINING: A SACRED DUTY OF LEADERS

“Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself; but talent instantly recognizes genius” As Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes

aptly states, leaders are often confronted by a challenging task of uncovering

and grooming talent which may lie deeply hidden in individuals of which

they are unaware. We often sleepwalk our way to obscurity merely because

we didn’t have the talent to unearth our potential. It requires a lot of self-

belief to dig deep and discover certain unique abilities which can be

harnessed to good effect for a larger cause. The ‘self’ is in many cases is an

outside influence or a mentor. History records a few outstanding examples in

Churchill and Einstein who struggled against ill-formed opinions of them being laggards with

limited ability. Their efforts to prove their detractors wrong were herculean, but very emphatic in

the final outcome.

Leadership is often about separating the wheat from the chaff and ensuring that individuals are

assigned roles best suited to their abilities. Any mismatch between ability and requirement of a task

could jeopardize a mission irretrievably. On the other hand, it would be a mistake to dismiss

someone outright based on pre-conceived notions or just because they do not conform to a set

pattern of behavior. This requires a finely honed sense of intuition and empathy reinforced with

courage of conviction.

Good leaders empower people with the right value-systems based on an identified set of abilities;

great leaders enable people to discover their latent potential and apply it for a cause. This is how

teams can become highly effective units. Individual talents harnessed with the right mix of self-

belief and faith in a cause, are able to achieve so-called impossible tasks. A very notable example of

such a feat was the extraordinary voyage of the ‘Endurance’ which is considered as one of the

greatest survival sagas of the modern era. This was achieved mainly due to Sir Ernest Shackleton’s

legendary leadership in which he motivated a set of very disparate and fractious individuals to pool

their collective talents and conquer seemingly insurmountable adversities. Weak leadership at this

stage would have been fatal for the crew since they were justifiably fazed by the odds against

survival in the harsh winter of the Antarctic.

In times of war, decisions taken by leaders to appoint commanders with the right mix of strategic

thinking and man-management skills often divide a thin line between defeat and victory. The

ultimate victory of the Allied forces against the rampaging Nazis, better equipped and trained, is

testament to the quality of leadership of men like Churchill and Roosevelt. They aptly identified the

most able generals and assigned them to crucial battle-fronts where victories were often snatched

from the jaws of defeat.

At Toastmasters, the role of mentors is ideally suited for talent mining. Here, there is an

opportunity to find raw talent which often withers away if left unharnessed. But first, it needs to be

identified and extracted just as diamonds are separated from the ore. A mentor needs to be a leader

who has a clear vision for the mentee and can empower them to realize their potential. This is a call

for action to which all dedicated Toastmasters will rise and prove to the community just what sets

them apart from the ‘ordinary’ folk. The role is more than a mere function – it is a mission to be

achieved with zeal and dedication. In this process it is worth bearing in mind the sagacious words

of Albert Einstein: “Everybody is a genius – But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it

will live its whole life believing it is stupid”.

Krish Prabhakar Desert Pioneers

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PEARL OF THE GULF

Pearl of the Gulf is the first “ladies only”

Toastmasters club in Kuwait, chartered in April

2007. Our members, called "Pearls", include

immediate past Division I Governor, DTM Dr.

Grace MacGregor who is the primary sponsor and

mentor of this dynamic ladies' Toastmasters club.

What also makes Pearl of the Gulf unique is that we

ensure our new members ample opportunities for

growth, guidance, and good fun, as they venture

through the maze of Toastmasters’ roles,

responsibilities, and rewards with utmost seriousness

and dedication!

Each Pearl maintains a high standard while delivering speech projects. Pearls have a special policy

in recruiting members. Guests are always welcome, but must attend two or more meetings as

guests, before deciding to apply for membership. Members discuss any concerns behind closed

doors before voting to accept or reject a new member. Pearls have a special mentorship program.

All members are divided into families. Each family consists of new as well as old members

including a family leader. This process ensures all members equal opportunities to mentor and/or to

be mentored within their assigned family alongside the standing practice of mentoring one-to-one.

Last year was a very successful one for Pearl of the Gulf Toastmasters Club. We achieved the

President’s Distinguished Club award. Our club members are especially committed and dedicated

likeminded ladies who enjoy each other's company while developing their communication and

leadership skills. It has also broadened our social networks within the toastmaster’s community in

Kuwait ensuring members’ personal and professional growth.

RISING STAR

The phrase “Bewildering Exuberance” aptly summarises the short history of Rising Star Toast

Masters Club (RSTMC). The inception began when the parent club, South Kuwait Toast Masters

Club (SKTMC) was approached by prospective members for meeting on days other than Mondays.

The discussion led to the suggestion of a new start-up!

On 15th Dec 2012, about 22 people attended an introductory seminar. This led to establishing a new

club and it turned out to be a momentous evening for everyone. With new found enthusiasm and

high optimism, they named new club “Rising Star”. The club is supported and mentored by senior

Toastmasters from SKTMC, TM Kannan Ravi, TM Shenoy, TM Muthukumaran, TM Saravanan and

TM Ganesan. With their guidance and the leadership

of DTM Salu John, RSTMC was chartered on 23rd Jan

2013.

The current membership is 24 and within the first

seven meetings, RSTMC supported completion of 28

Projects (20 Ice-Breakers, 7 Project-2 speeches, 1

Advanced Communication Project speech). RSTMC

members participated in workshops on Club contests

and two Club Officer Training programs. True to the

club’s name, erstwhile coy speakers are rising to

become competent Communicators & Leaders.

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KUWAIT CHALLENGERS

Kuwait Challengers Toastmasters Club was formed in

May 2002 as a corporate club for the employees of Al

Mulla Group. It was an initiative from senior

employees like Anil Lobo, Abdus Salam, Peter Banerji

and Santanu Das to improve the communication skills

of mainly sales and service team members who

regularly visited customers. The club peaked within a

month with 30 members. We represented Kuwait for

Humorous Speech (Ghulam Nabi) and Table Topics

(Peter Banerji) in DTAC Dubai in 2003.

For the first five years, we achieved our goals of improving communication skills of our employees.

But we concentrated on building skills of our employees around corporate goals like negotiation skills

and closing deals in a professional way. The magic of other natural subjects was missing thus making

the meetings monotonous. Subsequently the club went through a bad period and almost closed down

in 2009. In 2012 the club was revived with a change in venue to the Better Books Store in Salmiya and

membership was opened up to non Al Mulla employees.

With 11 new members from different walks of life, with plenty to share, joining us in the last 9

months, our meetings are as vibrant as ever. We're well on our way to and reclaiming the title of the

best Toastmasters club in Kuwait.

KAICO

The inception of Kaico Toastmasters club exactly a year ago was a grand fanfare for 20+ odd Kaico

employees. It was also a dream come true for our founder and current president TM Sadiq Ali. He

always envisaged a platform where people from diverse backgrounds could come together and

contribute to the success of this great company.

The last year has been a journey of ups and downs. While the members have learned, gained and

built confidence from each meeting, problems also arose. When you are associated with a corporate

club, the main problem is a fixed monthly meeting time on which most of us could not settle. So

here started the decline and we lost many members because of their commitments to their

respective jobs.

That’s where the unconditional support and efforts of our Area Governor Colleen Lopez and other

senior Toastmasters has helped revive the club. Our ten remaining dedicated members have

always enjoyed every meeting of friendliness, fun filled and an energetic environment which

inspired and encouraged us to do more for the future of Kaico club.

We conclude on a positive note that our Kaico club will shine bright in the future by sheer

dedication and team work of our fellow members. We would like to thank each and every one of

you who has been an integral part of our club’s success.

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A DATE WITH THE DON An Interview with DTM Don Prades -By Snehal Sawant

DTM Don, one of the pioneers of the Toastmasters movement in Kuwait is a loved and

revered figure in Toastmasters circles. To most, a pat on the back from Don is more

encouraging, motivating and valuable than any other award. Read on to see how has his

journey in the Toastmasters world been.

How would you describe your journey from your first role in Toastmasters to becoming a DTM? Like most of us, my first two weeks with Toastmasters were nerve racking.

During my second meeting I sat in front and sure enough the Table Topics

Master pounced on me. “Don is new but he is very enthusiastic, that’s why he’s

sitting in front. The first topic is his.” During the second meeting I decided to sit at the back hoping

to avoid the table topics. The Table Topic Master noticed this; “Don is already backsliding and

decided to sit at the back ready to slip out unnoticed. Let’s draw him back into the fold.” I was the

first one to be “tormented”. After the initial shock of the first few weeks, Toastmasters gradually

became a pleasant part of my life. After 30 odd years, I’m still madly and positively in love with it.

How has Toastmasters made a difference in your life personally and professionally? It has forever changed my life. Personally, I have become an extrovert and my life-long friends are

with the Toastmasters. Professionally, I have been immersed in many cross-cultural environments.

So, I can proudly say that professionally I have contributed a lot to the educational growth of the

people I have met. In the process, I learned a lot from them and I've emerged a better person.

What advice would you give to inspire our budding Toastmasters who feel disheartened at losing at contests and giving up? What you gain from Toastmasters is commensurate with the time and effort you put in. If you give

more, you get more. Give nothing and you get back nothing. In my years in Toastmasters, I’ve

known people who felt disheartened after losing and blamed everyone else except themselves,

especially the judges. If members are so obsessed with winning and feel disheartened after losing,

then maybe Toastmasters is not for them. Toastmasters is not for everyone, neither is it only for

people who are interested in public speaking. It's for anyone who cares deeply about professional

development and career advancement.

What is the secret behind your enthusiasm for Toastmasters even after so many years and after achieving so much? For me, my enthusiasm comes from the aura of the movement itself. Even during my vacations, I go

club meeting hopping in Toastmasters. It provides me with hours of fun and enjoyment as you

learn new skills in a social atmosphere. I meet new and interesting people and form friendships that

can last for a life time.

What is the greatest lesson that you have learned in Toastmasters? For me, the greatest lesson I’ve learned is the realization that the Toastmasters movement actually

works. When I started the Active Minds (nee Filipino Toastmasters Club) I won practically in

everything, not because I was that good, but because I was the only one who was experienced.

Every meeting I asked them to exclude me from the voting which made them very happy. After six

months, I stopped reminding them. Then they started winning even if I was a participant. They

learned and became more confident and now, it would be extremely hard for me to beat them. I was

ecstatic because I knew the Toastmasters program works.

What would you recommend is an ideal time to finish one’s DTM/ideal time between each speech? For me, there’s no ideal time to finish one’s DTM nor an ideal time between each speech. What

works for me is that whenever I’m comfortable to do a project, I do it. In that way I'm never under

any pressure and that’s why even after all these long years, I’m still in love with Toastmasters.

15 of 44

SUBTLE WAYS I want to take you to an ancient part of the world that sits between the

steep foothills of the Hindu Kush and the arid deserts of Afghanistan.

We’re in the wilderness of Zerok District, making a temporary home in a

small combat outpost, far away from any U.S. Army support. The place

we’re occupying is a humble building. The walls are made from rock and

earth is used as mortar. The roof is made from sheet metal and the low bay

window from plexy glass.

It is cramped in this room. About 20 of us had been living out of it for the

past three days. But my soldiers aren’t concerned with the overcrowded

conditions. Right now, they just want to eat lunch and get a little rest

before the next mission. They’ve settled down, so I head to my truck,

parked outside the window.

I hear a faint whistle overhead. An eruption of noise and vibration can be

felt by the rocket that lands just outside the wall of the compound. A

second explosion shatters the air, this time at the wall. We’re being targeted by the enemy. Then the

third one, so close I could feel the heat and the percussion go through me all at once. It hit the

building with precision, piercing the roof with ease, detonating on that low windowsill, maximizing

dispersion of shrapnel into the room.

Silence. That single second that seared into my memory takes up the same amount of space as the

last decade of my life. Then, the painful images of the things I saw in the aftermath, things I’ll never

forget, especially the lifeless bodies of Marc Retmeir, a young man from Southern California, and

Ross Toles, a husband and father from Northern Michigan. Have you experienced a moment in

your life where you know you’ll forever be changed?

11:30 to 12:30 on the 18th of July, 2008 was the hour that changed my life forever, for the better. My

appreciation for life was amplified one-hundred fold that day and every day since, in obvious and

subtle ways.

I’ve learned to appreciate the little things. Each glass of red wine tastes a little more elegant. Every

intimate conversation I have with a friend is a little more meaningful. When my dad and I get that

rare opportunity to sit in his backyard and smoke a cigar, I listen a little more intently to what he

has to say. I spend a little more time gazing up at the stars thanking God for the life he saved that

fateful day. These are the noteworthy subtle changes.

As for the big ones, I decided to shed all of modern life’s chains, distractions. Do you ever wonder,

how do you get fulfillment by spending all of your time watching news or sports? What purpose is

served stalking other people’s lives on Facebook? I decided I didn’t need TV or the Internet

anymore. I got rid of it. And you know what happened? I began to read more, learn more, I started

cooking, and I spent more time with friends. I started to thoroughly enjoy every day, as if each of

them were a separate and distinguishable gift from God.

Traumatic experiences don’t have to ruin you. We can grow from them. We can learn to appreciate

everything that life has to offer. It’s only when you experience the bad that you can feel the good. It

truly was that one hour on July 18th that changed everything. While I’m not pleased that the day

had to exist, I’m certainly thankful for the ways it changed me.

Brian Kinkade Arifjan Articulators

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ACTIVE MINDS

Chartered on June 5, 2002 as ‘The Filipino

Toastmasters Club’, we have evolved into a

dynamic and diverse club. In 2006 it was

renamed Active Minds Toastmasters Club.

Since then, it has opened its membership to

non-Filipinos and it has grown its

membership base to at least 12 different

nationalities among its 46 members. The

diversity is also evident in the member’s

different professional and cultural

backgrounds, age, gender and religion.

Active Minds has since produced leaders like DTM Don P. Prades, one of the pillars of the

Toastmasters movement in Kuwait. Seven other leaders went on to become Area Governors. The

club has produced public speaking champions, like Ildone Galvez, Hesham Al Awadhi, Biji Gittens

and Yogi Desai, who have represented Division I through the years and won accolades at District

contests. This year, our members have achieved twelve educational awards from TMI.

The club has grown steadfastly and it aims to continually improve and ensure that its member’s

individual goals are acknowledged and nurtured. The Executive Committee takes the task of

making every meeting fun, exciting, positive and supportive very seriously. Now celebrating its 10th

year, it will continue to face the challenges ahead, continue to learn from each other and continue to

improve and share and help members realize their potentials.

The club is eternally thankful to its sponsor, DTM Abdullah Al Mahdi and the many leaders who

have been a part of ‘Achieving our Goals Together’ Active Minds will continue to “Honor the Past,

Treasure the Present and Shape the Future”.

You can visit us at http://2446.toastmastersclubs.org/ or

Find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/ActiveMindsToastmasters.

SOUTH KUWAIT

The South Kuwait Toastmasters club (SKTM) was chartered in Sept 2006 at Mangaf. Sponsored by

DTM Pradeep Vincent and founded by TM Muthukumaran, the club grew slowly but steadily.

SKTM was started with the aim of reaching out to the employees of the Oil sector who resided

mainly in the south of Kuwait. The club served its purpose and even surpassed its expectations. As

a result of its success, SKTM

recently sponsored another

club, Rising Stars

Toastmasters club. We also

support four Gavel clubs

which are run by volunteers

from SKTM. The steady

growth of the club has

cultivated a line of leadership

contributing to Division I in

all possible ways.

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BRIGHT HORIZONS

Waking up early on a Friday

morning can have its perks. But

you'd never guess it would be as

vigorously entertaining as walking

into a Toastmaster’s club. It won't

be long before you find out why

we are named “Bright Horizons”.

For one, you'll often see a cluster

of people sitting in a semi-circle

facing a stage; where one person

might be convincing a captivated

audience.

If you want to be welcomed by

friendly faces and people who

greet you with a smile and leave

you feeling; that you took home

more than you expected? Then we are a club for you. What sets us apart from other clubs in the area

is this. It’s the element of FUN. We tend to make every meeting a celebration of life itself. From

beach meetings to biking treks, we at Bright Horizons sure know how to do things in style.

Our meetings have a theme plus educational and interactive session. Our members always do

something different that makes guests come back for more until they become permanent members.

A recent guest once said to us “I walked into this Club wanting to know more about it, but it's

surpassed all my expectations”. At Bright Horizons, we know how to be lively and highlight ‘the

leader’ within us all.

For more details, visit our Facebook page "Bright Horizons Toastmasters Kuwait" and come join us

at Bright Horizons -where honing your communication and leadership skills is a fun experience!

AL GHANIM

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

—Sir Winston Churchill

The Alghanim Toastmasters Club (ATC) was formed in 2011 under the mentorship of some leaders

who continue to help us grow. ATC is a corporate club exclusively for Alghanim Employees. We

are very dedicated towards the club and are always trying to innovate ourselves. As a corporate

club we follow discipline and a stress free environment. We welcome all our guests from other

clubs and continue to seek guidance from our mentors. Our vision is to see ourselves grow from

year to year and at the same time to increase our skills and try to be one of the most vibrant clubs in

Kuwait.

ATC has around 20 members and continues to grow. We falter at times but we always rise back. We

try our best to inspire everyone around us to join our club which will enable any individual to grow

& this will help them to grow as better speakers and leaders in today’s world.

There are three things to aim for in public speaking: first, get into your subject, then get your subject

into yourself, and lastly, get your subject into the hearts of your audience – Alexander Gregg.

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AN AFTERNOON TÊTE-À-TÊTE WITH DTM PRADEEP VINCENT By Natalia Desai

DTM Pradeep Vincent is a former Division Governor and charter member of Desert Pioneers TM club. A

prolific speaker and very active member in Church, we sat down with DTM Pradeep to find out just what

makes him such a respected figure in Toastmasters circles.

How did Toastmasters make a difference in your life - personally and professionally?

The communication and leadership skills I attained as a result of being an active participant in the

Toastmasters movement has helped me transform my life. I used to keep to myself; seldom reached

out to others. After being in Toastmasters I am self-confident, assertive, can address varied

audiences on many subjects and even volunteer to help people in trouble. Even though my

employment is a purely technical job I have developed the skills and conduct workshops on

subjects such as leadership, working in teams, goal setting and planning for other companies,

church youth groups and in the past at Toastmasters Clubs as well. I have evolved as a motivational

speaker; all this is possible entirely as a consequence of my association with Toastmasters.

What advice would you give to inspire our budding Toastmasters who feel disheartened at losing at contests and giving up? In the semi-finals of the prestigious 2010 All England Badminton Championship Saina Nehwal lost

and must have been really disappointed. As their plane landed in Hyderabad (India), Saina's coach

Gopinath is said to have told Saina that he will expect to see her at the court for practise next day

morning and it is reported that she did show up. That is how we should treat our losses, by not

dwelling in them too long and not allowing them to slow us down but remain focused on our goals.

Another good example is that of the athletes who come to participate in the Olympics. The timings

of the fastest athletes are already known and so even before leaving their countries quite a few of

them know they do not stand a chance of figuring in the final eight.. But yet they work hard and

give their best in the event they participate. Even if they get back home without a medal they start

practicing again and look forward to the next Olympics. The spirit of contests is not about winning

alone; the real spirit is in participating and enjoying the process as one goes about preparing the

speech. It is about bringing out the best in you. Remember "only runners can be winners", giving up

and refusing to participate will take you nowhere

Please share with us one of your most memorable experiences in Toastmasters that inspired you. Having been with Toastmasters for so long, there are many memorable moments that come to mind

but the one I would like to mention about happened in November 2012. I was part of the team

comprising of TM Anil Lobo (then Area Governor) and TM Muthukumar (founding President of

the Club) that was instrumental in establishing the South Kuwait TM Club in September 2006 and

therefore they invited me to their

150th meeting to give the Keynote.

During the dinner after the

meeting few Club members

walked up to me and thanked me

for the efforts we put in to start the

Club in South Kuwait because of

which they are enjoying the

benefits now. It was truly a

moment of truth and it felt good to

know that a small seed that was

sown then has blossomed to be a

nice tree whose fruits others are

able to enjoy now and perhaps for

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many more years to come. Of course, the credit goes to TM Muthukumar and other leaders who

steadfastly propelled the Club against counter currents and have succeeded in stabilising South

Kuwait TM Club and also charter a second TM Club in South Kuwait.

What is the greatest lesson that you have learnt in Toastmasters? The greatest lesson I learnt in Toastmasters is that one is never too old to learn anything. These days

we see lots of youngsters like you join Clubs which is really nice. But I was 40 when I joined the

Oasis Toastmasters Club in Khobar (SA) and as I mentioned earlier I have learnt a lot and gained

tremendous benefits. The second greatest lesson I learnt is that leaders are not born and leadership

is a skill that can be acquired; a muscle that can be honed as we exercise it.

What would you recommend is an ideal time to finish your DTM / ideal time between speeches? The Toastmasters education program is designed to suit the pace of every individual without

bringing in any time constraints to complete within a certain period. However, in my opinion 5 to 6

years is a reasonable duration to attain the DTM level. Members ought to strive to complete at least

one project a month. Considering the rush for speaking slots it may not always be possible but

members could try to do their projects in different Clubs whereby they gain confidence addressing

different audiences in different settings and also get to complete the requirements for different

awards in time without impeding their progress towards achieving the DTM award.

What's your personal quote that you carry forward in life? “If God is for us, who can be against us” – Romans 8:31. It turned my life around.

TEACHER TOASTMASTERS

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The

superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.

Teaching thus has manifold connotations. However way we

try to interpret a teacher, he has an undeniable influence on the

process of moulding an innocent child into an experienced

individual. Materialization of thoughts has ruined the purity

of the very concept of teaching. Still a teacher continues to be a

role model for learners and thus the life of a teacher becomes

simply influential.

The first example given for a phenomenon, the first

pronunciation of a word introduced to a child, the first stories

a child hears, the first lecture on any one lesson in the book of

life – all these have an indelible impact on children. Thus the teacher, his outlook, his philosophy

and personality become a social concern. Thus on one side it is the responsibility of the society to

maintain a comfortable social living for the teachers in that society, and on the other hand it is the

great responsibility of every teacher to give the confidence level for every learner to grow into what

he really is and how he really wishes to grow.

Toastmasters International, in that sense, is discharging that great social responsibility of nurturing

communication skills and leadership skills in every club member. Teacher Toastmasters thus carve

a niche in their career permeating abundance of confidence and invigorating enthusiasm. Thanks to

Toastmasters International.

Suresh V Balakrishnan Bhavans Masterminds

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AIM HIGH Aim High Toastmasters Club, chartered on May 24, 2012 during DTAC in Bahrain, is one of the

fastest growing clubs in Kuwait. The strength of the club is rooted in its diversity and friendly

atmosphere. Currently, Aim High has 42 members that represent a wide range of career and

cultural backgrounds from 14 different countries.

Being one of the youngest clubs in Kuwait, Aim High Toastmasters Club has achieved a lot of

awards to date including the Beat The Clock Challenge (2012), Smedley Award (2012), Talk Up

Toastmasters Award (2013) and President Distinguished Club (April 11, 2013). In October 2012 Aim

High won the “Show-Off Your Brand Contest” among 13,500 clubs making Aim High one of the top

branded clubs in the world. As a result Aim High Toastmasters Club was featured in March 2013

issue of Toastmasters Magazine on page 28-29.

Our most notable achievement of this term is our chartering ceremony that was held on October 11,

2012 in Crowne Plaza Hotel, Farwaniya with dignitaries such as District Governor Alex Ginete,

DTM, IP District Governor Khaled AlQuod, DTM, Division I Governor Salu John, DTM and IP

Division I Governor Grace Macgregor, DTM.

To know more about Aim High Toastmasters Club visit our website at www.aimhighTMC.org,

follow our blog at www.blog.aimhighTMC.org, follow us on Twitter @aimhighTMC, like us on

Facebook www.facebook.com/aimhighTMC, and join our LinkedIn group page

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Aim-High-Toastmasters-Club.

KUWAIT TOASTMASTERS

Kuwait Toastmasters club was the first club in Kuwait to be chartered in February 1998. Over the

past 15 years a lot of its original members have gone on hold high positions and charter many more

clubs throughout Kuwait. Our club has got a good mix of very senior as well as newly joined

Toastmasters members some of whom have represented us and won accolades at the Division level

contests over the years. The club is on its way to achieving the Distinguished Club status.

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ARIFJAN ARTICULATORS When one thinks of life on an Army Base in the desert, nothing exciting comes to mind. Everything

that the eye can see is tan: drifting sand, gigantic tents, soldiers in uniform saluting officers. But,

hidden under the dust at Camp Arifjan lies one activity that makes life more stimulating:

Toastmasters! Every Monday evening, members of the military and civilians gather at meetings

that spice up the members’ weekly duties. While also giving them an opportunity to speak on

topics, they are passionate about.

Arifjan Articulators faces a major challenge: inherent high member turnover. Tours of duty at our

Camp are typically nine months, limiting the time the club has to recruit members and get them

through the Competent Communicator (CC) and Competent Leader (CL) projects. Critical to

holding the club together during periods of rotation is Grace MacGregor, DTM who facilitates the

transitions between Executive Committees. The club has effective public relations including

advertisements on base and a newly created Facebook page.

Most recently, the clubs’ determination to succeed shone when they competed at the Area 19

Annual Contest. Participation was a unique challenge for the club, since there is an extensive

process for military members to gain permission to

conduct off post activities. We are proud to

announce that every member who took part in the

contests came home with a trophy including first

place awards in Humorous, Table Topics and

International Speech categories.

The Arifjan Articulators Toastmasters Club will

continue to face high turnover challenges

throughout its existence but will continually strive

to maintain a strong presence in the Toastmasters

community in Kuwait.

AL BADER ANCHORS Al Bader Anchors Toastmasters Club is all about the journey from a small dream of our founder - to a

very dynamic group of like minded people working together as a team and growing everyday. We

are extremely thankful to the Management of Al Bader Group of Companies who shared our vision

and helped us charter the club successfully on 14th December 2011

We have not looked back since. The Charter & Demo Meeting was held on 26th December 2011

where our Club Mentors TM Sukdeb and TM Anil Lobo lit the candle for us with their warm aura

and outstanding introduction to the world of Toastmasters! The Club held the first meeting on 04th

Jan 2012 with a sum of 24 Charter Members.

We are very thankful to TM Anil Lobo and TM

John Joseph who were strong pillars of support and

played a very important role in the inception of our

club. We also have great regard for TM Dileep

Thomas and TM YGK Mohan, our club sponsors,

who also played a key role in helping us charter the

club and made us operationally independent.

We have come a long way since our birth, and look

forward to an enriching journey ahead!

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BECOMING A BETTER LISTENER An Interview the TM Thabo Khasipe -By Natalia Desai

TM Thabo Khasipe is the Ambassador to Kuwait from the Kingdom of Lesotho. A

member of Timbre Talkers since July 2012, TM Thabo is an excellent speaker with

very unique perspectives on life. So passionate is he about the Toastmasters

concept that he's even convinced his wife Matebello to join. We caught up with

TM Thabo to find out how Toastmasters could benefit someone in his position.

How did you find out about Toastmasters and what's your goal in TM? In the 1990's, I had a close friend who was very passionate about

Toastmasters. He used to tell me that he thought I would feel at home in

the Toastmasters fraternity and kept inviting me to the meetings. He never

quite succeeded. Well, I guess in the final analysis he did succeed albeit

after two decades. My objective is really to improve my public speaking skills.

You've had your speeches evaluated. At any time were you offended by the evaluation? Never. Toastmasters evaluations are the furthest thing from "offensive". It's all about packaging.

This enhances the feedback by taking off the rough edges from negative feedback by mixing it with

a healthy dose of genuine positive feedback.

What according to you makes a good leader? Does TM format assist us in becoming so?

Good listening skills. Without a doubt the Toastmasters format goes a long way to teach this skill.

The fact that every speech is evaluated by an evaluator, who is also evaluated through votes,

ensures that everyone is totally tuned in. They are not just passive listeners but active role players.

My listening skills have improved a lot in the last one year.

Have you ever tuned out during a meeting or a press conference and how did TM help your listening skills?

Not really. What rather tended to happen is that I often half-listened to the speaker while waiting

for my chance to make my own point. But Toastmasters instills in you the skill of listening intently

so as to be able to evaluate/rate the speech at a later stage. Also, the culture of focusing not only on

negative feedback but also positive feedback inevitably forces one to focus on the whole speech and

not only the parts deemed disagreeable. This, in turn, greatly benefits one of the key management

skills of giving honest and frank feedback especially in a performance appraisal setting at work.

Now I know the power of honestly acknowledging and highlighting a person's strong points even

as we advise them of their potential areas for improvement.

What TM feature do you imbibe in order to resolve conflicts at your place of work?

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, listening is my greatest take-away from the club. I

know it sounds a bit paradoxical that a speaker's club would teach listening skills but for somebody

like me who was (and still is, to some extent) perhaps challenged in this respect, I know that I am

benefiting in this regard. With respect to conflict resolution at work, I find that both my bosses and

subordinates respond very well to being listened to. This not only helps in resolving conflicts but

also prevents them in the first place because it improves mutual understanding.

Which leader or famous person do you emulate in your life and why? Nelson Mandela. If he was able to forgive those who took away 27 years of his life, who am I to

hold a grudge. He taught us, not through words but deeds, the power of forgiveness and

selflessness. If I could be half the human being that he is, I would have achieved a great deal.

23 of 44

UNLEARNING WITH ANANYA

“Who is pretty? Mommy or me?” I ask. She looks at her mommy then she looks at me, and then in a

split second she decides, “ME!”. That’s my first introduction to the little girl who cares more about

her teddy’s fur than her Barbie’s hair. She is quick to pick her friends. Like all kids and me, she has

but one criteria. Undivided Attention. Give her that and she will give you everything else.

The evening began with me befriending her and within half an hour she had me brushing her hair,

petting her teddy and painting her nails (something I haven’t done for myself in my 25 years of

existence). While the two most happening chics on the block, Ananya and me, were busy bonding, a

lot transpired. But first you need to learn a little bit more about this tiny effervescent dramatic angel.

Playing with Ananya is like being on auto replay, she

will make you do the same thing at least two dozen

times before even letting you catch a breath. And every

time, she claims it’s the “Last Time”. Through the

course of the evening Ananya made sure that while we

move our legs, she claims the jumps, she made sure we

caught her in our arms and picked her every time she

ran to us. But most importantly she also made sure I

unlearned a very important lesson. As far as teaching

styles go, her super powers are Innocence & Simplicity.

Perhaps the only thing that rattles her is when people

refuse to talk to her. That to her is just unacceptable. Like all great friendships do, ours also hit a

rocky road right when it had just began. And like all great fights, I can’t seem to remember what

this one was about. However sometime during the course of our little disagreement, I being the

bigger of the two babies told her, “I am not talking to you”. She looked at me (Puppy dog face et

all);

Baby: “Talk no!”.

Bigger Baby: No

Baby: Talk please

Bigger Baby: No

Baby: Taaaallllkkkkkk NNoooooooo

Bigger Baby: No! (this time meaning serious business I show her the “Talk to the Hand” gesture)

Baby: You want High five?????

The home run had been hit, in a second I realized that she still hasn’t been taught the ‘mean’ things

in life. That there is such a thing as hostility. That people sometimes hate each other. That

sometimes please and sorry are not enough. For her all relationships comprise of friendship and lots

of physical activity. She knows how to laugh. She knows how to love. And she does it with all the

purity God intended us to keep.

We learn a lot while growing up – school, teachers, experiences they teach us so many new things,

so many valuable lessons. And there somewhere along the way we also forget that hostility is a

taught behaviour, that we were intended to be born as loving creatures and to continue loving.

We need to unlearn so many things each day, need to know that experiences are to make us

stronger not bitter. That we need to learn the lesson and let go of the hurt. Sometimes we introspect

and find it. Other times if you are lucky enough as me, a piece of paradise will fall into your lap,

and teach you, that, “A hand held at face level should always be a high five and not a face palm.”

And so it shall be.

Ajra Mustafa Husain Timbre Talkers

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DESERT PIONEERS Desert Pioneers (DPTM) is one of the seasoned Toastmasters clubs in Kuwait. Since its birth in

2004, this star club has consistently produced not only good speakers, but great leaders who

have climbed the echelons of Toastmasters like past Division Governor DTM Pradeep Vincent,

current Division Governor DTM Salu John and Area 36 Governor TM Sukdeb Chatterjee.

Staying true to its tradition, DPTM has proved its mettle this year too. DPTM achieved the

President Distinguished Club award in Dec 2012, the first in the Division and 2nd in the entire

District. We also scored full 10/10 DCP points in Feb 2013 becoming the 1st in the Division and

3rd in the District. DPTM won the Founders Award for sponsoring a new Club called Bhavans

Community Toastmaster Club and the Smedley Award.

Apart from regular bimonthly meetings this dynamic club has conducted a Speechfest, a Semi

Annual Speech Showcase and a Tall Tales speech showcase. For its Annual Club Contest, DTM Alex Ginete – District 20 Governor was the Chief Guest. This is the first time that the top

ranking officer from the District has been invited to a Club Level event.

Guests and new members

are encouraged & warmly

received at the meetings.

DPTM’s current membership

strength stands at 40 and has

gained more than 15 new members as on 20th Mar

2013.

For the benefit of members

and to spread the message of

Toastmsaters International

to a world wide audience

DPTM has taken full advantage of free social media network. Its has a strong presence on

Youtube (www.youtube.com/dptmclub) and facebook (www.facebook.com/dptmclub) with a

commendable number of followers.

BHAVANS MASTERMINDS

John Ruskin once said, “Let us reform our schools, and we shall find little reform needed in our

prisons”. These words reflect a lot on the impact a desirable change in a school can have on the

society where it functions. Setting words apart, the Indian Educational School (Bharatiya Vidya

Bhavan), Kuwait Kendra added one more feather to its glorious cap by inducting a

Toastmasters International Club for the teachers. They christened the club as Bhavans

Masterminds. They have started identifying the speakers within them. They have started

sorting out the communication skills that they already have but required some special care and

attention.

Leaders are made; not born. The active involvement in the routine affair of drafting the agenda,

convening meetings, shaking hands with others and greeting people, counting ah’s and gap

fillers, timing every movement during the meetings, delivering speeches, counting the votes

cast, evaluating others’ performance, seeking and giving guidance, appreciating others and

getting appreciated, every member builds both a speaker and a leader in him or her.

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TIMBRE TALKERS

Most are passive and dormant.

The rest are actively enjoying life

with various kinds of oratorical

conquests. We all have phobias

such as standing in front of a

crowd, being mocked at, not

finding the right words to express

what you actually meant. How

can you overcome these fears?

Simple. Hang out with thieves and

you’ll start thinking like one.

People with common goals, focused and willing, can make things happen. Those who refuse to

succumb to habitual involuntary eating or the formidable lethargy of watching TV, jump to their

feet when they hear of a TM meeting. Procrastination isn’t an option since Toastmasters are always

fun and welcoming, wallowing in vocabulary and humor – a terrific recipe for de-stressing.

Timbre Talkers, a rather new club, has an incredible record with accolades up and down their walls.

We’re a Presidents Distinguished Club - the highest honor given to Toastmasters clubs, for a 2nd

year running. We’ve had 17 new members join us since July bringing home the Smedley and Talk Up TM Awards. Our members will participate in 3 categories at the Division level contests. Timbre

Talkers has surprised everyone and ridden out into the horizon with laughter at their wheels.

Leadership and Communication in the premise of Excellence comes at a price that demands

consistency, passion, dedication, innovation (and a lot more fancy words you will learn at Timbre

Talkers). We strive to help you improve these skills and enjoy the process as we remake “a better

you”. You can find us at http://timbretalkers.toastmastersclubs.org/ or visit our Facebook Group

Timbre Talkers Toastmasters Kuwait. So come run the Timbre Talkers Track and “Laugh your way

through SELF DEVELOPMENT”!

THMEEN AND THMEEN DEBATE

Thmeen TM and Debate clubs were started in July 2010 with the 38 founding members. We were a

group of friends from different nationalities and cultures. The word Thmeen in Arabic means precious

thing. In Kuwaiti folklore, they called Thmeen for women's gold necklaces, earrings and bracelets. The

clubs' names match our belief that in each of us there is tremendous value. That's how we decided to to

communicate with our audience and work on community service. We conducted a blood donation

campaign for children in 2011, we distributed food to poor families in 2012, we visited galleries and

museums and so on; all this we did with happiness and love. We meet every once a month to taste the

beautiful things in life such as reading, paintings

and tasting food. After two years, we learned

much about speaking, expressing ourselves and

managing people and projects. We are

publicizing the clubs on Facebook, Twitter and

Instagram. We enjoy the magic of Toastmasters

which gives us all the changes we need to

become better people and leaders.

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SPREADING THE PASSION An Interview with TM Gopalakrishnan - By Snehal Sawant

TM Gopalakrishnan, a member of Bright Horizons Toastmasters Club got

introduced to the TM world less than eight months ago and has already

tasted success at the annual contests. He is seen performing one challenging

role after another at every club meeting, while also moving forward with his

CC projects with equal zest. Such is his passion, that he has been spreading

the word about Toastmasters to everyone he can reach out to and ensures he

brings along one guest every meeting. A father of two young children, he is

also deeply passionate about environmental issues.

How well did the Toastmasters format help you in developing your communication skills? Speaking before an audience was never a problem for me. However, Toastmasters helps strengthen

my innate skills to engage an audience thereby enabling them to better appreciate my message.

‘Gathering pearls’ may be just a phrase, but it is put into action the moment you set foot into a

Toastmasters meeting.

What is the most challenging role you've taken up at a Toastmasters meeting?

Though the innocuous General Evaluator has a team of evaluators, the role demands that one be

alert to every movement and word that is being uttered. If the TMOD is the anchor of the meeting,

the GE is the public conscience of the meeting. I could not complete my first role as GE effectively

due to paucity of time. I'm looking forward to taking up the role again

Has it made a difference in your personal and professional life? It’s been only seven months in Toastmasters and already there is a profound impact in my

professional life. Since the time allotted for each speaker at meetings is limited to five to seven

minutes, one has to be crisp and clear. If the audience does not understand the message, the speaker

gets the feedback immediately. This forces the speaker to convey the message in a structured and

cohesive manner within a short time span. This has been particularly useful while presenting before

Senior Management in my work place. The saying “variety is the spice of life” is embodied in

Toastmasters. Personally I get to meet and learn from people from various backgrounds,

nationalities and professions.

What do you wish to accomplish in Toastmasters? I’ve been trying to spread the message about Environmental Awareness without much success. My

main goal to join Toastmasters is to learn the fine art of persuasion and inspire the audience to work

towards a noble cause.

Can you share with us any memorable moments you've had with your club? Have you been inspired by any speaker, any speech in particular? The speech “Men are like waffles Women are like spaghetti” by TM Mini Varghese as part of the

club contests was something every married person could relate to. The talent that is showcased at

meetings and contests makes me wonder why I didn’t join earlier.

You won the second place in the area level contest for Table Topics in your very first year in Toastmasters. How has the contest experience been? Unlike the club meetings, in a contest the topic remains the same for every contestant. Listening to

the various speakers on the same subject with different perspectives is truly enriching and helps

one come out of the ‘frog-in-the-well’ syndrome.

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ASK WHY AGAIN!

For every complex problem there is a solution that is clear, simple, and wrong.

- H. L. Mencken

We all come across such situations in life. Obvious and simple

solutions seem to work for some time but then the problem resurfaces

and we start looking for solutions once again. How do we know if a

solution is right. In this article, I will present a tool – ‘Ask Why Again’

which is usually used in Quality Circles and explains how this can be

used to distinguish the right solution from the wrong.

Let us start with an example. Within a few months of its installation,

Abraham Lincoln’s statue at Lincoln Memorial began to erode. A consultant was hired to study

the problem. After careful analysis he said "Change the color of flood lights on a nearby post,

the problem will be solved." This bizarre solution surprised many.

Here is what the consultant did. When he visited the site he found people cleaning and

scrubbing the statue. He simply asked why? They said it was due to the increased amounts of

pigeon droppings. Some even suggested that scaring the pigeons away was the only solution.

But why were the pigeons coming here? - his second why. Further investigation revealed that

the pigeons were coming there to eat spiders. Then they said fixing the spiders might be the

solution.

Now it was time for another why. "Why were the spiders coming here? The spiders were there

to eat gnats. And why were the gnats there? Gnats were attracted by the color of the flood

lights recently installed on a nearby post. Moral of the story – Not every obvious and simple

solution to a problem is the right one. But the right solution is always the one which addresses

the root cause.

Let us see how we can apply this tool in solving a social problem. Consider the incident that

took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in America last year. If you were following the

news, you might have heard the two whys which people asked and the two answers they got.

For the first why– ‘lack of proper gun control’ was the answer and for the second – ‘lack of proper

mental health care’. Do you think, if these are fixed, the problem gets solved? I do not deny their

importance, but none of them is the root cause of the problem. These are just the pigeons and

the spiders. No matter how much you scare them away, they are going to come back again and

again. What is required here is to drill the problem down to a deeper level!

Our problems always seem complex. But solutions are not; provided you address the essence

of the problem and not its manifestations. Perhaps you may just have to change the color of

your flood lights.

Syed Rabbani South Kuwait

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MACE SPRINGS

Mace Springs Toastmasters Club

was chartered on 23rd December

2011 and consists of 26 members

from fresh graduates to veterans.

Over the last one and a half years,

we have seen the wonderful

transformation of our members to

confident speakers and able

leaders. Recently we achieved the

Distinguished Club status. DTM

Salu John and our mentor TM

Vinod Raman have been the guiding lights of Mace Springs. Here are the testimonials from some of

our members: TM Dileep Stephen says “I was searching the desert sands for a quality outlet to

enhance myself and reverse the ageing process. I stumbled upon Mace Springs and grabbed it with

both hands. “TM Annu Joseph says” The positive energy and the camaraderie that filled the air is

what attracted me to Mace Springs. At arms’ length is an open door, an opportunity to improve

myself.”

TM Mary Matthew says “Our members' speeches infused in me important lessons on how to

improve my communication and leadership skills giving me unabated confidence to move ahead in

life.” TM Reena Paul says “Of all the organizations I’ve joined, Mace Springs has had the greatest

impact on my life. It’s inspiring to see the transformation of our members into confident speakers.”

CAPITOL SPEAKERS

Capitol Speakers was chartered on 5th

November 2007 and like any other

Toastmasters club, we provide a stage for

aspiring public speakers and leaders.

Communication and leadership skills are

honed with club members in lively, interactive

sessions. We often feel tongue-tied and

awkward when put on the spot to speak at

work or social functions. Well, our club is your

answer to banish all those fears. Our club helps

you develop not only your speaking skills, but

also improve your posture, listening skills, your ability to read others’ body language and learn

how to give diplomatic and constructive feedback. Members can bring friends and relatives along to

the sessions. And what's more, it's free!

Our club was chartered by great speakers like Bobbie Hoxit and Anil Lobo, who are a source of

inspiration for all our members. Some of our club members who are from all walks of life,

engineers, lawyers, finance professionals, college students, housewives and even college professors,

are also members of other Toastmasters clubs too. They’re eager to learn quickly and practice more.

Even as a member of a single club you can attend and participate in other Toastmasters club

meetings at no extra cost. In other learning programs, you study a subject and then go sit an exam.

What sets Toastmasters apart from rival programs is that participants receive immediate feedback

from each other, thus helping participants hone their own - and others' public speaking skills.

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KUWAIT ADVANCED TOASTMASTERS

KAT is the only Advanced Toastmasters club in Kuwait. Every KAT member benefits immensely

because most of our members are seasoned Toastmasters with plenty of experience to share.

In KAT, the club meetings are done very differently. In other clubs, the speeches are evaluated by

one evaluator. But in KAT, we have Anchored Evaluations, where each speech is evaluated for 10 -

15 minutes where every member looks at your speech through different lenses. So speakers receive

a well rounded feedback to hone their communication skills. Many CC and CL graduates hesitate to

join KAT because of this rigorous evaluation process which leaves no room for error. Anchored

Evaluations are done for Table Topics too. Members will be given one minute to present their

observation on each Table Topic speaker to highlight how effective their speeches were. This will

ensure you excel at Table Topics.

KAT members are in the forefront of holding educational workshops, trainings and debates in the

division as well as the foundation for Speakers Bureau. In spite of the fact that all the members are

dual club members, KAT will be reaching another mile stone – Distinguished Club.

So, if you have completed your CC and CL, you really do not need to stick only to your club. If you

really wish to be an accomplished speaker, just embrace KAT.

BHAVANS COMMUNITY

Years ago social and business contacts were mainly dominated by local relationships. People shared

common languages and cultures. Nowadays, our local communities have become global; bringing

together people with different cultures and languages spoken. With this, new challenges in human

interaction arise with regards to proper communication and excellent speaking skills, both

contributing to improvements in character and social aspects in day to day life.

The above paragraph may seem simple for a common reader. But a Toastmaster will see in it, full of

life, enthusiasm and perhaps wonder how a person’s ability to control his thoughts and actions

changes his performance, reveals his strength and weakness by putting himself in an experimental

lab. The fact is, it simply happens within two hours time at the Bhavans Community TM Club.

The club would not have achieved its current level of success without the help of our members and

especially our mentors TM Xavier Muthu, TM Praveen Madhavan, AG Sukdeb Chatterjee whose

patience and support was instrumental in building the club to and exceeding its expectations.

Here in the Bhavans Community Toastmasters Club, people simply think and act more effectively.

They have learned how to do so by investing in the most valuable asset - people. I believe that the

success of an individual, depends on his or her quality. So they all work together to build the

Bhavans Community Toastmasters Club into a great place to work.

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‘LOBOS SHARE SECRETS’ An Interview with TM Anil Lobo and TM Marceline - By Snehal Sawant TM Anil Lobo is one of the pillars of the

Toastmasters movement in Kuwait.

Fondly known as the Dangerous

Toastmaster, he's a member of six

Toastmasters clubs and mentors two Gavel

clubs. We caught up with Anil and his

better half Marceline to find out how he

balances his love for family and

Toastmasters.

Snehal Sawant: Marcy, your husband

has a different kind of addiction, the

TM kind. How do you deal with it?

Marceline Lobo: Well, like any regular

wife I think it is good riddance (smiles). It’s better to let the husband remain out of the house

for peace. On a serious note, I understand his passion because I am a Toastmaster myself but

don’t find enough time for it now. His life is all about Toastmasters. In fact, our first baby was

fondly called ‘Toasty’ because we would take her to meetings along with us. All the members

would take turns looking after her for 15 minutes each so that we could concentrate in the

meetings. The only time I get annoyed with Anil’s ‘addiction’ as you say, is when a crisis arises

at home and he can’t answer the phone because he is in a meeting.

SS: Anil sans Toastmasters is unthinkable. Tell us something about your life outside

Toastmasters.

Anil Lobo: I have no life outside of Toastmasters. But I strongly believe in education and

updating oneself. Every few months I sign up for different courses. Right now I am pursing my

Masters in Engineering. It helps you in communicating effectively, talking with substance and

keeping your intellect sharp. I like to use my 24 hours most effectively. People like watching

television, I prefer mentally stimulating discussions. I like spending quality time with my

family and avoid yelling at kids. My philosophy is to ask the kids whether they can identify if

what they are doing is right or wrong.

SS: Marcy, do you agree with Anil?

ML: I think every person uses their 24 hours in a way they find effective. As for correcting the

kids, my view differs and I do get upset if he interferes in the way I am dealing with the kids

when he’s been out of home all day.

SS: Anil, How different would you be as a person, if you hadn’t found Toastmasters?

AL: I wouldn’t be what I am today without Toastmasters. I would have been a mundane, run-

of-the-mill engineer. I use everything I learnt in Toastmasters at my workplace – skills of giving

critical feedback, art of evaluating, ability to speak impromptu in front of the management in a

manner that I come across as articulate and poignant. Toastmasters allows me to project that I

am knowledgeable and can challenge senior staff in intellectual discussions who otherwise

cannot be challenged. It has helped me in conflict resolution and also in my written

correspondence.

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SS: Marcy, what happens when the family is on a holiday and away from Toastmasters?

ML: He just cannot survive without his dose of Toastmasters. Wherever we are on a holiday, he

goes in search of a club and makes sure he attends at least one a week. He has attended

meetings in United States, Portugal, Indonesia, India, Dubai, Bahrain and Qatar. In fact, this one

time on a holiday in Indonesia, he travelled 2.5 hours one way to attend this club meeting. It

drove me nuts.

SS: Anil, please share with us your most embarrassing moment as a Toastmaster.

AL: This incident happened during the Division contest in Doha, Qatar, in April 2003 where I

was contesting. It was the first time I was using a microphone and when I began speaking, I

could hear my own voice amplified. It took me 30 full seconds to realise what was happening.

The crowd realised that I was disoriented. I lost out right there, and refused to view my own

video later because I knew I had goofed up. But this incident gave me the impetus to use the

microphone and do better next time. 2003 was a turning point and I won numerous trophies in

the years that followed. Now I participate in contests, not to win but to keep my skills sharp.

SS: Anil, please share with us the secret behind your unrelenting enthusiasm for Toastmasters

AL: In my initial two years in Toastmasters, I wasn’t sure what I was getting out of it. Only

when I attended the Gulf Toastmasters Annual Conference in Bahrain in 2001, I understood its

importance. It opened my eyes and then I became an active member in 2002. I began

aggressively taking up roles. I was horrible at Table Topics but still kept doing it. At DTAC

Jordan, in 2005, I was a Table Topics contestant and realised that there are bigger challenges in

life. I went onto charter the first corporate club in Kuwait and later in 2006, the Gavel club

programme with DTM Don Prades. It was from that point I started giving back to the

Toastmasters programme, what it had given me. You learn more while giving back. I enjoy

working with the kids and that keeps my enthusiasm going. It is entertaining and educating

from the raw ideas that kids come up with. First fun, then learn is my motto with kids.

DEFEATED BY A BEGGAR

It was a cold December morning, and I was waiting for my train to arrive

on Platform no. 6 of New Delhi railway station. I was beside a Tea-stall,

trying to keep myself warm by sipping on hot tea. I knew, I had to endure

this unusually cold morning for another hour before my train's scheduled

arrival.

Just when there were a few sips of tea left in my cup, I saw a handicapped

beggar crawling towards me. As he reached near me he pleaded "Anything

for me brother?" I slipped my hand into the pocket of my tight jeans where

I had a few coins. I tried to figure out the coin with the least denomination

by feeling them, and it took a little longer than normal.

The beggar took this stance of mine (hand in pocket) as a sign that I am not interested in giving

anything, He continued to crawl away leaving me with all my coins. That was the first time I felt

"Defeated by a beggar"

The moral of this true story is “do not wait or delay your charity, because it might be too late”.

TM Lakshminarayan Nandiraju Capitol Speakers

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AREA 36 We started the year with four clubs and chartered a new club in the

Jleeb/Abbasiya area, a long cherished dream for many Toastmasters. All

five clubs are doing exceedingly well and as on 24th March, Area 36 is

ranked 2nd in the entire district. Well done to all our members and leaders.

Desert Pioneers, in continuation with standards set by their predecessors, not

only maintained the same, but in few areas, exceeded their expectations.

Truly, DPTM is the jewel in Area 36's crown. A perfect 10 club with 40

members. Hats off to all the members and officers of Kuwait Challengers, one

of Kuwait's oldest Toastmasters clubs which has struggled over the last couple

of years. We are proud to announce that not only has the club increased its

membership from six to twenty but is also inching towards becoming a “Select Distinguished Club”.

Al Bader Anchors, chartered last year will be a club to watch next year. The club is smoothly

progressing towards achieving “Distinguished Club” status and has conducted its first annual club

contest in all four categories. Thmeen Debate which was chartered last year devoted most of their

time this year on membership campaigns and have already sponsored a new club. Bhavans Community, chartered in Dec 2012, is sailing steadily. They retained 25 members and are bubbling

with lots of energy to learn, grow and perform.

Area 36 will be a “President’s Distinguished Area“ in District 20 and the credit goes to all

Toastmasters in Kuwait.

Sukdeb Chatterjee – Area 36 Governor

AREA 62 I demonstrated my potential in 2007 when I became a member of Active

Minds Toastmasters Club. The Toastmasters program enabled me to

tap into my potential and express myself using helpful, vivid and

expressive words. As part of the management team, it helped me

professionally with my leadership skills. After seven years in

Toastmasters, I’m confident and prepared to take up any challenge.

I want to thank the Toastmasters in Kuwait for granting me the

opportunity to serve as Area 62 governor for 2012-13. I want to express

my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the four clubs in my area for

the continuous support they have extended in making my year

successful. Together, we have worked hard on the DCP goals and

achieved what we bargained for (some even going beyond expectation).

The clubs really supported each other by means of cross visits, giving advice and sharing ideas.

Kudos to Active Minds who supported me in rekindling the flame of KAICO. Albert Schweitzer

said: “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person (club). Each

of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us (our

clubs).”

Watching the members build confidence, and develop skills that changed their lives for the better,

was my inspiration throughout this year. So, as I approach the end of my tenure I wish the

incoming Area Governor success. I believe that he/she will continue to lead Area 62 to even greater

heights. God bless.

Colleen Lopez – Area 62 Governor

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AREA 17

I was very apprehensive when I took up my role as Governor for Area 17, as

it was a newly formed area. But thanks to the excellent support provided by

the clubs I was able to discharge my duties satisfactorily. The recently

concluded Area Contest was testament to the excellent talent and I am sure

that there will be a winner at the Division contest from Area 17.

Timbre Talkers continues its successful march by becoming a President’s

Distinguished Club for a second consecutive year. All credit should go to its

Executive Officers especially the President, Praveen Madhavan and VP

Education, Vinod Raman who tirelessly worked towards achieving this

recognition. Bright Horizons has become one of the most vibrant clubs in Kuwait full of energy,

enthusiasm and exuberance shown by all its members. Bright Horizons was the first club in Kuwait

to conduct Youth Leadership and Speech Craft programmes and have just achieved the

Distinguished Club status.

Mace Springs a formerly “ladies only” club has now opened its doors to all. The unrelenting efforts

of the club officers and newly appointed club coach TM Vinod Raman have transformed this club.

The club now boasts 12 new members and the Distinguished Club status. Bhavans Masterminds is

an exclusive club for the teachers of Bhavans, Jaleeb. Their members participated for the first time in

an Area Contest and won awards in 3 categories.

My tenure as Area Governor has given me an opportunity to hone my Service Leadership skills. I

want to thank all the club members for giving me this opportunity to serve them. I wish the next

Area Governor all the best and am sure the clubs will work towards making Area-17 a “President’s

Distinguished Area.”

Baburaj Parakkal – Area 17 Governor

AREA 19

At the beginning of my mission as Area 19 governor I was like Maggie

Carpenter, Julia Roberts' character in the Runaway Bride, always afraid

and running away. But with all the support and wonderful

encouragement from my Toastmasters family in Area 19, I got married to

my mission as a leader. I learned that working with great teams makes

every one of us a leader. My wedding party has lasted through 2012-13

and my Area 19 family has been with me. My fears have disappeared,

my heart has learned from love, from giving to others and has continued

to learn.

At my wedding party, the service men and civilians of the Arifjan Articulators have stood by me like the true soldiers they are. The

engineers, lawyers, finance, students and housewives of the Capitol Speakers played their music

and have been full of fun and smiles. Anyone who wanted to overcome their fear of speaking in

public, or sharpen their presentation skills or develop leadership skills, had to look no further than

the South Kuwait TM club who held my red roses on my wedding day. The Arabic speaking

Toastmasters of the Thmeen Club with their different nationalities and cultures came together and

while some of them danced at the wedding, others preferred to hold the camera and toke pictures.

With such a wonderful family I can only say to myself ‘Keep calm and be a leader Nouf’.

Nouf Al Ammari – Area 19 Governor

AREA 14 Area 14 is a unique area in the Divi

Toastmasters club in Kuwait called the

of the newest clubs

club - The Pearl of the GulfToastmasters Club in the

us one of the most attractive clubs in the division in

well on its way to becoming a President’s Distinguished Club this year.

Area 14 is set to become Select Distinguished Area in Divisi

personally like to thank The Division Governor DTM Salu John for his

motivation and support in helping us achieve all our success.

Deepak Bindal – Area 17 Governor

DIVISION I COUNCIL

DIVITAC TEAM

Area 14 is a unique area in the Division as it has in its fold the fir

Toastmasters club in Kuwait called the Kuwait Toastmaster Clubof the newest clubs The Rising Star. It has also the only exclusive for ladies

Pearl of the Gulf. Area 14 successfully re

Toastmasters Club in the year 2012 - 13. We are also proud to have amongst

us one of the most attractive clubs in the division in

well on its way to becoming a President’s Distinguished Club this year.

Area 14 is set to become Select Distinguished Area in Divisi

personally like to thank The Division Governor DTM Salu John for his

motivation and support in helping us achieve all our success.

Area 17 Governor

DIVISION I COUNCIL

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sion as it has in its fold the first ever

Kuwait Toastmaster Club and one

. It has also the only exclusive for ladies

. Area 14 successfully re-activated Alghanim

13. We are also proud to have amongst

us one of the most attractive clubs in the division in Aim High which is

well on its way to becoming a President’s Distinguished Club this year.

Area 14 is set to become Select Distinguished Area in Division I. I would

personally like to thank The Division Governor DTM Salu John for his

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ON PEOPLE, PERCEPTION AND PROCEDURE

Adolf Hitler, a dictator who perceived Germany as the most prosperous

nation in the world, adopted a procedure that caused destruction, misery

and led to a world war. Another statesman, Abraham Lincoln, wanted the

states to stay united. He believed in a defensive strategy and used strong

speeches to convince people that are remembered and emulated by so many

leaders. Yet another person, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, perceived

Indian freedom from foreign rule. he adopted a very different and peaceful procedure. He chose

non violence, civil disobedience and non-cooperation only to frustrate the mighty British

empire. Excellent people, different perceptions and different procedures.

When i say People, i mean us humans that are united by a sense of kinship and community.

When i say Perception, i mean awareness of mental images of what the reality should or could

look like. This is interpreted in the light of cognitive and consciously learned experiences. When

i say Procedure, i mean a particular way of accomplishing the same thing. It is a seriously

thought out action to be followed to accomplish an outcome.

As children we are taught moral science, good values and religion which teaches us all to live

peacefully with ourselves and the community. As we graduate and get into the professional

world, we all experience conflicts in every walk of life. Because what we learnt while growing

up, was only in books and fairytales. The real world is totally different. They say the corporate

world is cruel. In our quest to earn more and achieve prosperity, we drift towards the immoral,

unethical, illegal methods and procedures. So much so that we start thinking that if we must be

successful in life, we have to give up on our principles. This change in perception is

communicated to the next generation and snowballs into bigger conflicts. We lose our holistic

perception of leading a decent life.

Those who study CFA - Certified Financial Analyst, one of the highest qualifications in finance,

are taught one subject in all the three years, i.e. Ethics and Integrity. This is only to remind

professionals how important honesty and integrity are to perform your jobs conscientiously.

We the people should share positive perceptions and come together to share motivating

procedures which will not only help us grow internally as human beings, but will also help

carve a path for others to follow and make this world a better place to live.

Musaddik Peshimam, Bright Horizons

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‘LOVE AT FIRST SKYPE’ An Interview with TM Nada Al Mahasneh - By Snehal Sawant

TM Nada Al Mahasneh has been with the Active Minds TM club for just over 6

months. Her infectious smile and her ever growing confidence on stage has made

her a wonderful example for every aspiring member. We chat with Nada and she

reveals how Toastmasters has changed her life. Read on...

How did you find out about Toastmasters and why did you join? Back when I was in high school, I would often vaguely hear my Filipino

family friends talk about Toastmasters at gatherings and parties. It

became much clearer to me when my friend Maha Al Sumaiti was

introduced to a club and later on shared her experience with me. It was

during the World Cup season in 2010 when Maha took me along to attend an Active Minds

meeting. I was an on again - off again guest for about 2 and a half years until I cleared out my

schedule and decided to become a committed member in September 2012. Active Minds is home

and a home has family. It is the best two to three hours I can spend on a Friday. Since my very first

meeting up to now, I always leave with a moral, a new friend and more to look forward to.

What according to you makes a good leader? Does Toastmasters assist us in becoming so?

J. Sakiya Sandifer said “True leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders!” This quote

depicts my perspective on Toastmasters. In my opinion, Toastmasters lead by walking the path of

growth together, side by side, not behind one another.

What do you like most about the Toastmasters programme?

Toastmasters offers more than any other training course can. The constant learning through

evaluations offered, practicing for speeches and roles. The best part of Toastmasters is its open to

and benefit everyone including guests.

Has the evaluation you received for your speeches helped you in improving yourself?

I was very fortunate to be a Target Speaker at the Bright Horizons Toastmasters Club Contest in

February 2013. Getting 10 different perspectives and the continuous advice I get from my fellow

Toastmasters has me ready for more! Some were tough to hear and made me wish I had done

better. But I learned to take it and will work on myself based on all their evaluations. The person I

am today is majorly influenced by the Toastmasters who have touched my life with their hearts and

good word!

Has Toastmasters made a difference in your personal and professional life? It is said, in life there mustn’t be any regrets. That everything happens for a reason. But some

regrets are worth having. When I first found Toastmasters I thought, I wish I knew about this

organization a long time ago; that my life would’ve been completely different. I always looked for

ways for self development. Toastmasters is one of those ways and I never felt so developed! It’s not

only helping me be a better person but also changing my life. Little did I know that Toastmasters

would open such a huge door, no wait, a GATE that would lead to my future. I've met some

incredible people, including a very special person Ms. Vicky Ferrer-Mustafa – LGET, DTM who I

now lovingly call “Mom” and she is so in every way. I am soon to be wed to her son; a person who

only existed in my head as a fragment of my imagination is now my husband to be. Mom says our

relationship is “Love at first Skype”. I let him enter my life and let God lead the way. I am going to

miss Kuwait dearly, my club and the Toastmasters that I’ve met here. My very best wishes to

Division I, may we continue to grow and touch upon more lives! God bless.

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HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW TOASTMASTERS?

Across 1) Name of current reigning TM world champion

4) The Kuwait _____ Club was revived last year after being dormant for almost 3 years

8) The 2013 world championships of public speaking is being held in this city

9) The S in SPCL-HD Center in Rumaithiya stands for_______

10) The old acronym for Competent Communicator CC was ______

11) A speech's general purpose is usually to inform, entertain, _____or inspire an audience

12) The VP Education must assign ______ for new members

14) This club officer maintains an updated membership roster

17) The ACS requires you to complete 2 programs from the Better _____ Series

18) You need to finish a total of ______ speeches to achieve you Advanced Communicator Gold

19) Sir name of one of the longest standing DTM’s currently in Division I

20) You need a minimum of _____ clubs to form an area

Down 2) The newest club chartered in Division I is called______

3) Protests in Contests can be on the ground of _________

5) There are ____ advanced communication manuals

6) The ____ challenge was started to encourage members to attend other club meetings

7) There are ____ regions are there in Toastmasters throughout the world

13) He is the Founder of Toastmasters

15) You need a net growth of 5 new members or a total of ________ members to be eligible for

Distinguished Club points

16) The ALS requires to be a coach, mentor or ____ for a club

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I wandered very lonely, And often spoke very slowly. People thought of me As a shy and dusty tree.

Just in time came my saviours, The elite group of confident warriors. Who tend to people like me, By slaying shyness and making me free.

Sirs and Ma’ams, wizards they are, Brewing potions for us to go far. To forge an alliance is their goal, Confidence, leadership with our soul.

The mentors and gaveliers are like friends, And respect each other through the bends. Gavel clubs shall always be, A tower of extreme priority. Jaidev Shriram Mind Freaks Gavel Club

"Inspired by Toastmasters, a Gavel club is a community beyond the classroom where one learns from mistakes and advice." Sharath Ganesh "Toastmasters is something beyond the classroom, which makes us better speakers, listeners and evaluators - while having a lot of fun." K S Akshaya "Toastmasters is a place of competition, communication and inspiration where rough gems are polished to shine with brilliance." Deborah Excellent, Glamorous, Awesomeness, Fantasy, Fun, Leadership and Communication are blended together by the wizard of speech (Mentor) to form a gavel club. Jaidev "Stage fear never goes away but the Gavel club made it possible to eliminate it from my consciousness." Seema "Toastmasters is not a competition, it's a forum for inspiration, communication and self learning." Joanne Claris John “Toastmasters is learning beyond the classroom in an entertaining way with a little advice and inspiration from friends and mentors" Elrich Miranda

GAVEL MONTAGE

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LIST OF CLUBS

CLUB CHARTER

DATE MEETING LOCATION MEETING TIME CONTACT PERSON CONTACT DETAILS

Active Minds 5-Jun-02 SPCL -HD, Rumaithiya 1st and 3rd Fridays

6 PM to 8 PM Raymond Hernandez

mondhernz@yahoo.com 6603 5054

Aim High 24-May-12 Jabriya Public Library 2nd and 4th Thursdays

7 PM to 9 PM Khaled Alhashem

k.m.alhashem@gmail.com 6558 8824

Al Bader Anchors 14-Dec-11 Al Bader Shipping &

General Contracting Co. 1st and 3rd Wednesdays

5 PM to 7 PM Dean Landers

(Corporate Club) dean@csskuwait.com 9712 3536

Al Ghanim 12-Oct-10 Al Ghanim Office 2nd and 4th Wednesdays

6 PM Nikita Sequeira

(Corporate Club) nsequeira@alghanim.com 6618 7740

Al Koot 10-Sep-03 SPCL -HD, Rumaithiya 1st and 3rd Mondays

7 PM Ahmed Sairat

ahmadsairat@hotmail.com 9402 5757

Arifjan Articulators 1-Dec-08 Camp Arifjan 2nd and 4th Mondays

7 PM Emily Horowitz

emily.horowitz@dcaa.mil 9979 1565

Bhavans Community 01-Dec-12 Bhavans School, Jleeb 2nd and 4th Saturdays

6 PM to 8 PM Abdul Latif

associatesassociates@gmail.com 9762 3946

Bhavans Masterminds 1-Jan-12 Bhavans School, Jleeb 2nd and 4th Saturdays

10 AM to 12 PM Suresh V

(Bhavans Staff Only) sureshv71@gmail.com 9753 4896

Bright Horizons 16-Jan-09 Better Books, Salmiya 2nd and 4th Fridays

9:15 AM to 11:15 AM Musaddik Peshimam

musaddik.peshimam@nbkcapital.com 6668 0404

Capitol Speakers 11-May-07 Better Books, Salmiya 1st and 3rd Saturdays

7 PM to 9 PM Manimaran Srinivasan

manikuwait@gmail.com 9911 8958

Desert Pioneers 19-Mar-04 Better Books, Salmiya 2nd and 4th Tuesdays

7 PM to 9 PM Satish Kumar

visakar@gmail.com 9970 8503

KAICO 1-Feb-12 KAICO Office, Shuwaikh 2nd and 4th Mondays

6 PM Sadiq Ali

(Corporate Club) asadiqali@hotmail.com 9971 3292

Kuwait Advanced 1-Nov-08 SPCL –HD, Rumaithiya 1st Sunday

7 PM John Joseph

(By Invite Only) johnicn@rediffmail.com 9952 9776

Kuwait Challengers 29-May-02 Better Books, Salmiya 1st and 3rd Mondays

6 PM to 7:30 PM Anil Lobo

anilrlobo@yahoo.com 9928 3020

Kuwait Toastmasters 1-Feb-99 SPCL –HD, Rumaithiya 2nd and 4th Mondays

7 PM to 9 PM N. Satish Kumar

Satishkumar_bahrain@yahoo.com 9713 0020

Mace Springs 7-Dec-11 SPCL –HD, Rumaithiya 2nd and 4th Fridays

2:30 PM to 4:30 PM Suja Ajith

sujapanicker@rediffmail.com 6009 7123

Pearl of the Gulf 15-May-07 Various Locations 1st and 3rd Thursdays

6 PM Wafaa Salman (Ladies Only)

wafas007@gmail.com 9936 4695

Rawasi 07-Mar-13 Dar Marafie, Yarmouk 1st and 3rd Mondays

7 PM Ali Al Wazan (Arabic Club)

fax_man_96@hotmail.com 9901 4964

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CLUB CHARTER

DATE MEETING LOCATION MEETING TIME CONTACT PERSON CONTACT DETAILS

Rising Star 23-Jan-13 Bliss Center, Mangaf 1st and 3rd Sundays

6 PM A Thirumaran

thiru4vino@gmail.com 6513 8026

South Kuwait 11-Sep-06 Bliss Center, Mangaf 2nd and 4th Mondays

7 PM to 9 PM Santhosh Shenoy

vskshenoy@yahoo.com 6093 8461

Thmeen 21-Nov-11 FA Gallery 1st and 3rd Wednesdays

7:30 PM Nouf Al Amari (Arabic Club)

libro_nf81@hotmail.com 9986 0830

Thmeen Debate 01-Apr-12 FA Gallery 1st and 3rd Wednesdays

7:30 PM Nouf Al Amari (Arabic Club)

libro_nf81@hotmail.com 9986 0830

Timbre Talkers 23-Sep-10 Better Books, Salmiya 1st and 3rd Tuesdays

7 PM to 9 PM Praveen Madhavan

praveen@projectseers.com 6004 1707

GAVEL CLUBS

CLUB CHARTER

DATE MEETING LOCATION MEETING TIME CONTACT PERSON CONTACT DETAILS

Achievers Gavel Club Respective homes of

members 2nd and 4th Fridays

11 AM to 1 PM Arnab Gupta

arnabgupta_2000@yahoo.com 6591 2858

Brainiax Gavel Club Better Books, Salmiya Fridays

5:30 PM to 7 PM Anil Lobo

anilrlobo@yahoo.com 9928 3020

Clusters Gavel Club Bliss Center, Mangaf Thursdays

5:30 PM to 7 PM Kannan Ravi

kannanravi65@hotmail.com 9789 2835

Majestic Lions Gavel Club IEAS School, Salmiya 1st and 3rd Saturdays

2 PM to 4 PM Vinod Raman

vrwariath@gmail.com 9691 1667

Intuitive Geniuses Better Books, Salmiya 2nd and 4th Thursdays 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Fatema Kudrati dr.kudrati@gmail.com 6005 1733

Lime Lighters Gavel Club Indian Educational School

(Bhavans), Jleeb Saturdays

9 AM to 11 AM Anil Lobo

anilrlobo@yahoo.com 9928 3020

Kuwait Master Minds Daiya 2nd and 4th Wednesdays

6 PM to 9 PM Fatema Kudrati

dr.kudrati@gmail.com 6005 1733

Mind Freaks Gavel Club SPCL –HD, Rumaithiya Saturdays

3 PM to 4:30 PM Anil Lobo

anilrlobo@yahoo.com 9928 3020

Noble Gavel Club Bliss Center, Mangaf Fridays

4 PM to 5:30 PM Kannan Ravi

kannanravi65@hotmail.com 9789 2835

Speech Maniacs Gavel Club Better Books, Salmiya 1st and 3rd Fridays 10 AM to 12 PM

Ramesh Attreya ramesh.athreya@yahoo.com 6650 2634

Team C Gavel Club Respective homes of

members 2nd and 4th Fridays

6:30 PM to 8:30 PM Sunil

sonusush@yahoo.com 9720 0352

Teen Talkers Gavel Club Bliss Center, Mangaf Fridays

4 PM to 5:30 PM Kannan Ravi

kannanravi65@hotmail.com 9789 2835

Toppers Gavel Club Bliss Center, Mangaf Thursdays

5:30 PM to 7 PM Kannan Ravi

kannanravi65@hotmail.com 9789 2835

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DIVITAC CONTESTANT LIST

HUMOROUS SPEECH CONTEST Contest Toastmaster: TM Elvis Noronha

� Anilkumar Revanker

� Dana Winner

� Najwa Salman

� Shawn Phillips

� Vinod Raman

TABLE TOPICS CONTEST Contest Toastmaster: TM Bobbie Hoxit

� Ajra Mustafa Husain

� Dana Winner

� Krish Prabhakar

� Satish Kumar

� Taylor Picone

EVALUATION CONTEST Contest Toastmaster: TM Khaled Alhashem

� Anil Reis Lobo

� Avinash Madhulkar Awhad

� Monica Chatterjee

� Satish Kumar

� Vinod Raman

INTERNATIONAL SPEECH CONTEST Contest Toastmaster: DTM Pradeep Vincent

� Mehrnoosh Cheraghzadeh

� Prince George

� Raymond Hernandez

� Supriya

� Taylor Picone

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43 of 44

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