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Voice of Dunes is the semi-annual newsletter of the Dunes Toastmasters Club, Dubai
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President’s Message
Overcome your fear.
Join a Toastmasters Club
today!
Jathin AbrahamPresidentDunes Toastmasters Club
Voice of Dunes December 20071
Volume 2 Issue 1 Dec 2007Club No. 919010, District 79, Chartered 2006 The Semi-Annual Newsletter of Dunes Toastmasters Club
In this issue > >
Contests > Pg 2-9Special Feature Personally Speaking
> Pg 10-11Justforkix> Pg 12-13
Club News> Pg 14-15
On behalf of all the members of the Dunes Toastmaster’s Club I am happy to present our first
newsletter for this term.
As the New Year opens with the Club Contests, let’s all resolve to make amends and recharge
ourselves. In my opinion, if there is one thing we should all get personal about, that should be
self-improvement. Isn't that why we joined Toastmasters in the first
place? Let’s all set some ambitious goals and focus on advanc-
ing our speaking, organizing and leadership skills.
I now look forward to an exciting round of club contests.
With the existing and budding talent pool within Dunes, I
am sure we will come across as strong contenders in the
Area level contest.
I take this opportunity to wish each of you a successful year
ahead ! Happy Toastmastering in the year 2008!
From the Editor’s Desk
“According to most studies,
people's number one fear is public
speaking. Number two is death.
This means to the average person,
if you go to a funeral, you're better
off in the casket than doing the
eulogy.” ~ Jerry Seinfeld
One month ago when this newsletter was a mere twinkle in my
eye, I spent sleepless nights trying to figure out what this issue
should focus on. And then it struck me like a bolt of lightning!
With the club contests just around the corner, what better topic
to focus on than CONTESTS? So here you go Toastmasters, a
whole feature on contests, packed with pearls of wisdom from
Toastmasters who have been there, done that. I am sure you will
find a lot of the content in this issue both thought provoking
and useful .
Many thanks to all those who’ve chipped in to make this issue
happen.
Good luck with the contests!
Here’s wishing you all a brilliant year ahead!
MTM Shereen Saifudeen
VP Public Relations
The Contest Connection
A contest is a wonderful opportunity to
compare yourself with others from your Club,
Area, Division, District etc. and gain some knowl-
edge of where you stand in comparison, in the
opinion of others.
I have seen a few contests since joining
Toastmasters and believe me, it is a wonderful
experience; especially if you are one of the
participants. The eagerness for winning, the
shine in the eyes when you look at the trophies
that are displayed, the teamwork, the cheering
for your club representative in the contest, the
tension before the performance, the good
natured competition, well meaning comments
and suggestions, the no holds barred applause;
all of these make each contest experience
unique, and the further you go in the contests,
the more acute becomes all of the above.
Wonderful ExperienceI have also seen a lot of Toastmasters (including
myself ) who thought that they were very good
speakers learn the truth and be brought down
to earth, the hard way in the annual contest
season. Most of these unsuccessful participants
take it in the right spirit; however there are a few
who crib about the contest and about every-
thing associated with the contest – the selection
of judges, the contest chair, the timers, the
position of the timing device, the selection of
the venue, the acoustics in the hall, the sergeant
at arms, the pencils that were handed out, you
name it, there are so many reasons for this
person to lose and the actual winner to take his
rightful place. Luckily, this lot is few in number
and the numbers in this group keep coming
down.
Making the ConnectionAccording to me, my most important learning
from the contests is the meaning of connection.
A good speaker may do a good job of drafting a
speech, delivering in a powerful voice with
excellent body language and voice modulation,
but if you do not connect with the audience,
then you will never win. This is the same in life,
how many times have you come out of a cinema
hall and made your judgement that the movie
was no good?
Have you ever thought why you made that
judgement? The reason is the movie did not
connect with you. It is the same for any public
appearance or performance; be it a speech, a
mono-act, a drama, a dance, a ballet, a musical,
whatever. To succeed the performer must
connect with the heart or the mind or the brain
of the audience. A performer who connects gets
called for a repeat performance almost
always.
I hope this contest season will help us all to learn
to connect to the audience and here’s wishing
the Dunes Toastmasters Club All the Very Best
for this festive season and for the New Year
2008.
On why it is important to connect with your audience
A good speaker may do a good
job of drafting a speech, deliver-
ing it in a powerful voice with
excellent body language and
voice modulation but if you don't
connect with the audience, then
you will never win.
Eipe Eapen. C AC(S), AL(B)Asst. Division Governor MarketingDivision J, District 79
M: 050 451 6822E: [email protected]
Special Feature
Voice of Dunes December 20072
Bill Clinton is known to have an unparalleled ability to connect with the public.
Here’s Bob Ramsay’s take on how he does it:
1. Eye Contact: He looks at you half a second longer than is appropriate. He uses his eyes as a
speaking tool to connect emotionally with his audience.
2. Gestures, Body language & Vocal variety: He is 'dynamic'. He moves his hands, his arms,
his head, his neck. His voice up and down, fast and slow, loud and soft. Everything is moving
nearly all the time, which presented an attractive image for people to pay attention to.
3. Simple Language: He hardly ever uses abstract English. ,You're rarely hear Bill Clinton say:
"We must create viable social options." Instead, he'll say: "You deserve to have more choices and
better ones too."
How Bill connects with his audience
Source: ReportonBusiness.com - Excerpt from an interview with Bob Ramsay
It’s Competition Time!
visiting other countries.
As you know, last GTAC was conducted in Doha,
Qatar and next one will be conducted in Bahrain
and trips to these places can also be coupled
with pleasure trips.
Invariably educational and training sessions
conducted by eminent toastmasters will be part
of these meetings. Therefore it is also an
excellent opportunity to update your knowl-
edge, clear doubts and get trained.
There are also many other hidden benefits for
those who organize such meetings. Many
Toastmasters behind the scene benefit by doing
various role-plays. Master of Ceremony, Contest
Chair person, Judges, timers, Tally counters,
Target speakers, Sergeant at arms etc. are some
of them. These apart, many organizational roles
are there outside the meeting, such as arranging
venue, speakers, judges, accommodation,
transport, entertainment, food etc. Needless to
say, all these provide opportunities to enhance
leadership, communication and organizational
skills of many Toastmasters involved.
The competition time in your Club is fast
approaching. Remember, only once in a year you
get such an opportunity. So dear Toastmasters,
take part in the contests and reap the benefits.
Let me quote the Olympic creed, “The most
important thing in Olympic Games is not to win
but to take part, just as the most important thing
in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The
essential thing is not to have conquered but to
have fought well.”
“Swifter, Higher, Stronger.” This is the motto of Olympics. Olympic Games
and World Cup Soccer are conducted once in
four years and heroes are born through these
competitions. Competitions provide opportuni-
ties to excel and it is the shortest route to many
achievements.
One has to compete to get admitted to a good
school or college, to get employment, to get
promoted and to achieve anything and every-
thing. Nobody can avoid competition in the
modern day world. In a democratic system,
leaders are elected through competition. No
wonder, it has become a part of our everyday
life.
Toastmasters are no exception. Competitions in
Toastmasters take place at various levels – Club,
Area, Division, District, Regional and Interna-
tional. Toastmasters consider competitions as
great opportunities to put their abilities to test
and identify their grey areas so that they can
improve performance by honing their skills.
Competition enhances creativity. Taking part in
a competition itself is enough to boost one’s
self-confidence. It is always a great enjoyment
and a wonderful experience.
BenefitsEven attending a Toastmasters contest has its
own benefits. Listening to eminent speakers and
learning new techniques, meeting and chatting
with international celebrities who have excelled
in speech competitions, meeting friends from
other Toastmaster Clubs, exchanging informa-
tion with other Toastmaster Club Officers and
The benefits of participating in contests
M. K Rajan. CLMember of Lagoon Toastmasters Club
Competition enhances creativity.
Taking part in a competition itself
is enough to boost one’s self-
confidence.
Remember, only once a year you
get such an opportunity. So take
part in contests and reap the
benefits.
Special Feature
Voice of Dunes December 2007 3
The Club level contest is a fantastic opportunity to enrich your Toastmaster experience.You can participate in the contest in 3 ways, as a: Contestant Volunteer or as a Member of the audience
Which ever role you decide to take on in the upcoming contests, you are guaranteed to learn something new. So don't miss out!
Get Involved, Experience a whole new level of Toastmastering
The Winning Mantra
The mantra for winning a speech contest is
"PPP" - Preparation, Practice and Presentation.
In each of these, there are a another three
hidden "Ps". They are Perspiration, Perseverance
and Patience.
The First ‘P’: PreparationWhichever contest you are attempting each has
its own preparation.
You may ask what is there to prepare for a Table
topics? I will say collect good amount of quotes
on different topics. Think of the people there or
events that took place on the day of the contest,
and try and use these in your reply. Try to
remember some jokes that you could use with
what you are talking about. Do these not
account for your preparation?
Then if you are going for the Humorous contest,
do not borrow jokes from the internet. I am sure
most of you are married, go back in time, you
may be able to get some funny incident or an
other that can be made into a story, and if you
happened to learn something out of it, then
great, it can be your theme for the International
speech as well.
There are also lot of opportunities with your
children, recollect and turn them into a story.
What ever be your material do not worry. Even if
it seems to be silly write it down. Put it aside for a
couple of days. In the meantime carry a pocket
book and try to note down any incident that
catches your attention. Later these can be
incorporated in the script. Try to make the body
of the speech bigger and bigger. Once you have
a good amount of script ready, say a 1000 words,
start to edit your speech. Remove all the filler
words - ands, sos etc. and you will be surprised
to see that you have less than 800 words. Now
work on this again to get a good 500 words.
Once you are happy with your script, select a
good opening and closing for your speech, you
could take help from your spouse, children, a
close friend and also from your mentors for this.
I am sure you know that a good speech is all
about telling them what you are going to tell
them, then telling them that and then telling
them what you told them. Decide on the title of
your the speech only at the very end. You may
think about names for your children but you
name them only after they are born, isn't that
right?
The Second ‘P’: PracticeAfter your script is ready, just read it aloud into a
tape-recorder and listen to it a few times. If you
are not happy with it, write and rewrite the
portions you did not like and try to improve on
your pronunciations. When in doubt, try to
substitute the word with a simpler one. You
don't want your adrenaline pumping during
your speech now do you?
Then comes the evaluation. There is no better
evaluator in this world than you!!!
Surprised? Then record your speech with a
handy cam and view it, you will understand what
I mean. I not only suggest that you watch it a
couple of time, I suggest you watch it during
different times of the day. Watch it when you are
happy, when you are relaxed and even when you
are in a hurry. At each of these times you may see
some thing different. Make a note of these and
then modify your delivery. When you are fairly
happy with this, you can now move on to the
third ‘P’ - Presentation.
The Third ‘P’: PresentationType your script in bold letters. Leave good
margins on each side (this is where you will
mark your staging).
Separate your paragraphs. My suggestion here is
to make one paragraph for each thought or each
point you want to say. Give separate colours, use
italics, bold or underline words you want to
emphasize. Our mind registers things better if
they are manipulated to enhance our visuals.
Remember then margins you left to write your
staging? This is what separates an ordinary
speaker from an extraordinary speaker. On the
margins write where you would be standing
while delivering a particular sentence.
For example if you are emphasizing a point you
want to come closer to the audience. And when
you complete your point, you want to go back to
Tips on how to prepare, practice and present your speech
Incorporate humour into your
speech. And when I say humour, I
mean good, original and really
polished humour.
It will give you the winning edge
over your opponents.
R. Sunderrajan, AC G/CLDivision Governor Division J, District 79
M: +97150 549 5829E: [email protected]
Special Feature
Voice of Dunes December 20074
Collect quotes on different topics. They will come in real handy during Table Topics.
Don’t borrow jokes from the Internet. Use original humour - incidents from real life are often times funnier and more powerful than recycled internet humour.
Keep a pocket book to jot down any interesting ideas. Write down anything that catches your attention, no matter how silly it is.
Work on the body of your speech first. Once you are happy with that then focus on creating a really good opening and conclusion.
Decide on the title of your speech at the very end, after you have prepared your ‘winning’ speech.
non-verbally to convey that your thought.
You must also move to either side of the stage, if
you have different points to the same topic. You
may move horizontally and stop at different
spots if you are going to convey different roles,
like I was a trainee, move, I became a supervisor,
move, I became a manager, move further, now I
have been promoted as the executive manager
for the entire Middle east and Asia operations.
These staging techniques are used effectively by
actors and dancers. Dancers actually mark
squares on the stage so that only they know of
their existence and they memorize all the
coordinates of the stage. There is one popular
champion toastmaster who actually blindfolds
himself and moves around the stage while he is
rehearsing.Another technique is to visit the
venue a couple of times earlier and try to
rehearse your speech.If there are audio equip-
ment try them quite well in advance. These can
make or break your speech.
Get good guidance on the use of these, specially
the clip on microphones. There is no better way
to irritate the audience than to tap on the clip
microphone in the name of testing. Do not bend
down into the clip on to check your voice. Will
you be bending your head while delivering your
speech?
Another important thing to note is the use of
props. As far as possible avoid electronic props
for your six minute speech. According to TMI, the
timing will start if you come on stage and try to
adjust it. You will have to place the prop just in
the one minute allowed for the judges and once
you are introduced you will have to act on your
own. Take care of this or you may overstep your
time.
Now I myself feel the perspiration on my hands.
So Toastmasters, the very important thing I
would like to tell you before I close this is try to
incorporate humour and when I say humour I
mean good, original and really polished humour.
It will give you the winning edge over your
opponents.
Voice of Dunes December 2007 5
P reparat ion T ips
Read your script aloud into a tape-recorder and listen to it a few times. Write and rewrite the parts of your speech you did not like.
Improve your pronunciation.
Don't stumble over difficult words. Simply substitute the word with a simpler one that is easier to remember and pronounce.
Record your speech and observe your body language and delivery. Make note of areas that need improvement and work on these.
P rac t ice T ips
Use a wide margin on either sides of your script and make note of the staging techniques you wish to use during your speech delivery.
Get to grips with the audio equipment available at the venue.
If you need to use a clip microphone, test this well in advance. There is no better way to irritate the audience than to tap on the clip microphone in the name of testing.
Avoid using electronic props for a 5-7 minute speech.
P resentat ion T ips
Special Feature
How to make a connection5 ways great speakers connect with their audience
The art of public speaking is actually
the art of connecting. And the people
we remember most are not those
with the smartest commentary or
sharpest wit. We remember people
we feel we connected with. ~ Penelope Trunk
Special Feature
Voice of Dunes December 20076
1. Tell storiesA good way to make connections is telling stories. Stories that we construct from the pieces of
our lives are particularly powerful and makes people remember us.
2. Look deeply at individuals in the audienceRather than scanning the audience constantly, look at one person until you’ve made one point.
Get out the whole idea before you let your eyes move to the next person.
3. Be honest about how you’re doingComedian Esther Ku says the best thing to do when you can tell you’re not connected is to
acknowledge it. “If a joke fails, I poke fun at myself so I show the audience that I’m aware of what’s
going on.”
4. Smile, even if it’s fakeIf you smile at your audience, they are likely to smile back. And a smile engenders good feelings
and a true connection - even if the smile is forced, because we are pretty bad at recognizing a
fake smile.
5. RelaxA fake smile is okay. But overwhelming nerves is not. And audience can read uptight pretty
clearly, and they don’t like it - it’s not inspiring or trustworthy.
Butterflies in your stomach?Tips on how to control nervousness
Source: Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist
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> Relax. Deep breaths and a few yawns are a marvelous way of de-stressing.
> Don't apologize. Apologizing only draws attention to the things you really don't want or need attention to be drawn to and
which the majority of your target audience didn't even notice.
> Turn the anxiety into positive energy. Gather your nervous energy and transform it into positive, motivating enthusiasm and dynamism.
> Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.
> Understand that people WANT you to succeed. Your audience will want you to be stimulating. They want you to be informative and they want you to be
entertaining. Once you realize this then you can RELAX and enjoy your message, enjoy your rapport with
the audience and enjoy the whole process.
No Jokes!What to do when your humour backfires
Special Feature
Voice of Dunes December 2007 7
Give your audience time to laugh! Use pauses to allow your humor to sink in. Your pauses send cues to your audience that they are
encouraged to ponder your words, and react accordingly. If they aren't laughing, it may be
because you’re not allowing them the opportunity to laugh. Take a breath now and then and
watch the laughter flow.
For those competing in contests, realize that the larger the audience you speak to, the longer
the audience takes to laugh. Don’t get disqualified because your 7 minute speech at the club
level goes 7 minutes fifteen seconds at the Area Contest and then at the Division level laughter
pushes its time to seven and three quarters of a minute. Plan accordingly so you can listen to
your audience's laughter without it disrupting your speech's timing.
An excerpt from Craig Harrison’s (DTM, PDG): Your Audience Speaks, Are You Listening?
Source: John Kinde’s Humorpower - www.humorpower.com
Power of Pause
> Pretend you were serious.Humor, properly delivered, should be a surprise. If your punch-line bombed, don't let your
audience know that YOU thought it was funny.
The “look of expectation” is what gives you away. It is that look on your face which begs for a
laugh. It is the same look your dog gives you at the dinner table waiting for a scrap from your
plate.
> Learn why your joke failed When a joke dies, one of the main things you should do is to learn from it.
After the talk, take some notes. Analyze the structure of the line. Look at the pacing and delivery
of the words. Were the funny connections relevant to the audience? Was the punch line buried?
A bad joke should receive a good autopsy.
> Use saversSome speakers use savers or bomb-lines to rescue them from a bad line:
“That is the last time I will use a joke that Fred gave me.”
“That line was funny when I practiced it.”
“Some of these lines are just for me.”
“Is this thing on?’ (Tapping on the microphone)
“My dog laughed when he heard that story”
> Make a serious point. “The reason I told you that story was….” In a speech, hopefully all your humor makes a point, so
this technique should be easy to use.
> Never explain the joke. Explaining a joke only makes a bad situation worse. Remember the “pretend you were serious”
advice.
Chances are you’ve told a
funny story at some point
and nobody has laughed.
What do you do when that
happens?
Contests - a humbling experience
With over one and a half years of experience
behind us as toastmasters, Dunes TMC is now
moving towards the 2nd round of club contests.
Within 6 months of formation we were fortunate
enough to be guided by our mentors to an
extent that we decided to give the contests at
the Club level and Area level our best shot. For us
it was more about making a mark at the Area
level than actually winning. Winning a prize at
the evaluation only gave our dedication a
boost.
After having seen the contests and faced the
heat their, I have for sure learnt a few tips from
the experience.
A club contest season consists of normally four
categories which are:
1. Table Topics
2. Evaluation
3. Humorous Speech
4. International Speech
I was lucky enough to represent the club for
three of the above except Table Topics.
Table Topics: Do’s & Don'tsAfter the club contests of the Table topics I
wanted to know why I failed and I spoke to the
mentors and judges who were present there..
This is where I started realizing the mistakes we
make without actually realizing that we make it.
In a Table topic contest, it is very important that
we form an opinion about the question or the
topic given. Most of the topics are hypothetical
and how we react to it is left to our discretion..
However, it is important that we take a position -
either we accept it or we don’t. For instance,
when I was asked the “Most interesting place in
UAE” , instead of naming a specific place in UAE I
spoke about all the places in UAE. This should
not be the case.
The other most important point to remember is
that whatever we say - it should have a definite
Introduction, Body and Conclusion.
This rule of thumb is applicable for Table Topics
as well.
Above all, always remember to respect the timer.
I always make it a point to start my conclusion
when I see the amber light.
Evaluation Tips In the evaluation session, I always try and pick
out a sentence from the speech which strikes me
most and begin with that as the Intro.
When it comes down to evaluation, we often
seen evaluators speaking a great deal about the
speaker’s history and speech details. Remember,
our role as evaluators is to evaluate the process
and not the speaker or the specifics of the
speech.
Try and visualize all the projects you have done
in the Competent Communicators manual and
see how he or she has addressed the speech
objectives. Again the golden rule is to make sure
that there is an Intro, Body and conclusion.
POSE which is a method of evaluation, is always
a sure shot method to do it in a structured way.
POSE is an acronym for Positives, Objectives,
Suggestions and Encouragement.
Tackling Humour In the Humourous speech, which I must admit is
the toughest competition, it is important to
know the audience. The first step to a good
humourous speech is to make sure that your
speech caters to the audience.
In my experience, I have always found the
humourous speech more difficult to do than
other speeches because the judges (who are
also part of the audience) can be from different
walks of life. Sometimes what is very funny for
you can be offensive for someone.
Last year when I did my Humourous speech at
the club level, I was awarded the first prize and I
thought is was funny, especially my take on
different nationalities including mine. But at the
Area level, after I presented my speech, my
mentors told me that my take on nationalities
did not gel well with some of the judges.
I am not saying I lost because of that. Mine
wasn’t the most funny one in any case. My
speech could only trigger giggles where as there
were some other contestants who made me
laugh my heart out. (I don’t laugh so easily at
A Toastmaster’s contest experience and tricks of the trade
Whatever contest you are taking
part in, my advice would be to
practice, practice and practice.
Keep yourself thinking all the
time and always look out for a
great topic.
Contests bring out the best in you.
You meet people who are as good
as or much better than you are. It
is for sure an eye opener.
Sajit Raja, CC
Special Feature
Voice of Dunes December 20078
laughter from the audience is a message that
they are enjoying the speech.
Try to look for topics and some proverbs and see
how you attack those over a Table topic session.
These are some do it yourself tips.
Contest season is a season I love, because it
brings out the best in you. You meet people who
are as good as or much better than you are. It is
for sure and eye opener. Take my word for it -
push yourself in the contest and enjoy a
different level of public speaking.
Best of luck and what are you waiting for?
jokes because I come from a place where the
normal level of humour is very high J).
Don’t ever lift internet comedy and present it as
it is. Try to use them in conjunction with your
experience. Spouse bashing or Toastmaster
bashing are the most highly infectious topics
which will bring out laughter, but it should be
done with good taste. Timing is everything in
humour and it is important that you anticipate
the giggles and laughter and give the required
pauses in between.
International speech International speech contest is the most impor-
tant and widely contested contests at all levels.
Most important for the sheer distance it can take
you literally and figuratively. One amongst us
can be probably a winner of the international
contest not just at the club or area level but also
at the international level. With my limited experi-
ence, I have seen speeches that are really power-
ful and hard hitting making it to the winner’s
podium. Speeches that move the audience with
their motivation or inspirational level are the
ones that are chosen for the contests. If you are a
good speaker you can even speak on a humour-
ous topic and win the contest, something that
happened at the Gavalier’s club this year, but
then you really need to be confident to take that
chance.
One thing that I found odd during the contests is
that the International speeches are in some way
connected to personal tragedies. I do not know
why people choose that as a topic, perhaps it
works well to bring all the emotions and feelings
in your speech and perhaps the Bollywood style
of a blockbuster hit also lingers in their mind.
Do-it-yourself TipsWhatever the contest you are taking part in, my
advice would be to practice, practice and
practice. Keep yourself thinking all the time and
always look out for a great topic.
Try and attend the club meeting in other clubs
and make sure you attend the maximum
number of contests that are going on around
you. Always prepare the speech in advance and
get it mentored by a specialist, if possible by
more than one mentor.
Try to use humour in your speeches and get
used to it as “Humour” moves any audience and
Voice of Dunes December 2007 9
8th Jan, 2008 > Humorous Speech Contest
> Table Topics
15th Jan, 2008 > International Speech Contest
> Evaluation
EligibilityTo be eligible to compete , an individual must:
1. Be a member in good standing of the club in which he or she is competing. A new, dual or
reinstated member must have dues and membership application current with World
Headquarters.
2. Have completed at least 6 manual speeches in the Competent Communication manual
prior to the club contest. However, a charter member of a club chartered since the previous
July 1 may compete without having completed six manual speeches in the Competent
Communication manual.
Speech Subject And Preparation1. Contestants must prepare their own speeches, which must be substantially original.
2. Each contestant must complete the Speaker’s Certification of Eligibility and Originality and
submit it to the chief judge prior to the contest.
3. Any quoted material must be so identified during the speech presentation.
4. Humorous Speech must be thematic in nature (opening, body, and close), not a mono-
logue (series of one-liners).
5. Table topics should lead to an opinion or conclusion.
Timing of the Speeches
International Speech 5 - 7 min Less than 4 min 30s OR More than 7 min 30s
Humorous Speech 5 - 7 min Less than 4 min 30s OR More than 7 min 30s
Evaluation 2 - 3 min Less than 1 min 30s OR More than 3 min 30s
Table Topic 2 min Less than 1 min OR More than 2 min 30s
Contest Rules
Duration Disqualification
Source: Toastmasters International Speech Contest Rulebook 2008
“It takes one hour of preparation for
each minute of presentation time."
~ Wayne Burgraff
So, Practice! Practice!!Practice!!!
Club Contest DatesTo register for the club contest, contact your VP Education:TM Anwar HussainE: [email protected]
Special Feature
Flattered!
I have heard that imitation is the sincerest form
of flattery. Recently I had an opportunity to get
flattered and thought of sharing this experience
with you all!
The first year of my journey in Toastmasters was
very exciting. Since I had set a goal to become a
Competent Communicator in a year’s time, I
used to spend a lot of time Toastmastering. I
should say that my family was bearing the brunt
of this. Whenever I used to practice vocal variety
and try to bring that ‘punch’ to the concluding
lines, my wife would come running and say
“Quiet! Quiet! Our neighbours will think that we
are having a fight.”
Big DreamsMy little daughter used to be a witness to all of
this but little did I know that I was unintention-
ally mentoring her! She would watch me
practice the speeches and then she would start
imitating me. We always had a good laugh about
this. I never seriously considered this until
recently when the Inter School DALA youth
festivals were announced. As usual we were
about to give in her names for the music
contests, then my daughter came running to me
and said “Dad, can I join for Elocution as well? I
want to walk up and down and shout and speak”.
I did a quick evaluation of her chances to win
and said “Darling, you will be the junior most (she
is 8+) in your category and it will be very tough to
compete with students of 13 years of age, and that
too against the very best talents from their schools!
Anyway, if you are particular, I will include your
name, participation is more important”.
Chip off the Ol’ blockWe sat down together and wrote a small speech
of 4 to 5 minutes. We took care to logically
organize the body of the speech. We brought in
an attention grabbing opening and a conclusion
with punch and effectively used every opportu-
nity to use vocal variety and gestures. To spice it
up, we added a bit of emotion and inspiration to
it!
During the practice sessions, I noticed that she
was trying to imitate what I have been doing
during my practice sessions, but I kept quiet.
Eventually on 7th December, she went ahead
and presented it confidently before an eminent
panel of judges and a lot of trained speakers
from other schools. We were not much bothered
about the results since the purpose for which we
came was already met, But when the results
were announced, we were spellbound to note
that she had made it to the No.1 spot!
I was flattered! She had proved herself to be a
Toastmaster’s daughter!
Also I could see a little Madam Toastmaster in
the making!
How a Toastmaster unintentionally mentored his daughter
During the practice sessions, I
noticed that she was trying to
imitate what I have been doing
throughout my practice sessions,
but I kept quiet.
When the results were
announced, we were spellbound
to note that she had made it to
the No.1 spot!
Vinod Kumar, CC
Personally Speaking
Voice of Dunes December 200710
All
Smile
s: P
oo
ja V
ino
d w
ith
her
tro
ph
y
Winning Streak
After 8 months of Toastmastering I participated
in the club level contest and managed to snatch
the 1st & 2nd prize for International & Humorous
speeches. That was one of my most memorable
moments of my life.
I was told by the coordinators of our club that I
have to compete for the inter-gavel club contest.
I knew that the inter gavel contest was going to
be a tough one - It is here that toppers from
different clubs assemble for the best speaker
title. With the help of my parents and my
mentors I practiced hard. All the effort and hard
work did not go in vain; to my delight, I won the
“Best Humorous Speaker” award.
The very next day I took the trophy to school and
showed it to the Principal and told her that I
wanted to share my experience with everyone in
the school.
Now when I look back, I can see how far have
come from being a shy & timid girl who stood
with her head down in front of an audience,
struggling to find words to speak.
Today I am a confident Gavelier who can stand &
speak boldly.
Thanks to the Toastmaster’s organization for
giving me the power to identify my hidden
strength in communication.
I still remember when I was 9 years old I had won
1st prize for inter-school dance competition &
the next day I was very eager to take the trophy
to the school. The principal had announced this
in the assembly and praised me for achieving
this. I proudly stood on the stage and faced the
whole school with a sweet smile on my face.
At the end of her speech she asked me to share
my experience. On hearing this, suddenly a spark
went through my heart, my sweet smile had
vanished and I could feel my face turning red
and my eyes bulging out. With shaky legs I
walked to the mike.
My voice started shivering, I said Good Morning
to every one and repeated this a couple of times.
No other words came to my mouth, and my
mind went totally blank. The principal noticed
my pathetic situation, patted me on my shoulder
and asked everyone to clap their hands. As I
slowly walked back, I cursed myself for winning
the prize. I cursed myself for bringing the trophy
to school and creating a scene in front of the
whole school. Even though I have performed
many dances on stage, public speaking was one
of my worst fears.
Step-by-step
My parents were looking for a course for
children to improve public speaking skills. Then
in 2006, April my mother become a member of
Dunes Toastmasters Club and I finally joined the
Scintillators Gavel club in May 2006.
It was a new beginning for me and I gradually
started stepping out of my shell. The whole
atmosphere of the club fascinated me and
fellow Gaveliers, coordinators and mentors
inspired me. Finally I did my first project - The
Icebreaker where I bagged the best speaker
award. This really boosted my self confidence.
Each role in the Gavelier’s meeting allowed me
to develop my confidence and skills in each area.
The Table topics sessions taught me the power
of talking impromptu on any subject. The
Grammarian’s roles sharpened my command on
language. The AH counters helped me reduce
my unnecessary fillers and the Joke master’s role
helped me become a more jovial person. I was
now no longer shy about meeting people.
My Hidden PowerHow Toastmasters helped me overcome my worst fear
When I look back, I can see how
far have come from being a shy &
timid girl who stood with her
head down in front of an audi-
ence, struggling to find words to
speak.
Today I am a confident Gavelier
who can stand & speak boldly.
Personally Speaking
Voice of Dunes December 2007 11
Malavika JayakumarScintillators Gavel Club
“There are three things to aim at in public
speaking: First, to get into your subject, then to
get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get
your subject into the heart of your audience”
~ Alexander Gregg
Myths & Superstitions
When I decided to write this article I happened
to talk to a friend and he said, what an inauspi-
cious day to start writing, “Don’t you realize
today is the 13th?”
For a minute I considered doing the obvious,
shut down my computer and wait for the 14th.
That was my reaction after I believed that I’m
not part of this genre. But am I?? That’s not
difficult to answer is it, given the fact that I
considered shutting down my computer.
Myths & Superstitions GaloreA superstition is an irrational fear of what is
unknown or mysterious. People all over the
world seem to have superstitions.
Myths, they say, never die. They only sleep.
American poet Stanley Kunitz put it aptly, when
he said, "Myths lie sleeping, at the bottom of our
mind, waiting for our call. We have a need for them,
since they represent the wisdom of our race." In
that context, the power of myths is immense. Let
me run you down through some of the very
common myths and superstitions that we tend
to believe in.
Friday the 13 is probably one of the most
common myths and probably something we all
can think of whenever someone talks of myths.
A black cat crossing in front of you is considered
very unlucky and is probably as common as the
No.13.
Tapping your hands on wood and saying
“touchwood” after mentioning a good fortune
makes sure that evil spirits don’t ruin it for you.
Three people don’t start a journey together. I
had a boss who thought that three people
shouldn’t go together for a meeting and he
made sure that the we would take different cars
and join the meeting separately. Now did that
help in securing more orders? I am not sure, but
I believe that if your customer is ready to beat
you up… then 3 is better than 2, so think again!
See a penny, pick it up; all day long you’ll have
good luck! How untrue in today's world. I
wouldn’t even consider picking a penny but
seeing a million dirhams, picking it up and then
being happy all my life... Hmmm, now that
sounds better doesn’t it?
If a man with two wives wants to marry a third,
he will first marry a tree, so that the new wife
may be the fourth. Wow! Come to think of it I
find managing one soooooooooo difficult!
To sneeze is auspicious, and we normally say
bless you, and that’s because it is said that when
you sneeze your heart stops for that few
seconds.
A shopkeeper will not make the first transaction
of the day on credit. It must be paid in cash. If I
was the shopkeeper, I’d never sell on credit and
all my customers would be first for the day.
A women carrying a child or a pitcher is a happy
omen. Two pitchers are considered even more
auspicious. So what happen if shes carrying
three pitchers?? Any guesses ?? May be she
would be in a circus wouldn’t she??
If a crop has grown exceedingly well, a black pot
or tattered shoe is suspended on a pole in the
field. This is to avert the evil eye.
But the myth that I truly want to believe is
woman have smaller brains than men.
Now before all you woman reading this article
get up in arms, let me put the matter straight,
though the woman’s brain is actually smaller ,
there is NO difference in the mental perfor-
mance. Ahmen! I hope all you woman are
satisfied with the argument, but do I agree with
that argument?? Now that’s for me to know and
you to guess.
To believe or not to believe, that is the question
Anup Hegde
Justforkix
Voice of Dunes December 200712
Fear of the number 13 actually has a
name! It is termed Triskaidekaphobia.
The superstition surrounding the
number 13 is perhaps the most widely
accepted across cultures. So much so
that many cities do not have a 13th
Street or a 13th Avenue!
Hospitals and hotels regularly have no
room number 13!
And airplanes have no 13th aisle!
While In the west, the number 13
synonymous with bad luck , in China
the number 4 is considered particu-
larly unlucky.
Apparently, the Chinese words for
"four" and "death" sound the same, so
it is considered unlucky. Some hotels
don't use four or any numbers contain-
ing four when numbering rooms and
floors.
Did You Know?
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
What I wondered? And what you are.
Your everyday demands are so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
What I wondered? And what you are.
When the blazing mother-in-law is gone,
When she nothing shines upon,
Then you show your dangerous sight,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Then the husband in the dark,
Thanks you for your low pitch bark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not beat him so.
In the dark blue house you Sit,
And often you do Kit Kit Kit,
For you never shut your mouth,
Till the sun is in the south.
‘Tis your sharp and tiny nails,
Of which afraid are all Males,
Tho’ I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
What I wondered? And what you are.
Twinkle Twinkle Little StarYour childhood poem takes a
different turn once yougrow up and get married!
Justforkix
Voice of Dunes December 2007 13
Gurpreet Singh Anand
Quotable Quotes
Marriage is a three ring circus:
engagement ring, wedding
ring and suffering!
Then there was a man who
said, "I never knew what real
happiness was until I got
married; by then it was too late."
The letters of a 9-letter word is placed randomly in
this 3x3 grid. How many words can you find which
meet these conditions:
Each word must contain the letter ‘H' in the middle
Words must contain 3 or more letters
Each letter can only be used once
No proper nouns
Plurals are allowed
S E T
R H O
C A R
TARGET
Answers: Page. 15
>
>
>
>
>
The word etymology comes from the
Greek word 'etymos', which means real,
or true and ‘ology’ meaning study or
science of. Put them together and you
get the study or science of the real or
true.
In this Etymology Game, you are
presented with word origin puzzles to
solve. A number of possible answers
will be presented. You need to choose
the correct answer to score a point for
that question.
1. From which language does the word
‘umbrella’ come?
a. From German Ombrel, meaning 'shelter’
b. From Greek Ombrellos, meaning 'a cover'
c. From Arabic al-omra, meaning 'protector'
d. From Italian umbra, meaning 'shadow'
2. From where did the word ‘robot’
originate?
a. From Czech: Czech writer Karel Eapek first
used it in his novel R.U.R.
b. From Greek: 'rho' meaning 'not genuine,
artificial' and 'boitos' meaning 'like a
human'
c. From Latin: 'robotus' was one of highest
gods in Roman mythology
d. From Nepalese: 'ro-bho-tho' means 'ape-
like-creature'
3. Of what is a sufferer of ‘hippopoto-
monstrosesquippedaliophobia’ afraid?
a. Hippopotamus
b. Long words
c. People with large pink hats
d. Very large construction equipment
Answers: 1. d 2.a 3.b
Etymologic Game
Dunes in the Second Year
As Dunes Toastmasters Club completes the first
half year of the new term in December 2007, it is
now time to take a step back and reflect on what
we have achieved over the last 6 months.
HighlightsMembership
The club continues to maintain its membership
strength of 30 as in the previous year.
5 new members joined the club:
Bobby Cherian
Shabeer Ahmed
Gagarin V.P
Thomas K.J
Satish V.P
Training
Five Club Officers attended the Club Officers
Training
Club members attended majority of the
Training Programs arranged by Division J,
including:
Speaker to Trainer
How to conduct an Effective Meeting
How to Listen Effectively
The Art of Effective Evaluation
Targets The CC milestone for another 6 members is set
in March 2008.
The CL manual completion for 10 Members is
targeted by June 2008.
The Club is scheduled to conduct speech
contests during the first two meetings in
January and I hope to see some remarkable
performances.
It is a pleasure to note that despite Dubai’s
infamous traffic and fast lifestyle, members
make it a point to make it to the meetings (fairly
on time) and take their meeting roles seriously. It
is without doubt the burning desire of members
to become better communicators that drive
them to show such commitment.
In the coming days I look forward to members
achieving the goals they have set for
themselves.. And I look forward to awards and
accolades coming our way as we continue our
journey to fulfil our mission – the Mission of the
Toastmasters International.
Tracking the Club’s progress over the last 6 months
Anwar HussainVP Education
Club News
Voice of Dunes December 200714
Have you set your goals?
What do you want to accomplish in
the coming year? Do want to
complete your Competent Communi-
cator program or perhaps work on
the Competent Leader program?
Whatever your goals are, let your VP
Education know. This will allow
Dunes to help you achieve your
personal educational goals.
So don’t sit back. Seize the moment
and contact your VP Education
today!
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Tho
mas
Gag
arin
Shab
eer
Sree
lal
Step
hen
San
dee
p
Har
i. K
Nav
end
u
Sag
ara
Siva
das
San
u
Sud
hei
sh
Bo
bb
y
Sath
ya
Gu
rpre
et
Sib
y
Prav
een
Jath
in
Haf
is
Geo
rge
Bet
ty
An
war
An
up
Jose
Ren
jini
Man
ju
Sher
een
Vin
od
Har
i S
Gin
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Sajit
11
10
9
8
4
7
6
2
1
3
5
Competent Communicator: Speech Status as on Dec 30, 2007
The term gone by...
Club News
Voice of Dunes December 2007 15
Entries received so far...
TM Anwar Hussain
Destined for Unbeatable & Notched Eloquent Speaking
Destined for Unique Network of Eloquent Speakers
MTM Manju Sajit
Ridges to Eloquent Speaking
Destined to Speaking Eloquence
Developing Speaking Eloquence
CC Vinod Kumar
Dubai's Unique Network of Elegant Speakers
CC Harinarayanan
Dubai's Unique Nest of Elegant Speakers
TM Sudheish
Dubai's Upper-school for Natural and Enthusiastic Speakers
Toastmasters,
We’re on the look out for a truly inspirational Club Motto.
So put on your thinking caps and rush your entries to the Editor at
[email protected] on or before the 10th of January, 2008.
This contest is open to all: Members and Non-members.
The winner of the Best Club Motto Contest will be announced on the 15th
of January, 2008 at the Club’s speech contest! Be there!
Best Club Motto Contest
3-letter words (8):
ash, has, hat, her, hoe, hot, rho,the
4-letter words (27):
ache, arch, cash, char, chat, cosh, each, echo, etch,
hare, hart, hast, hate, hats, hear, heat, hero, hers,
hoes, hose, host, hots, rash, shat, shoe, shot,
tosh
5-letter words (35):
chaos, aches, chars, chart, chase, chats, cheat,
chest, chore, chose, crash, earth, ethos, hares,
harts, haste, hater, hates, hears, heart, heats,
horse, ochre, other, reach, retch, roach, share,
shear, shore, short, teach, those, torch,
trash
6-letter words (18):
archer, arches, charts, chaser, chaste, cheats,
chores, haters, hearts, hector, others, rasher,
rather, sachet, scathe, search, starch, throes
7-letter words (8):
archers, charter, chasers, crasher, hectors, sharer,
shorter, torches
8-letter words (2):
charters, thoraces
9-letter words (2):
carthorse, orchestra
S E T
R H O
C A R
Answer to Target Puzzle
Clu
b O
ffic
ers
Indu
ctio
n
Clu
b O
ffic
ers
Indu
ctio
n.
Gue
st s
peak
er -
Mal
avik
a Ja
yaku
mar
Mee
ting
in p
rogr
ess.
..
Gue
st S
peak
er: T
M S
asi,
Are
a G
over
nor
Photos courtesy: TM Anwar Hussain
New to Toastmasters?
To learn more, drop by...
President
Jathin Abraham
M: 050 778 2873
VP Education
Anwar Hussain
M: 050 854 7037
VP Membership
Jose Thomas
M: 050 215 0115
VP Public Relations
Shereen Saifudeen
M: 050 754 3528
Secretary
Renjini S. Nair
M: 050 482 9648
Treasurer
Hafis
M: 050 568 3689
Sergeant at Arms
Manju S. Viswam
M: 050 844 6619
Tail End
Voice of Dunes December 200716
Dunes Toastmasters Club
Club OfficersThe purpose of Dunes Toastmasters Club is to help members overcome
apprehensions about speaking in public and to improve communication skills.
This goal is accomplished by providing a self-paced, focused speaking program
and a supportive, experienced group of people to assist you. You can become
more effective in formal public speaking, situations requiring impromptu
speaking, management and also in the exercise of leadership skills.
Even if you are not a member of the club, you are always welcome to our
meetings. You may take part if you wish, or just watch and listen. As a guest, you
will be introduced so that the members of the club know who you are, and we
encourage you to understand what Toastmasters is all about.
When
We meet every 1st & 3rd Tuesday at 7.00 pm
Where
Seminar Hall, Emarat Atrium
Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai.
You are cordially invited to be our guest!
There is no fee for guests and no obligation to speak!
For more details contact our VP Membership - Jose Thomas.