Issue 2

District Goals - Where are we?

As of October 08 2010

Image courtesy: Frank Storey, DTM

Inside this issue

Ed Said
Voice of the District Governor
View from the top
Your voices
What you don’t find in manuals
Lessons from the corporate
District Events Calendar
Are you listening?
Time out - Go Green
World Championship Public Speaking
Communication Guidelines
Treasured Moments

Disclaimer: Although great care has been taken in bringing out this issue, we apologise for any inadvertent errors
or omissions. The newsletter contains individual’s views’ District 82. The District Governor or the Editor
may not subscribe to the same. You may report errors, miss-outs and suggestions to voiceofd82@gmail.com.
 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
Ed said!

“Be not afraid of greatness:

some men are born great,
some achieve greatness,
and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

-William Shakespeare
In August 2010 we had the good fortune of being re crowned as "The
Worlds No 1 District" not once, not twice but three times in a
row! This achievement speaks volumes for itself.
IPDG Deepak Menon, DTM and DG Nagaraja Rao DTM both have
attributed this success to the contribution of each and every member
of District 82 who made this possible. This is the true sign of greatness.
We are indeed privileged to have great leaders who have time and again raised the bar.
October is a very special month for Toastmasters across the world; it was on the 22nd day in 1924,
a group of men assembled by Dr Ralph C. Smedley met in the basement of the YMCA in Santa Ana,
California, USA, forming a club "to afford practice and training in the art of public speaking and in
presiding over meetings, and to promote sociability and good fellowship among its members." It is
a reminder to each one of us that all big things begin small.
This year is a journey where the only password to achieve success is Teamwork. Teamwork will
enhance our effectiveness, as we inch closer to become the best District in the world. Only when
we come together can we enjoy the success.
As we focus on achieving goals which would help us become better communicators and better
leaders; let us join hands to communicate,educate and celebrate the movement called Toastmasters!
It is only when we join hands that we achieve greatness together...

Regards,

Brillian S. K., ACB, ALB

The Mission of the District

The mission of the district is to enhance the performance and extend the network of clubs,
thereby offering greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from the Toastmasters
educational program by:
Focusing on the critical success factors as specified by the district educational and
membership goals.
Insuring that each club effectively fulfils its responsibilities to its members.
Providing effective training and leadership development opportunities for club and
district officers.

For Private Circulation 1 District 82 Publication

 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
Voice of : District Governor
Dear friends,
What I like most about toastmasters is its mentoring system. A mentor is
not just a person who teaches you how to write speeches. He/she does
much more than that. Have you ever given a thought about what you
have received from your mentor? Recently I read about this incident
which prompted me to think about my mentor. I am reproducing it here:
One night at a dinner party, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with
education. He said: "What can a kid learn from someone who decided his
best option in life was to become a teacher? You know, it's true what they
say about teachers: Those who can do, do. And those who can't do,
teach." He turned to another guest and asked "Hey, Susan, you're a teacher. Be honest, what do
you make?"
Susan, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness, replied: "You want to know what I make? I
make kids work harder than they ever thought they could, and I can make kids sit through 40
minutes of study hall in absolute silence. I can make a C-plus feel like the Congressional Medal of
Honor and an A feel like a slap in the face if the student didn't do his or her very best. I can make
parents tremble when I call their home or feel almost like they won the lottery when I tell them
how well their child is progressing."
Gaining speed, she went on: "You want to know what I make? I make kids wonder. I make them
question. I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write. I make
them read, read and read. I make them understand that if you have the brains, then follow your
heart. And if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make in money, you pay them no
attention." Susan then paused. "Do you want to know what I make? I make a difference."
Friends, our mentors in Toastmasters do the same thing – they make a difference!
I have been fortunate to have had some of the finest people in toastmasters as my mentors.
What about you?
What kind of mentors did you have?
More importantly, what kind of a mentor have you been?
There are four stages of supporting a learner viz., Counselor, Coach, Trainer and Mentor!
A Counselor listens to your issues/problems, brings clarity on your current status and suggests
possible directions!
A Trainer trains you on a particular regimen to enable you to acquire certain skills!
A Coach works with your explicit capability / potential and helps you achieve a particular
target or goal!
A Mentor listens to your difficulties, brings clarity, suggests possible directions, trains you to
acquire certain skills, enables your explicit capabilities and above all identifies your hidden
potential and makes you move towards achieving completeness in your chosen sphere of life!
In our journey of moving from a mentee to a mentor in Toastmasters, we move through the above
four roles. We make a difference to ourselves, fellow club members, our family, friends and the
society we live in!
Be a mentor! Make a difference! Today!
Yours in the service of toastmasters,
Nagaraja Rao, DTM
For Private Circulation 2 District 82 Publication

View from the top!
Reminiscences from 79th Toastmasters International Convention
The 79th Annual Convention of Toastmasters
International was held at the Desert Springs JW
Marriott Resort and Spa, Palm Desert, California, USA
from August 11 to 14, 2010.
I knew this would be a
special convention (my 5th
consecutive convention)
when I landed at the Palm
Springs International
Airport late afternoon on
10th August 2010 after 26
hours of flying from Delhi.
Deepak with The Palm Springs Airport
International President -
is like no airport anywhere
Pat Johnson
in the world and resembles
what Palm Springs is best known for – a spa! A
pre-reserved shuttle, driven by charming Tamara,
brought me to the luxurious resort, Desert Springs JW
Marriott Resort and Spa, which has boats plying in
its lobby!
I had barely stepped into the lobby when I was
greeted like a celebrity by International Director Keith
Ostergard and Past International Director Mohamed
Murad. The District 82 Top 5 Leaders (DG Nagaraja
Rao, LGETs Punita Singh and M.Z. Saleem and LGMs
Vinay Jain and S. Harikumar) were already at the
resort in the midst of their training, for the first time
offered to all the Districts around the world under
one roof. Hectic campaigning marked the evening
as candidates for the various Board positions were
meeting the electorate and pressing their candidature.
However, I had one goal – to visit the World
Headquarters of Toastmasters International situated
at Rancho Santa Margarita about 100 miles from Palm
Desert. The next morning, 11th August 7.30am, saw
Rebecca Hong (Immediate Past District 85 Governor)
and me wending our way with trusty Tamara to
WHQ. In less than two hours we were at the holy
grail of all Toastmasters and wandered through the
large office with our guide for the day, Sherrel Zapp
from the Education Department. The highlight was
visiting a museum devoted to our founder, Dr. Ralph
C. Smedley. It was an honor to sit on his chair and
put my fingers on the keys of the typewriter that Dr.
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Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
Smedley had worked on!
Back at the convention venue it was now time
for the opening ceremonies. Another special
honor was reserved for me (and District 82) as I
was asked to lead the flag march of 113 countries
carrying aloft the flag of Toastmasters
International. It was indeed a proud moment
when I walked through the center aisle of the
huge Ballroom to a standing ovation of 2000
Toastmasters from across the world and up the
podium with TI flag! The Indian tricolor was
carried by LGET DTM Punita Singh and the Sri
Lankan flag was carried by LGET DTM M.Z.
Saleem. In his opening address President Gary
Schmidt remarked on the wonderful year that
Toastmasters around the world had experienced
and had special words of appreciation for District
82 for the record number of clubs chartered
during 2009-10. This was followed by an
inspirational keynote speech by Todd Newton,
a veteran television host and international
keynote presenter.
Thursday, 12 August 2010, dawned with an early
morning (7.30am) briefing by the Board of
Directors who informed us of the progress
Toastmasters had experienced in the preceding
year. The Board also informed us of the strategic
changes that were being envisaged and how the
Distinguished Club Program would become the
basis of recognition for Clubs, Areas, Divisions
and Districts, thus bringing much needed
alignment with the DCP.
The Board Briefing was immediately followed by
the Hall of Fame to honor the top performers of
2009-10. District 82 led the pack as the number
one district in the world. I was the proud
recipient of the President’s Distinguished Award,
President’s Extension Award and Excellence in
Leadership Award. DTM Nagaraj Rao received
the Excellence in Education and Training Award
and DTM M.Z. Saleem received the Excellence
in Marketing Award. It was a wonderful moment
as all of us from the District carrying the special
banner, specially created for the occasion, walked
up the podium to receive our awards from
President Gary Schmidt. continued on page 9
 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
Your voices!
Dear Toastmasters:

voice of 82 released the first issue on August 15, 2010. We received

feedback from far and wide. Reproduced below are some snippets. We
thank you for your support and look forward to improving each time.
Dear B
rilli
Editor Brillian an
tw
intende ork. Although
d, it is n pun is
words, o
but an t a mere play
honest o
Thank
you... respons f
r e.
t u la te you & you Malini H
r a e b
or, e to cong . bar
Dear Edit emost I would lik lett e r
for 2 News les that
First and ming with the D8 ers and read artic of
co
team for go through newsl
et t
d c o m bination
e n e r all y I h is n e w sletter h a
in fo rm ative. No Dear Brillian
G But t ting an d tch.
rest me. e, interes ll articles at a stre
This is a remarkable start. Please
only inte n o v a t iv
ugh a
at are in ead thro to eyes.
continue to improve.
articles th d e m e r p le a s in g e e p I think we need to get the
this ma very goo
d a nd f Rajd
erview o come a participation of our members in
wonder a s a ls o e a n in t
ut w clud be
The layo reat if you can in h at is required to future issues by having articles etc.
e g w
Would b a t w e c an learn Also link this with our website so
so th
& Aaron r .
n speake that we don’t need to send the
champio file, but the link could be
ork.
n u e y o u r good w distributed among the district
Conti g a r ds,
R e
Thanks & membership.
tarajan
R a j es h N a Best regards
Sudash Liyanage

Hi Brillian,
Fantastic debut issue! When is it going up on your website? I want to post that link on our D53
Yahoo Group. I love the design, the layout, and the mix of articles. My one suggestion is the add
a caption to photos, identifying, if possible, who is in them. Our district sometimes holds a
drawing with a prize to encourage members who are not regular contributors to write articles.
This gets us stories from the local level, and photos from them are great, too.
The article I wrote for you is one of my proudest moments as a Toastmaster. I read it over again,
and my dream of connecting clubs across borders is clearer to me now.
Cheers,
Marilyn
Toastmasters International Vision
Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve their full potential and realize their
dreams. Through our member clubs, people through out the world can improve their
communication and leadership skills, giving them the courage to change.

For Private Circulation 4 District 82 Publication


What you don’t find in manuals
Strategies to Improve Your Toastmaster Club
The strategies of Club Coaches can improve your
Toastmaster Club. Coaches are experienced
Toastmasters that rebuild low-membership clubs.
Rebuilding any business, organization or club is very
difficult. That is why the strategies used by coaches are
so valuable - if it works in the worst circumstances, it
will work in better circumstances too. This article
contains three proven strategies to improve your
Toastmaster Club.
Competition is a fact of our modern lives. Nature tells
us that if two species compete for the same
food, one group may cause the extinction
of the other group. Business tells us that
competition for the same customers may
cause unsuccessful companies to go
bankrupt. A niche is a place suitable for
an individual or group. Moreover, a niche
is a place of strength that provides the
individual or group an advantage.
Toastmaster Clubs may occupy a
geographical niche or they may distinguish
themselves with a unique approach. The
Totem Toastmasters #41 took a unique
approach by focusing on leadership development. To
distinguish themselves from other clubs, they developed
an eight-week leadership bootcamp. Participants
worked with mentors to learn leadership skills outside
the meeting, and presented their findings during the
meeting. Titles of their speeches included: 'Leaders that
Inspire: Case Studies', 'Leading in a Changing World' and
'Leadership vs. Management, What's the Difference."
This approach was very successful - the Totem
Toastmasters enjoyed a net gain of 15 members last year.
Value is a fair return on a purchase or investment. If
you buy a car, you want a lot of value for your
purchase. If you join aToastmasters Club, you want
some value as well. Many Toastmasters determine the
value of their investment by the quality of their
meetings. Quality meetings have numerous parts,
including but not limited to: a positive learning
environment, prepared participants, and constructive
evaluations. If your club improves the quality of the
meetings, it will increase value to potential and current
members. The South Street Toastmasters #5848
watched a 15 minute video from Toastmasters
Internationalthat taught essential fundamentals to each
member. The GrowthMasters #4801 used different
themed meetings to enhance their regular meetings.
Creative meetings included debates, ice-breaker
meetings and move-ahead meetings. The Excelsior
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Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
Toastmasters #3247 aspired to meeting excellence.
They viewed each meeting as a showcase
and encouraged members to fully prepare for every
role, except Table Topic responses, of course. Each of
these struggling clubs improved the quality of their
meetings and added value for each member.
Advertising is the best way to tell people that your club
exists. When I was searching for my current job, I didn't
have much success with the methods of my parent's
generation. Instead, I used the Internet. This 21st
century phenomenon offers low-cost,
highly effective ways to advertise. The
members of the Public Relations Society
of America described mastery of social
media as one of the most important skills
for public relations professionals. Social
media worked for the Deltones
Toastmasters #867. Like many
Toastmaster Clubs, they lacked a big
budget, however, they used freely
available technology such as LinkedIn,
FreeHostToast, Facebook, Google Earth,
Twitter and RSS Feeds to promote their
club. Their website serves as an outstanding model for
all of us... http://www.deltonestoastmasters.ca/
This article contained three universal strategies to
improve your club. Many other strategies exist. In fact,
you are only limited by your own imagination and the
time it takes to search for the ideas of others. To
simplify the process, I recommend two outstanding
resources. The Toastmasters International website...
http://www.toastmasters.org/ And, Club Coach
Weekly, a free electronic newsletter that contains stories
of successful club coaches...
http://www.dist8tm.org/clubcoach.html
John Murphy, DTM
John Murphy, Ph.D., DTM is a Toastmaster of
District 8. He is a co-founder of Club Coach Weekly
U.S.A. You can reach him at
john.murphy@dist8tm.org
District 82 has appointed the following
coaches during 2010-2011
Santanu Sanyal, CL - Synergy Toastmasters
Anjali Gupta, CC, CL - InterraIT Toastmasters
Poonam Jain, DTM - Symphony Toastmasters
Roshan Suhail, ACS, CL - Rhetoric Toastmasters
5 District 82 Publication
 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
How to WOW!
Steve Jobs, has transformed the corporate sales
pitch. Anyone who has watched a Jobs keynote
will tell you he is one of the most extraordinary
speakers in Corporate America. Jobs learned a
long time ago that a leader must be a company
evangelist and brand spokesperson.
Here are Jobs' five keys to a dazzling presentation.
Sell the Benefit
Steve Jobs does not sell bits of metal; he sells an
experience. Instead of focusing on mind-numbing
statistics, as most
technologists tend to do,
Jobs sells the benefit. For
example, when introducing
a 30 GB iPod, he clearly
explains what it means to
the consumer -- users can
carry 7,500 songs, 25,000
photos, or up to 75 hours
of video. When Jobs introduced the first Intel-
based Mac notebook he began by saying, "What
does this mean?" He went on to explain the
notebook had two processors, making the new
product four to five times faster than the
Powerbook G4, a "screamer" as he called it. He
said it was Apple's thinnest notebook and comes
packed with "amazing" new features like a brighter
wide-screen display and a built-in camera for
video conferencing. It's not about the technology,
but what the technology can do for you.
Practice, Practice, and Practice Some More
Jobs takes nothing for granted during product
launches. He reviews and rehearses his material.
According to a Business Week article on February
6, 2006, "Jobs unveils Apple's latest products as if
he were a particularly hip and plugged-in friend
showing off inventions in your living room. Truth
is, the sense of informality comes only after
grueling hours of practice." The article goes on to
say that it's not unusual for Jobs to prepare for
four hours as he reviews every slide and
demonstration.
For Private Circulation
Lessons from the Corporate.
Keep It Visual
Speaking of slides, there are very few bullet points
in a Jobs presentation. Each slide is highly visual.
If he's discussing the new chip inside a computer,
a slide in the background will show a colorful
image of the chip itself alongside the product.
That's it. Simple and visual.
Apple's presentations are not created on
PowerPoint, as the vast majority of presentations
are. But PowerPoint slides can be made visual as
well. It's a matter of thinking about the content
visually instead of falling into the habit of creating
slide after slide with headlines and bullet points.
Take a cue from Jobs and help your listeners
visualize the message.
Exude Passion, Energy, and Enthusiasm
Jobs has an infectious enthusiasm. When
launching the video iPod, Jobs said, "It's the best
music player we've made," "It has a gorgeous
screen," "The color is fantastic," and "The video
quality is amazing." Jobs carries his enthusiasm
into his presentations. There is no better example
of Jobs' passion than the famous story of how he
convinced John Sculley to lead Apple in the mid
'80s by asking him, "Do you want to sell sugared
water all your life or do you want to change the
world?" The former Pepsi executive chose the
latter, it reflects Jobs' sense of mission -- a mission
that he conveyed consistently in the early years
of Apple and continues to today.
"And One More Thing..."
At the end of each presentation
Jobs adds to the drama by saying,
"and one more thing." He then
adds a new product, new feature,
or sometimes introduces a band.
He approaches each presentation
as an event, a production with a
strong opening, product
demonstrations in the middle, a
strong conclusion, and an encore -- that "one
more thing!"
Article courtesy: Carmine Gallo, Business Week April ‘06
6 District 82 Publication
 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
District Events Calendar
Block your dates
Sun Oct 03, 2010 Congratulations!
Div G Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests President's 20+ Award,
Div I Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests
President's Extension Award &
Sat Oct 9, 2010 Excellence in Leadership Award
Div M - Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests Deepak Menon, DTM

Sun Oct 10, 2010 Excellence in Education and Training Award

Div D - Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests Nagaraja Rao, DTM
Sat Oct 16, 2010
Excellence in Marketing Award
Div F - Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests
M Z Saleem, DTM
Sun Oct 17, 2010
Div F - Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests
Div K - Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests
Nirmala Lilly
Fri Oct 22, 2010 Kerala Toastmasters
Div A, H & J Mid Year Conference - Day 1
Punita G. Singh
Sat Oct 23, 2010
Toastmasters Club of New Delhi
Div A, H & J Mid Year Conference - Day 2

Sun Oct 24, 2010 Rama Gautam

Div A, H & J Mid Year Conference - Day 3 Genesis Toastmasters, Pune
Div C Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests

Sat Oct 30, 2010

Div E + Div L Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests

Sun Oct 31, 2010

Div E + Div L Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests
Div N Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests

Fri - Sun Nov 26 - 28, 2010 online calendar

Reverberations 2010 @ MUMBAI
Add the following link to your
Google calendar
http://www.google.com/calendar/ica
l/admn.82%40gmail.com/public/basi
c.ics

Members are requested to cross check with the respective

Division Governors / Area Governors for event details

For Private Circulation 7 District 82 Publication

 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
Are you “Listening”?
“Listening”?
Public speaking comprises of not just speaking but listening as well.
voice of 82 shares with you an interesting take on listening.

The Importance of Listening in Public Speaking

While a person’s ability to speak well on his feet matters a lot in the
art of public speaking, the secret to a great speech may lie in his ability
to listen.

Here are a few ways how listening can help us deliver a more
effective speech:

1. Listening tells us if we are being understood

We may be well into our speech and nearing our conclusion, but how sure are we that the audience has
understood what we have said? It is possible to tell that based on the look on their faces, but the sure way
to do know if we have been understood is to listen to the audience's question. These will tell you in what
areas you have to expand further. If the questions concern things that were already addressed in your speech,
then you know that the person asking the question has not been very attentive.

2. Listening is the opposite of being rude

When a speaker doesn't listen very well, he tends to be curt with his audience. This is evident in the way he
finishes the sentences or the questions of other people. This is also demonstrated in the way a speaker
sometimes answers questions with questions as he attempts to conceal his lack of a better answer.

3. Listening tells us what our audience thinks about our speech

Oftentimes, the best way a speaker can gauge the reaction of his audience to his speech is through their
questions. Complicated questions mean that your audience has understood your speech and are seeking to
go deeper. Simple questions may mean that your speech has over-shot the audience's level of understanding
at some point in your speech. The tone of the questions will also tell you much about what the audience
thinks of your speech. Are they positive in tone, seeking only further explanation of your key points. Or are
the questions pointed and negative?

4. Listening tells us of our audience's biases

Most audiences have their own set of biases, especially if they are part of a group that shares similar interests.
And sometimes, to put our point across, a speaker has to address these biases and he must always do it
delicately. The questions of the audience will tell the speaker where he stands.

5. Listening keeps us focused

Perhaps the single most important thing about listening is that it keeps us focused on the audience and
concentrated on how we as speakers can help the audience to better understand our speech. It is the surest
way to truly engage the audience and make them deeply involved in the message of our speech. It lets us
know where they stand as opposed to where we want to bring them. Listening gives us a roadmap through
which we can guide the audience to better understand the points we are trying to make. The alternative to
listening is to let our minds wander and to let other matters unrelated to the questions or to the speech linger
in our thought. Not only is that short-changing the audience, it is also being rude.

Article Courtesy: How to speak in public? http://www.htsip.com/

For Private Circulation 8 District 82 Publication

 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
View from the top!
continued from 3 candidates for the post of the Second Vice-President.
Later that afternoon were the semi-finals of the After a fierce battle, DTM George Yen from Taiwan
World Championship of Public Speaking. Eighty- emerged as the victor for the post of Second Vice-
one District Champions competed in nine semi- President. The other top officers on the Board who
final contests vying for nine positions in the World were elected uncontested are International President
Championship which was to be held two days DTM Pat Johnson, International President-Elect DTM
later. Three semi-finals were held in parallel and I Michael Notaro and First Vice-President DTM John
had the opportunity of witnessing twenty seven Lau. International Director DTM Keith Ostergard
of the world’s best speakers in action in a span of now serves as the Region 13 Director.
five hours! Our District Champion, Aaron Watson,
was placed third in his semi-final contest which was That afternoon, at the Region 13 gathering, District
won by Lisa Panarello. 82 Governor DTM Nagaraja Rao announced the
candidature of Past District 82 Governor DTM A.
Thursday night was the farewell night for all our Balraj for the post of International Director from
DNAR friends who had become a family in the last Region 13 to seek election in August 2011. Such is the
few years. This was the high esteem that Balraj is held in
last time we were that none of the other districts
meeting as a group and decided to field a contestant!
there was nostalgia in
the air. International The World Championship of
Director Poh Kim Siong Public Speaking was the high
was bid farewell by point of the day where nine of
many speeches in his the world’s best speakers
praise and by a fantastic contested for the 2010 crown.
roast by our LGET DTM There was very little to pick and
Punita Singh! choose between the speakers
but the judges announced the
Friday, 13 August Deepak outside TI WHQ winner to be David Henderson
7.30am, was the time who, dressed as an aviator,
for the candidate showcase. Many a candidate spoke fifth with the speech title, ‘The Aviators’. The
made lasting impressions during the showcase second place went to Robert Mackenzie (speech title
assuring them votes in their favor during the ‘My Alter Ego) and the third place went to Linus
business meeting. This was also the day of Chang (speech title, ‘Being Jane’).
education sessions in communication and
leadership which were conducted by some of the The curtains came down that night at the President’s
finest talent of Toastmasters from all over the Dinner Dance. President Pat Johnson was installed
world. Our past world champions also chipped in as President as were the other elected Officers and
with some scintillating sessions. The Golden Gavel Directors and President Gary Schmidt stepped down
Dinner that night had us at a vantage table as the after an eventful term. All the delegates let their hair
number one district in the world, facing the stage down on the dance floor to some foot-tapping,
where performed the Golden Gavel recipient ear-blasting music! Pat Johnson could be seen on the
Carolyn Kepcher, author and television celebrity. dance-floor till the wee hours!

The last day of the convention, Saturday, 14
August, saw me at 7.00am at the Annual Business
Meeting, a special event that would decide the fate
of 16 members seeking election to the Board either
as International Directors or Officers. For the first
time six of the seven International Director
positions were contested and there were four
Many a promise was made to meet once again at the
80th Annual Convention from August 17 – 20, 2011
in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Deepak Menon, DTM
Deepak Menon, DTM is IPDG of District 82

For Private Circulation 9 District 82 Publication

 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
Time out: Go Green!
The Sapling Project!
When the world is screaming out loud “GO GREEN!”, voice of 82 is happy
to share an innovative project that is the brain child of two corporate
executives – Satish Vijaykumar and Ranjeet Walunj.
They began a movement that has seen exponential growth across the country.
The Sapling Project supports the Go Green Movement and organises drives
to distribute saplings to people free of cost, thus encouraging them to plant them.
The first drive was on the 19th of December, 2009 at Shivaji Park in Mumbai and the
second one on the 26th of January, 2010 all over Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore. The recent drive
was on the 6th of June, 2010 across the country. TSP had the 3rd drive of the sapling project in 6
cities in India, where they distributed over 4000 saplings, they have distributed over 6500 saplings
in total so far. The saplings distributed are Neem, Ashoka, Teak, Badami etc.
TSP is a huge success, and the project has over 500 volunteers today.
Mission
To plant and share saplings with one and all. They have conducted drives in cities other than Mumbai,
Bangalore and Chennai, such as Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad and Kolkata.

While most tree plantation drives are done in parks or forest areas, the founders of TSP believe it’s
the colonies and buildings that need more trees and also one can monitor the health and progress of
the planted sapling.
Why The sapling project?
We can ask people to save trees and in turn, save the environment, but most of the efforts would go
futile. So, rather than changing the world, TSP believes in bringing about a change ourselves by planting
saplings and distributing them.
“Breathe easy, plant a sapling!”

If you wish to volunteer you may get in touch with TSP

Website : http://thesaplingproject.com
Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/thesaplingproject/
Twitter : @saplingproject
Facebook Group : http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=190098221995

Article Courtesy: Satish Vijaykumar, founder The Sapling Project.

For Private Circulation 10 District 82 Publication

 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
World Championship of Public Speaking
During 2009 WCPS held at Connecticut while meant for me. Later at 02:00 p. m we had the dress
participating in the semi finals I had rehearsal and audio testing. My contest was scheduled
the privilege to be grouped with at 05:00 p.m
Mark Hunter who went on to be
And then started the excitement, to my surprise ours
the No 1 speaker in the world. I
was held where the finals was conducted. Six of the
could not reach the top three in
speakers were from American states, one from
the semi finals. Everyone
Canada, one from China and last was myself. The
congratulated me saying “a great speech” and “it was
audience was on their feet while the first speaker gave
a speech of your life”. I accepted with a smile but
a fantastic speech. As the other speakers continued I
deep within me I was introspecting how I could make
was stunned by their delivery, style and passion.
a difference in the midst of an International audience.
Every contestant had worked hard for this day. They
The following day I witnessed the WCPS finals and I
were literally giving their life on the stage - anything
was excited and thrilled to hear the speeches. What
to enter the finals!!
touched me the most was Mark Hunters – “A sink full
of Tomatoes”? I realized his purpose for contesting Many used props, to share an example there was one
was to fight against injustice meted out to the contestant Kwong Yue Yang from China, he amazed
disabled. It’s this that made him stand on world stage the audience with his stage management, he
of public speaking year after year. performed a break dance, a flip that was an instant hit
with the audience, and he was followed by Hayward
I came back to India pondering the life of Mark
Suggs this tall man with a deep voice rattled the
Hunter. I was excited to know that when this world
audience. As the eightth contestant I was excited
champion learnt his greatest lessons of life from a sink
watching the speeches, there was another interesting
in a kitchen. This made me reflect within - thus was
speaker Kylie Bryant a young man who was physically
born “Gutter Effect”
challenged who came on a wheel chair yet stood up
Initially the title itself was a bit absurd to my and spoke with great difficulty - he got a standing
toastmaster friends. However I stuck to the title. So it ovation.
was back to square one, contests began from the club
Well I was called on to stage, after making a long
level that was not easy, the speakers were of very high
pause I began to speak. To my surprise I didn't get the
caliber. Finally the results favored me. The key person
desired response. The first two minutes was good but
whom I relied on was my mentor Mr. Nagaraja Rao
did not materialize to take the audience to the next
he was constantly motivating and guiding me. I also
level. I began to make longer pauses pondering my
needed International exposure that I got through Dr.
strategy.
Dilip Abayasekhara. Thus this was a close knit team
which I called “Operation Gutter Effect” It's only when I had a situation where I had to take
the ball out of the gutter and I screamed "I got it"
Interestingly, Dr. Dilip instead of evaluating my speech
evoked the first laughter from the audience. That was
always embraced my speech. It's only then I realized
enough for me to get into the groove. Probably the
the value of professional coaching and realized we are
audience who had been listening to 3 contests was
from away from these standards. We had around 6-8
keen on some excitement and they looked drained. It
sessions of one hour each over Skype. He encouraged
was this movement that energized. I felt it's a do or
me when he said retain cricket as an identity and not
die situation. I spoke with passion and made the best
base ball so that we maintain the authenticity of the
use of the stage. Words began to flow like never
speech. During this period my confidence level grew
before, the audience were now responding to my
higher and higher. The sessions had become more of
every move in fact I was happiest when I thundered
fun and excitement as I started discovering myself.
to the audience " Do you want to know what he is
I reached California two days earlier. And unlike last
doing today" I heard a loud " YES", I did not get that
time I began to introduce to many delegates. Dr. Dilip
kind of response in my other contests. I knew I had
also made it a point to introduce me to a number of
left a mark, It's only in this contest I could feel my
Toastmasters.
own voice, I could experience my own emotions
The D - Day arrived. Early that morning 81 contestants probably because of the intensity of the contest, I did
assembled for judges briefing. It was a fun filled whatever skills I had learnt in TMs. Throughout the
atmosphere. It was great to see pervious winners and speech I was looking at TM friends from District 82
finalists contesting this time. We shook hands with seated with rapt attention.
each other. I was speaker No.8. I never knew what it continued on page 12

For Private Circulation 11 District 82 Publication

 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
World Championship of Public Speaking
continued from page 11

The applause was gratifying. I walked out and drank an entire bottle of water. I knew Gutter Effect had met its
best forum. What might be the outcome did not bother me but I knew when people across the globe watch the
videos they will view it a number of times. I did a little bit of what a speaker could do - spread the message of
love and compassion.
The results were announced and there was some confusion I was called and then had to come back. When I was
given the trophy there was a huge applause, I did not know my ranking
because of the confusion but I just voice of 82 kept smiling throughout. With the
audience around us capturing our
your country speak such good English"
congratulates -photos some one asked me "Do people in
I shot back - "They speak more that 5
languages like this". I had overpowered myself that day. The wall
may not have been demolished, yet Aaron Watson one can see the deep crack created and
knew one day it would fall too!
Key Learnings
1. Stick to your original idea.
2. Don't be contest driven, be message driven
3. Have the patience to listen to feedback from anyone.
4. Be flexible - you may get some hints just a few hours before the contest.
5. Don't change the content to please an audience such that it hampers your message
6. Enjoy participating, last year I came back empty handed, this year with a trophy, the greatest lesson I ever
learnt was when I came back empty handed.
7. Be ready to make sacrifices, it not an easy journey your work, family, social life gets impacted but then its
all for the better.
8. The journey might make you lonely be selective of the advisors you choose it should be a part of your
strategy.
9. Visit clubs to get feedback.
10. Your attitude is the greatest gift to the Toastmasters Movement.

Aaron Watson, was Second Runner up at the Semi Finals of the International Speech Contest 2010.

Are you a member of the Linkedin District 82

groups?
Aaron Watson has 89+ connections
Nagaraja Rao has 150+ connections
John Bosco Abraham has 162+ connections
Nina John has 280+ connections
Deepak Menon has 413+ connections
Ajit Dembla, Brillian S. K, Mubeen N, have 500+
connections
We have 575+ members and counting...
What about you?
Join today and enjoy learning's from Toastmasters
across India and SriLanka
Network, meet like-minded people - maybe book
a speaking slot :)

For more details you may logon to

www.Linkedin.com and register.

For Private Circulation 12 District 82 Publication

 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
Communication Guidelines
District 82 approves of using Google, as open-source technology to achieve its internal communication needs.

Use the group of your choice (shown below) to send emails to selected groups of people.

District Executive Committee

The District Executive Committee ensures that the district and its officers are working
toward the achievement of the district mission. The committee's voting members are
the district governor, lt. governor education and training, lt. governor marketing,
immediate past district governor, secretary, treasurer, public relations officer, division
governors and area governors.
All District Officers, Special Committee Chairs and officers in good standing, so
nominated by the DG shall be members of the d82excom group
(d82excom@googlegroups.com)

District Council
The District Council is the district's governing body, subject to the general supervision of
the Board of Directors. It conducts the entire district's business; however, it cannot impose
any financial obligations on clubs. The councils voting members are the District Executive
Committee, the club president, and vice president education of each club.
The District Officers and Council Groups membership shall be updated by district Google
group administrator upon change of member officers in respective roles at club / area /
division and/or district level.
All council members of District 82, shall be members of the d82council group
(d82council@googlegroups.com)

All Members of District 82

All members of District 82 in good standing, shall be members of the
82<x>members group. Where 'X' symbolizes the respective divisions -
(82xmembers@googlegroups.com - where X ~ A...N)

LinkedIN
To promote free exchange of ideas, District 82 recommends members to join
www.LinkedIN.com, a social and business networking site. Members can join District
82 Toastmasters Group to exchange their thoughts and ideas with fellow D82
toastmasters. This group may also contain non-toastmasters to encourage growth of
the movement in our region. However, all official communication will be done only
through the above mentioned Google groups.

If you need any assistance please get in touch with Ajit Dembla, District Secretary.

For Private Circulation 13 District 82 Publication

 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
Updates from Toastmasters International
Web Site Improvements on the Way
December 16 - January 3, 2011, system upgrade begins in December

Toastmasters International will upgrade its Web site over the holiday season. This action will result in a
number of benefits for members, including improved online content and a greater ability to track education
awards.

To accommodate this upgrade, the Toastmasters’ online store will be inactive from 11:59 p.m., Pacific
Standard Time, Dec. 15, 2010, until 5 a.m., PST, Jan. 3, 2011. The same will be true for the club and district
business sections. In addition, members will not be able to update the “My Profile” section during this time.

Because members won’t have access to the Club Officer list during this period, we are extending the deadline
for Club Officer submissions to Jan. 14, 2011.

Annual Inventory Takes Place

World Headquarters is conducting physical inventory from Dec. 16, 2010, through Jan. 2, 2011. During that
time, the following transactions cannot be processed:
Supply orders
New member kits
Charter kits
Education award certificates (including free advanced manuals)

Orders received by 11:59 p.m., PST, Dec. 15, 2010, will be processed and shipped. Orders received after that
date will be held and processed after Jan. 2, 2011.

If you are unable to submit your transaction before Dec. 16, submitting your information online – starting at
5 a.m., PST, Jan. 3, 2011 – will be the fastest way to receive your materials.

We appreciate your patience during this process and are eager to bring improvements to your membership
experience.

http://www.toastmasters.org/Members/News/Announcements/ImportantNotice.aspx

Nagraj and Balraj with WCPS - 2010 David Henderson

For Private Circulation 14 District 82 Publication
 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
Treasured Moments

Deepak leading the flag march Punita with the Indian Tricolour

Top three District Governors

Saleem with Srilankan flag

Big five of District 82

For Private Circulation 15 District 82 Publication
 82
Official Newsletter of
Toastmasters International District 82
Treasured Moments
Balraj and Nagraj with Punita

Deepak and Pat Johnson

Aaron with Nagaraj Convention Venue

Jubilant Members of District 82 - Celebrating on stage!

For Private Circulation 16 District 82 Publication
voice of 82, is the official newsletter of
Toastmasters International, District 82.
District 82 comprises clubs in
India and Sri Lanka.

Published by District Governor

Nagaraja Rao, DTM

Editor
Brillian S. K, ACB, ALB

reach us at voiceofd82@gmail.com