Newsletter Edition-2 : June 2012

Editorial 2

Message from the President

3

Prepared Speeches Section

4

Table Topics Section 10

Humor Zone 11

Evaluation Section 12

Inside this issue:

Medley Toastmasters Club

presents

Theme:

Message from the Editors...

Dear Fellow & Future Toastmasters

SUMMER is ruling the roost, chasing everybody into hiding making people sweat, puff, and pant. On the contrary, summer also brings in the air of brightness, liveliness, and cheerfulness. Summer therefore is synony-

mous with hyperactivity, joy, spirit and gaiety.

Summer brings in brighter days and therefore clearer nights. It is that time of the year when stars in the sky

shimmer and sparkle best! Isnt summer then, the apt time to wake up from deep slumber, list down our most

important goals in life, and get the ball rolling?

Reach for the Stars is the theme of this second edition of Lets Speak! - Medleys Newsletter. We all have

unique gifts and talents. To bring out this uniqueness in us, we must set higher goals, have greater aspirations,

and work towards them to the best of our abilities. With the new term beginning in July 2012 for all Toastmas-

ters, what this means to all of us in Medley Toastmaster Club is that, we must introspect on the year that went

by, celebrate the successes, learn the lessons it offered and use these lessons to set the bar even higher in the

new term, reaching out for the stars aiming higher and higher!

So, lets all take a pledge in this endeavour and move on to read what our fellow toastmasters have said in this

edition of Lets Speak about how to Reach for the Stars! The SUN, being the brightest and the only closest

star in the sky, will guide you through this newsletter. Happy Reading!!

- TM Pavithra & TM Arunkumar

Page 2 News let te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

Hi! Welcome to the Second Edition

of Lets Speak! Im TM Sunny, and

its my pleasure to take you through

the proceedings of this newsletter.

We will now begin with our Editors,

TM Pavithra & TM Arun...

Over to the Presiding Officer.

To reach for the stars- is a Herculean task indeed. One requisite qualification is to show consistent progress to achieve this arduous end. TM Pavithra is a shining example in whom I have observed phenomenal progress since I donned the mantle of a Medleyan. Once a lame horse, she has turned

into a race horse now. There is consistent flow and dynamism in her speech craft. She volunteers to shoulder responsibilities, and the current issue of Lets Speak is the product of her sweated labour, with combined

efforts from TM Arun Kumar. Pavithra & Arun! Please acknowledge our accolades. Diamond hard determination and stony will power are essential ingredients to reach for the stars. History is replete with illustrious heroes who have performed amazing feats to reach for the stars. Julius Caesar, the great Roman warriors conquest of England is a classic example illustrating this point. Julius Caesar, with his soldiers landed in England to conquer that nation. England was then an island nation of marshy land. Unfortunately, Caesars soldiers were sullen, homesick and were adamantly refusing to fight. They expressed a desire to go back home rather than to wage a war. Caesar, an outstanding leader rose to the occasion brilliantly. He ordered all the ferries to be totally destroyed with the aid with which they all crossed the waters. Then, in a thunderous voice he addressed the soldiers - Now none of you can dream of reaching home. Unless you conquer this land, you will perish of hunger and thirst. Conquer this land, rebuild the ferries and you can reach home triumphantly with trophies of victory. It was now Hobsons choice for the soldiers to conquer the island. They ultimately did conquer England. This is also an illustration of aggressive motivation. So, Medleyans let us develop self-confidence, imbibe a spirit of courage and acquire exceptional leadership

skills by being committed Toastmasters so that stars are within our reach!

Page 3 News let te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

Message from our President - TM T R Thiagarajan

Over to TM Sunny.

I declare OPEN the Second

Edition of Lets Speak!

Between You... and Me

Diamond hard

determination and stony

will power are essential

ingredients to reach for

the stars.

Giving our complete attention and concentration to one particular thing is called focus. By focusing we can get the best results. For example, if we focus

the Binocular perfectly, we can see the object very clearly. Also, if we focus the

camera correctly, we can get clear photos. The following examples will prove the

power of focus.

Normally, the suns rays do not burn a

piece of paper. But, if we focus the suns rays through a magnifying glass,

the paper gets burnt. This is the power of focus!

In Mahabharata, Guru Dhronacharia wanted to test his students in their

skill of archery. He asked the students to aim, one by one, at a bird

sitting on a branch of a tree at some distance. The students aimed but

could not see the bird. One student said he could only see a tree. Another student said he could see a

branch of a tree. Finally Arjunas turn came and when he aimed, he said he could see two eyes of a bird

very clearly and he aimed in between them. This is the power of focus.

Many times, when we are doing one thing, our mind is preoccupied with dozen other things. We are distracted

by our own thoughts, concerns and worries. Instead, when we stay focused, our mind will not drift; we will

have a strong awareness (focus) of what is going on, and will be completely absorbed in the moment, truly

listening to what is being said. The people we are with, can then sense that we are completely there with them,

both physically and mentally. They feel relaxed, secure, and important, as we will be considered trustworthy.

So, by focusing we can reach for the stars. Also, we can ourselves become stars!

Page 4 News let te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

Welcome back! Lets now

quickly leap into the Prepared

Speeches section...

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream

precedes the goal - Pamela Vaull Starr

Prepared Speeches Section

Focus - By TM Varadarajan R, Secretary

Many times, when we are

doing one thing our mind is

preoccupied with dozen

other things. Instead, when

we are focused, our mind

does not drift.

Hat trick! Its not in IPL. Its my third straight win as the best project speaker at Medley Toastmasters Club.

My journey as a Toastmaster started on 24th March 2012, a day to be

remembered forever and from there on my journey has been tremendous. I

had always shied away from public speaking and had hardly appeared on the

dais during my school and college days. But after just four CC projects, the

podium has become a place where I intend to spend the rest of my life giving

the most possible speeches.

When I gave my Ice Breaker, the first two minutes were dreadful as I stood on

the podium trembling as usual. However, very soon I managed to hide my

shivers and successfully completed my debut. But the moment my fellow

Toastmasters complimented me for a courageous ice breaker, I felt that this

was not enough; I still have a long way to go and have a lot to achieve for sure.

Club meetings also provided me chances to take up responsibilities of role playing and provide me a platform

to showcase my leadership qualities. Those bountiful compliments and appraisals at the club are always power

packed confidence boosters for any Toastmaster.

Socializing is an important aspect of the meeting where you meet people from different fields and horizons and

befriend them, which eventually makes you feel at home. At last, I have stepped out of my comfort zone and

have donned the mantle of a Toastmaster aiming for something higher and bigger in my life. Oh wait! its not

just a hat trick; I am awaiting my fourth straight win in my forthcoming CC 5!

Page 5 News let te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

Hat Trick - By TM Thilak Raj

Jump into the middle of things, get your hands dirty, fall flat on your

face, and then reach for the stars. - Ben Stein

After just four CC projects,

the podium has become a

place where I intend to

spend the rest of my life

giving the most possible

speeches.

Striving for perfection is an ongoing process. Similarly, falling short of perfection is a process that just never stops.

After three hours of preparing and revising my content, two hours of

thorough rehearsal, one sleepless night, I was finally ready to give my first ever

presentation in the corporate world. I was nervous, yes, but I am a

Toastmaster surely, I can stand on my feet and talk. This is just another

prepared speech, I kept telling myself. And so, I walked into the hall filled

with Department Heads, VPs and all others who had the power to promote

me from being an intern to a permanent employee of the company. I started

my presentation and out of nowhere the toastmaster in me erupted and I

delivered my presentation well enough to enthuse every person sitting in the

hall. At the end of my presentation everyone

congratulated me on the wonderful job I had done and I was feeling elated.

But the person who had guided me throughout my internship tenure, and had

helped me prepare my presentation my trainer, wasnt too excited. I was so

surprised. When everyone else was so proud and happy for me, why was he

feeling so bad? I went and asked him. And to this day, I remember his exact words. It was good. It

wasnt your best. I know you can do a lot better. The words are simple enough, but made me think about it

for a long time. What is my best? In every little action we do, we strive to give our best, but do we? Just

because we can get a work done doesnt mean its our best.

Why do we all come to Toastmasters? To bring to out the best speakers and leaders within us. But not one of

us can point out one speech where we were totally flawless and gave our best. If we did, our evaluators would

have no suggestions for improvement. So, communication and leadership are learning PROCESSES. There is

no end to the quest to bring out your best; there is no end towards our goal for perfection.

But what happens when we attain the much coveted perfection? Well, the truth is, nothing is perfect. There are

lumps in it. No matter how hard we try to bring out the best in us, there is always something that is better than

the best. And that is what keeps our life going.

If all of us realized our innate potential, what else would we have in life? We might never go beyond the stars,

but there is nothing stopping us from reaching out for it!!

Page 6 Newsle tte r Edi t ion-2 : June 2012

To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don't

worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest - Anonymous

Pushing Your Best - By TM Niranjana

Communication and

leadership are learning

PROCESSES. There is no

end to the quest of bringing

out your best.

Twinkle -Twinkle little stars

I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high

Like a diamond in the Sky!

The rhyme which I learnt in the Kindergarten has always been one of my favourite ones, not because I understood the exact meaning of the poem but the word STAR always astonished me. I used to wonder what a Twinkling star looks like and how beautiful the world of stars would be. If I touched it, would it continue to sparkle the same way? I was always amazed by the world of these glittering diamonds...this is what the word Star meant to me. As I grew up, the world of Stars had become scientific - a fusion of an atom

of Hydrogen and Helium....blah blah blah... this definition was certainly the most uninteresting of all as it had nothing to do with my world of imagination in which stars were considered as decorative stuff for my Doll house! Disheartened, as I felt someone had ruined my dream house...but still had a belief that stars are like Diamonds which makes you shine and enhances your charisma. However the definition of Stars had been entirely changed as the level of understanding started increasing - to reach for the stars is not an easy task. To match with the shine and grace of a star one needs to have a strong persona and charisma. It is not as easy to be a Pole Star, the brightest of all. Attaining that charisma requires lot of effort, hard work and sheer determination!

Everyone wants to do something great and become a star, and the stardom is not all about how successful, rich and influential you are. To achieve success is not difficult for the ones who are focused and does not get perturbed by trials and learning experiences of life. Each and every one of us are unique and have been bestowed with special abilities, and those who have a positive attitude and approach keep going, make difference in their and others lives and keep shining.

To be at the peak is not what matters. What matters is how one keeps his persona and charisma sparkling and alive. Sky is the limit for an individual who aims for stars by lighting other's lives, by giving back his/her ray of light in the form of motivation and inspiration. Shoot for the stars but keep your feet on the ground is an appropriate concluding remark from me!

Reach for the Stars and Keep Shining!!

Page 7 News let te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

Twinkling Stars- By TM Vidhi Sharma

God's promises are like the stars; the darker the night the brighter they

shine - David Nicholas

To match with the shine and

grace of a star, one needs to have

a strong persona and charisma.

Attaining that charisma requires

lot of effort, hard work and sheer

determination!

You may sometimes wonder if there is hardly a line between humour and cynicism. Sometimes humour shows such cruelty, that it makes you wonder,

whether the person is funny or downright cynical.

My friend Lakshman stands out as a shining example - Here is this guy, who

hardly smiles, except when he utters those sarcastic lines.

At a senior colleague, Ganesan's daughter's wedding, I saw an excited Lakshman,

full of smiles (his kind of smiles) and telling all our guys - Nice Groom Boss!

Looks like it must have been the girl's choice; Ganesan's choice has never been

good!. How do you say that? someone queried. Well said Lakshmanan,

don't we all know that Ganesan's marriage was a love marriage? Even before we

were horrified by this uncharitable remark,

Lakshman coolly continued, However, they are a perfect Match!

Another occasion, when our Company had arranged for a drawing

competition to the kids of all employees. On the contest day, the children were all over the place,

bending down over their charts, over the floor. We were going around to help them, when there was an excited

cry from Lakshman from the corner of the hall. He called out to a few of us and declared, this little girl is

going to walk away with the prize". How? we all asked, and Lakshman said, this girl is cleverly drawing the

Club President's Portrait, very perfectly!!!. He said, our Factory Chief (who was the club president), would be

very happy and simply hand over the prize. All of us rushed to see the girl drawing the bust of a massive

gorilla covering an entire A3 paper. Even before we were scandalized, Lakshman said, but, does he not look

more sophisticated on the drawing?

The last is an incident where all the employees had gone on a tour of North India. One of our friends had

brought his elderly dad along, who was in his late 70's. We had finished a temple visit and were returning to our

rooms to rest. The place was a hilly terrain and we had to walk up an incline to our rest house. As we were

walking up, our friend's father slipped and fell, facing forward. However, he instinctively put his hands out on

his face as he fell and saved himself from greater damage. In the process, of course, his elbows and hands were

bruised. We rushed to the man's aid and helped him on to his feet. Lakshman (who is normally indifferent)

strangely rushed to the spot and made anxious enquiries with the elder, Uncle, are you ok? Nothing Serious?.

To this, the gentleman said, no Son, I'm fine, luckily, my face was saved by my hands. Lakshman

immediately turned to us and in a low tone (we could hear clearly) said, but we lost a chance to see a better

face!

Now, can you beat that!!

Page 8 News let te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

Ideals are like stars: you will not succeed in touching them with your

hands, but like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them

as your guides, and follow them to reach your destiny - Carl Schurz

When Humour Gets Twisted - By TM Rajaram, VP-Education

But does he not look more

sophisticated on the drawing??

Till a month ago the only butterfly effect I knew was the feeling a young chap like me" ;) gets in his stomach when a gorgeous girl passes by, and to add to all

the worries if she smiles at the guy. Though that smile is most probably an

invitation to disaster, I am not going to discuss that here.

I am going to talk about an even serious matter called "The Butterfly Effect",

which is a very important concept in science and particularly in Chaos theory. It

would probably make me look insane if I tell you that every moment the actions

you make are responsible for some bigger event which is going to happen in the

future!!

Yes this is called The Butterfly Effect.

Any action you take, no matter how seemingly insignificant it is , sets in

motion a series of reactions from others, who in turn influence those near

them and carry that forward to the people in their vicinity, like ripples in a

pond.

In simple terms, the theory is that, all the forces are in place for a hurricane to form, and all that is needed is

one tiny movement of the air, which is supplied by the wings of the butterfly. A butterfly flaps its wings and

sets air molecules in motion that in turn moves other air moleculeswhich then moves additional air molecules,

eventually influencing weather patterns on the other side of the planet!

Why am I telling all this to you? It is because even the smallest of actions that you do every single day can have far-reaching effects, beyond your wildest imagination! A small word misspoken by the RBI Governor or the chief of the Federal Reserve can make huge fluctuations in the stock market. A small change in a virus in monkeys in Africa created a Thunderstorm of an effect on the human population around the world with the appearance of the AIDS virus. Thus, the decisions we make today will change our future. By making small changes in our actions, body, mind, and relationships we can change the dynamics of our life.

Therefore, lets make every act, every moment, and every move with responsibility, forethought, and good

intentions so that the future we are going to live in will have a tremendous positive impact. Lets start with

simple acts in our daily lives by not littering public places if the trash bin is not within reach; by not jumping

the traffic signal when it still shows RED, etc. Though no one will be watching you every time, be aware that

you are setting in motion the system which can eventually have its own impact. Always remember the butterfly

wings!

Your life. And what you do with it today MATTERS FOREVER. Andrew Andrews (Author of the

book The Butterfly Effect).

So, do not wait; Start flapping your wings :-)

Page 9 News let te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

It is the stars, The stars above us, govern our conditions.

The Butterfly Effect - By TM Sudharshan

By making small changes in

our actions, body, mind, and

relationships, we can change the

dynamics of our life.

Anyone who wants to be a star, and works towards achieving that goal is a star...it's what we think of ourselves!!

- TM Sai Prashanthi

Anything or anyone that shines is Im trying really hard to be funny here.. but with no luck! Simply put, he who seizes the moment and makes the most out of it.. is the STAR. Much like TM Arun Kumar & Pavithra - kudos

to their effort in organizing this newsletter. Once it is out, everyone in Medley will know them for their initiatives.

Now, isnt that an opportunity seized?? Being a star it is. Shining stars they are!!

- TM Muralikrishnan C

Amitabh Bachchan! In my view the star is Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. The qualities which makes him a star are many, but I would like to maintain only his oral

communication here as we are all from Toastmasters club wanting to improve our

communication skills. Whatever language he speaks, it goes directly to the heart of

the listener and the audience. He communicates very clearly with right pace, pitch,

volume, right words/ vocabulary. He is a role model for all Toastmasters!

- TM Govind Negi

A star should shine and give out light. But a STAR is one who is in the limelight for Good Reasons. Otherwise many people could be stars for all the wrong

media attention they get.

- TM Sunil Jose

STAR 1: He loses all his wealth, he has only one rupee left with him. He goes through tough times, but is confident in his abilities to get back his wealth and finally achieves his goals.

STAR 2: He stands on a train fighting villains. He prays for help and points at the train. The train starts moving

suddenly.

Although such scenes appear ridiculous, they inspire the masses to believe in their abilities and seek help when

required. So the reel stars are also the Real Stars!

- TM Sailesh R

Page 10 News let te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

Who/What according to you is a STAR and why?

Its now time to get impromptu!

Moving on to Table Topics

section...

Table Topics Section

My Mother is my STAR!! Look up in the sky and you will see lots of Stars, but when you look around you find yourself surrounded by beautiful people like my mother who always dazzles my path with her guidance, affection and

unconditional support."When it is darkest man sees the stars"..and when I find myself in confusion, anguish and pain

I always see an image of my mother holding a clay-lamp in her hand assuring that there is always a light at the end of

a tunnel, thus shunning away all the darkness!!

- TM Vidhi Sharma

The STAR according to me is DTM Aditya Maheswaran, because he is amazingly versatile and has inspired and has been inspiring many present and future toastmasters by his own example!

- TM Ramakrishnan

A Star, a true leader is one who transforms himself to the change he wishes to see around him! My real life super stars are Mahatma Gandhi and Steve Jobs.

- TM Arunkumar

A Star is someone special, who lives up to his/her own values - come what may; Dares to show the world his/her true self, without faking it; Stands up firm - unshaken and unrelenting in the face of all adversities!

- TM Pavithra

Page 11 News let te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

INTERLUDE

Lets take a quick 10-min HUMOUR BREAK!!!

Medley achieved the status of President Distinguished for the year 2011-2012, second time in a row !

Area G3 was adjudged the Best Performing Area in the whole of District 82 ! Medley TM club, being

the only community club in Area G3 greatly contributed to the Areas success!

Medley TM club produced 10 Competent Communicators (CC) so far during this current year; two more in

the pipeline!

TM Sundararaman helped enrol 19 new members into the club this year! Kudos to his hard work!!

Page 12 News let te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

Achievements of Medley during July 2011-June 2012

Welcome Back!! Its time

for some serious business!!

Lets move on to Evaluating

Medleys achievements..

Evaluation Section

TM Gouri Kumar

TM Murali Krishnan

TM Sailesh

TM Muthukumar

TM Kesavanambirajan

TM Gopalakrishnan

Lets wish them the very best in their Toastmaster journey!!

Medley Welcomes - Our Newest Members (March-May

Newslet te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

Medleys Education Tracker 2011- 2012

Page 13

Competent Communication Track (CC)

Advanced Communication Track (ACs)

Newslet te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

A Medley of Medleyans

Page 14

Leadership Track - CL & ALs

There are people who come to Toastmaster club to learn and grow, and there are others who contribute their might to the club. But here is someone who has dedicated a great part of her life

towards making the club proud!!

Meet TM Sandhiya, aptly called the STAR of Medley!!

Winning has been a part of her staple diet. Whichever contest she

participates in - be it Prepared Speeches, or Table Topics - she

undoubtedly emerges a winner.

Is it sheer luck, an in-born talent, or does it just happen? If you ask her, she

may probably say Yes! But people who have seen her in action definitely

vouch for the incredible amount of hard work, determination, and a never

-give-up spirit, that has gone behind each of her speeches.

This year too, she made her mark in Rhetoric 2012, where she was declared the first runner-up at the Divisional Level

International Speech contest! Medley is proud of your achievement, Sandhiya!!!

Here are some quotes that were overheard from toastmasters during Rhetoric 2012:

What is Medley without Sandhiya!!

How does she (Sandhiya) manage to present her Table topics like Prepared speeches??

Sandhiya is a sure winner!

Heres wishing Sandhiya the very best and all success in her endeavour to bring more laurels to Medley!

Page 15 News let te r Ed i t ion -2 : June 2012

Star of Medley - TM Sandhiya Rajaraman!!

TM T R Thiagarajan - President

TM V N Rajaram - Vice President, Education

TM Sharma - Vice President, Membership

TM Vijay Prasad - Vice President, Public Relations

TM Varadarajan - Secretary

TM Kalpana - Treasurer

TM Ramakrishnan - Sergeant at Arms

A BIG THANK YOU for your Commitment, Hard work and Relentless support for a successful term!!!

Lets put our hands together for Medleys Outgoing Office Bearers..

Toastmasters! Hope you enjoyed reading Lets

Speak! It was a pleasure interacting with you.

See you in the next edition, Good Bye from

Sunny! Over to the Editors..

MEETING VENUE:

ISTE Professional Center

25, Gandhi Mandapam Road,

Opp. Anna Centenary Library,

Adjacent to J4 Police Station,

Kotturpuram,

Chennai - 600025

NEWSLETTER TEAM:

EDITORS: TM Pavithra Sundaram

TM Arun Kumar

PROOF READER: TM Sai Prashanthi Ramesh

ADVISOR: TM Sandhiya Rajaraman

NEWSLETTER TEAM THANKS:

TM Sharma

TM Thiagarajan

All TMs who contributed

articles for this edition