Orator

DUBAI CHAPTER Toastmasters Club

| Club – 7492 |Area 7 | Division B | District 20 |

Volume 1 – 2013-14 Jul – Sept 2013

24 LET’S HEAR IT FROM

THE 2012 WROLD CHAMPION Ryan Avery

13 Tribute to

Pride of Dubai Chapter

14 MEET THE IMMEDIATE

PAST PRESIDENT

11 MEET THE ExCOM

OF DUBAI CHAPTER

37 MEET THE NEW

MEMBERS

46 YOUR CHANCE

TO WIN

| Club – 7492 |Area 7 | Division B | District 20 |

DUBAI CHAPTER Toastmasters Club

GET TO KNOW

DUBAI CHAPTERS No.7492, AREA 7, DIV B, DISTRICT 20

PRESIDENT Gemma Zust 050 659 1102

[email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT-EDUCATION Deepak Gulati 055 668 1921

[email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT-MEMBERSHIP Abdel Rahman Al Houseiney

050-473 3087 [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT-PUBLIC RELATIONS

Abdul Khaliq 050 45 00 802

[email protected]

SECRETARY Sadaff Habib 055-1011782

[email protected]

TREASURER Ambujmani Tripathi

050 2761656 [email protected]

SERGEANT AT ARMS

Manish Goyal 055-184 7083

[email protected]

Meeting Schedule Alternate Monday

07:15pm - 09:30 pm Al Futtaim Training Centre

Rashidiya, Dubai

TOASTMASTER’S

PROMISE

As a member of Toastmasters International

and my club, I promise:

To attend club meetings regularly

To prepare all of my speech and leadership projects to the best

of my ability, basing them on projects in the Competent

Communication, Advanced Communication or Competent

Leadership manuals

To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments

To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive

evaluations

To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment

necessary for all members to learn and grow

To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so

To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect

and courtesy

To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits

Toastmasters membership offers

To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters

educational and recognition programs

To maintain honest and highly ethical standards during the

conduct of all Toastmasters activities

FACTS ABOUT

TOASTMASTERS

Founded October 22, 1924

August 17, 2011 Leadership George Yen, International President Mohammed Murad, President-Elect Jim Kokocki, First Vice President Mike Storkey, Second Vice President Daniel Rex, Chief Executive Officer Benefits • Clearer communication • Improved leadership skills • Enhanced teamwork • Effective meetings • Increased productivity • Positive mentoring • Complements existing training

programs • Cost effective

Toastmasters Member Demographics Gender distribution • 52% female • 48% male

Number of Toastmaster Clubs Worldwide clubs: 14,350+ U.S. clubs: 8,500+ International clubs : 5,850+

Q. WHAT IS TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL?

A. Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational

organization that aims to improve ones communication, public speaking and leadership

skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations.

Ralph C. Smedley (February 22, 1878 – September 11, 1965) was the founder of

Toastmasters International. The organization has more than 280,000 members in 14,350

clubs in 116 countries.

Q. WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN A TOAST MASTERS CLUB?

A. Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening,

and thinking – vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership potential

and foster human understanding.

Members in a Toastmasters club work through a series of educational programs (at their

own pace) designed to improve their ability to write speeches, design presentations, and

deliver them.

Leadership and communication skills are intimately bound. Some might argue that

leadership is nothing more than the ability to effectively communicate a vision. As your

communication skills improve, your ability to lead will improve as well.

Q. CAN I HAVE SOME IDEA ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS DURING A TOAST MASTERS

MEETING?

A. There are three basic parts to the Toastmasters meeting: the prepared speeches, Table

Topics, and evaluations.

In the prepared speaking portion of the meeting, several Toastmasters will give a

prepared presentation or speech before the group. Speeches are usually designed to

meet the requirements of one of the projects in the communication manuals.

"Table Topics" is an extemporaneous speaking exercise where the speaker speaks "off the

cuff"; that is, the speaker responds to a question or topic that is not known beforehand

Feedback is called evaluation, and it is the heart of the Toastmasters educational

program. You observe the speeches and leadership roles of your fellow club members and

offer evaluations of their efforts, and they do the same for you. The purpose as an

evaluator is to provide honest reaction in a constructive manner to the person’s efforts,

using the evaluation guides provided.

Q. WHY DUBAI CHAPTER TOASTERMASTERS CLUB

A. Dubai Toastmasters is the mother Toastmasters club of Dubai and has gathered a

wealth of experience since it was born 15 years ago. Our Club stands proud as both

members and guests learn and grow by speaking before an audience and working with

others in a very supportive environment. Our club is representative of something more

than a typical Toastmasters club where 20 to 30 members meet once every fortnight for

about 2 hours - it is a family of people with a shared drive for self-improvement and to

help others. Each meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice conducting

meetings, giving impromptu speeches, presenting prepared speeches, and offering

constructive evaluation.

GET TO KNOW

TOASTMASTERS

Toastmasters will help you to:

Speak and present compellingly

Think quickly and clearly

Become a strong leader

Listen effectively

You will learn these skills and

more in a supportive, self-paced,

fun atmosphere.

ORATOR SEPTEMBER 2013 7

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH WORDS

t was like yesterday the ExCom of 2013-14 took an oath to serve the club

its members and Toastmasters’ Community at large . I am fortunate

enough to be part of the team. I could still hear the echoes of the oath when I

realized we were approaching the end of the first quarter of 2013-14.

I

That meant I had to begin planning the release of our

first issue of Orator. With that thought came jitters

and panic attacks “how am I going to do it? how will I

get the articles?”. But then I had a calm followed by

the belief that my fellow D’Chaps are there to support

and chip in with their inspiring thoughts and valuable

contribution.

Today, I can proudly say that each and every

Toastmaster I approached has honored my request by

contributing to the successful compilation of this first

issue of Orator. And that support is not only limited to

D’Chaps, the support came from US, Bahrain and of

course from all over UAE. I heard about this before,

today I believe in it “Toastmaster is a Toastmaster

always there to support one another no matter which

geographical location they belong to”. So true, isn’t it?

I don’t have enough words to thank you all for your

contribution and support. However, at least let me

give it a try:

So let’s quickly see what we have in store for you in

this edition of Orator:

A tribute to DTM Uma from Toastmasters

community on receiving the President Citation

Award.

An article by TM Ryan Avery World Champion of

Public Speaking 2012. When I emailed him

requesting for an article, he didn’t only let me

choose the article from his website but also sent a

personal message to Dubai Chapter:

“Please let the club know I am excited for them

and for them to get involved in Toastmasters.

The more you put in, the more you get out.”

I am sure you will all join me in thanking TM Ryan

for his contribution and message.

Four wonderful articles by four wonderful

Toastmasters TM Seetha, TM Aadil TM Sadaff & TM

Richa.

A section “Welcome Aboard” is dedicated to

introduce the new members.

Last but not the least, don’t forget to answer the

questions on the last page for your chance to win a

souvenir.

Well, that’s pretty much it from me. Enjoy reading! Do

send us your feedback, things you like, things you

don’t like, things you want us to include or even

exclude at [email protected]

Abdul KHALIQ VP Public Relations Dubai Chapter

September 2013

6 LEADERSHIP MESSAGE

7 President’s Message

8 From the Desk of VP Education

9 From the Desk of VP Membership

10 FYI

10 Roles of Executive Committee

11 Dubai Chapter’s ExCom

12 Distinguished Club Program

14 MEET A FELLOW D’CHAP

14 Meet the Immediate Past President

Interview with Beena George

16 IDEAS WORTH EXPLORING

17 Tap into the Hidden Treasure

Idea by VP Menon

24 ARTICLES

26 A Cake for Tea

By Seetha Sagaran

28 If You Died Tonight, What Will Your

Family Do? By Aadil Kadri

31 The Path You Choose

By Sadaff Habib

34 It’s All About Frogs and Pumpkins

By Richa Khera

37 CLUB UPDATES

37 Welcome Aboard – Meet the New

Members

42 Hall of Fame – Recapping the Meetings

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

18

FEATURES

18 Tribute to Pride of Dubai Chapter

Words of Tribute to DTM Uma on Receiving President Citation Award

24 Can You Afford Louis Vuitton?

An Article by Ryan Avery World Champion of Public Speaking 2012

46 Your Chance to Win

Answer the Simple Question for your chance to Win a Souvenir from Toastmasters

Copyright Notice: Toastmasters International, the Toastmasters International logo, and all other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International. Any logos, banners and material used in preparation of this newsletter are provided at Toastmasters’ website for members’ use. Any extract used from Toastmasters manuals is credited to Toastmasters with a reference to the original manual/guide.

MESSAGE FROM

THE LEADERSHIP


PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

WHAT A JOY Q1 OF THIS DUBAI

CHAPTER YEAR HAS BEEN!

even high quality meetings including achieving the Smedley Award, a jubilant joint meeting with Emirates Toastmasters, two of our own

home grown Toastmasters being honoured on the World Stage; Uma

Radhakrishnan being awarded the Presidential Citation Award for her

distinguished service; Mohammad Murad being sworn in as International President Elect; plus many

more personal accomplishments by each one of you as you inch your way towards your personal

goals while enriching our Club at every step. We can all be proud and inspired!

S

We are currently blessed with a membership which

is rich in talent and commitment at all levels of

seniority. Coupled with this, we have an extremely

committed and self-motivated Excom, and our own

member Velu Arumugam as our Area Governor.

I am honoured to hold the torch of Presidency while

the Club is illustrating such strength. We have the

world of opportunity at our feet not only to continue

to uphold the Dubai Chapter values and standards as

the Mother Chapter of the Northern Emirates, but to

break new ground. Let us maintain and perfect the

quality of our practices and seize new opportunities

with both hands – Carpe Diem.

My favourite part of being President so far has been

being at the centre of the matrix of Club

organization where I have the honour of walking

beside so many members as they strive towards

their own and the Club’s goals. I am continuously

wowed and inspired by our members.

My wish for each of you going into the next quarter

is that you are ready to make push yourself beyond

your comfort zone.

Are YOU ready??!!… to push your voice, your writing,

your creativity, your leadership style, your ideas, your

confidence to the edge of your comfort zone and

beyond?

…because if you are stretching yourself then you are

making new things, inspiring other DChaps, learning,

living, changing yourself and changing your world…

So that is my wish for YOU, and all of us, and my

wish for myself. Push Your Limits & Break New

Ground. Don't doubt, don’t freeze, don't stop, don't

worry just strive and DO IT!

Let’s make the next quarter one not to be forgotten.

We have eight driven members who have

committed to complete their educational goals in

support of both themselves and the Club’s DCP goal

to get 10 out of 10. Please support their growth and

take the opportunity to learn by following their

paths. The Excom have some more wonderful ideas

and events cooking in the oven, which on behalf of

the Excom I ask you to be ready to offer your

support.

Finally let us all remind ourselves of our

Toastmasters’ Promise and look for every way to

contribute to the Club’s success this year.

Gemma Zust President Dubai Chapter

“I am honoured to hold the torch

of Presidency while the Club is

illustrating such strength”


FROM THE DESK OF VP – EDUCATION

LEARNING, INSPIRATION & MEETING EXPECTATIONS, MOTIVATION

very responsibility comes with lots of challenges and its merits that it

could offer. I believe, VP-Education for Dubai Chapter Club, has come to

me with many responsibilities, challenges and all new learning. E

Learning - One of the biggest challenges faced in

this role is the planning of the club meetings in

advance, keeping the DCP goals in foresight.

Planning as I said, was the key in identifying the

members who will be instrumental in making the

year a success at the end of it. The club has now all

the members who will help us to achieve our DCP

points with ease. We intend to have effective

planning and make this a successful TM year. Also,

we have tried our best to give all the members an

INTERNATIONAL feel by installing an international

celebrated day in each meeting.

Inspiration and meeting expectations - With

this role, along comes a few expectations.

Expectations to take the level of experience of club

meetings to a new height, bringing novelty, adding

freshness in the way the meetings are conducted. So

far the experience been unique as with top-notch

support of the members and all together we wish to

have even more memorable and exciting meetings.

We hope and are sure that this quest of being

different will keep us inspired throughout. We

already have had a joint meeting with Emirates

Toastmasters club in the very 2nd month of the year

and plan to have reverse meetings, inviting TM

stalwarts to our meetings, Table Topics meetings

with a twist and joining with other club at their

meeting venues.

Motivation - As VP education, this year, I would

like to take this opportunity to motivate our

members not only to take up various roles in the

club meetings but also to do the same with a

difference and flavor. This year, with some

stupendous efforts from our VP-Membership, Abdel,

we have a great number of new members joined in

the very 3 months and many of those newbies are

young members who can bring a lot on the table, in

our case, the stage. I would like to take this space to

encourage each and everyone of them come up

ahead and start their TM journey in style

On this note, I would like to thank our Excom and each member and wishing them all the success in all walks of club activities and their personal goals.

Deepak Gulati VP Education Dubai Chapter

“I would like to take this

opportunity to motivate our

members not only to take up

various roles in the club

meetings but also to do the

same with a difference and

flavor”


FROM THE DESK OF VP – MEMBERSHIP

THE SUCCESS CONTINUITY IS IN YOUR HAND

e started the year with aggressive goals to improve our internal

process and inject new blood to our club. W Our goals for this year are:

Add 20 new members to the club

Maintain a level of 140 guests per year – 5 guests

each meeting.

Measure and set a conversion rate of guests.

Achieving Smedley Award

As of the month of September, we have 15 new

members ; this allowed us to achieve the Smedley

Award by getting 5 new members in Aug/Sep as well

as our DCP goals for the year in only 3 months!

Guest Attendance

Our guest attendance level is constant of average of

6 guests per meeting and a conversion rate of 30%.

Membership Strength

As of October 2013 – We have 69 active club

members our club members, 15 members are less

than 2 months old and 13 other members are less

than 6 months as TM. 40% of our club members are

less than 6 months as with Dubai Chapter.

This put a lot of pressure on our senior members to

play additional role on the remaining 41 members to

play additional roles as mentors for the new

members.

The success continuity of our club is within our

hands, please continue your supportive actions and

help the new members to become as experience as

you are.

Abdel Rahman Al Housseiny VP Membership Dubai Chapter

15 New Members

Smedley Award Achieved

DCP Goal Achieved in three

months.

Average of 6 guests per meeting.

69 Active Members


GET TO KNOW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PRESIDENT’S ROLE

The club president is the chief executive officer of

this club and is responsible for fulfilling the mission

of this club. The president presides at meetings of

this club and the club executive committee; appoints

all committees; and has general supervision of the

operation of this club. The president shall be an ex

officio member of all Committees of this club except

the club Nominating Committee and shall serve as

one of this club’s representatives on the area and

district councils. The president shall transmit to this

club for its approval or disapproval all ideas and

plans proposed by the area and district councils

which may affect this club or its individual members;

and shall take no action binding upon this club

without either specific prior authorization or

subsequent ratification by this club.

VP EDUCATION’S ROLE

The vice president education is the second ranking

club officer and is responsible for planning,

organizing and directing a club program which meets

the educational needs of the individual members.

The vice president education chairs the education

committee. The vice president education also serves

as one of this club’s representatives on the area and

district councils and shall take no action binding

upon this club without either specific prior

authorization or subsequent ratification by this club.

VP MEMBERSHIP’S ROLE

The vice president membership is the third ranking

club officer and is responsible for planning,

organizing and directing a program that ensures

individual member retention and growth in club

individual membership. The vice president member-

ship chairs the membership committee. The vice

president membership serves as one of this club’s

representatives on the area council and shall take no

action binding upon this club without either specific

prior authorization or subsequent ratification by this

club.

VP PUBLIC RELATION’S ROLE

The vice president public relations is the fourth

ranking club officer and is responsible for developing

and directing a publicity program that informs

individual members and the general public about

Toastmasters International. The vice president

public relations chairs the public relations

committee.

ROLES OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE


GET TO KNOW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Gemma Zust

Deepak Gulati

Abdel Rahman

Abdul Khaliq

Sadaff Habib

Ambuj Tripathi

Manish Goyal

VP Public Relt. Secretary VP Education Treasurer

President

Sgt. at Arms

SECRETARY’S ROLE

The club secretary is responsible for club records

and correspondence. The club secretary has custody

of the club’s charter, constitution, and bylaws and all

other records and documents of this club; keeps an

accurate record of the meetings and activities of this

club and of the club executive committee; maintains

an accurate and complete roster of individual

members of this club, including the address and

status of each individual member; and transmits the

same to the successor in office. The club secretary

provides notices of meetings as required by this

constitution, and immediately notifies World

Headquarters of Toastmasters International of any

change in the roster of individual members.

TREASURER’S ROLE

The treasurer is responsible for club financial

policies, procedures, and controls. The club

treasurer receives and disburses, with the approval

of this club, all club funds; pays to Toastmasters

International all financial obligations of this club as

they come due; and keeps an accurate account of all

transactions. The club treasurer shall make financial

reports to this club and to the club executive

committee quarterly and upon request, and shall

transmit the accounts and all undistributed funds to

the successor in office at the end of the club

treasurer’s term.

SERGEANT AT ARM’S ROLE

The sergeant at arms is responsible for club property

management, meeting room preparation, and

hospitality. The sergeant at arms chairs the social

and reception committee.

DUBAI CHAPTER’S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DID YOU KNOW?

Each of the ExCom members represents the seven

colors of rainbow called VIBGYOR.

ExCom Roles is an extract from “Club Leadership Handbook” by Toastmasters International. Full guide can be found at TMI website

VP Membership


THE DISTINGUISHED CLUB PROGRAM

HOW IT WORKS

The Distinguished Club Program is an annual program, running from July 1 through June 30. The program

consists of 10 goals your club should strive to achieve during this time using the Club Success Plan. At year-

end, World Headquarters calculates the number of goals the club achieved and recognizes it as a

Distinguished Club, Select Distinguished Club, or President’s Distinguished Club based on the number of goals

achieved and the number of members it has.

GOALS TO ACHIEVE

Following are the goals your club should strive to achieve during the year:

1. Two CCs

2. Two more CCs

3. One ACB, ACS, or ACG

4. One more ACB, ACS, or ACG

5. One CL, ALB, ALS, or DTM

6. One more CL, ALB, ALS, or DTM

7. Four new members

8. Four more new members

9. Minimum of four club officers trained

during each of two training periods

10. One membership renewal report and one

club officer list submitted on time

RECOGNITION

Clubs that meet the qualifying requirement and also do the following are eligible for Toastmasters

International recognition at year-end:

Achievement Recognition Earned

Achieve five of 10 goals Distinguished Club

Achieve seven of 10 goals Select Distinguished Club

Achieve nine of 10 goals President’s Distinguished Club

RECOGNITION RECEIVED

If the club earns recognition as a Distinguished, Select Distinguished, or President’s Distinguished Club, World

Headquarters will send the president an attractive ribbon for display on the club banner and a congratulatory

letter. The ribbon and letter will be included with the year-end report.

This is an extract from “Distinguished Club Program & Club Success Plan” by Toastmasters. Full guide can be found at TMI website.


DUBIA CHAPTER DCP UPDATE


MEET THE IMMDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

e have had the absolute honor to meet

our immediate past president TM Beena

George and ask her few questions about

her life as a toastmaster. We are thankful to her

for sparing some time from her busy schedule. So

D’Chap we give you immediate past president of

Dubai Chapter TM Beena George.

Q. How long have you been in UAE?

A. I came to UAE in 2007. It’s about 6 years that I

am here in Dubai.

Q. How and when did you join Dubai Chapter?

A. After attending a meeting in Dubai Chapter I

joined in June 2008.

Q. Why did you choose to join Dubai Chapter?

A. I was a member of the Manama Toastmasters

in Bahrain for a year. After I landed in Dubai my

search for a professional Toastmasters Club

rested the day I attended Dubai Chapter

meeting. I am very proud to be a member of

W Dubai Chapter.

Q. What was your primary motivation of joining

Toastmasters?

A. To develop a clear, fluent and articulate way of

communicating.

Q. Do you still remember your first role you played

in Dubai Chapter?

A. Yes, as the Timer.

Q. What was the first position you held in Club

Executive Committee?

A. Club Secretary for the term July 2009 to June

2010.

Q. How many positions have you held in Club

ExCom till date?

A. 3 – Club Secretary, Vice President Education

and President.

Q. How would you describe your tenure as a

President of Dubai Chapter?

A. Enriching


MEET THE IMMDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Q. How would you describe the learning

experience as you held the position of a

President?

A. A journey that I thoroughly enjoyed as I

explored, experimented and learned having fun.

Q. What are your accomplishments as Dubai

Chapter’s President?

A. I would say:

Three Ribbons from TMI

Presidents Distinguished Club award -

10/10.

Beat the clock Award

Smedly Award, for sponsoring a club.

But the real accomplishment was enhancing the

spirit of camaraderie in the club with 26

themed meetings A- Z. It also included special

colorful meetings -Diwali, Christmas, Valentines

and young forever. Two family get together,

one outdoor barbeque party and Hawaiian

themed annual party.

Q. What you wish that you could have achieved as

a President?

A. Closing all our 26 meetings on time would have

been a great achievement.

Q. What is the current position you are holding in

Area or Division Level?

A. Assistant Public Relations in the Division B –

Team.

“The real accomplishment was enhancing the spirit

of camaraderie in the club with 26 themed

meetings”

Q. Please let us know your interests and hobbies

other than Toastmasters?

A. Singing in the choir, playing squash and staying

fit.

Q. What message would you like to give to the

fellow D’Chaps?

A. As a Toastmaster we all know that effective

communication can change our lives for better.

Persevere in it with passion and determination.

HAVE IDEAS?

WRITE TO US

THIS SPACE FOR

INNOVATIVE IDEAS

WATCH OUT


IDEAS WORTH EXPLORING

TAP INTO THE HIDDEN TREASURE Move towards better tomorrow

ecently I had the unique opportunity of getting

trained by a fellow Dubai Chapter member

when we did hardcore cross-training on the beach

(Jumeirah beach). It was 2 hours of rigorous

workout, drained me out completely. But the

trainer and another fellow member who do this

regularly were willing to go on for another hour. But

since it was my first time with them, they agreed to

wind up early, so that I don’t need to be carried out

of Jumeirah beach on a stretcher in an ambulance.

Would you like to know who these wonderful

trainers were? The lead trainer was our IPP TM

Beena George and the Asst. Trainer was TM

Michelle. I bumped into a friend on the beach and I

could see the shock on his face, eyes bulging out,

mouth wide open when I introduced these two

pretty ladies as my personal trainers. It was two

hours well spend taking care of my health and would

love to go back and enjoy this outdoor training as

much as possible with my two wonderful trainers.

Leadership skills. But there are so many other skills

which we can learn and benefit from, from our

fellow members. Many of you may be experts in

different fields and you can share your knowledge

and skill with other members who may be interested

to learn it. Just like TM Beena has passion and

knowledge of fitness program’s and is now sharing

this knowledge with me and Michelle. Similarly I am

experienced in Logistics & Supply Chain Management

and I do trainings on supply chain management. If

there is any member who wishes to learn from me I

am more than willing to share my knowledge and

experience with you. Similarly many of you may

have your unique expertise. Some can probably

teach dancing, singing, photography, meditation,

hypnotherapy, desert driving, mind mapping, law,

finance, quality management etc etc etc. The sky is

the limit. If you are willing to share your knowledge

with others please let the members know about it

This just makes me think that there would be many

other members in Dubai Chapter who may be

experts in various fields. Who may have passion for

various things, besides communication & leadership.

Shouldn’t we tap into these resources for our

benefit? In Dubai Chapter we are one big family and

as part of the Toastmasters program we come

together to improve our Communication &

and I am sure many of us who may be interested will

take advantage of this free learning opportunities.

As for the fitness training if any of you wish to join us

please get in touch with TM Beena for the next

schedule.

Let’s get together to move towards a better tomorrow.

Idea by VP Menon

Many of you may be experts in different fields and you can share your knowledge and skill with other members who may be interested to learn it.

R


TRIBUTE TO PRIDE OF DUBAI CHAPTER

“Toastmasters is an endless

journey and each role brings in

new learning! I will always

aspire to learn more” Uma Radhakrishnan, DTM

TM Uma Radhakrishnan’s journey towards

President Citation Award began in July 2001 when

she joined Dubai Chapter. Step by step from club role

player to President to Area Governor with most recently

the Regional Advisor Region 11 she reached the heights

of success through her dedication and total commitment

to Toastmasters the organization and Toastmasters the

fellow members.

Recently DTM Uma shared secret of her success:

“Giving is Getting! If you want to get what you want

from the program you’ve got to give it all you have

got. There are no short-cuts. Take your Toastmasters

oath seriously and actively contribute to your growth

and your fellow member’s growth”

When we asked Toastmasters’ community to express

their views towards DTM Uma, this is what they had to

say about the inspiring personality. DTM Uma this goes

out to you from the fellow Toastmasters.

D



It is very difficult to describe someone in a

few words and sentences and when that

person is somebody like Uma, it is a real

challenge. First of all I would like to

congratulate Uma on this well deserving

Presidential Citation. If anyone in our District

deserves it, it is none other than Uma. I have

not seen many Toastmasters in our District

who is more passionate and committed than

Uma. Her contribution to Toastmasters

movement in this part of the world is

praiseworthy. I had the opportunity to work

with Uma and her commitment, passion,

leadership style and knowledge about

Toastmasters is something that I envied and

tried to emulate in my life. If anyone want to

learn what a true Toastmaster is all about, I

suggest they observe and learn from Uma.

R.Karantharath, DTM Past District-79 Governor

“Two Phrases say it all:

Incredibly Dedicated, Totally

Committed.” Col. Mohammad Murad, DTM

International President-Elect

Accepting the Toastmasters Presidential

Citation on behalf of Distinguished

Toastmasters Uma is a God-sent one in a

million chance.

I was levitating on stage. I was in cloud

nine. All I can utter to when I was

walking to meet the International

President on stage: “Uma, you should

have been here!”

Way back, when I saw her in

Toastmasters district meeting in 2007, I

said to myself: “This lady is sure tall,

seductively good looking, friendly, witty

and means business!”.

Since then, I have closely worked with

‘Big Sister Uma’ with deep admiration

and respect. “’Big Sister Uma’, you’re a

real woman of substance.

I would sincerely thank you for the

confidence and trust. I am so very proud

of being associated with you. Wishing

you all the best of the very bests!

God Bless.”

Alex Ginete, DTM

Immediate Past District-20 Governor



The Presidents Citation award bestowed

upon DTM Uma Radhakrishnan is truly well-

deserved and a great decision by the

International President. DTM Uma has shown

enormous commitment, passion and

dedication to the Toastmasters program and

fulfilled every role and responsibility, small or

large, in the best manner possible. She has

motivated and mentored many

Toastmasters, budding leaders and speakers

from club to district, including young

gaveliers and has been like a bright beacon

giving guidance with her wealth of

knowledge and experience. Over the years,

as part of her team, I have been fortunate to

witness her skills as a planner, decision-

maker and visionary leader.

Congratulations to DTM Uma and her family

on receiving this award and wishing her the

very best in her Toastmasters journey.

Congratulations also to Toastmasters Dubai

Chapter for this proud moment in our clubs

history.

"The future belongs to those who give the

next generation reason for hope." –

Pierre De Chardin

Lakhi Sawlani, DTM

Past Division-B Governor

Speakers Bureau Chairman

DTM Uma Radhakrishnan, as I know her is a

stalwart. Not only is she very organized in

her duties as a family person, she has also

displayed her skills outside of it. In

Toastmasters she has been an illustration to

many a leaders who wish to take up such

positions and move forward in life. They say

that behind every successful man, there is a

woman - In this particular case, the entire

family is behind this great woman in her

endeavors. She has proven it time and again

that if passion is displayed along with

commitment in any role we undertake,

success walks its way through into us rather

than us aiming at it to come over. This is the

reason she richly deserves this award - I was

there at the convention centre when her

name was announced and felt that she could

have been there to receive it - however she

had a very important personal reason -

otherwise I think she would not have missed

this great occasion of being honored.

Congratulations to Uma and May God bless

her in all her endeavors in future too

Nagabhushan Balaji, DTM

Past Area-B Governor, Past Division H & J

Governor, Past Speakers Bureau Chairman

Heartiest Congratulations on achieving the

President's Citation from the World Head

Quarters of Toastmasters International. Indeed

another feather in your glorious cap, which is

filled with accomplishments.

You are indeed one of the veteran Toastmasters, who is fully committed to the cause, i.e very actively

promoting the activities of Toastmasters throughout UAE.

I still remember very vividly the fact that I was invited as a guest speaker for a large gathering organized by

ESCF - Emirates Supply Chain Forum to speak on Effective Public Speaking and I spoke about Toastmasters

as well. I subsequently requested you to organise a Demo Toastmasters Meeting along with the team, and

you organized it so well that ESCF became a full-fledged and active Toastmasters Club.

May I take this opportunity to once again wish you the very best in all your endeavor. Vijay Manikoth

Founder President – UAE Toastmasters



DTM Alex receiving the award on behalf of DTM Uma Radhakrishnan

DTM Uma Radhakrishnan to

me means “Inspiration”. She

is one Toastmaster who has

inspired many of us not just

within her Club & District but

within the worldwide

Toastmasters fraternity.

Rarely do we see people like

DTM Uma who have done so

much, achieved so much but

still remain so down to earth

and humble. This is true

Leadership. She is always

there for anyone who needs

her help. I have had the

wonderful opportunity to

work closely with her in various leadership roles and the commitment she brings in to each role that she

takes up within Toastmasters and outside is amazing. With every role that she takes on, she not just

incorporates the existing best practices but she is someone who very regularly creates new best

practices for others to follow. In many of the Leadership roles that I have taken on within the Club, Area

& Division, I have just followed her footsteps, did what she did and ended up doing a GREAT job. I have

seen how she so well balances her personal, professional & Toastmaster’s activities giving 100% to each

and every responsibility. I am not at all surprised that she got the 2013 Presidential Citation from

Toastmasters International. She truly deserves this and much more. I will not be surprised if we see

DTM Uma Radhakrishnan as the President of Toastmasters International in the future. We in Dubai

Chapter are extremely lucky to have DTM Uma as our club member. I wish her all the best in everything

that she aspires to do.

VP Menon

Past President & Past Area-7 Governor

DTM Uma was the first Toastmaster I had spoken to in 2005, who Inspired, Motivated & Helped me to

discover the treasure of humor in me. The most admired Toastmaster who used to show 100 %

Dedication, Passion & Sincerity in everything she did in Toast mastering was, UMA. As a leader the

WAVES… of energy she used to carry with her were amazing. I am sure to see DTM Uma as one of the

best International President soon. Meaning this recognition of President Citation Award 2013 is a step

towards that.

Velu Arumugam

Area 7 Governor



Dubai Chapter is lucky to have you as a member and I

am more than lucky to be member of the chapter who

gets frequent chance to interact with you and other

senior leaders who have reached the pinnacle of

Toastmasters Leadership at International level. It is so

inspiring to see you receiving President Citation Award

2013, I will say it is a well-deserved appreciation for all

the selfless hard work rendered to Toastmasters

Community. Keep it Up!

Ashok Khera

Past President & Past Area-7 Governor

DTM Uma the lady, who is

always available when

needed, inspires everyone with

her tremendous positive

attitude and leaves an impact

on everyone she gets in-touch

with.

Abdel Rahman VP Membership Dubai Chapter

The impeccable integrity of TM

Uma to Toastmasters in general

and to Dubai chapter in particular

has made her the natural choice to

be honored with this great award

by the apex body

Thomas George

"Uma is a reflection of how

passionate we can be

regarding what we enjoy. Her

rise to the numerous awards

and recognitions were brought

about by her sheer hard work

and commitment throughout

the years.

And it would not an

exaggeration to say that I

believe that she will one day

be the President of

Toastmasters International....I

know many of you will agree

with me!

So, here's wishing her the very

BEST to reach that pinnacle

and achieve many more goals

and dreams in her life."

Seetha Sagaran

Past Regional Advisor Uma Radhakrishnan, DTM, has

been awarded one of Toastmasters' highest honors. The

special Presidential Citation is awarded in recognition of

Uma's outstanding achievements toward the goals and

ideals of Toastmasters International. Uma is quite

literally an outstanding representative of Toastmasters.

She is always available for guidance at both individual,

Club and District levels. She takes the time to show some

of the less experienced Toastmasters what it is to be a

Toastmaster and as members grow in experience she is a

pillar of wisdom as to best practice. Uma is also very

much part of the cement that binds senior Toastmasters

across multiple countries and cultures in the Gulf to

ensure our District’s continued success. Well done Uma.

We are both proud an inspired!

Gemma Zust President Dubai Chapter

DTM Uma Radhakrishnan is a power house of

motivation and inspiration fueled with dedication and

determination and deserves every accolade that is

bestowed on her. I wish her the very best for all her

future endeavors.

Beena George

Immediate Past President Dubai Chapter



Uma has indeed been a source of inspiration

for me in my Toastmasters Journey. She is a

committed and confident toastmaster.

Today, if I do good evaluations or project

speeches, I would give her valuable feedback

credit for the same. I still remember my first

couple of evaluations and I would always

begin with ‘lets give a round of applause’

and end with ‘wishing you good luck for your

future speeches’. Uma was the one who

asked me to get rid of the cliché lines and

taught me to pick up something from the

speech and incorporate it into evaluations

and I haven’t stopped since then. Thank you

Uma for helping me grow in Toastmasters!

To reach the level where she has reached

takes a lot of efforts and it is great to see

her so passionate about what she does. I

wish her congratulations on her success and

wishing her many more success stories in the

coming years. Sandeep Adnani

What a pleasure it has been to have known

Uma Radhakrishnan for couple of years. She

possesses an amazing ability to connect with

people. An encyclopedia of Toastmasters,

down to earth person with sky high abilities.

An inspiration to all, eloquent speaker,

extremely dedicated. To summarize I would

say simply GREAT !!

Radhakrishnan Kadunganattil

UMA is someone who in my opinion is an

U : Ultimate, M : Mentor, A : Always ....

A mentor ,a guide, a friend and a great whole

person who is always looked upon with a

GREAT RESPECT, which she has EARNED over

a period of time. She has worked with Passion

and given TIME, EFFORT, ENERGY and

ENTHUSIASM to the TOASTMASTERS

Fraternity. She is an ASSET to Toastmasters

International and WE all Dubai Chapter

Toastmasterian's are Proud that she belongs

to OUR CLUB - Dubai Chapter. All the Best

We are looking forward for UMA to become

the President Toastmasters International in a

near Future. Once again Thanks for all that

you have done to Toastmasters Fraternity.".

Aadil Kadri

It’s been little over a year since I met DTM

Uma for the first time, it didn’t take me long

to be inspired by her charming personality.

Every time I perform a role she always provide

her encouraging feedback and advice to

improve. Past several years she has been a

role model for many Toastmasters. Today she

is my role model when I grow up as a

Toastmaster I would like to be DTM Uma.

Abdul Khaliq

VP PR Dubai Chapter

In my opinion, DTM Uma is the imagery of

dedication and excellence.

Dedication - Ladders that she has climbed in

her TM journey is the example of the

dedication that she has shown and

showcased.

Excellence - Every time she is up there on the

stage, leaving all awed and inspired, shows

the passion that she has towards a given

role and displays the extent of commitment

that one can achieve. Leaves everyone

forced to feel motivated, moved and learn

from that very experience.

Let me use this opportunity to thank Uma

for what she is and being a hero for all of us,

giving us ample chances to learn and gain

from her brilliance Deepak Gulati

VP Education Dubai Chapter


CAN YOU AFFORD LOUIS VUITTON?

“How do I become a speaker?”

By Ryan Avery

walk into the Louis Vuitton

store and point to a bag that

has a price tag on it worth

more than my first car. I pick it

up, try it on and as I know I

would never actually spend this

amount of money on this piece

of cow skin I tell myself… “If

you want it… get it!”.

I spend the whole day walking

into stores checking out Chanel

purses for Chelsea, Burberry

bags for my sister and Mont

Blanc pens for my father. I

shop. I dream and I did it for

one reason.

I sometimes catch myself being

afraid to walk into “fancy”

stores or I think “nice things”

are out of my reach. I have to

constantly train my brain to

think otherwise.

I don’t need a Louis Vuitton.

However, I want to be able to

have the power to buy one if I

I want. I want the mind set of “If

I want it, get it!”.

This article isn’t about material

things or money. It’s about

mindset. You become what you

think you are. What thoughts

are feeding your mind so you

can give, live, save and travel

the way you really want?

“How can you

convince others, if

you don’t believe it?”


Why can’t you buy a fancy bag?

Why can’t you write a check for

a million dollars to an

organization you love? Why

can’t you support the people

who have supported you by

buying them a trip around the

world?

Have you ever written a check

for a million dollars to an

organization? I have. I might

not have cashed it yet, but I

have it stored in my desk

waiting to send one day. If I am

afraid to write the check, I will

never be able to accomplish it

in the future. It’s all about our

mindset!

Same goes with being a

speaker, leader or

entrepreneur. I get asked “How

do I become a speaker?” all of

the time. You have to believe

you are one and you can be

one. You do that by changing

your mindset and convincing

yourself first.

How can you convince others, if

you don’t believe it?

Action Item: Walk into a fancy store and shop around. Get on stage at a big auditorium

and practice your speech. Write a check to your favorite charity and hold it. If you are

afraid of doing that, what makes you think you will ever actually be able to do those

things “one day?” Go out there and convince yourself you are worth whatever it is you

want. Because you are.

So can you afford Louis? Yes!

Can you be a speaker? Of

course!

Are you a leader! You know it!

Ryan Avery is a 2012 World Champion of Public Speaking. He won the title with

his speech “Trust is a Must”.

Ryan is a Public Speaker, a Key Note speaker and a Trainer. He is a managing

partner at “How to be a Speaker”.

Along with the article he has sent a special note to D’Chaps:

“Please let the club know I am excited for them and for them to get involved in

Toastmasters. The more you put in, the more you get out.”


A CAKE FOR TEA

Role Players the Essential Ingredient

By Seetha Sagaran

or a member who has been

delighted to be a part of this

positive and enlightening

program since 2004, a

Toastmaster meeting fondly

reminds me of how all ingredients

in a recipe go into making a

culinary creation.

For those who wonder at the logic

in my statement, let me explain.

When we bake a cake, as many of

us know, that it is not just flour,

eggs (if it is not eggless!) and

sugar that we blend to prepare

this teatime treat, but we also

need to add a little essence, a

little baking powder and if you

wish to be creative a couple of

glazed fruits etc. And perhaps

most of all we need to bake with

what are perhaps the most

important two qualities for

baking, cooking or just

creating…..ensuring that the

correct quantities of the

ingredients are used and of course

prepare it with passion.

F A regular Toastmaster meeting

begins right when we are

welcomed into the venue by

the cheerful Greetmaster and

not merely when the Sgt At

Arms performs his opening

address. The mood, the

ambience and the passion of

the meeting is visible right from

the first verbal or non-verbal

Toastmaster Meeting and freshly

baked cake have a lot more in

common than we may initially

imagine!


communication by the humble

Greetmaster.

We are thus made to relax and

get ready to enjoy the “Baking

Process” that begins with the

opening address by the Sgt At

Arms. From then on, the

President and the team of

roleplayers smoothly go

through their very significant

and critical roles. We are thus

taken through a wonderful,

entertaining and enjoyable

journey that concludes on time

BEETROOT CAKE RECIPE

Ingredients-

1) 1 Cup Plain Flour 2) 1 Cup – Minced Beetroot

3) Three-fourth Cup- Butter 4) 3 Tablespoons – Powdered Sugar

5) 1 Tin Condensed Milk 6) 1 Teaspoon- Vanilla Essence

7) 1 Teaspoon- Baking Powder

Method-

Preheat oven to 160 degrees (Centigrade).

Beat butter, then sugar, condensed milk, minced beetroot, flour, baking powder and

essence.

Bake for 160 degrees (Centigrade) for 40 minutes.

So enjoy whatever you do, be it your role in a Toastmaster Meeting, singing a lullaby for

your child, baking a cake….whatever you do – do it with PASSION and relish the

moment.

with a stupendous feeling of

receiving a 2 and quarter hours

of inspiration.

Thus coming back to my belief

that a successful Toastmaster

Meeting and freshly baked

cake have a lot more in

common than we may initially

imagine!

I had once baked a cake for

all my dear Club members

some months ago.

And for those of you who

conveyed their appreciation

of my cake, it is my pleasure

to share with you the simple

recipe of that cake.

Seetha Sagaran is a homemaker and married with two children, a daughter

and a son.

A member of Toastmasters since 2004, Seetha has a background in

Counseling, Hypnotherapy and is a Personal Development Trainer.

She enjoys working as a part time volunteer at the Al- Noor School for

Children with Special Needs and is also as the Club Counselor for the Young

Voices Gavel Club in Dubai.

DID YOU KNOW?


IF YOU DIED TONIGHT, WHAT WILL YOUR FAMILY DO? "Does my family really need $ 500,000 on my death?" By Aadil Kadri

hen I suggested $ 500000

as a sum assured for a

customer, this was

his immediate reaction. Typical of

us, I thought. When a financial

consultant suggest us a solution

our first thought goes to the

'commission' he or she makes. I

keep wondering why.

Even our vegetable vendor has to

assure us that the last rupee that

we try to squeeze out of him is

what he makes. It makes us feel

happy. We completely forget that

we need tomatoes, which we can

afford, and which we like. Why

should it be our concern how

much he makes? So, I set out to

tell the client the following:

We buy life insurance to replace

income lost due to the death of

the breadwinner. The amount of

life insurance you need depends

on the 'income stream' you would

want to continue for your family if

anything happened to you.

Let's say you earn $ 4,000 (approx

AED 15,000) / month. This money

provides your family's lifestyle and

standard of living. As long as you

are alive and well, your loved ones

will remain financially secure.

What happens when the

breadwinner (read 'You') are no

longer able to earn this money?

Bluntly, if you died tonight, what

would your family do? How would

they pay the Rent / Home Loan

EMI, Car Loan, Maintenance /

W Society Charges, Utilities, Fines

/ Taxes and other Grocery Bills?

Where would the money come

from for new clothes for your

children, for college fees, or

even for your spouse to enjoy

an evening out with friends?

Very few people are

comfortable answering this

question. They live like they

will never die and most will die

like they never lived. When you

have lived a good life, and have a

family that you 'love,' your

answers have to be far, far better

than these.

“Life insurance can replace

income lost due to the

death of an income earner”


That's why we buy Life

Insurance. So that the answer to

that question is, without

hesitation or doubt: "They'll be

provided for."

How much Life Insurance do you need?

The chart on the right shows the

annual income the insurance

proceeds can generate based on

the following assumptions: The

beginning amount will earn a 5%

return after taxes, with principal

and interest depleted in 20 years

by withdrawing an amount equal

to 8% of the original principal

every year.

Example: A life insurance death

benefit of USD 500,000 would

provide your family with an

income stream of USD 40,000 a

year for a 20-year period, after

which the entire amount would

be depleted. So, if you earn USD

40,000 a year, you may wish to

consider USD 500,000 of life

insurance.

How expensive is that? That

depends on a number of factors,

including your age, health and

personal habits (such as whether

or not you smoke), and type of

insurance.

What you Say What you really mean

My family will get by You do not know ?

My family could cut expenses You do not know how ?

My family could sell the house or other assets You have only one house which is your asset

I don’t Know Aha … the truth at last !!!!

Life Insurance Amount – $ Annual Income it will Generate $

20,000 1,600

40,000 3,200

80,000 6,400

100,000 8,000

200,000 16,000

250,000 20,000

300,000 24,000

350,000 28,000

400,000 32,000

500,000 40,000

You have several insurance

options, depending on need,

budget and situation:

Term life insurance provides pure

death benefit protection,

generally for the smallest cost. It

is ideal for the person who needs

a high amount of coverage but

cannot afford endowment for

now.

Endowment policies can provide

lifelong protection for a fixed,

level premium. Additionally, it

combines death benefit with cash

value accumulation. However,

the initial cost is generally higher

than for a comparable amount of

term life insurance.

You can have both – a

combination of both Term and

Endowment called as Whole of

Life Policies which can provide a

lifelong protection. Payment to

be done for a limited term and

the cover goes on till whole of life

or 95 yrs.

“Life insurance

might not make

your family rich but

on the contrary…..”


Aadil Kadri is a Group Manager – Advisory at Continental Financial Services. He is a:

Certified Financial Planner, FPSB - India

Qualified Life Member Million Dollar Round Table - USA

Member FAAIDA ( Financial Advisors Association of India)

Member of Dubai Chapter since Apr – 2010.

Life insurance might not make

your family rich but on the

contrary they would be able to

continue to enjoy the financial

security and standard of living for

which we worked so hard to

build for them. Life insurance can

replace income lost due to the

death of an income earner. It is a

cost-effective way to make sure

your dreams are completed if

you die and are unable to

complete them yourself.

You may not need USD 500,000

of life insurance. You may need

less. You may need more. The

important thing is to make sure

you have the amount that's right

for you. Remember your dreams

are joint dreams. Do not leave

your spouse speechless. Give her

the confidence to tell the kids,

LIFE INSURANCE – REASONS & FACTORS

"Papa has become a star, but

nothing will change for us." Give

conviction to her voice.

Let the 6th birthday be at the

same hotel as the 5th birthday.

Let the interior decorator be told,

yes the plans remain. the same.

Let the kids dream of an Ivy

League education. Let the father,

father-in-law, and brother-in-law

not decide where your wife

should stay.

Let not the kids who lost one

parent to fate lose the other

parent to a full-time job. Simple,

insurance is not because you will

die. It is because they will live.

We in the financial planning

industry cannot protect lives. We

try to protect lifestyles. The odds

favor us over doctors who try to

protect lives.


THE PATH YOU CHOOSE

Would you choose fame, money over peace, love?

By Sadaff Habib

e are all creatures of the

world chasing after fame,

power, money, fortune,

peace, love and happiness. We

want it all. Less work more

money; less sacrifice more

happiness. Yet sadly, we can’t

have it all. That is the harsh

reality. We have to give up

something to achieve something

else. This reality causes us to fall

into two different types of groups.

First there are the ambitious

relentless individuals in hot

pursuit of their careers, money

and fame. Then there are those

who are deemed to lack ambition

and seen to be content to sit out

on the bench. Aren’t these

classifications judgmental and

mere categorizations? As

individuals don’t we have the right

live the life that we want?

As much as I believe that the

category you choose depends on

your motivation, goals and

desires. I also see that sometimes

it is the category that chooses

you. In today’s fast paced world

you either run with the flock or

get left behind.

If you run with the flock, it is likely

by the time you are 40 that you

would have achieved the seniority

in your company or career path

that you are aiming for. The price

for such stability and handsome

W pay package is simple; tireless

hours of work, billable hours

and catering to demanding

clients. So in your youth and

peak days you would be

working hard, twice as hard to

get ahead and stay ahead. The

pressure is on, everyone wants

a slice of the cake and only a

few manage to get it. It is a cat

and mouse scramble and a

battle of the toughest! The key

to success of the few who are

able to climb the ladder is but a

Once at that level there is no

telling if you will continue to

chase the dollars or take a back

seat.


simple formula - hard work, long

hours, compromised family and

leisure time.

Once at that level there is no

telling if you will continue to

chase the dollars or take a back

seat. After all at that point you

are accustomed to the habit of

work. Moreover, man has no

limits on his greed for money and

success. So chances are you will

continue. Considering this, is it

surprising at all that the rate of

divorces and broken homes has

increased? If we are all building

our bank balances and

whitewashing our relationship

treasures what more could you

expect? Relationships like our

work lives require time and

effort.

This does not mean that money is

bad. Making money is an

essential need. Money is the

mechanism that gets you fed and

clothed and keeps you warm.

Without money you can’t survive.

What is bad is the continuous

unnecessary pressure of

deadlines and work. Stress over

mistakes and panic over missed

deals. Mother earth is abundant.

There are enough resources in

the world for everyone to live

abundantly. Yet employers push

their employees and their

employees push theirs in turn

when they become bosses. Thus

the vicious cycle continues.

At the other end of the spectrum,

you have those persons who are

content with their lives. They

enjoy their job security, work 9 to

5 with no ambitions to climb up

and are happy in their

comfortable safe lives. They are

content and seem somewhat

passive in nature. We judge them

as lacking in ambition in reality

Is there a middle road to having

enough time with your family,

maintaining your hobbies and yet

excelling in your careers? I don’t

know. Frankly such “balance”

may exist and can be attained.

However, there will continue to

be times where you find yourself

in a tug of war, usually between

family and work.

they never really move up and

are not candidates for

promotions. They don’t mind.

Are they really lacking in

ambition? Such judgmental

notions are the source of all

idiosyncrasies. Such people

simply chose a different path.

They prefer a comfortable and

secure life rather than a frantic

tight scheduled agenda. Both

groups comprise of individuals

with unlimited potential. Does

one group use their potential less

compared to the other? It is but a

matter of choices.

What do you do then?

People say prioritize. Priorities

are subjective to an individual.

What one may feel as important

the other might find secondary.

So it all boils down to the

individual.

At the end of the day all we really

can do to survive in such a fast

paced environment is to enjoy

every single second of our lives

“Whichever path we

chose, let us never

forget to be alive”


Sadaff Habib is a lawyer by profession working with Ahmed Ibrahim in association

with Fenwick Elliott. She specializes in construction law and arbitration.

Sadaff says about herself:

“I am a fun loving yet serious person! My ambition in life is to be the best I can be in

everything I do.”

Recently I read George Carlin’s The Paradox of Our Time. Simply and beautifully he has narrated the status of

our world. In his first passage he says,

“The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but

narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and

smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge,

but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.”

Whichever path we chose, let us never forget to be alive.

be it working, chasing our

dreams, spending time with our

loved ones or doing whatever

else with love. The funny thing is

even with all these future plans,

schedules, deadlines, family

commitments all you really have

is the present moment. This thing

called NOW is where all the

action takes place. So no matter

which way we decide to swing let

us make our NOW wonderful and

beautiful for us and those around

us. If you stop and think about it,

it is the only way to cope and

actually live.

DID YOU KNOW?

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ITS ALL ABOUT FROGS AND PUMPKINS

Fairytales, just stories or more than that By Richa Khera

icture this, a little girl, walking

with her mum on the

streets during a rainy season. She

spots a frog and squeaks in

excitement to her mum “Look

Mom!! Frog !! Can I kiss it ??“

Her mother makes a disgusted

face and thinks “What did I give

her for breakfast.. Oh her father

made her breakfast today” But

anyway, she says “Why would

you like to kiss that frog

sweetie?”

And the little girl replied “Well..

It’ll turn into a handsome young

price and he’ll marry me and keep

me happy for ever and ever after”.

I’m sure you know the story that

little girl referred to. Yes, The

Princess and the Frog.

P These stories that most of us

have grown up with are fairy

tales. What is a fairy tale? A

fairy tale is a fictional story

mostly meant for children. It is

usually fanciful and includes

And above all, Fairy

Tales Develop a

Child’s Imagination!


heroic deeds and mystical and

magical creatures such as

dragons, elves, trolls etc and the

purpose of fairy tales is to

entertain and amuse children.

But, have we considered these

fairy tales to be more than just

amusement?

Albert Einstein said “If you want

your children to be intelligent,

read them fairy tales. If you want

them to be more intelligent, read

them more fairy tales”

Getting down to how children

can be affected by fairy tales,

Have you realized how..

Fairy tales can show kids how to

handle problems

We learn from the characters in

stories, even as adults. They help

us because we connect them to

our own lives, dreams, anxieties,

and consider what we would do if

we were in their shoes

Another wise man said - “Fairy

tales do not tell children the

dragons exist. Children already

know that dragons exist. Fairy

tales tell children the dragons can

be killed.” (―G.K. Chesterton)

Fairy Tales can help Build

Emotional Resiliency in children

They show real life issues in a

fantastical scenario where most

often the hero triumphs. Children

need to discover in a safe

environment that bad things

happen to everyone. Because

guess what? No one in life is

immune from challenges — so

we need to build capacity in our

children. Do we build emotional

muscles so that they can hang on

during tough times or do we

shelter them, protecting them,

leaving them so weak they can’t

handle anything requiring

strength?

Fairy Tales Teach Lessons

When I was a child, I used fear

lying thinking my nose would

grow long!! Well something did

mess up because my nose is

really round today!

Use fairy tales to teach morals

and lessons. What can you learn

from Goldilocks? How about

Cinderella or Jack and the

Beanstalk? Let your kids think

about it!

And above all, Fairy Tales

Develop a Child’s Imagination!

Fairy tales are magical. They may

provide a window to another

world, a chance to look beyond

the mundane. They may provide

Fairy Tales Give Parents

Opportunities to Teach Critical

Thinking Skills

In a recent research it was found

that a large bunch of parents

usually disagree with Disney’s

The Little Mermaid. A girl

abandoning her life for a boy is

not the kind of role model you’d

like to set for your daughters

right? Even the original version

shows a weak woman who dies

for the man. (But at least she

suffers the consequences!)

Sheltering doesn’t give kids

critical thinking skills. Exposure

and guided conversation does!

“We learn from

the characters in

stories, even as

adults.”


Richa Khera is a User Experience Designer at Mobitrans. She designs mobile

applications. .She was raised and did her schooling in Dubai, UAE. She travelled

to India to pursue her engineering and designing.

Richa says about herself:

I love reading, also reading about the most random stuff on this planet. I love

listening to music and sometimes dancing to it when no one’s watching. I am

very interested in understanding and observing human behavior and in the

study of emotions.

Having said that, at the end of the day, we all wanted to sleep with a pea below our

mattress to find out if we were a princess or to fix it when we messed up, we made a trail

while walking into the woods like Hansel and Gretel we always imagined that carpet in our

house was magical and it would fly and we never took apples from strangers. We also

never stopped ourselves from approaching beasts of men and we’d always keep our eyes

open for a big bad wolf if something didn’t seem right. We are living these lessons every

day and all we need to do now is REMEMBER IT! And to pass it on!

a means of relief from some of

this world's troubles simply in

their otherworldliness. However,

this otherworldliness is one of

the many questioned virtues of

fairy tales. Some people worry

that fairy tales do not give a

truthful rendition of life. They

fear such stories are therefore

unhealthy for children.

DID YOU KNOW?

“When I was 10, I read fairy tales in secret. Now that I am 50 I read them openly. When I became a man I put

away childish things, including the fear of childishness.” C S LEWIS

Origins

The term “fairy tale” was coined in the late 17th century by Madame D’Aulnoy (1650-1705). Like her

contemporary Charles Perrault, d’Aulnoy was a keen collector of folk tales, which she rewrote as

entertainments for her Parisian salon. These were centuries-old stories from different cultures which had been

passed on orally.

Defining a “fairy” as distinct from a “folk” tale is a subject of heated debate among folklorists. About the only

thing on which they agree is that the presence of “fairies” isn’t required. It was only in the mid-19th century

that fairy tales became associated with children.

DUBAI CHAPTER WELCOMES

YOU TO THE CLUB


WELCOME ABOARD

NEW MEMBER

RESOURCES

Toastmasters International

provides many resources to

ensure you have a successful

start in the Toastmasters

program.

RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT

www.toastmasters.org

Toastmasters Recognition (Item

1212) Description of each of the

Toastmasters educational awards

and how to earn them.

Master Your Meetings (Item 1312)

Make your meetings more

effective with this handbook.

Think Fast! Table Topics™

Handbook (Item 1315) Excel in

your role as Topicsmaster using

these six easy-to-remember

outlines.

Chat Pack (Item 1319) Practice

impromptu speaking with these

fun cards.

A Toastmaster Wears Many Hats

(Item 1167D) Excellent resource

for learning Toastmasters meeting

roles quickly.

Word of the Day (Item 1415)

Increase your vocabulary one day

at a time with these handy cards.

When You’re the Introducer (Item 1167E) Includes useful tips for preparing and delivering an introduction.

Swapna Nair Member since: May 2013

Mentored by: TM Beena George

Occupation Owner/Managing Director

Organization Dream Doers Training and Management

Consultancy (it's my own dream firm - just being

set up)

Hobbies/Interests Spending quality time with my 2 little kids and

family. Being of use to others.

Testimonial Toastmasters is a great platform to improve

yourself in all areas which is why I'm back after 11

years after discontinuing in 2002 due to personal

and professional schedule pressures. I feel it is

one of the most productive ways to spend your

spare time.

Message Toastmasters is a program that gives you as much

as you put in. It's got lots of goodies to grab but

each one has to embrace it full heartedly and

extend our hand to give and take help from other

members.

Jawad Hafeez

Member since: May 2013

Mentored by: TM Abdel Rahman Al Housseiny

Occupation Front Office System Manager

Organization MAF Hypermarkets (Carrefour)

University Currently enrolled at SZABIST for EMBA

Hobbies/Interests Cricket

Motivation to

join Toastmasters

To improve communication skills


WELCOME ABOARD

Buti Al Jumairi Member since: June 2013

Mentored by: TM Gemma Zust

I, Buti Aljumairi (born Nov 1972), currently the Director

of Government Relations in DP World. I founded ASAS

Management Consultants, a private investment and

business advisory firm in Dubai UAE, after earlier

holding leadership roles at both private and public-

sector organizations within the country.

I have overseen a broad portfolio of private companies

with interests spanning from real estate, Finance and

Development, Education, Consumer Savings Products,

Retail and Corporate Banking.

In government, I served as an Executive Director – HR,

Finance & ADM in Dubai Customs and as a Senior

Manager of Dubai Office (Private office of the

Government of Dubai).

In Dubai Customs, I oversaw the establishment of

Dubai Customs Training Centre, a state-of-the-art

facility with an objective to rapidly enhance Dubai’s

reputation as a center of excellence for customs

related education and training in the region.

Prior to that, I held the role of Chief Financial Officer of

the National Bonds Corporation, the parent of National

Bonds, the Sharia-compliant national savings scheme

of the UAE.

During that time, I was a member of the board of

directors of a range of organizations, including Deyaar

Property Development, Global Glass Solutions (Glass

Factory) and Taleem (Schools Operator) . I also served

as a member of the Investment Committee of National

Bonds Corporation, and a Chairman of the Audit

Committee for Deyaar Development.

As well, I was previously part of an audit team of the

banking sector within the Finance Audit Department of

the Government of Dubai. During this tenure, I

practiced being an Expert Witness for cases assigned

by Dubai Courts.

I hold a MBA from the American University of Sharjah,

a Bachelors’ degree in Finance from California State

University, Long Beach - USA and in the process of

pursuing a Post-Graduation (Phd) in the field of

Strategic Management & Change.


WELCOME ABOARD

Simi V.A. Member since: June 2013

Mentored by: TM Abdel Rahman

Usama Agha

Member since: July 2013

Mentored by: TM Aadil Kadri

Richa Khera

Member since: July 2013

Mentored by: TM Abdel Rahman

Vinay Satheesh Member since: July 2013

Mentored by: TM Deepak Gulati

Occupation Procurement Consultant

Organization Bauerfeind Middle East Fz LLC

Hobbies/Interests Tennise , Basket Ball, Painting , Music

Motivation to

join Toastmasters

To improve my public speaking skills.

Occupation User Experience Designer

Organization Mobitrans

Hobbies/Interest I love reading & listening to music,

dancing when no one’s watching.

Interested in observing human

behavior and in the study of emotions

Occupation Private Equity Analyst

Organization The Abraaj Group

Hobbies/Interests Fitness, Sports hunting,

Finance/Politics, Macro Economics

Motivation to join

Toastmasters

Practice Public Speaking

Occupation Property Manager

Organization Fortes Holdings

Hobbies/Interests Sports, Movies & Driving

Motivation to join

Toastmasters

"To perform better, the capability of

public speaking is very important"

Arpit Kothari Member since: August 2013

Mentored by:

Occupation Banking (Analytics)

Organization Mashreq Bank

Hobbies/Interests Biking, Singing, Vocabulary building,

reading non- fiction books, trekking,

playing Table Tennis, cricket, watching

movies

Motivation to join

Toastmasters

Improving communication skills in

Informal Setups


WELCOME ABOARD

Khodor Taj. Member since:August 2013

Mentored by: TM Abdul Khaliq

Puneet Joshi Member since: August 2013

Mentored by: TM Aadil Kadri

Name David Carl Ramskill Name Tirath Mistry

Member since August 2013 Member since July 2013

Mentored by TM Gemma Zust Mentored by TM Deepak Gulait

Name Mehta Archit Name Harshad Nangarath

Member since August 2013 Member since June 2013

Mentored by TM VP Menon Mentored by TM Sandeep Adnani

Name Jose Williams Name Smita Fizel

Member since July 2013 Member since June 2013

Mentored by TM Beena George Mentored by TM Seetha Sagaran

Saurav Kumar Member since: August 2013

Mentored by: TM Seetha Sagaran

Occupation Project Manager

Organization DIFC

Hobbies/Interests Photography

Motivation to

join Toastmasters

Learn communication & speaking skills

Occupation Banker

Organization Emirates NBD

Hobbies/Interests Theater, Singing, Water sports

Motivation to join

Toastmasters

Heard about the club from a friend of

mine (TM Arpit Kothari) and joined to

ameliorate my public speaking and for

networking

Occupation Compliance Officer

Organization Kaloti Jewellery International

Hobbies/Interests Playing music instruments

Motivation to join

Toastmasters

My brother motivated me to join

Toastmasters. I attended a meeting

and i decided to join. It is a unique club

where members help each other to

improve communication skills,

personality development,

management and leadership skills.


DUBAI CHAPTER – HALL OF FAME

REVITALIZING THE MOMENTS Recapping the meetings – July & Sept 2013

Meeting No. 464 – Dated 8th July, 2013

Theme of the Meeting White

Toastmaster of the Day TM Smita Fizel

Best Role Player TM Smita Fizel

Best Table Topic Speaker TM Sadaff Habib

Best Evaluator TM Abdel Rahman Al Houssseiny

Best Speaker TM Saleha Ambreen

“White” a New Beginning

DYNAMIC

TMODS

BEST SPEAKERS

BEST EVALUTORS

Club

Dubai Chapter

Project Speakers

EVALUATORS

Committed Role Players



Meeting No. 465 – Dated 22nd July, 2013

Theme of the Meeting Spirit of Ramadan

Toastmaster of the Day TM Qaiser Amin

Best Role Player TM Beena George

Best Evaluator TM VP Menon

Best Speaker TM Sandeep Adnani

Meeting No. 466 – Dated 5th August, 2013

Theme of the Meeting Friendship Day

Toastmaster of the Day TM VP Menon

Best Evaluator TM Akshata

Best Speaker TM Beena George

Spirit of Ramadan



Joint Meeting Emirates TM & Dubai Chapter – Dated 14th August, 2013

Theme of the Meeting Super Villains – That We Always Love

Toastmasters of the Day TM Pradeep (ETC) & TM Abdul Khaliq (DC)

Best Table Topic Speaker TM Ramnath (ETC)

Best Evaluator TM Aadil Kadri (DC)

Best Speaker TM Sam Kodeih (ETC)

Best Vicious Laugh TM Ramnath (ETC) & TM Michelle (DC)

Meeting No. 468 – Dated 4th September, 2013

Theme of the Meeting Literacy Day

Toastmaster of the Day TM Deepak Gulati

First Time Ribbon TM Buti Al Jumairi

Best Role Player TM Vijay Balan

Best Evaluator TM Sandeep Adnani

Best Speaker TM Sadaff Habib

Super Villains – That We Will Always Love




Theme of the Meeting International Peace Day

Toastmasters of the Day TM Michelle Vanvelzon

Best Table Topic Speaker TM Arshad

Best Evaluator TM Abdel Rahman

Best Speaker TM Abdul Khaliq


Theme of the Meeting World Tourism Day

Toastmaster of the Day TM Swapna Nair

Best Role Player TM Swapna Nair

Best Evaluator TM Seetha Sagaran

Best Speaker TM Saleha Ambreen

Best Dressed TM Beena (F) & TM Deepak (M)

$OUVENIR

A L L Y O U N E E D is this issue of Orator and answer the questions

C A N ’ T G E T A N Y S I M P L E R ! ! !

ANSWER THESE SIMPLE

Q U E S T I O N S

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A FROM TOASTMASTERS

Email your response to TM Abdul Khaliq VP PR @ [email protected] by 30th November, 2013

Tedious? Not to worry. A link will be sent with these Q&A. All you need to do is

√ (tick). Simple, right? Then what are you waiting for, WINNING* is just a click away

* The winner will be picked up by a draw in case of more than one correct entry

Q1: How many meeting did we have during Q1 of 2013-14?

Q7: How many DCP points Dubai Chapter has so far?

a) 12 b) 7 c) 8

a) 4 b) 9 c) 10

Q2: Who said “I am proud to hold the torch”? Q8: How many Toastmasters paid tribute to DTM Uma?

a) TM Gemma b) Dr. Ralph Smedley c) TM Kannan

a) 17 b) 16 c) 15

Q3: The club ____________ is responsible for club records and correspondence.

Q9: Who spoke about “Learning Inspiration, Meeting Expectation, Motivation?

a) President b) SAA c) Secretary

a) TM Velu b) TM Abdel Rahman c) TM Deepak

Q4: Who was the TMOD of our meeting no. 466?

Q10: In whose article mother made a disgusting face?

a) TM VP Menon b) TM Smita c) TM Qaiser

a) TM Richa b) TM Ryan c) TM Aadil

Q5: TM __________ wrote “How can you convince others if you don’t believe it?”

Q11: Who believes “whichever path we chose, let us never forget to be alive”?

a) TM Ashok b) TM Ryan c) TM Sandeep

a) TM Manish b) TM Swapna c) TM Sadaff

Q6: A delicious recipe by TM ___________

Q12: Who likes to sing in the choir, play squash & stay fit?

a) TM Michelle b) TM Aadil c) TM Seetha

a) TM Ambuj b) TM Beena c) TM Gaurav

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