Download - Communiqué - June 2015
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TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai
June 2015
Thank You My Mentor
Involve To Evolve
The Trip To Kashid
COMMUNIQUÉ
And a lot more inside...
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Editorial
Dear Readers,
Be it at home, or at workplace, in every sphere of our lives, we have a mentor. Let’s take a moment and thank
those special toastmasters who wholeheartedly put efforts to make us better leaders and communicators - our
mentors.
The mentors and mentees eventually develop a camaraderie and work coherently towards the growth of the
club thereby contributing in completing club goals. For the third time, since the foundation of TCS Maitree
Toastmasters Club, the club was recognized with the prestigious Golden Gavel, awarded by District 41. We could
only accomplish this milestone because of the dedication shown by each and every club member. Thanks to all
the members of our club for their enthusiasm and efforts in helping the club scale greater heights.
Welcome to the Sixth edition of Communiqué!
Have fun as you browse through the pages of this exciting new edition full of wonderful articles and updates
from the club!
Looking forward to your suggestions.
Happy Reading!
Editorial Team
Please send your feedback, comments
and creative ideas for future issues to:
Editorial Team
Neha Agarwal, Mohit Sharma
Somnath Bhattacharjee, Kriti Gupta
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I nside this issue
Scarcity was Bliss………………………………………………………………………………………….…....1
If you think, you Can!..…..……..……………………………………………………………………………….2
Joint Meeting………...…...…………………………………………………………………………………….3
Is this the Place?...... .....…..……...…………………………………………………………………………….4
Involve To Evolve……….....……..……………………………………………………………………………..5
The Trip To Kashid...……....…………………………………………….………………………………………7
Speech Marathon. .....…..………………………………………………………………………………………9
Together but Alone.....…..………..…………………………………………………………………………...10
Thank You My Mentor.………………………………………………………………………………………...11
Contest Season…. .....…..……..………………………………………………………………………………15
Rendezvous……………... …...…….…………………………………………………………………………17
Club Achievers…………………………………………………………………………………………………19
Club Achievements...…………….....………………………………………………………………………….21
Know Your Ex-Com.……………………………………………………………………………………………23
Oration 2015……………………………………………………………………………………………………25
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I t’s still crystal clear in my mind, the days when I sat on the carrier of my fa-
ther’s bicycle and he paddled towards the lush ‘Sabzi Mandi’ near our house. It
used to be thronged by humans from all strata of the society, clad in all possible
colors one could think of and trying all possible tricks to get to the vendors first.
There was no refrigerator to keep the vegetables fresh, so the daily pilgrimage
to the market became a ritual followed with utmost austerity. There was a high
probability of meeting a formidable aunt or a ‘granny’s–uncle’s-son’s-wife’s-
nephew’, who would be more than happy to buy me a ‘Kismi Bar’. It was such a
treat!
There were countless things that could entice a young girl like me. Iridescent
glass bangles made a rainbow in the middle of the market, the polka dotted red
skirt kept me longing for it a great while, ice-cream vendors had their own ways
of garnering my attention and the florist’s elaborate stall laden with a rich as-
sortment of flowers had its own charm. The daily bicycle ride was a pleasure that
my heart would never forgo. It taught me that we cannot always have what we
want, instead for satisfaction, we need to share whatever we have.
the latent lessons of life. The scarcity of laptops and cell phones kept everyone’s lives simple. We read and appreciat-
ed, we dreamt and discussed. How can one mingle and grow with virtual people who have photo-shopped faces? Are
we not missing the warmth of the togetherness and the joy of meeting people who had so much to share...?
Sometimes I really wish I could rewind my life. The bliss of scarcity was my heaven on earth...What was yours?
Scarcity was Bliss
Being an avid reader, she
loves the magic world of
books. Writing and public
speaking have always been
her passion. She is an ad-
venture freak and never
misses any opportunity for
adventure sports. She also
has a taste for music and
loves to play the guitar.
Shruti Sinha
You might be wondering where is the
‘scarcity’ part of the entire thing? The an-
swer is - It is a part of each of the things
that made my childhood happy.
The scarcity of ‘shopping malls’ and
‘online vendors’ gave me innumerable
unforgettable moments with ‘Real Peo-
ple’. It gave me a chance to learn many of
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Ankit Dasgupta
He is a big foodie, a football
freak and a talented speak-
er. He is always curious to
learn all tidbits of public
speaking. Adventure runs in
his veins, he enjoys cycling,
biking, running and trekking.
He loves meeting new peo-
ple and making friends.
1 3th March 2015, standing on the podium in front of distinguished guests and
hosting a very prestigious ceremony... is an exhilarating experience.
The felicitation ceremony of the 13th batch of the Advanced Computer Training
Centre for the visually impaired was conducted by TCS at Banyan Park. The
educational program lasted for 45 days which included imparting critical soft-
ware knowledge to the visually impaired trainees with the support of
M N Banajee Home for Blind.
If you think, you Can!
The event was organized by TCS and it was graced by the presence of Commander Sabu Matthew, Corporate Head -
Administration, TCS and Ms. Nina Screwvalla, Global Head of TCS Maitree. The dedication and zeal showed by the 11
trainees was mind blowing. It was indeed a privilege to be the Master of Ceremony and contribute to this thoughtful
initiative by TCS Maitree team. After talking to the trainees and getting to know them better, I realized that if you
have the determination and dedication to achieve, what you think you can, then nothing will be an obstacle for you.
The acknowledgment received from the audience in the form of a round of applause was the signal of a job well
done. I was happy to represent TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club at such a glorious event and make our club proud. In
the end, for all those talented trainees, I would like to say,
“Life's battles don't always go to the stronger and the fastest man,
But sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.”
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Joint Meeting T CS Maitree Toastmasters Club con-
ducted its 335th session as a joint meeting
with Dadar Toastmasters Club on February
7th, 2015. The meeting was made possible
due to the joint efforts of TM Dushyant
Songaonkar (TCS Maitree Toastmasters
club) and TM Harshal Kulkarni (Dadar
Toastmasters club) who co-ordinated with
both the club members to organize the
joint session. The session was an eclectic
mix of fun and learning. Presiding Officer,
TM Nikhil Salvi (Dadar Toastmasters Club)
entertained the audience with a quick quiz
on the starting date of renowned and veteran clubs across the world. Since the theme of the meeting was “Kishore
Kumar - The King of Melodies”, the audience enjoyed the musical atmosphere throughout the session with melodi-
ous songs and impromptu singing. Starting right away with the song ‘Yeh shaam mastaani..’, Toastmaster of the Day,
TM Ankit Dasgupta (TCS Maitree Toastmasters club), set the tone for the meeting and hooked the audience with
interesting revelations about the legendary Kishore Kumar.
The prepared speakers enthralled the audience and at the same time offered some insights and lessons as a take
away. The role players from both the clubs enthusiastically participated and helped in conducting the meeting
smoothly.
The meeting was concluded by Presiding Officer, TM Krishnadas Nair (TCS Maitree Toastmasters club) where he fe-
licitated the winners and articulated the memorable, mystical, musical nature of the session.
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Up above there somewhere, they sure do hear me say
Some answers for some questions, followed by confusions
Inside a heart there is a thought, which always does sway
Is this the place you made, for all of us to stay?
I see the beauty in the sky, I see it on the ground
Nature in harmony, with everything around
But something is still missing, and everyone is at fight
Beauty in the inside is nowhere to be found
The calm blue sky above us, appears now to be grey
Inside a heart there is a thought, which always does sway
Is this the place you made, for all of us to stay?
We hear the jingling coins, and the cuckoo sings alone
More than love and peace in mind, greed is what we own
The eyes instead of rainbow colors, see color of the skin
Smiling faces but anger in heart, deception is now the way
Inside a heart there is a thought, which always does sway
Is this the place you made, for all of us to stay?
I stand amazed and wondering, they look at me and smile
To show that their creation, is not at all fragile
Just then I see two small and pure souls, giggling by my side
Ignorant smiling faces, little hands and feet agile
Only love surrounding them and nothing there to hide
The sight that I witnessed there, then made me to realize
The beauty that our hearts carry, weighs more than its size
The thought that I had in my heart now starts to go away
This place is not what they gave us, but we made it this way
Let’s restore the lost faith, love and peace, so someday we can say
This is the place we always dreamt, for all of us to stay!!
Is this the Place?
He has keen interest in sports,
stand-up comedy and movies.
He loves penning down his
thoughts in the form of beau-
tiful poems.
He is known for his subtle
sense of humour. Talking
about the musical instruments
he plays, mouth organ, guitar,
violin, and the list is endless.
Mohit Sharma
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H erbert Spencer in his book ‘Principles of Biology (1864)’ advocates the
preservation of favored races in the struggle for life; also known as ‘survival of
the fittest’. Isn’t it true even in our everyday life? Stronger the communication,
better are the chances of survival in a fiercely competitive professional world.
A common misconception amongst the majority is that you are either a born
good orator or you can’t become one. Communication skills are something in-
herent in a selected few. Hence, those selected few hold an upper hand at sur-
vival in the day to day rat race. Even I patronized this school of thought until I
stumbled upon a platform called Toastmasters International.
In reality, you are neither a ‘born’ good orator nor can you ‘become’ one; you
can only ‘evolve’. The World Champion of Public Speaking, Dananjaya
Hettiarachchi in his winning speech ‘I See Something’ states that everyone is
unique. Public speaking or communication skills are not an exception. It's only
perception that makes us feel that some individuals are better than others.
During my journey as a Toastmaster, I too, have observed the same. Be it im-
mense confidence, powerful expressions, overwhelming stage presence, pleas-
ant body language or even a simple smile, everyone brings something wonderful
to the podium making them unique. The path from being unique to a great pub-
lic speaker is just a matter of evolution.
Involve To Evolve
He is a movie buff and a
football fan.
His innate skills are incom-
parable when it comes to
public speaking and inter-
personal communication.
Besides oratory, he also has
a hidden talent of singing.
He loves hanging out with
friends. Being a foodie, he
also likes exploring differ-
ent food joints.
Pramod Mohandas
“The secret to become a great orator lies in participation.”
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How can you ‘evolve’?
Toastmasters program, through a holistic education track, sequential meeting structure, roles on offer and onus on
feedback yearns to involve as many people as possible in a session. The theory of evolution into a good public speak-
er is in fact, ‘ Involve to Evolve’.
The more you participate in meetings, the more you can improve through constructive feedback. Regularly attempt-
ing project speeches, attending trainings, conferences and contests expose you to experienced and professional
speakers who help you learn techniques and tricks to hone communication skills.
The secret to become a great orator lies in participation.
Involve yourself in Toastmasters program and ‘evolve’ your communication skills. The next time you have an oppor-
tunity to take up a meeting role, give a project speech, participate in a contest or even attend a meeting, just grab it
with both hands.
If only Henry Spencer
had written his book
today, he sure would
agree that in a bid to
survive the jargons of
a competitive life, you
need to ‘Involve to
Evolve’.
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T he World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. With that thought
and of course to get away from the archaic weekday blues, we, the Toast-
masters, went on a two day Trip to Kashid on 31st January, 2015.
It all started with just a thought of planning a weekend trip and having fun
together somewhere, but what added cherry on top was a bunch of 20
Toastmasters, who made it to the trip on the serene beach and scenic
beauty of Kashid.
When we all started the journey, we couldn't wait to reach the destination. But soon everybody realized that a jour-
ney is best measured in friends rather than miles. Somewhere between laughing like retards at jokes, clicking pic-
tures and making videos all the time, we never realized when we reached the destination, enjoying the entire expe-
rience of travelling in that jetty over the Arabian Sea.
Her knowledge of movies is
so much that she is known as
the database of movies. Be
careful while challenging her
in dumb charades!
She loves to pen down her
thoughts in the form of po-
ems. She also likes traveling
and exploring different plac-
es. She aspires to become a
successful orator.
Awani Sharma
The Trip To Kashid
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Nobody wanted to return from that beautiful place but it was the company of all, which actually made the memo-
ries beautiful. So, with a promise to plan more such trips in future, we returned to Mumbai. But there is a kind of
magic about going far away and then coming back all changed. So are we....more Enthusiastic, more Delighted and
more Bonded than before!!!
Also known as the Goa of Maharashtra, this is one place that is a much
sought after destination for the quintessential beach-guy/girl in you. We
wasted no time and went to Kashid beach where we played in water,
enjoyed water sports, had long walks on its beautiful black sand and
basked ourselves in the glory of its beautiful sunset. Then the DJ at mid-
night followed by bonfire with soothing notes of guitar and melodious
songs was just like icing on the cake.
“The World is a Book, and those who do not travel read only a page. Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. ”
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Speech Marathon 1 4th February 2015, love was in the air. The love for toastmasters platform was surely evident on Valentine’s Day
when the speakers, the role players and the audience gathered at TCS Neptune, Thane, for the 336th session of TCS
Maitree Toastmasters Club.
While most of the speeches were centred on love, affection and Valentine’s Day, there were few others that inspired
the audience to pursue their hobbies and follow their dreams without considering age as bar.
Followed by the speeches, there was an Induction Session conducted by Toastmaster Chinmaya Dave to give an over-
view about Toastmasters International. Through the use of visual aids, he explained what is Toastmasters Internation-
al, its history, how it operates along with its organizational and structural hierarchy. He also spoke about the history
of TCS Maitree Toastmasters club and the awards it has received in the past.
He then invited Toastmaster Raunak Kulwal and Toastmaster Krishnadas Nair to answer the queries of the audience.
The session was concluded with an evaluation round where evaluators provided their feedback for the prepared
speeches. The members learnt more about their club and the nitty-gritties of good speech.
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S mart phone has made our life so much better. It will not be wrong to say
that it has become our closest friend, the one we will do anything for, drop any-
thing for, and even break away from an important conversation to be with. Al-
most all of us have that ubiquitous green and white icon on our home pages.
WhatsApp, sure has changed the way we communicate.
We live in an era of instant communication. We instantly message, we instantly
reply and if someone breaks this protocol, we instantly assume they hate us. I
too used to be a fan of WhatsApp like most of the people. With the introduction
of latest feature of double blue ticks, let’s pay condolences to the privacy that is
left behind and also a
minute of silence to our
evergreen excuse
“Sorry yaar, just saw my
phone!”
This is what WhatsApp
has done to our social
life. About my personal
life, I realized that after
Together but Alone
She is optimist and a fun
loving person.
She enjoys travelling, trek-
king and exploring nature.
To her adventure is freeing
oneself in the arms of na-
ture.
She believes that every-
thing happens for a reason.
So, one should live in the
moment.
Jyoti Purohit
waking up in the morning, the first thing I would do was to check Facebook and WhatsApp. I was always sleeping late
and spending considerable time on FB doing nothing but clicking links until I forgot what I was actually looking at. It
was a routine for me. Sometimes I remember those conversations that I used to have with my friends, but when I talk
to the same people on WhatsApp, I could hardly remember anything. Cleary this shows an alarming need to shift fo-
cus from “Phones” to “Faces”. It seems evident to me, we are getting used to a way of being alone, together. Aren’t
we tired of being socially sanskari??
Enough!! I’m not letting FB and WhatsApp take up a chunk of my productive hours. I have taken a sabbatical from
WhatsApp and other instant messaging apps like Facebook messenger etc. and trust me, it feels surprisingly pleasant.
Life is more beautiful now.
And with that, I’ll leave you with a beautiful line written by Gary Turk
“Look away from the phone, shut down the display. Take in your surroundings, make the most of today."
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I n learning you will teach and in teaching you will learn.
This learning and sharing cycle has two key points or people; a mentee and a mentor. In this edi-
tion dedicated for thanking the mentors, let me share my insights about the wonderful mentors,
I am lucky to have, who have shaped my journey in Toastmasters.
She reviewed my First speech (P1) even before she became my mentor; she was destined to be
my mentor, it seems. A charming personality who has loads of tal-
ent, she is a person who believes in perfection. A strong diction and
a good command over the English language, she taught me the nitty-
gritty of speech writing. Having repeated conversations over phone
just to make my speech develop the content worth delivering, solving
my silly doubts about the content, she always had the perseverance
to make me improve. Motivating me even after a speech was not up
to the mark, she made me confident to become a better speaker.
And not only speeches, she was also there to give me suggestions on
any role I took up, be it the Contest Chair or the Master of Ceremony. She is the Immediate
Past President of TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club. Thank you SURABHI KINARIWALA for being
there always and making me move ahead in Toastmasters.
He is one of the pioneers of TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club. He has a plethora of knowledge
with regards to Toastmasters. Ask him about any Speech in any
International Contest, he knows it all. He became my mentor when
I was preparing for the International Speech Contest, and I can
truly say, the minute details needed in a contest speech, be it
content, delivery, gestures or pace, no one could have made me
understand them better than him. His step by step process for
making a perfect speech makes me ponder that he should take this up professionally. Under his
mentorship my public speaking skills have improved leaps and bounds. He is the Assistant Lieuten-
ant Governor-Education and Training of District 41. Thank you CHINMAYA DAVE for bearing with
me patiently and making me a better speaker. It is rightly said,
“A mentor helps you to see the beauty in your dreams.”
-ANKIT DASGUPTA
Thank You My Mentor
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Thanks a lot NILESH for your assistance
and intellectual support for introducing me
to club. I look forward to relying on your
expertise and advice to become a confident
by the comments she made on my speech
reviews. Her perspective, personality and
thought process came out through those
comments. Thanks Namrata, for making me
a better speaker, a better person and
constant support, I got to know
my strengths & my weaknesses. He moti-
vates me to be a better version of myself
every passing day. I would like to thank my
mentor PRAMOD for his constant guidance
Thank you
SURABHI for
teaching me
that every
speech is not
a contest
speech.
And motivating me when I almost gave up
the hope of becoming a better communicator.
Thanks for devoting your time and being kind
and patient, while correcting my mistakes.
Your suggestions like reading books, delivering
book talk and writing diary have been won-
derful for my growth.
When NAMRATA
became my men-
tor, she was in
Lucknow. I never
even met her
once by that
time. I knew her
above all a better receiver.
My men-
tor has a
plethora
of
knowledge
and with
his
speaker. and support.
-ASHUTOSH CHATURVEDI -ANKIT JAIN
-AWANI SHARMA -ANKIT MAHAJAN
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Thank You My Mentor
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Thank you MOHIT for all that you have done
for the club and thank you for your support
and guidance. You are a great influence in my
life ranging from the kind of speeches to write,
roles to undertake, professional decisions to a
reality check of what I wanted to achieve and
what I have achieved. I hope I make you
proud one day :D
within the boundaries of Toastmasters but
also within the four walls of office cubical. I
never hesitate to ask for his help, be it for
reviewing speech or be it related to concerns
in office. Over the past one year, more than
a manager he has become a good friend of
review, he treats like his own, and gives
cerebral recommendations. PK- You are my
customer care centre, as you said it once “I
am available 24 * 7” and YES! YOU ARE!!
Keep motivating, keep guiding, and Stay in
action – PARAKH KUKREJA – you Rock!!!
It is tough to be champion but it is tougher
to bring champion out of other people.
PRAMOD, you are not only champion speaker,
but you also have the knack to create cham-
pion. Thank you for being my mentor.
PK
(Perfectionist
Kind) When-
ever I share
my speech for
-SAMEER PATIL -NEHA AGARWAL
-ANKUSH MARWAHA -NAMRATA SRIVASTAVA
Calm, composed,
cool —such is
the personality
of DUSHYANT.
He is my mentor
not only
mine.
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Thank You My Mentor
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A very level headed humorous personality!
SAMEER has the knack of reading between
the lines n understand the feelings behind
any speech I have asked him to review... an
ideal mentor
way that it builds people up, encourages and
edifies them so that they can duplicate this
attitude. I have seen all emotions in
CHINMAYA. He is a good mentor, a dedicated
Toastmaster and above all a good friend of
Blessed is
the person,
who has a
mentor
who never
allows the
mentee to quit and that too, in a very crea-
tive way. PRAMOD knows art of getting the
work done even if I don't do well. Empowered
with efficacious communication techniques, he
never allows me to Give up in my Toastmas-
ters journey! Thanks Pramod!
-DUSHYANT SONGAONKAR
-NILESH MISHRA -KRISHNADAS NAIR
He is a
leader
who influ-
ences
others in
such a
genuine and motivational feedback after
each speech and even after each role. His
speech reviews are really commendable. He
is a perfectionist by nature. ANKIT DAS-
GUPTA, I am really grateful to have you as
A mentor who
made me walk in
the magical world
of public speaking.
He not only re-
viewed my speeches
but also gave
my mentor. -RAJESWARY NAIR
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mine.
Thank You My Mentor
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Contest Season T CS Maitree Toastmasters Club's International Speech and Table Topics Contest was held on March 1, 2015 at TCS
Powai. With International Speech Contest Chair Kannagi Mishra, Table Toics Contest Chair Pragya Mittal, and Sear-
geant At Arms team including Rishabh Singla, Pramod Mohandas and Chinmaya Dave, contest became a sacred plat-
form for a myriad of speakers to hone their public speaking skills. Chief Judge, Ruchin Bhavsar from Mumbai Toast-
masters Club along with his team assessed the contestants on various parameters and helped in making the event a
grand success.
For the International Speech Contest there were 8 enthusiastic speakers with exemplary speeches. The Table Topics
contest had 15 participants who were tested on their impromptu speaking abilities. The topic was "Sometimes you
need to run before you can walk".
International Speech Contest Participants
Parakh Kukreja, Ankush Marwaha, Ankit Dasgupta, Awani Shama,
Krishnadas Nair, Ankit Jain, Neha Agarwal, Dushyant Songaonkar
Table Topics Contest Participants
Anandkumar Deethi, Ankit Dasgupta, Ankit Jain, Ankit Mahajan,
Ankush Marwaha, Dushyant Songaonkar, Awani Shrama, Kriti
Gupta, Neha Agarwal, Nilesh Mishra, Parakh Kukreja, Raunak
Kulwal, Saikumar Iyer, Sameer Patil, Satyam Pandey
Winners
International Speech Contest : Awani Sharma
Table Topics Contest : Sameer Patil
March 15, 2015 saw many enthusiastic Toastmasters get up from their cosy and comfortable beds, to reach TCS Yan-
tra Park, Thane at 8 am in the morning. They were united for the event “Unite To Ignite”- The Joint area contest of
the three Areas D-3, D-6 and D-7.
Sergeant At Arms Kriti Gupta, Chief judge Nikhil Salvi (Dadar Toastmasters Club, Mulund Toastmasters Club) and his
team, Master of Ceremony Namrata Srivastava, Contest Chairs Shruti Pandit (Mumbai Toastmasters Club) and Atul
Morey (Bombay Toastmasters Club) made the event successful. Various dignitaries from Mumbai graced the occasion
with their presence.
The event was conducted smoothly without any glitches, due to the efforts put in by Mohit Chabbra, Jyoti Purohit,
Club Level International Speech and Table Topics Contest
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Sangam Auditorim, TCS Yantra park, Thane housed a spectacular full house Toastmasters event – 'Inspire 2015 Divi-
sion D Annual Conference' on Sunday 12th April, 2015. Members of various Toastmasters clubs across Maharashtra,
Gujrat and Madhya Pradesh came to the venue to be a part of Division D Annual Conference of 2015.
The event was successfully planned and organized with the support of Division D Governor JP Chaurasia, the confer-
ence conveners Raunak Kulwal, Kannagi Mishra and Pragya Mittal.
The conference witnessed the Division Level International Speech and Table Topics Contest and inspiring speeches by
the district officers: District Governor-Ritu Arora, Lieutenant Governor Education & Training-Brillian SK and Lieuten-
ant Governor Marketing-Chandrashekar DP.
Toastmaster Sameer Patil from TCS Maitree Toastmasters club, the winner of Area level contest, participated in the
Table Topics contest.
Toastmaster Deepka Ramnani as the Master of Ceremony, kept the atmosphere lively by his heavy dose of laughter.
Pramod Mohandas and Tarani Arunachalam (Recall Toastmasters Club) were flawless as they took the respective
roles of International Speech Contest Chair and Table Topics Contest Chair and conducted the spell bounding contest.
Several other Toastmasters gave their generous contribution as role players to make this event a successful and
memorable one.
Ashish Paithankar and Raunak Kul-
wal.
Awani Sharma and Sameer Patil
represented TCS Maitree Toast-
masters Club, Mumbai in Area D7
International Speech Contest and
Table Topics contest respectively.
Sameer Patil won the Area D7 Ta-
ble Topics contest and made the
club proud.
“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt...”
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Almost 13 years into TCS, he is a diversified personali-
ty. Known for his excellent presence of mind and
sense of humour, he has finished a full length Mara-
thon, swam across Arabian Sea, served as Club Secre-
tary, won Humorous Speech Contest and has many
more feats to his name. In short, Toastmaster Sameer
is an all-rounder; known for his never give up attitude.
Here is an excerpt from a small talk, Mohit had with
Sameer about his experience while representing our
club at the Division Level Table Topics Contest.
First of all, congratulations on winning the Area level Table Topics Contest. Tell us about your experience
while representing our club at the Division level.
Thanks Mohit. It was a great experience. More like a roller-coaster ride. You are scared when you are in it. But once it
is over, you want to take it one more time.
What was your motivation behind the participation in this contest?
I will be honest here. I was really uncomfortable with the idea of participating in the table topics contest. The only way
to overcome this fear was to participate. So, I jumped in.
Rendezvous
Mohit Sharma Sameer Patil
You have served our club from January - June 2014 as the Club Secretary in the Executive Committee. Tell
us about the challenges faced by you and your learning from that role.
The previous Executive Committee had set such high standards that it was tough to meet that level. But I enjoyed that
experience, especially the ex-com meetings. As a part of my job, I was supposed to create the meeting reports. This
experience really enriched my writing skills.
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‘Age is just a number’, you took this quote way too seriously. You swam all the way from Elephanta
Caves to Gateway of India, conquering the Arabian Sea.
What were the challenges that you faced in taking your hobby to a whole new level?
If I talk about the top most challenge, then it would be age. Though I really don’t think I am old ;). But when you enter
the water for a practice session, it is then you realize that you had worked hard the previous day. It is tough to recov-
er physically within 24 hours.
“Whether you believe it or not, there will be a big improvement in 7 months!”
How do you maintain balance between your personal and professional life along with all these things?
I have to give all the credit to my wife. She always supports me in all the endeavours. She takes extra responsibilities
so that I get that extra rest. For example she ends up driving me around over the weekends or getting up early with
me to cook some snacks before a practice session.
How has Toastmasters helped you groom as a person in your personal and professional life?
I must say I have come a long way. When I delivered my P1, my Ah-Um count was in double digits (individually). I
thought it would take me forever to improve. But the President (Mohit Chhabra) at that time told me, “Within 7
months, you will see a lot of improvement.” I am not sure how he had arrived at that formula but I was really able see
a lot of improvement in the next 7 months. The Toastmasters experience helped me in personal as well as profession-
al life. The ability to speak in front of an audience indirectly made me confident in other spheres of life.
What is your message for the new club members and fellow Toastmasters who aspire to participate in the
contests?
The key to succeed in the contest is attending sessions regularly. Every session is a new experience in itself. Every
speaker has something new to share. When you are armed with this experience of all the sessions, you are ready to
take on the contest challenge. I want to assure every new club member ( I hope they have continued reading so far),
“Whether you believe it or not, there will be a big improvement in 7 months!”.
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Club Achievers
Namrata Srivastava
ALB
Deepak Ramnani
ACB
Ankit Jain
ACB
Parakh Kukreja
CC, CL, ALB
Pramod Mohandas
CC, CL, ALB
Triple Crown Winners
You need to attain any three of the following to be eligible for winning the Triple crown Award:
Competent Communicator, Advanced Communication Bronze, Advanced Communication Silver, Advanced Commu-
nication Gold, Competent Leader, Advanced Leadership Bronze, Advanced Leadership Silver and Distinguished
Toastmaster.
Two members of our club achieved the title of Triple Crown.
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Ankit Dasgupta
CL
Surabhi Kinariwala
CL
Krishnadas Nair
CL
Sameer Patil
CC
Ashutosh Chaturvedi
CL
Dushyant Songaonkar
CC, CL
Neha Agarwal
CL
Raunak Kulwal
CL
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Club Achievements
Membership Payment Campaign
Award : The club received this award
for Membership Campaign in the Toast-
masters year 2013 - 14.
Golden Gavel : TCS Maitree
Toastmasters Club received
Golden Gavel for the third con-
secutive year.
Smedley Award : Renewed/reinstated/added 5 members between August
1 ,2014 and September 30,2014
Talk - Up Toastmasters : Renewed/reinstated/added more than 5 mem-
bers between February 1, 2015 and March 31, 2015
The 10-In-10 Award : Renewed/reinstated/added 10 members in 10 days
from March 21 - 31, 2015
The Super-20 Award : Renewed/reinstated/added 20 members in 10 days
from April 1 - 10, 2015
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Other Club Awards
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President Vice President
Education
Vice President
Membership
Vice President
Public Relations
Pramod Mohandas Krishnadas Nair Ankit Dasgupta Kannagi Mishra
Just give a second thought
before telling him your
plans. Such is his convincing
power, he will change your
plan completely within a
couple of minutes.
He is a foodie, be it veg or
non - veg, he can gorge on
any food item. At times, he
enjoys cooking as well.
He is called as ‘God’ in the
club who hails from
‘Brahmand’, a place in Thane
Mumbai.
He is known for his broad
spectrum of talents – playing
guitar, running, dancing, and
public speaking.
He is a big foodie, a football
freak and a talented speaker.
He is always curious to learn
all tidbits of public speaking.
Adventure runs through his
veins as he enjoys cycling,
biking, running and trekking.
Also, he loves meeting new
people and making friends.
She is not smart enough in
handling smart phones. For-
getting her mobile phone at
every third place she visits, is
her innate habit.
Due to her wonderful vocabu-
lary, she is known as a ‘vocab-
master’ of the club.
She loves to travel, know the
local culture and try different
cuisines.
I dream of: Charlie’s Choco-
late factory
Cuisines I love: Anything and
everything
I can’t live without: Loads of
food
Favourite pastime: Reading
non-fiction
I dream of: World recognition
Cuisines I love: Anything
cooked by me
I can’t live without: Books
Favourite pastime: Watching
movies, reading
I dream of: Making all my
dreams come true
Cuisines I love: Anything well
cooked with chicken in it
I can’t live without: Books
Favourite pastime: Observing
the surroundings
I dream of: Having a life full of
happiness and fun
Cuisines I love: Pasta, momos
and road side chowmein
I can’t live without: My hus-
band Nikhil
Favourite pastime: Watching
Game of Thrones, painting
Know Your Ex-Com
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Secretary Treasurer Sergeant At Arms Immediate Past
President
Neha Agarwal Pragya Mittal Raunak Kulwal Surabhi Kinariwala
‘Smile and the world smiles
with you’, she knows this
secret which is why you will
always find her with a re-
freshing smile on her face.
A dedicated Toastmaster,
also serving as the club
secretary, she is fun-loving
and helping, always ready to
take up any responsibility
and likes cooking .
Don’t go by her Marwari
background, she is not at all
a miser.
She is known for her loquaci-
ty. She can be called a social
butterfly.
The only thing which can
make her get up early in
morning is a Toastmasters
session.
Hailing from Indore, he can-
not resist delicious
namkeens. He can even have
cakes and pastries garnished
with namkeens. He is a big
fan of ‘Bhai’ (Salman Khan)
from Bollywood.
For Toastmasters, being
Sergeant At Arms, he is ever
ready with all the arms and
ammunition.
She is known for her strong
determination and dedica-
tion. Due to these character
traits, she is a budding enthu-
siastic entrepreneur.
Music is the food for her
soul.
Ever smiling and ever charm-
ing, she has helped the club
to grow by leaps and
bounds.
I dream of: Owning a sweet
home one fine day
Cuisines I love: Dosa, chats, ice
creams
I can’t live without : Friends
and phone.
Favourite pastime: Traveling,
cooking , reading
I dream of: MBA degree from
IIM and handsome life part-
ner ;)
Cuisines I love: Anything my
mom cooks or sponsors :D
I can’t live without : Food,
family and friends
Favourite pastime: Sleeping
and talking
I dream of: Owning a well
built flat in a posh society
Cuisines I love: Anything
cooked by mom
I can’t live without : My mom
Favourite pastime: Hanging
out with friends, watching
American TV series
I dream of: Creating an anima-
tion movie one day
Cuisines I love: Chat items and
desserts
I can’t live without : Water
Favourite pastime: Watching
Television series
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Oration 2015
T here is one event that can drive about hundreds of Toastmasters each year to leave aside their personal or pro-
fessional commitments and come under a common roof. A roof under which one can experience great camaraderie
of several Divisions across the country, hugs of old buddies, threads of new friendship and making of history as sever-
al astonishing speakers leave their mark in the minds of the listeners forever.
Yes, the three day event ORATION 2015 was, in all respects, the most noteworthy event of the year.
Like all events start with a bang, ORATION went one step ahead and started with a big bang, quite literally. On Friday
May 15, the event kick started with and amazing opening ceremony and thunderous Nashik Dhol performed by
Jagdamba Foundation Dhol and left people tapping feet, hooting and applauding. Ex Army Captain and CEO of
Mahindra Special services Group Raghu Raman was the first keynote speaker and left a lasting impression with his
thoughts on storytelling. Dr. Rahul Joshi sang songs and mesmerized the audience.
The second day of the event, Saturday May 16, started with Dr. Rahul Joshi’s Music clinic, followed by a voice modu-
lation workshop by the man behind the mesmerizing voice of ‘Big Boss’ – Vijay Vikram Singh. The key note Speaker
Natascha Chadha taught the audience a Clown’s guide to public speaking. Parkour expert Deepak Mali showed the
techniques and taught us basic lesson: ‘To achieve anything in life, all we have to do is to step out of our house’. Ah!
How can we forget the talent show by some of the toastmasters who happen to possess unveiled talents.
The much awaited Table topics contest started and left us awestruck with the participants’ skill of thinking and
speaking on their feet. The topic was ‘What goes around comes around’.
Finally Deepak Ramola and RJ Erica enthralled the audience with their own stories. Then came the event we all
looked forward to ‘Mumbai Enigma’ at Radio Club. A night filled with shear madness. Everyone danced until the last
announcement for dinner. Strangers became friends as they faintly remembered each other dancing to a common
tune and imitating each other’s steps.
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Sunday May 17, the final day started with the
installation of new district officers. We are proud
to have one officer from our club –
Mohit Chhabra, Division Director Division A,
District 98.
The day advanced with yet another round of
amazing keynote speakers – Sandeep Thakur,
Gauranga Prabhuji and Divyansh gupta, all of
whom got standing ovation from the crowd. At last it was time for the much awaited International Speech contest.
All the champions of Divisions gave each other tough competition and must have given the judges a tougher task.
Hearts pounded as the winners were announced. Toastmaster Prathima Madireddy won the Table Topic Contest and
Toastmaster Aditya Maheswaran won the International Speech contest. Toastmaster Aditya, a second time winner
in a row, will now represent District 41 in the World Championship of Public Speaking at the Annual Convention of
Toastmasters International to be held in Las Vegas August 12-15, 2015.
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Participate, Enjoy, Learn
You can be a part of a Toastmasters event as an audience, but if you really want to enjoy it and learn the process -
volunteer! Following club members of TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai volunteered at ORATION 2015 and
made the club proud. Let’s applaud them and at the same time, learn from them about the joy of volunteering.
Voice over and backstage
volunteer
Mohit Chhabra
MoC coordinator and MoC
Opening Ceremony
Namrata Srivastava
MOC Opening Ceremony
and International Speech
Contest Sergeant At Arms
Pramod Mohandas Contest Chair -
International Speech
Contest and Volunteer
Registrations
Chinmaya Dave
Volunteer Registrations
Neha Agarwal Volunteer ORATION 2015
Newsletter team
Ankit Dasgupta
On camera interview
Awani Sharma Volunteer Registrations
and Contest Sergeant At
Arms
Parakh Kukreja
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TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai
“Making Effective Communication & Leadership a TCS-wide Reality”
Meetings are held fortnightly in Thane/Andheri and in Powai office. Meetings are open to all
TCSers. A typical meet has 30 members and guests, who participate in the Club's Communication
and Leadership program.
Powai : Every alternate Friday: 9.30 AM to 11.00 AM
Thane/Andheri: Every alternate Friday: 9.30 AM to 11.00 AM
** Schedule and Venue are subject to changes depending on room availability. Communication of this is done in advance **
Club # 616631
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
We may know where to go,
But they show us how;
When we hit failures or ever feel low,
With faith in us, they lead us to our goals somehow;
They see a bit of them in us and help us to grow,
So, lets thank them all, those out there, the MENTORS, right now!!!
Follow us on
Copyright © 2015 TCS Maitree Toastmasters Club, Mumbai
All rights reserved
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Learn to lead, lead to Evolve
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