Vol 3 | Issue 2 | Dec 2018

WHERE LEADERS
ARE MADE
DISTRICT 92

Rise to Shine

Club No. 5843852

Div J | Area J2
 VOL 3 | ISSUE 2 | DEC 2018

IN THIS ISSUE ...

President's Note PAGE 1
Vice-President Education's Note PAGE 2
About Toastmasters International PAGE 4
Event List of the Quarter PAGE 5
The Name of Life - Balance PAGE 6
Financial Advice For the Young Generation PAGE 8
Hall of Fame PAGE 9
Batman or The Joker PAGE 10
The HSR Toastmasters Experience PAGE 12
Right from the He-Art PAGE 13
A Glimple of our 125th Meeting PAGE 15
DCP Report PAGE 16
Pathways Experience PAGE 17
Testimonials PAGE 18
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President's Note
TM SHIVIKA

Often at times, life gives us an opportunity to pursue our passion and make our dreams come true. For
me, just a casual conversation over tea proved to be one such extremely beneficial and excellent
opportunity...which introduced this amazing world of mic-bearers, magical speeches, exemplary
talent and various doors to pathways of learnings.

This world of toastmasters became an integral part of my life gradually and transformed me as a
speaker, leader and also as a person. Through my speeches, I understand myself better and also
refined the writer in me. Toastmasters helps you improvise the skills which you are already aware of
but also helps you discover your hidden talents.

Leadership is one such trait which I always tried to suppress but the moment I took the office as the
President of HSR Toastmasters Club, I realized the significance of this milestone opportunity.
Patience, passion, perseverance, trust of an excellent executive committee, a never-ending support of
our founding members and a vision to take our club forward towards expansion and growth helped
me in carrying out my responsibilities better.

I would urge all of you to never let any opportunity go off and make the best possible use of this world
of spoken words. 

Step on the stage once,

The words will put you in a magical trance,
Face your audience with conviction,
And it will soon become an addiction.

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Vice-President
Education's Note
TM DEEPIKA

“Making your way in the world today

Takes everything you got
Taking a break from all your worries
It sure would help a lot
Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
The troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name

The above lines from the theme song of a 1980s sitcom called Cheers completely summarise
my journey in HSR Toastmasters. A group of people coming from different walks of life -
varying in age group, profession, likes and hobbies and yet similar in one aspect. They all share
a common passion to learn and become great leaders and communicators. Everyone accepts
that there is always room for improvement and with that in mind each week they come to
make themselves better. Every week you want to be where troubles are all the same, you want
to be where everybody knows your name. Such is the spirit of Toastmasters and such is the
magic of HSR Toastmasters for me.

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When I started my term as the Vice President - Education of this club, I took
this role as a responsibility. But I had no idea that one day this responsibility
would turn into affection. That feeling of having pulled off a successful
meeting or that smile when a guest gives a positive feedback is a joy that
makes you do the same thing all over again, week after week. It’s infectious
and addictive. It doesn’t feel like a job anymore, it has become something that
you just can’t live without. I had no idea I would end up making so many
memories  and so many friends on the way. I had never thought in my wildest
of dreams that someday I would lead a group or I would be looked upon for
advice. This place has become a family, each member has a role to play. While
the old members have become guiding lights for the new folks, the new
members are sprouting with enthusiasm, taking initiatives and grasping
learning opportunities. We have story-tellers, humorous speakers, motivators
and so on. We all are cogs in this wheel called HSR Toastmasters.

Undoubtedly, HSR Toastmasters has been nothing short of a wish-granting

factory. Each new meeting is a new learning and every new member is a new
asset that really sets this club apart. My journey might have just begun but am
sure that the weekly dose of motivation that I get from HSR Toastmasters Club
will take me forward for many more years to come.

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ABOUT TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL

Toastmasters International is a world leader in

communication and leadership development.
Our organization has more than 352,000
memberships. Members improve their speaking
and leadership skills by attending one of the
16,400 clubs in 141 countries that make up our
global network of meeting locations.
The world needs leaders. Leaders head families,
coach teams, run businesses and mentor others.
These leaders must not only accomplish, they
must communicate. By regularly giving
speeches, gaining feedback, leading teams and RALPH C. SMEDLEY
guiding others to achieve their goals in a
Founder
supportive atmosphere, leaders emerge from the
Toastmasters International
Toastmasters program. Every Toastmasters
journey begins with a single speech. During their

journey, they learn to tell their stories.They listen and answer. They plan and lead. They
give feedback—and accept it. Through our community of learners, they find their path to
leader.

TOASTMASTERS TAGLINE
Where Leaders Are Made

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL VALUES

Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL MISSION

We empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders.

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL ENVISIONED FUTURE

To be the first-choice provider of dynamic, high-value, experiential communication and
leadership skills development.

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EVENT LIST OF THE QUARTER

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The Name of
Life - Balance
BY TM JATIN

There exist several planets in our solar system but life existed only on this planet, earth.
Why?

Because among all other planets, only Earth was located at a perfect distance from the
ball of fire, sun. The distance was farther enough to be not melted by sun’s heat but closer
enough not to be frozen into dead ice, either. Had the distance been a little off, the life
would never have survived. Thus the foundation of life itself is based on one thing, balance.

We see in our everyday lives, as how many activities would not have been possible, had
there been no balance. We would not have been able to walk if our body wouldn’t have
been in equity, the temperature of the planet would not have been within survival limits if
the water cycle wouldn’t be working in equivalence, the planetary species wouldn’t be in
control had the food-chain wouldn’t be in harmony, and so on.

The foremost teacher of human is nature itself. Nature has clearly mentioned the criteria to
clear life’s examination is to work in balance.

Have you ever done cooking? Do you know what it takes to make a good dish? To make
a good dish, you need – all the right set of ingredients mixed in right proportions and
cooked at an appropriate temperature.

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The 4 essential ingredients to make a good life are health, wealth, love and
happiness. Just like if you take off even one tyre of a car, the car won’t go
ahead, similarly if any one of these 4 ingredients is missing, the car of life
won’t go much ahead.

So often, we are so focused to just put all the ingredients together and end
up not realizing the value of mixing them in the right proportion too. So what
comes out is a dish which doesn’t tastes well to our expectations.

Work is an essential part of our life but some people consider work as the only
part of their life and take huge pride for working long hours. But what if they
miss out to take care of other important areas of life. Is it worth it?

It takes a balanced mind to know when to speak and when not to speak; it takes
a balanced courage to know when to stand-up to defend the honor and when to
sit-down to accept the rightful; and so on.

Without balance in sleep, there won’t be efficiency in work; without balance in

diet, there won’t be healthy body; without balance in exercise, there won’t be a
strong body and without balance in love and respect for others, there won’t be
firm relationships.

No wonder those who don’t allow success to get to their mind and defeat to
their heart and maintain a balanced attitude in life are the ones who take the
storms of life head-on and still come out unharmed.

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Financial Advice
for the Young
Generation
BY TM MADHU

Understand basics of valuation: Buying a house which yearly pays 2% rental yield is poor
financial decision. Just because it worked for your parents does not mean, it will work for
you as well. In our country I see a trend of buying 2nd house as an investment paying hefty
amount which is just insane. It worked before 15 years ago housing prices were available
at cheaper rate.
Don’t spend too much on your marriage. I have seen people spending their 10 years of
savings on marriage.
Avoid buying cool gadgets and fancy cars just to impress others.
Stay away from loans as far as possible. First pay off your loans then think about
investments.
Make financial decisions based on valuations. Remember buying a home is always not a
bad decision, also investing in stocks at higher valuations is not a good decision. Basically,
valuations matter. You should invest in a asset which is available at attractive valuation.
Your savings matters more than your paychecks. Choosing a right investment vehicle is
the most important thing.
While making investment always think about worst case scenario and be ready for it.
Read Rich Dad Poor Dad book. Read it again and again.
Learn Financial Education. Don’t dive directly into investing.
Make long term investments - Never try to earn quick money.
Last but not least your health and mental peace are your biggest assets. Never
compromise with your health for job just because you are getting good salary.

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HALL OF FAME
PATHWAYS LEVEL 1 COMPLETION

TM ADITYA TM SMIT TM MONICA

TM SUBHASH TM HITHA

COMPETENT COMMUNICATOR

TM SHIVIKA TM GOMATHI TM VAMSHI

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Batman or The
Joker?
BY TM SHIKHAR

You must have seen The Dark Knight. I had seen the movie 4 times, until recently at lunch a
random conversation sparked a series of thoughts in my head and I decided to watch it for
the 5th time. And to my surprise, I think I understand the world a little better now.

We all believe in truths and lies and wins and losses. The world is full of the in-betweens, the
grey areas as well. But let’s talk about “truth”. What is truth really? It certainly is not the same as
a fact. Truth is relative, a version of each of our own. What is right to me, is wrong to someone
else, my truth is someone else’s lie and my win could actually be my loss and I wouldn’t even
know.

Let’s dive deeper. I idolize my dad. If it wasn’t for him, for the things he taught me and the things
he didn’t, I wouldn’t have been the person I am today. But then is he a good man? He is the best
man I know. But I know his bad as much as I know his good. At an early age I started making a list
of things I didn’t want to learn from him. Not just him, but everyone I have met or known so far. I
am an ensemble of characters, which I believe is the good of people who made an influence in my
life. But again, good is a relative term. I might just be an ensemble of all the bad I have seen in
people. Who could know? So if all the morals we live by are relative, what is the fact? Even the
highest conflict - the value of one’s life - is accepted when we go to war. Then isn’t it all just one
big mess? Or as Joker would call it - Chaos.

Either there are too many characters to this world, or none. We all have our own definitions,
and everyone else wouldn’t know about it. The only constant process as we all know is change

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and every one of us, we keep changing day and night, to better fit into our
shoes, never tiring, invisibly. Our true characters only comes out when our
sense of the world has been trashed and we have been left in crisis. At this
moment, we have to decide what truth and lies, right and wrong mean to us,
and at this moment, we bend them to our cause, to fit our needs, adding one
more variable to this chaos.

I think The Dark Knight was about this innate crisis of us and Harvey Dent
represented us, humans. What The Joker and The Batman represented were
two extremes of this scale, the ‘-x’ and ‘+x’ of the graph. The Joker being the
‘Agent of Chaos’ and The Batman being the standing force.

Let me explain. As an average human being, we change, we let the world

change us because we are trying to fit. Our definitions change with time and
situation, the final result being an infinite versions of right and another infinite
versions of wrong. Joker stands at the end of this curve where those infinite
number of right and wrong merge to form nothing. There is no conclusion, as is
the character of Joker. Batman marks the start, a man with one solid unaltered,
incorruptible soul, an absolute, a form of a fact. What the movie depicts is the
result of the act, as the Joker states:

“When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object”

i.e. Chaos. In the end, the truth is bent for a better world while the forces still
remain in conflict.

I had learned how to be more comfortable in my own skin when I got older,
but it was only at yesterday’s lunch when I realised why it is more peaceful to
live in my own absolutes then trying to continuously change to fit in. I believe
it is because you don’t become who you are after deciding who you are, but
when you refuse to diverge. When you are strong enough to bend the world
around you, not the truths, or the wrongs, and most importantly, not let the
world bend you. It is when you have stopped fighting that continuous process
of change, have become immune to it, you become who you are, an absolute,
or as Christopher Nolan would call it - The Batman.

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The HSR
Toastmasters
Experience
BY TM NARENDRA

I was new to Bangalore and I was visiting meetups on my weekends. Before coming to HSR
toastmasters meeting, I have attended lot of meetups. In all the meetups, I had to approach
people in order to talk. It felt as if no one is interested in understanding why I am in that
meetup.

With all the bad experiences I didn't have any expectations while attending the first meeting
of HSR toastmasters.

I sat down and then suddenly SAA started the session with an interesting and exciting game.
Later, prepared speakers motivated me to give speech and table topics master invited me on
stage. And then wonderful feedback from GE. The meeting was quite interesting. 

I was in a dilemma whether to become a member or not and that's when VP education talked
to me about my table topic speech. My speech was a disaster but still VP Edu was talking
about it. VP PR gave details on the prepared speech courses and then President inviting me to
share any ideas for the 100th meeting. On day 1, I felt like I'm a member already.

HSR Toastmasters club doesn't differentiate between guest or members and that's what I love
the most about this club. The members of the club are also very friendly which helps me to
come to every meeting.

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RIGHT FROM THE HE-ART

Be Optimistic
Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind,
Everyone is fighting their own battle, so be a little kind;
Talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet,
Make them feel better, make them smile, every-time you greet.
Be as enthusiastic about the accomplishments of others as you are
about your own,
You will soon achieve yours, if you just help others achieve their
success throne;
Think only of the best, work only for the best and expect only the
best,
In the storm of things, look at the sunny side because every day is a
test.
Forget the mistakes of the past, press on to the greater
achievements of the future,
Learn to forgive and move on, mistakes are made as it’s human
nature;
Spend time improving yourself, leave no time to criticize other,
Become too big for worry and too noble for anger.
- TM Jatin

Life
Life is a journey from ‘birth’ to ‘death’,
Moment by moment, breath by breath,
It’s not about what you see, it’s about what you want to see,
It’s about living your dreams, before they flee.

Keep your eyes on the finish line but find the joy in the journey,
Only you have the power, only you have the attorney,
It’s not about fame, it’s not about money,
Love is the goal, life is a journey.
- TM Jatin

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Toastmasters Na Milega Dobara

"Jab jab koi role nibhane ka sawaal saamne aaya
Jab evaluator ne speech ka feedback dikhlaya
Jab grammarian ne sahi grammar se parichay karvaya
Jab ex comm ne apne mein shaamil karne ka farmaan lehraya

Humne dil ko ye samjhaya...

Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai
Toastmasters mein yun hi hota hai

Ye jo role-takers ke rishte naate hain

VP-Ed ne ye sabko hi baante hain
Thoda bolna hai sabka hissa
Thoda fumble hai sabka qissa
Dil tera bekar hi bhaari hai
Aaj teri to kal kissi aur ki baari hai
Speech ke chakkar mein kyun apni neend khota hai
Dil aakhir tu kyun rota
Toastmasters mein yun hi hota hai"
- TM Jatin

So n g s waitin g to b e su ng ,
Sto ries waitin g to b e told,
Wo rd s waiting to b e spo ken ,
A ll yearn fo r exp ression ,
so let loose and let the joy of speech be your new high

- TM Monica

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A GLIMPSE OF OUR 125TH MEETING

THROUGH THE EYES OF TM DEEPIKA

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DCP REPORT

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Pathways
Experience
BY TM SUBHASH

Level 2 - Project Facts

Members must go through the entire project to understand the purpose

Understanding your leadership style

A member will go under a small assessment to find what kind of a leader he or she is, but
sometimes the leadership style will not be suitable for the toastmaster for his pathways
journey.
After the assessment I had to do a speech with a leadership style that did not suit me and its
wrong. What I liked about this project is when I did the assessment again for the second path I
got a different leadership style which was interesting in pathways. Doing this project we must
use the same leadership style in the whole path which is not a possibility in pathways.

Understanding your communication style

A member will go under a small assessment to find what kind of a communicator he or she is,
but the communication style will not be useful for the toastmaster for his pathways journey,
and he will use all kinds of communication styles in his journey. I had to do a speech with a
unique and helpful style. What I liked about this project is when I did the assessment again for
the second path I got a different leadership style which was interesting in pathways. Doing
this project we must use the same leadership style in the whole path which is not a possibility
in pathways.

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Introduction to Toastmasters mentoring

A new member will speak about only one mentor that he has in toastmasters, but what we see is
that the member will speak about the mentor he or she had in his life. In this project the style of
mentoring I got was coaching which is absolutely wrong as pathways clearly specifies the
differences between coaching and mentoring.

Connect with your audience

Toastmasters must deliver a project that is abstract yet the project must meet its guidelines. A
challenging project is not suitable in level 2.

Managing Time
An amazing project to learn when you begin your pathways journey

Active Listening
A member must do a role of a topic master, and must listen every commentator of table topics
and must repeat the statement. So officially a table topics master must repeat comments to
make the audience and the commentator comfortable. I could not do multi tasking that is
listening to people and giving topics as a toastmasters project should have only one task as per
my knowledge.

Effective Body Language

This is an effective yet an amazing project, as I see all the members using gestures and facial
expressions. In body language you really need not worry about sequential stage usage, but you
can create a map on the stage and you can use the stage. To generally talk to people
toastmasters must also concentrate on stands which is when the audience awareness comes in
which tells whether the audience are interested in the talk or not. When we evaluate such a
speech stands are rarely taken into consideration.

Cross Culture Understanding

This is an amazing project where a member must break the ice again and express his culture to
the audience.

Message for level 2

These projects are projects pay you a purpose, and if you excel in these projects more you will
be more prepared for your path ahead. Each project has a meaning and you must do your
projects with some determination and rule to achieve this level by learning your style with
confidence. This level is more important than the path and you will be transformed in a style
that an evaluator identifies you (for eg CC3).

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TESTIMONIALS
I have known about Toastmasters for a while but it was
only when I attended one of the HSR Toastmasters
sessions when I decided to join. The members of this
club are extremely friendly, encouraging, always ready
to help and dedicated to this club. There is so much to
learn in every session and I truly have not seen so many
great speakers under one roof. I look forward to
attending every Saturday session with great excitement.
TM SHIKHAR

HSR Toastmasters Club has been instrumental in giving

me a super positive engagement during weekends. The
vibrant culture of this club is what attracts me most
here. The experience, even though of just 1 month, has
been nothing but amazing to say the least. The club
feels like a home where you want to come back again
and again.

TM JATIN

I wanted to join the Toastmasters 20 years ago- was just

never able to make the time to do it. But as they say
‘better late than sorry’, joining HSR Toastmasters which
is a young, vibrant and an explosive club has more than
made up for the delay.

TM SATISH

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COME VISIT US!

FUNDA SPACES, 3RD FLOOR, NCR ARCADE, EVERY SATURDAY

SERVICE ROAD, HSR SECTOR - 6 4.30 PM TO 6.30 PM

WWW. FACEBOOK.COM / HSRTOASTMASTERS

WWW. TWITTER.COM / HSRTOASTMASTER

WWW. INSTAGRAM.COM / HSRTOASTMASTERS

WWW. MEETUP.COM / HSR-TOASTMASTERS-CLUB

RISE AND SHINE