PRESIDENTIAL FROM THE

1 ADDRESS EDITOR’S DESK 2

TM Vedanth Ravi

KOVALAM
TOASTMASTERS
4 INTERNATIONAL
BECKONS 6
DTM Nagarajan P A

FROM THE
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION MESSAGES FROM THE
7 MANGER’S DESK DIVISION DIRECTOR
& AREA DIRECTOR
8
TM Malini Hebbar

MENTOR’S MINUTE BEYOND WORDS

10 DTM Nivedita Mirajkar TM Prasad
11
TM Rajat Shetty

LEADERSHIP TALKATHON
DEVELOPMENT
12 PROGRAM 3.0 THE 200th MEET 13
DTM Arjun Sundar Raj CELEBRATION

EFFECTIVE
THE CLUB OFFICER
15 EVALUATIONS 16
TM Mayank TM Sagnik Biswas

DISTRICT &
17 DIVISION PETALS 19
INITIATIVES

A PINCH OF WHAT’S UP AT MINFY

20 LAUGHTER TOASTMASTERS?
TM Saher Shaikh
21
TM Poorvi Varma
 On 18th August 2016, we celebrated our club’s 200th meeting. It
was not a one-day celebration. It was a 2 week-long celebration
named “Talkathon” where we had organised events like Debate,
JAM, Improv, Poetry Slam, Crosswords, and Treasure Hunts etc. to
interact with our fellow colleagues in the campus and to share
the benefits that Toastmasters membership offers. The planning
for the events had started as early as May 2016. The plan was in
place and execution was all that it needed, and that’s where we
hit a road block. Majority of our club members were not
available during the execution phase because of their busy
work schedules. I myself was not able to concentrate on
organising Talkathon because I was also busy at work.
As days drew closer to the month of August, I was worried whether we would be able to put up a
good show, because we lacked people to organise the events on such a big scale. I was mentally
prepared to take harsh decisions and to face the consequences. I could also sense a decline in the
club morale. Without any other option, I opened up to my team in the club. I told them about the
problems we were facing and how difficult it has been to find people to organise events. I also
informed them of my non availability to lead them at this crucial time. I told everyone that the club
needed us now more than ever and we have to help & support each other in order to succeed.
As soon as my discussion with the team ended, I saw new teams being formed to organise events
and responsibilities were shared equally with members. My fellow leaders persuaded club members
to anchor events and they extended their full support to help them succeed. In just 4 days, we were
all set and ready to kick start Talkathon. Talkathon was an extravaganza organised by our club which
attracted guests to attend our meetings and it helped us to spread the Toastmasters Mission at
Infosys Limited, Mangalore. What was amazing about Talkathon was that I saw my club members
become leaders. Each and every member understood the situation very well and they all came
together as a team to overcome the roadblocks. They managed time, they managed resources and
they lead their respective teams by example. At the end of the 2 week long Talkathon all of them
were tired, but they had experienced something amazing as well. Talkathon not only helped us get
new members to the club, it also helped our club members to find their true leadership potential and
to bring out their talents. The Talkathon experience made me realise that the Toastmasters Club is
where the leaders are made.
200 is a not small number, Sachin Tendulkar would probably agree with this statement. Our club
started with a humble beginning in 2010 and now it's not one of the clubs in District 92 but 'The
Club' of District 92. I would like to thank each and every member (right from the charter members till
present) for being a part of this amazing club. I would like to thank Infosys Limited, Mangalore for
supporting and encouraging us in all our activities! I would like to thank the Toastmasters of
Mangalore who are a source of inspiration for us.
We have reached a milestone and more milestones are there to be reached. Let's work together to
reach them and at the same time let's strive to achieve excellence as well.
We speak, therefore we are!

1
 “As babies we’re born blank sheets of paper. Not a single mark.
As we grow older, lines form then colours and patterns. Before
long that paper is all sorts of brilliant. Like a kaleidoscope, no
two exactly alike.” -Shannon Wiersbitzky
I was wondering how I could begin the note from the editor, and
as I searched for some ideas, I stumbled upon this beautiful
quote and felt there wouldn’t be a better start for my message.
Indeed, the journey of life can be compared to a kaleidoscope,
filled with so many colours and patterns just like our life.
A kaleidoscope is filled with bits and pieces of glass that are of
varied colour, shape and pattern. Every day brings a new picture
of changing forms and colours, some more beautiful than others.
Sometimes the colours and shapes are dark and ominous
looking and at other times bright, happy colours and shapes
dance through the day.
With this, I bring to you the newsletter of this quarter, Kaleidoscope. The word kaleidoscope literally
means a beautiful form watcher. A toastmasters club is like being inside a “beautiful form watcher”. Each
kaleidoscope is unique and with each turn, the bits and pieces fall into a whole different pattern of
colours of shapes, and so does a club in every twist and turn of its’ journey. Each piece forming the
kaleidoscopic pattern is different and unique, and so are the members that form a club. Each person
approaches Toastmasters and life with their uniqueness and this absorbing combination of different
people defines a club. The kaleidoscope of the club should keep on moving, or else we stagnate at a few
certain pieces or patterns, and for better or worse, allow them to define who we are. A club will always
be much more than a few individual’s experiences and true synergy is defined by people coming
together to elevate the club higher!

Life is filled with a million bits and pieces. Taking all of those moments and shuffling them together
creates the bits and pieces of our life’s kaleidoscope. It is colourful, no matter how you look at it, and no
two moments are exactly the same nor are there any kaleidoscopes just alike. The beauty and magic of
thinking of life as a kaleidoscope is that you take all of the moments of your life, the good, the bad, and
even the ugly and shuffle the sparkly bits and pieces together to create a spectacularly beautiful image,
singularly unique and precious because we understand that the slightest shift can quickly change the
picture. So, strive to think on your feet, adapt to the times and find true solace in life’s changing
patterns.

It is with this joy that we present to you ‘Kaleidoscope’. With each page having been carefully curated to
give to you a visual and educational delight, we hope you have a transcendental experience reading our
newsletter. Here’s to happy reading!

2
3
Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. Our
membership is more than 332,000 memberships. Members improve their speaking and leadership skills
by attending one of the 15,400 clubs in 135 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 guiding others to achieve their goals in a supportive atmosphere,
leaders emerge from the 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 leadership.

Toastmasters International Mission

We empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders.

District Mission
We build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence.

Club Mission
We provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop
communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.

Toastmasters International Values

• Respect
• Integrity
• Service
• Excellence
Toastmasters International Envisioned Future: To be the first-choice provider of dynamic, high-value,
experiential communication and leadership skills development.

4
 Club Number: 1401641 District 92, Division F, Area 03

Charter Date: October 15, 2009

A corporate club filled with the zest of youth, and guided by the experience of our various mentors,
Infosys Toastmasters, Mangalore SEZ, has come a long way since 2009. We have scaled heights in terms
of engagement, grooming speakers and leaders of tomorrow and working together as an unified force to
fulfil the promise of every club under the Toastmasters’ Banner: “We provide a supportive and positive
learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills,
resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.”

Club Contact Information

Vedanth Ravi, President
E-Mail: vedanthravi@outlook.com
Phone: +91-9482584821

Meeting Information:
Alternate Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:15 PM onwards
Infosys IT and ITeS SEZ Kamblapadavu,
Mangalore

Social Media
E-mail: minfytoastmasters@gmail.com
Website: http://minfytoastmasters.wix.com/minfytm
Facebook/minfytm
Twitter@minfytm
Instagram@minfytm
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0vZj6lJZbsK1DgnUx0gGYg

5
 The semi-annual Conference of District 92, 'Jamboree 2016', will
be held this time at Kovalam on November 26th & 27th, 2016.
Champions from the 9 Divisions of the District will combat each
other for title in Humorous Speech, Evaluation and the Glitterati
contests.

The main attraction of the conference will be the educational

session by the current World Champion of Public Speaking, TM
Darren Tay from Singapore. There will be other educational
sessions as well by well-respected and erudite speakers. We also
plan to include an exclusive session for the new avatar of
educational programme, “Pathways” too, to equip the members
for future challenges and to keep them future ready!
The venue of the conference is a 5-star beach resort, Uday Samudra, Kovalam and the beauty of the
event is that it is being conceived and executed by us, the Toastmasters of Kerala, as hosts! We are
looking to strive hard to make it a mega event and a memorable experience to each one of the
attendees.

Let’s Laugh…Learn…Lead!

DTM Nagarajan
Conference Chair, Jamboree 2016, Kovalam

If you have not registered yet, what are you waiting for? Register at www.jamboree2016.com

6
 Infoscions have proved time and again that excellence is the
gradual result of always trying to do better. Never lagging
behind in the quest for excellence, the young guns of Infosys
TM Club have shown that they can offer a stiff competition to
any of the top guns of the Division. Having witnessed their
endeavour of scaling up work to learn and to explore, I have
often felt that it is a bunch of youngsters like these who have
led us into the thought, that the youth are the true agents of
change in building any movement, including that of the
Toastmasters.

Not that it has been a smooth ride for the Infoscions. The club
almost became defunct a couple of years ago, only to rise up
like a phoenix. This was possible because the Infoscions never
went by quantity, but focused solely on quality even when the audience comprised a small number, the
performance of everyone was worth a packed hall. It is this stamp of finesse, more than anything else
that I applaud.

Naturally, when I was Division Director, I could place my Division Conference in the hands of Vedanth
and Team Infosys with as much ease as an artist would place his/her magnum opus in the hands of a
connoisseur. The infinitely resourceful Infoscions kept faith!

This year, as District Administration Manager, I have had the privilege of witnessing the innovation of the
Infoscions in the installation ceremony which made the CGD DTM Suhas aver that it was one of the best
Installation Ceremonies he had ever attended! The quizzes, the podcasts and the Ninja Contest, the brain
children of this technologically advanced bunch, have added a new dimension to the activities of the
Division. Never has the TM movement been so vibrant in the division!

The club has the rare privilege of being led by IPAD Vedanth known for his verve, Division Director
Poorvi famous for her panache and AD Sagnik recognised for his spirit. ACE performer Anubhav will
play the cards with amiability. Every other Infoscion, I am sure, will take the club to a newer height to
earn for it a place of pride as the top notch.

The newsletter, if one were to go by the ones already brought out, will be no less than a verbal delight.
No wonder, the club had the distinction of being the only club in the whole division, winning an award
in Coronation 2016 for its virtual presence.

Infoscions, continue to stun us all with your stellar performance.

All the best...

7
 Being a part of toastmasters is one of the best decisions anyone
can make. It has helped millions transform into confident
individuals. The Toastmasters’ movement has helped me rediscover
my voice amidst a million people. I have met new friends and have
realised how skilled one could become in the presence of such
erudite company. I joined Toastmasters to become a better
communicator and a leader, however, looking back at my journey, I
realised it wasn’t only about speeches and leadership roles; there is
so much more to every meeting that we attend.

The Toastmasters’ movement in Division F is all about different ideas from diverse cultures coming
together and celebrating the joy of being a part of the Toastmasters family. And being a part of the
Toastmasters’ movement in Mangalore is akin to adding a beautiful feather to your cap.
Infosys Toastmasters Mangalore SEZ is growing into one of the pillars of Division F. Wishing all the
members of the club all the very best. I am sure with the experience, enthusiasm and eloquence in the
members of the club; the club is going to reach new heights and so will the division!

When the mantle of the Area Director was handed to me, I was
overjoyed and yet knew that I have big shoes to fill. I was being
passed the baton from the energetic AD, Vedanth, and I was being
given one of the most unique mandates to take care of: A
corporate club, an advanced community club and a student club.
3 months have gone by since the journey began, and it has been an
exciting ride in Division F so far All the 3 clubs are performing with
gusto, and the most endearing quality of all these 3 clubs is that
they are truly member oriented. Port Town Advanced Toastmasters
Club really sets the tempo with its’ high quality meetings, with truly the best Toastmasters of Mangalore
on its’ roster, whereas Infosys is a mixture of talent, aspiration and fun, and TAPMI Toastmasters ups it a
notch with their innovativeness as they began a “Clash of Clans” in their club, which had new members
participating with Gusto.These are exciting times for the area, and for the club. The year ahead promises
surprises galore in the division as well as the district, and with promising contests and initiatives like
Glitterati coming to the fore, the Toastmasters’ year would be exciting.
To Infosys Toastmasters – The road will always be exciting to traverse. The beginning of it all is when
you decide to let your fears pass up, and take the road. Participate, motivate and take every opportunity
to grow as a Toastmaster. You never know where one small spark can take you. Keep the flag flying high,
and my personal congratulations and kudos for everything that you have achieved. Looking forward to
an amazing year ahead!

8
 Club Contest
Months of wait, precious moments spent preparing for the first clash in the Humorous Speech,
Evaluations and Glitterati Contests, and the date for the Humorous Speech and Evaluations is finally here.
Be witness to the best in the club as they face off for top honours in the club contest!
Date: 4th October 2016
Contact Person: TM Anisha Karnel (Contest Chair), +91-8197717865

Area Contests
With all the clubs gearing up for the club contests, how can the areas be far behind? The 4 areas of
Division F have declared their area contest dates, and the grand battle awaits.
Area 1: 23rd October, 2016
Contact Person: TM Sushil Kumar Gupta, +91-9880778464
Area 2: 9th October, 2016
Venue: Besant PG College, Bondel
Contact Person: TM Shivani Baliga, +91-9845915705
Area 3: 16th October, 2016
Venue: Infosys Kottara
Contact Person: TM Sagnik Biswas, +91-7259280172
Area 4: 23rd October, 2016
Contact Person: TM Yashaswi Narayana, +91-7406887349

Division Meet: Eloquence 2016

Once all the clubs and areas face off, the spotlight shifts to Mysore for the clash of the 4 areas at
Eloquence 2016. The Division meet, Eloquence, will be held in Mysore on the 6th of November 2016.
Contact:
Division Director: TM Poorvi Varma, +91-9483458506
Contest Chair: TM Yashaswi Narayana, +91-7406887349

CC10 Marathon
The Division Director, in her interaction with the Division at the Mega Joint meet, announced that a CC10
Marathon will take place on 18th December 2016, encompassing all clubs of the Division!

9
 Each member joins a TM club with expectations; in terms of their own growth,
their learning , meeting new people, achieving goals, participating, organising,
belonging, creating and oh so much more. They invests their time, effort and
money as fuel for these expectations.
It is the duty of the Vice President - Education to piously note down these
expectations from a new member. In fact this can be done every year for each
member, as it gives a roadmap for the club growth.
While the club and members strive to achieve these goals for fulfilling their expectations, care must be taken to
pace this growth. Each member must be allowed to learn and achieve at their own pace. Let the club not force a
member into achieving awards only to fulfil DCP or GG criteria. Let a member clip, plod, run, walk, whizz, sprint,
dash, scamper, gallop, streak, scuttle or hurtle...But let him find his own pace. Too much, too soon may lead to a
burnout and too little, too late may result in a member losing interest. Let it not become a rush for awards and
certifications and trophies, but a journey of self-discovery and fulfilment.

Once you join the Toastmasters, you are making sure that you have entered a
system of self-guided self-improvement, paced at your own convenience. One
of the methods that I advocate is: Set your Goals!
The Toastmaster should aim to write and present at least one speech per
month, and also aim to take up 2 leadership roles in the meetings and
activities of the club, area, division or district. Go visit other clubs, learn from
them, keep changing your environment and keep challenging yourself. You
can try giving a speech or take up a role in some other club while you visit
them!

No one is an island. Tag along with a fellow club member and help each other by competing and collaborating
with each other. It would be great if you can find a member who complements your qualities so that both get to
learn from each other, and it doesn’t become a mentor-mentee relationship.
Spend time with your mentor, and check if you can evaluate and critique your mentor’s speech and leadership
activities. Share it based on the temperament of the mentor.
Keep a notebook handy at all times, during the meetings. This will aid your own growth and development as you
can pick up points from speeches and evaluations, and also note down the table topics. This can help develop
your ideas on the topics. Note down what the table topics speakers say, and evaluate every table topic that comes
your way. This will help you become a better observer and will help you during your time as a Toastmaster.

10
 Out of disappointment, I said, "Today, the tender coconut water is
not sweet. Also there's nothing inside to eat!"
Immediately he showed me his hand and asked me, "Sir, what is
this?"
“What did I ask, and what is he asking me?” I thought. I looked at
him with utter confusion and blurted out – “Your hand!"
He continued, "No sir, I was trying to show you the 5 fingers of my
hand. Do you think all five of them could ever be the same?"

His question struck my mind like a thunderbolt!

He is my friend Rehman, a tender coconut Seller at one of the numerous footpaths in Bangalore, and one
who wasn’t able to pass his class 10th exam, while I am a Software Engineer who has completed his
post-graduation! Even in that moment of epiphany, I was comparing educational achievements. He is
nearly 5 to 6 years younger to me, but standing there at the footpath, I felt that in the school of life, he
was miles ahead. His mind might have not bowed to the systematic pogrom that mass education does to
our minds, but he delivered a powerful, one sentence dialogue that sent my “educated” mind into a tizzy.
To hell with my age, experience, occupation, education and social standing, because it falls way short in
measure of the magnificent mind of a mature person, endowed with the wisdom of life itself, who might
even put Doctorates to shame. From that day onwards, I kept my complaints minimal and used my
words judiciously, and only in the situations where I found it to be very essential.
There is an interesting fact about Rehman and his father. There many rats running around and below the
Tender Coconuts, but Rehman and his dad never feed poison to kill those rats. Instead, they happily feed
them the tiny bits of tender coconut, and the joy I saw in their face while they feed tender coconut to
the rats can’t be expressed in words. That joy is beyond the reach of my words and vocabulary.

11
 We engaged in a freewheeling discussion with DTM Arjun
Sundar Raj, one of the two co-ordinators for LDP 3.0, on the
need and importance of LDP in a Toastmaster’s journey to
excellence.
If you’re interested to know more about LDP, drop a note to
pqd@tmdistrict92.org

As someone who has been with the LDP program, what is LDP all about?
Simple! It’s a leadership development initiative, from the office of the Program Quality Director, which
enables individuals who are willing to learn and go beyond what the Toastmasters program asks them to
do, through training, mentoring and feedback. The main focus of this program is to make the
participants better equipped with the different facets of leadership challenges.

How is it different from the usual Toastmasters program, and what are the distinct advantages of LDP?
The LDP provides an individual both theory and practical experience. A participant develops various
skills such as persuasion, program management, teamwork, negotiation, etc, through numerous sessions
and goes on to apply these learnings in the assignments.

Once someone signs up for this program, what can they expect to learn?
Every candidate goes through a process of screening when he/she applies. The selected participants
learn specific skill-set that will help them transform into an influential leader. Each participant not just
becomes aware of where he/she stands as a leader, but also is able to take measurable steps to improve
and evolve.

Can you give us some examples of stellar performers and leaders who have been LDP alumni?
In my opinion, all the LDP alumni are all stellar performers. The program is structured that way!

How has your experience been in organising LDP?

Very satisfying experience so far!

Will LDP soon branch out to other locations, as you have a sizeable base in Kerala and other areas of
Karnataka?
It’s not specific to Bangalore. It is open to all!

12
 Infosys Toastmasters Mangalore SEZ organised Talkathon 2016 to celebrate the art of public speaking,
expression and opinion. The seven-day festival was intended to emphasise the power of speech, ideas,
execution and confidence.

As a precursor to the mega event, the club organised a series of smaller events, both online and offline. The
lineup started on August 9 with What’s the Word, an e-mail contest open to all Infoscions. This was followed
by an online crossword, named “Cross-Swords” on August 10. A treasure hunt competition, Finders Keepers,
was held on August 11 in which ten teams competed with gusto to complete challenges in the Toastmasters
way, answering tricky questions, writing poems, attempting table topics and a host of other things. It was
Talkathon
indeed an affair to remember, as each team huffed and puffed to the finish line while trying to overcome the
obstacles of the unique treasure hunt that we had! On August 12, the club organised The Quest for Answers,
in collaboration with the DC’s quiz club Quest. On August 16, Infoscions participated in a first ever poetry
slam Kavi Sammelan, during which ten poets read out their favourite verses in Kannada, Hindi and English.
With this being the first poetry slam in the history of the Mangalore DC, the response was tumultuous and all
participants were happy to express themselves with aplomb in front of an appreciative audience. TM Priya
Das, who hosted the event was in a poetic mood all through, and thus the event became something to
cherish. 



On August 17 the club organised one-minute games such as Reverse Alphabets, Spell-bee, Pictionary, Who is
it and Ribbon Ribbon on the Wall, with close to 200 people participating in the games. The action continued
in the evening, with Verbattle, a debate competition, where 12 Infoscions formed two teams and debated on
the topic Are social networking sites effective, or are they just a sophisticated means for stalking people. The
contest included a debate, followed by an incisive round of questions. The event was judged by Veena
Amrith and Vedanth Ravi. The event saw much spirited debating amidst the Infoscions, as each team went for
the jugular in the 2 round verbattle, with lots at stake to play for! It was a charged up, yet fun evening.

The week-long celebrations culminated on August 18. The Toastmasters organised Just a Minute (JAM), which
saw six participants trying to outdo each other in a charged atmosphere of three rounds. The club held its
200th meeting in the evening, where alongside the regular meeting, an improve session on Whose Line is it
anyway and comedy acts from Scenes from a Mug, Questions and the Worst Infomercial drew much laughter
and received thunderous applause for all the participants. This meeting also saw video recordings and
messages being sent by the former members to the club on its’ milestone meeting. The meeting concluded
with the cutting of a cake and the prize distribution ceremony for all events organised by the club. Talkathon
saw 24 individual winners across all events, who were felicitated with a certificate and were awarded
InfyGold+ points by the Infosys Team.

13
We did not leave our fellow Mangalorean Toastmasters behind, as we engaged with them for a few
contests on WhatsApp, and they responded with much enthusiasm to all that we put up. Talkathon was a
success as we got to see leadership showcased by each member of the club, and it also attracted
attention towards the concept of Toastmasters. Talkathon encouraged members to walk that extra mile
and they gave it their all. Talkathon is a success today because everyone put their shoulders to the
wheel. Kudos Team.

Team Members:
Nikita Shinde, Suraj Kamath, Saher Shaikh, Sanjana Hariharan, Anisha Karnel, Jyothsna Sarali, Meghana
Siddanakere, Kamal Dass, Ankit Nanavaty, Mayank Kulshrestha, Vineeth KM, Ripan Halder, Priya Das,
Vedanth Ravi, Anubhav Ghosh, Govinda Prasadaniduvaje, Sagufta Yasmin, Shivna Tiwari, Arjun Kadian
and Sagnik Biswas.

14
 Let us ask ourselves a question - "Is there any speech which is perfect?"
The prime, optimal and quintessential speech is probably a myth.
Extrapolating this aspect we can safely conclude that all speeches,
irrespective of how immaculate they are, need improvement. The tool
used for this improvement is known as an Evaluation. An Evaluation, as
per me, is not a criticism; neither it is a compliment. It is a well-balanced,
proportionate soup of Approbation and objurgation.
An evaluation speech is almost an exact replica of a speech. There are 4
segments in an "effective evaluation".
1. Prelude
2. Median
3. Advice
4. Closure
Prelude
This is the introduction of the evaluation speech. The prelude is the first point of connection which the evaluator
makes with the speaker of the 'speech being evaluated' and the Audience. It is important to establish connect with
the audience, since they are the judges or to be precise the super-set of judges both at meetings as well as
Contest level. The prelude needs to be powerful enough to grab mass attention, yet subtle enough to ease the
speaker. The prelude should always be set on a positive tone.
“When virtues are pointed out first, flaws seem less insurmountable.”

Median
I call the body of the evaluation as median for one simple reason. It should divide the body itself in 3 parts.
• Delivery
• Content and
• Eloquence.
Delivery "How effectively was the speaker able to connect with the audience?"
Content "How well was the subject and the message in its content? Was the message clear?"
Eloquence "Did the speaker use any rhetorical devices and tools which enhanced the speech?"
These questions are one such example in the sea of .The focus of the Median is to dissect the speech and provide
a technical input.

Advice
The Recommendation segment is rather an important one. This part is a mandatory requirement since it serves
the purpose of an evaluation and refutes the ideal speech scenario. Absence of Advice marks the speech ipso-
facto a perfect one- a paradox indeed in the Toastmasters community. A recommendation is always a personal
one, not to be generalised, yet something which is of grave importance. Advises must not be mere statements
imploring the speaker to act upon them, rather they should be well supported with examples and anecdotes from
the speaker’s speech itself.
“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls
attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
– Winston Churchill

Closure
The Ending or Closure is as the name goes by marks the end of evaluation speech. However this segment also demands
certain protocols to be kept in mind. A closure should comprise of a summation of the statements set in an affirmative tone.
The Message of the speaker's speech should be interpreted as per evaluators understanding. The evaluator’s ability to grasp
"The essence of the speech" is the highlight of this section.
With everything having been said, I would say that an evaluation, though not be a prepared speech has its own set of
guidelines which must be adhered to. The motto "Evaluate to Motivate" echoes in the very ethos of evaluation.

15
 In the last one year, I have looked at clubs intently and learnt a lot
from all the clubs. I also served as a club officer, and in those 6
months, a lot of learnings percolated in from my home club and from
other clubs as well. I consider the following points as my bible for
being a club leader, and they are:

1. Members First: Your members count. In the Toastmasters’ movement, I have seen a lot of importance
being given to membership growth. But, all existing members matter. All club officers should strive to
ensure that the experience offered to existing club members shall not waver. The existing members
should be on the topmost priority for the club officers, as they provide the much needed support to the
club at all times. Yes, new members are necessary for the overall growth of the club, but the constant
attention and care for existing members and their growth will enhance the quality of the club beyond a
doubt.
2. Go Beyond your Role: It does not matter whether you’re a President or a Vice-President, a Treasurer or an
SAA, what matters is that you stand by your club officers and the club at all times. If the meeting room is
not ready, the club officer should go ahead and help out without blinking an eyelid. Blame can only take
anyone so far, but working together as a team involves going out of your comfort zone for a while and
doing the right things for the benefit of the club. Do that without thinking of praise, and you just did
everyone a huge favour by sticking your neck out and helping when it was most needed.
3. Collaborate: It is best to know what the others are doing in your club officers’ role. You can always initiate
discussions with other clubs’ office bearers and what they do for their clubs in their role, or plan inter-
club/area/division level initiatives by working with office bearers across the spectrum of Toastmasters. It
is important to go beyond your own club, and see where you can improve as a club. Learning is at the
core of what we do!
4. Put your heads together: Facing a problem or wish to devise some new plan which can help the club
grow? Put your heads together. Get all your officers involved and seek their opinions. It might be that the
smallest spark noticed by one person can grow into a movement, like adopting a MIS system or even
getting members to a meeting! Every problem has a solution, discuss it, keep it democratic, and see where
it takes you!
5. Your team matters: There will be emotional moments, there will be panic for completion of tasks, there
will be disagreements, but always keep in your mind, that no matter what the situation, the Club is
paramount. The welfare of the club and its’ members are in your team’s hands, and each one of you is
individually and collectively responsible for taking care of the club’s interests. Put the club before you and
the interpersonal conflicts.
6. Have a plan: Throughout a Toastmaster year, there are many milestones that await in terms of district
awards, division recognitions and DCP point recognitions. To best avoid panic, have a plan in place as
soon as the new executive committee is selected. Segregate based on what is important for the club, and
the winning combination is found! Plan for the entire year ahead and then follow up on a periodical basis
to avoid sudden surprises and rushed decisions!
These observations are just my opinion and shared on the basis of what I have seen in the past one year as a
Toastmaster, and the salient points for any office bearer can vary. As I said, it is a learning process.

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 The TLI Experience
The morning of July 31st 2016 saw a lot of spirited Mega Meet
Toastmasters walking into the Infosys Limited
premises at Kottara, Mangalore. The meeting room “Too Many cooks spoils the broth”- they say, but 18th
looked bright and vibrant, MC -TM Jyothsna dazzled us September 2016 was the day when this quote was
with all her charm and charisma throughout the proved wrong. The term “Mega Joint Meet” was
program. After a short prayer by TM Keerthana- Area coined for the day wherein several Toastmaster
Director, TM Shivani Baliga welcomed everyone clubs across Mangalore came together for a Joint
followed by Division Director, TM Poorvi Varma putting Meeting-to celebrate a Carnival of Fun and Learning.
forth the agenda. There were two highlights of the meeting. The First
As part of formal training program all the office one was the Emcee- DTM Samina Nayak. The
bearers were divided into 7 groups, The President’s led GORGEOUS Grand Ol’ Lady DTM Samina Nayak was
by TM Sujatha Kotian, The Vice President Education’s the perfect MC for the Grand Meeting. She
led by TM MN Pai, The Vice President Membership’s led introduced every role taker in her own unique
by DTM Veera Katpitia, The Vice President Public panache and style. The Grammarian “DTM Bharathi
Relations led by TM Sagnik Biswas, The Secretary’s led Shivgoor” paid homage to the MC by Choosing
by TM Deborah Lobo, The Treasurers led by TM Sridhar French Phrases as “Phrase of the day” like “Faux
Kamath and The Sergeant-at-arms led by TM Paux”, “joie de vivre” which delighted us to the core.
Marjoreen Machado. The sessions were indeed The Second Highlight of the Day was the Glitterati
informative and enriching. District Administration session. A novel Idea from Division F to inculcate
Manager, DTM Malini Hebbar with her ever graceful esprit de corps and creativity amongst its members,
persona conducted a session on “Conducting quality it was an instant hit amongst all. The objective was
meetings to nurture membership”. A session with Club to present a PowerPoint presentation with each slide
Growth Director, DTM Suhas, a demo on Glitterati, a auto timed to 15 secs and synchronize all 3 speakers.
new Division initiative called "Ninjas"- got us all on the The Wonderful and Incredible speeches and the
edge of our seats. The program culminated with a vote evaluation sessions added feather on the cap of the
of thanks from Division Director and a sumptuous M e ga M e e t . To s u m u p i t w a s a
Lunch in Food court. TLI was a truly enriching supercalifragilisticexpialidocious meeting. You just
experience for all of us. have to attend one such event to experience the
grandeur, just like I did.
The Forte Experience
“When you are looking for a solution all you need is a little perspective.”
And that’s the reason the veteran toastmasters took to the stage to show us the way at an exciting event, “Forte”.
The judicious JTP session, the glitzy ‘Glitterati’ session, the wise educational session on Humorous Speeches and
the pragmatic mock evaluation contest proved to be an absolute delight on a bright Sunday morning at St.
Agnes.With pin point preciseness, the registrations were well handled by TM Shruti Varma and TM Stalline
Andrade. MC, TM Leanza led the event with absolute finesse and panache. Followed by a prayer from TM Sushil
gupta, a session from TM Shashikath, enunciated all the requirements of being a contest judge.
‘Glitterati’- The innovative contest introduced by District 92 was well explained by its co-ordinator TM Vedanth in a
crisp manner.
TM Meghana delivered a mock speech which was evaluated by by DTM Malini Hebbar and TM Sagnik Biswas
outlining every detail with a fine comb. This was followed by a Q&A session by DTM Nivedita Mirajkar on effective
evaluations.
DTM Bharathi Shevgoor along with her 3 humour panelists DTM Veera Katpitia, TM Mahesh Kamath and TM Brian
Fernandes brought forth their experience along with the points to remember while delivering the humorous
speeches.
A surprise visitor TM Loyola Pinto- contest winner of District 20, also actively participated in JTP sessions. To
summarise, Forte proved to be a very well fabricated concoction of sessions which paved the way to build a
stronger Toastmasters fortress.

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Division F saw a glimpse of Glitterati, thanks to the initiative of the ‘Grand Joint Meet’ of all clubs in
Mangalore. An enthusiastic bunch of 10 toastmasters took to the stage in 4 teams, and participated in a
mock Glitterati contest. At the end, Mangalore witnessed 4 presentations on diverse topics, which were
much appreciated by all present as it gave them a clear idea how to go about with the Glitterati contest!
We spoke to the contestants and received myriad responses on their experiences with Glitterati. The
concept was thought to be “cool and really required for a refreshing new perspective”, while others
thought that it “was an amazing concept, and brought out the requirement of team dynamics for the first
time” in the district! Some went on to add that “Glitterati would be the masala element of every contest!”
We asked the teams how their first attempt was, and most broke into a grin. While some said that there
were the “obvious initial jitters” but once time is on the clock, “you just have to go ahead and do it”. For
some, it was a “race against the 15 seconds and how one best adapts to the continuously changing slides
is really a challenge!” while some realised that it was “the team that counts, not the individual. It was a
tremendous learning experience for us”
While Mangalore was feasting its’ eyes on the mock Glitterati contest, Mysore too wasn’t far behind!
During Forte 2016, the assembled folks had a chance to see two different Glitterati presentations, and the
reactions came in thick and fast! “Glitterati is amazing”, chimed one, while others went on to say that “the
concept of time management, team work and effectiveness at a fast pace is an amazing one”, while the
on-lookers looked on in awe!
Glitterati is only a milestone as we await the introduction of Pathways, the one program touted to
revolutionise the Toastmasters program. With an amazing team leading the Glitterati program, it is rightly
going to be one of the success stories of this year. To more, more and more such innovations!

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19
 Toastmasters all Around
The Infosys Training Centre at Mysore was a city within another city.
Hardly a step or two within the towering gates, I felt as though I was in
a fantasy land. Such was the beauty of the place! After a week’s
induction, our training started with gusto. I soon realised that life at
Mysore was almost similar to a Toastmasters meeting!
As the TMOD introduces the functionaries and the speakers of a
particular meeting, I was also introduced to the different kinds of
people, and slowly learnt their roles in my life.
In a Toastmasters meeting, we have speakers who prepare their
speeches and come. Similarly, in Mysore, I was introduced to people
who had planned, prepared and perfected their whole life just like a
speaker who knows his speech inside out. Some of them were like
toastmasters who did not believe in the concept of planning and
preparing, and just went with the flow…

Unlike receiving a feedback from a toastmaster who uses the sandwich technique, the role of an evaluator was
taken up by the Dreadful DEV Square, which was as blunt as a knife for even putting a centimetre of the toe
outside the line, and made sure you earned your perfect code.
You all would agree that the Table Topics Master is the one who usually brings butterflies in the stomach and this
role reminded me of my friends. Instead of receiving different table topics which make you happy, sad, excited,
anxious, and embarrassed, I found myself in different situations. Late night phone calls, receiving drunk messages
at 3 am, almost pulling an all-nighter with my friends, shopping, watching movies and having lunch and dinners at
random time, life almost seemed like a table topics session with them.
The role of a Grammarian was taken up by the educators in the class who pointed out the mistakes we committed
when we wrote the code, and taught us the correct usage of optimising the code for better performance.
The best part of Mysore was the breeze of independence. But there was a timekeeper AKA “my roommate” who
would keep track of the time I entered and left the room. Nevertheless, I was glad that there were no relatives in
the campus who would constantly give their report of aahs, umms and you know of life.
In no time the busy schedule crept into my otherwise lazy routine. I never understood how the clock hit 6:00AM
in the morning, and, in a blink of an eye, it turned to 11:00PM, after which the security would shoo me away from
the GEC. After a hectic day of studying I would come back to the room and watch the TV series Sex and the city.
Just like in a toastmaster’s meeting where we censor the part about sex, religion and politics, I only saw four girls
roaming the city as “you know what” was censored by the necessary people!
By the end of my journey at Mysore I realised that my conscience was the General Evaluator. The Job of the GE is
to give an overall feedback, especially on the good and not so good aspects which could be improved upon. I had
to finally give myself an overall evaluation.
I was proud that I completed the training but also learnt that it was perfectly alright to not have yourself altogether
every second of the day, it was alright to fail, it was ok to cry, and it was fine to fall in and out of love. I realised, it
did not matter what others thought of me… after all it is my story and I need to be happy with who I am what I
have grown into. It was those days that taught me that “at the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to
still be standing is a reason enough to celebrate. You fought, you loved, you lost. Walk tall.”

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 Members Recognition:
It has been good tidings here at Infosys Mangalore, as the year started on
with a thunderous note in the educational awards section, as Sagnik
Biswas (CC, CL, ALB) bagged a triple crown for himself and Shivna Tiwari
and Sagufta Yasmin also completed their CL awards to give us the first 5
awards of the year.Beyond Toastmasters, our members outshone in all
departments and brought glory to the club in all fields.
Meetings:
The club organised 7 meetings in the duration of July – September 2016.
The themes of the meetings were on a plethora of topics like Riddles,
Women Empowerment, Why am I a Toastmaster, The Journey, Onam,
Gaming and Friendship.The club was involved in a joint meet with Infosys
Toastmasters Mysore on 9th August 2016, and also took part in a
videoconference special meet spanning Infosys clubs in Bangalore,
Mangalore and Chandigarh, where our members took an active part in the
evaluations and table topics.
Education Sessions:
The club was witness to education sessions from the various manuals by TM Priya Das, TM Anubhav Ghosh and
TM Sagnik Biswas in a bid to induct the new members. Apart from these, TM Mayank Kulshrestha delivered a
session on “Handling Interviews” and TM Sagnik Biswas delivered a session on “Introducing characters in your
speech”
Club Awards:
The club received the rare feat of being the “Home club of the area director” and the “Home club of the Division
Director” as we are the home clubs of TM Sagnik Biswas and TM Poorvi Varma, who are the AD and the Division
Director respectively.
Collaboration with Infosys Limited:
We contributed towards the various induction sessions organised by the HR team, and introduced the concept of
Toastmasters to the newbies at Infosys Mangalore. We teamed up with Team Optiwise to organise the one minute
JAM games for them, and also organised various sessions for visiting students.
PR and Club Initiatives:
The club PR machinery was at its’ peak during the two week event, Talkathon 2016. In an event spanning 2 weeks,
the club PR and Initiative team were running pillar and post to ensure the event was a success.
Emcees at Events:
The following were emcees at events in and around Mangalore:
• Shivna Tiwari - “Run mInfy Run”, a marathon organized by Infosys Mangalore
• Anubhav Ghosh – “QPL Finals 2016”, a quizzing league of Quest, the Infosys Mangalore Quiz Team.
• Meghana Siddanakere - “Glamslam 2016”, a fashion show organized by the Onam Committee, Infosys
Mangalore.
• Meghana Siddankere – Was the emcee for a bike stunt show in Mangalore.
• Shivna Tiwari – “N-SPECC Genius 2016 Quiz”, organized by Nitte and MCRT.
• Saher Shaikh - “Jam-O-Jam”, an initiative of OptiWise and Infosys Toastmasters Mangalore SEZ.
• Nikita Shinde – “Technotsav”, an idea presentation contest in “Techzooka”, the technology fest of Infosys
Limited.

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Toastmasters meetings are all very fun,
interactive, entertaining and informative.
It is here where I found the way to lift my
communication, public speaking, and
leadership skills through constant interaction
and self-improvement through contemplation.
mInfy Toastmasters is very special to me. All
the members are enthusiastic and encouraging
and I found myself tackle head on the
challenges which out my comfort zone. I
thank all members for their support. It real was
a pleasure.
I had a great time at Toastmaster as a
guest.Here I saw everyone,was an incredibly
polished speaker.Toastmasters is a place
where one can make friends and meet new
people. Organisation in general are great
places to meet people, but I would say that the
Toastmasters atmosphere facilitates it even
more. I have met many people through
Toastmasters, including many people I might
not have otherwise had the chance to
meet.One of the reasons I feel Toastmasters
makes it easier to meet people is because
there is a strong emphasis on being very
supportive of the people around you.Its place
where one gets to learn a lot especially in the
vocabulary aspect.

From fun to freak, talk to arguments,

TOASTMASTERS is the place where all this blends.
With lots of knowledge shared with double the fun,
Place better than TOASTMASTERS to improve yourself is none.

I have been attending meetings held by mInfy toastmasters club.

They are so welcoming and they treat us so pleasantly welcome us,
which itself tells the standard of the club. The systematic methods
they follow is very good.
They not just encourage ‘toastmasters’ to talk, but also the guest.
They do not stop it there, they send us a thank you mail which
includes the number of errors we made in our talks.
‘The word and phrase of the week’ excellent job. Thank you for welcoming
me and helping me improve.

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23
 Birthday celebrations Education Awards/Base Ratio: 0.200 [ 5 / 25 ]
Name Name Award Name Member Name

Vineeth K M 27th July Competent Biswas, Sagnik

Shivna Tiwari 28th July Communicator
Competent Biswas, Sagnik
Sanjana Hariharan 3rd August Tiwari, Shivna
Leader
Sathish Govindan 11th August Yasmin, Sagufta
Advanced Leader Biswas, Sagnik
Sagufta Yasmin 18th August
Bronze
Mayank Kulshrestha 28th August

Anubhav Ghosh 1st September

Prasad NG 11th September

Vedanth Ravi 21st September

Vipin Nittoor 26th September

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