LEARN, UNLEARN & RELEARN THE NEW NORMAL TAKE THE NEXT BIG LEAP T h e M a g a z i n e f o r D o y e n s | D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 0 01 I s sue CHARTER 2018 THE RG DOYENS STORY
Sachin Sharma NEWSLETTER EDITOR Piyush Kachhadiya ASSOCIATE SECRETARY Dhawal Shrivastav ASSOCIATE TREASURER Shalini Singh ASSOCIATE SERGEANTAT-ARMS Deepak Kumar ASSOCIATE VP EDUCATION Kalpit Jain SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Narasimha Bhat ASSOCIATE VP MEMBERSHIP Himanshu Sinha TREASURER SERGEANT AT-ARMS Balamurugan Mohan Jimit Shah PRESIDENT Rakesh Raut SECRETARY Rani Choudhary VICE PRESIDENT EDUCATION Roma Tripathi VICE PRESIDENT MEMBERSHIP Teerth Patel VICE PRESIDENT PUBLIC RELATIONS Anish Dholakia IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT https://rgdoyens.toastmastersclubs.org/ Get social with us! CLUB LEADERSHIP TEAM YEAR 2020-2021 Ma ven | D ecember 2020 1
2 C OME ST A Y GR OW CON T E N T S D E C E M BER 2 0 2 0 VOL . 1 BECOMING CHANGE-READY: 21 By Naina Jivrajani Learn, Unlearn & Relearn Why it's important to become change-ready & how Toastmasters helpstowardsthe same. TIME TO REALIZE: 22 By Pearl Ray The New Normal A future representative from the class of Corona-virus makes us realize what the New Normal is. FINDING THE DIAMOND: 23 By Balamurugan Mohan Make hay while the Sun shines True diamonds can only be found if we are willing to get cut. Articles Features 13 ONLINE PANEL DISCUSSION: 24 Make giant leadership strides in the Corporate world Take the Next big Leap Moderated by Rudresh Dixit EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS: 19 By Rani Choudhary Vice President of Education Headway REWARDS & RECOGNITION: 29 Announcing Club level Hall of Fame Awards to be given during club's Annual Business Meeting Hall of Fame By Club Executive Committee 34 M E E T T H E T E A M VIEWPOINT: 3 By Jimit Shah, IP5 Club President & Area Director Being Resilient Columns A STEP FORWARD: 4 By Teerth Patel Vice President of Public Relations Stepping Up FINDING YOUR INNER MAGIC: 5 By Sachin Sharma Editor Believe in yourself THE KEY TO LEARNING: 6 By Kalpit Jain Content Curator Un début passionnant REFLECTION IS PROGRESS: 7 By Anish Dholakia, CC, CL Immediate Past President The Journey so far 30 OUTSTANDING TOASTMASTERS 15 25 31 17 9 MEMBERS' FORUM CREATIVE CORNER CLUB EXPERIENCE 33 QUICK TAKES GUEST CORNER QUIZ Departments
Jimit Shah, IP5 Club President & Area Director Ma ven | D ecember 2020 3 VI EWPOI N T Be ing Re s ili ent District 98 and had also been elected as President of RG Doyens Toastmasters Club. My fellow elected officers were fairly new to the club with no experience of serving in any ex-com position earlier. And, there was an added pressure from the ongoing pandemic, which appeared to present an insurmountable meeting challenge in the time to come. The situation demanded more adroit actions to serve our members and it seemed like such a daunting task! The Pandemic had affected everyone across the globe in the same way and we were no exception. But the real challenge, at hand, was to motivate the team and align them with the vision and mission I had for the club for my term, plan together for success and create conditions where club members are influenced by words to act and unleash their discretionary energy. The key here was to be resilient! Being the young leader of a club with an average age of around 35, it soon became challenging for me to address the differences of opinion among fellow members. This is where the knowledge of Toastmasters by-laws and rules came in handy. It helped me make the right decisions and avoid friction of any kind by sounding logical in my approach rather than authoritative. Like Aditya Maheswaran, I too learned that a knowledge of the core values and bylaws of any organization is critical for one to evolve as an effective leader. Teamwork, as we all know, is critical to the success of any project and it has become more so now in Toastmasters. I feel privileged to be working with an amazing team of Mavens who have shown true resilience against all odds in going the extra mile to enrich the member experience in such testing times. I am proud to be working with such a team. Friends, in the past six months, we all have demonstrated resilience brilliantly, as we continue to cope with the crisis and emerge victoriously. We have had our stimuli and still continue to have the same. But it is in the space between the stimulus and response, where we have been able to find our growth and freedom! Let's come together and stay on track in such unprecedented times by Being Resilient! I t was 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 21, 2020. I was nervous and uneasy. I had been appointed as Area J3 Director at
leadership experience to grow in personal and professional life. The opportunity I get to serve as VP PR is much beyond what I expected. This is something where I get to know about the importance of branding in an organization. I also get to know what marketing strategies go behind publicizing the product and how to reach out to the relevant audience. The significance of digital presence has made me realize the power of promotion. Especially, in the times of the new normal, when the entire Toastmaster's platform experienced a drastic shift in its form from physical settings to a virtual setup, as the VPPR, it created abundant opportunities for me to network with people having exceptional skill sets and learn from them. On the special occasion of our club's second Anniversary, I feel accomplished to have fulfilled our long-sighted vision of publishing the club's Magazine. Presenting before you Maven - a true portrayal of our club's spirit of sharing our learnings with each other to help everyone grow. This will open up new doors for our members to showcase their skills as well as for the club to expand its footprints by leaps and bounds. We have come across unique experiences while working together on this Magazine. Be it content curation, editing, designing, proofreading, or even reaching out to our fellow members. I am grateful to Jimit, Sachin, and Kalpit for extending their wholehearted support in achieving this feat. We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together! chances to renew our perspective, practice teamwork, and develop our capacity to translate values and strategies into productive actions. The handbook is right in saying so! At RG Doyens, One has the opportunity to improve one’s skills and gain valuable hands-on leadership experience. Unlike other training programs, where you learn how to become a successful leader by reading books and attending lectures, this place gives the opportunity to gain practical S t e p p i n g u p Teerth Patel Vice president Public Relations A S T EP FORWA R D S erving as a club officer is a great responsibility and an exciting opportunity. The term of office is filled with 4 C OME ST A Y GR OW
At this point in time when we have achieved what we have thought of, we start feeling confident. But to feel confident should we wait for life to throw challenges at us? Of course not! According to an article published in one of the leading newspapers, more than 90% of people fear public speaking than death. It’s shocking to know. Don't you think we should grab the opportunity which can bring us out of this mass disease? Nowadays Communication is the most important and unavoidable part of one's life. One of the basic requirements of communication is confidence. Along with confidence, good communication requires not only speaking up but also listening to other person's points which in turn requires a high degree of patience. Well, being mortal, we cannot be a master at every art. So, being a master at something we are originally good at is the best thing we can do to sharpen ourselves and become a cynosure from people's point of view. Toastmasters provides a wonderful opportunity to polish all our skills be it speaking, writing, listening, or thinking. Moreover, you get to know members and they get to know you as you learn to appreciate and encourage the best in everyone you meet. Every Toastmaster has inherent talents and a wonderfully unique perspective to share. Talking about me, RG Doyens has given me the opportunity to meet new people, improve my writing skills, and helped me to improve my overall personality. Lastly, I urge you all to remember this motivating phrase, "Self-confidence is a superpower. Once you start to believe in yourself, the magic starts happening." Don't think! Start your journey now. Hello, hope you all are doing well and are in a good health in this pandemic. I welcome you all to the first edition of Maven - RG Doyens Newsletter. I read somewhere that "Confidence is the ability that makes you feel beautiful from inside out without needing someone to tell you", and I personally abide by this saying. Life gives challenges at every step and pushing ourselves through these hard phases enhances our self-image and make us feel empowered. Sachin Sharma Editor B e l i e v e i n y o u r s e lf F I N D I NG YOUR I N N ER M AGI C Ma ven | D ecember 2020 5
Within a few months, I got appointed as an Associate VP of Public relations (social media manager) which gave second birth to my creative instincts which were lost in the hustle and bustle of the corporate world. Preparation of posters and writeup for the promotion of the meeting and milestone events improved my thought process and creativity skills. This role helped me to understand the Branding Tactics and eventually utilize them to distinguish RG Doyens from other clubs. It gave me an insight on how to promote the events without violating the Organization’s guidelines. It taught me how to contribute to the club's growth by taking care of the 4Ps i.e. People, Process, Programs, and Performance while doing PR activities. My recent stint as a content Curator at Maven has been the most complex and challenging part of my role as an associate. Right from collating information relevant to different sections of the magazine to selecting and organizing the content submitted by the members and guests in a way such that it adds value to the Magazine, was too demanding. The key here was to understand the purpose and central idea of every article with utmost clarity. The process itself taught the lessons. In my ongoing journey at RG Doyens, I have realized that process is the king as it is crucial in bringing behavioral changes in us to become better versions of ourselves. The process of practicing, getting feedback, and reflecting is the key to learning. I joined Toastmasters in the month of September 2020, for the very customary reason - to improve my communication skills. I began my journey with the role of Master of ceremony in the Crescendo-2020 Humorous and Evaluation Speech Contest. That role made me realize how difficult it is to write and present my speech in the most concise, comprehensive, and acceptable manner. It implanted the seed for implementing Kaizen in writing speeches and delivering them. Kalpit Jain Content curator Un d é b u t p a s s i o n n a n t T H E KEY TO L E A R N I NG 6 C OME ST A Y GR OW
communicators and leaders. As we look back on our journey – it is a matter of great pride in what we could achieve as a club in just two years of our existence. It is a platform that has enabled individuals to unwind themselves and embark upon the journey of enhancing their communication skills. It has also helped many to develop their leadership skills by taking up multiple roles, including their involvement as executive committee members resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth. Every member of the club is fully committed to the core values of Toastmasters and have benefitted immensely from this learning experience and the journey so far. At RG Doyens, we have had many firsts to our credit, such as paperless operations, online presence across social media channels, club website and mobile App, etc. We have also achieved various milestones for our club and we became President's Distinguished in less than six months of getting chartered, which is a testimony of the hard work and dedication of each member of the club. I would like to thank each one of you for your immense contribution in helping the club achieve its current level. I would also like to acknowledge the commitment shown by the ex-comm members in playing a pivotal role in the progress we have had so far. I wish each member all the very best in their future journey at RG Doyens. Let us together achieve the very best!! Toastmaster’s journey for me began way back in 2016. I had no knowledge about this organization then and what it could offer to each one of us. As I got a deeper insight into the Toastmasters' organization, I could find this to be a unique platform for individuals to grow as communicators and leaders. I had the privilege to be the founder President of the first club that came into existence in 2016. RG Doyens was chartered in December 2018 with the sole purpose of empowering individuals to become effective Anish Dholakia, CC, CL Immediate Past President T h e J o u r n e y s o f a r RE F L E C T ION I S PROGRE S S Ma ven | D ecember 2020 7
8 C OME ST A Y GR OW PRESIDENT'S DISTINGUISHED every yearsince charter and eligible for SELECT DISTINGUISHED STATUS for the present term with 7/10 goals already achieved Corporate Toastmasters Club #7169553 Take your Leadership Skillsto the Next Level
Doyens at Jamboree 2019 New Member Induction Ceremony Successful Club Series - Workshop C LUB EXPERI E N C E Ma ven | D ecember 2020 9
H Club Officer Elections Chapter 25 Milestone Meet indi Meeting 1st Anniversary Celebrations Doyens at Eloquence 2019 C LUB EXPERI E N C E 10 C OME ST A Y GR OW
Ex-Com Installation Online Club Officer Elections Open House Crescendo 2020 C LUB EXPERI E N C E Ma ven | D ecember 2020 11
Humor Workshop by Chendil Kumar Pathways Workshop by DTM Mukta Chapter 75 Milestone Meet 2nd Anniversary Celebrations C LUB EXPERI E N C E 1 2 C OME ST A Y GR OW
From the very first meeting, our club embraced an innovative approach to club operations by going paperless! All aspects of club operations like attendance, role-sign ups, agenda release, feedback, evaluations, and voting were recorded online either through our website (https://rgdoyens.toastmastersclubs.o rg/) or our Android application. Not only did this initiative provide ease of communication but also helped us with useful insights on further improving the member experience. Chartered on the ideals of democratic leadership, inclusive growth, and equitable participation, RG Doyens was instated as a full-fledged Toastmasters club on 21st Dec 2018, ready to power undiscovered leaders, foster them to new self-discovery paths, and thus create trailblazers on the way! The beginning was tough, as expected. There was a lot of unrest among the members as they tried to understand why we were doing what we were doing. But, having Toastmaster Anish Dholakia begin his second innings with RG Doyens as the charter president, after his successful stint as the charter president of RG Speakers, was a definite plus for the club. With him on board, there was no looking back. With his guidance and support, we strived for personal excellence and committed ourselves to provide the best possible member experience. S over from a club split is an ambivalent adventure. Such is the beginning of our club, RG Doyens. tarting a toastmaster’s club is exciting. Staying with the club is rewarding. However, starting Little did we know back then that we were preparing ourselves for the upcoming New Normal! F E A TURE D CO M E . S TAY . GROW C H A R T E R 2 0 1 8 The RG Doyens Story Ma ven | D ecember 2020 1 3
F E A TURE D We religiously follow our modus operandi to provide a differentiating club experience to our members. And with a strong focus on the Mentorship program and Education sessions, we always strive to improve the club's value proposition to its members. It is a mere reflection of our efforts that we have been successful in achieving the President's Distinguished Club status - the highest recognition in Toastmasters - every year since charter, by meeting all 10 Distinguished Club Program goal requirements. Even in the present term, we have successfully met 7/10 goals and will soon meet the remaining 3 goals to become eligible for the President's Distinguished Club recognition, yet again! In present times, a strong online presence defines the brand of any entity. And it is more so now! Our club also has a widespread presence on the internet today. With our club website, we have a digital address to our name. Additionally, we also have our own Android App and an active presence across social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and of course, Whatsapp! Our digital footprint is also as sustainable as our club membership and retention plans! Democratic leadership has been one of the core values of our club since charter. And thus, despite being a new club born out of a split, we decided to hold elections for the office bearer positions so that the members can choose their leaders. Because it is our belief that if we are driven to give voice to people, we must also learn to respect that voice! There are three main elements that summarize our club’s transformative progress – Employing these three elements into our club meetings have helped us to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop his communication and leadership skills and thereby foster self-confidence and personal growth. It is a value exchange that the club is dedicated to champion. Inclusion, Innovation and Immersion. It has been a roller coaster ride since club charter. We have witnessed the darkest and the brightest of the days. We have been through the lows and the highs. And with the changing times, we have also learned to live in the New Normal. But amidst all these, we have seen our growth. A BIG THANK YOU To Reliance Industries Limited forsponsoring the club, To the then Area Director, Jasvinder Bhatti, and Asst. Area Director Mythili Sarathy for ideation, To Charter President Anish Dholakia and Club Mentor Abhay Matange for the guidance, To Charter Club officers ( VPE - Shubhangi Trivedi, VPM - Naina Jivrajani, VP PR - Jimit Shah, Secretary - Abhishek Dixit, Treasurer - Shrirang Aurangabadkar and Sergeant-at-arms - Chandrasekara Sastry & Shankar Poptani) for building the solid foundation, and above all To our beloved charter membersfor believing in and supporting the club throughout! With love, from RG Doyens But we know that we still have promises to keep and miles to go before we sleep, as our Story Continues... 14 C OME ST A Y GR OW
As an introvert, I always felt reluctant to meet new people and open up to them. The Toastmasters platform, via RG Doyens club, gave me an opportunity to network, socialize, and build closer relationships with people at all levels. One year of journey with RG Doyens has given me the confidence and mental strength to cope up with my fears of speaking up and connecting with new people. Thank you RG Doyens!! Rakesh Raut Balamurugan Mohan "If you want to Go fast, Go alone but if you want to Go far, Go Together" Life is a long journey where we need our own group of friends to make our travel a spectacular one. RG Doyens, simply, makes that happen. It has helped shape my perception towards life, which otherwise would have been a monotonous 9 to 5 routine! For me, RG Doyens club is a stress buster and a shopping mall where I can buy leadership qualities, public speaking skills & greater self-confidence, and at the same time, improve my time management and event management skills. Thank you so much! Rudresh Dixit 2 years back, when I attended a Toastmasters meeting for the first time, I was wonderstruck to see the positive culture, supportive environment and commitment of members towards Toastmaster's learning and values. In these 2 years, RG Doyens taught me lifelong lessons of punctuality, structured way of doing things & importance of building strong relationships. Every club meeting is meticulously curated by the Ex-Com, keeping the Toastmasters structure and values at its very core. I have immensely benefitted from Toastmasters in my personal as well as professional lives and RG Doyens has played a pivotal role towards it. Today, I feel more confident, more enthusiastic and highly motivated than ever before. Thank you RG Doyens!! M E M BERS ' FORU M Ma ven | D ecember 2020 1 5
October 2019, I remember vividly - it was my first meeting and I was about to deliver my icebreaker speech in front of all new faces, at a completely new place. I felt nervous at first, but the positive ambiance and the motivating people around, calmed my nerves. Since then, my attachment with the club and the members has grown exponentially. Becoming the first Outstanding Toastmaster of the Month and eventually the Vice President of Education of the club will always be a special memory for me. Every weekend with RG Doyens has been fun-filled, with a lot of takeaways. It has really helped me improve my self-confidence and I have also learned to manage things well. I really want to thank my club members for standing by me, supporting me and making this journey a beautiful and an unforgettable one! Rani Choudhary Deepak Kumar When I joined Toastmasters a few months back, I wasn’t looking to become a polished speaker or to enhance my leadership skills. I was just looking for a club that would allow me to learn and communicate freely. All the club members welcomed me unconditionally and over the coming weeks, I participated in several club meetings taking up different roles, as well as in the humorous and Tall Tales speech contest. This experience is helping me in improving my management and communication skills. RG Doyens club has helped me change my attitude towards public speaking from fear to fun! Himanshu Sinha In July 2019, I joined RIL JMD, where I met Mr. Rudresh Dixit (Ex-Treasurer of RG Doyens club) and asked him, 'Is there any opportunity here for personality development?' A heartfelt thanks to him for introducing me to RG Doyens Toastmasters club as it turned out to be the beginning of a new chapter of my life, providing me beautiful opportunities for personal growth and connecting me with an amazing bunch of people to learn from. Today, it's a special feeling to be a part of the Ex-Com. I feel inspired by fellow Doyens as I see their significant contributions to the club, which has taken it to the next level. The best thing is we have become close friends and this journey has become truly joyful. Let's keep this going! M E M BERS ' FORU M 16 C OME ST A Y GR OW
Mukta Nadkar, DTM Past Program Quality Director, District 98 Today, as you celebrate your 2nd Club Anniversary and launch your first newsletter, I heartily congratulate every member, past and present, for your contributions to such a dynamic club. Your membership strength, your DCP status, combined with your energy and enthusiasm, makes you a flag-bearer in your Area. Keep shining, keep rising, Toastmasters of RG Doyens! I can clearly remember my first visit to Jamnagar and RG Doyens Toastmasters Club..! I was a bit nervous to come to a new town and a new club. But your gracious hospitality made me feel right at home. I was so relaxed amidst a group of warm, friendly, and vibrant Toastmasters. I enjoyed an amazing meeting with eloquent speakers. The newcomers and guests were at ease and comfortable. To me, these were signs of a supportive club and encouraging leadership. I was so impressed. In August this year, I had the honor and privilege of conducting a workshop in Pathways at your club, and it was another humbling experience. Neha Bhatt Area A2 Director, District 98 RG Doyens, as the name signifies, is blessed to have a wonderful set of leaders that brings different initiatives to club meetings, to make member experience better. It would not be a Hyperbole if I say that they have marked themselves as a unique club and have left a lasting impact on other clubs across areas and divisions. The best thing about this club is their Ex-com members who have a different energy, zeal, and connections that help them network with other clubs across Gujarat and beyond. Thanks to Covid-19, because of which I was able to network with them and it felt as if we were connected and knew each other since long. I wish the club grows with the same enthusiasm and innovative approach in the coming years ahead. Congratulations on your 2nd Anniversary! GUE S T COR N ER Ma ven | D ecember 2020 1 7
I would like to congratulate RG Doyens on this auspicious occasion of celebration. I had the pleasure of attending RG Doyens Toastmasters Club on Sunday, 12th December 2020 as a General Evaluator. I was impressed with the enthusiasm and the high energy of the group. A special thank you to all for making me welcome! Alicia Curtis, DTM Administritation Manager, District 70 Parna Das Sharma President, RG KDAV Speakers RG Doyens is a club with highly efficient members. They have always been arranging meetings meticulously. Each meeting is a joyful journey with a lot of takeaways. Their innovative Table Topic concepts have been a major attraction. This club started the series of educational session on pathways program, Speech Contests as well as various meeting roles, which has greatly helped them and other clubs as well. Many congratulations on your journey!! Tarun Sharma Past VP PR, RG Speakers One thing in life that increases exponentially with sharing, is knowledge. I will always be thankful to RG Doyens for giving me an opportunity for sharing my experience of Tall Tales with its members through an educational session. The positive spirit of all the members, in spite of the technical adversities we faced, is still very vivid in my memory. Their enthusiasm made my day. The keen interest shown by all in learning the intricacies of the contest is worth mentioning. This being my first educational session as a speaker in the Toastmasters fraternity shall always remain very special and close to my heart. I wish RG Doyens all the very best for all of their future learning programs. GUE S T COR N ER 18 C OME ST A Y GR OW
PATH PROGRESS Innovative Planning 27.3% Strategic Relationship 3% Dynamic Leadership 21.2% Motivational Strategies 6.1% Leadership Development 6.1% Presentation Mastery 24.2% Visionary Communication 9.1% Persuasive Influence 3% Visionary Communication Dynamic Leadership Strategic Relationships Presentation Mastery Persuasisve Influence Pathways Mentor Program Motivatonal Strategies Leadership Development Innovative Planning MEMBERS 100% PATHWAY ADOPTION E D U C A T ION A L PROGRE S S Ma ven | D ecember 2020 19
Rudresh Dixit Presentation Mastery Level 3 Certified Jimit Shah Innovative Planning Level 5 Certified Anish Dholakia CC, CL Shrirang Aurangabadkar ACS, ALB Naina Jivrajani Visionary Communication Level 2 Certified Shankar Poptani Motivational Strategies Level 2 Certified Roma Tripathi Dynamic Leadership Level 2 Certified Navneet Shrivastava Strategic Relationship Level 2 Certified Rani Choudhary Motivational Strategies Level 1 Certified Himanshu Sinha Dynamic Leadership Level 1 Certified Teerth Patel Innovative Planning Level 1 Certified Rakesh Raut Innovative Planning Level 1 Certified Deepak Kumar Dynamic Leadership Level 1 Certified Pearl Ray Visionary Communication Level 1 Certified Balamurugan Mohan Innovative Planning Level 1 Certified Rudresh Bhatt Innovative Planning Level 1 Certified E D U C A T ION A L PROGRE S S 20 C OME ST A Y GR OW
Learn Unlearn Relearn & Even, figuring out the zeros in crores and millions seemed to be a nightmare. However, given my nature of adaptability and agility, I was able to sustain and eventually grow in the corporate world. The key here was to RE- LEARN : the resilience to come back after learning and unlearning. In our Toastmasters journey as well, we have been constantly learning, unlearning & relearning through positive feedback and evaluations which helps us to critically look at ourselves from others’ perspectives. We have understood what each second, each Ah and umm counts for. And so many words to build our vocabulary! And could we have imagined an impromptu speech on a random topic and still bring smiles on the faces of fellow toastmasters? Naina Jivrajani This stands true for the corporate world as well. When I qualified as a Chartered Accountant, I was on cloud 9. While I was enjoying the silver lining, down came the pour. Being surrounded by stalwarts and experienced seniors, I was feeling lost. Budgeting and Costing, which I had learnt in academics was poles apart from what I found in a fortune 500 Company Lets together Learn, Unlearn and Relearn communication and leadership skills. BE CO M I NG C H A NGE -RE A D Y skillset or a mastery over anything. It is said that the day you stop learning, you stop existing. But, it is equally important to Unlearn. Our laptops, mobiles and even wardrobes require de-cluttering. And so does our internal memory. It is the first step towards making our self-conscious realize that all that glitters are not gold. For instance, before my marriage, my mother taught me how to cook and so I had to LEARN. But after getting married, I had to un-learn all those recipes and tricks, because If I had stuck to those recipes, there would have been only two possible outcomes. First is Clashes with my mother-in-law and Second is More clashes with my mother-in-law. As I transitioned, I realised that, in order to have harmony in the family, a change within me was the only resort. So, I had to UNLEARN. Y ou are never too old to learn. Be it a basic Ma ven | D ecember 2020 2 1
The Normal New Pearl Ray We are not very different from you humans. You wiped out species wherever you went for the last 700,000 years. We wiped out your kind, only faster in a shorter span of time. You inflicted nature with pain, cutting trees, destroying land, and polluting seas in the name of development. We infected your kind and caused pain to your loved ones in the name of a pandemic. You spread out so fast - Unsympathetic, Hungry, Greedy, and never settling. We spread out too - Infecting, Causing sickness and Killing. You see, that’s what happens when you spread too fast. You leave behind a lot of data, a lot of trails. You used that against us like we did while multiplying. With all that data, you found correlations and back-traced our RNA. That was the turning point when you had won over us. But let us leave you with a message, for your own good, because we learned from our mistakes. The New Normal isn’t a virus. Or living with a virus. Or fear. Or Uncertainty. These are just obstacles that you have already overcome in the past. The New Normal is that nature is recovering. The New Normal is the clear skies and fresh air. The New Normal is clean rivers, devoid of industrial and human waste. The New Normal is birds and animals moving freely in the land that used to be theirs. The New Normal is that you have realized the importance of family, that you must spend more time with them and that you live only once. It’s not too late. We are gone. But something else might come. Hope you take action now as you recover from one of the most tragic events of mankind. The world is your space, but only if you respect it, cherish every moment, and take it slow. T I M E TO RE A L I Z E - A Future representative from the class of Corona-virus | COVID-19 the world at the expense of other species, unperturbed, unapologetic, and unrestricted. Our size didn’t matter, our rapid growth did. Driven by blind ambitions, we were hell-bent on advancing our race to heights never reached before. You see, that’s what happens when you establish your presence and command. Everything else becomes minuscule subject to your whims and fancies. We were reaching a peak even we couldn’t come back from. That was until... They found a vaccine to reduce us from the mightiest beings in the history of mankind to dormant organisms incapable of expression. The sooner we spread, the sooner they raced to beat us. We didn’t even complete a year of sustenance. You see, that’s what happens when you run so fast. You forget that there is always an ABC –An accelerator, Brake, and a clutch. The brakes had been applied, humanity was recovering and we were receding, paying our rebate for destroying whatever came in our wake. But as we exit our moment of domination and damage, we have some parting words to say in our defense: We were growing too fast. We were advancing at a pace not even biological evolution could fathom. We were taking over 2 2 C OME ST A Y GR OW
Do you think toastmasters will simply help you transform and become a better version of yourself from next day ? Nah! Nah! Nah! Make hay while the sun shines can help one find the diamond which this organisation offers. Toastmasters provided me the opportunity to speak in public, listen to my inner-self and learn from others. It also helped me to reflect about what I really know and where I need to improve especially with respect to my leadership skills. How many times in the real world, do we get an opportunity like this? The Irony is, everybody wants the diamond, but very few are willing to get cut! Toastmasters is just a tool to achieve excellence, but not the readymade answer. The process of hard work and dedication remains constant even here, but only smoothened by the structured program of Toastmasters. Balamurugan Mohan Not only joining, but also following the framework of Toastmasters in every meeting,delivering speeches as per pathways program, performing various roles week-in and week-out and participating in contest only PLAN AHEAD Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. SET REALISTIC GOALS First, consider what you want to achieve, and then commit to it. Set SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) goals that motivate you and write them down to make them feel tangible. COMMUNICATE EARLY AND OFTEN Do not let problems linger. Address them in a positive manner to resolve them. BE A LEADER Your job is to help your team to achieve their goals. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. Tips for leaders F I N D I NG T H E D I A M ON D that box with mere expectation but without any perseverance, we fail to find a diamond in it. However, when we open that box through hard work and determination, we surely find the diamond. Toastmasters is one such mystery box wherein finding the diamond is completely dependent on our approach. It takes sincere efforts to overcome the fear of public speaking and imbibe the skills of leadership. L ife is a mystery box! whenever we open Ma ven | D ecember 2020 2 3
Toastmasters is a place where Leaders are Made. To understand the practicality of the program with respect to corporate leadership, RG Doyens conducted a unique panel discussion at its 75th milestone meeting, where the leaders of Reliance Industries shared their insights on Corporate leadership and discussed key skills needed for one to grow as a corporate leader. The panel comprised of eloquent personalities, who were experts in their respective fields. Abhishek Dixit From a mechanical GET to the E&M head at Reliance, he has worked at the grassroots level and developed key skills required for heading key positions in today's corporate world. He also happens to be an extoastmaster! The more clear you are about what you want the more likely you are to achieve it. Mahesh Kotasthane An electrical engineer and alumni of NIT Surathkal with 15+ years of corporate leadership experience at Reliance Jamnagar, he has been a pioneer in introducing innovative technologies at Reliance in the electrical domain. He also happens to be a marathon enthusiast! A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more. Rubin Nambiar An electrical engineer with more than 2 decades of experience in various leadership functions, he has been trained at IIMAhmedabad for leadership skills and has also been awarded as the best mentee for grooming leadership in his team. He also happens to be an avid lover of photography! The true test of leadership is how well you function in a crisis. Archana Mudaliar A chemical engineer and alumni of Anna University with experience of working in various technical functions, she was the First woman Production Manager at Reliance Jamnagar. She has been awarded by the Ministry of Petroleum, Govt of India at PETROFEST for her contribution in the field of technology. Don’t let others define you. Take charge of your life with confidence and determination as there are no limits on what you can be. Take the Next big Leap Make giant leadership stridesin the Corporate world ON L I N E P A N E L D I S C US S ION Click on the image to watch panel discussion 24 C OME ST A Y GR OW
I always wanted to acquire Public speaking skills but the fear of English Language always haunted me. But, fully determined to improve my communication skills I joined RG Doyens. I was very nervous while delivering my Icebreaker speech and suddenly due to some technical glitch my audio got disconnected. So, I lost confidence in the very first attempt to learn. But I got immense support from fellow Doyens, which helped me to regain my lost confidence and complete my icebreaker speech. That was My Moment and I can proudly say that I am at the right place to learn communication skills and grow in life. Arpit Saxena It has been a remarkable journey with RG Doyens since I joined the club. This place not only helps us improve our communication & leadership skills but also gives opportunities to work on our event planning and time management skills. I got one such opportunity with the club when I took the role of Toastmaster of the day. Right from planning for the meeting to executing it without any glitch, the experience left me with a lot of learnings. And that was My Moment with RG Doyens, which I'll surely remember!! Dhawal Shrivastav The opportunity, I got, to be a part of the ex-com for the very first time as the club Sergeant-at-arms when Sastry sir had to leave suddenly, provided me with great insights on servant leadership, which I am able to use in my everyday life, thereafter! That was My Moment and I will be indebted to the club for helping me grow. Cheers RG Doyens :) Shankar Poptani QUI C K T A KE S Ma ven | D ecember 2020 2 5
First Place Winner, HSC'19 Second P D la i c v e is W io inner, ISC'20N n J avneet Shrivastava Triple Crown, 2018-19 Third Place Winner, Area A3 ISC, 2019 Jimit Shah, IP5 Third Place Winner, ESC'19 Division J Pearl Ray Star of Division A, 2019 Abhishek Dixit Shrirang Aurangabadkar Divisio n J T hir d Pla c e Win n e r, T T C'2 0 Talk Up Toastmasters Award, 2019 Naina Jivrajani Second Place Winner, Area A3 TTC, 2019 P R E S I D E N T ' S D I S T I N G U I S H E D C L U B every year since charter Pathways Change Maker, 2019 Debut Start of Division A, 2019 Speedy Renewals, 2019 Best PR Club of Division J, 2019 PR Brand Consistency, Division J, 2020 In Time Renewals, 2020 Power Up Ex-Com, 2020-21 T hir d Pla c e Win n e r, H S C'2 0 A r e a J 3 Rani Choudhary QUI C K T A KE S Smedley Award, 2020 Roma Tripathi Third Place Winner, Division J ESC, 2020 Member 5Sponsor 26 C OME ST A Y GR OW
INSPIRIT RG Doyens' flagship event, held annually during the month of March - Inspirit comprises of two speech contests namely International speech Contest and Table Topics speech Contest. Contestants present a 5-7 minute speech on any subject of their choice. This is the only contest which provides contestant a chance to win the World Championship of Public speaking. International Speech Contest Contestants present a 1-2 minute impromptu speech on a topic assigned to them by the contest chair on-the-spot. The contest finale is held at the District level. Table Topics Speech Contest CRESCENDO The first club event held every year during the month of September - Crescendo comprises of two speech contests namely Humorous speech Contest and Speech Evaluation Contest. Contestants present a 5-7 minute humorous speech that is thematic in nature and not a monologue (one-liners). The contest finale is held at the District level. Humorous Speech Contest Contestants observe a 5-7 minute test speech and then present a 2-3 minute evaluation of the test speech. The contest finale is held at the District level. Speech Evaluation Contest HYPERBOLE A special event held every year during the month of December - Hyperbole comprises of the Tall Tales speech Contest. Contestants present a 3-5 minute speech on a topic that is highly-exaggerated and improbable in theme or plot. This contest is limited to the club level only. Tall Tales Speech Contest QUI C K T A KE S Ma ven | D ecember 2020 2 7
QUI C K T A KE S IN'SPIRIT 2020 S International peech Contest Table Topics Contest IN'SPIRIT 2019 International Speech Contest Table Topics Contest Humorous Speech Contest Speech Evaluation Contest CRESCENDO 2019 CRESCENDO 2020 Humorous Speech Contest Speech Evaluation Contest HYPERBOLE 2019 Tall Tales Contest Tall Tales Contest HYPERBOLE 2020 28 C OME ST A Y GR OW
OUTSTANDING TOASTMASTER OF THE YEAR DISTINGUISHED DOYEN EMERGING LEADER EXTENDED ARM OF THE EXCOMM COIN OF HONOR P R E S I D E N T ' S O F F I C E GUIDING STAR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION MOST IMPROVED SPEAKER OFFICE OF VP EDUCATION SPONSORER OF THE YEAR OFFICE OF VP MEMBERSHIP PR TORCH BEARER OFFICE OF VP PR MOST ATTENDING MEMBER SECRETARY'S OFFICE H A L L OF F A M E Ma ven | D ecember 2020 29
OUT S T A N D I NG TOA S T M A S T ERS Rani Choudhary Nov-2019 Balamurugan Mohan Dec-2019 Shrirang Aurangabadkar Jan-2020 Roma Tripathi July-2020 Teerth Patel Aug-2020 Rakesh Raut Sept-2020 Himanshu Sinha Sept-2020 Rudresh Dixit Oct-2020 Naina Jivrajani Nov-2020 Kalpit Jain Dec-2020 30 C OME ST A Y GR OW
Just like the Toastmasters meetings, painting gives me a sense of satisfaction. Every time I paint any blank canvas, it turns a better version of what I painted the last time. ~ Rani Choudhary As a Numismatist, I have collected coins of 27 countries which includes Australia, US, China, UAE, Nepal, Jamaica, Canada, Bulgaria and many more. In addition, I also have all Indian denominations, including the precious currency "AANA". I have kept the zeal alive for many years and looking forward to add more gems into my treasure. ~ Sachin Sharma C RE A T IVE COR N ER Ma ven | D ecember 2020 3 1
At RG Doyens' 2nd Anniversary Celebrations, our members awaken the 'actor' within and present before us a spoof of the famous news show - 'Nation Wants to Know' with Deepak Kumar as Burnol Goswami, Roma Tripathi as Vismriti Nurani, Naina Jivrajani as Kamalapasand Harris, Sugandha Singh as Khadangna Runout and Shalini Singh as Galiya Bhatt. Click on the image to watch their act Doyens Wants to Know At RG Doyens' 2nd Anniversary, our VP Education Rani Choudhary and Associate VP Membership Narasimha Bhat unveil their musical side before us as we sit back and enjoy their great musicianship. Click on the image to watch them perform Musical Performance C RE A T IVE COR N ER At RG Doyens' 2nd Anniversary, our Treasurer Himanshu Sinha shows us his mimicry skills as he mimics Narendra Modi, Mukesh Ambani, Sunny Deol, our Division Director Akashdeep Agarwal, our club VPPR Teerth Patel. Click on the image to watch his spell Mimicry Act 3 2 C OME ST A Y GR OW
The club, above, refers to The RG Doyens club, Area refers to Area J3 & Division refers to Division J. All questions to be interpreted accordingly. Free space, above, needs to be filled with a unique question of your choice, which is related to the club or club members only. All answers need to be unique, i.e, 25 different answers to 25 questions. You need to connect with the person directly via call or Whatsapp to verify the details. Any answers provided without connecting with the said person, will not be considered. 1. 2. 3. 4. Bingo Guidelines Send the filled BINGO card to [email protected] First 3 members who send us the filled cards as per the guidelines below will receive special goodies at the club's Annual Business Meet!! Let's Network QUI Z Ma ven | D ecember 2020 3 3
M E E T T H E T E A M Designer Editor Content Curator Proofreader https://rgdoyens.toastmastersclubs.org/ Get social with us! 34 C OME ST A Y GR OW
RG Doyens Toastmasters Club is a Non-Profit Co-sponsored Corporate Toastmasters Club whose sole purpose is to extend the value of Toastmasters International to as many people as possible. We provide the Toastmasters Club Experience to our members and thereby help them improve their communication and Leadership skills. We meet every Sunday at 3 PM online on Zoom. Guests can join our meetings for free at https://rgdoyens.toastmastersclubs.org/Virtual_Meeting_Room.html Being a Corporate Club, we have certain membership restrictions. To know more about membership at RG Doyens Toastmasters Club, contact us at [email protected] Follow us on Social media by clicking on any of the below icons: