1. Medley Toastmasters Club
presents
Newsletter Edition-2 :
June 2012
Theme:
Inside this issue:
Editorial 2
Message from the
3
President
Prepared Speeches
4
Section
Table Topics Section 10
Humor Zone 11
Evaluation Section 12

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Hi! Welcome to the Second Edition
of Let‟s Speak! I‟m TM Sunny, and
it‟s my pleasure to take you through
the proceedings of this newsletter.
We will now begin with our Editors,
TM Pavithra & TM Arun...
Message from the
Editors...
Dear Fellow & Future Toastmasters…
SUMMER is ruling the roost, chasing everybody into hiding – making people sweat, puff, and pant. On the
contrary, summer also brings in the air of brightness, liveliness, and cheerfulness. Summer therefore is synony-
mous with hyperactivity, joy, spirit and gaiety.
Summer brings in brighter days and therefore clearer nights. It is that time of the year when stars in the sky
shimmer and sparkle best! Isn‟t summer then, the apt time to wake up from deep slumber, list down our most
important goals in life, and get the ball rolling?
„Reach for the Stars‟ is the theme of this second edition of Let‟s Speak! - Medley‟s Newsletter. We all have
unique gifts and talents. To bring out this uniqueness in us, we must set higher goals, have greater aspirations,
and work towards them to the best of our abilities. With the new term beginning in July 2012 for all Toastmas-
ters, what this means to all of us in Medley Toastmaster Club is that, we must introspect on the year that went
by, celebrate the successes, learn the lessons it offered and use these lessons to set the bar even higher in the
new term, reaching out for the stars – aiming higher and higher!
So, let‟s all take a pledge in this endeavour and move on to read what our fellow toastmasters have said in this
edition of Let‟s Speak about how to „Reach for the Stars‟! The „SUN‟, being the brightest and the only closest
star in the sky, will guide you through this newsletter. Happy Reading!!
- TM Pavithra & TM Arunkumar
“Over to the Presiding Officer….”

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Message from our President - TM T R Thiagarajan
I declare „OPEN‟ the Second
Edition of Let‟s Speak!
Between “You”... and “Me”
“To reach for the stars”- is a Herculean task indeed. One requisite
qualification is to show consistent progress to achieve this arduous end. TM
Pavithra is a shining example in whom I have observed phenomenal progress
since I donned the mantle of a Medleyan. Once a lame horse, she has turned
into a race horse now. There is consistent flow and dynamism in her speech craft. She volunteers to shoulder
responsibilities, and the current issue of “Let‟s Speak” is the product of her sweated labour, with combined
efforts from TM Arun Kumar. Pavithra & Arun! Please acknowledge our accolades.
Diamond hard determination and stony will power are essential ingredients to
“Diamond hard
“reach for the stars”. History is replete with illustrious heroes who have
determination and stony
performed amazing feats to “reach for the stars”. Julius Caesar, the great Roman
will power are essential
warrior‟s conquest of England is a classic example illustrating this point.
ingredients to reach for
the stars.”
Julius Caesar, with his soldiers landed in England to conquer that nation. England
was then an island nation of marshy land. Unfortunately, Caesar‟s soldiers were
sullen, homesick and were adamantly refusing to fight. They expressed a desire to go back home rather than to
wage a war. Caesar, an outstanding leader rose to the occasion brilliantly. He ordered all the ferries to be
totally destroyed with the aid with which they all crossed the waters. Then, in a thunderous voice he addressed
the soldiers - “Now none of you can dream of reaching home. Unless you conquer this land, you will perish of
hunger and thirst. Conquer this land, rebuild the ferries and you can reach home triumphantly with trophies of
victory.” It was now Hobson‟s choice for the soldiers to conquer the island. They ultimately did conquer
England. This is also an illustration of aggressive motivation.
So, Medleyans let us develop self-confidence, imbibe a spirit of courage and acquire exceptional leadership
skills by being committed Toastmasters so that “stars are within our reach”!
“Over to TM Sunny….”

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Welcome back! Let‟s now
quickly leap into the „Prepared
Speeches‟ section...
Prepared Speeches Section
„Focus‟ - By TM Varadarajan R, Secretary
Giving our complete attention and concentration to one particular thing is
called focus. By focusing we can get the best results. For example, if we focus
the Binocular perfectly, we can see the object very clearly. Also, if we focus the
camera correctly, we can get clear photos. The following examples will prove the
power of focus.
“Many times, when we are
doing one thing our mind is
☼ Normally, the sun‟s rays do not burn a
preoccupied with dozen
piece of paper. But, if we focus the sun‟s rays through a magnifying glass,
other things. Instead, when
the paper gets burnt. This is the power of focus! we are focused, our mind
☼ In Mahabharata, Guru Dhronacharia wanted to test his students in their does not drift.”
skill of archery. He asked the students to aim, one by one, at a bird
sitting on a branch of a tree at some distance. The students aimed but
could not see the bird. One student said he could only see a tree. Another student said he could see a
branch of a tree. Finally Arjuna‟s turn came and when he aimed, he said he could see two eyes of a bird
very clearly and he aimed in between them. This is the power of focus.
Many times, when we are doing one thing, our mind is preoccupied with dozen other things. We are distracted
by our own thoughts, concerns and worries. Instead, when we stay focused, our mind will not drift; we will
have a strong awareness (focus) of what is going on, and will be completely absorbed in the moment, truly
listening to what is being said. The people we are with, can then sense that we are completely there with them,
both physically and mentally. They feel relaxed, secure, and important, as we will be considered trustworthy.
So, by focusing we can reach for the stars. Also, we can ourselves become stars!
“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream
precedes the goal” - Pamela Vaull Starr

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„Hat Trick‟ - By TM Thilak Raj
Hat trick! It‟s not in IPL. It‟s my third straight win as the best project speaker
at Medley Toastmasters Club.
My journey as a Toastmaster started on 24th March 2012, a day to be
remembered forever and from there on my journey has been tremendous. I
had always shied away from public speaking and had hardly appeared on the
dais during my school and college days. But after just four CC projects, the
podium has become a place where I intend to spend the rest of my life giving
the most possible speeches.
“After just four CC projects,
the podium has become a
When I gave my Ice Breaker, the first two minutes were dreadful as I stood on place where I intend to
the podium trembling as usual. However, very soon I managed to hide my spend the rest of my life
shivers and successfully completed my debut. But the moment my fellow giving the most possible
speeches.”
Toastmasters complimented me for a courageous ice breaker, I felt that this
was not enough; I still have a long way to go and have a lot to achieve for sure.
Club meetings also provided me chances to take up responsibilities of role playing and provide me a platform
to showcase my leadership qualities. Those bountiful compliments and appraisals at the club are always power
packed confidence boosters for any Toastmaster.
Socializing is an important aspect of the meeting where you meet people from different fields and horizons and
befriend them, which eventually makes you feel at home. At last, I have stepped out of my comfort zone and
have donned the mantle of a Toastmaster aiming for something higher and bigger in my life. Oh wait! it‟s not
just a hat trick; I am awaiting my fourth straight win in my forthcoming CC 5!
“Jump into the middle of things, get your hands dirty, fall flat on your
face, and then reach for the stars.” - Ben Stein

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„Pushing Your Best‟ - By TM Niranjana
Striving for perfection is an ongoing process. Similarly, falling short of
perfection is a process that just never stops.
After three hours of preparing and revising my content, two hours of
thorough rehearsal, one sleepless night, I was finally ready to give my first ever
presentation in the corporate world. I was nervous, yes, but I am a
Toastmaster – surely, I can stand on my feet and talk. This is just another
prepared speech, I kept telling myself. And so, I walked into the hall filled
with Department Heads, VP‟s and all others who had the power to promote
me from being an intern to a permanent employee of the company. I started
my presentation and out of nowhere the toastmaster in me erupted and I
delivered my presentation well enough to enthuse every person sitting in the
hall. At the end of my presentation everyone
“Communication and
congratulated me on the wonderful job I had done and I was feeling elated. leadership are learning
PROCESSES. There is no
But the person who had guided me throughout my internship tenure, and had end to the quest of bringing
helped me prepare my presentation – my trainer, wasn‟t too excited. I was so out your best.”
surprised. When everyone else was so proud and happy for me, why was he
feeling so bad? I went and asked him. And to this day, I remember his exact words. “It was good. It
wasn‟t your best. I know you can do a lot better”. The words are simple enough, but made me think about it
for a long time. What is my best? In every little action we do, we strive to give our best, but do we? Just
because we can get a work done doesn‟t mean its our best.
Why do we all come to Toastmasters? To bring to out the best speakers and leaders within us. But not one of
us can point out one speech where we were totally flawless and gave our best. If we did, our evaluators would
have no suggestions for improvement. So, communication and leadership are learning PROCESSES. There is
no end to the quest to bring out your best; there is no end towards our goal for perfection.
But what happens when we attain the much coveted perfection? Well, the truth is, nothing is perfect. There are
lumps in it. No matter how hard we try to bring out the best in us, there is always something that is better than
the best. And that is what keeps our life going.
If all of us realized our innate potential, what else would we have in life? We might never go beyond the stars,
but there is nothing stopping us from reaching out for it!!
“To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don't
worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest” - Anonymous

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„Twinkling Stars‟- By TM Vidhi Sharma
Twinkle -Twinkle little stars
I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the Sky!
The rhyme which I learnt in the Kindergarten has always been one of my favourite
ones, not because I understood the exact meaning of the poem but the word STAR
always astonished me. I used to wonder what a Twinkling star looks like and how
beautiful the world of stars would be. If I touched it, would it continue to sparkle the
same way? I was always amazed by the world of these glittering diamonds...this is what
the word Star meant to me. As I grew up, the world
of Stars had become scientific - a fusion of an atom “To match with the shine and
of Hydrogen and Helium....blah blah blah... this definition was certainly grace of a star, one needs to have
the most uninteresting of all as it had nothing to do with my world of a strong persona and charisma.
imagination in which stars were considered as decorative stuff for my Doll Attaining that charisma requires
house! Disheartened, as I felt someone had ruined my dream house...but lot of effort, hard work and sheer
still had a belief that stars are like Diamonds which makes you shine and determination!”
enhances your charisma. However the definition of Stars had been entirely
changed as the level of understanding started increasing - to reach for the
stars is not an easy task. To match with the shine and grace of a star one needs to have a strong persona
and charisma. It is not as easy to be a Pole Star, the brightest of all. Attaining that charisma requires lot of
effort, hard work and sheer determination!
Everyone wants to do something great and become a star, and the stardom is not all about how successful, rich
and influential you are. To achieve success is not difficult for the ones who are focused and does not get
perturbed by trials and learning experiences of life. Each and every one of us are unique and have been
bestowed with special abilities, and those who have a positive attitude and approach keep going, make
difference in their and others lives and keep shining.
To be at the peak is not what matters. What matters is how one keeps his persona and charisma sparkling and
alive. Sky is the limit for an individual who aims for stars by lighting other's lives, by giving back his/her ray of
light in the form of motivation and inspiration. “Shoot for the stars but keep your feet on the ground” is an
appropriate concluding remark from me!
Reach for the Stars and Keep Shining!!
“God's promises are like the stars; the darker the night the brighter they
shine” - David Nicholas

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„When Humour Gets Twisted‟ - By TM Rajaram, VP-Education
You may sometimes wonder if there is hardly a line between humour and
cynicism. Sometimes humour shows such cruelty, that it makes you wonder,
whether the person is funny or downright cynical.
My friend Lakshman stands out as a shining example - Here is this guy, who
hardly smiles, except when he utters those sarcastic lines.
At a senior colleague, Ganesan's daughter's wedding, I saw an excited Lakshman,
full of smiles (his kind of smiles) and telling all our guys - “Nice Groom Boss!
Looks like it must have been the girl's choice; Ganesan's choice has never been
good!”. “How do you say that?” someone queried. “Well” said Lakshmanan,
“don't we all know that Ganesan's marriage was a love marriage?” Even before we
were horrified by this uncharitable remark,
Lakshman coolly continued, “However, they are a perfect Match”! “But does he not look more
sophisticated on the drawing??”
Another occasion, when our Company had arranged for a drawing
competition to the kids of all employees. On the contest day, the children were all over the place,
bending down over their charts, over the floor. We were going around to help them, when there was an excited
cry from Lakshman from the corner of the hall. He called out to a few of us and declared, “this little girl is
going to walk away with the prize". “How?” we all asked, and Lakshman said, “this girl is cleverly drawing the
Club President's Portrait, very perfectly!!!”. He said, “our Factory Chief (who was the club president), would be
very happy and simply hand over the prize”. All of us rushed to see the girl drawing the bust of a massive
gorilla covering an entire A3 paper. Even before we were scandalized, Lakshman said, “but, does he not look
more sophisticated on the drawing?”
The last is an incident where all the employees had gone on a tour of North India. One of our friends had
brought his elderly dad along, who was in his late 70's. We had finished a temple visit and were returning to our
rooms to rest. The place was a hilly terrain and we had to walk up an incline to our rest house. As we were
walking up, our friend's father slipped and fell, facing forward. However, he instinctively put his hands out on
his face as he fell and saved himself from greater damage. In the process, of course, his elbows and hands were
bruised. We rushed to the man's aid and helped him on to his feet. Lakshman (who is normally indifferent)
strangely rushed to the spot and made anxious enquiries with the elder, “Uncle, are you ok? Nothing Serious?”.
To this, the gentleman said, “no Son, I'm fine, luckily, my face was saved by my hands”. Lakshman
immediately turned to us and in a low tone (we could hear clearly) said, “but we lost a chance to see a better
face”!
Now, can you beat that!!
“Ideals are like stars: you will not succeed in touching them with your
hands, but like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them
as your guides, and follow them to reach your destiny” - Carl Schurz

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„The Butterfly Effect‟ - By TM Sudharshan
Till a month ago the only butterfly effect I knew was the feeling a “young chap
like me" ;) gets in his stomach when a gorgeous girl passes by, and to add to all
the worries if she smiles at the guy. Though that smile is most probably an
invitation to disaster, I am not going to discuss that here.
I am going to talk about an even serious matter called "The Butterfly Effect",
which is a very important concept in science and particularly in Chaos theory. It
would probably make me look insane if I tell you that every moment the actions
you make are responsible for some bigger event which is going to happen in the
future!!
Yes this is called “The Butterfly Effect”. “By making small changes in
Any action you take, no matter how seemingly insignificant it is , sets in our actions, body, mind, and
motion a series of reactions from others, who in turn influence those near relationships, we can change the
them and carry that forward to the people in their vicinity, like ripples in a dynamics of our life.”
pond.
In simple terms, the theory is that, all the forces are in place for a hurricane to form, and all that is needed is
one tiny movement of the air, which is supplied by the wings of the butterfly. A butterfly flaps its wings and
sets air molecules in motion that in turn moves other air molecules–which then moves additional air molecules,
eventually influencing weather patterns on the other side of the planet!
Why am I telling all this to you? It is because even the smallest of actions that you do every single day can have
far-reaching effects, beyond your wildest imagination! A small word misspoken by the RBI Governor or the
chief of the Federal Reserve can make huge fluctuations in the stock market. A small change in a virus in
monkeys in Africa created a „Thunderstorm‟ of an effect on the human population around the world with the
appearance of the AIDS virus. Thus, the decisions we make today will change our future. By making small
changes in our actions, body, mind, and relationships we can change the dynamics of our life.
Therefore, let‟s make every act, every moment, and every move with responsibility, forethought, and good
intentions so that the future we are going to live in will have a tremendous positive impact. Let‟s start with
simple acts in our daily lives by not littering public places if the trash bin is not within reach; by not jumping
the traffic signal when it still shows RED, etc. Though no one will be watching you every time, be aware that
you are setting in motion the system which can eventually have its own impact. Always remember the butterfly
wings!
“Your life…. And what you do with it today… MATTERS FOREVER.” –Andrew Andrews (Author of the
book “The Butterfly Effect”).
So, do not wait; Start flapping your wings :-)
“It is the stars, The stars above us, govern our conditions.”

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It‟s now time to get impromptu!
Moving on to „Table Topics‟
section...
Table Topics Section
Who/What according to you is a „STAR‟ and why?
☺ “Anyone who wants to be a star, and works towards achieving that goal is a star...it's what we think of ourselves!!”
- TM Sai Prashanthi
☺ “Anything or anyone that shines is… I‟m trying really hard to be funny here.. but with no luck! Simply put, he
who seizes the moment and makes the most out of it.. is the STAR. Much like TM Arun Kumar & Pavithra - kudos
to their effort in organizing this newsletter. Once it is out, everyone in Medley will know them for their initiatives.
Now, isn‟t that an opportunity seized?? Being a star it is. Shining stars they are!!
- TM Muralikrishnan C
☺ Amitabh Bachchan! In my view the star is Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. The qualities
which makes him a star are many, but I would like to maintain only his oral
communication here as we are all from Toastmasters club wanting to improve our
communication skills. Whatever language he speaks, it goes directly to the heart of
the listener and the audience. He communicates very clearly with right pace, pitch,
volume, right words/ vocabulary. He is a role model for all Toastmasters!
- TM Govind Negi
☺ A star should shine and give out light. But a „STAR‟ is one who is in the limelight
for “Good Reasons”. Otherwise many people could be stars for all the wrong
media attention they get.
- TM Sunil Jose
☺ STAR 1: He loses all his wealth, he has only one rupee left with him. He goes through tough times, but is confident
in his abilities to get back his wealth and finally achieves his goals.
STAR 2: He stands on a train fighting villains. He prays for help and points at the train. The train starts moving
suddenly.
Although such scenes appear ridiculous, they inspire the masses to believe in their abilities and seek help when
required. So the reel stars are also the Real Stars!
- TM Sailesh R

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☺ “My Mother is my STAR!! Look up in the sky and you will see lots of Stars, but when you look around you find
yourself surrounded by beautiful people like my mother who always dazzles my path with her guidance, affection and
unconditional support."When it is darkest man sees the stars"..and when I find myself in confusion, anguish and pain
I always see an image of my mother holding a clay-lamp in her hand assuring that there is always a light at the end of
a tunnel, thus shunning away all the darkness!!”
- TM Vidhi Sharma
☺ “The STAR according to me is DTM Aditya Maheswaran, because he is amazingly versatile and has inspired and has
been inspiring many present and future toastmasters by his own example!”
- TM Ramakrishnan
☺ “A Star, a true leader is one who transforms himself to the change he wishes to see around him! My real life super
stars are Mahatma Gandhi and Steve Jobs.”
- TM Arunkumar
☺ “A Star is someone special, who lives up to his/her own values - come what may; Dares to show the world his/her
true self, without faking it; Stands up firm - unshaken and unrelenting in the face of all adversities!
- TM Pavithra
INTERLUDE………
Let‟s take a quick 10-min HUMOUR BREAK!!!

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Welcome Back!! It‟s time
for some serious business!!
Let‟s move on to Evaluating
Medley‟s achievements..
Evaluation Section
Achievements of Medley during July 2011-June 2012
☼ Medley achieved the status of „President Distinguished‟ for the year 2011-2012, second time in a row !
☼ Area G3 was adjudged the „Best Performing Area‟ in the whole of District 82 ! Medley TM club, being
the only community club in Area G3 greatly contributed to the Area‟s success!
☼ Medley TM club produced 10 Competent Communicators (CC) so far during this current year; two more in
the pipeline!
☼ TM Sundararaman helped enrol 19 new members into the club this year! Kudos to his hard work!!
Medley Welcomes - Our Newest Members (March-May
☼ TM Gouri Kumar
☼ TM Murali Krishnan
☼ TM Sailesh
☼ TM Muthukumar
☼ TM Kesavanambirajan
☼ TM Gopalakrishnan
Let‟s wish them the very best in their Toastmaster journey!!

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Medley‟s Education Tracker 2011- 2012
Competent Communication Track (CC)
Advanced Communication Track (ACs)

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Leadership Track - CL & ALs
A „Medley‟ of Medleyans

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Star of Medley - TM Sandhiya Rajaraman!!
There are people who come to Toastmaster club to learn and grow, and there are others who contribute their might to
the club. But here is someone who has dedicated a great part of her life
towards making the club proud!!
Meet TM Sandhiya, aptly called the „STAR of Medley‟!!
Winning has been a part of her staple diet. Whichever contest she
participates in - be it Prepared Speeches, or Table Topics - she
undoubtedly emerges a winner.
Is it sheer luck, an in-born talent, or does it just happen? If you ask her, she
may probably say Yes! But people who have seen her in action definitely
vouch for the incredible amount of hard work, determination, and a „never
-give-up‟ spirit, that has gone behind each of her speeches.
This year too, she made her mark in Rhetoric 2012, where she was declared the first runner-up at the Divisional Level
International Speech contest! Medley is proud of your achievement, Sandhiya!!!
Here are some quotes that were overheard from toastmasters during Rhetoric 2012:
☺ “What is Medley without Sandhiya!!”
☺ “How does she (Sandhiya) manage to present her Table topics like Prepared speeches??”
☺ “Sandhiya is a sure winner!”
Here‟s wishing Sandhiya the very best and all success in her endeavour to bring more laurels to Medley!
Let‟s put our hands together for Medley‟s Outgoing Office Bearers..
☼ TM T R Thiagarajan - President
☼ TM V N Rajaram - Vice President, Education
☼ TM Sharma - Vice President, Membership
☼ TM Vijay Prasad - Vice President, Public Relations
☼ TM Varadarajan - Secretary
☼ TM Kalpana - Treasurer
☼ TM Ramakrishnan - Sergeant at Arms
A BIG THANK YOU for your Commitment, Hard work and Relentless support for a successful term!!!
Toastmasters! Hope you enjoyed reading Let‟s
Speak! It was a pleasure interacting with you.
See you in the next edition, Good Bye from
Sunny! Over to the Editors..

16. NEWSLETTER TEAM:
EDITORS: TM Pavithra Sundaram
TM Arun Kumar
PROOF READER: TM Sai Prashanthi Ramesh
NEWSLETTER TEAM THANKS:
ADVISOR: TM Sandhiya Rajaraman
☼ TM Sharma
☼ TM Thiagarajan
☼ All TMs who contributed
articles for this edition
MEETING VENUE:
ISTE Professional Center
25, Gandhi Mandapam Road,
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Kotturpuram,
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