Anweshana 2010 was held in the costal city of Karnataka, Mangalore, on the 14th Nov 2010. This division level contest was a great exposure to a new Toastmaster like me. My debut visit to Mangalore will stay in my memories forever. Anweshana 2010 introduced me to some of the best toastmasters in India. The day long event had dignitaries like Toastmaster Nagaraja Rao, DTM – the District 82 Governor; Toastmaster M N Pai, Division B Governor; Toastmaster Kumaran Pethi Division L Governor and many others.
The day started with the Educational session on “10 leadership lessons learnt from Toastmasters” by Toastmaster Nagaraja Rao. A wonderful session that gave practical examples as to how a leader should be, what all problems a leader faces and he very well related them with all the experiences he has had so far. His presentation involved the audience very well, with questions and interactions.
Next after the tea break came the Evaluation Contest, which increased my heart rate with every passing minute. A speech was delivered by a fellow toastmaster and we all contestants got busy evaluating her. I was on a bigger platform now, having evaluated only twice before I was here evaluating the third time and that too in a division level contest. I did my job pretty well. Having finished my evaluation successfully I went back to my seat to enjoy and learn from the sessions that came next.
“Stand up - Speak out - Shut up" by Toastmaster Chendil Kumar was a session on using humor in speeches. “Awesome” would be the right word to describe the man and his session. For a passionate Toastmaster like me who craves to excel in speaking publicly CK is an inspiration. The ease and the finesse he shows in his presentation are excellent.
Humor is a very difficult genre and to make people laugh is indeed a tough task. CK made it simple for us; he gave us tips and techniques to use humor in the right and effective manner. He also put the audience to work by dividing them into different groups and assigning them a task - to come up with something meaningful yet humorous. I enjoyed the session thoroughly.
After this fulfilling session came the humorous speech contest, an exceptional show by some of the Toastmasters. “LOL” was all the audience was doing. Watching Toastmasters from elite clubs like Bangalore Toastmasters Club, Mangalore Toastmasters Club and also Toastmaster Praveen John Thottan from our very own Leaders’ Garden Toastmasters Club was a feat.
It was a perfect end to the event when the prizes were announced and I had bagged one prize too.
Being a Toastmaster and the journey so far has been excellent for me, I have always wanted to be a Toastmaster and SPI gave me this opportunity. I am thankful to every single person responsible for the success of our club. It would be unfair if I didn’t mention our mentors, who have supported us and helped us grow. Toastmaster Mohammed Suhail from Oratorium Myinfy was a very encouraging Area Governor, his motivation and help has been an integral part of our success. Last but definitely not the least, I want to thank our Club President Toastmaster Rohan for all the support and encouragement he gave us as a president.
Together we learn, together we grow. My passion for public speaking is on an all time high, thanks to Toastmasters.
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