Dehiwala Toastmasters Fashverse FLASHVERSE Dehiwala Toastmasters Club CLUB WEBSITE DIVISION C CONFERENCE Dehiwala Toastmasters Club launched its very own website. It has various content such as present & past Executive-Committees, Meeting overview and member achievements Dehiwala Toastmasters Club definitely left its mark at the recently concluded Division C Conference. Ragavi Ratnaranjan and Saai Syvendra took part while Ragavi emerged as the 1st Runner Up at the Evaluation Contest! contd. Page # 09 Page # 11 Page # 15 Page # 13 Page # 17 Page # 20 Page # 19 Page # 16 Page # 10 Page # 18 Page # 12 contd. Page # 07 MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS AREA CONTEST CLUB MEETINGS CLUB CONTEST JOKES & RIDDLES GALLERY THE MAGIC OF BEING UNSCRIPTED YET EXPRESSIVE MY JOURNEY AT TOASTMASTERS MISSED OPPORTUNITY SOCIAL OUTREACH PROGRAM

Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 01 Message from the President Dr Ammar Jawfer It gives me immense pleasure to share my thoughts as the president of the Dehiwala Toastmasters Club as we recount our journey so far in the Flashverse. From the very beginning when the Executive Committee and I took over, our goal was to give every single member and guest a supportive and encouraging environment to learn. We also wanted each of our meetings to be as engaging as possible along with a take-home message or skill that everyone who attends can benefit from. I believe in the maximum utilization of time purposefully which means, every two hours at a meeting must have a benefit for everyone attending it! We’ve always upheld the core values of Toastmasters International: Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence in every event that we’ve conducted. I have been truly blessed with an amazing EXCO who has really shared our vision of getting the message of toastmasters and its benefits far and wide. My EXCO, are truly talented and I couldn’t have asked for a better team. With my own hectic work life as a doctor, it sometimes can become daunting whether I can handle this but with this EXCO, I believe I have been more than equipped with the best for the job. It makes life all the easier to strive towards excellence when that’s what you are surrounded with! We at Dehiwala Toastmasters are a family and are supportive of each other! I think we’ve managed to accomplish both our personal as well as shared goals together! The motto of togetherness with fun was initiated at the inception of Dehiwala Toastmasters and it’s been running throughout with every moment spent being memorable and of course, F-U-N! It’s been the unique club culture that has been forever present in all our meetings! We’ve successfully been able to empower our members to go out, grow in self-esteem, take up challenges and gather confidence with each stride! (contd.)

Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 02 It would indeed be ridiculous of me if I were to forget to mention the performance of my club members! We’ve been taking part in speech competitions happening either as contestants, role players or even as guests! As contestants, we’ve even reached the Divisional level!!! My members are truly magical as their talents combined enabled us to successfully launch our website this tenure! We’ve also got our own resource portal which is accessible to any and all! We’ve only come through half the journey, and we’ve gained many accolades along the way which I believe will speak volumes when the time is right! Of the many things we’ve done, one that gave me the most wonderful feeling of accomplishment is when we were invited by Iman Academy, a school based in Dehiwala to conduct a session for their students. It truly was a learning moment for us as well and really motivating to see young kids performing well in public speaking! It truly was a testimony to our club’s value of taking the toastmasters out, to the world for one and all! Together as a family, we’ve achieved club excellence as well as a quality beyond measure! My greatest gratitude goes out to each and every member who has put their heart and soul into making this dream a reality! Nevertheless, this is just the beginning of the beginning! Hang on tight and buckle up for more to come!! (contd.) “To see a person smile, makes you HAPPY… But to see a person smile and know that you’re the reason for that smile… WORDS just can’t comprehend that feeling!.” ~ Dr AJ

Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 03 Message from the Area Director DTM Samuditha Samartunga Area Director - Area C2 | District 82 As we began the tenure in July, amidst chaos all around us, with uncertainty lurking around in a politically and economically unstable country, as toastmasters we were able to look forward with hope in our eyes as the toastmasters' movement has always helped us to cope up with many things. For some, it was the only source available to maintain one’s sanity and continue to move forward with hope. Though we were pushed to meet online and connect virtually, our best efforts were put in to ensure that virtual meet-ups were as enjoyable and educative as the physical ones were. Witnessing the Education Meetings of the Dehiwala Toastmasters Club reminded me of a quote from Ralph Smedley - “Toastmasters are educators, whether they realize it or not, and Toastmasters is more than a club, it's an education”. I believe Dehiwala Toastmasters Club always focuses on the takehome for its members in both educative and enjoyment aspects. They have truly understood the true value of the Toastmasters movement and continue to maintain momentum throughout while providing its members with the benefit of toastmasters’ education program and presenting an enriching member experience. The Executive Committee led by the President, TM Ammar Jawfer has been continuously working towards delivering quality and fun-filled Educational Meetings to its members, irrespective of all challenges faced by them as a community club. I truly commend their untiring efforts and outstanding commitment in continuing to do so, by which the true purpose of Toastmasters is achieved. I believe, the reason why the Executive Committee were able to successfully overcome the Membership retention/attraction challenge, is purely due to the exceptional standards of the Club’s Education meetings and the innovative and creative means they bring into its presentation and delivery. The quality meetings were one of the strong points which turned me into a member of the Dehiwala Toastmasters Club as well. (contd.)

Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 04 Not only do they work towards their members’ benefit but also in ensuring the fruits reaped through toastmasters are shared with others as well. Living by the words of our founder “I challenge you to get to work to bring us up to a higher level of service. Let us share with others the benefits we have gained for ourselves”, they have embarked upon sharing their knowledge with youngsters through an initiation of series of meetings with an Institute. I see hopes of a gavel club in making and truly salute and applaud in their efforts of showing in example what servant leadership is all about. As we have come to the end of the first half of the tenure 2022/2023, I look back on the Journey of Dehiwala Toastmasters Club with great satisfaction and pride. I wish to convey my heartfelt gratitude to the Executive Committee and its members for ensuring that Dehiwala Toastmasters club perform extremely well while striking a balance between, fun, education and camaraderie at every meeting. I believe and wish that you will continue to strive for excellence and keep the momentum until the end of your tenure and Dehiwala Toastmasters Club will end the year with many accolades and titles under its club’s name. Henry Ford said - "Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success." As a community club, Dehiwala toastmasters has shown through example that diversity makes us stronger and a diverse group of people working together is a sure formula for success. Let us continue to work together and keep delivering the best we can and I will surely be there to help and support in each and every way for you to reach the pinnacle of success as a Club. (contd.) “Coming together is a BEGINNING, staying together is PROGRESS, and working together is SUCCESS.” ~ Henry Ford

Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 05 Message from the Immediate Past President Ragavi Ratnaranjan It is with great pleasure and privilege, I write this message in the official newsletter of the Dehiwala Toastmasters Club. I’m indeed delighted to share my thoughts as the immediate past president of this prestigious club. I take this opportunity to thank the club president and the club members for their commitment to making our club one of the best in Division C and in District 82 I am really proud to say that our club already has produced great leaders and amazing speakers. Dehiwala Toastmasters is an eminent club that upholds the core values of Toastmasters International: Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence in all activities, respecting the club traditions and best practices We have a group of enthusiastic, committed, supportive toastmasters in our club. There is a saying “Divided we fall, united we stand”. Nothing is impossible when we work as a team. We have done miracles in the past and I am sure we can do miracles this year too. This year we had several physical meetings including themed and joint meetings. I really enjoyed every meeting, had a good quality time and developed my public speaking skills. I take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported and motivated me to become the winner at the club evaluation speech contest, 1st runner up in the area contest and finally emerge as the 1st runner up in the evaluation speech contest of Division C, District 82. It was a good experience and one of the best memories in my toastmasters' journey. With that note, I wholeheartedly wish our pioneering and prestigious Dehiwala Toastmasters Club a phenomenal success.

Improve your public speaking skills Gain a competitive advantage in the workplace Maximize your potential Practice writing speeches and presenting in a group setting Enjoy unlimited personal growth

Executive Committee Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 07 2022 / 23 President VP Membership Treasurer VP Public Relations Sergeant-at-arms VP Education Secretary Ammar Jawfer Komin Karunasekara Innam Ismail Saai Syvendra Nufail Saheel Ragavi Ratnaranjan Samuel Arulanandan

Dehiwala Toastmasters Club was recognized for having successfully trained all its Committee members at this event. In addition, the Club also received its Pathway Level completion awards. As the icing on top of the cake, the contest was concluded with TM Ragavi Ratnaranjan of Dehiwala Toastmasters Club emerging 2nd at the Evaluation Contest. It was definitely a memorable event for all the members of the Club who attended and participated. Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 08 DIVISION CONFERENCE Dehiwala Toastmasters Club was certainly able to make its mark at the Division Contest of Division C, with 3 out of the 4 contestants who qualified from Area C2 being from the Club. The Contest was held on the 20th of November 2022 at the Centre for Banking Studies, Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte. It was an interesting day, which was attended by many distinguished Toastmasters. The Contest Chair for the Humorous Speech Contest was DTM Samuditha Samaratunga and the Contest Master for the Humorous Speech Contest was TM Abarnah Kirupananda, both from Dehiwala Toastmasters Club. In addition to the Humorous and Evaluation Contest speeches, there were addresses by the District Director DTM Nisal Weerakoon, the Program Quality Director DTM Mahinda Karunakara, and the Club Growth Director DTM Ganga Fernando. The members of the Club present at the event also had the privilege of meeting DTM Balraj Arunasalam, Past International President. “Embarrassment lasts a moment. Regret lasts a lifetime.” ~ Dr. Avinash Wandre

Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 09 https://bit.ly/dehiwalatoastmasters CLUB WEBSITE The official Website of Dehiwala Toastmasters Club was launched by the Area Director DTM Samuditha Samaratunga on the 24th of September 2022, at the 77th Educational meeting of the Club which was titled “Tech”. The Website contains all the important information relating to the Club such as: An Introduction to Toastmasters An introduction to the Club and its Vision The past and present executive Committees of the Club since its inception in 2019 A summary of the events that took place at each educational meeting will be updated after every meeting Link to a telegram bot, through which necessary evaluation resources can be obtained Member Progress of the pathways for each member of the Club The Club Dashboard Member Achievements The Contact Details of the Club along with its Social Media Handles

Taking my first step into this unparalleled fraternity this year, not even in my wildest dreams did I see myself speaking to an enormous audience, which included many dignitaries. Seven months ago, I joined toastmasters under the influence of my friend. It wasn’t the first time I heard about this movement, as I have heard the words "I See Something In You" uttered by our champion speaker, Dananjaya Hettiarachchi. Fast forward five months, I was standing in front of my club members delivering my speech at the club contest. Emerging second at the humorous and evaluation speech contests, I qualified for the Area level contest. The next thing I remember was hiding behind that chair and jumping out with a question at the area-level contest. To my surprise, I emerged as the champion of both the humorous and evaluation speech contests, thus qualifying to represent the area at the Division C Conference. Unlike the other two contests, the division conference was a whole-day event, where many distinguished toastmasters graced the occasion. Though I couldn’t get a spot in the top 3 in either of the contests, it was a memorable day of my life. I could feel the impact toastmasters had on me in this short journey. The friendly environment that persists at the Dehiwala Toastmasters Club, the energetic executive committee, and most importantly all its members have undoubtedly been the pillar of support. If the start of my journey held such memorable events, I can’t wait to see the remaining. Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 10 MY JOURNEY AT TOASTMASTERS Saai Syvendra Vice President Public Relations

Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 11 MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS All of our members showed great enthusiasm in completing the projects in their respective pathways. Out of which, TM Komin Karunasekara has completed 3 levels thus far for this tenure is one of the notable achievements. Apart from this it also important to note that all our new members have embarked on their pathways and given their Ice Breaker speeches in a short period of time. Listed below are the set of level completion awards.

The gavel, the guts, and the glory in the discipline of speechcraft and leadership were what enthralled the Ordinary and the Advanced Level students of Iman Academy, Sri Lanka. Members of the Dehiwala Toastmasters Club left these learners awed with a demonstration of a typical Toastmasters meeting which was designed to inspire. The potential of many speech givers in the students was brought to light yet again at this event on 26 November 2022, especially when the Table Topics was in action. The learners were recognized for what they executed and were given valuable feedback to take home. The experience gained is truly valued by the Academy and wishes to work with the Dehiwala Toastmasters Club again, God willing. Iman Academy is currently working on initiating a Gavel Club in the near future. For this initiative, the guidance and support rendered by Toastmaster Husni Ameen and Toastmaster Ammar Jawfer have been immense and is very much appreciated. Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 12 SOCIAL OUTREACH PROGRAM Bushra Abdul Sattar Deputy Head of School - Iman Academy

CLUB MEETINGS Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 13 "Crafting your humorous speech" - TM Milhana Anver "Controling your fear" - TM Najeeb Saheel "Organizing your speech" - TM Abarnah Kirupananda Our club meeting is something that all our members look forward to as we at Dehiwala make it fun and educational at the same time. All of our meetings include an educational session either by our speakers themself or on certain occasions distinguished toastmasters from other clubs. Few of the session included: Here are a few snapshots from each meeting to relive those amazing memories 6 t h A u g u s t 2 0 2 2 3rd S e p t e m b er 2 0 2 2 1 7 t h S e p t e m b er 2 0 2 2 2 0 t h A u g u s t 2 0 2 2

Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 14 “TELL me and I forget, TEACH me and I may remember, INVOLVE me and I learn.” ~ Benjamin Franklin 2 4 t h S e p t e m b er 2 0 2 2 2 3rd O c t o b er 2 0 2 2 2 6 t h N o v e m b er 2 0 2 2 8 t h O c t o b er 2 0 2 2

Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 15 AREA CONTEST The Area Contest of Area C2 was held on the 21st of October 2022 at Sampath Bank Head Office. Area C2 included contestants from Sampath Bank Toastmasters, IIT Toastmasters and Dehiwala Toastmasters. The Contest Master for the day was TM Abarnah Kirupananda from Dehiwala Toastmasters. The contest was certainly dominated by members of Dehiwala Toastmasters Club. Out of the six awards, we were able to secure five of them which included the following: TM Saai Syvendra emerging 1st in both the Humorous Speech and Evaluation Contests, TM Ragavi Ratnaranjan emerging 2nd in the Evaluation Contest and TM Ammar Jawfer emerging 3rd in the Humorous Contest. This meant that both TM Saai and TM Ragavi would advance to the Division contest of Division C which was to be held on the 20th of November 2022. “You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must PLAN to win, PREPARE to win, and EXPECT to win.” ~ Zig Ziglar

Speaking in front of a crowd, even one that is tiny may be nerve-racking and completely different. It is comparable to someone who cooks at home versus a chef, as home cooking doesn't take any specific training—just an eye for what things to use —just eyeballing it. Whereas, the chef must create the required food but does not predict what the customer orders! Impromptu speeches are just like the latter! Despite the fact that giving speeches and talks is a crucial soft skill for my line of work, I find it difficult to speak in front of small groups of people and to articulate my spontaneous ideas promptly. It can be difficult to adhere to different speech patterns and styles when giving impromptu talks. When I was initially invited as a guest to one of these sessions with the Dehiwala Toastmasters Club in October 2022, I first saw the significance of such an underappreciated ability. An understatement to describe the experience would be AMAZING! There were people from many occupations interacting and exchanging their creative ideas! I just so happened to attend a fascinating seminar with a Halloween theme! Two hours flew by very quickly! Although every one of us has different obstacles and challenges in life, this session was a stress-relieving, funfilled experience for the two hours that it lasted. Toastmasters is a fantastic confidence builder! Thank you to my buddy Dr. Ammar Jawfer, President of Dehiwala Toastmasters, for enlightening me on the fact that talents can be learned at any age and time with a little bit of willpower and a lot of consistency. I intend to continue attending these sessions as frequently as I am able because this is a superpower that can be fine-tuned if we put in the right work! We invite you to join us for a session and see the magic for yourself. Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 16 THE MAGIC OF BEING UNSCRIPTED YET EXPRESSIVE Dr Shabnam Wallin Teaching Hospital Rathnapura | Guest

The Club Humorous Speech and Evaluation Contests of Dehiwala Toastmasters Club was an exciting event held on the 14th of October 2022 at Home Tree, Colombo 4. TM Abarnah Kirupananda served as the Contest Chair, while DTM Fawaz Jainudeen was the Chief Judge for the contests. The Humorous Speech Contest certainly had all the members present laughing throughout, with 4 wonderful speeches delivered by 4 experienced Toastmasters of the Club. The Contest was won by the President of the Club Ammar Jawfer while the VP PR Saai Syvendra emerged 2nd, with both of them advancing to the area contest of Area C2 which was to be held on the 21st of October 2022. The Evaluation Contest too was just as interesting, with 5 insightful evaluations given to the speech given by the Test Speaker. The immediate Past President Ragavi Ratnaranjan emerged 1st in the Evaluation Contest, while TM Saai Syvendra and TM Nufail Saheel emerged 2nd and 3rd respectively. It could be said that the contest was a great opportunity for the members of Dehiwala Toastmasters Club to showcase their talents with 2 participants who took part in their first contest, one of whom, TM Saai was placed 2nd in both the humorous speeh and Evaluation contests. Overall, it was truly a memorable experience for all the participants as well as the audience. Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 17 CLUB CONTEST “Winning has a value for EGO, but participation has value for LIFE.” ~ Debasish Mridha

I have missed many opportunities in my life because I did not explore what are my strengths and weaknesses. However, I was lucky enough to meet a toastmaster who discovered my aptitude and directed me to light on my capabilities. It was a simple message “Go Join Toastmasters”. The courage and motivation pushed me to ring the bell at the Dehiwala Toastmasters Club. It was an amazing life-changing experience for me. Dehiwala Toastmasters is well equipped with confidence building, knowledge sharing, playing leadership roles, and many more in a cozy atmosphere. During my first visit, I realized that the members, and especially the Executive Committee of the club have created a culture to inspire beginners. Further, they are actively involved in the meetings and encourage each other to complete their assignments. I witnessed the true talents of the speakers and I was amazed by their capabilities and skills. Being a toastmaster at the Dehiwala Toastmasters Club, I strongly believe that I would be able to beef up my knowledge of public speaking, social skills, networking, speech writing, and time management. Developing these skills would be empowering me to discover future opportunities. Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 18 A MISSED OPPORTUNITY Gayan Wickramaratne “Nothing is more EXPENSIVE than a missed OPPORTUNITY” ~ Jackson Brown Member - Dehiwala TMC

Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 19 GALLERY

Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse | Page: 20 JOKES RIDDLES Before was was was, was was is. What do you call a can opener that doesn’t work? A can’t opener. Can February March? No, but April May! If you ever get cold, stand in the corner of the room for a while. They’re normally around 90 degrees. I went to the bank the other day and asked the banker to check my balance, so she pushed me! I got an email saying, “At Google Earth, we can read maps backward! I thought, “That’s just spam.” What's the difference between a cat and a complex sentence? A cat has claws at the end of its paws. A complex sentence has a pause at the end of its clause! Money doesn't grow on trees, right? So why does every bank have so many branches? If red houses are made of red bricks and yellow houses are made of yellow bricks what are greenhouses made of? Take me out and scratch my head. Once I was black and now I’m red. What am I? What’s the capital of France? What goes up and down without moving? A beautiful lie and an ugly truth 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. ssal G kcitshct a M F esacri at S ytil aer dnas maer D ... sr e wsnA . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5

94771724141 bit.ly/dehiwalatoastmasters Dehiwala Toastmasters Flashverse DEHIWALA TOASTMASTERS CLUB