[Recap] 73rd Chapter Meeting, 25 July 2015

 Anchorvale TMC reaches another milestone at its 2015/16 EXCO installation. 

Text by Steven Lee
Photos by Rasu Ramalingan, Norman Tan and Rachel Heng




 

Last Saturday, I was invited by VPM Salma to attend the 73rd chapter meeting as it also marked the new EXCO installation for the club. It was an important milestone in our club's history, so I gladly accepted her invitation.




TMD Roger

The meeting was kicked off by our Toastmaster of the Day, Roger – who was, as always, inspiring and motivated. After explaining the programme of the day, he invited Outgoing President Sathya to make his speech. Next up was a video montage prepared by Deb and Riz. I really enjoyed the video, and it was like watching an international movie trailer! The voice-over was done by none other than Riz himself, who was astonishing.

EXCO installation

Then it was time for the EXCO installation. Roger introduced each member individually, explaining their roles and what is expected. I was looking forward to new President Zulhafni's speech and I was not disappointed. Although he had prepared it at the very last minute, it was an outstanding speech. I was inspired by how he encouraged the members to be more involved in the club: it's not about what the club can do for us, but about what we can do and how we can improve.




Outgoing President Sathya thanks the club members for their support and enthusiasm over the past year.

Incoming President Zulfani encourages members to participate in club activities in order to improve themselves.

Up next was Division A Director Santhanam Ramkumar, our guest of honour. He reminded us that being a toastmasters is not only about speaking to others, but also about listening and helping people, a sentiment with which I agree totally. This idea is why, as one of the club's founding members and VPM in 2010, I focused on the two aims, ‘be kind to one another’ and ‘have fun learning'. I was very happy to see that these aims are still relevant today!

Division A Director Ramkumar

Ramkumar then conducted the installation ceremony, where the EXCO members pledged to do their duties to the best of their abilities. 

 After the installation, it was announced that our very own Salma will be taking on the role of Area A1 Director this year! I believe she will be an outstanding are director and she has an outgoing and personable character. 



Presenting the Anchorvale TMC 2015/16 EXCO



Then came my favorite time: refreshment break! We had outstanding home -cooked food and it was delicious. I could da-pao (take away) some of it home too – so happi-licious!




Happi-licious food to fill our tummies!

Project Speeches

We had three project speeches that day:

1. Linda (Project 1: Icebreaker) – I was impressed by her speech on ‘My Name’. She was confident and composed, although she looked at her notes on her phone a few times. It was understandable as it was her first speech! We learnt that everyone’s names mean something.
2. Jackie (Project 5: Your Body Speaks) – His speech was detailed and I could see he had put in a lot of hard work. He was also able to compose himself . It would be fantastic if he could use more action and body movement.
3. Deb (Project 10: Inspire your Audience) – Great topic: The 5 Why’s. He told us a true story about his daughter's request for an expensive toy. It was ‘wow’ because not only did Deb tell a story that touched me, but I also I learnt how to ask the 5 Why's.  

Linda tells us about her name.

Jackie makes his body speak.

Deb explains the 5 Why's.

Table Topics

One of my favourite part of the meeting is Table Topics. When the club was founded in 2010, everybody will try to avoid Table Topics by avoiding eye contact and even going to the toilet. On 25 July 2015, I was ‘shocked’ because a lot of members now willingly volunteer to speak on Table Topics! I felt that Anchorvale TMC members were on a roll that day! I was also asked to participate, but I would like to sit back and enjoy the show. However, they said no way, so I spoke too. The theme was proverbs and I was amused by Jackie's take on his proverb: "If you chase two rabbits at the same time, you will not catch either one." He immediately thought about the difficulty of two girlfriends at the same time! It was so funny and serves as a lesson to not to be greedy. Visiting TM, Danny from YMCA TMC also gamely took part and did a such good job explaining his proverb that he won the Best Table Topics Speaker. I hope I can one day visit YMCA TMC; it would be an honour to visit and learn from him.


Clockwise from left: Ricky, Valliappan, Steven, Danny, Vinay, and Owen.



Listening intently to the speeches!

Project Evaluation

Voting time!

We did not have a Best Evaluator vote because our club mentor, Richard, who always gives his best on evaluations, said not to include him in the vote as he would be going overtime in order to explain his ideas in detail. This left only two evaluators in the voting, which may put the members in a difficult position. Thus, our president decided to forego the vote today.

Closing

There was a special session by VPE1 Norman to brief us about the Competent Leadership (CL) manual that many of us neglect. He went through with us the objectives and projects that we can clear in the manual. Then President Zulhafni continued the practice of asking new members and guests for their opinions and suggestions on what we can improve on. I am really glad as this shows the club's drive to better ourselves!


Do join us for the next chapter meeting on 15 August! Please click on "About Us" at the top for the details.

Congratulations to all Award Winners!

Best Project Speech: Deb
Best Project Evaluation: NA
Best Table Topic: Danny

Awards and Gifts Presentation

Best speaker: Deb

Best table topic: Danny

Clockwise from left: Alvin, Julie Mae, Karthik, Linda, Alice and Deb

Clockwise from left: Salma, Riz and Richard, Zulhafni, and Norman

[Recap] 72nd Chapter Meeting, 11 July 2015

At Anchorvale TMC, we embrace change as an opportunity to grow and improve. By Roger Yap.

When I first started working many years ago, a casual conversation between my bosses left a deep impression on me. At a company meeting, the managing director asked the marketing manager why the readership of the company’s bulletin was declining. The marketing manager couldn’t seem to give a satisfactory explanation. Instead, she hastily defended her team, saying that they had already done their best. They hadn’t changed the original look and layout of the bulletin ever since its launch, she added. The managing director calmly replied: “Well, that’s why people stop reading, because there isn’t anything new.”

Fast forward to the present time: At Anchorvale TMC, we are seeing the newly minted EXCO team exhibiting all the right spirits.  Barely a week into the new term, we can see a brand new look splashing over to the club’s blog here. Creative ideas, useful information and multi-faceted perspectives are emerging into a crowd-drawer that can stand the test of time over the next 12 months and beyond.

On Saturday, 11 July, we had our first chapter meeting of the new  term. Our VPE, Norman, showed us how multi-talented he is, by juggling major roles and helping to take up the Toastmaster of the Day position at the last-minute. Unforeseen amendments are inevitable, and it is heartening to see fellow clubmates standing in for one another.  

Alvin, Deepti and Vinay delivered their prepared speeches. All three of them were attempting Project 2, “Organise your Speech”. It was a close fight as all of them were very competent and entertaining. Alvin managed to win the day by tilting the balance in his favour.

The project evaluation segment saw a rare appearance. Our immediate past president, Sathya, gave us his first evaluation since taking over the helm last year. Without using any notes, he totally convinced us that he spoke from the heart. Having given numerous president’s speeches, he had become more practiced and sharpened his public speaking skill. Roger and Muthu also shared their views as the evaluators for Deepti and Vinay respectively.

The table topic session was directed by Alvin. Back by popular demand, it was his second consecutive turn as Table Topic Master. The response was overwhelming.  The impromptu speakers spoke candidly, and the audience laughed spontaneously.  Thomas was in his element that afternoon, and he clinched the Best Table Topic Speaker’s ribbon.  

Anchorvale Toastmasters Club will continue to shine brightly under the stewardship of our new president, Zulhafni, and his team. We will continue ensure exciting meetings, friendly gatherings, and entertaining blog posts. At Anchorvale TMC, there is always something new! Do join us for the next chapter meeting on 25 July at Anchorvale CC!

Congratulations to all Award Winners!

Best Prepared Speech: Alvin 
Best Project Evaluation: Roger 
Best Table Topic: Thomas 

[Review] I Dare To Dream: Make Possible the Impossible

Reflections on a short story collection interwoven into the charming rag-to-riches autobiography of Dr Low Lee Yong, CEO of MHC Asia Group. By Norman Tan.

As I scrutinised the cover of Dr Low’s I Dare To Dream, one tagline caught my attention: "Foreword by Dr Tan Cheng Bock”. Surely, a book endorsed by Singapore's former President-elect would be immensely motivational and uplifting! On the contrary, what I found could not be further from the truth, but it was no less valuable and its message, no less powerful.

Penned against the backdrop of Singapore’s fledging years, Dr Low draw parallels between the upheavals of a young nation and the confusion surrounding a young boy as he contemplates several life-altering decisions. As I was guided from his childhood dreams to his religious awakening and the eventual realisation of his calling as a doctor, I became acutely aware of how Dr Low has become the successful CEO that he is today.

As a more character-driven narrative, this highly personal account has been segmented into many chapters, each condensed in the form of a self-contained story. Each story also carries a central message, along with an opening quote that innocuously foreshadows the stories that follows. This concise story makes for an extremely easy read while serving as a perfect template for an inspirational or humorous speech.

Progressively, with each story, the audience becomes more invested in Dr Low’s life journey. One especially poignant part was when he described the final days of his ailing mother, who had such an unshakable presence throughout his mischievous, carefree childhood days. As he described his struggle with the decision to take his mother off life support, I could feel how raw and heartfelt his pain was.

It is with this sincerity that Dr Low writes, that I believe is his greatest strength. He gamely admits several of his errors, his failed business ventures and friendships but through this brutal honesty, we get a true sense of his unyielding determination and unquenchable thirst for knowledge. One minor gripe I had was that the book meanders at the start with several different storylines, making it hard to follow the initial plot. Nevertheless, this problem is short-lived and resolves itself later on.

As such, I would highly recommend this book for those looking for a light read. The author's anecdotes would certainly strike a familiar chord with those who grew up in kampungs. For budding Toastmasters, do check out this book on how you can tell a short, but still effective and inspiring story!

Rating: 3.5/ 5 stars

Want to find out more about Dr Low? Check out his interviews here and here.

Anchorvale's 71st chapter meeting on 27 June 2015

It was an afternoon of stories that delighted and moved us deeply. By Pang In Tiam.

It was a special Saturday for Anchorvale CC Toastmasters as it was the day of the first AGM held by the new Executive Committee. It marked a new chapter for our club. We learnt that our success is not a given, but instead made possible through the efforts of everyone. Big thanks to both the outgoing and incoming committees, as well as to the members for their enthusiasm!

After a fruitful discussion on club matters, it was time for our exiting chapter meeting. Our outgoing president, Sathiya, kickstarted the meeting with his last opening speech for the term. Inspirational as usual, he got everyone to share about the change they wish to see in themselves or their lives. Coincidently, In Tiam wanted to be a better English speaker and Rachel wanted to brush her Mandarin skills – they could be the perfect language exchange partners!

Sathiya addresses the club as its president for the last time. What a wonderful term it was!

Then, it was time for Toastmaster-of-the-Day (TMD), Senthil, to take over the reins. He did a fantastic job in introducing the prepared speeches by three veteran speakers and two upcoming stars.

Senthil remains cool and composed although it was his first time as TMD.

The first speaker was Karthik doing his Project Three on ‘3 Principles’. Simple and straightforward, it is always the best way to get your point across. Karthik was a great presenter. Well done!

Then, our future VP of Public Relations, Rachel, spoke on the topic ‘What is the point?’. She began with a ‘hook’ and asked if anyone remember her last speech in March? Nobody? Because… it was 15 months ago, on March last year! This was followed by a rumination on the question ‘What is the point if there is no point?’ What an interesting technique to hook the audience’s attention!

Chee Sian was next and he shared a personal experience in his speech ‘The Best Teacher’. He was such a strong speaker and used many kinds of visual aids. We really enjoyed his speech as he was so good at engaging the audience. At the end of his speech, he took a 'wefie' with everyone and posted it to our WhatsApp group chat immediately! He presented a very humorous speech. Chee Sian, our next humorous speech contest is waiting for you!

Deb surprised us again with his mishaps when booking an Australia holiday a few years ago! How did he turn such a simple story into the funniest story? We simply couldn’t help laughing at his recount. I wish I could be as funny as Deb – I think I must get some tips from him on how to be such a good speaker!

The good stories continued. Our last speaker was our very experienced storyteller, Salma! She spoke of her experience during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that shocked the world. These terrible natural disasters exist and because of them, life is unpredictable. I wish everyone can continue to find the strength for today and keep their hopes for tomorrow alive. Great speakers turn their experiences into great stories. Salma is definitely the best among them.

Karthik generously shares his three pinciples with the club.

Chee Sian demonstrates how to take a break in true Kit Kat style,

With her story, Salma reminds us of the fragility of life and the importance of fighting on.

 Funnyman Deb tickles our bones with his mishaps in holiday-planning.

After the roller-coaster of emotions, it was time for a break. We enjoyed an array of food, from pizza to cake to watermelon, cut into cubes by our dedicated Norman. It was yummy indeed!

Our stomachs full and energy replenished, we sat back to hear from the evaluators: May, Zul, In Tiam, Riz and Shaun, our visiting Toastmaster from Cheng San TMC. There was so much to learn from all these gurus. 

Finally, it was time for some fun! Alvin, our table topics master, had something different up his sleeve. Instead of presenting each speaker with a topic, he gave them two options, for example: "Would you rather receive $10,000 at 25 or $10 million at 60?" The speaker then had to make a choice and elaborate on it. We found out that our club members are really generous and would love to make donations to the club! The best table topic speaker, Roger, was really super. In a few seconds, he could analyze both choices, organize his thoughts and deliver them perfectly.

It was truly a super fun afternoon, I hope that every meeting will be as enjoyable as this. Special thanks to all our guests who took time off to visit us: Shaun, Anthony and Jessie.

Do join us for our next meeting on 11 July, Saturday!

Congratulations to all Award Winners!

Best Prepared Speech: Debananda Patro
Best Project Evaluation: Riz Masurekar
Best Table Topics: Roger Yap

From left: Deb, Riz and Roger

All smiles for an afternoon well-spent!

Going crazy in the fun shot!

Anchorvale's 70th Chapter Meeting on 13th June 2015

It was a special Saturday for Anchorvale Toastmaster Club as we celebrated a Platinum event which is the 70^th Chapter Meeting. 

It marked yet another milestone in the journey of our young and vibrant Toastmaster club. The Toastmaster for the Day, Norman, could not have put it better when he explained why our beloved club is the perfect place for everyone to achieve S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

The meeting was kick started by Sergeant-at-Arms, Thomas, who asked the audience to share about famous people who inspire them.  A lot of answers came out ranging from actors, sport personalities, political and business leaders. But nobody can come near Steve Jobs when it comes to popularity contest!

On his opening address our beloved president, Sathya, shared his leadership technique which can be symbolized by the carrot and stick approach. He described how a good leader should continuously strive to make a correct choice when deciding between the carrot (reward) or the stick (punishment) and doing nothing depending on situations. Thanks for the wonderful sharing, Sathya!

The prepared speech segment was started by Deepti, who made an impressive debut after joining the club for just one week! She shared with us the meaning of her name (Deepti = light), her current role in the company and how she believes Toastmaster would help her to excel further in her career.

Ricky came up next and shared his tips on how to lose weight in a healthy way based on his personal experience. He explains how the F.A.T. (Food Balance, Adequate Exercise, Time Process) technique would greatly help in reducing the stubborn fat.

We had an eye-opening lesson on the power of Microsoft PowerPoint when In Tiam showed a great demo on how to make professional slides with animation in less than 2 minutes! This lesson would definitely help to make our work more productive. Thanks In Tiam!

Roger as usual impressed us with his speech. In twenty minutes, he inspired us to never run away from adversity, like the bulls that run towards the eye of the typhoon and the eagles that soar above the storms. 

We had a scientific lesson with Alice who is very passionate about the green movement. She showed us how a used plastic water bottle can become an ecosystem on its own which would be a perfect place to grow plants in our homes. 

All the speakers were excellent and we all learnt something from every single speech. Roger and Ricky were selected as the best prepared speech winners.

First Muthu is posing

Next Alice is posing

During the refreshment break, we celebrated the birthdays of our June babies. Happy birthday to Alice and Muthu, and also to Riz and Chee Sian who could not attend the celebration!

Next, we had project evaluations from Muthu, Roger, Salma, Richard and Lie Ken.  All our prepared speech speakers learned a thing or two on how to further improve their speeches from these great evaluators. Roger grabbed the second ribbon of the day after he came up as the best evaluator.

In the spirit of SEA Games, Ying Leong led the table topics session by giving topics about everything under the sun about sports! A lot of wonderful attempts were made on the Table Topics session. A great sharing by Thomas about the great Fandi Ahmad earned him the ribbon for best Table Topics Speaker.

Linda did a wonderful job in tracking the timings of the speeches on that day. 

Alvin presented the Ah Counter’s report in a unique method by introducing a new metric called “Ahs”/minute. J

Congratulations to all winners and special thanks to all appointment holders! 

Special thanks to our visiting Toastmaster Lie Ken, ACB, ALB from NUS, SAP and Bedok TMC.

Written By: Ricky Setiawan

Two great guys

Prasad and Thomas giving warm welcomes to our new members Linda and Deepti

Goofy Gentlemen

Aren't they sweet?

Roger, "Richard, there is something in your mouth but I don't want to see it."

Salma never misses a chance to pose