Namma What's In the Lighthouse?? Chennai The Lighthouse 3 Namma Chennai The Lighthouse . Dear avid readers, We, the budding team of NAMMA CHENNAI newsletter present you another edition of THE LIGHTHOUSE. Toastmasters is a platform which not only grooms your speaking skills, but writing skills as well. To justify this our newsletter is a perfect testimony. Charming Chennai is special in its own way. WHY is this city charming and special? The articles here throw a light on people's bonds with the city, tales of growing up, tales of sweet and sour memories and tales of falling in love. We thank all the members of the club for their support in bringing this newsletter to publication successfully. While every effort has been made to reduce errors, if you do find errors in any part of the newsletter, kindly let us know. We will strive to rectify the same and ensure that it doesn't repeat ever and ensure that future editions are free of errors. Happy reading!!! Newsletter Team. 4 Namma Chennai The Lighthouse . Chief Editor: TM Sarath R Co-Editors: TM Goutham Sudhakar TM Rakhee Singhi Support Team: TM Satheesh Babu, TM Ajay Sasidharan, TM Aadil Ibrahim , TM Dhanush B S , TM Revanth Sridhar 5 Namma Chennai The Lighthouse . “You don't have to be tall to Esee the moon"- African Proverb You don’t have to be eloquent to become a Toastmaster. Five years ago, when I walked in to Chennai Toastmasters Club as a guest, I wondered how these people could deliver speeches in front of audience without any stage fear or nervousness. At that time, I never imagined that one day I could also Further, before joining Toastmaster, I speak in front of audience. Particularly thought Communication is nothing during the Table Topic session, I used more than just conveying the to find excuses to escape (like many of message. But it is Toastmaster you). But at one point of time I which taught me Communication is realized that this is not why I joined one of the core competencies the club. I dared to attend TT sessions required for any Leader. Again it is voluntarily. “When you think at that Chennai Toastmasters Club which moment that it is possible--then the gave a platform to hone my magic begins”. How true it is. I don’t leadership skill. After taking over claim that I am a good TT speaker, but the role as the President, I I would proudly say that now I could understood that Leadership is an stand shamelessly on any stage in action, not a position. front of any number of audience without nervousness. I learnt to tackle Of course, it has not been just bed of the stage fear by attending more TT roses, I have to face many sessions. In the last five years I have challenges. In the era, where seen many toastmasters who initially Fortunately, I got a dedicated struggled to utter even a word Excomm team and they are readily transformed in to a good orator. available to extend their helping Recently I witnessed TM Venkatesh hand to execute new ideas and lead Margasahayam (member of CTM) who the distinguished club. was an introvert transformed in to a good and confident speaker. TM Venu Neelakanthan 6 President,CTM Namma Words from the President Chennai The Lighthouse The moment we took the charge as the excomm. , our team realized that no longer CTM could continue I got a dedicated Excomm team boasting with his old achievements. and they are readily available to Because many new clubs are extend their helping hand to mushrooming in and around Chennai execute new ideas and lead the & excelling in quality and quantity. In distinguished club. order to bring the glory of CTM back, our team decided to think out of box and to bring innovative ideas which no club tried yet. Consequently every Success is a journey not a month CTM conducts one meeting in destination. Now, what we have to unique manner. “Kootanchoru”- the focus is how to bring CTM to next first of its kind meeting wherein 16 level. Newly introduced Pathways roles were played by 16 clubs was program gives new platforms to well-admired meeting. A noble sharpen your skills not only for newly meeting at an Orphanage is another joined Toastmaster but for the unique meeting. Another variety of experienced Toastmasters and even unique meeting was Multilingual for DTMs. So, let’s adopt the path of meeting in 8 languages. Many clubs new learning. simply follows CTM’s unique meeting styles. But, again, it was not easily achieved, before every unique meeting our excomm faced criticism and demotivation, but we believed and we achieved. Let’s grow together. Long live CTM. TM Venu Neelakanthan 7 President,CTM Namma Chennai The Lighthouse . 8 Namma Chennai xciting times are ahead for Toastmasters! Pathways—a revitalized edition of the Toastmasters education program has just been rolled out for our Region, signaling exciting times for all of us. The Pathways learning experience is an exciting, flexible and interactive way to develop your skills and help others in The Toastmasters Pathways your club develop theirs. It gives learning experience is not a you the opportunity to build up departure from the current to 300 unique competencies, program, because it builds choose from 10 specialized on the established learning paths, get access to educational foundation. online content so that you can Pathways is a modernized learn real-world, transferable learning experience suited to skills anytime and anywhere. our changing global society. It In 2010, the Toastmasters Board offers you more benefits and of Directors called for the more opportunities to learn, education program to be grow and meet personal and revitalized in order to modernize professional goals. You now have the communication track as well the opportunity to develop as to renew the focus on additional skills you can use not leadership learning in the just in your club, but at your job leadership track. The traditional or in your community as well. education program has served I wish you all the best as you Toastmasters for many years. forge ahead in your journey of However, much of the using Pathways to excel in your communication track hasn’t personal and professional life. been updated since the 1970s. TM Noorain Mohammed Nadim Area Director—G4 Namma Chennai had a dream. In my When I took the plunge into the dream, my best friend was pool of job-seekers, I too chased leaving the city. It was a sad the crowd into Bangalore. But moment for me. This person the nonconformist that I have was my first friend I had made always been, I headed slightly after moving to Chennai. Over eastward and landed in Chennai the last three years, we had instead. grown pretty close and shared our life’s ups and downs with each other. It will take time, to adjust, to a life without him. In a new city, after you’ve rented Moving cities is a nightmare for a place to stay and sorted out most people. But with job the routes to your workplace, growth being sporadic and the next worry is to kill your inconsistently distributed spare time, which, across the country, it has admittedly, we don’t have become a prerequisite much to do. For whatever for securing superior time we do manage career opportunities. So, to squeeze out, we moving to a city like need that comrade in Bangalore remains easy as arms to hit pub on everyone has a distant aunt, those energetic Saturday a close uncle, and a sibling in evenings. Having no friends and the city. With the Information family living here, the city Technology in boom, Bangalore almost came up short on this became the hub of tech count, but then it really didn’t. companies and attracted Call it destiny or fate, I quickly people in hordes across the managed to find like-minded country. While Chennai did grab people around me. Together we a piece of the IT pie, the explored the city and uncovered number of migrants into the the treasures that this city hides. city remained quiet low. The For the foodie in me, it had more number of long term settlers restaurants than I could count from other states, even lower. and more cuisines than I had heard of. TM Gourav Namma Chennai For the nature lover in me, it had beautiful beaches and wildlife reserves close by. For the loquacious side of me, there were plenty of smart people who blew up my mind with the depth of their knowledge. Three years on, the city continues to impress me with its resilience. Come tsunami, cyclone, flood, or political crisis, the spirit of the city carries on unscathed. The sound of Illaiyaraja’s melody drifts into my ears, the aroma of freshly cooked sambhar wafts through the window. I wake up No, my best friend is not leaving, to a happy morning, only to not yet. When you live alone in a realise the dream was actually city for a long time, the streets, true. My best and closest friend the gardens and beaches is leaving the city. becomes your best friend, the city becomes your best friend. People may come and go, but the city will always be here, right where I am. I pick up my bike and drive to People would say I lost my way Marina beach. The Sun has just three years ago and reached risen and is hiding behind the Chennai.