Christmas Meeting with Speakers' Dream Toastmasters

On the 28th of December our Club had a joint meeting with Speakers' Dream Toastmasters Club. We chose to have a joint meeting because we calculated that being the holiday season, attendance might be low. And the reason the joint meeting with specifically Speaker's Dream was because their meeting days coincide with the same Mondays as ours. It was done in a small part also in support of the 1 Malaysia vision of our PM, translated in our style as 1 Christmas in Malaysia with 2 Clubs. So there you go, we welcomed the Joint Christmas meeting with Speakers' Dream Toastmasters with open arms.

There are really 2 persons who need to take credit for this and that would be, Mun Yuen, IPP of Speakers' Dream Toastmasters Club and our very own Poh Leong, VPE of Mid Valley Toastmasters Club. I personally witnessed the preparation and organisation, which was planned to the tee. Thankfully the GE also noticed that the meeting had proceeded without a hitch and made special mention of the diligence of Poh Leong.



The meeting opened formally with the Presidential address by the President of Speakers' Dream Toastmasters Club, Ismail Fahmi.

Pictured here is a president who takes his addresses seriously.





Rafeeqa, our TME for the evening was well prepared for the task. Although a relative newcomer to the scene, she executed her tasks with finesse and poise. She might have been the only one who colour-coded here attire in line with the theme for the evening.






World-renowned K. Loghandran, runner up at the World International Speech Contest 2008, presented a humor session. He had the audience in stitches. They laughed and laughed...










and laughed.









The macho ones tried to conceal their laughter.








Others couldn't hold it in.

Ang Chee Yong continued where K. Loghandran left off and seems to have mastered the skill of crafting an entertaining speech. I can only assume that Loghandran had a field time picking nuggets of resources from Chee Yong's topic that exposes the peculiarities that distinguish between the boys and the girls.




Choose carefully whom you trust your personal information with. Information can be use in many ways to cause distress to you. Hong Meng Rae, Mid Valley Toastmasters Club's treasurer gives an insight on Identity Theft




Lawrence Ho of Speakers' Dream Toastmasters Club wins the "prepared speeches" category with his topic "So What's Next". Seen here on the right of photograph receiving his certificate and a Christmas token from the President of Speaker's Dream Toastmasters Club, Ismail Fahmi.


GE for the meeting, NJ Singam is presented a token of appreciation by the President of Speakers' Dream Toastmasters Club, Ismail Fahmi.


In all it was as usual an enjoyable evening.

Youth Leadership Programme with Rumah Hope

We recently, successfully concluded the Youth Leadership Programme for Rumah Hope. And I think I speak for all who attended when I say that it was an immensely fulfilling experience.

Three days of learning for all of us. Being taught as we teach.

As chief coordinator, I was prepared or even anticipated hiccups and other forms of challenges. But thankfully it was not to be and the programme went along quite smoothly indeed.

I'd like to put on record my thanks to each and every single person who made this happen. You can see them in action below.


This photo was taken on Day 1.
The participants had no idea what they were in for.








These trophies were for the speech contest on the final day - Day 3.
They were on display on the front desk as a means of motivation for the participants. If you think they're really nice, tell Meng Rae. He chose them.







Here you see Lorna Fisher and Chia Hur at a break-away session.
Chia Hur is the chief mentor for this particular group.







Another mentor, Meng Rae at work. Presenting a topic on how a speech is to be organised.






Here you have Jacob Mathew representing Rumah Hope having a chat with Ramdas Nayar and Geoff Andrew. Geoff and Ramdas, both exceptional presenters had earlier presented a session each with the children.




Here you have Bill Sim in action. Bill presented two sessions. One on Gestures and another on Listening. If he looks animated here, imagine him live.






My pillars of strength. Mellaine, Su Jane and Chee Yong.
These are half of them. the other half being Poh Leong and Meng Rae. These bunch of the Mid Valley Toastmasters Club EXCO fully supported this initiative and were a totally dedicated team.







Two of our five contest Judges in open chambers, Huang Qinmei and Shaik Dawood.
Presumably having a pointed discussion on the merits of the participants.
(If you want better photos of the last day's happenings, Shaik would be the man to see)




Getting down to the root of the problem , Lorna dedicatedly explains a point to a participant, Aiswariya.







The ultimate expression of gratitude.
Kogilavani demonstrating the general sentiment of that memorable final evening. Mellaine on the receiving end.









Group photograph
Day 2











Senior Group GM of Internal Audit, Christine Ong peruses the work of a paticipant and gives him pointers. Glad it wasn't my work she was perusing.







Area Governor W3, Loh Chia Hur taking time of from his governing responsiblities to coach kids.







Bill again animatedly conducts an exercise on Listening










Our kind hearted sponsor Mr Antony P. Barragry, CEO Mid Valley City, Gardens having a lunch-time chat with Chia Hur, Christine Ong and Lorna Fisher. In the background, standing is Shahrin Chin Abdullah, Senior Group GM, Group Human Resource Division, IGB Corporation Berhad. who played an instrumental role in having the programme venued at the Gardens Hotel.

MID VALLEY TOASTMASTERS CLUB
YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME
4 – 6 December 2009
RUMAH HOPE
45 JALAN 20/2, Paramount Garden

any volunteers???

26 October meeting-Haloween

Happy Birthday!

October 22 was the 85th Anniversary of Toastmasters International. In 85 years the club grew from one club in 1924 (as seen on the picture at the top right) to 12,000 clubs around the world. That's indeed a lot of expansion in a relatively short space of time.

That fact alone speaks volumes the organisation. Nothing else needs said. The virtues that the organisation promotes are values universal to any society. And those of us who are already in the organisation can be proud of belonging to probably the biggest organisation in the world which advances our competitive edge without leading us into a competition. Well at least that was the spirit by which Toastmasters was conceived.

Let's always be appreciative of this spirit!

Closer to home though, we had another birthday to celebrate. And it was that of Christine Ong.

Mid Valley Club has come a long way from where it started. And if there was one person who should take credit for moulding the club into becoming what it is today, it should be Christine Ong. I, not unlike many of the others who have known Christine, have nothing but great respect and admiration for her. Her dedication and commitment for anything that she sets her focus on is most admirable and sadly often borders on a fair degree of self-sacrifice. Christine celebrated her birthday on the 25th of October. We wish her all the best

Congratulations to the well deserving team responsible for the Mid Valley club's achievement of the Distinguished Club status.

The club was presented the award at the Semi-Annual Convention held recently at Genting Highlands. It was received there by Chia Hur representing the club. Chia Hur acting in his capacity as Area Governor, in turn re-presented it to the VPE of the Mid Valley Toastmasters Club of the 2008/2009 term, Lee Su Jane. (Anand, the President of the 2008/2009 term couldn't be present to receive this award)

What Luck!

Not only had we Lucky for an evaluator but we were also treated with his mesmerizing speech at table topics. Lachmichand seen here charming the crowd and especially the ladies with his much honed speaking skills, leaving the table topics evaluator awed and lost for words in his evaluation of him.

Our most charming VPPR and lead vampires, Lee Su Jane, see here reaching out to the vampires.

Su Jane seemed to relish this particular topic, describing in minute details her conquests as a vampire. In particular, she was determined to share her delight at acquiring the taste for the blood of a certain gender. You can choose to assume which. And from the response of the audience, one would think that some here actually looked forward to the prospect of being bitten by this vampires.

Su Jane had just returned from the Semi-Annual Convention at Genting Highlands and seemed super charged-up to share her freshly minted knowledge and experiences with the group.

28 September Meeting- Confronting your Fear

"Confronting your fear" was the theme of yesterday's meeting. Our TME, VPE and extremely suave Tan Poh Leong reminded toastmasters that they were there to confront and conquer their fear of public speaking. Poh Leong who claims to have once feared public speaking, admitted under his breath that he no longer faced such fears. He had confronted and conquered them(at the club level at least). Congratulations Poh Leong! It is hard to imagine that this chap in the picture above actually feared public speaking.

Jonathan(left) a first-timer at toastmasters and guest of Meng Rae(right) from the IGB group paying rapt attention to the speech at hand.

A planned speech of a "no-plan plan" by Nur Hidayah. The titles of the speech in themselves stir one's curiosity.

The distinguished looking General Evaluator playing close attention to the antics of the club.

Our club's treasurer Meng Rae advising the club as to how to not to be millionaire.

The confused computer geniuses Seng Yaw and Leung wondering whether or not to want be a millionaire after-all. Hmmm

Our GE demonstrating the proper way to confront one's fear : with open arms