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#416 – Merdeka: Love Malaysia







Every year in August people in Malaysia get ready for a celebration of unity and joy but this year, with a new Malaysian administration, and a Malaysia Baru, everyone seemed to be even more excited and were looking forward to its 61st National Day to be celebrated on 31 August. 

Money Mastery-KL Toastmasters Club, had taken the opportunity to celebrate the National Day, by using the theme: Merdeka: Love Malaysia.  The word of the day Congenial gelled well with the theme because there is no other congenial place to be in, than Money Mastery KL Toastmasters Club!

The meeting began punctually at 7.15 where our dedicated SAA, Manish Jha, CC, CL, IP 1, gave everyone a warm welcome through the formal opening and led the meeting with the Toastmasters’ Promise, a reminder of what we are to do for Toastmasters. When you read this at every meeting, its a check-and-balance of whether we had fulfiled the promises.


Following this, our ever cool President, Chitirra, dressed in one of the national attires, welcomed all guests, allowed the Grammarian to introduce the Word of the Day and invited all present to a round of self-introduction and to use the theme and the word of the day. Everyone did well, and spoke either of their Merdeka experience, sentiments, feelings and their gratitude towards this beloved country, Malaysia. The congenial atmosphere was excellent in bringing the meeting to higher spirits.



As the mood was set, the floor was passed on to the Toastmaster of the Evening, the sharp-looking, ever-enthusiastic, seemingly entertaining, and congenial  KT Chok, PM2. As there were non-members present, he gave a brief on Toastmasters' history and that of MMKL that led us through the meeting with pride in our hearts. It gave us the reassurance that we are in the greatest Club in town!

The role players of the evening were, Dato Dr Mary, PM3 as Grammarian, EK Yeoh, CC, CL as the Ah-Counter, Jet Yang as Timer and the General Evaluator was the charming Jessie Lin, ACB.

Upon defining their roles, the meeting cruised to the exciting Table Topics ™ session led by our very able and intrepid Table Topics ™ Master, Manish Jha CC, CL, IP 1 who was equipped with 25 topics for speakers to choose from! Now this is his enthusiasm! To keep in line with the theme of the day, topics revolved around the country’s Independence Day and his speech titles were tricky and witty, but all speakers displayed their skills of story-telling by speaking on their feet.  Something not easy to do but yet gets us all prepared for impromptu speeches.

Members such as Dato Dr Mary PM3, and Hj Hashim Adnan, DTM were in a challenge with a newbie Mike and a guest Ryan.  It was incredible to see how speakers are required to present a short topic without any time for preparation, except for a few seconds, and yet engulf us with an enlightening, experiential or merely hypothetical speech.


It was stimulating to see the assigned speech sessions commence with yet another promising speech by Mathew Philippose, CC, ALB. This time he was attempting Project 1, Ice Breaker, with the title “Changing Along with Time”. His personal sharing on love, forgiveness and reconciliation moved us in our hearts as we listened to how he coped with a difficult experience in his life.  We definitely got to know him better.

The next speaker was Ken Chan, DTM attempted Project 3, How to Say It, with his intriguing title “Unforgettable, Forgettable, Forget”, that got us all wondering what it would be about.  He used his best method of story-telling, keeping us all on the edge of our seats as a drama enfolded about a relationship between a couple. This would have made an interesting chapter in a romance novel about love!  Huhuhu😍 We hope to hear the second part of this story in another speech by Ken, because Ken can.

The next speaker was none other than our President, Chitirra, LD 1, speaking on her Project 8, Get Comfortable with Visual Aids, titled “Saree Not Sorry”.  With that title, we could not guess what it was going to be about and how she would use the element of saree, in her speech.  She not only surprised us, but overwhelmed us with a brief on the origin of sarees and then gave everyone a 101 demo lesson on draping a saree on an aspiring yet nervous model-in-waiting, Cetani Chen, who by the end of the speech was draped in a beautiful blue saree. What a show!!.  With that speech of Chitirra’s everyone now knows that sarees are at least 6 yards long!

Last but not least, we had with us Olivia Chen, PM1 from the Level 2 of Pathways, Understanding Your Communication Style, who presented an captivating speech titled “Double 7 Festival”. This title once again got us all speculating what the presentation speech would be about. It turned out with a twist of how the speaker  accomplished her feat in organizing an event and found that its success was inadvertently based on just having good communication skills, or may I say, excellent communication skills.

The break was congenial, enveloped in a hearty session as members grabbed up the remaining delicious nasi lemak and bananas, but regrettably the fellowship ended soon as we were ushered back into the hall for the session resumed with the evaluations sessions. Timeliness was essence in every toastmasters’ meetings.  Where else do we practice such discipline?  Nowhere really. Such discipline is monumental in personal discipline.


Our expert evaluators, all of whom display their best selves while giving an evaluation were next in line on the programme. The session began with our General Evaluator, Jessie Lin, ACB inviting K L Loh, ATMG, over to give the evaluation on the Table Topics ™ speakers. His observations were always gripping as he would highlight the little things that made a big difference.  Following this, we had in order of the speakers, Hj. Hashim, DTM, Mathew Philippose CC, ALB, followed by Ken Chan, DTM and Ron Yeap, ACB, CL to evaluate the speakers respectively.

After a simple open evaluation, the role players gave their brief reports and the session commenced with our General Evaluator giving her extensive feedback on the overall proceedings of our congenial meeting. There are always praises for Money Mastery KL Toastmasters but we do not let it go to our heads. We take any criticism with an open mind, with the intention of raising the bar to make improvements.  These fresh eyes of a GE sometimes surprises us with the least obvious observations that only they will see.


The President, Chitirra, then proceeded to give out the awards to the best speakers for the night. Note was made that due to time disqualifications however, no voting was done for the Project Speech speakers. Nevertheless, the Table Topics™ session saved the day. The drum rolls are what creates excitement in the room.  The louder the drum roll, the suspense heightens.  Then the announcement ..........The best Table Topics ™ speaker went to Dato Dr Mary, PM3 who spoke on her thoughts of what she would do if she was the Prime Minister in the last 2 terms.. The best evaluator was none other than expressive, full of body language, swinging from one end of the stage to the other, Ken Chan, DTM!  Congratulations! Congratulations! 

The evening ended with a difference.  Area C1 Director Ron Yeap, ACB, CL delivering his address by sharing his pride of being a member of MMKL.  His advice was on the Exco having a better bonding amongst themselves to become like-minded to help the club grow to superior heights. As he spoke, everyone was having this intense attention as he shared with honesty and sincerity that our club must raise the bar and become the best!  At every meeting, we learn, laughed, worked and most of all matured together.

Announcements were made, appreciations done, and the meeting drew to its close with everyone giving their best pose in the group photo. 

Now let’s get ready for Merdeka and celebrate with the nation! 

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!
J

Thanks to contributors, writers and reviewers.

Sincerely

Dato Dr Mary de Silva, PM3
Money Mastery –KL Toastmasters Club
VPPR (Vice President of Public Relation 2018/2019)


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