Mic Drop

The Millennium TM Club
MIC
DROP
Club Newsletter: July 2017- Feb 2018 : Issue 01
Club No: 00007595

District: 82
Inside this issue:
Division: E Installation of Executive
Area: 3 committee
We jingled and mingled!
CLUB MISSION STATEMENT Howzat?!
We provide a supportive and Theme meetings
Educational journey
positive learning experience in
What happens when the universe
which members are empowered
laughs at your face
to develop communication and
The toastmaster experience
leadership skills, resulting in A fantastic experience at
greater self-confidence and Vancouver
personal growth. Triumphs and Trophies
Pathways learning experience
Improving your communication
skills
Road to extraordinary
Club achievement dashboard
Wedding bells!
Upcoming events
The Millennium Toastmasters Club millenniumtoastmastersclub@gmail.com
DIVISION DIRECTOR'S
MESSAGE
TM SHUVO HIDERYASHI
Focus on where you want to go not what you fear – Tony Robbins
Being a Toastmasters is a best gift you can give to yourself. In order to
influence others around you first you have to influence yourself. Self
discovery is the best way of learning. More you invest on you this will help
you understand yourself better. More you understand yourself in return you
will be able to help others. Toastmasters provide a very powerful platform of
self discovery. One of the main point of self discovery is the focus that we
hold at any given time.
As a club member if your focus is you want to be an outstanding leader or a

speaker rather than focusing on fear of failure you can focus on the pleasure
of learning something new about yourself. Only way to do this is by
completing your speaking projects and helping the club by taking up
leadership roles.
Two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day
you find out why – Mark Twain
We can choose to make this journey of self-discovery a pleasurable

experience. Life is too short to find out who you are.
If you are a person who wants to find out your strength.
If you are a person who wants to over come the fear of failure.
If you are a person who wants to achieve more in life
If you are a person who wants contribute and have a positive impact on
yourself and in the society
Toastmasters is the organization will provide you that support to grow as an
outstanding individual.
I believe Millennium Toastmasters is a club where members are encouraged to

focus on the pleasurable side of self-discovery. Focus of this pleasurable
journey has helped this club to create outstanding leaders and speakers in
district. This newsletter itself is a very good example of focus and effort put
in by the club members and the executive committee to make your journey a
pleasurable one. I would like to congratulate the Executive Committee and
specially the vice president Public relation for publishing this colorful
newsletter for the members.
To be a part of this awesome journey of self development I encourage all the

club members to focus on the pleasurable side if the journey. There will be
obstacles but with the help of your club members and your executive
committee I am certain that you will be able to over come that and be the best
version of yourself.
AREA DIRECTOR'S
MESSAGE
TM M. SKANDERAJ
Hi friends,
When you start reading this article , first tap on your shoulder & if there are
Millennium members near by tap on there shoulder hard and say "Wow we
are part of a great team". Because as a club it’s always a challenge in
progression & sustainability. When heading towards successive years, you
know the art of do's & dont's for the betterment of the club.
Its always good to start a journey, but don't let it go when you think you are
already in the right track and there is nothing more for you. Because it’s a
journey of infinite growth & satisfaction not like your career. You keep
learning which would allow you to uplift yourself at the working
environment, at home and at society.
Finally, you transform yourself to a person you aspire to be, or did not think
of becoming a the start.
I want all the members to be a part of this club for long lasting years by
which you help new members as well existing members to succeed in turn
allowing yourself to grow.
A club that has redefined me to who I am today. Why not you?
Enjoy the journey of Toast mastering, there will be obstacles but then you
will find lot of helping hands including me to overcome it.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
TM DELANIE JAYESURIA
Dear Fellow Toastmasters,
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said ‘The only person you

are destined to become is the person you decide to
be’.
The Millennium Toastmasters Club is your
destination for improving your communication and leadership skills as
importance of these vital skills cannot be underestimated in today’s
competitive world.
With it’s ‘rich’ history, members of our club are from diversified professional
background including doctors, IT professionals, engineers, finance experts,
entrepreneurs, students, and various other professionals creating a
unique mix of talented members over the years.
Our club is a friendly, safe, and a supportive environment where we come
together to practice and improve our communication and leadership skills
by receiving encouragement and constructive feedback from our fellow
members enabling us to learn and grow.
Every member gets equal opportunity to participate in prepared speeches,
impromptu speeches, taking up various leadership roles both within and
outside the club, and to serve as club officers which helps them to develop
their communication and leadership skills.
Recalling my acceptance speech as President, little did I know that this
Toastmaster movement will be an anchor to my growth both in my
professional and personal life. Today, as I pen these words I feel that this
movement is continuing to ‘empower me to be the best I could be’.
Together we will continue to steer the ‘Millennium Toastmasters ship’ in it’s

voyage. Excavate your Journey.
EDITORS MESSAGE
CHATURI LIYANAGE
Henry Ford once said, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.

Working together is success." I’m sure you will agree that it is this unique bond that we
share at Millennium that cements our success as a club.
Our promise to support one another has been our pillar of strength and it continues to be
so as we bid adieu to yet another year. We hope that this newsletter will help to recollect
all the fond memories we have shared during the last quarter and offer a glimpse into the
many fun filled educational activities yet to come!
The previous quarter was filled with educational sessions and theme meetings like
Christmas party, Thaipongal and Diwali, which undoubtedly added color and excitement
to our club meetings.
This issue will feature some of our very own “mic droppers!” making waves within and
outside our toastmasters club. They will share their words of wisdom by articulating their
unique experiences in the journey of being a true toastmaster, who embodies the four
interrelated values of, integrity, respect, service and excellence.
It is with the greatest excitement that we release the quarterly newsletter and as the
editor I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the President and
the Executive Committee for their unwavering support. A special thank you to the
Vice President of public relations, PR, TM Amritha Allahakkoon in assisting me with this
worthy endeavor and to the area, division and district directors for their words of
wisdom. Above all, I extend my heartiest thanks to the members for their insightful and
thought provoking articles, which made this newsletter a joy to read.
Last but not least I extend my gratitude and thanks to the life blood of our club, our
members, for your continued support and guidance at all times. Your presence and
engagement with our club helped to make the newsletter a success throughout the years.
Friends, never forget that while the strength of the team is each individual member.
“The strength of each member is the team." (Phil Jackson) With that I say…”mic drop!”
INSTALLATION OF
THE EXCO
The 17th installation ceremony of the Executive Committee of The
Millennium TM Club for 2017/18 was held on the 01st of July 2017 at the
Grand Oriental Hotel Colombo
HUMOROUS SPEECH
&
EVALUATION CONTEST
The humorous speech contest was held on the 26th of September at Royal Skill
Center.The Contest chair was Thanuja
Participants of the humorous speech contest:
Club Contest
1. TM Dilusha Gamage
2. TM Dinal Edirisinghe
3. TM Kavitha Ganesan
4. TM Dr. Clive James
Winners:
1. TM Kavitha Ganesan
2. TM Paskaran Brahaman
Participants of the evaluations

speech contest:
2. TM Tharidu Amarasekera
3. TM Dilusha Gamage
4. TM Amritha Allahakkoon
5. TM Chaturi Liyanage
Winners
1. TM Chaturi Liyanage
3. TM Tharidu Amarasekera
Area Contest
The area contest was held on the 16th of

October, at the Royal College Skills Center. The
contest chair was our very own TM Laxmi
Sentilnathan!
TM Kavitha bagged the second place qualifying
for the District Humorous Speech Competition!
While TM Chaturi was awarded the first place
in Evaluations.
District Contest
The District Contest was held on the 5th
of November at The Central Bank
Auditorium. TM Kavitha awed the
audience with her intelligent use of
humor while TM Chaturi secured
second place at the Evaluation
competition.
Congratulations to all winners and
participants!
“It’s not the will to win that matters- everyone has that. It’s the
will to prepare to win that matters” –Paul Bryant
INTERNATIONAL SPEECH
&
TABLE TOPIC CONTEST
The International Speech and Table Topic contest was held on the 20th of
February 2018 at the Royal College Skills Center. The contest chair was TM
Sentilnathan
Club Contest
Participants of the international speech contest: Participants of the Table Topic
Competition:
1. TM Clive
2. TM Tharindu 1.. TM Dilusha
3. TM Iromi 2. TM Clive
4. TM Amritha 5. TM Rasika
5. TM Dilusha
6. TM Chaturi Winners
1. TM Dilusha
Winners: 2. TM Clive
1. TM Tharindu 3. TM Rasika
2. TM Clive
3. TM Chaturi
CHRISTMAS ON THE
BEACH
Division E Christmas party
The Christmas spirit was ignited at the Division E

Christmas party which was held at the Buba Beach
Seafood Restaurant , Mt. Lavinia on the 23rd of
December.
Our members graced the event and tried their hand at all
activities, ranging from balloon bursting to even couple
dancing!
Way to go Millennium! Be young at heart always!
HOWZAAT?!
District 82 Cricket Tournament
The cricket pitch was filled with “oohs” and “ahhs” as

our able team displayed their talents both on and off
the field!
While it was a close call, our opponents scored 97 while
we scored 90. Well played team! “….what’s the matter,
minor matter are we worried…..noooooooo!” (as
there’s always a next time!)
Our star performer TM Paskaran scored 50 not out!
Congratulations!
THEME MEETINGS
Christmas Meeting
“Jingle and Mingle” the much awaited
Christmas themed meeting took place
on the 19th of December.
This year we celebrated
Christmas with a twist, where Santa
paid a visit to our club. He was very
pleased that all our members have
been exceptionally good this year! So
much so he awarded us scrumptious
cookies! (our Santa was TM Thanuja,
if you are still wondering!)
After Santa's departure things only
got better! As the members all joined
in singing much loved carols! We
sound pretty good together!
The Table Topic session was tuned to
the theme of the day, where
participants had to pick their topic
from the Christmas tree!
The traditional Secret Santa gift
giving, also took place where we
exchanged gift with one another,
much to the delight of all club
members.
The meeting ended with a
scrumptious Christmas meal! With the
hope of a brighter , peaceful and
prosperous tomorrow.
To top it off the Christmas flyer
created by our very own TM Amritha
Allahakkoon was selected as one of
the top 5 flyers of the month!
Diwali Meeting
The Diwali themed meeting took place
on the 7th of December.
In the spirit of Diwali the meeting
commenced with the ceremonial lighting
of the lamps by each member and guest
present. Lighting the lamps in unison
helped to fuel a sense of bond and
connection among all members , in turn
fueling the hope of a brighter tomorrow.
Pongal Meeting
The Pongal themed meeting took
place on the 16th of January ,
where, members and guests were
greeted by scrumptious Pongal
sweets courtesy by our very own
TM Laxmi Senthilnathan.
Joint Meeting with Colombo TM Club

The joint meeting was held on the 17th
of October with our close relative,
Colombo toastmaster club!
Where the theme of the meeting

revolved around sharing our mutual
passion for reading.
The meeting ended with lots of joy
and laughter with the hope of
meeting again!
EDUCATIONAL
SESSIONS
Officer Training Program
Success stories of the clubs in the
area were discussed and key
leanings were evaluated
The plan for the upcoming six
months were outlined by each
club
DTM Ajitha Goonewardene
conducted a presentation on how
to conduct an effective speech
craft program.
We gained important insights on
how to conduct an effective
meeting by TM Moditha
Sendanayake
Manage your money - Mr. Mario Fonseka

Appreciating the three key facets of Importance of understanding the
personal finance: Income, Expenses relationship between Risk &
and Investments (Savings) Return in Investments
How to approach your expense • How to make Investment
management decisions wisely to maximize
Importance of having multiple sources your return
of Income
Evaluation Equation - DTM Trishma Pinto

Outlined the importance of
delivering an effective
evaluation.
Emphasised that all evaluators
act as as teachers of public
speaking.
Useful techniques pertaining to
evaluation which revolved
around speech content and
delivery were highlighted.
"Perahera" - DTM Ajitha Goonewardene

The Kandian perahera festival is an
event of great historical and cultural
significance, which takes place in the
month of July/August.
The Perahera pageant concept became
popular during the reign of Emperor
Asoka of India.
The Dalada perehara came into being
during the reign of King Keerthi Sri
Meghavanna.
The perahera is not only a religious
ritual but also a folk festival, which
provides an occasion for participants to
show their reverence to the Gods
and Goddesses.
Leader as a Coach - TM M. Skandaraj

Past...present .... future, what you need
to look at...
Past –
•What they are supposed to do
•Why they are supposed to do it
Present –
•How they are supposed to do
•How well they are expected to do it
Future –
•How well they are doing it
by answering this questions you could
be a great leader as a coach
Controlling your fear - TM Mithraka Perera

What is the difference between an To the brain and the central
experienced and beginning speaker? nervous system such visualized
The experience speaker knows how to memories are indistinguishable
manage and control fear, anxiety and from actual experience. Some
nervousness and use it to enhance the speakers claim that they drive out
speech. anxiety by picturing the audience
Methods of Controlling Your Fear : in their underwear.
Practice giving speeches repeatedly to
build confidence. Practice in front of a
Before you begin the speech, use
mirror, rehearse in front of family and
relaxation and breathing
friends and deliver speeches at the
techniques such as isometric
Toastmasters Club and before other
exercises and diaphragmatic
groups anywhere you can.
breathing to reduce stress by
Visualize all the stages from your
increasing circulation and the
introduction to the appreciative
flow of oxygen to the brain.
applause at the end of the speech
MEMBERS CORNER
Experience at Convention 2017 – Vancouver
TM LAXMI SENTHILNATHAN
This Convention showcased that every member in the Convention was

excited to come together as Toastmaster Family.
As a first timer I didn’t know what to expect but I can truly say
“Fantastic” over and beyond my expectation. Moreover, being part of
the “Helping Hands” made the experience ever more “Fantastic’.
It was a great way to meet and interact with so many Toastmasters
from around the globe and while enjoying the Educational sessions
organised at the convention.
Every bit of the convention was

so well organized by the
Helping Hands Team. Everyone
had a smile on their face which
in turn added value to the
Convention experience for
those attending the event
It was exciting and amazing

experience as an attendee; it
was even more rewarding as a
volunteer!
My experience at Toastmasters
TM AMANDA ASSALAARCHCHI
When and How?

I joined the Millennium Toastmasters club about a year ago and it has surely
had an impact on my life. My friends who joined a few weeks before me
encouraged me to join a Toastmasters club and at the same time my line
manager at work suggested same for me, so I thought I’d give it a try and
from the first session I joined at the Millennium club I knew I had made a
wise decision.
Why I joined?
I was and well I am a very talkative person in general and also I used to do
many speeches at events back when I was schooling, however along my
journey to the professional world I met this new fear called ‘stage fright’ and
has had difficulty, especially in public speaking and that was the reason as to
why I joined Toastmasters, I wanted to improve on my communication and
public speaking capabilities.
How has it been?

Since the day I joined the Millennium Toastmasters club I got myself a new
set of friends who are very encouraging and wishes each and every one the
best of everything. I have started my Competent Communication course and
it has been great so far, I just wish I had more time to spare to do more
speeches and complete the courses sooner. Nevertheless I try to make time
and join the sessions because it has added value to my life and I have been
inspired by many of the speakers and I have learned a lot more than I
expected from these sessions. It is also fun and relaxing but at the same time
has helped me to improve on my speaking capabilities.
What I hope to do for the future?

I hope to continue my journey at the Millennium Toastmasters club with no
doubt. However I’m planning to be more active and complete the courses
sooner. This program has helped me to improve on my public speaking,
however there is more to improve on and by another year’s time I hope to be
able to compete in the contests as well.
Any advices for potential joiners?

Toastmasters is a world wide known program that does not need any
introduction by me however if you are on the fence on whether to join this
program or not, you could actually visit a session at any club and see for
yourself how worth it is. However I believe that I made the right decision by
joining the Millennium Toastmasters club because it has very experienced
members who have a lot of advices and learnings for new members as well
as new blood trying to make changes and improve the whole system, hence
is a mix of everything a club just needs!
This is what happens when the Universe

laughs in your face
TM KAVITHA GANESAN
So there you are. Smugly and rather pompously thinking that you have
enough in your life – work, family, friends and just the right smattering of self
growth and development. You don’t need anything more. Then the universe
laughs in your face and throws something your way. Something it knows
you will love, something you need and something that will help you grow,
without you realizing that you needed it. Something like….toastmasters.
Looking back, this is how I felt toastmasters happened to me. As a lawyer, I
naively believed that communication and leadership were in my professional
constitution and that there was little out there for me to learn or experience
in this regard. I was soon to learn the stupidity of that notion…
I had enrolled my daughter in the Gavel Club at the Royal College skills center
in March 2017. In the light of her plea of, “amma, please stay close by. What if
I hate it and want to leave”, on her first day, I was having to find a space and
activity within the skills center to pass the next 2.5 hours. The Millennium
Toastmasters were meeting in a room on the floor above the Gavel Club, so I
made my way there, purely out of curiosity. You’ve heard the saying
‘curiosity killed the cat?’ Not so in my case. In my case, this cat was made to
feel thoroughly welcome, invited to watch the meeting as a guest and was
mesmerized by the level of communication, team work and camaraderie
thereafter. This cat was bowled over without expecting it.
.
Two weeks later, I was being initiated as a member of MTM – curious cat to
proud toastmaster in the space of a blue moon. I haven’t looked back. I have
dropped those previously held misguided notions that there was little for me
to learn in terms of communication or leadership. Every meeting has been a
learning experience in this regard. With every timed speech that I delivered, I
learned more about myself and the ways in which I could improve
thanks to the evaluations I received.
With every table topic speech I observed, I realized the many effective ways
there are to collect our thoughts and communicate spontaneously. With
every role play I was asked to take, I understood the importance of listening,
communicating and team work. Above all else, having had the privilege of
getting to know my fellow club members, I have come to realize what true
support, kindness and graciousness really mean. It's like that pesky universe
collected a group of the most diverse yet, warm, witty and wonderful people
and juxtaposed them on the second floor of the Royal College skills center.
So I shall continue on this path of growth because I enjoy it immensely. It

makes me happy. It's helped me grow. Dare I say it…its made me a better
person. So I feel its only right that I thank MTM for all that its given me.
Oh…and thank you universe for giving me exactly what I needed, when I
needed it without me even knowing it.
.
Reverberation
TM NIROSHAN MOTHA
Reverberation is the Semi Annual Conference of our District 82.This is a very

popular conference in the District 82 calendar. This conference gives a
chance for District leaders review the progress made by clubs into education
as well in their membership in the entire district .. I remember when I was the
Division Director for the Division F where I had to present my report in front
of all district leaders.
It was a very good learning experience for me in a forum where leaders are

made. From year 2007 I have been attending most of the Semi-annual and
year end Conferences in Sri Lanka and India as well. The experience and
learning I have got from these conferences are great. I have learned from the
speeches given by great personalities in these conferences as well as from
education sessions. I have enjoyed the opening ceremonies in conferences
because it gives glamour to the event with dances, musical and cultural
events and very specially key note speech..
This time I went to reverberations after three years and enjoyed very much.
Over 100 Sri Lankan delegates attended the conference in Chennai and it was
very nice to meet new toastmasters from new clubs attending the event.
I would like to urge all new members who have not been to a conference to
give a start at the very next conference Ovation 2018. I am sure you will learn
a lot and feel the difference. I wish all the best to everyone.
.
Of Triumphs and Trophies

TM I.P.
You have just finished your brilliant, perfect speech at the contest. The
tension, the nervousness and the worry, gives way to relief. You are back in
your seat and you sit down comfortably now, because before, you were
sitting on the edge of you chair and half of it was vacant ! And you start
thinking about the speech you just delivered ! The next contestant is on stage
delivering an equally great speech, but quite unfairly, your thoughts and
attention are not with the speaker ! Instead, you are looking at your script
sneakily, to ensure that you’ve not left out a few lines or maybe chunks of
your well practiced speech !
I think I would not be wrong when I say many speakers taking part in a
contest, go though these motions and emotions !
First, the selection of the topic of your speech was perfect, spot on, and very
appropriate to convince the audience . You wrote and re-wrote your speech
many times over. You cut and chopped, added and subtracted, (helping to cut
down more trees in the process !) and read over it a dozen times. Finally, you
are convinced that the message you want to convey to inspire and motivate
the audience through your speech is the ideal one and the topic is very
accurate for this purpose ! And then comes the laborious and painstaking
task of practice ! You practice , and practice and practice and practice , with
your timer by your side . In front of a mirror as well ! You have actually lost
count of how many times you practiced because even in the revered
Toastmasters magazine they tell you to practice, practice, practice ! You are
quite sure that you can even give your speech backwards ! Oh ! by the way,
the “butterflies in the stomach” that you thought had flown away long long
ago, have found their way into your belly again ! The silly fellows ! How dare
they ?
Suddenly, it is time ! That anxious moment is here ! You hear the two
familiar lines . Amy Scott – Let Bygones be Bygones – Let Bygones be
Bygones – Amy Scott and in no time, there you are standing in front of a
multitude of eyes affixed on you and only you ! Dumbstruck ? Yes . But
experience overtakes, and you are well on your way, delivering that
wonderful, well rehearsed speech . Nothing can stop you now. The timing ,
the delivery and the message to inspire the audience was perfect. Then the
familiar gesture as you address the Contest Chair, and as you walk away, you
hear the big applause. You are back in your seat - sitting on the whole chair
now!
As the evening comes to an end, the much awaited moment arrives. The
drum roll begins ! The Contest Chair is wasting time waving that all
important piece of paper around !! “Hurry up” – you whisper. “And the
third place goes ….…… “ . The 3 winners are announced ! But your name
was not ! The feeling of disappointment and dejection slowly creeps in. Your
Toastmasters world crumbles . You tell yourself – no more ! Never again !
That’s it !
It takes a while to tell yourself that there is always a next time ! Yes, you so
wanted to win this time. Next time is far away and who knows what can
happen ? But nothing un-toured happens. The days roll by just as the weeks
roll by, and the months roll by and the next time comes along before you
know it ! And you are at it again ! Looking for that perfect topic. That’s what
Toastmasters does to you, dear readers . It always gives you that second
chance ! You always have the opportunity to make that impact, to reach
your goals .
The triumph is not in the trophy, only. The Triumph is - YOU, striving to do
your best !
.
PATHWAYS
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
PAUL STERMAN
In 2010, the Toastmasters Board of Directors crafted a five-year strategic

plan that laid out the goals and objectives for the organization over the next
five years. The plan’s centerpiece? A call to revitalize the Toastmasters
education program.
Pathways is not a departure from the current education program. It
maintains Toastmasters’ guiding principles and educational concepts. Club
meetings will still be at the heart of the Toastmasters experience. The new
program builds on the best of what we have now. It takes the education
program to the next level, but at its foundation, Pathways is anchored in the
vision of Toastmasters’ founder Ralph C. Smedley
The Board’s vision set the revitalization project in motion. Then, to build the
foundation for an education program that would best serve members, the
team immersed itself in research and analysis, studying data and reviewing
feedback from current and former members about what they wanted to see
in an education program. The team evaluated the Toastmasters learning
experience in great depth.
What ultimately emerged is a more robust education program, one that

enables members to develop an array of skills that are relevant in their
personal and professional lives.At the Board’s direction, Pathways was
developed with these benefits for members:
Recognition that comes earlier and more often in the educational journey
New technological resources to improve speeches and support meeting
roles
Mobile access to educational materials (tablets)
Expanded video and digital content to facilitate learning among our global
community of members
Stronger evaluation and mentoring components
“Pathways is going to be a world-class program that will help members

succeed, and thrive, in an evolving global society,” says Kokocki.
The Structure
As Ralph Smedley realized, communication and leadership are inextricably
linked. In the new education program, they will no longer be separate tracks
—they will be combined. From its review and analysis of the current program
paired with the leadership experience, the Pathways team identified the five
core competencies members can learn by participating in the new program:
Public Speaking
Interpersonal Communication
Leading and Managing
Leading Strategically
Building Confidence
These are the core competencies, but within those broader areas are many
other competencies (and sub-competencies) as well. The Pathways team took
foundational competencies in the Competent Communication and Competent
Leader manuals (like learning basic speech structure, effective delivery and
how to communicate well within a team) and built upon them. The current
education program teaches 68 competencies; Pathways adds more than 250
competencies members can learn.
Some of the new competencies are: understanding short- and long-term goals,
speaking about personal strengths and weaknesses, answering questions
effectively, leading with resourcefulness and flexibility, and demonstrating the
value of volunteering.
The five core competencies were paired to form five disciplines. The program
will launch with 10 different learning paths, based on these disciplines:
Public Speaking + Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal Communication + Strategic Leadership
. Interpersonal Communication + Management
Public Speaking + Management
Public Speaking + Strategic Leadership
"The current education program teaches 68 competencies; Pathways adds
more than 250 competencies members can learn."
Paths include Motivational Strategies, Presentation Mastery, Leadership

Development, Persuasive Influence and Effective Coaching. When a member
starts in the Pathways program, he or she takes an online path assessment.
The assessment helps identify the member’s current skill levels as well as areas
where they want to improve. The assessment then indicates which learning
path best fits their needs. If they don’t want to work in the recommended
path, they are free to choose another path.
Each of the 10 paths includes a minimum of 14 learning projects, a mix of

required and elective. Projects span a wide range, with many different topics
to interest members and stretch their skills. Project topics include: how to
motivate others, delivering social speeches, making connections through
networking, how to lead in difficult times, understanding your
communication style, using presentation software, learning to reach
consensus, and many more.
Members advance through their paths in five levels of progressing

complexity. The levels are defined this way:
1. Mastering Fundamentals
2. Learning Your Style
3. Increasing Knowledge
4. Building Skills
5. Demonstrating Expertise
The idea is to build on what you learned in the previous level. The goal
throughout the Pathways program is to not just learn, but to apply what you
learn.
Online and Interactive
Because Pathways is offered online, many interactive learning tools,

including quizzes, assessments and activities, are featured in the projects.
Members can use the program online or use both online and print materials.
You can print materials directly from the learning management system—the
system from which members access the online materials. In Pathways, this
system is called Base Camp. Think of the program as a journey of personal
development, an educational ascent. Reach for the top!
Members who choose to have the materials shipped to them from World
Headquarters will not have access to the interactive learning tools or to as
many learning paths as those who participate online.
Education videos are a key component of the new program. In addition, all
educational materials in Pathways, including the videos, will be translated
into eight languages.
Learning Masters and Chief Ambassadors, member

volunteers in the revitalization process, served as liaisons
in the content pilot, leading participating clubs in the
process. Learning Master Ajitha Goonewardene, DTM, a
member in Colombo, Sri Lanka, says the learning projects
she completed “were just excellent. They covered a
variety of subjects that suited many people with different
interests.”
A number of learning projects teach current methods of communication that
are increasingly popular and that might be new to many members, such as
.communicating through blogs and podcasts. Goonewardene says she is
embracing such challenges.“For me, using the new methods involving
technology was a great learning experience,” she says. “I am 77 years of age
and have been a Toastmaster for 16 years and these projects opened a new
line of advanced learning and interest for me”
14 Proven Ways to Improve

Your Communication Skills
source- https://www.entrepreneur.com
Successful leaders are able to meaningfully communicate with others.

Steve Jobs inspired his employees to strive for perfect hardware products. Jack
Welch mentored the senior leadership team of GE to new heights. Jeff Bezos is
known for articulating the Amazon ethos clearly to employees and the world.
All of these leaders possess outstanding leadership skills.
Here are 14 ways you can improve your communication skills in order to
become a more effective leader.
1. Learn the basics of nonverbal communication.

One study found that nonverbal communication accounted for 55 percent of
how an audience perceived a presenter. That means that the majority of what
you say is communicated not through words, but through physical cues.
To communicate clearly and confidently, adopt proper posture. Avoid
slouching, folding your arms or making yourself appear smaller than you are.
Instead, fill up the space you are given, maintain eye contact and (if
appropriate) move around the space.
2. You have to over-communicate just to communicate.

In 1990, a graduate student at Stanford University was able to prove that
presenters overestimate how much listeners understand. In a study that
become known as “the tappers and the listeners,” one set of participants was
asked to tap the melody of 120 famous songs. The other participants were
asked to guess what song was being tapped.
Tappers estimated that 50 percent of the songs tapped would be correctly
identified. In reality, only 2.5 percent of songs were correctly identified. This
study shows that it is important to communicate clearly, and to over-
communicate when sharing new ideas.
As this study indicates, it is likely that the audience will fail to absorb as much
as you expect.
3. Avoid relying on visual aids.

Steve Jobs instituted a rule at Apple that banned all PowerPoint presentations.
Similarly, Sheryl Sandberginstituted a PowerPoint ban at Facebook. Both
leaders realized that PowerPoint presentations can hinder rather than help
communication.
Be prepared to use words, compelling storytelling and nonverbal cues to
communicate your point with the audience. Avoid using visual aids unless
absolutely necessary.
4. Ask for honest feedback.

As with most leadership skills, receiving honest feedback from peers,
managers and members of your team is critical to becoming a better
communicator. If you regularly solicit feedback, others will help you to
discover areas for improvement that you might have otherwise overlooked.
5. Engage the audience in discussion.

Regardless of how compelling the speaker is, all audiences have limited
attention spans. To become a more effective communicator, make
presentations and discussions interactive.
Ask the audience a question, encourage people to call out their thoughts
during a brainstorming session or at the very least ask hypothetical questions
to stimulate the audience.
6. Start and end with key points.

Think back to the “tappers and listeners” study mentioned earlier. Clear
communication is of paramount importance. To ensure that the audience
understands the key takeaways from a presentation, reiterate key points at
the start and finish. This can also be accomplished by providing attendees with
a one-pager that includes key points the audience should consider
throughout your presentation
7. Use the PIP approach.

A common framework used by business experts like those at McKinsey is the
purpose, importance, preview (PIP) approach to presentation introductions.
Following this approach, the speaker first states the purpose of the
presentation, and then shares why presentation is important by reviewing
implications and possible outcomes.
Finally, the presenter gives a preview of the topics that will be discussed. This
framework is a useful way to get audiences excited about the presentation,
helping them to focus on your message and on key takeaways.
8. Record important presentations for posterity.
It can take a good deal of time and energy to communicate effectively. In
cases where you may need to give the same presentation multiple times,
consider recording it and sharing it in the future.
Platforms like Wistia and Zoom allow speakers to record themselves
delivering a presentation. These video-recording platforms allow presenters
to edit the video to make it more engaging and helpful. They also provide
admins with metrics about viewer engagement.
8. Record important presentations for posterity.

It can take a good deal of time and energy to communicate effectively. In
cases where you may need to give the same presentation multiple times,
consider recording it and sharing it in the future.
Platforms like Wistia and Zoom allow speakers to record themselves
delivering a presentation. These video-recording platforms allow presenters
to edit the video to make it more engaging and helpful. They also provide
admins with metrics about viewer engagement.
Recorded presentations can be especially helpful for communicators who
need to regularly provide training in a company that is hiring employees
quickly.
9. Master the art of timing.

While some of their jokes might not be appropriate for the workplace, standup
comedians are certainly effective communicators. Comedians like Louis CK,
Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle are able to host compelling 90-minute comedy
shows, in part because they have mastered the art of timing.
Great comedians, like all great communicators, are able to feel out their
audience to determine when to move on to a new topic or when to reiterate an
idea.
10. Get comfortable speaking extemporaneously.

When lawyers present a case in front of the United States Supreme Court,
they typically speak extemporaneously. That is to say, the lawyers write down
a series of topics they intend to discuss, but they do not memorize what they
would say word for word. This method of communicating allows the lawyers
presenting a case to cover all of the necessary points, while giving them
flexibility as to how to communicate based on audience reaction or questions.
Business communicators should consider adopting an extemporaneous
speaking style. It takes practice, but it will allow for more natural
communication, and can help with audience engagement.
11. Get to know your audience.

To communicate effectively, it is important to get to know your audience first.
Each audience is different, and will have different preferences and cultural
norms that should be considered when communicating. A good way to
understand expectations is to ask members of the audience for examples of
good communicators within the organization.
12. Add novelty to improve audience retention.

A recent study revealed that people generally retain more information when
presented with novel, as opposed to routine, situations. To help audience
members retain information, consider injecting some sort of novel event into a
presentation. This might be something funny, or something that simply
catches people by surprise.
13. Focus on earning respect instead of laughs.

It can be tempting to communicate with others in a lighthearted way; after all,
this can be a good way to make friends in a professional setting. But
remember that the most successful communicators are those who have
earned respect, rather than laughs. While telling a joke or two to warm up an
audience can be effective, avoid ending a presentation with a laugh.
Related: 7 Essentials for an Elevator Pitch That Gets People to Listen
14. Be a listener.
“Listen more than you talk.” This is what Richard Branson tells business
people who want to connect with others. To communicate effectively, first
listen to what others have to say. Then you can provide a thoughtful answer
that shows you have taken those ideas into account.
Conclusion
Communicating clearly is one of the most effective skills you can cultivate as a
business leader. Remember to communicate using nonverbal and verbal cues.
Listen carefully to what others have to say, and over-communicate in novel
ways to ensure the content of the conversation sticks with the audience.
.
Building Your Audience, One

Title at a Time - 5 ways to craft
an enticing title
www.toastmasters.org/ magazine/magazine-issues/2018/
jan2018/building-your-audience
Have you ever walked up and down the stacks of the library or bookstore
looking for something to read? As you saunter, your eyes come to rest on a
book and you pull it off the shelf. What was it that compelled you to pick that
particular book over hundreds of others? It was the title.
Every workshop, seminar, speech, blog, book and journal article has a title. It
is how we name and introduce our work to the world. It is our first—and
perhaps only—lure to snag a potential audience. Yet despite its importance,
crafting the right title is typically overlooked and underrated. This integral
component of our written and oral presentations merits thoughtfulness and
creativity.
Here are five techniques for building a title that will bring your audience to
their seats.
1 Create Intrigue
Curiosity is the spark that ignites engagement. Find one aspect, result or
observation that is especially interesting about your topic and incorporate it
into your title. The main challenge is in keeping your title relevant and related
to your material. If it lacks a connection to the body of your work, you are
simply using curiosity as a well-documented marketing ploy. For example, I
could have titled this article, “A Good Presentation Title Increases Your Sex
Appeal by 73%.” Undoubtedly, more people might read this article. But
because the information they are seeking is irrelevant, they will finish the
article feeling frustrated, angry and duped.
2 Ask a Question
When you pose a question in your title, it implies that the body of your work is
going to provide the answer. Most people are drawn to resolve; there is great
satisfaction in having a problem untangled. By posing a question, you are
letting your audience know, in advance, that their time invested will be well
spent and gratifying. For example, I could have named this article, “Can You
Meet the Challenge of Creating a Great Title?”
3 Enumerate
The brain operates optimally when it has finite chunks of information to
digest. Offering a defined number in your title—three cures, five mistakes, 10
secrets—gives the potential audience the assurance that they will receive a
delineated outline of information. Enumeration draws an audience because it
pre-defines the outcome. Success, in this case, is not defined by the quality of
the content, but rather, by the quantity of the content. Case in point: I could
have easily named the title of this article, “Five Ways to Increase Your
Presentation’s Visibility.”
The challenge to enumeration is keeping the numbers manageable. Although
“50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” (the title of the 1975 hit song by Paul Simon) is
exciting, it would take a long time to get through a list that long
4 Elicit Humor
Humor is a universal connector, capable of drawing people together from all
walks of life. Its upbeat nature tied to the human condition resonates with all
ages and all professions. It provides a safe environment for topics ranging
from the casual to the controversial. To illustrate, I could have named this
article, “I Stayed Up All Night to Write the Perfect Title … and Forgot to Hit
Save.”
The challenge with humor is making sure that it is appropriate for your
material. Topics that invoke human suffering, such as cancer or the plight of
refugees, don’t resonate well with a funny title.
5 Highlight Your Audience

People like to feel special. You can leverage this desire by pre-defining who
you want to engage as an audience. You craft a title that appeals directly and
specifically to them. For example, if you are presenting to engineers, you can
employ a title such as, “Expert Engineers Can Master the Art of Provocative
Titles.” Similarly, I could have given this article the title, “A Toastmaster’s
Dream: Creating a Title That Pleases Everyone.” The challenge in employing
this technique is that it can inadvertently alienate people who might truly
benefit from your expertise.
You have invested time, energy and passion in your work. Your words deserve
recognition. The right title will help bring many eyes and many ears to your
voice.
The Road to Extraordinary

(Source- https://www.quietrev.com)
In his new book Peak: Secrets of the New Science of Expertise, K. Anders
Ericsson proposes that almost all of us have the seeds of excellence within us
—it’s just a question of nurturing them via deliberate practice.
What is deliberate practice?
Deliberate practice is the breakdown of expertise into a series of smaller,

attainable practices. A deliberate practitioner engages in structured activities
that improve performance in a specific area. The goal of deliberate practice is
not just to reach your potential but to build it, to make things possible that
were not possible before. It takes a long time, and it’s hard. But to quote one
of today’s great philosophers, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard,
everyone would do it. The hard…is what makes it great.” Thank you, A
League of Their Own’s Jimmy Dugan.
Peak condenses three decades of original research to introduce a powerful
approach to learning that is fundamentally different from the way people
traditionally think about acquiring a skill. And it also clears up the whole “ten-
thousand-hours to expertise rule” controversy (spoiler: it isn’t really a rule).
Excerpted from Peak: Secrets of the New Science of Expertise
How do you keep going? That is perhaps the biggest question that anyone
engaged in purposeful or deliberate practice will eventually face. Getting
started is easy, as anyone who has visited a gym after New Year’s knows. You
decide that you want to get in shape or learn to play the guitar or pick up a
new language, and so you jump right in. It’s exciting. It’s energizing. Then
after a while, reality hits. It’s hard to find the time to work out or practice as
much as you should, so you start missing sessions. You’re not improving as
fast as you thought you would. It stops being fun, and your resolve to reach
your goal weakens. Eventually you stop altogether, and you don’t start up
again.
So that’s the problem in a nutshell: purposeful practice is hard work.

The question is, What can you do about it?
What can we learn from expert performers about what it takes to keep going?
Let’s get one thing out of the way right up front. It may seem natural to
assume that these people who maintain intense practice schedules for years
have some rare gift of willpower or “grit” or “stick-toitiveness” that the rest of
us just lack, but that would be a mistake for two very compelling reasons.
First, there is little scientific evidence for the existence of a general
“willpower” that can be applied in any situation.
But there is a bigger, second problem with the concept of willpower, one
related to the myth of natural talent…once you assume that something is
innate, it automatically becomes something you can’t do anything about. This
sort of circular thinking—“The fact that I couldn’t keep practicing indicates
that I don’t have enough willpower, which explains why I couldn’t keep
practicing”—is worse than useless; it is damaging in that it can convince
people that they might as well not even try.
Motivation is quite different from willpower. There are some interesting

parallels between improving performance and losing weight. The ones who
are successful in losing weight over the long run are those who have
successfully redesigned their lives, building new habits that allow them to
maintain the behaviors that keep them losing weight in spite of all of the
temptations that threaten their success.
A similar thing is true for those who maintain purposeful or deliberate practice
over the long run. They have generally developed various habits that help
them keep going. As a rule of thumb, I think that anyone who hopes to
improve skill in a particular area should devote an hour or more each day to
practice that can be done with full concentration.
For purposeful or deliberate practice to be effective, you need to push yourself
outside your comfort zone and maintain your focus, but those are mentally
draining activities. Expert performers do two things—both seemingly
unrelated to motivation—that can help.
The first is general physical maintenance: getting enough sleep and keeping
healthy. If you’re tired or sick, it’s that much harder to maintain focus and that
much easier to slack off.
The second thing is to limit the length of your practice sessions to about an
hour. You can’t maintain intense concentration for much longer than that—and
when you’re first starting out, it’s likely to be less. If you want to practice
longer than an hour, go for an hour and take a break. Fortunately, you will find
that as you maintain your practice over time it will seem easier. Both your body
and your mind will habituate to the practice. The practice never becomes
outright fun, but eventually it gets closer to neutral, so it’s not as hard to keep
going.
We’ve just seen several ways to decrease the inclination to stop; now let’s look
at some ways to increase the inclination to continue. It may be completely
intrinsic. Or maybe it’s for totally practical, extrinsic purposes. You hate public
speaking, but you recognize that your lack of speaking skills is holding you
back in your career, so you decide you want to learn how to address an
audience.
All of these are possible roots of motivation, but they aren’t—or at least they
shouldn’t be—your only motivators. Studies of expert performers tell us that
once you have practiced for a while and can see the results, the skill itself can
become part of your motivation. As long as you recognize this new identity as
flowing from the many hours of practice that you devoted to developing your
skill, further practice comes to feel more like an investment than an expense.
Another key motivational factor in deliberate practice is a belief that you can
succeed. In order to push yourself when you really don’t feel like it, you must
believe that you can improve and—particularly for people shooting to become
expert performers—that you can rank among the best. If you stop believing
that you can reach a goal, either because you’ve regressed or you’ve plateaued,
don’t quit.
Make an agreement with yourself that you will do what it takes to get back to
where you were or to get beyond the plateau, and then you can quit. You
probably won’t.
One of the best ways to create and sustain social motivation is to surround
yourself with people who will encourage and support and challenge you in
your endeavors. Surrounding yourself with supportive people is easiest in
activities that are done in groups or teams.
Deliberate practice can be a lonely pursuit, but if you have a group of friends
who are in the same positions, you have a built-in support system. These
people understand the effort you’re putting into your practice, they can share
training tips with you, and they can appreciate your victories and
commiserate with you over your difficulties. They count on you, and you can
count on them.
While you may collect a group of like-minded individuals for support and
encouragement, still much of your improvement will depend on practice you
do on your own. How do you maintain motivation for hour after hour of such
focused practice? One of the best bits of advice is to set things up so that you
are constantly seeing concrete signs of improvement, even if it is not always
major improvement. Break your long journey into a manageable series of
goals and focus on them one at a time—perhaps even giving yourself a small
reward each time you reach a goal. There is no reason not to follow your
dream. Deliberate practice can open the door to a world of possibilities that
you may have been convinced were out of reach. Open that door.
CLUB ACHIEVEMENT
DASHBOARD
The Educational awards
1.TM Mithraka Fernando-ACS(Advance Communation Silver) - 1DCP
2.TM Dinal Edirisinghe - CL (Competent Leader)-1DCP
3.TM Skandaraj Muthusamy-ALB (Advance Leader Bronze)-1DCP
Appointments outside the club

TM Ajatha Jayawardena - District Director
DTM Ajitha Goonewardene - District 82 Speech Craft Coordinator
TM Dilusha Gamage - TLI coordinator Division E
TM M. Skandaraj - Area Director
TM Laxmi Senthilnathan - Ovation 2018, Registration Chair
Goals to achieve
Achieve education points- 3DCP Points( 4cc’s and 1 ACB)
To prioritize the needs of the members by facilitating
constructive feedback and fostering a conducive learning
environment.
WEDDING BELLS !
Millennium TM family extend our heartiest

congratulations! May you be blessed with
good health, happiness and joy thoughout
your life time !
STAY TUNED!
Area, District & Division upcoming Events
• Area Contest Division E will be held on Monday March

O5 2018 at the Royal Skill Center
• Division Conference of Division E will be held on March

25. 2018 at the Centre for Banking Studies Rajagiriya
• Division E will be organising Sinhala and Tamil New

Year on April 07, 2018. The venue and time to be notified
later.
• Ovation will take place this year on the 11th of may-

13th of May
Club Activities
• Club AGM , outdoor meeting and more exciting

activities await you! Dates will be finalized shortly.
CLUB MEETING &

CONTACT DETAILS
Millennium Toastmasters club meet on the first and third Tuesday of every month at Royal
college skill center (Rajakeeya Mawatha, Colombo 00700)
For information regarding meetings or any other club activities do not hesitate to contact
anyone of the following Executive committee members.
President Treasurer
Delanie Jayesuria Anusha Fernando
T:0773868159 T:0771534888
E:delaniejayesuria@yahoo.com E:anumw1968@gmail.com
Vice President (Education) Sergeant - at - Arms

Laxmi Senthilnathan Shehan Abayagunawardena
T:0777789988 T: 0773222082
E:senthilnathan.laxmi@gmail.com E: Shehan.ab@gmail.com
Vice President (Membership)

Thanuja Meegahawatte
T: 0716353361
E: thanuja.m33ga@gmail.com
Vice President (Public Relations)

Amritha Allahakkoon
T:0772991753
E: Amritha_allahakkoon@yahoo.com
Secretary
Chathuri Liyanage
T:0775351038
E: Chatu.0026@gmail.com
The Millennium Toastmasters Club millenniumtoastmastersclub@gmail.com

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The Millennium TM Club

Club No: 00007595

As a club member if your focus is you want to be an outstanding leader or a

We can choose to make this journey of self-discovery a pleasurable

I believe Millennium Toastmasters is a club where members are encouraged to

To be a part of this awesome journey of self development I encourage all the

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said ‘The only person you

Together we will continue to steer the ‘Millennium Toastmasters ship’ in it’s

Henry Ford once said, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.

Participants of the evaluations

The area contest was held on the 16th of

The Christmas spirit was ignited at the Division E

The cricket pitch was filled with “oohs” and “ahhs” as

Joint Meeting with Colombo TM Club

Where the theme of the meeting

Manage your money - Mr. Mario Fonseka

Evaluation Equation - DTM Trishma Pinto

"Perahera" - DTM Ajitha Goonewardene

Leader as a Coach - TM M. Skandaraj

Controlling your fear - TM Mithraka Perera

This Convention showcased that every member in the Convention was

Every bit of the convention was

It was exciting and amazing

When and How?

How has it been?

What I hope to do for the future?

Any advices for potential joiners?

This is what happens when the Universe

So I shall continue on this path of growth because I enjoy it immensely. It

Reverberation is the Semi Annual Conference of our District 82.This is a very

It was a very good learning experience for me in a forum where leaders are

Of Triumphs and Trophies

In 2010, the Toastmasters Board of Directors crafted a five-year strategic

What ultimately emerged is a more robust education program, one that

“Pathways is going to be a world-class program that will help members

Paths include Motivational Strategies, Presentation Mastery, Leadership

Each of the 10 paths includes a minimum of 14 learning projects, a mix of

Members advance through their paths in five levels of progressing

Online and Interactive

Because Pathways is offered online, many interactive learning tools,

Learning Masters and Chief Ambassadors, member

14 Proven Ways to Improve

Successful leaders are able to meaningfully communicate with others.

1. Learn the basics of nonverbal communication.

2. You have to over-communicate just to communicate.

3. Avoid relying on visual aids.

4. Ask for honest feedback.

5. Engage the audience in discussion.

6. Start and end with key points.

throughout your presentation

7. Use the PIP approach.

8. Record important presentations for posterity.

9. Master the art of timing.

10. Get comfortable speaking extemporaneously.

11. Get to know your audience.

12. Add novelty to improve audience retention.

13. Focus on earning respect instead of laughs.

Building Your Audience, One

5 Highlight Your Audience

The Road to Extraordinary

Deliberate practice is the breakdown of expertise into a series of smaller,

So that’s the problem in a nutshell: purposeful practice is hard work.