President's Address - 10 Jul 2008

Date: 10 July 2008 (Thu)
Time: 7.40pm
Venue: Rm 1.08 KDU College

Good evening ladies and gentlemen.

Let us all take a moment to close our eyes. Focus on your breathing.

Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Once again, breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. One last time. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Keep your eyes closed. And keep breathing.

The room is brightly lit. The murmurs are anticipatory. Your name is called out and you step forward. Suddenly, silence. A deafening silence fills the room. All eyes are on you. You look around but the spotlights are blinding. Your blood rushes through your veins. The adrenaline kicks in. You open your mouth but nothing comes out. You start to sweat. Still, nothing comes out of your mouth. Your humiliation index increases. You want to crawl out of your skin now.

Suddenly you are shaken so violently your eyes open. It was only a dream. And one that will remain a dream because today you are here. Today, you have made a commitment to improve, to make a difference. Today, you want to Be The Change. And for that simple reason, I congratulate you!

Welcome each and everyone of you to D’Utama Advanced Toastmasters Club’s first meeting for the 2008/2009 term! I have not been officially installed but as President elect, and on behalf of DU Advanced Toastmasters, I extend nothing but the warmest greetings to our honoured guests. It is a pleasure for me to be hosting you and I hope your choice to visit us today pays dividends.

Be The Change.

I took my parents and my good friend’s mom to watch Kung Fu Panda two weeks ago. I loved it so much, I took another friend the following week. Po is a panda. He works in the noodle restaurant owned by his father. He is large and clumsy but dreams of becoming a kung fu master. His father wants him to take over the noodle business.

By a twist of fate, Po finds himself in the position of the Dragon Warrior, the one chosen to defeat the evil Tai Lung, to the disdain of five more worthy kung fu exponents and the respected kung fu master named Shifu. Po tolerated their obvious contempt for him because he dreamt of becoming more than the failure he thought he was.

Ladies and gentlemen what started out to be a night of entertaining my parents and aunty, ended up being an affirmation of what we as Toastmasters try to inculcate in ourselves and others. Belief in yourself. We can want change so badly, but if we do not embrace change, we will never change. And change begins when we make a commitment to ourselves and our brethren.

With that, I would like to invite all DU Advanced Toastmasters to rise and join me in reaffirming our pledge to D’Utama Advanced Toastmasters Club.

“I, [state your own name]_, in the presence of my fellow members of D’Utama Advanced Toastmasters Club, make this firm obligation
to attend meetings regularly and prepare fully for each assignment,
to apply myself to the program outlined in the Toastmasters manuals,
to participate actively in club activities,
to evaluate others in a positive, constructive manner,
to build open, friendly relationships with my fellow members, and
to bring other new members into the Club so that they can also gain the benefits of Toastmasters.

We, D’Utama Advanced Toastmasters Club, pledge to support each other in our quest for self-development, to provide each other with positive, helpful evaluations, to maintain a friendly, supportive atmosphere, to give each other opportunities to help others, and to make ours and each others’ Toastmasters memberships a rewarding and fulfilling experience.”

Thank you.


Best regards,

Deborah Hoe, CTM
President 2008/2009

Goodbye 2007/2008; Hello 2008/2009

Dear D’Utama Advanced Toastmasters & Friends of DU Advanced,

It was with a heavy heart that I relinquished my position as Vice President Education. I couldn’t bear to pass the next meeting’s agenda to the outgoing President, Lee Wei Seong who will be TME at the next meeting. But in life, learning to move on is an important lesson everyone must learn. The only condition perhaps, is that the move is one for greener pastures, be it on a personal level, in your career, your family life. Or anything for that matter.

Reflecting on the past year, I have grown in confidence, in faith and most importantly, in hope. For myself. And, for mankind. I joined DU Advanced at a very low point in my life. Life was a chore. Impossible was my favourite word. Then things took a turn. Impossible began shedding its prefix “im-”. I witnessed change. I embraced change. I became change. Albeit just five degrees of it. At a time.

I look forward to the coming term with great anticipation and excitement. In the last term, we focused on rebuilding – improving our meetings in terms of attendance and offerings. We stuck closely to our Club’s vision of being a Resource Center for Information and an exemplary Center for Leadership. This year we seek to further enhance our reputation as a Center for Communication Growth. This is a mammoth task though, and one the Exco cannot do alone. We need YOU!

TEAMWORK

The next season, when you see the geese migrating, going to a warmer place, to sort the winter... Pay attention that they fly in a “V” formation. Maybe you will be interested in knowing why they do it this way...
By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock increases the flight efficiency by 71%, compared to just one bird flying alone.

Lesson 1:
Sharing the same direction and working as a team, get us to the destination quicker and easier. By helping ourselves, the accomplishments are greater!.
When a goose leaves the formation…
He feels the resistance of the air and the difficulties of flying alone....
Then, he quickly comes back to the formation to take advantage of the flock’s power in front of him ..

Lesson 2:
By staying in tune and united beside those who are going in the same direction, the effort will be less. It will be easier and pleasing to reach the goals, everyone will be inclined to accept and give help.
When the leader goose gets tired of flying...
He goes to the end of the “V” formation. While another goose takes the lead.

Lesson 3:
To share the leadership,
There must be mutual respect between us all the time...
Sharing the hardest problems and tasks…
Gathering our abilities and combining our faculties, talents and resources….
The geese flying on a “V” formation, they quack to encourage to the ones in the front. In that way, they keep the same speed.

Lesson 4:
When there is courage and encouragement, the progress is greater…
A timely word of encouragement, always motivates, helps and strengthens…It produces the best of benefits...
When a goose gets sick, is injured or gets tired and he must leave the formation...
Other geese leave the formation too, and they fly with him to help him out and protect him. They remain with him until he dies or he is able to fly again. They reach their bevy or they just make another “V” formation.

Lesson 5:
Let’s stay beside each other no matter what the differences.
Specially in times of difficulty and great challenges..
If we bond together and support each other…If we make true the spirit of teamwork…Regardless of our differences, we can rise to meet our challenge.
If we understand the real value of friendship…
If we are aware of the feeling of sharing…
Life will be easierAnd the passing of years More fulfillingMy friendsLet’s learn from this teamwork story of the geese!!!
(http://www.inspiring-quotes-and-stories.com/geese.html)


Be The Change


Best regards,

Deborah Hoe, CTM
President 2008/2009
D’Utama Advanced Toastmasters Club
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