Toastmasters Can Help People Tackle Global Issues, Says Awang Tengah

KUCHING, April 18 (Bernama) -- Toastmasters can use their persuasive communication skills and leadership to engage the people in tackling global issues, Sarawak Resource Planning and Management Minister II Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan said Saturday.

He said he believed they had the power to influence people "to contribute towards making a positive change in the world around us" in all the current global concerns and issues, such as the financial crisis, global warming and political upheavals.

"As toastmasters are trained in the sphere of persuasive communication skills and leadership, I have no doubt in your ability to interact and engage people inside and outside your fraternity in a meaningful manner to make our world a better place to live in," he said when officiating at the District 51 16th Annual Toastmasters Convention 2009, here.

About 500 delegates comprising members of the Toastmasters fraternity from Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei attended the convention which began yesterday.Awang Tengah said the meeting of minds from various countries at the convention was testimony to the importance of collaboration and partnership for the common cause of improving themselves.

"If we were to extend the power of collaboration into other spheres of our lives, like the global concerns, we could do wonders to the depressed situations that we encounter together in the region," he said.The three-day convention, with the theme A.I.M (Act to Inspire and Motivate), aims to bring back the spirit of togetherness with a difference, create an environment for the exchange of ideas through interaction, and create opportunity for delegates to express what matters.

The convention had two simultaneous sessions, in English and Mandarin.Prominent speakers included Malaysia Airlines managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Idris Jala, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) associate professor of Communication Studies Prof Zaharom Nain, former president of the Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council Datuk Adeline Leong and District 51 past governor R. Sivanganam.

-- BERNAMA

Convention Platform to Seek Solutions

Convention platform to seek solutions By Samuel Aubrey

KUCHING: The meeting of minds from various countries in this region, even for a Toastmasters convention, can be an important platform to overcome problems caused by the current economic downturn and other global crises.

LET’S GET STARTED: Tengah (centre) leads the beating of the drums to declare open the conference. He is accompanied by Gomez (left) and organisingchairperson Zabariah Matali.
Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan said the Toastmasters fraternity had the power to influence people due to their training in persuasive communication skills and leadership.

With these skills, he said members of Toastmasters would be able to communicate and funnel global issues into smaller bits and pieces, so that the people can see the larger picture and contribute to making positive changes.

“So what relevance has all these global concerns and issues to the Toastmasters fraternity? I would argue that there is a whole world of relevance and significance to all Toastmasters.
“Members of the Toastmasters fraternity have two important tools or skills that non-Toastmasters do not possess. You have both communication and leadership skills and the confidence in sharing the global concerns and issues with all your members, friends and families,” he said at the official opening of the 16th annual Toastmasters International District 51 convention here yesterday.

Five hundred delegates comprising members of the Toastmasters fraternity from District 51, which covers Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, are attending the convention.
According to Tengah again, the global economic crises had made it more important for countries in the Asean region to collaborate and form partnerships to uplift themselves from the depressing situation.

“The meeting of minds from various countries as I understand it here — Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei — is one testimony of the importance of collaboration and partnerships for a common cause of improving ourselves. “This power of collaboration if we are to extend it to other spheres of our lives, can do wonders to the depressed situations that we encounter together in the region,” he said. Toastmasters clubs in the region are part of Toastmasters International, a non-profit educational organisation to help members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills.

Through the thousands of member clubs, Toastmasters International offers a programme of communication and leadership projects designed to help men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening, and thinking. For the convention here, the organisers chose ‘Act to Inspire and Motivate’ as its theme. The three-day event, which comprises speech contests and education sessions, is conducted in English and Mandarin.

Malaysia Airlines managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Idris Jala leads the panel of prominent speakers to share their experiences and inputs during the conference.
The other speakers are Prof Zaharom Nain from Universiti Sains Malaysia Penang, former president of Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council Datuk Adeline Leong, and Toastmasters District 51 past governor R Sivanganam.

Also present at yesterday’s opening ceremony were Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Bolhassan Di, Sibuti MP Ahmad Lai Bujang and Toastmasters District 51 governor Joseph Gomez.

(taken from Borneo Post Online - 19th April 2009)

UM TMC.

Final Exam Study Tips

How to Maximize Test Scores and Improve Content Knowledge


Most students enter the final exam week with dread, contemplating long hours of last minute cramming in the wee hours before the exam; but it doesn't have to be that way.

In the 1973 film The Paper Chase, two law students flee the dormitory toward the end of the movie at the start of final exam week. “Panic has descended,” one of them exclaims, and they check into a local motel, making sure to have the television set removed. Although preparation for the final exam should begin on the first day of the semester, there are many things students can do to maximize their final scores:

(a) Find a quiet place to study devoid of any distractions
(b) Have only the study materials relative to the course being tested
(c) Set specific study times and stick to the schedule

While everyone studies differently, these basic tips usually work for most people. Some students may actually do better while listening to music or studying outdoors; others find these environments distracting. On a college campus, the serenity of a library may be a perfect place to study.

Studying to the Exam

Students should determine what material will be covered on the exam or, at the very least, what will be emphasized. Some professors will give study guides, provide brief study itineraries, yet there are always those who, when asked what focus areas to concentrate on, will reply indifferently, “everything!”

If the course included prior exams or quizzes, these may serve as a good indicator of the final exam format. It is definitely helpful to know whether the final exam will be essay, multiple choice, or a variation of both. Students should not be shy or intimidated by politely asking about the exam format. Additionally, it is helpful to know what material will be covered: “will all of the supplemental books and handouts be a part of the final exam?”

Study Groups and Final Exam Preparation

Study groups are an excellent way to discuss key concepts throughout the semester. Stronger members can help weaker ones understand important points. A good study group brings to the table already studied and researched material solely for discussion. Quizzing each other as a form of testing preparation takes away from the focus of a study group: even a dorm mate or friend can quiz terms from note cards or prepared outlines.

Read more: http://studyskills.suite101.com/article.cfm/final_exam_study_tips#ixzz0Dc4Pa6WO&B

GOOD LUCK!!

UM TMC

would like to wish

GOOD LUCK !!!

to all the students of

University of Malaya

for the finals.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UM TMC!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday to UM TMC !!!

Our club was officially chartered on 18th April 2007

we have reached 2 years of excellent moments in UM TMC

Exam Hints

Exam Hints - By Dr. King

Exam week can be difficult, dangerous, even overwhelming. You may feel helpless and hopeless, as though there is nothing you can do. After a semester of too many classes and too much work, you think you'll have to stay up all night studying to pass your final exams.

But wait! Help is on the way! Below are my handy hints for exam time, developed during ten arduous years as a student and fifteen more as a teacher.

Two Weeks Before the Exam
Make up a set of study sheets for each class.
Each set of study sheets should summarize the reading, your class notes, and any handouts.
Type the study sheets so they are easily readable. Use plenty of bold type and white space to accentuate important ideas.
For the next two weeks, read through your study sheets three times each day. Do not try hard to memorize the information. Just read the notes once, three times per day.

The Night Before the Exam
Read your study sheets as usual.
Go to bed early and get a good night's sleep.

The Day of the Exam
Set your alarm and get up early. Allow plenty of time to get to the exam.
Eat a good breakfast, including simple sugars (fruit juice), complex carbohydrates (cereal or toast), and protein (milk, eggs, meat, cheese). This will help your blood sugar stay at a stable level, and since your brain runs on sugar, you don't want to have an empty tank.
Caffeine has been shown to increase alertness and performance. If you are a habitual user of caffeine, be sure to get your accustomed dose.
Take along a piece of fruit to eat during the exam. This will help keep your blood sugar even, so you don't tire during the second half of the exam period.

During the Exam
If you feel tense, relax, take a deep breath, and remember that you know the material because you've been reviewing for two weeks.
Keep your eye on the clock while taking the exam. Allow enough time to finish the entire test. Avoid focusing on one question and running out of time on others.
Read the entire exam before beginning to write. Know your enemy, in other words.
Be sure your name is on the test. (This sounds silly, but sometimes if we feel tense or pressured, we forget the little things.)
Read each question a second time, then answer that question.
Go on to the next question. Remember to look at the clock and keep moving through the test.
After the first hour and fifteen minutes, relax, stretch, eat your fruit. Calm down. You know the material.
Use the entire exam period rather than rushing through the test.

Special Information for Students Taking Essay Exams
Read the question carefully and analyze what the teacher wants in the answer. If the question has several parts, use these parts to structure your answer.
Use the writing process: brainstorm, organize, outline, add supporting information, write, revise, edit.
Write a version of the classic five-paragraph essay. Answer the question in the first paragraph of your essay. State and support one proof for your answer in each of the following paragraphs. Answer the question in different words in your concluding paragraph.

By Dr. King (taken from http://www.academictips.org/)

Just as a Friendly Reminder

Dear All,

There would NOT be any meetings on 15th, 22nd and 29th April 2009 due to the revision week and examination week. We hope that you will be fully prepared for the upcoming final exams. Good Luck in your preparation.


UM TMC.

24th Meeting - Good Day, Good Luck, Good Bye

It has been 4 hours since our final official meeting of the Session 2008/2009 ended. You can consider this report as a ‘freshly written’ report and this is the final report of its kind since I started to write from June 2008. What made me to write this report so soon? Actually, I’m feeling a bit sad right now as it was our official final meeting.

Our 24th meeting was held on 8th April 2009 with the theme ‘Good Day, Good Luck, & Good Bye’. The word of the day was ‘Farewell’. Example of sentence – ‘We said our sad farewells and got on the bus’. But in our case, it was farewell to the Session 2008/2009. Sadly, our Sergeant-at Arms, TM Grace Kang, couldn’t make it to our meeting today as she has to concentrate on her dissertation. She is one of our officers who will be leaving to her hometown after completing her courses this final semester.

Our lovely President, CC Kimmy Foo, gave a welcoming speech to all the members and guests who attended our meaningful meeting today. During the introductory session, TM Grace Rebekah, explained briefly on the feelings she was experiencing in the final moments of undergraduate life, including being an officer of UM TMC, and it touched most of our hearts - definitely mine.

The Toastmaster of the Evening was CC Bee Guan. Yes, it’s Competent Communicator Bee Guan. He explained about the history of Toastmasters. However, we also realized that he was trying to say, to express something, but he quickly changed the topic. Bee Guan, did you want to share something with us? It’s still not too late. Next was the Table Topics Session with CC Kimmy Foo as the Table Topics Master.

Kimmy pasted six questions using the ‘paste-it-on stickers’ on the whiteboard with the words ‘Good’, ‘Day’, ‘Luck’ and ‘Bye’ on it (relating to the theme of the meeting). Her method was simple but innovative. The Table Topics Speakers were

1. Grace Rebekah
2. Deborah Chow
3. Vijay
4. Hala
5. Alaa
6. Yu He

We can observe that all the speakers were improving in their impromptu speech - fluent speech with fewer pauses and fast thinking. We had a first time speaker too– Hala. Thanks Alaa for inviting you friend to our meeting - hoping that Hala have enjoyed our meeting. The questions prepared by Kimmy were imaginative with reality kind of thing and it was quite difficult – 1) What would be your two wishes? 2) Baby boy or baby girl? and 3)Lover or mother?.... Bravo to our Table Topics Speakers.

Our Table Topics Evaluator was ATMB Christine Ong, all the way from Midvalley Toastmasters Club. She gave an evaluation on all the speakers especially to our new members. Usually in every evaluation (even if we are not the one evaluated) there would be some points of improvements that might be useful for our presentation later on.

Next was the Project Speeches as the following:

1. CC Project 2 – ‘Colours’ by TM Wan Xin
2. CC Project 2 – ‘It’s in your Blood’ by TM Roanne
3. CC Project 2 - ‘ Communicate with Yourself’ by TM Yu He
4. CC Project 3 – ‘Just Say No’ by TM Yee Sin

I would say that all of the speeches were very informative with some homework done by the speakers. If you want to memorize, use the blue paper!!! If your blood is ‘O’ type, you better exercise!!! Organize yourself with diary and just say ‘NO’ in accordance to the situation.

Our General Evaluator, ATMB Christine Ong took over the floor from the TME to give the overall evaluation of the meeting. The evaluators of Speech Projects were as the following:

1. CC Bee Guan
2. CC Kimmy Foo
3. CC Deborah
4. DTM Vincent Hor

I think we have managed to produce experienced internal evaluators by looking at the evaluation by our 3 CC’s. All of them utilized the maximum time of evaluation to highlight the points of improvements to the respective speakers. Kudos, UM TMC’s CCs. I had to admit that, as the timer, I purposely didn’t show the timing cards to DTM Vincent and ATMB Christine Ong in order to get as much as improvement points we could from the experts.

The other role players to help the General Evaluator were

Ah Counter : TM Hadi (our first-time Ah Counter)
Grammarian : TM Ras Hadi
Time Keeper : TM Rishi

Finally, the awards session….the Best Table Topics Speaker goes to.…drum roll….drum roll….

DEBORAH CHOW

Congrats Deborah.

During the closing session, we celebrated the 2nd birthday of UM TMC, which is supposed to be on 18th April 2009, but have to be brought forward…and yes, we had the chocolate cake….mmmm…..

I still couldn’t believe it has been already one year and we have completed our official final meeting. I feel as if I’m losing something important. The joyful moments, the unforgettable memories, the hard times, the sunny days, and the rainy days with the officers and members of UM TMC. You are right Bee Guan,

The most precious thing we found in UM TMC is not the public speaking skills, but the friendship that has built up among us in UM TMC. We are so close and strong as if we are a family.

THE FAMILY of UM TMC

I could feel that we officers were all sad after the meeting ends; it was just that we did not show the facial expression.

Usually in every report, I would tease the President by asking some silly questions, but in this report, I would be asking the President a formal question.

Dear President, could you give us a word of one or two in the blog before you and some of the UM TMC officers retire by the end of May (after your exams)? Thanks Kimmy.

A very thank you to DTM Vincent Hor and ATMB Christine Ong for being there for us. We really appreciate it to have experts in our club. We feel that you are one of our family members in UM TMC.

We might be having two more meetings in May especially for our members who will be staying in Klang Valley during the breaks, but it’s still yet to be confirmed. Please log in to our blog from time-to-time for more information.

Rishi,

VPPR,

UM TMC,

2008/2009.

Our Next Meeting Details

Dear All,

As you all know, our next meeting will the official final meeting of the session 2008/2009, meaning, the final meeting before the semester ends. The officers had some discussion and decided to go for the theme : Good Day, Good Bye, Good Luck.

Good Day - it would be the 2nd birthday of UM TMC
Good Bye - as some of us would be going off after the semester ends
Good Luck - it's for the final examination which is very near

Date : 8th April 2009
Time : 5.15pm
Venue : BSEC101, First Floor, Block C, Education Faculty, UM.

Please don't miss out this special meeting.


UM TMC.

23rd Meeting - April Fool!!!

Could you guess the theme of our meeting on 1st April 2009? Yes, you have got it right – April Fool!!! The word of the day was not ‘fool’ but ‘Prank’, which means, a trick that is intended to be amusing but not to cause harm or damage. Example of sentence – ‘When I was at school, we were always playing pranks on our teacher’. Of course that was not me, since I was in good behaviour during my school days…*ahem…ahem*…but you have to ask our Toastmaster of the Evening (TME) who created the sentence.

The SAA called the meeting to order and our President, CC Kimmy Foo, gave the warm welcoming speech. You might be asking - who was the TME playing prank on teachers? It was none other than TM Grace Rebekah. She explained briefly on the background and history of Toastmasters before passing the meeting on to the Table Topics Master.

The Table Topics Master, TM Rishi, has prepared 7 questions to be selected by the Table Topics Speakers randomly. Our Table Topics Speakers were as the following:

1. Kimmy Foo
2. Grace Kang
3. Alaa
4. Vijay
5. Kung Shyh Yu
6. Ras Hadi

One question was very interesting – What if you have fools’ day every month? May’s Fool? June’s Fool? July’s Fool,….? Wouldn’t that be great? I would say that Grace Kang was very very very excited to be the Table Topics Speaker of the meeting, due to Kimmy’s prank of getting married soon. Wow, Grace Kang, I have never seen you so excited as a speaker.

The Table Topics Evaluator was DTM Vincent Hor. DTM stands for Distinguished Toastmaster – the highest level in the Toastmaster journey, and we are lucky to have a DTM attending most of our meetings.

Next was the Project Speeches as the following:

1. CC Project 1 - ‘Have I Ever Enjoyed My Life’ by TM Hadi (our new member)
2. CC Project 3 - ‘Local vs Foreign’ by TM Ivy Lau
3. CC Project 3 - ‘River Conservation’ by TM Heng Jing Yi
4. CC Project 10 – ‘Reason To Speak’ by TM Teo Bee Guan

We had the beginning, we had a sort of the middle, and we had the ending – various speakers. Welcome Hadi to the world of Toastmasters. For Ivy and Jing Yi, keep on going with the journey as most of us have already noticed your improvements. To Bee Guan, let’s dedicate him two paragraphs.

Teo Bee Guan, our Vice President of Education (VPE), became the member of UM TMC in the early stage of year 2008 (if I’m not mistaken). He was very fast in finishing his project speeches from CC Project 1 to CC Project 8. He also did some of his speeches in the PJ Hilton Toastmasters Club, in front of the Toastmasters experts. However a bit delayed in his CC Project 9 & 10. We told him that he should finish it up since it’s just another 2 speeches away from CC. We could notice that he was actually giving preference of speech slot to our new members to give their opening speeches till he has forgotten all about himself. Yes, he’s very concerned for others rather than himself. Finally, we managed to force him to do his CC Project 10 in our home club.

He is also a postgraduate student doing his Masters in Science and will be continuing his doctorate soon. Then we can call him Dr. Bee Guan one day….hehe…Moreover, he has the ‘professor kind of look’… We, UM TMC, would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him for being a Competent Communicator of Toastmasters.

TM BEE GUAN is now CC BEE GUAN

The General Evaluator of the meeting was Dr Devi Menon, our UM TMC advisor, and the speech evaluators were TM Rishi, DTM Vincent, Dr Devi, and CC Kimmy (first time evaluating Project Speech 10 Speaker and did a great job).

Thank you to our role players – TM Heng Jing Yi (Ah Counter), CC Kimmy (Grammarian) and TM Ivy Lau (Miss Rolex).

Next was the award session for the Best Table Topics Speaker…..drum roll….drum roll…

KIMMY FOO

Congrats, Kim.

Dear President, is it ok if we prank you on some other days other than April Fool’s Day? It’s because we would really enjoy it!!! Lolz……

See you all in the next meeting.

Rishi,
VPPR,
UM TMC,
2008/2009.

Official Final Meeting for the Session 2008/2009

Dear All,

The next meeting on the 8th April 2009 is our official final meeting for the semester and the year 2008/2009 (with the current officers). We really hope that all of you would join us for the final official meeting, as some of our officers and members will be graduating soon and may not have the chance to join our meetings in the future (they might be working or back to their hometown). There would also be changes in terms of officers for UM TMC from the next semester onwards. So let’s make the final meeting of the semester a memorable one.

UM TMC.

Behind the Screens of Our April Fool Meeting

Let me describe some of the April Fool incidents that took place behind the screens of last Wednesday’s meeting. One day before the meeting, CC Kimmy Foo, our President, texted all the officers (committee of UM TMC) that there would be some Board of Directors of a university would be coming to our meeting and we need to wear formal.

So, almost all the officers wore formal in the meeting (including me, not because of Kimmy’s text, but I actually came directly from an official thing). Earlier before the meeting, I had the strange feeling that the text sent by Kimmy could be a prank by looking at the way of sentence. But I was caught indirectly by Kimmy’s prank. As soon as Kimmy revealed about the prank at the end of the meeting, TM Vijay asked me immediately whether I wear formal due to the prank. You really caught me there, Kimmy, through Vijay.

Anyway, I tried to get Kimmy to be a victim of April Fool too. Thus, during the award-giving session of Best Table Topics Speaker, just before the shooting of photo, I shouted to her “Your hair, your hair”….and she ignored it knowing that it’s a prank..missed that one….

After the meeting, I had to use some ‘energy’ by using her camera just to get her to be the April fool. At last, I did it, even though she was a bit angry on that...Hehe.. Well, pranks are best done only during the April Fool’s Day because somehow you will be forgiven by the victims on this special day. Don’t ever try it on some other days because you might end up getting into unwanted trouble. April Fool doesn’t work on other days except for the 1st of April.

The report on the meeting will be posted quite late since our VPPR is having problem with his internet connection and will be resolved soon.

Rishi,
VP Public Relations,
UM TMC,
2008/2009.