Hall of Fame - District 51 Speech Champions (Updated Nov 17, 2008)

And finally, the List of Past Champions of District 51. It took a few weeks to compile this tentative list. Appreciate all the help given by different Toastmasters.

If you are one of below winners, please confirm by posting a comment or sending me an email. Any inadvertent errors, God forbid, please let me know immediately, accept my apologies and will edit instantly. Thanks.

District 51 Humorous Speech Champion
1997 Magdalene Su (Division E - Miri, Sarawak)
1998 Stanlinaus Benjamin (Div S - LUA, Singapore)
1999 Vijayakumar Vijayaratnam (Div C - D'Utama)
2000 James Leong (Div B - Brilliant Advanced, Singapore)
2001 Dayal Khemlani (Div D - SRC, Singapore)
2002 Ong Swee Keat (Div N - Bayan Baru, Penang)
2003 Rudyanto Sutardji (Div I - The Innovators, Jakarta)
2004 Stephen Fernando (Div W - KL Sentral)
2005 Stephen Fernando (Div C - PJ Hilton, Selangor)
2006 Stephen Fernando (Div C - PJ Hilton, Selangor)
2007 Michael Rajesh (Div N - Intel Kulim, Kedah)
2008 Stephen Fernando (Div C - PJ Hilton, Selangor)
2009 Marianna Pascal (Division A - Sacred Heart)

District 51 Evaluation Champion
1999 Lim Li Li (Div B - CPA Advanced, Singapore)
2000 Michael Yu (Div H - Island, Hong Kong)
2001 (No District Level Contest)
2002 Stuart Tan (Div Z - Brilliant Advanced, Singapore)
2003 David Ingram (Div C - D'Utama, Selangor)
2004 Dominic Joseph (Div C - Taman Indrahana, Selangor)
2005 Peter de Run (Div D - Hornbill City, Sarawak)
2006 Shankar Kailainathan (Div S - Penang Advanced)
2007 Stephen Fernando (Div C - PJ Hilton, Selangor)
2008 Michael Xavier (Div N - Bayan Baru, Penang)
2009 Asha Suresh Chand (Division N - Oracle Advanced)



District 51 Table Topics Champion
2000 Tan Saw Bee (Div C - Crystal, Selangor)
2001 Prapairat Choradol (Div T - Bangkok, Thailand)
2002 (No District Level Contest)
2003 Jon Tan (Div C - DUtama Advanced, Selangor)
2004 Ang Swee Thian (Div S - Fuchun, Singapore)
2005 Lee Swee Seng (Div P - MIM KL)
2006 UR Unnithan (Div A - MIM JB, Johor)
2007 Albert George (Div D - Azam, Sarawak)
2008 Marianna Pascal (Div A - Sacred Heart, Johor)
2009 Palaniappa Subramaniam (Div N - Silterra, Kedah)
2010 Asha Suresh Chand (Division N - Oracle Advanced, Penang)




Photo: Rene de Jesus

District 51 International Speech Champion
1997 Rene de Jesus (Div I - Jakarta, Indonesia)
1998 Loghandran Krishnasamy (Div C - IBBM KL)
1999 Iskandar Ahmad (Div K - Kota Kinabalu, Sabah)
2000 Michael Xavier (Div N - Bayan Baru, Penang)
2001 Dunstan Chan (Div E - Kuching, Sarawak)
2002 Ramesh Muthusamy (Div S - Raintree, Singapore)
2003 Donald Yee (Div V - HK Achievers, Hong Kong)
2004 Stephen Fernando (Div W - KL Sentral)
2005 Lee Swee Seng (Div P - MIM KL, Kuala Lumpur)
2006 Mohamad Ariff Azahari (Div D - Azam, Sarawak)
2007 Shankar Kailainathan (Div S - Penang Advanced)
2008 Loghandran Krishnasamy (Div W - Speakers Dream, KL)
2009 Ong Swee Keat (Div N - Bayan Baru, Penang)
2010 Stephen Fernando (Division C - PJ Hilton, Selangor)

"Rome Was Not Built In One Day"

First, my heartiest congratulations to K. Loghandran of Speakers Dream Toastmasters Club (Kuala Lumpur) for winning the 2nd place in the Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking in Calgary, Canada on August 16, 2008.

There is a saying that "Rome was not built in one day".

I remember 15 years ago, both "Lucky Luke" (then Penang Toastmasters) and I (National Semiconductor Penang Toastmasters) were both representing Division N in Singapore at the Pansea District International Speech Contest at Shangri-La Hotel in 1993. How time flies....



Pic 1: Sin Chew Jit Pow Newspaper: Division N International Speech Contest @Penang in 1993





Pic 2: 1993 Pansea International Speech Contest @ Singapore


Then 10 years ago, when I was District Governor, you won the District 51 International Speech Contest at Kuching, Sarawak in May 1998. And you became the 2nd Toastmaster from District 51 to take part in the Inter- District Speech Contest at Palm Desert, California, USA in August, 1998.

Rene de Jesus (Jakarta Toastmasters) was the first from District 51 to take part and won 2nd place at the Inter-District level behind a fellow Filippino in New Orleans, Missouri in August, 1997.

This year 2008, you have made your mark at the world's stage of Toastmasters International.




Bravo! You have made history and broken the "glass ceiling" for all Toastmasters of District 51.

You have spoken and spoken well.

AGM, ROC & ROS

Today I saw an email reminding all members of
Bayan Baru Toastmasters Club that October 2 meeting will be held at Sunflower Training Center, I-Avenue which is opposite Komplexs Bukit Jambul.

Usually we meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursday 8pm of every month at Penang Skills Development Center (PSDC) which is located the Bayan Lepas FIZ on the way to the airport, near the famous Penang Snake Temple. But as October 2 falls on on Hari Raya, a public holiday, so PSDC is closed.

It is the tradition of Bayan Baru Toastmasters Club (BBTMC) to never cancel or postpone a club meeting, rain or shine or if it falls on a public holiday. There was even a meeting early this year on February 7 which was the first Day of Chinese New Year. I did not attend but other members did.

A member even invited their outstation friends who returned back to Penang for CNY to join the meeting for fellowship and eating CNY goodies during breaktime.



The email also reminded members there will be an adjourned AGM to accept the Treasurer's report. As Bayan Baru Toastmasters Club is a community club, the club has been submitting the Elected Officers List and AGM minutes to the Registrar of Society every year.

Therefore, any Toastmasters club in Malaysia should either be registered as a company Club under ROC or registered under ROS. If your club is neither ROS or ROC registered yet, do it asap. Otherwise, your meeting can be considered illegal.

On the same subject, our District 51 is part of Toastmasters International which registered in California, USA. But District 51 cannot be registered in Malaysia as it is part of Toastmasters International.

If you are the Area Governor or Division Governor or District Officer calling for any meeting or holding any speech contest or installation dinner, technically, you should ask your Club to be the host. Invite the Club President to open and close the event. This has not been happening lately.

What about the quorum?
It is a simple majority based on current number of paid membership at TI WHQ.

If a new member pays to the club but the Club has submitted payment to TI WHQ yet, that member is still not a member of good standing yet. And cannot be counted in the quorum nor take part in any speech contest. So ensure that new membership payment are prompted submitted - just pay online.

Consider doing all extras above as part of your learning to be a better communicator and leader! Then it is not so bad, it can be fun.

Visiting Butterworth Toastmasters Club - Sep 24

I was there as a contest judge for the Humorous Speech Contest. It was a Wednesday night. The Club venue was at Northam Tower, near the famous Gurney Drive of Penang island and was at one of the meeting rooms of Olympia College on the 28th floor. We had supper at Northam Beach Cafe.

Yes, once I was a hard core member of Butterworth Toastmasters. I was the Organizing Chair of Butterworth 20th Anniversary and compiled a year to year photo writeup souvenir book.

The Club has never met in Butterworth but always is Penang island in her 28 years of existence. So you may ask why was the Club named "Butterworth Toastmasters"? Come to the meeting and ask.

The winner of the Evaluation Contest was SK Yao. Congratulations! Photo showing Club President Siew Foong (left) presenting award to SK.













The winner of the Humorous Speech Contest was Tan Kok Hong. Syabas!













Unfortunately, one of the contestants was disqualified due to time.

It is important that as Toastmasters that we always try to speak within allocated time during our regular club meetings whether we play roles, give an evaluation or do our project speech. Practise makes perfect. So when it comes to contests, no problem in speaking within the time specified.

Tip: Do not wait until seeing the red light to stop.
Start summarizing your speech whenever you see the green light. Give your concluding sentence when you see the amber (yellow) light and before the red light is turned on.

Also met the incumbent N1 Area Governor as well as members of Gurney Toastmasters Club and YMCA Penang Toastmasters Club.

To my surprise, the members of Gurney Toastmasters did not know who I was and that there is a Bayan Baru Toastmasters Club in Bayan Baru. Better talk to the Vice President of Public Relations of my club.

If you like controversy - here is one. Both Butterworth and Bayan Baru Toastmasters were "shockingly moved" into N6 Area without consultation for this term starting July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. There were vocal protests and now both clubs are happily back in their respective N1 and N2 Area which they had been since Day One in 1993 when N1 and N2 were formed.

People power. Club Power.

Visiting Beijing China Capital Toastmasters Club @ Aug 21, 2008

On a Thursday night last August 2008, I visited the Beijing China Capital Toastmasters Club. I was visiting Beijing for the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.

I had googled for "Toastmasters", "Beijing" and it was one of the club websites that caught my attention.

So one great way to pull visiting Toastmasters or members of public to your club is to have an attractive club website online.

There was no guest fee, so it was free! I volunteered to be a silent evaluator in the Competent Leadership manual for a member who was playing her role as General Evaluator.

I also participated in giving my 2 minutes speech in the Table Topics session. Hey... if you travel all the way from Penang to Beijing, you gotta say something and make your presence felt.

I also gave out my Toastmasters cards to a few members of the club.

One of the club members had lived in Kuala Lumpur. There was another visiting guest who was also a Malaysian and also in Beijing for Olympic Games. Great minds think alike they say - it is true then.

For the record, I have visited Toastmasters Clubs in Shanghai and Guangzhou before and now Beijing.

Photo 1 - President Yann leading the meeting.

I enjoyed the meeting and the warm hospitality. The club members were (are) young and dynamic Toastmasters. I took these photos without prior permission and posted them here without prior permission.

If you are in Beijing, visit the Beijing China Capital Toastmasters Club.













Photo 2. Supportive and enthusiastic members.

This is my first blog entry. Will make it more interesting later. Always the first time.













Photo 3. Toastmaster of the Meeting

My Quick Useful Toastmasters Links

Toastmasters International

District 51 (Peninsular Malaysia)

- Clubs in Penang
- Clubs in Malaysia
- Clubs Worldwide

- Your Club DCP Status
- Latest Educational Achievements
- Report of Distinguished Clubs
- Report of Distinguished Areas/Divisions

Blanks

Bayan Baru Toastmasters - New Exco 2005-2006

Club Exco and members 2005-2006 under President Andy Lim

Bayan Baru Toastmasters - 2001

Meeting Venue moved to Panthers Club, Relau - opposite of PISA. Club Photo 2001

Bayan Baru Toastmasters - New Exco and Members 1996-1997

Charter Members of Bayan Baru Toastmasters with Charter President Adrian Ung. Club Sponsors SL Liew and Margaret Chan. Club was the brainchild of Past President Dr. Janet Lim.