As the night drew near on 19th November 2023, a nation lost hope, a billion hearts were broken as the Indian cricket team lost yet another final and a chance of grabbing the coveted World Cup. They had a flawless run to the finals, winning every match convincingly, each player working their magic and yet one-off day on this fateful Sunday evening saw them lose the Cricket World Cup. In Toastmasters too, we see champion speakers winning club, area, division, and even district contests only to miss their mark on the final stage. It’s only in moments like this I remember a famous quote from Mickey Rooney who said “You always pass failure on your way to success”. It’s all about picking yourself up and marching on toward the next goal.  A true champion is one who learns from his failure and ensures that he sets the bar higher to achieve greater success. 

Let this be a learning for all of you so that you don’t get disheartened from a recent failure at a contest. I am sure in the coming months and years our wonderful cricket team will rise from the ashes like a phoenix only to conquer the next big victory.

Action items

• Please follow our WhatsApp channel so that you don’t miss out on important announcements on a regular basis.
• Please submit the D98 Pulse– a Member survey to understand our demographics better and also a mechanism to evaluate District performance so far. All information shared will be private and confidential and known only to the district director. The form closes at 12 pm tomorrow.

• Associate Partner – PMI Conclave

  PMI is a body that promotes excellence and fosters knowledge exchange in the project management domain. We are an associate partner of PMI Conclave for 2023.
  The PMI Mumbai Conclave, to be conducted on 02nd Dec 2023 is an annual gathering that brings together project managers, experts, and practitioners from diverse industries to explore the latest trends, best practices, and innovations in project management.
  Registration: https://www.meraevents.com/event/digs-disrupt-include-generate-sustain-the-future-now
  We have secured a 25% discount code for the Toastmasters (valid till 25Nov, 2023) Code – TM2023
  For more details, check out their website

1. Kahaani Qualifying Round commenced on 18^th November for Group A and the winners of the Group are:  
   • Akshay Singh, DTM 
   • Pravat Ranjan Behera 
   • Vivek Golani  
2. The last set of Area Conference of D98 for Areas D1, D2, D3, D4, S1, S2, S3 and S4 is scheduled for Sunday 26^th November. Hope you have registered for the same. 
3. Division C Conference is scheduled for December 3, 2023. 
4. Kahaani 3.0 Qualifying Round of Group B is at 8 p.m. on Saturday, 25^th November. Do join to enjoy the Storytelling Face-off. 
5. Calling for Role Players for Eloquence 2024. Please click on this link and choose your role

1. Bulls Eye award for October –  42 club VPMs have bagged this award. Check out this link for the winners
2. Torch Bearer Award: 12 clubs have qualified for the award!
3. Awards for the month of Nov’23:    

• Bull’s Eye award: Add 2/3/5/7 New /Reinstated /Dual members to the club within November.
•  Award: TI goodies for VP Membership

4. We have launched the Growth Leader Award to recognise your contribution in starting a new club

• Criteria: Any member who is not a district officer comes up with a lead and the club gets chartered
• Process: Nomination by Division Director (before commencement of club charter process) to Club Growth Director office.
• Award: Plaque for the member 

5. This program year we are reaching out to you asking for nominations for Club Mentor/ Club Sponsor and Club coach opportunities within the district. So please fill up this form and we will have a screening process for selection. You will also be trained for your roles as a club sponsor/ mentor or coach. We are looking for members who intend to serve beyond their clubs. To know please write to the CGD office ([email protected]).
6. We plan to expand our presence within Mumbai (Mira Road, Lalbaug, Ghatkopar, Vasai, and Panvel), Malviya Nagar (Jaipur), Science City – Bopal (Ahmedabad), Jodhpur and Rajkot. Come be a part of the growth journey or introduce someone whom you believe shall benefit from this.
7. If you are a student and you believe your peers can benefit from Toastmasters, please reach out to us ([email protected]) , we will collaborate for any fests at your college or conduct sessions on Soft Skills/ Personality Development.
8. If you are part of a corporate or staying in any location that does not have a Toastmasters club and you intend to start a club since it will benefit your peers, please reach out to the Club Growth Director office ([email protected]).  

1. Please ensure your correspondence address is updated in your records on the TI website
2. The next district town hall is scheduled for 28th November at 9 pm. Here is the link to join the town hall.
3. Divisions B, M, and U will have their division contest called ‘Ignite’ at Reliance Ghansoli on 10th December. Calling for Role Players for Ignite 2023. Please click on this link and choose your role

1. Podcast Do you wish to take your ISC (International Speech Contest) preparation to The Next Level? Tune in to the 1^st podcast of the ‘Breakfast with Champions’ series to unravel secret tips and tricks to effective contest preparation: 
2. Blog We are inviting articles by members and clubs. Choose your category from the 4 given in the website and send in your articles with pictures, name, and club name to [email protected]. 
3. Design of the Month

• The DOM for Oct 23 will be announced on the D98 website on 24th Nov.
• The DOM evaluation process has now evolved to provide a better opportunity and a fair chance to all VPs-PR of District 98. Do check out the revised process on the same link.