Involve Yourself

{ Below is the text of the initial few minutes of the speech as Master of Ceremonies in Bangalore Toastmaster Club.The text may vary from the actual speech given :) }
Centuries ago, a bow and arrow session was going on.A model of bird was made and kept on top a tree .As each disciple took aim to shoot down the bird, the master asked “What do you see?”.The answers were like, the bird, the tree, the sky beyond...But for Arjuna, the answer was “The eye of the bird only”.Needless to say, he was the only one to hit the target.Arjuna was focused; he had no consternation, only concentration.This is the way we too ought to involve ourselves.

Having come into this room in Brigade road surpassing theatres, coffee days and pubs, I would consider us as involved.But is such bare minimum involvement sufficient so as to just reach our aims? In 1924 in Santa Anna California, in the basement of YMCA, Ralph C Smedely started toastmasters movement.His aim was to make his fellow members in YMCA raise toast better.But as the wheel of time around, this movement spread across 110 countries and millions of people benefit from it.Ralph would not have, even in his wildest dream , hoped so. But as he was fully involved in the activity it took an amazing growth.Same case applies here for us in Bangalore Toastmasters.Our slogan may be to improve our comunication and leadership skills.But we should involve to the highest degree as possible so that we can attain even unprecedented results.Cant we become the powerhouse of idea generation which this country badly needs.This is the prefect place where the intelligentsia of the city should get groomed. This should be the place where the rest of the people should look for inspiration and innovation to flow from.Yes, we should be the powerhouse of idea generation.Its not that such a thing is tangible.Almost all radical changes the world have witnessed happened through committed people who met and exchanged their ideas. In the 1960s, the French cinema was rotten by the cliched movies.Then a group of men met together- their initial intention was just to see movies and pass critcisim.But this group evolved to bring about the most radical change that ever happenend to the field of movies.They gave rise to the French New Wave cinema.Our case too is not much different.We have the platform of toastmasters.We can and should become the powerhouse of inspiration and innovation which our countrymen need.

The first step in attaining any noble aim is to get the basics right.Let me tell you how this toastmaster meeting would be so that you can be fully involve.First would be the prepared speech session, where you would get the inspiration and innovation we all need.Next would be the table topics sessions in which we have to think on our feet and speak im promptu.Finally we will have the evaluation session when each participant in the meeting would be given constructive feedback.Today to lead the evaluation session we have a gentleman,who mesmerizes us with his overwhelming presence.A man with dove’s heart but today he shall be around here with hawkish eyes.Lets put our hands together for Arun John Mathias.