The annual Toastmasters Conference 2008 was held at Nafisa Shams Academy for Arts & Crafts on Friday. The conference was not only a competition, but an experience of good relations, along with continuous learning for the contestants and the audience. The day-long conference carried the theme “Minds in Motion – Keep the Wheels Turning.” The competition spanned four categories: Humorous Speech contest, Speech Evaluation contest, Table Topics contest and International Speech contest, with eight contestants in each category. “This conference competition would help you analyze whether you have become more confident, eloquent and a better person or not,” said Elmer Fuentes, chairman of the conference. “It doesn't mean that the person is not effective enough. We are just adding a driving force to one's personality.” Husam Al-Qassar, one of the contestants in the International Speech category, said that the toastmasters program is ideal for helping people shape themselves, and eventually shape the world. “We could find that each and every contestant's personality was truly reflected on his or her speech,” said Qassar. Reginaldo Maga, another contestant, said that most people think about a lot about many things, but just don't know exactly how to put their thoughts into words. “Sometimes we also mix the words with our feelings, and so fail to convey the right message to the listener,” said Maga. “I was able to make my speeches comprehensible through the continuous contests.” The conference showcased the best speakers and winners from different clubs and areas in the Western region. Winners in the speech contests will represent the division at international speech competition in Bahrain on May 22-24, 2008. Also, a communication and leadership training program will be conducted for all the members and guests. Toastmasters International is a non-profit organization that has helped four million men and women develop their communication and leadership skills. The organization has approximately 211,000 members and 10,500 clubs in 92 countries. Toastmasters clubs around the globe fall under different areas, divisions and districts, each controlled by a governor. The clubs in Western Province fall under four areas controlled by Rashid Ali, Arturo De Leon, Hani Al-Turki, Ahmed Muzaffer Hussain, and Abdullah Filimban. and all these four areas are controlled by Danny Abenes, the Divisional Governor. “Let us forget the trials and bumps along our way,” said Abenes. “Instead, let us rise from where we fall. Pick up the pieces and puzzle them up for an eloquent speaker and an effective leader in you.” He said that many of the members began as non-committed members who were then shaped into efficient, capable leaders in the organizations and their communities. __
