DHAHRAN, 2 September 2006 — The stress was once again on communication, be it the role of intonation as discussed by Yousuf Ba Issa or the role of story-telling as highlighted by Vishaki Mahat. The Oasis Toastmasters held a meeting to not only bid farewell to Arshad Ali Junaid but also to drive home the role of effective communication and how one can achieve this.

The club had celebrated their 15th Anniversary in style. It was a grand reunion of the fellow toastmasters as many came from different parts of the Gulf.

The Oasis bloomed in the desert. Indeed, a testimony to the fact that resilience is always part and parcel of determination and tenacity of purpose.

“Oasis Toastmasters has traversed a path riddled with obstacles but it never lost direction, and today we complete fifteen years”, stated a proud Anil Madan, the outgoing president of the club.

Over this period of time, hundreds of members have actually benefited from the organization by enhancing their communication skills and becoming better communicators.

The founder president, Syed Younus, was nostalgic as he remembered the days when the club was born. Indeed a lot of skeptics felt that how could one really benefit when they are actually past their age when learning is best achieved.

However, the results shown in the last decade and a half justifies the philosophy of the Toastmasters. Rich dividends are there for those who dare.

Yes, initially a fresh toastmaster struggles, is embarrassed at times, he may even harbor thoughts of quitting because he looks at the peak and fear the ride up.

But gradually, as time passes and he starts to savor limited success, he garners a fresh spirit of enthusiasm and purpose. This is where the change sets in and makes the individual a lot stronger and confident. His communication starts becoming more effective.

“And this is reflected in not only his personality but also provides a little edge in his professional and personal dealings. A more positive attitude is seen and this translates into effective inter-personal dynamics,” opined Krishna Kumar, a toastmaster who had flown in from Dubai.

The 15 years celebration program was very creative and delightful. Some original music, composed by Yousuf Ba Issa, added to the very fascinating Torch relay event when the Torch was passed around to the past presidents, who had stationed themselves amongst the audience.

A talk show featured some past presidents and they relived the memories of the struggling yesteryears when the membership was limited and great efforts had to be made to bring in people.

The various shows by the tiny tots were equally artistic and original and held the audience of over 200 glued to their seats.