RIYADH, 10 August — Veteran toastmaster Vincent Gargaritano has been installed as governor of the Toastmasters clubs of the Olaya-Sulyamaniya area, collectively known as Riyadh Area 2.
Gargaritano will preside for program year 2002 to 2003 over five clubs.
In simple rites at the King Faisal Specialty Hospital & Research Center on Aug. 1, the new governor and other leaders mentioned the club’s expansion, membership services and educational excellence of members as among their priorities.
Gloria Dela Merced-Josol, who hosted the marathon program, said they will embark on a more an "aggressive educational campaign, an expansive marketing drive, a systematic documentation of all activities and meetings, an honorably sufficient funding and a lot of fun while fulfilling all of them – a notch higher!"
Riyadh Area 2 comprises the Mabuhay Toastmasters Club 6059-U, the first all-Filipino Club in Riyadh; Kohinoor Toastmasters Club 9209-U, the first all-Indian Club in Riyadh; Sand Dunes Toastmasters Club 2789-U, the only morning cosmopolitan Club in Riyadh; Taj Toastmasters Club 1158-U, a take-off of the Indian Club; and Toast of Comsofil 1157-U, the only specialty technical Club in Riyadh.
They are among thousands of clubs around the world, who belong to the Toastmasters International, a California-based organization whose mission is to help teach effective communication with the greater goal of fostering peace among mankind.
A Toastmasters club is tasked to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn, foster self-confidence and personal growth.
Competition among Toastmasters clubs has been growing stronger over the past few years in the Gulf area, especially in the Kingdom, as more and more expatriate workers are getting into the act of learning effective communication.
A majority of club members in the Kingdom are Filipinos, followed by Indians, but there are also significant members from other communities.
Riyadh Area 2 has the most even distribution of nationals among Club membership across the Riyadh Toastmasters area.
It emerged as the most distinguished among the administrative units in Saudi Arabia when its entire club population completed the last program year with distinctions.
Sand Dunes leads the pack with the President’s Distinguished Club and Top Ten Newsletter awards. Mabuhay TMC is President’s Distinguished Club awardee for the third straight year. The Toast of Comsofil is appealing its president’s Distinguished Club award while both Kohinoor and Taj are Distinguished Club awardees.
The other officers of Riyadh Area 2 are Niaz Ali Khan (Sand Dunes), assistant area governor for education; Mohammad Ebrahim Sabjan (Kohinoor-Taj), assistant area governor for marketing; Jun Sigaya (Mabuhay), secretary; and Rollie Manzano (Toast of Comsofil), treasurer.
Also inducted into office during the same event were the officers of Mabuhay and the Toast of Comsofil.
Mabuhay’s officers for the program year are Enrico Abad, president; Jun Sigaya, vice president for education; Victor Barrazona, vice president for membership; Jamila Mae Fernandez, vice president for public relations; Gloria dela Merced-Josol, secretary; Dennis Llanes, treasurer; Francis Licudine, sergeant-at-arms and Claudio Fernandez, parliamentarian.
Abad is also the president of the Toast of Comsofil, whose other officers are Joshua Yvan Tagle, vice president for education; Rolando Manzano, vice president for membership; Nomer Cenil, vice president for public relations; Romwald Miranda, secretary; Fermin Guevarra, treasurer; Jojo Pranada, sergeant-at-arms and Dhoy Castro, parliamentarian.
The program also featured a fun booster contest, in which participants engage, including those from guest clubs in a test of wit and humor.
Honored as the top three out of eight participants were Niaz Ali Khan (Sand Dunes), first place; Yogeendra Desai (Kohinoor), second place; and Felicitas Guerrero (Knights Toastmasters Club), third place.
Apart from members of Knights, among those in attendance were members of the Desert Diamonds, PRTC, Maharlika Advanced Club, and guests from as far as Hofuf.
