JEDDAH, 18 August 2007 — From only five clubs at the turn of the 21st Century, the Toastmasters movement in the Western Region of the Kingdom has grown into a full-fledged division of 15 member clubs.
Organized under Division G, the movement now has a total active membership of 320 and continues to grow, said Toastmaster Danny Abenes, who assumed the division governorship last month.
In one of its first of a wide range of activities, the division conducted an officers’ training early this month with 37 members attending.
“The advantage of joining the Toastmasters movement is that while sharpening your communication skills, you also get a chance to develop your leadership potentials,” said Abenes, a financial manager of Sky Freight Forwarders and one of the co-founders of the movement in Jeddah.
Conducting the training at the Abdul Latif Training Center in Jeddah were Toastmasters Arturo de Leon, Abdullah Filimban, Mylah Abenes, Mohammad Jameel Sayeed, Elmer Fuentes, Ahmed Musaffar Hussain, and Azhar Ahmed Khan, who discussed the duties and responsibilities of the officers of each club.
Another highlight of the event was the seminar on Education Track of Toastmasters — “Building a Strong and Dynamic Club,” “Build a New Club” and “Conduct a Successful Contest” by Division G’s immediate past Gov. Joey Villanueva.
He emphasized the need to attract more members so that more clubs would be organized. For the aim of the movement, he said, is to train more and more individuals in the ways of the Toastmaster.
All 15 clubs are part of the California-based organization called Toastmasters International, which has grown to over 10,500 clubs and more than 200,000 members in 90 countries.
The movement was organized by a group of young professionals in California in 1924, with the aim of helping develop better communications and leadership skills among men with a view to promoting world peace.
Until three years ago, the movement in the region used to be grouped with some subgroups in Riyadh to form one division.
Today, the 15 clubs based in Jeddah and Yanbu are grouped into four areas, which form Division G.
These are Area 11 headed by TM Hani Turki, Area 24 by TM Arturo de Leon, Area 37 headed by TM Ahmed Musaffar Hussain and Area 44 headed by TM Abdullah Filimban.
Division G is part of District 79 based in Dubai, which in turn is part of Toastmasters International. District 79 comprises all clubs in the Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Division G elected its first governor, TM Benchito Guerra, during administrative year 2005-2006.
Guerra, Villanueva and Abenes were past presidents of Tanglaw Toastmasters Club of Jeddah, the region’s first ever Toastmasters club that they co-founded in 1995.
