ORANJESTAD, Aruba – DIARIO Visits Orua Toastmasters Club during a special meeting held on Friday, August 7, where guests and members shared an evening focused on communication, personal development, public speaking and positive interaction.
Representatives of Matutino DIARIO were invited to take part in the gathering of Orua Toastmasters Club, which is affiliated with Toastmasters International. The club is led by President Ursell Arends, while Tamarah Arends Croes serves as Vice President Membership. According to the report, the club meets at Hyatt Place.
DIARIO described the experience as highly educational, enjoyable and versatile, taking place in an atmosphere of collegiality and encouragement. The meeting demonstrated how Toastmasters activities can help participants strengthen their confidence, communication skills and ability to speak clearly before an audience.
The theme for the evening was “Riding the Wave of Growth.” Two Toastmasters presented prepared speeches designed to demonstrate their ability to create structured content and communicate effectively in front of the group.
Faridi Abdul-Hamid presented a speech titled “Learning to Navigate My Voice,” focused on motivational strategies and personal growth. Sergio Helder presented “From Hulk to Bruce,” a story centered on resolving conflict between two people without violence and instead using a peaceful and positive approach.
Both speeches were formally evaluated as part of the Toastmasters learning process. Francis Groeneveldt evaluated Abdul-Hamid’s presentation, while Michele Brook evaluated Helder’s speech. After the presentations and evaluations, those present voted, and “From Hulk to Bruce” was selected as the winning speech of the evening.
DIARIO Visits Orua Toastmasters Club also included participation in one of Toastmasters’ well-known activities, Table Topics. During this segment, each member and guest was invited to come forward, select a random question and respond by connecting the topic to a personal situation or experience.
The Table Topics responses were also put to a vote. Aaron Ruiz was selected as the winner after giving a response focused on empathy, highlighting the importance of understanding other people and their perspectives.
At the end of the meeting, everyone present was invited to share their impressions of the evening. Participants responded enthusiastically, describing the event with words such as excellent, wonderful, interesting, versatile and inspiring.
President Ursell Arends and Toastmaster of the Meeting Jacky Filiciana thanked members and guests for participating and for contributing to the positive atmosphere. They also expressed appreciation to everyone who had joined them in “riding the wave” of personal and professional growth.
The evening concluded on a solemn note. Everyone stood together for a minute of silence in memory of Mingli Chung, a young former member of the Toastmasters community who recently passed away.
The meeting demonstrated the educational and social value of Toastmasters, combining prepared speeches, constructive evaluations, spontaneous speaking exercises and fellowship in an environment designed to help participants grow in confidence and communication.
