What happens when you take 47 women from at least 18 various nations, mix in their speeches of five to seven minutes in length, and stir in their leadership projects? You have a formula for a Toastmasters club of extraordinarily high caliber — one that has achieved the President’s Distinguished Club award within one year of its inception led by a newly cast Distinguished Toastmaster and president Akanke Abdul-Khaaliq. And to top it off, the Dhahran Women’s Toastmasters Club’s (DWTC) membership was active for only 10 months of its one-year cycle. The (DWTC) held its first annual year-end event at Al Khaleej Hall in Dhahran. While guests arrived and mingled, sergeant-at-arms Sadia Jamil (who was awarded the Advanced Leadership Bronze certificate and Toastmaster of the year) opened the program. The varied program, emceed in the first part by Magda Daifi and Sayeeda Waheed, was designed to echo a mosaic, with an assortment of short presentations and speeches. Before the break, the audience heard inspirational messages from Nuha Hashem, vice president at education and president-elect, Akanke Abdul-Khaaliq, Distinguished Toastmaster and president, and Bilquis Ahmed, all of whom shared insight into the achievements of the club. The event included the DWTC’s District Awards, which were presented by Dr. Soliman Almadi, Division M governor, and included two congratulatory video messages from Joey Villanueva, District 79 governor and Distinguished Toastmaster, and his wife, Maria Teresa Olarte-Villanueva, also a Distinguished Toastmaster. After the break, Tirina Amabeoku, newly elected sergeant at arms, opened the next portion of the program. Abdul-Khaaliq and Hashem presented member education awards, acknowledging the hard work put in by individual members who earned their Competent Communicator and Competent Leadership certificates. The audience was treated to an impromptu speaking challenge (known as table topics in Toastmasters lingo) hosted by Priya Abraham, who prepared various questions on the topic of "journeys." Several adults and youth volunteered responses to these questions, with 12-year-old Yahya Kharbat and 9-year-old Zoya Waheed receiving standing ovations for their responses. Additionally, Daifi and Karla Freiheit introduced each of their High Performance Leadership projects of publishing a book of memorable DWTC speeches and A Mosaic of Journeys art project. Next, Samantha Horseman, guest of honor, administrator of wellcare (Preventive Medicine) at JHAH, and president of the Institute for Health & Productivity Management, shared her thoughts on the role wellness plays in the lives of women. This served as a cogent reminder to lead healthy lifestyles to have the energy needed to be active members of our respective clubs. Sprinkled throughout the second part of the program, Samantha Jackson presented door prizes. Some audience members were lucky enough to find a special sticker at their seat, and upon claiming their prizes, they were invited to share their thoughts in an impromptu speaking moment. These gifts were just one small gesture to the about 70 guests, many of whom were family and friends, acknowledging the roles they play in the success of club members. This second part of the program also included a presentation of special awards, created by DWTC as a fun way to recognize achievement, and the “Handing Over the Gavel” ceremony conducted by Mazen Al Sadat, Area 20 governor. Abdul-Khaaliq and Hashem closed the program with their moving final remarks about their experiences with starting the club, chartered on June 30, 2014. As the saying goes, many hands make light work. The “hands” that contributed to "A Mosaic of Journeys" and acknowledged by Toastmaster Najat Abu-Haliqa in her heartfelt Expression of Thanks, are too many to list here. All contributions from behind the scenes made this first annual year-end celebration a grand success, which is a testament to the vitality and strength of the Dhahran Women’s Toastmasters Club and all of its cherished members.