DTAC 2009 Toastmasters Conference

Dear Fellow Toastmasters in District 79
Greetings,

It is indeed my pleasure to start the first communication with you through DTAC 09 website, and I promise you it will be a continuous process till the end of DTAC in May 09.

When I look back at the immediate past to remember how DTAC 09 started, I feel quite amazed with the pace it has gone- from just a small idea into a great dream coming true.
I do still remember the 1st time we discussed the idea of Abu Dhabi hosting DTAC in 09.
It was a normal, routine meeting of Division H officers in February 2007, in which we analyzed how far TMs in Abu Dhabi are capable to host & conduct a big event like DTAC 09.

The decision has been taken to go ahead and contest in Doha During DTAC 07 in which Division H won the vote and Abu Dhabi has been given the honor to be the hosting city.

Such information is part of the history. What matters most is the future.

Every TMs in Division H is aware that, DTAC 09 will be conducted in Abu Dhabi for the 1st time- and that means so much to us.I keep telling my fellow TMs in the different TM Chapters in Abu Dhabi- that, Division H will dream to host another DTAC may be 3-5 years down the line from now- and that means, DTAC 09 the following:

• DTAC 09 is an opportunity for all the TMs in Division H to show & share the maximum care and hospitality level to their fellow TMs will be coming & participating from different Divisions.
• DTAC 09 is a challenge to every TMs in Division H to demonstrate the level of different skills they have learnt throughout their days, weeks, months and years in the Toastmasters Program. The skills which are related to the communication & leadership fields will be perfectly matching DTAC 09- and we will need them in conducting our DREAM.

During my speech in DTAC 08 in Bahrain, I stated a sentence, that, DTAC 09 will be a turning point in DTAC`s history- and that is due to the following facts:

• DTAC 09 will be the largest as far as participation level is considered- we are targeting with the cooperation of all the Divisions to hit 800 participants- and I am quite optimistic that, we might cross that figure.
• DTAC 09 in Abu Dhabi will watch the performance of 2 world champions in Public speaking as key note speakers.
• For the 1st time in DTAC`s history there will be a run-off competition between the contestants of 13 Divisions, from which we will be taking the best four in each contest to go ahead for the Friday & Saturday programs.

Whenever I write, read and talk about such activities in DTAC 09, I ask myself a simple question- and that is:

Why TMs in Division H are planning so many things in DTAC 09?
Why they are going to that extent and taking more burdens although no one asks them for that?

I find no response except this simple one:
We all, as TMs have benefited so much from Toastmasters Program, benefited in the sense we became better human beings- and this is our turn to return a simple gratitude to the program?
And there is no better platform to express about our gratitude than conducting the most memorable DTAC ever been witnessed by TMs in District 79.