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| Singing in the Rain! Yvonne and Elaine |
Our Toastmaster Yvonne's theme Water made waves from start to finish. The Word of the Day, Growth flowed naturally throughout the meeting, while the challenge word Deluge kept everyone thinking.
Members shared how Toastmasters has helped them grow through increased confidence,stronger communication, leadership development, better listening skills,and lasting friendships.
Ali inspired us with a speech on the value of water and three lessons we can learn from it:adapt, reflect, and grow.
Derek a new member took on timer role with precision!
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| Lenore celebrating with Diane! |
Trevor shared stellar feedback on the value of videotaping speeches, encouraging us to be kind to ourselves as we watch. His simple formula: find two strengths, one area for improvement, and two more strengths
The second half was filled with learning and laughter with Marvin as Table Topics Master. Elaine shared about her farming roots and water, and we enjoyed entertaining water-skiing stories from Darlene—including a swimsuit that didn't quite cooperate! We applauded a guest who stepped outside his comfort zone to share a story about playing in the water with a very tall friend. We finished with Emma sharing why Vancouver Island is her favorite island. Nandini offered feedback with the TAP method, recognizing what was Terrific, opportunities to Accelerate, and each speaker's unique Power
A fun, engaging meeting that reminded us all that, like water, we can adapt, reflect, and continue to grow.
Friday, May 08, 2026
Surprise!
What happens when there's a Secret Agenda? A surprise DTM celebration!
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Trevor the Toastmaster led a dynamic meeting focussing on dealing with change. The speeches were filled with laughter, inspiration, and heartfelt tributes. As a recent DTM herself, Emma delivered a toast celebrating Ali's leadersship, and dedication. Chamila entertained us with humorous gardening adventures in Calgary involving bathrobes, shoelaces, and a crab apple tree. Diane shared her admiration for Diane Fox Carney, an accomplished leader with three master's degrees and extensive community service. Both speakers weaved in a special tribute to Ali's leadership and impact.
The celebration continued with Table Topics, where every question honored Ali's DTM journey and sparked stories, memories, and appreciation. Special guest Val shared her admiration for Ali and explained that she simply had to be there to celebrate this remarkable achievement. Tracey as quiz master added more fun by challenging the members with questions about the evening.
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| Congratulations Distinguished Toastmaster Ali! |
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The evening was a joyful celebration of friendship, service, and leadership.
Nandini VPPR
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Movie Night Lessons in Leadership
Lights, Camera, Action!
Our Movie Night meeting, led by action-star Toastmaster Mona, brought energy, laughter, and learning as members shared favorite films including The Art of Racing in the Rain, 51 States, Die Hard, Forrest Gump, F1, The Pursuit of Happyness, Roman Holiday, and Project Hail Mary.
Nora showed that emotional awareness deserves a starring role in everyday life, sharing how understanding our emotions strengthens communication and relationships.
Fantastic Darlene accompolishing her Engaging Humor Path! Tonight, she showed us how one strong contest speech can evolve into a 20-minute keynote. Through personal stories, she reminded us that growth has no age limit, it often accelerates in the “winter of our lives.” From learning clarinet to singing in a choir after age 40, to being inspired by her father who married at 90, she brought her journey full circle by turning her contest speeches into her book Laughter Makes You Stronger: Heartfelt Stories about Family and Life.
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| Action Leaders! |
A fun, film-filled meeting packed with lessons, laughter, and leadership takeaways where every story reminds us that growth is the real blockbuster.
VP PR Nandini
Sunday, March 22, 2026
Contests - Step Up!
We had a fabulous joint Area Contest on Tuesday night! Food, full house, and a night of learning and growth.
Congratulations to our contestants who stepped out of their comfort zone and gave their all in competing. You inspire us!
A huge thank you to all the contest officials and volunteers for running a fun, well organized meeting. I’m so grateful for all your support!
The winners of Area E6 International Speech Contest are:
* First place: Igniters Trevor with E13 Director Lina
The winners of Area E6 Table Topics Contest are:
* First place: Igniters Jeff with TT TM Nandini
* Second place: U Calgary TMs Shahryar
* Third place: Westhills Keith
The first place winners of these Area Contests will go on to the Division D and E Contest .
Div E Circle of Gold - practice and receive feedback from experienced Toastmasters.
Tues March 31 - 6pm - 8:45 pm
Nifty Fifties - 3512 5 Ave NW
Division D & E Contests
April 11, 2026
2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Summit View United Church
3303 Capitol Hill Cres. NW Calgary, AB
If you’d like to volunteer at the contest, contact Chair Steve O'Brien.
Look forward to supporting our contestants at the Division Contest! E6 Area Director Diane
Photos: Ali
Tuesday, March 03, 2026
Igniters Contest Night – What an Incredible Evening!
What a night at Igniters! This past Tuesday Feb 24, our club was filled with energy, laughter, powerful stories, and quick-thinking brilliance. From heartfelt International Speeches to creative and entertaining Table Topics responses, the audience was inspired from start to finish.
International Speech Contest Results
Darlene Davies - first
Trevor Dreher - second
Jeff Knight - third
Table Topics Contest Results Jeff Knight - first Elaine Moses - second Emma Glover - third
E6 Area Contest Details
Tuesday, March 17
Briefing: 5:45 PM Parkdale Community Association – Nifty FiftiesWednesday, February 11, 2026
Club Contests are coming on February 24
Igniters Club Table Topics and International Speech contests are being held on February 24. Nandini, our contest chair, is accepting names of contestants; and Marvin, our chief judge is looking for volunteers for official roles right now.
If you have ever watched a contest and wished you had the courage to compete, here are two stories that will encourage you.
The story of a novice contestant
Lenore entered the Humorous Speech Showcase in November on an impulse. She never had the courage before to do a humorous speech, but says, "I realized that I had nothing to lose. I told myself if I don't try, I won't succeed."
Lenore had an old speech that she loved - about her cat. All the way through the speech, she focused on her love for the cat. She says, "I actually interacted with the audience and enjoyed telling my story and seeing their reaction. They were laughing so much that I relaxed and had fun with the story."
Then she said, "Just standing up there and finishing the speech was a win for me."
Imagine her surprise when Lenore won First Place in the Humorous Speech Showcase! The story of a seasoned competitor
Diane competed in the Evaluation portion of the Showcase and won First Place with an insightful, helpful and humorous evaluation.
Diane has won a number of contests right up to the District level but says she continues to learn and hone her skills by entering contests. Her message to future contestants is this:
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Go After Your Goals!
This weeks, Toastmasters meeting with Yvonne as the Toastmaster took inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on service, leadership, and how we each make our own world better. We were delighted to be joined with a return guest who shared his stories.
Igniters shared how they volunteer and give back, proving that changing the world often starts with small actions… and occasionally good coffee.
Nandini on a roll, inspired by Emma, Darlene, Diane, Trevor, Yvonne, and Ali is a Level 4 Engaging Humor Path speaker who tackled the Distinguished Club Program (DCP) and made it fun. With interactive questions and a few laughs, members shared their goals and realized they weren’t alone in restarting some of their goals.
The big takeaway? Inspired by Dr. King’s message of hope: it’s always okay to begin again. Missed goals, paused plans, or abandoned resolutions - yes you can just begin. Igniters is a place of support and encouragement. Ksenija a stellar evaluator gave helpful feedback to all the Table Topic participants.
We left reminded that Toastmasters isn’t just about better speeches. It’s about better leaders, better humans, and occasionally finding our way back on track. What goals and skills would you like work on?