Youth Leadership Program huge success!!

Although membership in Toastmasters can begin at age 18, there is a wonderful opportunity for younger people to get involved and benefit through the Youth Leadership Program, (YLP). These sessions are led by experienced Toastmasters who are passionate about sharing their Toastmasters skills. Igniters hosted a YLP this fall for 8 weeks at the North Haven Community Association. Facilitated by Igniters member, Diane and supported by 5 Igniters members (Lenore, Marvin, Nandini, Glen, and Mona), as well as  Toastmasters from other clubs (Lina and Marcy), it offered youth ages 13-17 an opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills through practical experience.

We had 19 engaged youth who volunteered enthusiastically to take on new roles and step out of their “comfort zones”. Each meeting was so much fun with all their creative energy. They demonstrated great teamwork in supporting each other and learned valuable skills including:

• preparing and presenting speeches
• giving impromptu talks
• controlling voice, vocabulary, gestures, and
• providing constructive feedback.

On the last night, we had speech contests and they each gave a speech. It was amazing to hear their passion for their topics, and to see how much their confidence had improved in just 8 weeks. They rocked it! The two first place winners spoke about “Humanity and its Delusions” and “No, Pineapple Doesn’t Belong on Pizza!”.

A huge thank you to all the Igniters members and other Toastmasters who gave their time and energy to support our youth. Diane is extremely grateful for your assistance and support. 

Diane you get a gold star for leading this effort!

Emma VPPR

Here comes the Tournament!

Join us for an evening of laughter, creativity, and impromptu speaking as Toastmasters compete in two of our most entertaining contests!  We will be holding a tall tales and table topics tournament. What are these?

Tall Tales Contest Could you survive a crocodile attack... while carrying someone across a river... after discovering a hidden treasure?

The Tall Tales Contest celebrates original, humorous, and wildly exaggerated storytelling. Speeches begin with an everyday situation and grow into outrageous adventures with unforgettable twists and impossible outcomes.

Expect creative storytelling, outrageous exaggeration, big laughs, epic imagination in 3 to 5 minutes!

Table Topics Contest No notes. No preparation. No warning.

Contestants receive the same unseen question and must deliver a compelling response on the spot.

Expect quick thinking, confidence under pressure, surprising answers, inspiring speakers in 1 to 2 minutes! Every speaker gets the same questions but their responses vary greatly.

When? Tuesday November 16, 6:30- 8:30pm

Where?  Parkdale Nifty Fifties 3512 5 Ave NW

We would love to have you attend. Club members are already signing up for both of these contests so it is bound to be a fun evening. There will also be snacks.

Come enjoy good times with Igniters at our Nov 17 Tournament!

Emma VPPR

Who Dunnit?

 

What a blast!

 On Wednesday October 28, Igniters and WAAMtastic Toastmasters clubs partnered to solve a murder mystery. The  murder happened at Blackwood Manor. Three of us had signed up for speaking roles, Nandini, Marvin and Emma. We dressed the parts. Marvin was Inspector Sherlock Bones, Nandini as Psychic Morgana Le Fey, and Emma as Butler Jeeves.  Dr. A Thorne was played by two members, Whamtastic  member, and  then Ali answered questions in the second half. Trevor helped as timer, and terrific to have new member Yousef join the fun. 

We spent an hour listening to speeches, answering table topics from witnesses in character such as Groundskeeper Gavin, The Housekeeper Agnes Plumb, Sister Agatha, and the nosy neighbour Felicity Pruett. It was intriguing and fun  solving this murder mystery. What a creative way to practice our communication skills. Big thanks to Tina for organizing such a fun way to participate in Toastmasters. I would definitely do this again!

Well, who dunnit? I was happy that I could solve the murder. I won’t spoil the outcome in case you ever attempt to solve this murder mystery yourself.

We may not be solving murders at our next meeting but we will be laughing and learning! Come join us in person on Tuesday Nov 3, 7-8:30pm at 3512 5 Ave NW (Parkdale community association; Nifty Fifties. We have 2 speeches scheduled so far (Trevor and Emma).

Emma VP PR

The Art of Debate

 At Igniters, we believe the best way to grow as a speaker is to step outside your comfort zone, try something new, and learn together. This week, we did just that! Ali was the Toastmaster and helped to moderate the debate.

Debate Night: Big Ideas. Confident Voices.

Our members Marvin and Nathan tackled the question "Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process to pursue independence?" Marvin was for Alberta remaining a province of Canada, and Nathan was for Independence for Alberta. Each side presented opening arguments, listened to the opposing viewpoint, offered a rebuttal, and wrapped up with closing arguments. Table Topics was adapted for members to ask the debaters specific questions and members voted for the participant who most clearly articulated their position. Congratulations Marvin!

It was an opportunity to practise thinking on your feet, organizing ideas, and responding thoughtfully even when someone sees things differently. The goal wasn't just to make a point. It was to make it clearly, confidently, and respectfully.

Five Benefits Of Debating:

1.       Think Faster: Practise organizing your thoughts under pressure.

2.       Build Confidence: Speak up and share your ideas with conviction.

3.       Listen Better: Understand the other side before responding.

4.       Strengthen Your Arguments: Support your opinions with clear reasoning and examples.

5.       Stay Respectful: Learn to disagree with an idea without making it personal.

 

From Keynote Practice to Conference Stage!

Elaine delivered her keynote speech for a second time as she prepares to speak at a Conference on October 24!

Giving a keynote more than once is a smart way to polish the message, strengthen delivery, and discover what resonates with an audience.

Elaine used previous feedback to make changes and she spoke more confidently.

Five Tips For Delivering A Memorable Keynote:    

1.  Start strong: Open with a question, a surprising fact, or a compelling story.   

2. Know your message: Be clear about the one big idea you want your audience to remember.

3. Tell stories: Make your message relatable with real-life examples and experiences.

4.  Bring it to life: Use vocal variety, purposeful pauses, eye contact, and natural gestures.

5.   Practise, Get feedback, and Refine: Every rehearsal is a chance to make your message stronger.

We are cheering Elaine on as she takes her keynote to the conference stage on October 24! We're glad Igniters could be part of the preparation journey. That's the power of a supportive club. We celebrate the big moments and help each other get ready for them.

Next Week: Murder Mystery Night!

Think you've got a sharp eye for clues? Love a good mystery?

Next week, we're joining forces for a WHAMtastic Joint Meeting: Zoom Murder Mystery Night!

Wednesday, October 28 Time: 5:45 pm - 6:45 pm Costumes optional.

Get ready for mystery, teamwork, surprises, and plenty of fun! Bring your curiosity, your detective instincts, and your sense of humour. You never know what you might discover!

Nandini 

VP PR Committee

Creativity

 Are you creative? Would you think Toastmasters is somewhere that could help you tap into creativity? It isn’t the first thing I think of when I ponder Toastmasters.

Surprisingly Igniters is a feast of creative Opportunities. Each time a member delivers a speech their topic or speech approach can be very creative. Our Speech Evaluators are extremely creative! Many of them use a 3 letter acronym to give their 3 aspects of feedback (what was good, where could you improve for the future, what did I like best)? The 3 letter acronym, usually derived from the speech topic, creates an easy way to recall the feedback.

Our meeting on October 13 was very creative, lead by Nandini, with a theme of Around the World in 90 minutes. 

We had 2 tour guides (aka scheduled speeches) that took us on virtual world tours. Tamil spoke about Hong Kong being more than just a layover city while Elaine spoke about hunting in Africa. They both painted pictures that took us through bustling city streets and 8 feet tall grass. We also had a wonderful Icebreaker speech from Em who spoke about her “Gratitude for Growth” taking a creative view of the things she was thankful she quit. It was very thought provoking.

Back to where I started from, creativity coming from surprising opportunities. Have you delved into AI? Well, our Toastmaster, Nandini has. She is using AI to create thematic virtual backgrounds for our zoom meetings. She is creating backgrounds to match our meeting themes. I must say I love seeing a zoom room full of meeting theme backgrounds. On Sept 15 we had Fall into it. On Sept 28 we had Health and Wellness. Most recently, on Oct 13, we had Around the World in 90 minutes. The time and creativity Nandini put into making our zoom meetings more fun is effective! The fun continues when I log into another meeting after forgetting to change these themed backgrounds. It opens up conversations about Toastmasters and Igniters.

There are so many opportunities from participating in Toastmasters. We’ll add Creativity to the list of Toastmasters’ benefits. If you’re interested in improving your creativity, please join us at our next zoom meeting, which will be on Wednesday October 28 5: 45 - 6:45pm (take note that it is a Wednesday, not our usual Tuesday evenings, and earlier than our usual start at 7pm) we are joining with another club, WAAMtastic for a murder mystery. Some of us will be giving speeches as our assigned characters while we try to solve the Haunting of Blackwood Manor. To be extra clear, there won’t be a meeting on Tuesday Oct 27. Instead the meeting will be on Wednesday October 28. Email us at info@igniters for the zoom link if you’re interested in attending this creative murder mystery night.

Emma VPPR

Interview Series - Part1 - Mona!

What a better way to share information about the membership experience in our amazing Toastmasters club, Igniters, than to hear directly from members? Therefore, the idea to do an interview series was born. My first interview is with Mona who joined Toastmasters in 1997 and is a founding member of Igniters. Mona is also our Mentor Coordinator. She brings experience and energy to our club. 

 

This link will take you to our interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=671rwkSnpEI&list=PLOf9a42nhe6A 

 Which member will we hear from next? If you’re interested in checking us out, our next meeting occurs on zoom on Tuesday October 13. 7-8:30pm. Nandini will be leading this meeting with a theme of Around the world in 90 minutes! Email info@igniterstm.ca to get the zoom link. 

Emma VP PR

Speak, Laugh & Connect — What a Night!

Marvin the Toastmaster chose our theme Speak, Laugh, Connect for the October 6 Igniters Open House and we certainly did all three!

We welcomed special guests Area E18 Director Alireza and Division D Director Stanley. We were ready for an evening of fun, learning, and connection.

What Makes You Laugh?

Members shared their answers, and the list included cats, funny friends and those wonderfully ridiculous situations that happen in everyday life. Plenty of laughter followed!

Three Speakers. Three Great Stories.

One of our newer members Yousef, stepped up to give his Presentation Mastery Ice Breaker, sharing two hilarious versions of himself as he learns English. Creative, funny and a wonderful introduction to who he is!

Darlene, an experienced member also began the Vintage Path with an Ice Breaker called “Why?” Her message about lifelong learning and continually growing and developing her skills was both inspiring and energizing.

Our Mentoring Coordinator Mona, on the Visionary Communication Path, Level 2 shared her Toastmasters journey, her first mentoring experience and how the skills she developed have helped her in her business. A great reminder that what we learn at Toastmasters goes well beyond the meeting.

One of the Igniters Advantages is the top-tier evaluations from our seasoned members Glen, Nandini, and Diane.  They offer specific, practical suggestions to help elevate each speech and everyone gets to learn from the feedback and use those ideas in future speeches.

Bonus: you get expert coaching without having to book an appointment!

We also celebrated and sang Happy Birthday to Ali and enjoyed delicious desserts and a special card. 

Awards 

Stanley - Past D42 Club Growth Director 
honors Nandini, Diane, and Ali for their 
dedication to Toastmasters.

Last years, D42 Club Growth Director Stanley, on behalf of the Trio, presented three Division E Of the Year Awards recognizing Ali for Toastmaster of the Year, Nandini for Public Relations, and Diane for Area Director with the cheering members. Congratulations to all the deserving recipients!

Elaine led Table Topics with  thought - provoking questions on the theme. We had unusual results a three-way tie for Best Table Topics Participant between Tyler, Lenore, and Tamil! 

To finish the evening, one clever member Tracey challenged us with a math question based on information shared throughout the meeting. So yes… listening really does pay off!

It was a night full of laughter, learning, celebration and connection and a great reminder of what makes Igniters such a fun, friendly and supportive club.

As our VP of Education Trevor shared in an email - "that was a wonderful meeting last night! I just wanted to echo what Division and Area director said - we are one of the best clubs. That's because of all of us!" 

Come for the speaking. Stay for the laughter. Leave with connections!

Nandini

VP PR Committee