Christmas Party 2016...Good Time Together

We celebrated our Christmas party together at Glen and Diane's home.  Many Igniters were able to attend to enjoy the lively conversations in our last meeting of 2016.

Holiday Break from Meetings

Igniters will be away from the Parkdale Community Centre on December 13, 20 & 27 due to celebrating the Christmas Holiday Season.  Meetings will resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 and guests are welcome to attend.

Awards, Awards, Awards...

Brenda - Public Relations of the Year

Mona - Advanced Communicator Silver

More Area Awards were presented by President Marion on behalf of Area Director Kathy.  Our members are enthusiastically completing their roles and goals with support from Igniters.  Brenda received Public Relations of the Year and Mona was acknowledged for completion of Advanced Communicator Silver.  We can't wait until next year to see who is called to the podium to celebrate their success!

Commitment and Dedication in Table Topics

Raholn exemplified the meeting themes of commitment and dedication with his Table Topics speech. He has been paying attention to our not-so-secret formula for success to be prepared with an award winning answer!

Area Awards Ceremony

Area Director Kathy presented awards to Igniters for individual contributions and Igniters accomplishments in 2015-2016. President Marion accepted the club ribbons for Open House and Go Getter awards.

Malcolm - Humorous Speech Contest

Anne - Rookie of the Year

Diane - Competent Communicator

Marion - Competent Leadership

Glen - Crown Pin for Sponsorship

Marvin - Crown Pin for Sponsorship

Mona's stunt double - Advanced Communicator Silver

Membership Continues to Grow

Ralohn was inducted into Igniters by our VP Membership Rob. We affirmed out commitment to each other's progress and mentoring is available as coordinated by Mona.  Check out our new online mentoring resources!

A Spooky Good Time at the Meeting

Nandini, our Toastmaster, didn't let our meeting be hijacked by pirates unless we needed to fill the role of grammarian or Ah-counter.  Costumes were encouraged, but not required, and some were udderly entertaining, especially during Table Topics thanks to Frode.  We celebrated Halloween as the meeting theme and it was a spooky good time!

Stay Connected

Communication is key to health, relationships and engaging others. Communication was an area I had to change in my life or lose out on having great relationships in my life. Habits were formed that were not effective. I was put to the test of my communication skills when my daughter challenged me. Consistently, I reacted with a strong comment and getting to the point was easy. When Candace told me, mom you don't listen - I thought I was. Definitely not!! Communication has a ripple effect on health, relationships and engaging others. You want a ripple of inspiring, honest and engaging connection.

Ripple one - you say: life is challenging however I trust my abilities I can get through them
Ripple two  - this comment tells the brain, life is manageable and will be okay - stress free
Ripple three - positive thoughts to family, friends and others will have them wanting to engage
                       with you

This example gives you one idea of how your communication can effect you and others. I am not naive about life having difficult conversations. Real conversations test you. How you handle them will tell you what outcomes you will have whether negative or positive. When dealing with a difficult situations, ask the question - What is happening? This allows the other person to say what they want and you respond using words that they said. This tells the other person you are paying attention and hear what they are saying. This is a gift when someone feels heard. This relaxes others and you can express your thoughts with less tension. How much time do you take to listen to someone or is your brain too busy thinking what to do next.

Igniters, we are in the business of communication. How are your communication skills? At Igniters, it is important we connect even if we are unable to be at the club. I know I am in this position as my business is demanding more of my time and I will be missing some Tuesdays. I am challenging myself and all Igniters to stay connected by sending a note to say I will be away for the month, or congratulating someone on their success or sharing what is happening in your life. We care and we want to hear from you. Stay connected by staying in touch with us. The Dali Lama has put a challenge out to the world. I am asking you to join me to "be a force for good for health, relationships and engaging with others..." Stay in touch and communicate with care and compassion.

Area 41 Contest

The contestants were ready and excited to uncover the humour and provide thoughtful insight to Table Topic questions.  Brenda, Malcolm and Ellen had practiced in the weeks leading up to the Area 41 Contest.

Igniters sent their cheering team for encouragement during the contest. 

Area Director Kathy congratulated all contestants for their contribution towards a successful contest.  Good luck to the winners at the upcoming Division E Contest on Wednesday, October 26 at Rosedale Community Hall with Registration starting at 5:30pm.

It's a Tie !

We did the vote and there was a Table Topics Tie!  Seema, Malcolm and Margaret followed the secret recipe to success in answering the Table Topics questions from Rob's Google Top 60 Fill in the Blank questions with the theme of thankfulness and mindfulness. Their evaluator Diane did recommend using more personal stories to increase the impact in Q & A situations.  We can't wait to see and hear more success from our members and guests.

New Member Induction

Malcolm was inducted into Igniters tonight.  It is an important occasion for new members and existing members to acknowledge their responsibilities of positive mentorship to everyone in the club.  Rob as VP Membership and Marion as President coordinated the induction ceremony.

Theme Building or Team Building ?

The synergy was obvious for the dynamic team of Stephen and Casey as our Toastmasters.  Their commitment to teamwork was experienced by all at the meeting.

Table Topics also became a teamwork endeavour as Rob guided the teams to develop questions based on our interests.  The winning questions were determined through voting to experience the value of decision-making as a team.

Contest Season has Arrived

Our contestants Stephen, Chris, Brenda, Malcolm and Ellen were enlightening, composed...and hilarious...at our Club Contest.  We are cheering on the winners and will be there for support at the upcoming Area Contest.

Welcome New Members !

Ksenija, Heather and Jason were inducted into Igniters.  We encourage their ongoing growth as public speakers in pursuit of their professional goals.  Tonight's meeting theme was "Grab Bag" in which all of us had to be prepared for a surprise role...Public speaking can be "like a box of chocolates in which you never know which one you are going to get".

Aloha at Igniters

Rain or shine...It's always a good time to express the theme of the meeting in every way possible.  All we needed were some coconuts then it would have been the Hawaiian vacation that was planned for by Nandini, our Toastmaster for the evening.

Visual Aids Galore !

Mona harvested a delicious salad from her garden for our meeting with a plethora of visual aids! 

Marvin has been acquiring souvenirs and memorable collectibles for years.

Chinese versus Japanese: Similarities and Differences.  JianLi enlightened us with informative research.

Yvonne is an avid sewer who enjoys finding beautiful silks and new patterns for her family and friends.

Iris Talbot - Special Guest for Vocal Practice

Marion invited Iris to be our special guest speaker tonight.  Iris instructed us about vocals including practice in using our voices with confidence during public speaking.  Breathe deeply with your diaphragm and use the lower register then everybody will clearly hear your message!

First Speeches of the Summer

Malcolm was the first speaker during our summer meetings during which we were intrigued by his CC#1 for the timeline of finding a career to be passionate about. Igniters has meetings throughout the summer and we welcome visitors from other clubs including Deepika who presented "Spain, the 2.0 Way."

Induction of Igniters Executive 2016 – 2017

The new members of Igniters Executive were inducted with enthusiastic commitment to uphold their responsibilities. From "Oh Henry, can you set up the room, Sergeant at Arms?" to "Mr Big, big shoes to fill, Madam President", Nandini sweetly inducted the new executive with chocolate to commemorate the beginning of the 2016-2017 term.

PRESIDENT'S CHOICE "HELPERS" AWARD

When Chris G talked about the President's Choice Award, he acknowledged the support he received from many Igniters and he shared with us the contribution each made to the club and how they helped him throughout the year. 
Left to right:
Marvin, Marion, Chris G, Brenda and Stephen.  Missing from the picture - Clemens

PRESIDENT'S CHOICE AWARD

PRESIDENT'S CHOICE AWARD

Chris choose Mona for the President's Choice Award because of her total involvement in Igniters.  She worked tirelessly to start and maintain a Mentoring Program by  arranging conference calls and organizing mentoring groups.  This in turn helped encourage new members to set goals quickly. Mona was also able to achieve the ACS  (Advanced Communicator Silver) while helping others succeed.

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SPIRIT OF SUCCESS SPEECH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

SPIRIT OF SUCCESS SPEECH  ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Chris said that Brenda recently completed her CC after giving several inspiring speeches. She competed in the Area contest in table topics and grew in many ways both inside and outside the club.  This award is given to a member that continually encourages other members to improve and hone their skills.

MENTORING TEAM

AWARDS NIGHT

Our mentoring team was congratulated and given Awards and Toastmaster Mentoring Pins for all the support they gave to Ignitor's throughout the year. Their guidance helped each of us work through our Competent Communication Manuals.
Thanks to Nandini, Chris G., Stephen, Mona (Mentor Leader), Marvin, Marion, Chris C.,  Glen and Diane for all the energy they have put into Igniter's  and the time you have spent with our new members. 

SPIRIT OF SUCCESS NEW MEMBER AWARD

                                                                          


SPIRIT OF SUCCESS NEW MEMBER AWARD

Margaret was an enthusiastic contributor to our meetings.  She completed six speeches towards her CC and represented Igniter's in the Area contest. Chris talked about how her achievements, participation and enthusiasm represents the spirit of Igniter's club and defines our mission statement.

SPIRIT OF SUCCESS COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP AWARD

SPIRIT OF SUCCESS COMMUNICATION
         AND LEADERSHIP AWARD

Chris was excited to present Diane with this award for her upbeat and happy way of showing us what to do to become a "Distinguished Toastmaster". She achieved her DTM this year by working hard to succeed at her goal.  Diane has actively promoted Igniters for several years by sharing her knowledge and joy of Toastmasters with us .

MEMBER MAKING A DIFFERENCE AWARD

MEMBER MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Chris presented Marion with this award for her constant support for Igniters.  She planned many delicious potlucks.  Marion spent many hours calling and e-mailing guests to encourage them to become a Toastmaster and once they joined she was always available to check on their progress and update them on upcoming events.  Marion's contributions will be recognized on the District 42 website. Marion you really did make a difference to Igniters.

Year End Celebration and Awards Night

Igniter's held their Year End Celebration and Awards Night at June 20, 2016 at Mona's house. 
As usual our pot luck dinner was delicious right from the appetizers  though the main course and including the deserts.  I have concluded that our food options are as varied as our speech presentations. 
We would like to thank Mona and Ted for their hospitality .

Igniters is excited to have reached the PRESIDENT'S DISTINGUISHED STATUS
We have many people to thank for helping us achieve the 10 goals set out by Toastmasters International.
1 & 2.  Ellen and Julie successfully completed their 10 speeches and obtained their CC award
3.  Nandini completed her ACB (Advanced Communicator Bronze)
4.  Mona  achieved her ACS (Advanced Communicator Silver)
5 & 6.  Diane added our second ACS and her DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster)
7 & 8.  This goal is to add 4 new members to our club twice.  Our plans to get 8 members was almost tripled as we had a total of 22 new members joined Igniters'.
9.  Required that we have 4 executive members trained in each of the two sessions
10. The last goal is administrative in nature and we completed it easily

GREAT YEAR FOR IGNITERS.  Thanks to our President Chris G. for his guidance, for the executive for the work that was completed, to the founding members for everything they have taught us by allowing us to fill positions and learn through their experience and to all the members that helped us have fun while we shared the Toastmaster Experience.

SPIRIT OF SUCCESS IGNITING SPIRITS AWARD

SPIRIT OF SUCCESS IGNITING
SPIRITS AWARD

Chris presented Brenda with this award for her contribution to Igniters in a variety of ways.  She completed her CC, entered a speech contest and helped to plan Diane's DTM party.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD

As Rookie of the Year, Anne not only gets recognized at our club level but she moves on to Area .  She   completed many speeches as well,  she also acted as a test speaker at a different clubs evaluation contest and  a judge at a few contests. She also  served on the executive and helped out in several of our contests.  Chris presented Anne with a plaque.

TOASTMASTER OF THE YEAR AWARD

TOASTMASTER OF THE  YEAR AWARD

Chris kept us in suspense as to who would be the Toastmaster of the Year and the last award he presented was to Nandini.  During the year she completed her ACB (Advanced Communicator Bronze), spoke several times outside the club, helped with officer training, and mentored us.  Nandini also found time to represent Igniters and win at the District 42 final for table topics. Her hard work is an inspiration to all of us and we thank her for all that she does for our club. 

PUBLIC RELATIONS OF THE YEAR

PUBLIC RELATIONS OF THE YEAR

As VP of Public Relations, Brenda was nominated for this award.  She worked on the blog to share Igniter's exciting special events and their meeting information. Chris mentioned that she also helped with special events and other areas of the club's life.   

COMPETENT COMMUNICATOR SPEECH 1, 6 and 10

It is always exciting to hear an Ice Breaker from a new Toastmaster, and Paul did an excellent job of his speech called "Has Paul Made a Difference.  He shared some very interesting parts of his work and volunteer life. 

Our second speech, CC # 6, Vocal Variety was presented by JianLi and his passion was obvious in "A Little Girl - A Big Difference", as he shared the story of a young girl who worked to save children from getting malaria  by supplying nets to their villages in Africa.

To conclude our trio of speeches a Julie presented her CC#10th,    "Do Something Different- Make The Change", you could see the confidence she has gained completing the Competent Communicator.

New Member Inductions

Thanks again to Marion, our VP of Membership, for inducting three new members, Michelle, Casey, and Partik.  It was great to have Reed, Matt and Yvonne, members that have only been with Igniter's for a few months, step up and  introduce them to us.

Igniter's 2016/2017 Executive

    Igniter's 2016/17 Executive

We are proud to announce our new executive:     Left to Right
Juin Li  --Treasurer
Marion -- President
Rob ------ VP Membership
Ellen ----- VP Education
Yvonne --- Secretary
Anne ----- VP Public Relations
Clemens-- Sargent At Arms

Igniting Spirits at Convention

Igniters celebrate with all of District 42 one last time. The Spring Convention in Red Deer celebrates the growth in District 42. Starting July 1, 2016 we will have two Districts 99 (N. Alberta and N. Sask) and District 42 (S. Alberta & S. Sask). The theme of the Convention was Looking Back, Moving Forward.

 

 

Keynote Mark Brown - World Champion of Speaking shared How to Make your Stories Come Alive. Tips: 1) Make your 1D speeches a  3D experience. 2) Give an experience - audience needs to see, feel, hear, taste, touch. Choose your words carefully. 3) Don't tell us story - take us into your story.

        

 

 

 

Friday - Retro night. Pink Ladies Rock!                  
Sat - Masquerade Ball, Igniters celebrate Diane achieving her DTM.

It was a memorable weekend enjoying the International Speech Contest and the Evaluation Contest.  Learning, networking, and growing as leaders.