Christmas Party

The Christmas lunch will be held on Dec. 14 at the ARC Building with lots of fun and food. Please sign up to bring 'a dish'.

Here is what we have so far:

Darlene - butter tarts
David M.- cranberry meatballs
Ray - veggies and dip
Shannon - dessert squares
Val - vegetable dish
Ellen - cheese plate
Audrey - green eggs & ham

Don't miss the last and most delicious meeting of the year!

Serena Victoria Marie makes her debut

Serena Victoria Marie was born two weeks early on November 23, 2006 and weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs 10 ounces. She was not happy about leaving the warm comfort of the womb and cried for three hours straight. We are very happy to welcome her into our family just before Christmas.

After all the crying she has settled into a daily routine of eating, sleeping and filling up diapers. Serena has two older brothers that are very happy to finally see their baby sister.

10th speech by Phil Minnaar - Be Positive !

Phil gave us an exceptional performance today, and showed us what can be achieved with positive words and thoughts.

The big surprise, of course, was Phil's announcement of the official publishing of his first book, "The Positive Dictionary - only words with positive messages".

I joined Phil at the book signing following his speech, at the UofC bookstore, and he tells me he already has a few other positive ideas that he might just act on.

Congratulation Phil! May this book be the first of many successful endeavors in your life.

Get more details on his book at thepositivedictionary.blogspot.com

Guest Day Reminder

November 16 is the day to invite a guest (or guests) and show them what benefits CTI Techtalkers can offer them ("We offer the opportunity to improve your presentation skills and impromptu speaking, a mentoring program, and lots of fun."). On the 16th we also offer them dessert compliments of the Executive.

So bring some guests and show how our Toastmasters group runs like a well-oiled machine, is as comfortable as an old pair of slippers and more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

Congratulations Darlene!

Darlene placed third out of nine strong contestants in the District 42 Table Topic contest this past Saturday in Lethbridge. Darlene did extremely well "thinking on her feet" and speaking to a crowd of 200 on the topic “What role does recreation, arts and culture play in your life?”. Well done Darlene!

Darlene wins Division J Table Topics!

Representing Area 41 - Darlene won the Division J Table Topics contest with her answer to the question, "What does healthy eating mean to you?". She entertained the audience by describing the reasons chocolate should be a fifth Canada Food Rule category. Darlene now goes on to the District Conference Contest on November 3- 5 in Lethbridge.
In this photo, Darlene is presented with the Division trophy by Division C Governor Daria and Toastmaster Mark S.
Val had the audience laughing as she talked about her competitive spirit in the humorous speech contest at the Division contest. Division J was a strong contest with 5 very funny speech presentors. Congratulations to both contestants and best of luck to Darlene at the District Conference Contest!

Congratulations Yujing Wu!

Yujing Wu and her husband welcomed into the world a lovely baby girl, Annabel this summer! We send Yujing and her family best wishes and look forward to meeting this future new member. Take care Yujing.

Val Wins Area Contest!

Congratulations to Val on winning the Area J41 humourous speech contest! Val had the entire audience laughing with her as she delivered her best ever humorous speech presentation.
Darlene, representing Igniters, won the Table Topics contest.
Come out and support Val and Darlene when they participate in the next level at the Division J contest on October 21st at the Cardel Homes Theatre, 6010 - 12th St. SE. Registration at 9 am, contest begins at 9:30 am.

Val wins Humorous Speech Contest!

On Thursday, three speakers kept the room laughing as they presented their humorous speeches in the club contest. Kudos to Val, David and Marc for entering the contest and entertaining us.
Winner of first place, Val, will go on to the Area J41 contest. David, who placed second, is the alternate.
Please plan to go and cheer on both Val in humorous speech and Carole in table topics at the Area J41 contest on October 10 in the ARC building at 6:30 pm. It will help them to see your smiling faces!

For details about the Division J and District 42 contests, please go to the Speech Contest Dates post below.

Welcome to New Members

Please give a warm CTI Techtalkers welcome to our newest members, Carrie M. and Sue G.
We also saw Terry R, one of the founders of CTI, lurking in the corridors of the building. He's baaaack from Edmonton and interested in coming out to the meetings! Yahoo! welcome back Terry.

Carole Wins Table Topics

Congratulations to Carole who will be representing Igniters at the Area J41 Contest on October 10. Carole won with a humourous story about what she would do if she were stuck for an hour in traffic on the Deerfoot. Greg and David also gave entertaining presentations on the same topic. Greg won 2nd place and is the alternate for the Area contest.
Way to go CTI Techtalkers!

Speech Contest Dates Announced

The following are the dates for the upcoming Speech contests. Please come and support our members as they demonstrate how to present a humourous speech or demonstrate their skills in extemporaneous speaking (Table Topics). In previous years, some CTI members have gone on as far as Division and District levels.

Club Table Topics Contest: September 21, 2006 at 12:00 noon. Completed 1st Place Carole, 2nd Greg.
Club Humourous Speech Contest: September 28, 2006 at 12:00 noon.
Winners from these contests will go on to the Area contest where they will compete with winners from 4 other Clubs.

Area 41 Humourous Speech and Table Topics Contests: October 10, 2006 at ARC main boardroom at 6:30 pm. Hosted by Igniters Toastmasters.
Winners from these contests will go on to the Division J Contest where they will compete with winners from 5 other Areas.

Division J Humourous Speech and Table Topics Contests: October 21, 2006 at the Cardel Theatre, 6010-12th St. SE, registration at 9:00 am, contest begins at 9:30 am.

Winners from these contests will go on to the District 42 Contest in Lethbridge on Nov 3-5, 2006.

Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contest

You have two weeks to write your humourous speech for the upcoming humorous speech contest. Are you ready? Anyone who is a paid up member can enter no matter how many speeches you have done in your manual. We all need a good laugh. Now is your time to get the chuckles rolling in CTI Techtalkers.
Enter the humourous speech contest with a 5-7 minute prepared speech or support the contestants in one of the other very important roles (judge, ballot counter, Toastmaster, SAA, timer). If you have never done a role before, don't worry -- someone will help you.
In the table topics contest, every contestant will speak to the same question for 1-2 minutes. No preparation required.
First place winners of the club contest go to the Area contest in October (date TBA). We have been very well represented in previous years. Will it be your turn this year?

What did you do this Summer?

If you went to Toastmaster meetings this summer at CTI Techtalkers or another club, please tell us about some activity that you thoroughly enjoyed or that you would like to share with us.
For instance:
In July, I went to Igniters club BBQ at a member's home beside the Bow River. We used the patio for our stage and lawnchairs for our seats. Birds chirped gaily in tune with the speakers. Balancing drink in hand and plates of sumptuous hamburgers, beans and salads on our knees, we listened to great speeches and nourished ourselves in body and spirit.
It reminded me of our CTI Techtalkers potluck lunches where I feel the same sense of fellowship and inspiration.
What Toastmaster activity did you enjoy this summer? Please post your story on this blog or send the text to info@techtalkers.org and i will post it for you.

New Executive starts July 1

CTI held their elections on June 29. Congratulations to the following members of the new Executive Team:
President - Ellen
VP Education - Audrey
VP Membership - Shannon
VP Public Relations - Darlene
Secretary - still vacant
Treasurer - Val
SAA - Joann

Regroup, Re-energize

Last week there were only 4 members attending. Could we get three times that many at our meeting on Thursday, June 29? We need to have 11 members present to have the quorum necessary to elect our executive. We have people willing to let their names stand. Let's say thank you to our outgoing executive with enthusiasm and welcome the incoming executive team with a resounding cheer. They deserve it!

Develop Your Leadership Skills

Elections for Club Executive will take place on June 22, 2006. Serving on the Executive Team gives a Toastmaster a real opportunity to hone leadership skills - planning, organizing, managing and delivering programs and services that will meet the needs of the club membership. Team members learn about delegating, project management, running an effective meeting, and the joys of working together on an enthusiastic team.
If you are interested in putting your name forward as a nominee for an executive position for the year July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007, please contact Marc P. (photo insert - our current president) or any other member of the current executive.
You will not be alone! You will receive training in your position by seasoned Toastmasters in the Division, you may select a mentor for the position and/or you may ask the person currently in the position for advice as long as you wish.
Positions are: President, VP Education, VP Membership, VP Public Relations, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant At Arms. You can find more details about the positions in the Communication Manual.

Marc Achieves CTM in Style

On June 1, Marc's 10th speech tackled the very challenging topic of where we go when we die. He pulled it off with his usual poise, and left us with the very vivid image of checking out of a hotel with our pyjamas on. Thanks to that wonderful metaphor, I will always remember that I should "get dressed" in my life and should listen to my soul when deciding what I should cloth myself in.
Congratulations Marc on achieving your CTM and thank you for your inspiring gift.
posted by Audrey

The District Contest experience

It was very exciting indeed to be a contestant at the District International Speech contest. We had our briefing and drew the speaking order on Friday night. The energy level was very high in the room. I drew an Ace. Arghhh! On Saturday afternoon all the contestants were gathered for a sound check an hour before the contest. Each person had a chance to try out the lapel mic and test their planned movements on the stage and check out the lighting. The sound technicians were knowledgable and incredibly supportive. Some of the contestants appeared to be old hands at this. It was ALL new to me! Randy Harvey, the 2004 World Champion of Public Speaking came to the sound check to wish us all well and told us if we needed a smiling face, he would be in the front row. That helped a lot! The contestants were all high calibre speakers and I was proud to be amongst them. While I didn't place, I felt like a winner. So many Toastmasters came up afterwards to tell me how much they liked my speech. It was a great experience! I was strengthened knowing that your good wishes were with me and by all the advice and help you have given me. Thank you!
Darlene

Audrey makes her 10th

Amidst thunderous applause and a standing ovation (yes!), Audrey delivered her 10th speech on May 4th.

The feeling of accomplishment (and relief) was visible on her face after this speech. Members were treated to a 10 minute session of S T R E T C H I N G, from stretching your muscles to stretching your mind, and even stretching your feelings.

Audrey inspired all of us during that speech, so much that two members signed up on the spot to give a speech at the next meeting !!

That's totally awesome... Motivation by example, that's what I call it !

Congratulations Audrey !

Darlene Takes It To Saskatoon !

Darlene was in top shape last night at the Division J contest, and took first place ! She competed against 5 very good speakers, but her skills and passion really came through, and the judges rewarded her accordingly.

Bravo Darlene ! And on to Saskatoon !

Marc, prez

CTI is steaming ahead with our goals!

We have already achieved 7 goals in the Club Success Plan - enough to earn Select Distinguished Club as long as we have 20 members or more. Great job, everyone!
Two members are close to earning their Competant Toastmaster (Audrey and Marc), which would help us achieve one more goal. So, if any of you are close to earning an Advanced Toastmaster award or Competant Leader award, it is possible that CTI could achieve 9 goals this year- enough to earn President's Distinguished Club.
CTI rocks!

Metaphor Meeting Was Fun!

On April 20, the theme was "metaphors". Our Toastmaster, Ken, handed out a sheet of metaphors and there were lots of laughs as we tried to use them in the introductions and table topics led by Helen. We were delighted to see our old friends Rosario, Phil and Darren and we welcomed new members Karen and David. In her 10th speech for her CTM, Darlene encouraged us all to experience that perfect moment when we are doing our best, doing something we love, and it feels good! Next week's speakers are Phil and Darlene.
In photo: Rosario, Darlene, Helen

The Blog Works

You made the decision and told us what you thought! This blog is useful to you. People who responded said that they check the agenda to verify the duties for the meeting, enjoy reading about achievements of the members and like the tips and stories.
Now, how do we get members to contribute news and stories? You can post on the blog if you are a member. Try it!

Onwards and Upwards!

No fooling! On April Fool's Day, CTI Techtalkers and Igniters demonstrated the power of mentoring as their champions gave strong performances in both the International and Evaluation contests. The results are:
Evaluation: Nandini (representing Igniters), first and Marc (representing CTI), second
International: Darlene (representing Igniters), first and Marc (representing CTI), second

Darlene and Nandini move on to the Division J contest on Tuesday, April 25 in the Nexen Ampitheatre on 7th and 7th. Registration at 6:00 pm, contest at 6:30 pm. Should either Darlene or Nandini be unable to compete, Marc will compete.

If anyone has a camera and could take a photo of Darlene and Marc on Thursday, I will add the photo to this post.

CTI Champions Go to Area Contest

Congratulations to Marc who placed 1st and Reza who placed 2nd in the International Speech Contest on Thursday, March 23, 2006. Marc will go on to represent CTI Techtalkers at the Area 41 Contest on April 1 in both the International Speech and Evaluation Contests.
Please come out to the Area 41 Contest to cheer on our champion! Darlene won the club International contest at Igniters and will be competing as well.

AREA 41 Contest will be held in the Student Council Chambers just across from the food fair in MacEwan Hall at the University of Calgary. Registration at 8:30 am, contests are from 9:00 am to 1 pm.
DIVISION J Contest will be held in the Nexen Ampitheatre on Tuesday, April 25 at 6:30 pm.

Winners of the Evaluation Contest

On Thursday, March 16, CTI Techtalkers held a great evaluation contest in which all four contestants did outstanding evaluations. Every contestant was a winner as they all said the experience taught them how to be better listeners and more effective evaluators. The test speaker, Emily, was from Igniters. Dressed all in green, Emily did a funny and enlightening speech on the history of St. Patrick's Day in her speech, "The Blarney of St. Patrick's Day".
Marc placed first, and Joann placed second. Marc will go on to represent CTI Techtalkers at the Area contest on April 1. If for any reason, Marc is unable to compete, Joann will compete in his stead.

What Do You Think?

• Your ideas matter! Which educational presentations will help you to achieve your goals? Several members of our club will be doing educational presentations over the next few months to meet the requirements of the Competent Leader and Advanced Toastmaster/Communicator-Silver awards. Let us know what you think. Please use the comments feature of this blog to tell us which topics are most interesting to you.
• Impromptu Speaking
• Selecting Your Topic
• How to be a Successful Mentor
• Introducing a Speaker with Style
• Preparation and Practice
• Parliamentary Procedure
• Leadership Excellence (one of the series)
• Other (you tell us)
• Effective Evaluations ... (Presented by Marc on March 9)

Circle of Gold

Our Circle of Gold is a small group of CTI members who have committed to taking their speaking to the next level by workshopping 5-7 minute speech projects over a two month period. Last year's Circle of Gold members experienced exhilaration when they presented their project speeches and felt they had delivered their personal best.
At the end of January 2006, we started our 2-month journey by brainstorming our speech topic ideas and key messages. Each of the members said afterwards that this was extremely valuable as it helped to ensure that we were very clear about what we wanted to say and what we wanted the audience to take home (the gift).
In the weeks to come, we will workshop our work-in-progress speeches to bring out the best in our speech writing (content, humour, relevance, language) and delivery (use of voice, gestures and staging). We have committed to presenting our speeches at CTI sometime in late March or early April.
If you would like to find out more about CTI's Circle of Gold, please contact Darlene at info@techtalkers.org.

Tips for Table Topics

You know the situation. You are up at the front of the room trembling in front of the audience and you have 1-2 minutes to answer the Toastmaster's question coherently. Here are four tips to increase your success in table topics (impromptu speaking). 1) Take a few seconds before you start speaking to focus and decide what message you plan to share with the audience. 2) Open with a statement that succinctly describes your topic and where you plan to go. 3) In the body of the speech, make 2-3 clear points and support them with stories, examples or facts. 4) Wrap up the package by pulling all the pieces together with a clear concluding statement. Bonus tip: Have fun! Your fellow Toastmasters are cheering for you.

Awards Day, June 2005

Val was our Toastmaster for the CTI Techtalkers awards day, awarding the golden gargoyle to members who have made a significant contribution to the club in the past year. Attendees enjoyed lots of laughter and an excellent pot-luck lunch.
Toastmaster of the Year was awarded to Marc Provencher.

An experiment in technology

Hello fellow Toastmasters,
What do you think of this forum for sharing ideas and information? As VP Public Relations, it will be my task to respond to your ideas, comments and questions about Toastmasters, the program and our club. If I don't know the answer, then I will find out who does.
The forum is open.
Regards
VP Public Relations