AFAM-MAIW

Delegates’ Reports.

2011 - 45^th Annual Convention

DELEGATE'S REPORT
MAY 25 TO 29, 2011

Christelle Racette, President of MAIW and Panagiota Kalantzis, Director of MAIW, were your delegates for the 2010-2011 Canadian Association of Insurance Women Annual Convention.

We are pleased and privileged to provide you with our report as this was a particularly special convention, hosted by our City and organized by our many exceptional and hard working volunteers. We hope that this report will provide you with a better understanding of the nature of the convention and incite you to attend future conventions held across the country in the future.

By now, you have certainly read about our theme in our prior bulletins: Living a Colorful Life. The event was indeed everything but monochromatic. Each session and every activity sparkled with lights and color, not to mention the enthusiasm of our volunteers.

Some two hundred members attended what can be described as a successful and certainly well organized event. It was held at the Delta Centre-Ville on University Street and began Wednesday afternoon, May 25th, 2011. Under long stem roses and a delicious cosmopolitan red cocktail in hand, we were able to meet and greet our fellow members.

Thursday, May 26, 2011 marked the beginning of the Business Session. As the assembly was officially opened with the help of our piper, our Executive Board and local association representatives marched into a room filled with supporting colleagues. The session began with a review of committee reports and went through the morning. The microphone was then passed to the floor to begin with what is referred to as the Forum. This is essentially an open discussion session where each of the associations, represented by its president, spoke to two topics of current interest. This year, we surveyed our members on the issue of branding of the association and creating interest for the Insurance Information Campaign. Once our presidents finished their respective exposés, all members were able to provide their opinions and ideas.

Lunch was crowned by a circus act that had us laughing for an hour. It was followed by our public speaking contest, during which speakers from across the country shined. Five contestants took to the stage and hooked our interest with their creative and witty speeches. The winners were eventually announced at our Saturday night Banquet.

Friday, commonly known as Education day, entailed a series of accredited speakers. Montreal was able to provide both French and English sessions in order to respond to the needs of our members. Carole Chauvin, Louis Cyr and others provided informative and captivating education sessions.

Friday lunch was special. Indeed, a group of pipers caught our attention as they played during our meal. Their kilts and music were unexpected and especially pleasing to our Maritime members.

Fun night, Friday night, was a secret up and until departure time. Although the weather didn't cooperate, nothing stopped the gang from enjoying the Longueil Marina. Under the theme of the tropics, we were pleasantly surprised to find lush vegetation and exotic animals at our arrival at the port. We were then entertained by professional dancers that showed us the steps to salsa. This was followed by a local band that kept us dancing all night long.

The Business session continued on Saturday morning. Our Memorial to underline our passed members was solemn and serene. We then continued with all of the Standing and Special Committee reports. Finally, the budget was reviewed and passed. The morning ended with the annual vote. Ms. Lori Duclos of the Toronto Association of Insurance Professionals was voted President of CAIW. Her words were moving and inspiring as she begins her term on the theme of Engagement.

The Convention came to a close with our Saturday night banquet. We had an elaborate meal where black and white took over. Elegant, delightful and delicious can describe the scene and the food. All of the awards were handed out and we were privy to a show by a mentalist that captivated our audience.

In sum, our Convention demonstrated what Montreal members are all about and as your delegates, we could not be prouder. Colors, lights, smiles, members with character and professionalism are but a few terms to describe the Canadian Association of Insurance Women Convention hosted by our bright City.

Thank you to our members for allowing us to represent you during the Convention. It is an honor and a privilege.

Yours in fellowship

Christelle Racette
Panagiota Kalantzis

2010 - 44^th Annual Convention

DELEGATE'S REPORT
JUNE 9 TO 13, 2010

This year the National Convention was hosted by the Nova Scotia Insurance Women’s Association in Halifax, Nova Scotia. All participants were greeted under the theme: “Follow the Light”. The Convention can only be summarised as a success during which the various Chairs and Committees did an impressive job, making our five-day stay in Halifax nothing less than a out of the ordinary occasion.

The Montreal delegation was composed of some of its 25 members, one of the largest we have seen in some time. The Convention took place at the lovely Marriott Harbourfront Hotel, situated directly on the harbour. The accommodations and meeting areas were pleasant and made the stay quite comfortable. During our personal down time, we were able to benefit from the proximity of the hotel to great restaurants and shops as well as historic sites and museums.

Our Association was represented by its two delegates: Jackie Lisi, MAIW President and Panagiota Kalantzis, Director at the national level. As delegates, we are pleased to provide you with a brief overview of the Convention activities.

Let us begin by underlining that the Convention Co-Chairs Colleen Sampson and Deb MacDougall as well as all of the other volunteers prepared a diverse agenda without a dull moment!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010:

As customary, Wednesday marked the beginning of the Convention. Registration began in the early afternoon and was followed by a Pre-Convention meeting of the Executive Board and local Directors. Unfinished business from the January Midterm Meeting was discussed.

The Welcome Reception was held later in the day. This was the perfect opportunity to get reacquainted with our fellow members.

Thursday, June 10, 2010:

The Executive Board, the Delegates and the Alternates were greeted Thursday morning by the National President, Deborah Johnson. The Convention was officially opened to the sound of the kilted piper as he made his way through the venue.

The Delegates of each of the Associations eventually presented their Annual Report. The MAIW was particularly pleased to report its charitable donations to local women shelters as well as highlight the major events of the year, such as our ever so successful golf tournament. The Association Forum was also held, whereby each Association President was asked to address two points of the following topics: 1) how to attract and keep new members; 2) the impact of employer budget restrictions on payment of membership dues; and 3) a topic of their choice. As always, membership was a big concern. One interesting point brought up was ‘branding’ and how our name is not recognized as much as it should be. A suggestion was made that we all be branded as CAIW. This idea will surely be discussed in upcoming meetings.

Thursday afternoon was of particular interest to our Association. Ms. Lucie Constantineau, member of the MAIW and winner of the Montreal Public Speaking Contest, placed in the top three at the national level. Lucie’s speech was of comical exploits of traveling with ageing parents. She spoke of how the roles between child and parent switch over time, where the child becomes the guardian and is responsible for behaviour control. We are most proud of her and thankful for her courage!

Thursday night was dedicated to some R & R. In fact, the conventioneers spent time getting to know each other over a fantastic meal at some quaint restaurant overlooking the water.

Friday, June 11, 2010:

Friday, June 11th , 2010 was Education Day. The day was dedicated to a variety of conferences by a number of speakers on multiple topics. As usual all of the activities were accredited.

Justin Murray of IBC Investigative Services began the day with an overview of the growing problem of vehicle theft. The speaker’s presentation gave a local and national perspective of theft for transportation, chop shops, cloning, port authority strategies and international enforcement.

The second conference consisted of an energetic and incredibly funny presentation by Tyler Hayden entitled: “Livin’ Life Large”. His presentation concentrated on management, leadership and teambuilding, all done with humour and creative catch phrases that kept the audience alert.

The afternoon continued with an account of one of our own, Sgt Lizette Angel Leblanc, in Bosnia and Afghanistan. It was in sum, the tale of what it is to be a woman in the Canadian Infantry. The most impressive part of this session was the pride and respect from the audience for a fellow Canadian that has put her life on the line more than once for our value of Freedom.

This speaker was followed by a report on transportation and emergency measures including how the Nova Scotia Government managed the tragedy of Swiss Air Flight 111, given by Bruce Langille. It was very informative.

Friday night is commonly referred to as Fun Night!!! What could be more inviting than an evening at a Marina, overlooking the calm water and watching the sun set as you feast on local lobster??? Answer: a performance by a local band that resulted in singing and dancing all night as we were showered with wonderful gifts!

Saturday, June 12, 2010:

Saturday morning began with a short memorial dedicated to the members passed this year. Our peers were remembered for their contributions to their local association.

The event was followed by a Business Session during which the proposed Amendments to the National Constitution and its Bylaws were voted.

Your new Executive was also voted as follows:

President: Gloria Balls (London, Ontario)
First Vice-President: Lori Duclos (Toronto, Ontario)
Second Vice-President: Jody McMillan (Hamilton, Ontario)
Secretary: Laura Greening (Nova Scotia)
Treasurer: Tracy Fata (Edmonton)

I was also made Committee Chair of the Public Speaking Contest and the Essay Contest.

The Business Session then continued with the bids for hosting future Conventions. The London Association was awarded the 2014 Convention. Associations hosting future conventions are:

2011 Montreal Association of Insurance Women-May 25 to 29,
2012 Edmonton Insurance Association-June 6 to 10,
2013 Manitoba Association of Insurance Professionals
2014 London Association of Insurance Professionals

The Convention drew to an end with the Saturday night Awards Banquet Gala. Pictures, mingling, reminiscing about past conventions, it was a very enjoyable evening. Most importantly MAIW was honoured with many first place awards: Madeleine Gravel, our own Treasurer, won the Essay Contest, Lucie Constantineau placed in the top three of the Public Speaking Contest and MAIW won the Traveler’s Education Award. CONGRATULATIONS for all of your efforts!!!

In sum, the Nova Scotia Insurance Women’s Association did not disappoint! The Convention was successful and reflected the extraordinary energy of Halifax group! We are now looking forward to seeing you at our Convention next May!!!

Your Delegates
Jackie Lisi
Panagiota Kalantzis

2009 - 43^e Annual Convention

JUNE3 TO 7, 2009

It is under the theme of Journey to Toronto – One city, Many Nations, that the 43rd annual Convention of the Canadian Association of Insurance Women was held June 3rd to the 7th, 2009. There were 15 members of the MAIW in attendance.

On Wednesday night we were invited to an Italian cocktail, where we had the opportunity to get together with the members of the other associations. During the evening, we took the opportunity to distribute colorful pins representing the theme of the 2011 Convention to be held in Montreal, Formidable, a Life in Colors!

After the official opening of the Convention on Thursday morning, Mr. Bruce Pearson, FCIP, President of the Ontario Insurance Institute delivered a very motivating speech on our industry. He reminded us that the insurance industry offers many career opportunities and that we are mentors for young people starting out in the business.

The minutes of the 2008 Annual General Meeting were presented and adopted, as well as the reports from the members of the Executive Board, the Association Presidents, the Permanent Committee Chairs and the Special Committee Chairs.

It was followed by the Association’s Forum, where reducing the length of the Annual Convention in order to reduce costs was discussed. The local Associations will take this back to their membership and will bring back their recommendations to the Executive Board. The dwindling membership was also discussed. Different suggestions were presented, including having a better visibility on the internet.

In line with the Convention Theme, we gathered for a Mexican lunch.

The Annual Public Speaking Contest takes place on Thursday afternoon. THE MONTREAL ASSOCIATION OF INSURANCE WOMEN was well represented by Mrs. Ivette Chorro Fong who won the Second prize. Congratulations Ivette!

Thursday night, the Montreal Members met for a great dinner. It was a fun evening.

Friday is Education Day. It was filled with five (5) speakers who presented different subjects related to Insurance.

Mr. Glenn McGillivray, Managing Director for the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, gave us information including statistics and future projections on the frequency of claims based on climate changes and their impact on catastrophic losses and what can be done to prevent them.

Mrs. Nancy Lee Martin, Director of Consumer relations for the Insurance Bureau of Canada in Ontario, spoke about the Image that consumers have of our industry and what we can do to restore the public’s confidence, as well as how to show them the value that our industry brings to the life of Canadians. Mrs. Lee Martin was accompanied by Mr. Peter Feniak a communications consultant who illustrated how we can become ambassadors for our industry.

Before continuing our Education Day, we gathered for a Greek meal.
Following the lunch, Tracy Moore, host of Cityline on CTV spoke about her personal experience, illustrating the balance between professional success and happiness.
Mr. Jean-Jacques Henchoz, Managing Director, Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd, discussed the crisis in the financial markets and the natural disasters that led to the present insurance market. He also discussed what underwriters and managers can do to secure and maintain a competitive advantage.

In closing Mr. Charles Sabourin, CIP, Managing Director at STEAMATIC CANADA INC. showed us the importance of having a business continuity plan in case of a major catastrophe.

For Fun night we were treated to a dinner theatre.

Saturday Morning we attended the Memorial Service where we presented the eulogies of two of the Montreal members who passed away during the year, Jean Hanna and Claire Walters.

The business sessions resumed with the adoption of the changes to the Constitution. A few recommendations were made. Under New Business, it was recommended that when there is more than one Hospitality suite at Convention that they not be held on the same night, this was adopted. We also approved the Budget for 2009-2010.

Next year, the Convention will be hosted by the Nova Scotia Insurance Women’s Association. The Association members did a presentation to invite us all to attend. The Montreal Association of Insurance Women did the same to invite the members to join us in 2011.

Bids were also accepted for the following years:
2012 – Edmonton
2013 – Winnipeg
To conclude the Business Sessions, the new Executive Board was elected:
President: Joyce Chalanchuk, BA, FCIP
1ST Vice President: Gloria Balls, CIP
2nd Vice President: Lori Duclos, BBA, FCIP, CRM
Secretary; Christina Masters, FCIP, CIM, FLMI
Treasurer: Jody McMillan
Past President; Debby Johnson, FCIP, CRM

This 43rd Edition of the Annual Convention of the CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF INSURANCE WOMEN concluded with a beautiful gala where the hard work and efforts of the different Associations was celebrated. It was a great success.

Congratulations to the Organizing Committee who made this Convention a success that will be remembered.

Michèle Malo, FCIP
Denise Hamel, FCIP

2008 - 42^nd Annual Convention

June 11-15
Hosted by the Insurance Women's Association of Western Manitoba
Brandon, Manitoba

17 of the MAIW members attended the 42nd Annual Canadian Association of Insurance Women Convention hosted by the Insurance Women's Association of Western Manitoba.

Upon arrival on Wednesday, June 11, 2008, the Neelin High School Athletics Club bravely received a frenzy of 140 women from across the country. Acting as bellmen, they very pleasantly assisted us (and our very heavy luggage) to our rooms. We were given enough time to unwind as the Welcome Reception was held in the evening. This reception was an opportunity for us to get reacquainted with the repeat participants and welcome all newcomers. Needless to say, we were greeted with warmth by this local association. Wine and cheese made the event all the more pleasant.

Thursday, June 12 , at 9 am, consisted of the Official Opening of the 42nd Convention. The traditional piper headed the march of the CAIW Executive Board, followed by the various Association Delegates to their seats. Your association was represented by Panagiota Kalantzis, President and Madeleine Gravel, CAIW Director.

This was the most formalist part of the Convention. Various Annual Reports were presented by the official representatives of the local Associations. The minutes of the 2007 Annual General Convention meeting held in Hamilton were also adopted. CAIW Executive Officers reviewed their reports too. The MAIW President provided a glimpse of the MAIW 2007-2008 highlights.

The morning was followed by the very awaited Public Speaking Contest. 6 courageous women took to the stage. The MAIW's winner, Nathalie Morin, made our Association proud. She was also the only bilingual participant. Her subject: The Challenge of Recruiting New Talent in the Insurance Industry was a reminder of the current industry difficulty in attracting newcomers.

The evening ended with a relaxed dinner for the MAIW group that sought out a local restaurant. It can only be described as follows: extreme laughs, great conversation and another way to get to know our fellow peers better!

Friday, June 13, 2008 consisted of the CAIW Education Day. Donna Tona captivated all of her audience with a witty and deeply informative conference entitled: Time Management with a Twist. Through laugher, reflection and great ideas, Ms. Tona’s presentation focused on ways to organise stress out of your life and get your brain to function differently. For instance, eliminate all of those people in your life that systematically suck out all of your energy. Surround yourself with positive people and determine your priorities. To do lists are not always the answer! Also, make up your mind and just do it! Clear your life of fears, whether of failure, embarrassment, rejection, death.... These will just leave less time for what truly matters to you. In essence, Ms. Tona’s presentation was what many of us need: a quick reminder that we should live our lives around our values.

For the afternoon session, we had a very interesting conference given by two guest speakers. The first speaker was Sgt. Stu Evans from the RCMP Winnipeg Drug Section who gave us an in depth enlightenment on Crystal Meth and Meth labs. He explained what Crystal Meth was and how it affects the nervous system. He further explained the evolution of Meth fat solubles. During the 1940’s – they were used during World War II by the military to maintain alertness. In the 1950’s to 1980’s – by outlaw biker gangs.1990’s to present day – by the Mexican cartel in the USA. Authorities are seeing a resurgence in OMG involvement and Canada. Some of his slides were so graphic in nature that several of our members were unable to remain in the hall.

The second speaker, Mr. Russell Malkoske spoke on Meth/Lab – Grow-Op. His conference dealt with the insurance implications when learning that our client might be using his premises as a Grow-Op. He mentioned that even though some risks might be obvious – we should be aware of the Policy Coverages, Exclusions and Statutory Conditions. He ended by emphasizing that we must also know when to give advise on how to deal with an uninsured loss.

Friday evening began with a mystery: Fun Night was eventually revealed. We were all taken to the local curling club, home of the Canadian Champion team. No, not an evening of curling but rather a surprising return to the fifties. A great band, good food and lots of candy made for a wonderful evening of dancing, surrounded by friends.

Saturday morning was a time for remembering those of our members that have passed on. A very solemn memorial gave us all an opportunity to remember our cherished peers for their dedication to their local association.

This ceremony was followed by the continuation of the Business Session that began on Wednesday. Constitution and bylaws, including proposed amendments took center stage. The Budget for 2008-2009 was reviewed at length. Also, there was serious discussion regarding inscription fees to the annual conventions that continue to increase, particularly in the larger centres. Ideas were exchanged to find ways to soften the impact, especially for those participants that have less financial employer support.

Finally, the Session ended with the presentations of the upcoming hosting associations. The many nations of the world were Toronto's focus. Then, there was Nova Scotia with their member's contagious cheer and smile, followed by your MAIW members singing their hearts to the music of Charles Aznavour. It was all just a glimpse of what is to come!

The Convention ended with the Saturday night Banquet. As we all entered the room accompanied by escorts in tuxedos, we enjoyed a nice meal, followed by the presentation of the Special Awards took place.

In sum, the 42nd Annual Convention in Brandon, Manitoba was a success. Madeleine and I would like to thank our Association for the opportunity of representing you and hope to see you at next year's convention in Toronto.

Panagiota Kalantzis
Madeleine Gravel

2007 - 41^st Annual Convertion

Held in Hamilton, Ontario between June 6 and 10, 2007

This year the National Convention was held in Hamilton, Ontario. Greeted under the theme: “A Special Occasion!”, the Hamilton District Insurance Association not only did an impressive job but did just that, made our five-day stay in Hamilton nothing less than a special occasion.

The Montreal delegation, composed of some of its 15 members, was greeted at the airport by the dynamic Hamilton Committee volunteers. Just a short ride from the airport, and we quickly settled in at the University of Hamilton Campus Dormitory. The facilities were a pleasant surprise and the Committee volunteers did everything to ensure that those whom attended were fully accommodated. It was also pleasant to have all the participants so close by. It should be noted that this change was welcomed and enabled the hosting association to dramatically lower the costs associated with this type of convention.

Our Association was represented by its two delegates: Madeleine Gravel, Treasurer and Director at the national level, as well as Panagiota Kalantzis, President by Interim. As your delegate, I am pleased to provide you with a brief overview of the Convention activities.

Let me begin by underlining that the Convention Chair Sandi White, and the energetic Hamilton Committee volunteers prepared a diverse agenda without a dull moment!

Wednesday, June 6, 2007:

As usual, Wednesday marked the beginning of the Convention. Registration began in the early afternoon and was followed by a Pre-Convention Meeting consisting of a forum set up to discuss a variety of topics addressing the particular concerns of the individual associations.

The Welcome Reception was held later in the day. This was the perfect opportunity to get acquainted with our fellow participants.

Thursday, June 7, 2007:

The Executive Board, the Delegates and the Alternates were greeted Thursday morning by the National President, Michèle Malo. Incidentally, for those of you whom are not familiar with Ms. Malo, she has been an active member of our association for a number of years. The Convention was officially opened on that morning. In fact, you could not miss the piper as he made his way through the venue in his traditional Scottish kilt.

Thursday afternoon was of particular interest to our Association. Ms. Sophie Truesdell-Ménard, member of the MAIW and winner of the Montreal Public Speaking Contest, placed third at the national level. Not an easy task as she presented her speech in French before a widely English speaking audience. We are most proud of her!

Thursday night was dedicated to some R & R. In fact, the conventioneers spent time getting to know each other over a fantastic meal at some quaint restaurant in Hamilton.

Friday, June 8, 2007:

Friday, June 8th , 2007 was Education Day. The day was dedicated to a variety of conferences by a number of speakers on multiple topics. As usual all the activities were accredited.

“Ice, Ice baby!! Discovering your Inner Bling!” was the first topic of the day. Adele Alfano, author and renown public motivational speaker emphasized the importance of what she refers to as the 4 “Cs”: Communicating, Celebrating, Committing and Connecting.

The second conference was co-chaired by Mr. David Way and Mr. Mario Fiorino of the Insurance Bureau of Canada. This presentation consisted of a dynamic approach to learning about the latest wording changes to the Commercial General Liability Policy.

The afternoon was marked by two conferences. Ms. Jo Anne Mitchell first enlightened us by helping to better our working styles by offering a practical approach to analysing multiple working patterns. This was followed by a review of the Collision Repair Industry. In sum, Mr. Zach Brall pointed out the fundamentals of this Industry by referring to a variety of statistics and up-coming trends.

Friday night is commonly referred to as Fun Night!!! A scavenger hunt that almost went sour because of rain was saved thanks to the creative thinking of the Hamilton volunteers. We eventually gathered at the University pub where we were treated to a magnificent performance by a local band. No doubt about it, we had a great time, singing and dancing all night!

Saturday, June 9, 2007:

Saturday morning began with a short memorial dedicated to the members passed this year. Our peers were remembered for their contributions to their local association.

The event was followed by a Business Session during which the proposed Amendments to the National Constitution and its Bylaws were voted.

Your new Executive was also voted as follows:
President: Linda Lacroix (North Western Ontario)
First Vice-President: Deborah Johnson (Manitoba)
Second Vice-President: Joyce Chalenchuk (London, Ontario)
Secretary: Gloria Balls (London, Ontario)
Treasurer: Lori Duclos (Toronto, Ontario)

The Business Session continued with the bids for hosting future Conventions. Montreal was honoured as it was awarded the 2011 Convention.

The Convention drew to an end with the Saturday night Gala. Pictures, mingling, reminiscing about past conventions… it was a very enjoyable evening. Most importantly, our member, Michèle Malo, was honoured with the very prestigious award of Insurance Woman of the Year. The MAIW is not only extremely proud of Michèle but would like to extend its thanks for her immeasurable contribution to both the MAIW and the CAIW.

In sum, the Hamilton District of Insurance Association did a magnificent job! The volunteers made the event successful and showed that a little courage goes a long way when the will to get the job done exists! Congratulations Hamilton and Montreal for a great time! Looking forward to seeing you at the next Convention!!!

Your Delegates
Panagiota Kalantzis
Madeleine Gravel

2006 - 40^e Annual Convention

This year the convention took place from June 7to 11 in London, Ontario. 2006 Being the 40th anniversary of C.A.I.W. our host association chose the theme:

« Forty Something… »

MA.I.W.’s delegates were Catherine Larouche, President 2005-2006 and Madeleine Gravel, Treasurer and newly elected Director. Unfortunately, Madeleine could not attend Convention and it is with pleasure that I accepted the role of substitute delegate.

Each year the host association works very hard to put together an outstanding Convention with emphasis on education, friendship and loyalty. This year the London Insurance Professional Association (L.I.P.A.) welcomed us with enthusiasm and once again it was another successful Convention.

C.A.I.W.’s mission is to preserve and enhance the value of our member Associations through education, networking and the fostering of personal growth. We were more than 150 participants from across the country and we can attest to the fact that L.I.P.A. fulfilled the mission with 4 quality convention days.

C.A.I.W. was created in 1966. The original members were Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Saint John, Toronto, Windsor, Winnipeg and Hamilton.

L.I.P.A. led us into a journey in the past with exhibits of original documents attesting to the creation of C.A.I.W. as well as with many souvenir pictures of past conventions. You can imagine the fun we had going back in time. Hair and dress styles made a few of us laugh. Some of us have changed quite a bit and we had trouble recognizing each other.

I was impressed that L.I.P.A. was able to fin to all 39 programs from previous conventions. They were all on display in the main conference room.

Wednesday June 7.

Day of registration and friendship renewals as members met at the Welcome cocktail hosted by Belron.

Thursday June 8.

The day started with a meeting of the Executive, delegates and alternates. This was followed by the official opening of C.A.I.W.’s 40th Convention and Annual General Meeting. President, Glenda Edwardsen introduced the following:

C.A.I.W. Executive committee
Delegates and alternates
Association Presidents
Past C.A.I.W. Presidents
Parliamentarian

Next was the approval of the minutes of the 2005 A.G.M. held in Winnipeg, followed by the presentation of the Executives’ reports and the local association Presidents’ reports.

The Association Forum, presided by Ex-officio Donna Brown took place in the morning. The Association Presidents highlighted positive aspects of their Association as well as the problems they encounter. What came out of this exchange of ideas is that we have to work hard to maintain interest and member participation in our social and educational activities. The insurance industry is constantly changing, our members are busier than ever and they have less time to give to their association.

Later on the participants were invited to give their opinion and suggestions on how to attract new members at the different activities. Here are a few examples of what some associations do and some of their suggestions:

The Executive introduce new members at meetings.
New members are asked to participate in committees
They organize events with other insurance industry associations to have more visibility
They suggest contacting employers’ CEO and upper management to promote the association
They ask their members who have management positions to promote membership within their organization.

The ever stimulating Public Speaking contest took place in the afternoon. The participants were Beverley Emes-Macklin from the Manitoba Association of Insurance Professionals, Michèle Roberts from the Toronto Insurance Women’s Association, Loretta Hamilton of the Insurance Women’s Association of Western Manitoba and Amber Clark of the Nova Scotia Insurance Women’s Association.

The Public Speaking contest is without a doubt one of the most awaited activity of the Convention. The participants were of a high caliber and the judges had quite a challenge in deciding on the winner.

Their order of appearance was decided by a draw.

The firs one was Loretta Hamilton. Her subject was <<The person I would most like to spend a day with>>. She was very funny and her choices of personalities to spend the day with went from Mother Theresa, to Queen Elizabeth, to Mickey Mouse and Brad Pitt. Finally she chose her husband because he is the most special person in her life.

The Second was Michèle Robert. She chose <<Balancing work and family>> as her theme. She described <<the typical woman of today>> as a multitasking person who can take care of the household while maintaining a career in insurance. What Michèle reminded us all, is that we should always keep some time just for ourselves, we deserve it.

The Third was Amber Clark. She spoke of the insurance industry and how she ended up working in it. She described the long road she took to find herself in insurance despite the fact that from a young age she seemed destined to work in the Arts. She traveled a lot and after quite a few years of going all over the world, she came home without a job or a goal. Upon her return she held 9 jobs in 6 months before finally finding a job in insurance and since then she has worked in an industry she likes very much.

The Fourth participant was Berverly Emes-Macklin. Her subject <<What am I doing in the Insurance Industry>>. She told us that as a youngster she aspired to be a policewoman, a teacher or even a star of professional wrestling. Her short stature rapidly made her change her mind. She has worked in our industry for 30 years. When she looked back at the different jobs she’s held, she realized that her career in insurance was somewhat similar to her youthful aspirations. Her speech was very amusing.

Then the judges left the room to decide on the winner. Each of the participants received a certificate of participation and the winners were announced at the Saturday banquet.

FUN NIGHT, Thursday June 8.

We were driven by bus to an undisclosed location. The evening took place in the Optimist Hall in Dorchester. We were welcomed by Ruby’s Diner red dressed ‘waitresses’. Each one of us was handed a 1950’s style glass bottle of Coca-Cola. Upon entering the room we found ourselves in a Diner from the 50s. During the evening we could watch clips from the movie Grease with appropriate music in the background.

We ate foot long hot-dogs, hamburgers, fries, onion rings and a variety of salads. This was follow by two choices of deserts: cream puffs, that I can still taste and for the really hungry Banana splits with brownies and cookies.

The musician from the Banana Split band entertained us with music from the 50s and the 60s and we even had a visit from Elvis himself, which greatly pleased the ladies.

We also had a visit from Ricky Nelson, who strangely, looked a lot like Tom Cruise. Roy Orbison closed the evening with Crying and Pretty Woman.

What a success! Fun Night sure is the right name for it.
Another memorable evening!

Friday, June 9

Friday was Education Day. The person responsible for the activities was my sister Michèle who was 1st Vice President of C.A.I.W.

I took in all 4 Education sessions. Two in the morning and two in the afternoon, each one was accredited by the CHAD. I was impressed by the variety of subjects discussed and the quality of the speakers.

In the morning Carol McKenzie, consultant in training services, spoke on “Accelerating your career: balancing your skills as an individual and as a team player”. The objective was to inspire and motivate the participants to adopt some new skills and behaviors in the areas of career growth, change management and team skills.

She was followed by Sam A. Malatesta from Malatesta Capital Corp., his subject was: The Role of Insurance in Today’s Day & Age. The objective was to look at Consumer buying behavior, how to deliver the promise of insurance and the importance of a strong corporate culture working with your service delivery partners’ future trends.

In the afternoon was had a session with Jo Anne Mitchell from Effective Training & Communications, her subject: Effective Training & Communications and “Insurance Fraud Indicators at Point of Sale” . The objectives were to discuss the impact of insurance fraud on the industry, to develop the participants’ skills in identifying common indicators of fraudulent or potentially fraudulent behavior and to assist participants in preventing fraud before it happens.

The day closed with a presentation by Lyall Bell from Solutions Training Insurance Resources. His subject: TRM – Teen Relationship Management. The objectives was for Brokers/Agents and Companies to develop relationships with the off-spring of Clients and prospective clients.

Friday night we were invited to a cocktail with the Exhibitors. The cocktail was held under the themes of humor and friendship and participation prizes were drawn. The rest of the evening was free and as usual members joined their associations for a good dinner with friends and colleagues.

Saturday, June 10

Saturday Morning always starts with the Memorial ceremony. This year it was presided by Michèle Malo. We take that time each year to honor and remember our colleagues who have passed away during the year. Each year is different! This year we did not loose any member which is very rare considering the number of members and their age.

We looked back at the last 40 years as the names of all the dear colleagues we had lost were scrolling down on the screen.

Then we moved on to the business sessions. There were amendments to the Handbook, the Advisory committee’s report and the 2006-2007 Budget, followed by the presentations from the Association holding the next conventions.

It is always a lot of fun. The host associations tease you and try to drum up interest in attending the convention they will be hosting.

Here is the list of Conventions to come:

2007 Hamilton District Insurance Association
2008 Insurance Women’s Association of Western Manitoba
2009 Toronto Insurance Women’s Association
2010 Nova Scotia Insurance Women’s Association

The morning concluded with the election and installation of officers for the 2006-2007 term. The committee chair was Donna Brown.

Here is the new Executive:

President Michèle Malo
1st Vice President Linda Lacroix
2nd Vice President Debbie Johnson
Treasurer Gloria Balls
Secretary Joyce Chalanchuk
Past President Glenda Edwardsen

Saturday Night Banquet

The evening started with the President’s cocktail. Then we made our way to the ballroom where the banquet’s theme was <<Until we meet again>>. The room was very elegantly decorated in black and white and Glenda Edwardsen was our host for the evening. She introduced the head table we were treated to a delicious meal. Everyone was so elegant, it was a very chic and fun night!

Glenda introduced the Past President and they each received from Donna Simmons a nice souvenir gift.

The Empey Sisters provided the entertainment. For an hour they brought us all the way back to the 40s with beautiful melodies that many of us seemed to know.

The banquet closed with the awarding of the trophies and prizes, here are the winners:

The Insurance Information Campaign

Winner –prize of $700.00: Toronto Insurance Women’s Association
Runner up – prize of $300.00: Insurance Women’s Association of Western Manitoba

Essay Contest

Winner : Sylvia Jensen M.A.I.P.
Runner up : Robin Kelly I.W.A.W.M.

Public Speaking Contest

Winner: Loretta Hamilton I.W.A.W.M.
Runner up: Amber Clark N.S.I.W.A.
Third place: Beverly Emes-Macklin F.C.I.P.

Cowan Insurance Group Trophy
St Paul Traveler Education Trophy

Winner: Toronto Insurance Women’s Association. Prize 500$

Insurance Woman of the year

Donna Brown Insurance Professionals of Calgary

We are especially proud of Michèle Malo’s nomination as C.A.I.W. President for the 2006-2007 term. She has always represented us within M.AI.W and C.A.I.W. with a lot of class and professionalism.

Dear Michèle, in the name of all our members, we congratulate you for your nomination. It is an important position and we know that you will be an excellent ambassador for the Montreal Association of Insurance Women during your mandate.

The 40th Convention was my 7th participation as a M.AI.W. member and each year it is with great pleasure that I renew friendships with colleagues I met through the years. C.A.I.W provides not only great education opportunities, but also fosters personal growth. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my employer and all those who make it possible for women in our industry to participate every year in MAIW’s activities.

The 2007 Convention will be in Hamilton under the Presidency of Michèle Malo. Will I see you there?

Suzanne L. Malo
For the delegates
Convention 2006

2005 - 39^th Annual Convention

DELEGATES’ REPORT

The members of the local Associations meet every year at the Canadian convention, and, once again, this event allowed members to renew friendships and to participate in many training activities. As your delegates, we are happy to give you a recap of the activities that took place from June 8th to the 12th, 2005, in Winnipeg under the theme of « A City for All Seasons ». We were 11 members of the Montreal Association of Insurance Women who participated this year.

The Convention opened Wednesday, June 8th, with a discussion forum. This forum was lively, because of the many subjects discussed. The discussion forum was followed by a welcoming cocktail, sponsored by Belron Canada where the members of the different Associations across Canada were reunited.

Reports
The A.G.M. was officially opened the next morning by CAIW President Donna Brown.

Right from the start, the members of the Executive, the Committee chairs, permanent and special as well as the different Associations’ presidents presented their yearly results. These reports keep us informed of the different activities that take place during the year in the Associations and CAIW. This was followed by exchanges between the national Executive and the members of the Associations, and was mostly centered on the importance of maximizing the financial resources of the Canadian Association and on presenting a balanced budget.

This meeting was followed by a nice lunch sponsored by Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company and the Insurance Women’s Association of Western Manitoba.

Public Speaking
The Convention united all the Public Speaking Winners across the country, where six candidates were vying for the title, including Marie-Claude LeClerc winner of our Association’s contest, who gave a very good performance. Even though she did not win, she is without a doubt a winner in our hearts and we would like to warmly congratulate her for this accomplishment. The winner is Susan Wallis, CAIB, Toronto Insurance Women’s Association, followed by Roslyn French, Hamilton District Insurance Association and Laura Greening, BA, CIP, Nova Scotia Insurance Women’s Association.

Education Day
The many who participated in this Day showed what a success this Education Day was. The numerous interesting subjects captivated the audience:

AUTO CRIME AWARENESS & PREVENTION, presented by Barry Ward, Executive Director of the National Committee to Reduce Auto Theft.

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: GONE WITH THE WIND? WE SHOULD GIVE A DAM!,presented by Gregg Hanson, CEO Wawanesa Insurance Compagny.

C.S.A. AND THE INSPECTION WORLD, presented by Dan Hiebert, Loss Prevention & Inspections Officer, Red River Valley Mutual.

PIPP (PERSONAL INJURY PROTECTION PLAN) VS TORTE, presented by Rick Sloan, Director of Basic Policy, Development and Support, Manitoba Public Insurance.

Three of these sessions gave the participants a maximum of 6 PDU.

Memorial

We started Saturday with a short Memorial honouring the eight members who passed away during the year. This included three Montreal members, Lella Amore, Jeann-Marie Myette and Louise Morel. We wanted to highlight their involvement and dedication to the industry and the Association, which has spanned many decades. A moment of silence was observed in memory of:

Doris Gyba, Manitoba Association of Insurance Professionals
Bruce Parks, London Insurance Professionals Association
Lella Amore, Montreal Association of Insurance Women
Jodi Runnells Porter, Nova Scotia Insurance Women’s Association
Ann Martin, Ottawa Association of Insurance Professionals
Maureen Toop, Ottawa Association of Insurance Professionals
Jeanne-Marie Myette, Montreal Association of Insurance Women Louise Morel, Montreal Association of Insurance Women

We then moved on to business sessions. There were many items on the agenda, including a balanced budget. Questions on the insurance costs, the reduction in revenues from the website sponsors, amongst others contributed to modify the presented budget for 2005-2006 and a balanced budget was tabled. In closing we had the pleasure of watching the presentations from the Associations hosting future Conventions as well as Associations bidding for Convention.

Here are the host Associations of the next Conventions:

2006: London Insurance Professionals Association
2007: Hamilton District Insurance Association
2008: Insurance Women’s Association of Western Manitoba
2009: Toronto Insurance Women’s Association
2010: Nova Scotia Insurance Women’s Association

Here are the members of the newly elected Executive of the Canadian Association of Insurance Women for the 2005-2006 term.

President : Glenda Edwardsen – Manitoba
First Vice-President : Michèle Malo – Montreal
Second Vice-President: Linda Lacroix – Northern Ontario
Secretary : Debby Johnson – Nova Scotia
Treasurer : Joyce Chalanchuk - Hamilton
Past President : Donna Brown – Calgary

At the banquet, our President, Donna Brown thanked the participants, the organizers as well as our numerous sponsors for a great Convention.

The winners of the many contests were:

Insurance Information Campaign
Winner: Nova Scotia Insurance Women’s Association

Essay Contest
Winner: Wendy Eckler Black – Hamilton

Public Speaking Contest
Susan Wallis – Toronto

St-Paul Education Award
London Insurance Professionals Association

Cowan Award
Nova Scotia Insurance Women’s Association

Insurance Woman of the Year
No woman was honored this year

Sunday morning members met for a breakfast sponsored by Royal & SunAlliance.

We are inviting you to join us next year in London for the 2006 Convention & AGM of the Canadian Association of Insurance Women.

Your delegates

Annie Arsenault / Isabelle Perreault
2005 Convention