ACTIVATE VOLUNTEER BLOG

Be a Leader

2011-04-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, Check out this great essay on what it means to be a leader by Michele Milligan, submitted by Volunteer Team Leader Emily Rowell.

Be a Leader
By: Michele Milligan, Source Unknown

The following was written by a high school student writing an essay for her final exam:

"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. In the end, leaders are much like eagles... they don't flock, you find them one at a time." Hard work, profound dedication, and encouragement toward others are what entitle an individual to be a leader.

A strong work ethic is one important quality of an adroit leader. As the saying goes: "There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy." Hard work and intense dedication can only make you better, both mentally and skillfully. If others see one person working as hard as they can 100% of the time, they will work harder for that one person. No matter how unmotivated people are, if just one person steps up and takes the lead, everybody else will follow. Leaders motivate others.

Many people find themselves working harder when they know that they get something out of it. Just by hearing a few pushing words that motivate and encourage, people force themselves to work harder. Leaders are usually the ones who ignore their own accomplishments to commend others for theirs. The leader keeps everybody's head up at all times, as they work harder and harder, and more diligently toward their goals. The number one thing that a leader tries to avoid is making people feel guilty or to look down on them because leaders bring others higher in the world, usually with the result being success. As a noble person once said, "There are high spots in all of our lives, and most of them come through encouragement from someone else."

Hard work from one person makes other work harder. Vehement dedication shows others the success that comes through it. Encouragement and support for others make others feel good about themselves and give them something else to work for. These are all very significant traits that a leader must possess. Don't wait around for things to happen, make this world what you really want it to be, be a leader.

Mixed Emotions

2011-03-25T12:43:00.001-07:00

The old adage: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”. It would seem to me that it is always the times when you are most disappointed that people tell you to go ahead and do the thing that disappointed you, again! Take me for example. I applied to attend ACTIVATE for the 2009 forum. And guess what? I wasn’t chosen. I berated myself for days with questions. Why not me? Why am I not good enough? What else do I have to do? Why did I bother applying? Surprise, Surprise, this poor-poor-pitiful-me attitude took me NOWHERE.

Two years later, after I tried, tried again, here I am: a volunteer for ACTIVATE 2011and past delegate of ACTIVATE 2010. It turns out, a year after my first application, when I applied to attend the forum again, I had grown up quite a bit, and was much better able to appreciate the lengths and widths (haha) to which I would grow from ACTIVATE.

The lesson of the day is this: do not be unkind, mean, hateful, or damaging to yourself because you did not succeed with something the first time. Sometimes, you really must try, try again before you will succeed in something. As athletes, we must all learn this when participating in all sport and physical activity. But this lesson is important for anyone in daily life as well. The phrase, “Everything happens for a reason”, fit very well with my ACTIVATE story. I was not ready that first year to attend ACTIVATE. But after a long year of hard work, I was prepared to begin my journey.

So if you have received a YES response to your application, be sure to stop and take a moment to pat yourself on the back. You are an incredible individual and I look forward to meeting you in May. But if you received a NO response, I want you to stop and give yourself two pats on the back. For the first, think of all the great things you have done in your life and all the things you like about yourself. For the second, think of a maximum of three things you would like to improve about yourself or your physical activity or community involvement. And finally, after all of this, I want you to promise me that you will apply to ACTIVATE 2012, because I look forward to meeting you too.

Peace, love and hugs,
Alli

Allison Burton
ACTIVATE 2011 Volunteer Team Member

Last chance this year!

2011-01-31T12:22:00.000-08:00

Oh my, oh my, what is the date today? Oh that’s right! January 31st and now while it may be the last day of January, the last day of the first month of 2011, it is also the last date to apply for ACTIVATE 2011! What a way to start off the year and your week by making sure that you fill out the application form for this amazing, life-changing experience.
You truly will have no cause to regret the time it takes to fill out the application. Even if you are not accepted as a delegate this year, filling out the application can help you explore yourself and your own motivations.
I invite you to fill out this application and do your best; the whole volunteer team would love to have you join us on this journey. I feel as though that is all I need to say to you at this time. I will have much more to say, that I can promise, but for now, this blog is simply eating into your time that you could be using to fill out the ACTIVATE 2011 application!
So…if you are still here, I haven’t gotten my point across! GO FILL IT OUT NOW! Take a step forward on your path of life and have an adventure.
Happy writing.
PS It’s due by 11 PM Eastern Standard Time today! Not 11 PM anywhere, people in Pacific Standard Time that is only 8 PM so don’t leave it too late!!

The delegate application can be found online at http://www.motivatecanada.ca/en/page-87-activate-2011-application.

Emily Rowell
ACTIVATE 2011 Volunteer Team Leader

My Adventure at ACTIVATE

2011-01-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

Veuillez défiler vers le bas pour la version française

My adventure at ACTIVATE was not at all planned. It was almost by accident that I went there. When I received the email that described ACTIVATE I was already on another great adventure – I was doing an exchange in Quebec for three months, far from my family and friends. The email was sent to me by a lady that I met during another leadership conference in British Columbia. I was interested, so the next time that I spoke to my parents, I asked them if I could fill-in the form. They told me to try, but I filled it in without too much hope because ACTIVATE was for people aged 16 to 22 and I had just turned 16.
When I received the email telling me that I had been accepted it was a great shock. It was in this way that my adventure began. It was a little difficult to do it all – the permission forms and everything – because my parents were at the other end of the country and had to also sign because I was a minor.
May 5 to 10 was a real experience. I was the baby of the conference but it never mattered. I was part of the group and that was all, there was no different treatment because I was younger than they were. ACTIVATE really inspired me to try everything that is possible. Even if you don’t have a big project, you can still change the world with little projects. I was not able to choose only one project but the tools that ACTIVATE gave me help me every day to organize little events and to have an impact how and where I can.
The big project that I proposed at the conference was to be a coach for the 8th grade rugby team in my school this year. So I will do it, but while I wait for the rugby season to start, I play at the club with the boys to see what their level of interest is. Also, I participate everywhere in my school. I think that ACTIVATE left a lot of hope in my heart for our world because I had the opportunity to meet other youth like me who had the enthusiasm and energy to do everything that they can for the world.
ACTIVATE showed me that there is a life after school so it’s okay if I miss a little school to participate in conferences and activities that interest me and I can catch up easily if I work hard.

Emily Rowell
Volunteer Team Leader

Mon aventure à ACTIVEZ

2011-01-28T13:19:00.000-08:00

Mon aventure à ACTIVEZ n’était pas du tout planifiée. C’était presque par accident que j’y suis allée. Quand j’ai reçu le courriel qui me décrivait ACTIVEZ j’étais déjà dans une grande aventure – je faisais un échange au Québec pendant trois mois, loin de ma famille et de mes amies. Le courriel m’a été envoyé par une dame que j’ai rencontrée pendant une autre conférence de leadership en Colombie-Britannique. Je m’y suis intéressé et la prochaine fois que j’ai parlé à mes parents, je leur ai demandé si je pouvais remplir le formulaire. Ils m’ont dit d’essayer, mais je l’ai rempli sans trop d’espoir parce qu’ACTIVEZ était pour les personnes âgées de 16 à 22 ans et j’avais 16 ans depuis très peu de temps.
Quand j’ai reçu le courriel qui me disait que j’avais été accepté ça a été un grand choc. C’est de cette manière que mon aventure a commencé. C’était un peu difficile de tout faire – les papiers de permission et tout – parce que mes parents étaient à l’autre bout du pays et devaient signer aussi parce que j’étais une mineure.
La semaine du 5 mai au 10 mai a été une vraie expérience. J’étais le bébé de la conférence mais on ne l’aurait jamais su. Je faisais partie du groupe et c’était tout, il n’y avait pas de traitement différent parce que j’étais plus jeune qu’eux. ACTIVEZ m’a vraiment inspiré à essayer tout ce qui est possible. Même si on n’a pas de grand projet, on peut toujours changer le monde avec des petits projets. Je n’ai pas pu choisir seulement un projet mais les outils qu’ACTIVEZ m’a donné m’aident chaque jour à organiser des petits évènements et de faire un impact comme et où je peux.
Le grand projet que j’ai proposé à la conférence a été d’être entraineur pour l’équipe de rugby des huitième années à mon école cette année. Alors je vais le faire, mais pendant que j’attends la saison de rugby, je joue au club avec les garçons pour voir quel est le niveau d’intérêt. De plus, je participe partout dans mon école et je crois qu’ACTIVEZ a laissé beaucoup d’espoir dans mon cœur pour notre monde parce que j’ai eu l’occasion de rencontrer des jeunes comme moi qui avaient l’enthousiasme et l’énergie de faire tout ce qu’on peut pour le monde.
ACTIVEZ m’a montré qu’il y a de la vie après l’école alors ça va si je manque un peu d’école pour participer a des conférences et des excursions qui m’intéressent et je peux rattraper facilement si je m’applique.

Emily Rowell
Chef de l’équipe de bénévoles

Fundraising to attend ACTIVATE

2011-01-25T13:05:00.000-08:00

Hello again!

Imagine: you are sitting in Prescott Hall at Carleton University. Seated around you are 49 other youth from across Canada, and everyone is enraptured by a speaker at the front of the room. You have met wonderful new people, learned more about yourself and your abilities, and are chock-full of ideas about ACTIVATING your community. Over the week, your enthusiasm has grown and you are practically itching to change the world. The excitement and energy are practically tangible in the room.
The ACTIVATE forum.

Sounds perfect for you, right?
And then the price tag shock: $500.

If this is a barrier for you, fear not, it was for me too, until I was funded! To provide a little background, I lived in the foster care system for four years prior to the summer of 2009. That August, I decided that I had enough, and I moved into a little apartment on my own. Although I was given some monetary support from the Ministry of Children and Families, I constantly worked to make ends meet – life is expensive! I wanted nothing more than to go to the ACTIVATE forum, but it seemed nearly impossible to afford. To be honest, I considered not bothering to apply.

Can you relate?

The topic of the day: fundraising for ACTIVATE.

I was fortunate to have volunteered with the Rotary Club in my town of Sooke, BC before I decided to apply to ACTIVATE. This wonderful and spirited group of people became familiar faces and I have enjoyed every moment I have spent in their company. When I was speaking to one of the members of my local Rotary about ACTIVATE and my difficulty affording the fee, to my surprise he offered to ask if the club can cover it!

Long story short, I was funded to attend ACTIVATE, and I ended as a volunteer the next year too! There are a couple lessons here: (1) it never hurts to help out around your community because it often helps you out in the future and (2) it IS possible to attend ACTIVATE even if you can’t afford the fee.

As I said, I was funded through the Rotary Club of Sooke, British Columbia. Find your club here: www.rotary.org. Other ACTIVATORS have contacted their local sports teams (professional and local), their Student Council or Student Federation, family members (the ACTIVATE forum for your birthday? Why not!), Leadership classes, even school administration like the Principal or Guidance Counsellor.
Sogo Active is another avenue: https://secure.sogoactive.com/ssldocs/common/aboutSogo.jsf

To conclude: do not let money be the barrier that keeps you from attending ACTIVATE. This forum will change your life, and is worth going the extra mile to fundraise for. If you need any help or guidance in this area, feel welcome to contact the dynamic volunteer team at activatevolunteers@gmail.com. You may need to provide a platform or information relating to ACTIVATE in order to apply for funding – we are happy to help you construct this. Keep us in the loop with what you are doing, even if you don’t need your help, and we can provide encouragement!

Happy Fundraising!

Allison

Allison Burton
ACTIVATE 2011 Volunteer Team Member

Hear from some of your ACTIVATE 2011 volunteers!

2011-01-25T12:56:00.000-08:00

My Favourite Things!

2011-01-24T13:12:00.000-08:00

After the orientation weekend with the fantastic volunteer team of the ACTIVATE 2011 Forum, I thought I would reflect on my favourite thing(s) about each of my co-volunteers!

Emily Rowell (co-team leader): Emily is a caring and loving individual who gets the greatest enjoyment from seeing others succeed! When she commits to someone or something, she works tirelessly to see it through or help until the very end. An incredible mama-bear!

Adam Furlong (co-team leader): Adam is also an extremely caring individual who is passionate about working with youth. He is always willing to help, and is an amazing supporter of youth across the country! His belief in the young people in Canada is contagious and wonderful!

Ashley Fullarton: Ashley is always ready to get stuff done, and fill a need when it presents itself. Her enthusiasm is infectious! Her warm smile always spreads across the room, and she is always there to listen!

Maggie Kirkwood: One word – ENERGY! This young lady is enthusiastic about everything! Not only does she play every sport under the sun, but Maggie is also passionate about including others and always, always, always having FUN! She brings a ray of sunshine to the team!

Colton Hogg: Colton is incredible; he is extremely passionate and hard-working to get youth active around him. His adventurous and caring personality draws others out of their shell around him, and provides a comfortable environment for everyone.

Dylan Tobin (Tobes): Tobes is the behind-the-scenes, get ‘er-done kind of guy. When he shares his thoughts, they are insightful and knowledgeable. If something needs to be done, Dylan is always there to help, and he makes everything fun.

Kyle McLellan: The best thing about Kyle is that he shares my love and passion for Nike shoes. Seriously, amazing. Oh, and he’s super energetic, positive, and HILARIOUS! It is so nice to have someone on the team who can laugh at a tense situation and make everyone feel better. Kyle also brings a creative and experience mind to the table, and his ideas are invaluable!

And your ACTIVATE staff:

Danielle Vienneau: Danielle is organized, and VERY caring. She is incredible at interacting with other people; making sure each individual feels welcome and comfortable in a variety of situations.

Lauren Larocque: Lauren is incredible at inspiring youth. Her energetic and positive attitude is tangible the moment she walks into the room. She makes it look easy when facilitating and teaching youth by leading them comfortably to a place of creativity and productiveness.

So as you can see, the Volunteer Team and its fearless leaders are a wonderful group of people who are working hard to bring you ACTIVATE 2011. Apply and you can meet us! Oh, and you can learn stuff, meet some other youth, visit Ottawa……AND HAVE THE BEST FREAKIN’TIME OF YOUR LIFE.

xoxo
Allison

Allison Burton
ACTIVATE 2011 Volunteer Team Member

If you want to attend ACTIVATE 2011 (and meet the incredible people mentioned above!) APPLY BY JANUARY 31, 2011! Applications can be found at http://www.motivatecanada.ca/en/page-87-activate-2011-application

Final Week!

2011-01-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

Hey there all you extreme thinkers. I know many of you have read about ACTIVATE and thought long and hard about applying. You may have even called Lauren for further information to try and figure out what exactly you might be getting yourself into. Well the time for that is almost up! No more over thinking, just do it! This is now the homestretch: the time to open your word document and let your fingers fly! The application is due in exactly one week- January 31!
Now, if you are anything like me, you like to leave the big projects such as essays for the weekend and to be honest, applying for ACTIVATE is a big project. But it is so worth it! If you are like that, well it is your lucky day because you do have one more weekend to schedule in the application. Find a time slot in your busy life (or extreme gaming) to fill out the application this coming weekend. 11 PM Eastern Standard Time is the official cut off time for ACTIVATE 2011 on January 31st, what a way that would be to end of this first month of 2011: applying for something as cool and life-changing as ACTIVATE. I don’t want any excuses, this is something you should do, find the time, fill it out and wait to see the difference it could make.
For those who aren’t sure, do it anyway. For those who don’t think they have the time, make the time. And for those who believe they know it all already, believe me, you will learn something new, make a new connection or simply expand your horizons.

**11 PM Eastern Standard Time=12:30 AM in Newfoundland/Labrador=12 AM in the Atlantic Time Zone =10 PM in Central =9 PM in Mountain Time & = 9 PM Pacific Standard Time

TO APPLY, PLEASE VISIT http://www.motivatecanada.ca/en/page-87-activate-2011-application.

Emily Rowell
ACTIVATE 2011 Volunteer Team Leader

Applying to ACTIVATE

2011-01-11T12:33:00.000-08:00

While you sit at your computer, reading about ACTIVATE, you may be thinking that there is no way you would ever be abe to get into a National Leadership Forum. But, after all, someone has to be accepted, so why not you? If you don't apply, then it is 100% certain you will not be accepted; however, if you open the door the possibility then who knows that might happen?!

When I applied to ACTIVATE, I was already in the middle of an exchange and on the opposite side of the country from my family. In this rural Quebecois town, I received an e-mail telling me about ACTIVATE and I forwarded it to my parents to find out if I was allowed to apply. Their reply was exactly what I am going to tell you: why not?! What do you have to lose from applying? If you are trying to think of an answer, then you have already found it: nothing! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Wayne Gretzky once said "you miss 100% of the shots that you don't take", so take this shot! Say yes to the chance of a lifetime. Stop reading this blog, open up a Word document and start answering the questions on the ACTIVATE application.

Who knows, you might learn a little something about yourself along the way.

Emily Rowell
ACTIVATE 2011 Volunteer Team Leader

Welcome to the Volunteer Blog!

2011-01-11T12:25:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Welcome to the official blog of the ACTIVATE 2011 Volunteer Team! We (the volunteer team) are going to post about our experiences with ACTIVATE, our journey as a volunteer, and other useful and interesting tidbits! Be sure to keep checking back for more info!

At this time, we can introduce you to the team! Find out more about the eight volunteer youth who will be planning this year's forum by clicking here: www.motivatecanada.ca/en/activate2011volunteers.
We have included a short bio of each of the volunteers, as well as a quick and super awesome video of the entire team made by the one and only Dylan Tobin!

Looking forward to seeing you all in May!

Allison Burton
ACTIVATE 2011 Volunteer Team Member

It all starts with an open mind.

2010-04-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

I was walking into Chapters the other day and my eyes started running wild. There is something about that place that gets my heart racing and my legs moving faster and faster as I walk. That may sound strange, but give me a second to explain and perhaps you'll agree with my reasoning.

That place is filled with ideas. Creative ideas by people like you and me, that decided to pick up a pen and a piece of paper and start writing. Each book that stands on the shelves has a rich history; a history created by a person that wasn't afraid to share their thoughts and ideas with the rest of the world. That person decided to take a chance on the world and the acceptance that they may or may not receive from critics like you and I.

What kind of critic are you? When you walk into Chapters do you judge a book by its cover? Or, do you read the short summary provided about the book and make a decision from there? Or maybe, just maybe, you open the book and stand in the middle of the aisle for a good ten minutes reading the first chapter, and then decide whether you're going to invest your time in reading the rest.

As you board the plane to Ottawa, you're mind is going to be racing with thoughts, questions, concerns, and ideas. I can tell you from experience that your mind is going to be racing even faster when you walk through the doors of Carlton University and have your first opportunity to examine the space that you'll be spending a lot of time in over the period of the conference. In front of your eyes will display many creative ideas that youth just like you have come up with. These youth decided to take a chance; they rook a risk that critics like you would accept and appreciate their ideas. There are going to be speakers that take the time to come to the ACTIVATE Conference to speak. These people, like the books that sit on the shelves of Chapters, come with a rich history that is geared to inspire and motivate others.

How are you going to react to this environment, covered with ideas, opportunity for change and positive development? Are you going to judge it at first glance, and turn the other way? Or perhaps you may walk around a little bit, look at a few topics that will be covered over the conference and then stop there.

Here's my suggestion: Start by boarding the plane with an open mind. Leave your expectations and fears at the gate. Allow your heart to race a little faster as the plane ascents towards Ottawa. When you arrive in Ottawa, accept that your legs may walk a little faster than normal in anticipation for what is in store for you over the course of the week. Then, when you finally arrive at the doors of Carlton University and you have your first look at the space where the conference will be held, walk around and take in all the creative ideas and opportunity that surrounds you.

The opportunities, experiences, and creative ideas that will be shared and experienced throughout the week will only be there if you allow your mind to take a chance. Making a positive difference in your community isn't easy, but neither is writing a book. However, if you walk into Chapters there are hundreds, upon hundreds of books filling the shelves. What does that mean? It means that there are people that decided to take a chance at the world and succeeded.

So, take a chance on the world, open your mind to the possibilities and see what kind of book you may be able to write!

-Becky Molly
ACTIVATE 2010 Volunteer

You ask, why try? I ask, why not?

2010-03-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

The applicaton process is complete. The selection is finalized. The results are being distributed. But, here's the secret: It's only just begun.

There are two reactions that you might have experienced when opening that email from Motivate Canada. One being, a huge burst of excitement, a sense of accomplishment and an extreme amount of anticipation for what May has in store for you. Why? Because you have been selected to attend the ACTIVATE 2010 Conference. The second reaction might be a rush of disappointment, followed by questioning yourself as to why you thought you had a chance to attend the conference in the first place. Why? Because unfortunately, you did not get chosen.

You might be wondering why I was able to pin point your given reactions. It's because I've experienced both. I remember in 2008, when I was anxiously awaiting my fate from Motivate Canada. My friend had also applied, and when I arrived at school that week she had the first reaction all over her face. At that point, I couldn't wait to go home to check my e-mail. Needless to say, that day wasn't a happy day for me. On top of it all, I had to show my encouragement and support for my friend, when all I wanted to do was scream in frustration. I began questioning why I bothered applying in the first place. Why did I think I had a chance to attend such a conference? My conclusion that day was, clearly I wasn't good enough to be a part of such an inspiring and determined group of youth.

That's a pretty depressing conclusion that I came up with at the end of the day! Thankfully, I discovered a beautiful fact. I was a part of a generation that was and is geared for change. Just because I didn't get accepted didn't mean I didn't have what it took. It meant that there were so many youth that had what it took! Just because I didn't get accepted to the conference didn't mean I wasn't good enough, it meant that so many youth were good enough!

Needless to say, I ran with the beautiful fact I had discovered and waited patiently for Motivate Canada to promote the next ACTIVATE Conference. That's why in 2009 I applied again. It was a year later, I had another year of opportunities and experiences under my belt and I wasn't ready to throw in the towel. And it paid off, because that year I experienced the first reaction; that burst of excitement and a sense of accomplishment. I was a delegate for the ACTIVATE 2009 Conference.

And now I sit here, with the opportunity to share my stories and my thoughts to each of you reading. Why? Because I didn't let a rejection scare me away, nor did I let the acceptance to attend an ACTIVATE Conference be the last of my interactions with the Motivate Canada Organization.

We are a part of a generation that can make change. Some people may ask, why try? I ask, why not?

First Post!

2010-03-08T17:53:00.000-08:00

Hey there!

Welcome to the official ACTIVATE National Youth Leadership Conference Volunteer Blog. Here, you will find stories and advice from the ACTIVATE Alumni that are organizing ACTIVATE 2010.

Who is the volunteer team? Meet us all here:

http://www.motivatecanada.ca/en/2010volunteers

We have all attended the conference before as delegates and a couple of us were even volunteers before, so we have quite a bit of insight to offer. If you have questions, you can email us at:

activatevolunteers@gmail.com

We promise we will reply to your message in less than 24 hours!

Your questions are important to us too, because it will give us ideas about what to blog about here. If it seems like a lot of people are wondering the same thing, it will be posted on this blog and simplify the process.

Keep checking this blog, find our youtube channel (motivate canada video) and don't hesitate to email us!

-Braeden Jones

Volunteer Team Leader