Table of Contents
Annual Business Meeting
May 7, 2022
9:00 a.m.
Mark your calendars for the annual business meeting! This meeting will take place virtually on Saturday May 7, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. CST. It is open to all Toastmasters of District 35. At the meeting you will have a chance to hear updates on district business from members of the District Executive Committee. Also on the agenda is a vote for next year’s district leadership team as well as a vote on the alignment of clubs, areas, and divisions for the next program year.
All Club Presidents and Vice Presidents Education are invited to attend this meeting to cast your club’s votes. Clubs that are in good standing (having 8 paid members) have 2 votes. Because this is a virtual meeting, votes cannot be proxied to another member of the club. To vote, you must be present. Voting members of the District Council will receive targeted emails with instructions on how to be credentialed and how to vote. Find out more here: https://district35.org/2022-annual-business-meeting-2/
Club Officer Elections
Plan now for next year by talking about who will lead your club in 2022/2023. Officer elections must be completed, and results submitted to Toastmasters International by June 30, 2022. But why wait? Start planning now for next year to ensure a smooth transition from one club executive committee to the next.
Once elections take place, the current club president or club secretary should submit the new leaders’ names and contact information to World Headquarters online through Club Central by the end of June. This will ensure that your new leaders receive the updates and training invites that they need to begin their year.
As you talk with your members about the responsibilities of the various officer roles, please refer to the Club Leadership Handbook.
Program Quality Director Mid-Year Report
Path To Distinguished
As we count down to yet another end of year, we have really exciting news to report. With less than 3 months to June 30 we have 86 of 98 active clubs in our District that have earned at least 1 DCP.
For District 35 to be Distinguished, we need 40 clubs to be Distinguished.
As of April 5 2022, 39 clubs have earned at least 3 Distinguished Club Program (DCP) points and are on track to be Distinguished by June 30, 2022.
We are excited to report that the following 16 clubs have already earned 5 DCPs. A hearty congratulations to these six clubs — Eastside Madison, Menomonee Falls, Royal Toastmasters, ROK the Talk, Madison Achievers, and NM Speaks! — that are already Distinguished as of April 4, 2022. The other 12 clubs have earned at least 5 DCP points but have not the membership goal to be Distinguished.
Club Name | Member Base | Active Members | Goals Met | # of Additional Members Needed |
Eastside Madison Toastmasters | 23 | 26 | 9 | – |
Menomonee Falls Toastmasters | 12 | 18 | 8 | – |
DJAB | 22 | 14 | 8 | 6 |
Royal Toastmasters | 22 | 25 | 8 | – |
ROK the Talk | 20 | 26 | 7 | – |
Brookfield Toastmasters | 21 | 15 | 7 | 5 |
Sheboygan Club 2121 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 4 |
Eclectic Image Club | 20 | 18 | 6 | 2 |
Ozaukee Toastmasters | 9 | 10 | 5 | 4 |
Love of Laughter | 17 | 12 | 5 | 8 |
Capital City Club | 12 | 12 | 5 | 5 |
Madison Achievers | 5 | 10 | 5 | – |
Cream City Communicators | 22 | 13 | 5 | 7 |
NM Speaks! | 33 | 28 | 5 | – |
Plymouth Toastmasters Club | 9 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
Wisconsin Rapids Area Toastmasters Club | 11 | 10 | 5 | 6 |
Key: Distinguished Club | ||||
Additional members needed to meet the membership goal to be Distinguished (# needed in italics) | ||||
We recommend that clubs consider conducting SpeechCraft or Open House events in the coming weeks to see increase membership. Clubs interested in SpeechCraft can reach out to our SpeechCraft team lead Dick Hawley to learn more.
PATHWAYS ADOPTION RATES AS OF APRIL 5, 2022 We continue to make progress in increasing our Pathways Adoption Rates. 36 clubs have 100% Pathways Adoption Rates, another 40 clubs have between 75-99% rates, as of April 5, 2022. Congratulations to Division A team—Division A Director Dave Hendrickson, Area A1 Director Susan Brushafer, Area A2 Director Jim Vitrano, and Area A3 Director Yuriy Ksenidi—for having the highest Pathways Enrollment Rates and the most clubs with 100 Pathways Enrolled in our District.
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Education Awards (as of April 5, 2022)
Below is a summary of education awards earned by each Division in total and on average per club. Congratulations to Division N team that had the highest absolute number of education awards, and to Division B and N for having the highest number of education awards per club.
EDUCATION AWARDS AS OF APRIL 5, 2022 | |||
Division | Education Awards | Number of Clubs | Education Awards per Club** |
A | 41 | 12 | 3 |
B | 45 | 9 | 5 |
C | 52 | 15 | 3 |
D | 34 | 11 | 3 |
E | 54 | 16 | 3 |
F | 32 | 13 | 2 |
N | 55 | 12 | 5 |
313 | 88 | 4 | |
** Numbers rounded to nearest whole number | |||
The list of clubs with 5 or more Education Awards has increased to 22! Congratulations to Sheboygan Club 2121 for having the highest education awards submitted to date (13 awards). Below, a list of 22 clubs that have submitted 5 or more Education Awards in this Toastmasters year (since July 1, 2022).
EDUCATION AWARDS BY DIVISION AS OF APRIL 5, 2022 | ||||
Club Name | Education Awards | Club Name | Education Awards | |
Sheboygan Club 2121 | 13 | Reedsburg Area Club | 7 | |
Eastside Madison Toastmasters | 12 | Wisconsin Rapids Area Toastmasters | 7 | |
Eclectic Image Club | 11 | Mid-Day Women’s Alliance Toastmasters | 7 | |
Royal Toastmasters | 11 | Waukesha Toastmasters Club | 6 | |
DJAB | 11 | Wisconsin Club | 6 | |
Cream City Communicators | 9 | ROK the Talk | 6 | |
Menomonee Falls Toastmasters | 9 | Ozaukee Toastmasters | 5 | |
Capital City Club | 8 | The Breakfast Club | 5 | |
Brookfield Toastmasters | 8 | Madison Achievers | 5 | |
Love of Laughter | 8 | Oak Creek Toastmasters | 5 | |
Plymouth Toastmasters Club | 8 | CNH Industrial Toast Team | 5 | |
Triple Crown Winners
Congratulations to 24 Toastmasters (and 2 anonymous) that have earned Triple Crown (3 or more education awards) in this Toastmasters year:
TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS AS OF APRIL 5, 2022 | ||||||
Member |
| Count | Member |
| Count | |
Kristine | Pool | 13 | Yuriy | Ksenidi | 3 | |
Barb | Sexmith | 5 | Anthony | Cooper | 3 | |
Janet | O’Rourke | 5 | David | Schmitt | 3 | |
Jim | Kohli | 4 | Michael | Dill | 3 | |
Susan | Brushafer | 4 | Lois | TeStrake | 3 | |
Kathy | Shine | 4 | Bruce | Bitter | 3 | |
Jennifer | Liedl | 4 | David | Hendrickson | 3 | |
Carol | Mather | 4 | Elizabeth | Pollock | 3 | |
Chris | Williams | 3 | Robyn | Krueger | 3 | |
Akovi | Wilson | 3 | Kristin | McCabe | 3 | |
Michael | Cooper | 3 | Lucas | Roberts | 3 | |
Pathways Path Completions:
Congratulations to the following 27 members who have completed a Pathways Path since July 1, 2021. The asterisked individuals completed their Pathways path after the February 2022 Newsletter issue:
Name | Club | Pathways Path |
1. Jennifer Riley | Thriving Communicators | Dynamic Leadership |
2. Craig Mosey | ROK the Talk | Dynamic Leadership |
3. Heather Prueher | Royal Toastmasters | Effective Coaching |
4. Jennifer Liedl | Royal Toastmasters | Engaging Humor |
5. Susan Brushafer | Menomonee Falls Toastmasters | Engaging Humor |
6. Kris Pool* | Sheboygan Club 2121 | Engaging Humor |
7. Jennifer Liedl | Royal Toastmasters | Innovative Planning |
8. Matthew Smith* | Eastside Madison Toastmasters Club | Innovative Planning |
9. Carl Ervin | Generally Speaking | Innovative Planning |
10. Bonniejean Alford | The Breakfast Club | Leadership Development |
11. Tracy Rothman | Cream City Communicators | Leadership Development |
12. Jim Kohli | Love of Laughter | Motivation Strategies |
13. Annemarie Braun | Spectacle City Club | Pathways Mentor Program |
14. Keith Cumiskey | Rockwell Automation A-B Club | Pathways Mentor Program |
15. David Hendrickson | Advanced Leadership | Pathways Mentor Program |
16. Carol Mather | Fox Speaks Toastmasters | Pathways Mentor Program |
17. Gary Broesch* | Church Mutual Club | Pathways Mentor Program |
18. Lucas Roberts | Red Cedar Toastmasters | Persuasive Influence |
19. Debra Ruskamp | Rolling Hills Toastmasters | Presentation Mastery |
20. Philip Rechek | Heart Of Eau Claire | Presentation Mastery |
21. Craig Carpenter* | Wisconsin Rapids Area Toastmasters Club | Presentation Mastery |
22. Akovi Wilson* | Eastside Madison Toastmasters Club | Presentation Mastery |
23. Carla Lenk* | Wisconsin Rapids Area Toastmasters Club | Presentation Mastery |
24. Kris Pool* | Plymouth Toastmasters Club | Presentation Mastery |
25. Eric Wunder | Brookfield Toastmasters | Strategic Relationships |
26. Kris Pool* | Cream City Communicators | Strategic Relationships |
27. Kathy Shine | SpeakEasy Toastmasters | Team Collaboration |
28. David Hendrickson* | EQ Leadership | Visionary Communication |
29. Jennifer Kibicho* | Milwaukee Metro Speakers | Visionary Communication |
Looking for new DTMs at the Spring Conference
Will you be the first to earn a DTM in this Toastmasters’ year? We do not have any person who has earned a DTM, yet. Guess what! You might be very close to earning your DTM in Pathways and might not know it! That’s what I discovered today! I am one DTM project away for meeting the requirements to earn my second DTM! Perhaps that’s your situation. Please reach out to TI if you’ve:
- Completed a Pathways Path
- Completed level 3 in your second path
- Have met the leadership requirements:
A first step to completing the DTM project is getting access to the DTM Project guidelines by emailing educationprogram@toastmasters.org.
My plan is to complete the DTM project by end of this Toastmasters year! Will you join me?
2021-2022 Speech Contests
The 2021-2022 Speech Contest season is almost over! All club and Area Speech Contests have been held. Division Speech Contests will be held in the coming weeks.
On January 12, 2022, the District Trio (District Director Teri McGregor, Program Quality Director Jennifer Kibicho and Club Growth Director Jason Feucht) made the decision to move all Area, Division and District Contests from in-person to virtual, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Our District is sponsoring two Virtual Only Speech Contests:
- Table Topics Contest—final contest will be at the District Level
- International Speech Contest—winner will advance to the International Regional Quarter Finals Speech Contest
Speech Contest Important Timeline:
- March 31, 2022 – May 1, 2022: Division-level Table Topics and International Speech Contests (virtual contest)
- May 7, 2022: District-level Table Topics and International Speech Contest (virtual contest)
Please visit the District Calendar on District35.org for dates on when specific Area and Division Speech Contests will be held virtually.
Speech Contest Resources:
Attention speech contestants: Did you win your club Area Speech Contest and are gearing up for the Division Speech Contest later this month? Did you already compete and win the Division Speech Contest and will be advancing to the District Speech Contest on May 7?
If any of the above apply to you, we have lots of resources for you. Consider watching the following Contestant Training Workshop videos for tips and tricks by a two-time World Champion of Public Speaking Finalist Eric Feinendegen, DTM:
Please visit our District 35 Speech Contest Resource Page for additional resources.
LAST WORD: About that $0.25/Day Investment in your Professional Development
My fellow District 35 Toastmasters. I almost did not make it to fulfill my promise to complete a Pathway! But, using Toastmasters skills, I am happy to report that I kept my commitment to complete a third level project and did earn my Triple Crown.
More exciting news is that I am on track to earn my second DTM when I complete the DTM Project.
Are you on track to complete a Pathway Education Level by end of year? If not, reach out to your Vice President of Education (VPE) and schedule to give a Pathways speech soon. Remember, if you give a speech every 3 months, you will complete a Level by end of year!
Have you completed one Path and have advanced to Level 3 in a second Path? If that’s you, please reach out to TI @ educationprogram@toastmasters.org and ask for access to the DTM Project guidelines.
Please reach out and share your journey about completing a Pathway Level or perhaps earning a Triple Crown @ kibichodtm@gmail.com.
It’s not Too Late! Renew Today!
While our Semi-Annual Dues were due prior to April 1, it’s not too late to renew your membership.
Work with your club treasurer today to renew and continue the investment you are making in your personal development as a speaker and leader through Toastmasters. Being a member of Toastmasters and participating in your Toastmasters Club is one of the most cost-effective ways to invest in yourself.
Don’t forget to also share the benefits of Toastmasters with a friend or colleague by inviting them as a guest to your club.
Club Officers – don’t forget to follow up with all your members even if they have not renewed. Also, if you have not followed up with your past members for a while, now is a great time to invite them back to Toastmasters and your club.
Since it is speech contest season, it’s important to ensure your competing members and clubs are in good standing. Check out the TI April Dues Renewal Status to check to see if your club is “Verified Complete” which means your club is meeting the minimum eligibility requirements to be in good standing.
Interested in how the district overall is doing on renewals? If so, check out the April 22 Dues Renewal Status Report in the “Weekly News”. This report will be updated Weekly Through Mid-April.
District 35 Social Media Advertising Campaign
District 35’s Social Media Advertising has continued since launching in September.
I have shared previously that this program is focused on building brand awareness of Toastmasters as an organization across Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Our ads are targeted to help build membership in existing clubs by targeting the counties in Wisconsin and Michigan where there are existing District 35 clubs. The ads give some basic information about Toastmasters and direct the individual to “Learn More” and “Find A Club.” We continue to adjust which of Toastmasters’ approved ads are running and have seen some increased reach and impressions in response.
Facebook Campaign Statistics
Month | Individual Reach | Ad Impressions |
September 2021 | 14,863 | 26,129 |
October 2021 | 20,559 | 43,498 |
November 2021 | 16,692 | 37,143 |
December 2021 | 18,143 | 40,237 |
January 2022 | 47,139 | 107,410 |
February 2022 | 46,523 | 120,924 |
March 2022 | 55,424 | 138,426 |
Total | 219,343 | 513,767 |
LinkedIn Campaign Statistics
Month | Individual Reach | Ad Impressions |
October 2021 | 6,286 | 10,246 |
November 2021 | 3,384 | 3,704 |
December 2021 | 3,247 | 3,469 |
January 2022 | 4,586 | 5,457 |
February 2022 | 4,064 | 4,481 |
March 2022 | 7,769 | 9,391 |
Total | 26,148 | 41,658 |
We plan to continue running the ads on Facebook and LinkedIn, as planned, and budgeted for the remainder of the Toastmasters year. We are hopeful that this effort will increase awareness of Toastmasters as well as drive some interested individuals to clubs.
Be Prepared! Be Proactive!
Don’t let the down TI resources keep you down, too!
You’ve probably seen the notice from Toastmasters International and we want to make sure you’re aware of the issues this may cause for you and your club.
TI is preparing for a May launch of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform, which will serve as a foundation for the overall digital strategy that supports the online experience. This new platform will lead to exciting new opportunities, including the ability for you to pay your dues online. And before you ask, no, we do not have any details on this right now.
To support this launch, TI will temporarily suspend some online and back-office transactions, as well as website availability. Below is the timeline of the anticipated service interruptions, as well as how they may affect you and your clubs.
SUGGESTION: You can go into your path projects and download each project from each level digitally and always be ready to prepare and give a Pathways project speech. Don’t use the excuse that you can’t access the information when you can be proactive and prepare today for this interruption of service from TI.
April 5 – May 8
Toastmasters Online Store is unavailable and product orders cannot be accepted.
April 20 – May 8
Path purchases, including first paths for new members, will be unavailable until May 9.
May 4 – May 8
Website login access is unavailable; any information/documents you wish to access that require logging in will not be accessible.
This will include My Profile, Base Camp, and the Speechcraft Gateway. Access will resume on May 9. Again, consider downloading any resources you may need prior to this date.
May 7 – May 8
The www.toastmasters.org website will be down and unavailable!
During these two days, there will be a maintenance page indicating the temporary closure for anyone who visits the website.
Spruce Up Your Website
When was the last time you updated your club website? Participate in District 35’s “Spruce Up Your Site” contest!
Take a before and after screenshot of your website showing the changes you’ve made and submit your entry before April 30, 2022 to Club Growth Director Jason Feucht and Program Quality Director Jennifer Kibicho.
Strong entries will include a welcoming photo of your members; meeting time, date, location, and contact information; and a description like “10+ people attend! Come join us.”
- 1st place winner will earn $100 District Dollars
- 2nd place winner will earn $75 District Dollars
- 3rd place winner will earn $50 District Dollars
Check out all the District 35 incentives at: https://district35.org/resources/incentives/
Some items to consider if you decide to “Spruce Up Your Website“
- First page when guests (and your potential members) land should include your meeting dates, times, and how to attend a meeting; they shouldn’t have to search for this information
- Under social links, remove references to Google Plus because this is no longer available
- Make sure if you have a social link (icon) that it connects to a current page
- Double check that the Facebook icon links to your club’s Facebook page and that access is available
- Create a new YouTube video annually – is that video from 2014 still relevant?
- Are you actually on MeetUp? If not, do you really want to use this icon/link?
- If you include a link to the District 35 website, be sure you are using the correct website of https://district35.org/. The old website of tm35.org is not an active site and does not reroute users to the correct website.
- For the “Contact Us” link
- Make sure the Contact Us feature is enabled
- Customize the message for your club
- Consider including one or two club officers listed with their email (phone number optional)
- References to Education, DTM, and/or Pathways:
- Remember, there are 11 paths available
- References to earn a DTM from the traditional education program (CC, CL, etc.) should be removed and replaced with the Pathways DTM information
- If you are sharing information about the Toastmasters values, please use their specific order of IRSE (Integrity, Respect, Service, Excellence). Yes, members do seem to prefer to use the RISE acronym instead, but we should be following Toastmasters branding.
- Use the Calendar feature:
- Include your club meeting information
- Consider adding area, division, district, and international events – include links whenever possible
- Meeting times and information should be the same as what is listed in the “Meeting Information/Directions” page as well as the front page of your website
- If you have a sample agenda:
- Update it regularly or remove the dates on it – having an agenda from 6 years ago doesn’t reflect that your club is current
- Don’t be afraid to post pictures of your club, club members, achievements, recognition – show the personality of your club!
Spring Conference Update
It’s almost time for our inaugural hybrid conference! There is so much to see and do at this fun event. Our conference will kick off with the District Speech Contests on May 7. Our education portion of the conference will kick off this year on May 13-14 at the Hotel Marshfield. Registration for the District 35 Spring Conference is open. Early Bird Registration for both clubs and individuals ends on April 10. Registration closes on May 7.
Register now on the District 35 website at https://district35.org/spring-conference-2/. If your club has registered, you still need to register for the conference to select your meal choices. The Hotel Marshfield is also offering a special room rate for conference attendees, but you must make your reservation no later than April 14. Call the Hotel Marshfield directly at (715) 387-2700 and mention “District 35 Toastmasters Conference Rate” to make your room reservation.
Keynote Speaker. Ed Tate, 2000 World Champion of Public Speaking and Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) will be our Spring Conference 2022 Speaker, attending in person. Ed Tate is an Award-winning Keynote Speaker who has presented keynotes in over 100 Districts.
This is his first time giving a keynote in District 35. Please check out his website at https://edtate.com/. There will be a pre-conference virtual Meet & Greet session with Ed Tate that will be open to the public on April 29. Please take a moment to watch this 90-second promo video created just for the event. To attend this session, please register HERE.
District Speech Contests. Our District Level Table Topics and International Speech Contests will he held on May 7. In addition, Pres Vasilev, 2013 World Champion of Public Speaking will be our keynote speaker on May 7!
Education Sessions. The conference boasts ten additional education sessions along with the Opening Ceremonies, Friday Fun Night, Award Banquets, and other traditional Pomp and Circumstance. From the Parade of Banners to the final Raffle Drawing, you won’t want to miss this event. A listing of the planned education sessions is below:
Club Growth Sessions
- Marketing Your Toastmasters Club: Tom Carlson
- Club Building in the New Normal: Ekit/Edit TM Club
- Going Beyond Finding New Members for Your Club: Mark Robinson
- The POWER of Speechcraft: Dick Hawley & Brandon Birrenkott
Leadership and Professional Development Sessions
- Dial Up Your Influence to Become the Leader You Were Meant to Be: Gina Glover
- Surviving as an Introvert in an Extrovert’s World: Dave Hendrickson
- Laugh Anyway: How to Use Humor to Entertain & Effectively Impact Your Audience: Rich Hopkins
- Stop Wasting Time – Managing Time: Paula Houlihan
- Getting to “Yes, I Will Join!”: Lucas Roberts
Basket Raffle. As part of the conference, we are inviting all clubs to contribute a basket that will be part of the basket raffle. Proceeds from the raffle will help to defray costs associated with the conference. To make this a little more fun, we are introducing an incentive to clubs that participate – the club contributing the basket that has the most tickets submitted will receive a complimentary club registration for the 2023 District 35 Conference. Baskets can be (a) a gift card basket, (b) filled with goods from local businesses, or (c) something else – be creative! District 35 covers a lot of territory – it would be great to have clubs from all divisions participate!! Please complete the registration survey if your club would like to contribute a basket: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XQQCQ9P.
Volunteer. Volunteer opportunities to help at the conference are plenty. We need helpers to assist with Registration, Basket Raffle, Session Facilitators, and more. Log into District35.org and go to the Events page for contact information. (Yes, you have to log into the district website. Register/Login at the top of the page.)
Please feel free to reach out directly to Program Quality Director Jennifer Kibicho or Jesse Franklin, Spring Conference Chair, with any questions you might have.
*We hope to have a large in-person turnout but realize that not everyone can attend in person, so the Keynote, Education Sessions, and other portions of the conference will be hybrid. We will be following CDC guidelines to ensure safety. Masks are currently optional for vaccinated individuals, and requested to be worn by unvaccinated persons. While we are not requiring proof of vaccination or negative Covid test status at this time, we ask that you help us adhere to CDC guidelines so that we can celebrate safely together.
Pathways Minute
Did you know that you can save documents in Pathways? Have a speech evaluation – you can save it; have a speech – you can save it. How, do you ask? Here’s how.
From the Base Camp Home Page:
- Open “My Documents”
- The screen displays 6 folders, one folder for each level and a My Documents folder
- Select the folder you want to place the document in
- Select the “Add File” button
- The Add File window will open, then you can
- Drag and drop your document into the box (if you have multiple screens); if you cannot do this, then do the following:
- Click on the “Select a File” button
- The file explorer window will open, showing a list of files – go to where the document you want to save is located
- Select the file that you want to put into the Pathways folder
- Click on the “Open” button in the file explorer window
- The selected document will display at the top of the file box
- Click on the “Add” button and the document will be saved to the folder
If you don’t want the document or it happens to be the wrong one, click on the “X” below the name of the file being uploaded and it will be deleted, then you can start the process over.
If you don’t want to save the file, click on the “Cancel” button and nothing will be saved.
When complete, you can return back to the Base Camp home page. Give it a try!
Reedsburg Area Toastmasters Club selects American Legion Post 242 for donation award
The Reedsburg Area Toastmasters Club is pleased to announce their selection of the Kropp – Braund American Legion Post 242 headquartered in La Valle, Wisconsin for their annual charitable donation.
President Jerry Ward explained that each year club members collect donations for a worthy cause and are invited to make a speech about a local charitable organization that does good work in the community. Club members then vote for which organization will receive the award. “We are pleased to make this year’s donation to the Kropp-Braund American Legion Post as they are a fine example of a group of individuals who continually serve the local community as well as are individuals who have bravely served our country. Their leadership and service are consistent with the values of Toastmasters International”, said Ward.
“During this time of rising costs, buying supplies for our community dinners cuts into the donations we are able to pass on to other veteran group we support throughout the year”, agreed Ben Dvorak, American Legion Post Commander. “We support Veteran organization such Badger Honor Flight, Tomah VA and local groups such as La Valle Fire Department.”
Dvorak and other members of Post 242 were presented with the donation of $250.00 during a ceremony held at the Reedsburg Toastmasters club meeting on Thursday evening, February 3rd.