Spring Brings Opportunities!
by Theresa Flynn, District Director

It’s official, we’ve gotten through “fake spring” and we’re in “surprise winter” but soon, very soon, it’s really going to be springtime!  I’m looking forward to the air not hurting my face, wearing fewer than four layers of clothes to wait for the bus, and not having to play my least favorite game: Is that really ice on the sidewalk or not?

Spring is a great time to get out and do more! Make those connections, check out events, build your network and maybe, just maybe, try building a new skill. Over the next months we’ve got multiple events going on. Division Contests throughout Wisconsin, the District Conference in Platteville, and I, personally, hope to get out to sample different Culvers in different towns — I’ll warn you before I visit, and I hope to see you there!

If you’re looking forward to completing a Path, and you want to brainstorm ideas for your High Performance Leadership or Distinguished Toastmaster project, the optimism of spring makes it a great time to think ahead. How can you improve your club, District, or community while growing your leadership skills?  Let’s brainstorm!

Enjoy the nicer weather and get out and make new connections!

What Flame Ignites You?
by Yuriy Ksenidi, Program Quality Director

February is a strange month. Only 28 days long (in 2026), it features a party called Super Bowl, a holiday dedicated to love and another one that is all about mattress sales. Beyond all this, during these four weeks one sentence is heard throughout offices across the country:  “Would you like to buy Girl Scout Cookies?”

I am no stranger to this octet of words. This year, beyond the thrill of motivating my colleagues to support my niece, I did something different that made me super excited. On February 2, a family member asked me to enlarge the picture of cookies on the order form to be easily seen by potential buyers (see “Before”). After 20 minutes of brainstorming, the brightest light bulb appeared before my eyes. The Snipping Tool! Of course! I got to work and 30 minutes later produced a work of art (see “After”). My family member was thrilled. I was thrilled. The customers must have been thrilled too, since they did not need to squint to make out the cookie descriptions.

In our District, there are plenty of exciting events happeningin the next four months. Whether you are dashing from one corner of the state to another to catch a speech contest, finishing a level in Pathways, signing up to be a presenter of an education session at the Spring Conference, or showing someone how being Sergeant at Arms builds teamwork and time management skills, embrace the possibilities! Be the one to organize a traveling cheer squad even if your club does not have a contestant. Help a new member enroll in Pathways.

Connect with your Area Director and recommend someone who can teach the rest of us about a topic like resilience. Invite each club in your area to Culver’s for an idea exchange over an ice-cold custard, butter burger, and cheese curds. The next four months will fly by at the speed of light. How awesome would it be if your club could say on June 30 that every single member attended the Spring Conference? Has completed one Level in Pathways? At least one-third of your incoming club officer’s team is brand new. Or all the above?

Each of us has a reason to be in Toastmasters. Find the flame that ignites you and bring your club along for the ride.
                                          
Let your success invigorate you and keep the thrill coming. 

Momentum Through Cold Outreach
by Bryson Bernarde, Club Growth Director

This quarter, our District has focused on something that doesn’t always generate immediate applause but absolutely builds clubs: cold outreach.

For years in District 35, warm leads have been limited. Now, instead of waiting for opportunities to appear, we’ve been intentional about creating them. That means researching organizations that align with Toastmasters’ mission and reaching out to businesses, nonprofits, and community leaders who may not yet realize how much they need strong communicators and leaders.

Cold outreach requires patience, clarity, and teamwork. That’s why defining roles has been critical.

Keith Hardy, Club Extension Chair, leads the process once interest in Toastmasters is established. When a conversation turns into potential action, Keith guides the journey from initial discussions to demonstration meetings, and ultimately, to charter. He supports sponsors and mentors, keeps timelines moving, and ensures new clubs are built on strong foundations. Extension is where opportunity becomes reality.

Supporting that effort are our Co-Club New Source Research Chairs, Joe Dombleski and Mark Robinson.

Joe brings a strategic lens to research. Identifying new leads isn’t about creating long lists; it’s about finding the right fit. Joe evaluates where communication training would make the greatest impact and helps us focus on outreach where it matters most.

Mark helps translate research into connection. Leads only become meaningful when they become conversations. His focus ensures our outreach is thoughtful, personal, and aligned with real needs.

Together, this structure allows each leader to operate in their strength zone:

• Intentional research
• Consistent outreach
• Sustainable extension

There’s a lesson here for every club. Growth rarely happens by accident. It happens when we identify the work that needs to be done and place the right people in the right roles. When strengths align with responsibilities, momentum builds. Each new club began as a conversation that didn’t exist yet.

Thank you to the leaders stepping into the work of building those conversations. If you’d like to support research, outreach, or extension efforts, we would love to connect.

Let’s keep building.

Aspiring To More
by Robert Wall, Immediate Past District Director

Ever get a crazy idea for a hobby? Maybe you just watched the Olympics, and you think skiing would be fun. You do some research and hit the stores. One trip to your local big-box sporting goods store later, you’re all kitted out. Skis? Check. Poles? Check. The fancy ski jacket that 37 YouTube reviews all agree is the “best of the best?” Check. A bag of other stuff that salesperson pinky-swears you’ll need? Check.

You’ve put a lot of work into shopping for gear. So much work, in fact, that you’re exhausted. The equipment goes into a corner of the garage, to be used “someday.” But someday never comes.

Professional organizers even have a phrase for that corner full of ski equipment – “aspirational clutter.” Because we all have it. Most people have a ton of it. There was an aspiration, but the aspiration never turned into action.

We see that in our clubs all the time, don’t we? Members join and just…. well…. don’t do much. They wouldn’t have joined if they didn’t have some sort of aspiration, right? So, what’s stopping them from translating the aspiration into action?

Do you know?

Have you asked?

“But doesn’t that take a lot of time?” you ask. Maybe. But let me ask a direct question: is it really about the time? Or is it about having a potentially difficult conversation?

If you need to call somebody and talk about the fact they’re not really participating, that feels potentially confrontational. Which makes it a harder call to make. Which means, frequently, it never gets made.

So how do we converse without confronting?

Let me give you a phrase and a frame that have worked well for me.

Here’s a powerful phrase that I’ve found useful. “We’ve found that you’ll get the most value out of this if you….” Fill in the blank with something reasonable for them to do.

And that ties into the frame. You’re framing this conversation as “how can I help you?” You’re not expressing any judgement. You’re not even telling them that they need to do something. You’re just indicating there’s a way for them to get more value and maybe ask them if there’s any way you can help.

For a few people, especially new members, that’s enough. In their minds, they’re paying (both time and money!) for this. Why wouldn’t they want to get their money’s worth?

And if they don’t care, then – stay with me here – you can’t make them care. Repeatedly banging your head against somebody else’s indifference is a sure-fire path to burnout.

Personally, I’ve found that approaching these conversations this way makes them easier to have. It definitely makes them less emotionally draining. And I have to say, given the choice, I much prefer having reasonably pleasant conversations to tearing my hair out trying to fill a bunch of spots on an agenda right before a meeting.

Either way, there’s zero downside to letting your members know you’re looking out for their interests. After all, that’s what leadership is all about, isn’t it? If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out. And have a great rest of the year!