Join us for the December Town Hall!

Let's Get 2Gether on the 2nd!

We hope you’ll join us for the District 2 Toastmasters Town Hall as we connect, share updates, and look ahead together. Your presence and voice matter as we continue this historic year together.

📅 Tuesday, December 2

🕕 6:00 pm AK / 7:00 pm PT

Register here!

Anu Jokinen

District Director, 2025-2026

Challenge Yourself This Year—Enter the Speech Contest

We’re about to enter the second half of the Toastmasters year. This is an exciting time to stretch, grow, and say yes to new opportunities.

Have you considered entering the speech contest? Once you move past the club level, you advance to the Area level, where 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners earn medals and at the Division level and District level, competitors are awarded a trophy. 

Important eligibility reminder:

Before your club contest, be sure you’re eligible to compete. You must have:

Completed Levels 1 and 2 of any Pathways Path, or Earned the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award.

Please ensure your required speeches are completed ahead of time so you’re ready when contest day arrives. This could be the moment you challenge yourself and take the next step in your Toastmasters journey!

Simply AI: The Edge for Influence & Impact

Step into the World of Tomorrow with Simply AI

Step into the World of Tomorrow with our Simply AI workshop on December 6. Facilitated by Josh Hindman (tmjoshhindman@gmail.com). In just two hours you will learn practical, easy-to-use AI techniques that help you write faster, sharpen your ideas, and save precious time. No technical know-how required. Just curiosity.

To prepare for liftoff, this week’s Survey of the Week features a special pre-event challenge:

Crack the AI Code.

Think of it as your briefing from Mission Control. A short quiz. A spark of curiosity. Bring your answers with you on December 6 and you will be entered into live prize drawings during the session. You do not need to get the answers right. You only need to join the mission.

Take the survey here!

If you’ve ever wished technology felt simpler or wanted to strengthen your leadership tools for a new era, this workshop is your gateway. Join us in person or online as we explore the future in a way that feels friendly, clear, and surprisingly fun.

If you have been curious about AI or quietly overwhelmed by it, this session is for you.

Virtual and in-person seats are open.

Let’s make AI finally make sense for everyone.

Register now! Space is limited.

Date: Saturday, December 6

Time: 1 – 3 PM PST

Location: Bellevue City Hall | Room 1E-108

450 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004-5514

Parking: Complimentary visitor parking off 110th Ave NE. Overflow on P3 (employee garage, entrance off 112th Ave NE). Open-air; vehicles left overnight may be towed.

Simplify AI. Amplify Your Voice. Prepare to be WOWed!

DO YOU WANT TO BE A DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER?

DIVISION DIRECTOR, CAROLYN CURLEY, IN SUPPORT OF OUR DISTRICT 2 CLUB GROWTH ACTIVITIES, DEMYSTIFIES THE PROCESS SO THAT YOU CAN....

Reach for Distinguished Toastmaster!

I’ve completed my two paths. It shouldn’t take long to complete the other requirements for Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), right? Have you wondered what obstacles and deadlines you need to consider for completing your DTM?

Toastmasters international (TI) shares the requirements to earn DTM in several locations. You can access the information without logging in to the TI website. From the home page, select Education Programs. Then select Pathways. Finally select Achievements and Awards link that is highlighted in the picture below. You can also click the link here or through the link under Education Program FAQs.

Once two unique paths have been completed, there are five additional requirements you must complete. Download the DTM award application and follow the instructions.

In this article, I will share insights and obstacles regarding the additional requirements I have either dealt with or supported other Toastmasters with during their quest for DTM.

As you fill out the information, make sure your personal information is accurate and matches the information on your TI profile. Use the information from TI to state your path completion date for each path.

Now for the additional requirements.

Club Officer Service: Have you served as a club officer for two separate 6-month terms or one annual term, attended training, and participated in creating the Club Success Plan? One issue could be your participation at a Club Officer Training was not recorded. TI maintains those records as saved by District leaders. Club officers can check the Dashboard for District 2 Club Performance after each round of training to ensure numbers are accurate. They can check with the Trio to see if specific roles were noted as trained. This year, TI required clubs to complete the Club Success Plan. One section listed members who participated. Is your name on that list for your desired timeframe? Did you complete the full term as a club officer? Under the Club Constitution for Clubs of Toastmasters International, Article VI: Officers, Term of Office Section 3, the annual term commences at midnight July 1^st and runs through 11:59pm June 30^th. TI awards service after year-end closing and allows the service to be used after the year-end information is posted, usually at the end of July or beginning of August the following TI year. If you can enter that information on your application now, congratulations!

District Leader Service: Have you served as a District Leader? What constitutes fulfilling this requirement? You can serve in one of the following positions:

District Director, Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, Division Director, Area Director, Publics Relations Manager, Administrations Manager, or Finance Manager. While the term commences at midnight July 1^st and runs through 11:59pm June 30^th, you can be appointed as late as August 31^st to receive credit for serving a full term as a District Leader. This information is noted on Page 15 of the District Leader Handbook. As with Club Officer positions, TI awards District Leader service after year-end closing and allows the service to be used after the year-end information is posted, usually at the end of July or beginning of August the following TI year. If you can enter that information on your application now, congratulations!

Club Support Requirement: Next is the requirement to serve as either a mentor for a new club OR serve as a coach for a struggling club.

First is the requirement to serve as a Club Mentor. From TI FAQs, A club mentor is an experienced Toastmaster who provides guidance to a new club for a minimum of six months after its charter date. Each new club may have up to two sponsors and mentors as appointed by the district director or club growth director. The club has to agree to have you as a club mentor. Then you are appointed following appropriate procedures. TI usually emails the new club president for them to submit verification of mentoring service. Any charter club officer can email TI at newclubs@toastmasters.org to confirm your service. Have they submitted the verification? For current year reports, you can check the Dashboard, select Daily Reports from the index on the left. In the next window, Select District 2 and the appropriate report. For prior years, log in to TI website. From your home, select the icon for Achievement Board. Then select the icon for Club Support. If the award is noted as complete, you have fulfilled the requirements. Depending on new club charter date, this service may be awarded during the TI year.

The second option is to serve as a Club Coach for a struggling club. Serving as a Club Coach has different requirements, responsibilities, and award dates. Review the information for the Club Coach Program or contact the Club Growth Director. The important steps to remember are that you must serve a minimum of six months, the Club President (or delegate) must notify TI in writing, you need to timely submit additional reports. and the club must reach distinguished status by June 30^th. To receive credit, you need to be appointed before December 30^th as a club coach. TI typically awards service credit after year-end closing during the following TI year.

Club and Member Growth Requirement: For this requirement, you need to either serve as a New Club Sponsor, conduct a Speechcraft program, OR conduct a Youth Leadership Program. Speechcraft and Youth Leadership Programs consist of eight one to two-hour sessions. Credit is awarded after completion of the program requirements. Sponsoring a new club is completed after TI officially accepts the charter package for the new club and provides the new club with the charter date. Pitfalls with new clubs revolve around the differences with the membership dues if they charter outside the dues cycle. Additionally, a charter club officer needs to email TI at newclubs@toastmasters.org and confirm the role of a sponsor has been fulfilled.

DTM Project: This requirement is completed as a project in Base Camp. Once you have completed a full path and levels 1, 2, and 3 of your second unique path, you email TI at educationprogram@toastmasters.org to request access to the DTM project. Make sure to include your TI member number that can be found under Your Profile. As with the High Performance Leadership Project (HPL), Speechcraft and Youth Leadership programs may not be used to complete this requirement. Ensure you are leading a team and not completing tasks by yourself. Remember that if you are completing all the tasks, you are not demonstrating leadership skills. Moreover, you may be preventing someone else from developing skills to become a leader, following in your footsteps. Define your vision, project objectives, and lead your team to success. Allow time for your project to be a success.

Once you complete your two required paths, make sure to allow time for the remaining requirements. There are obstacles, deadlines, and steps to successfully navigate the requirements to complete your DTM. Use the application form to plan your remaining steps toward earning your DTM. I look forward to celebrating with you at a District 2 conference!

Carolyn Curley, DTM

Division I Director