District 2 Newsletter Plus Exciting Club Events

Hello Toastmaster!

Read this email as Webpage

District 2 Events & News

COLLABORATE 2GETHER!

Growth isn’t a destination; it’s a habit. Stay connected to the community that challenges you to lead with confidence and speak with impact.

Renew today and see just how far you can go. Deadline: March 31, 2026.

Renewing is fast and easy with self pay! Login to your Toastmasters International account and click on "Membership" then "How to renew."

Please reach out to your club officers with any questions about your membership dues.

Town Hall -

We will see you tonight at the District 2 March Town Hall 6 pm AK / 7 pm PT

Bring your questions and your feedback!

🌟 Celebrate Excellence: Nominations are Now Open!

It’s time to shine a spotlight on the stars of District 2! We are thrilled to announce that nominations for the "Of the Year" Awards are officially open.

Your participation in the voting and nomination process is vital. This is your chance to help us recognize and celebrate the outstanding members, clubs, and leaders who have gone above and beyond to make our district exceptional this year.

🗳️ How to Cast Your Vote

Before you submit, please read the instructions carefully on the nomination form to ensure your vote counts toward honoring our community's finest.

Recognize leadership and growth.
Celebrate club achievements.
Inspire others by highlighting excellence.

Thank you for being an active part of our District 2 community and for helping us honor those who embody the Toastmasters spirit!

The recipients of these awards will be announced at the District 2 conference on May 16th.

Submit your votes here!

District 2 Takes the Stage at NCCE!

Last week, I, along with two fellow Toastmasters took Toastmasters "into the wild" at the Northwest Council for Computer Education (NCCE) conference in Seattle. On February 26, we led a wonderful session titled "Confident Communication: Building Speaking and Leadership Skills," showing a room full of educators and administrators how Toastmasters can help them improve their communication and leadership skills.

Many thanks to Amie Bourn with Kent School District for sharing your Toastmasters success story and Rebecca Murray with Showcase your Shine for sharing how focusing on the sound of your voice can make a powerful difference in your leadership journey.

Now, it’s your turn:

Our members are our best ambassadors. Where can you talk to others about Toastmasters this week? Whether it's at the water cooler or a professional seminar, share your story and help someone else find their voice!

Anu Jokinen

District Director, 2025-2026

UPDATE!

District Leadership Nomination Applications accepted through March 7th!

You still have one more week to get in your district leadership applications in!

All forms and information found at the following link - https://www.d2tm.org/district-leader-nominations

Rebecca P. Murray

"From Toastmaster to Paid Speaker: The Power of Yes"

So delighted to spotlight our own District 2 Keynote Speaker Rebecca P. Murray, DTM, with her speech 'From Toastmaster to Paid Speaker: The Power of Yes!'

"You’ve given speeches, taken on roles, and maybe even stepped onto the contest stage—so what does it take to turn that experience into a paid speaking career?

In this engaging and personal session, Rebecca Murray shares her journey from committed Toastmaster to paid professional speaker—one opportunity, one “yes,” and one uncomfortable stretch at a time.

What began as a bold mindset shift in a hotel room became a strategic path built through the very programs, leadership roles, and speaking opportunities available within Toastmasters.

This session reveals how to recognize—and fully leverage—the hidden framework Toastmasters provides to develop not just as a speaker, but as a speaker who gets paid.

Whether your goal is to grow your confidence, expand your influence, or step onto professional stages, you’ll walk away seeing Toastmasters in a whole new light—and with a clear sense of how saying “yes” can shape your path forward."

Be sure to invite your community to be inspired, they will thank you for including them!"

Let's give Rebecca a homecourt advantage!

Roxanne Spring, DTM

Conference Marketing Chair 2026

PROMOTE

DISTRICT 2 INCENTIVE

Use your websites, social media platforms, and other channels to advertise special events like interview prep meetings, panel discussions on current topics, and themed open houses to deliver Public Relations about Our Members Outside of the Toastmasters Ecosystem: PROMOTE.

Upload the evidence into the Incentive Tracker and earn 25 D2$ for your club if these actions are completed between February 16th and May 1st.

P.R.O.M.O.T.E. is a plan that harnesses the power of many to have a singular impact on our club’s prospects. Promoting Public Relations about Our Members Outside of the Toastmasters Ecosystem is the most potent tool we have to attract new members to our vibrant and impactful community.

We have two sessions specifically tailored to identify how each Club Officer can contribute to PROMOTING their Club, District, and Toastmasters. For those of you that were not able to attend, the link to the recording will be posted to the D2 YouTube page within the week.

In the interim, reach out to your PRM if there are promotion topics that you'd like us to offer so that we can take our district to new heights!

Let’s leverage one another, Toasties! We possess all the power that we need, and we know how to use it wisely!

Your District 2 Public Relations Manager,

Marty Varela, DTM

Which Ticket is the best fit?

Initiate Your Circuit Today — Secure Your Conference Ticket.

It is my pleasure to present options to being Future Ready with your Conference Ticket!

🤝 Helping Hands

Here’s your chance to be behind the scenes — and in the action.

Give us 4 hours of service.

Get your conference ticket for just $100.

Serve. Connect. Lead. Experience it all.

Spots are limited — when they’re gone, they’re gone.

Entrepreneurs Check this out:

Silver Mic Sponsor $250

Featured Quarter-Page Ad in Conference Program
Verbal Brand Recognition from the Main Stage
Standard Brand Innovation Site
One Conference Pass

Broadcast your club:

Consider Sponsorship Options & Club Incentives

Incentive 1: Prime Circuit

Four members purchasing their conference tickets by April 15th entitles your club to have a quarter-page ad in the conference program as well as a shout out!

Incentive 2: Complete Circuit

Clubs with eight members purchasing their tickets by April 15th receive all of the benefits of the Prime Circuit level, plus priority seating at the District Conference!

Many options ACT NOW!

Early Bird Pricing ends April 1

Click link to compare & choose

2026 CONFERENCE | District 2 Toastmasters

Roxanne Spring, DTM

Conference Marketing Chair 2026

Great Strides Incentive

Put Your Plan Into Action

The Great Strides Incentive aims to put your Club Success Plan into action. Now is an ideal time to assess whether Toastmasters supports your members’ 2026 goals. If not, or if you're unsure, consider having your club complete a Moment of Truth exercise to better align your plan with members' needs.

To receive the Great Strides $25 Incentive:

Minimum of 4 club officers trained and ONE of the following options:

· Upload Moments of Truth Analysis & Recommended Action added to Club Success Plan

· Upload Pathways Themed Open House

· Submit a Club Success Plan (if not previously created prior to 11/1/2025).

See the Great Strides Requirements via the District Incentive Tracker for option details.

Questions? Contact Program Quality Director, Roberta Craig

Your Voice Matters

Let’s Shape District 2 2Gether!

The final winner of the Moments of Truth Surveys over the last few weeks is: Susan Beecher of Impromptus Northwest Toastmasters.

You still have until February 15 to complete the Moments of Truth for Club Officer Training Credit Assessment.

According to Psychology Today, 80% of people abandon their New Year's resolutions by the first week of February. Reasons for such failure rates are as follows:

Unrealistic Goals: Setting huge, overwhelming goals without smaller milestones makes them feel unattainable, says Western University and Verywell Mind.
Lack of "Why": Focusing on what to do rather than the deeper reason for change reduces motivation, according to Verywell Mind.
Behavioral Traps: People often rely on willpower rather than building sustainable systems, and big changes require transforming into a new version of themselves, notes Medium.

This Survey of the Week is an exploration to set the standard for positive growth along your Toastmaster's Journey.

One survey. One minute. One stronger community.

Take the Survey of the Week!

Surveys feature a different topic each week and can also be accessed through the link on the District website. Your voice helps us grow together, one response at a time.

Please reach out to Roberta Craig, PQD, if you have any questions.

CREATE 2GETHER!

VPPR TIPS to Produce Your Powerful Presence™ – No. 33

Canva Can Do That? Speedy Content Creation Tools to Grow Your Club

Canva

is an awesome platform for clubs that need a fast, easy way to create photos, videos, and social content. It is an all-in-one platform with plenty of free training on YouTube.

The Play, Pause, Do Method:

When you need to create content, open Canva and YouTube. Search what you want to make (example: “Facebook ad”). Play the video, pause, complete the step in Canva, then repeat.

For example, I made an infographic depicting The Toastmasters Journey for potential and new members on the homepage of Public Speaking Northwest Toastmasters.

Club growth requires consistency. Canva makes consistent content easier and faster.

Image to Video:

Turn a meeting photo into a short, animated clip.

Style Match:

Create graphics that match your club colors and look.

AI Video Generation:

Create a promo video from one prompt.

Magic Design:

Paste a testimonial and generate multiple post options.

Magic Media:

Generate backgrounds and graphics when you need them.

Beat Sync:

Match clips to music automatically.

CTA: Try one tool a week and post… one testimonial, one meeting moment, and one invitation. Consistent proof builds presence, and presence brings guests.

Sparkle & Shine, Friends!

Kelly Fallucca

VPPR, Public Speaking Northwest Toastmasters

D2 Area Director, C35

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Notice an outstanding Toastmaster?

Nominate them to be featured here!

CELEBRATE 2GETHER!

Club Events & News

4-Week Communications Course

Diamonds in the Rough Toastmasters

Build real-world communication and leadership skills in just four weeks. This guided training

program helps participants become more confident speakers, stronger listeners, and more

effective professionals.

Even though the course has begun, feel free to drop-in to learn and build your communication skills!

Go to the DIRT website or Meetup Group for more info.

Frankly Speaking March Open House

Toxic Positivity: When Good Wishes Go Bad

Frankly Speaking has planned as Open House on 3/13 on the theme of Toxic Positivity. Frankly Speaking is a place to freely speak frankly, because what's said in Frankly, stays in Frankly.

We offer a safe, compassionate environment to practice public speaking on unusual themes. Guests are welcome!

Join us every 2nd Friday of the month 7:00 – 8:30 pm Pacific on Zoom

Is your club holding a special event? Celebrating a milestone? Or want people to know of a significant upcoming meeting they should join? Want to include your post here for next week's newsletter?

Fill out this form to submit your post request

2025/2026 Starburst Submission Guidelines

We're excited to share our guidelines for submitting articles to Starburst, our official District 2 newsletter. Your club's special activities deserve the spotlight, and we're here to help you shine!

Guidelines for Article Submissions:

Topic: Focus on club special events.
Word Limit: Try to limit posts to 200 words or less.
Images: You may include one image with your article. Ensure it follows the Toastmasters Brand Manual (You may have to login to the Toastmasters main Site to access) and contains minimal text. We're happy to help create one if needed. If the image doesn't meet TM guidelines, we'll work with you or recreate it if we don't hear back.
Contact Information: All articles must include your club website and/or a contact email for more information.
Event Posts: Submit up to three consecutive posts for a single event.
Deadline to Submit: 5:00 PM on the Friday before the upcoming Monday Starburst release.

Submission Process:

Use the submission form to send us your article requests.
We look forward to showcasing your amazing events in Starburst!

If you have any questions or need more clarity, feel free to reach out to Marty Varela

Starburst Subscription Box

Starburst Suggestion Box

Have a Starburst suggestion? Please check out our Starburst Suggestion Box (only 5 questions), to help us improve the Starburst Newsletter!

How did you like this week's Starburst?

District Director | Anu Jokinen

Program Quality Director | Roberta Craig

Club Growth Director | Joanna Tavera

Immediate Past District 2 Director | June Lear

Immediate Past District 9 Director | Nancy Shatto

Immediate Past District 32 Director | Melissa Jean

Public Relations Manager | Marty Varela

Administration Manager | Michelle Perino

Finance Manager | Caryn Axelrad

Logistics Manager | Open

D2TM.org Webmaestro | Leah Ammon

Parliamentarian | Rick Sydor

This newsletter was edited by - Marty Varela, Disclaimer: The information in this newsletter is for the sole use of Toastmasters members for Toastmasters business only. It is not to be used for solicitation and distribution of non-Toastmasters materials or information.