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Meet Our Division Directors
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
This year, our 9 Division Directors each shared one word they want their members to feel. Their video reminds us that Toastmasters is about more than meetings and speeches — it’s about creating moments that stay with people forever.
Check out their video - https://youtu.be/xcqtqWgctts?si=64OAN-9AvgPT-8sZ
What is your one word for this year?
A huge thank you to Kelly Fallucca, Area 35 Director, for creating this awesome video!
District 2 Director, Anu Jokinen
| | | | LET'S GET 2GETHER ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2025! | |
Bring inquiries, inspiration and innovation to our third Town Hall
Register for the Zoom Link here.
| | TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL NEWS | |
World Champion of Public Speaking RESULTS!
- 1st Place - Sabyasachi Sengupta from Netherlands,
District 59, Region 10
Just Nod
- 2nd Place - Mas Mahathir Bin Mohd from Malaysia,
District 51, Region 13
Raindrops
- 3rd Place - Allen Ang Boon Kiat from Brunei,
District 87, Region 9
Keep Dreaming
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Key Renewal Information
- Dues amount: $60 USD per member
- Submission deadline: October 1, 2025
- Minimum requirement: 8 members (including at least 3 renewing members)
- Speech contest eligibility: Contestants must have submitted their dues payment before the start of the contest to be eligible
- District Council Meeting eligibility: Your club must be in good standing for your club’s President and Vice President Education to be eligible to vote
Need help? Check out the Renewal Dues FAQ or email renewals@toastmasters.org.
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How quickly time flies when you are having fun at club meetings under the summer sun. All too soon, Club Success Plans will be due into Club Central. To encourage clubs to participate in the Distinguished Club Program, District 2 is offering the Great Start Incentive:
Here are the details:
$75 D2$*/club that meets the following requirements by 9/15
- Club Success Plan Submitted
- 4 Club Officers Trained**
- 8 member payments submitted
Congratulations to the 58 clubs that have already submitted their Club Success Plans! Check out the list here.
Kudos to Area 33 Director, Roxanne Spring, for having all of her 6 clubs in her Area complete their Club Success Plans!
*Dependent on budget approval 9/18
**Officers must have completed training by 8/31
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Your Voice Matters
Let’s Shape District 2 2Gether!
What’s on your mind? What fuels your growth? What do you want more of in your Toastmasters journey?
Every week, we share one short survey to help us get to know you better — your goals, your challenges, your ideas. It’s our way of listening so we can build stronger clubs, better opportunities, and an experience that truly fits what you need.
Your feedback isn’t just data — it’s a spark for positive change. Take a minute this week to share your thoughts and help us keep Toastmasters member-focused and future-ready.
One survey. One minute. One stronger community.
Take the Survey of the Week!
We’ll be featuring a different survey each week and sharing 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.
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Joining the Smedley Challenge
The Smedley Award program runs from August 1 to September 30. Toastmasters International provides details on eligibility and how to participate. To qualify, clubs need to add five new, dual, or reinstated members with a join date within the specified period. The addition of transfer and charter members does not count towards Smedley Award credit. Applications and payments for new members must be received by Toastmasters International or submitted online no later than September 30.
How to grow your club and earn the award?
- Host an open house
- Leverage social media
- Engage with potential members
By actively participating in the Smedley Award challenge, clubs can boost their membership, strengthen their programs, and earn well-deserved recognition for their achievements. This fosters a thriving and supportive environment that benefits all members.
Our District Club Growth Director, Joanna Tavera is ready to help you get started!
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Club Success Plans Are The Roadmap to Distinguished
District 2 is Smedley Bound!
We have four weeks before the window of opportunity closes for timely submission of your Club's Success Plan. Visit this week's Distinguished Office Hour to answer questions and/or work on your Club's Success Plan?
Join us on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025 , for the next Distinguished Office Hour
Time: 7:00 – 8:00 PM Pacific Time, 6:00 – 7:00 PM Alaska
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Our Public Relations Committee will have it's launch soon!. Ready to unleash your creativity? Ready to try something new? Ready to make an impact?
Reach out to our Public Relations Committee, today—there is still time to make some magic happen together!
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A Word About Pathways
Check out this Pathways tip from our Division I Director, Carolyn Curley!
For every task you do, there are Pathways projects that can help you do the task better. Whether the task is for work, another organization, or for Toastmasters, look ahead to see which project may help you with that task!
For questions and support, join a Pathways Office Hour!
Click the District 2 Calendar for dates and times.
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Is Your Club Website Current?
You could be missing out on new members!
I have a challenge for you, club officers! Go to your club's website and check out all the tabs. Is the information up to date? Are the contact names and numbers correct? Which individual(s) is/are assigned to receive emails from the "contact us" form? Is that person still a member? Does that person check their email?
You may be missing out on potential new members if their contact forms are not reaching someone who will quickly respond!
Another place to look is the Toastmasters.org Find A Club link. Is all the information correct? Today's a good day to find out!
Laura Higdon
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September. Time flies. We’re starting to get darker at night, and the chill is in the air. There’s a sense of urgency about fitting in all the summer things before the year settles back into the hustle and bustle of back-to-school. There’s no time for a writing project.
Right?
What if I told you, you are still a writer even if you only write for five minutes a day?
And what if I told you that this five minute practice could make you better and more focused at work and more present for home life?
Well, let’s try it.
Grab your phone. (No, not for scrolling!!) Pull up your alarms, and set a timer for five minutes. Grab something to write on. If you don’t have a notebook handy, grab some paper out of the printer or even the back of some junk mail.
Before you start writing, I want you to close your eyes for just a second, and let yourself come into the moment. What are the top five things on your mind right now? No judgments, no desire to “write” them in any coherent manner, just what are your top five things?
Hit the timer to start and go. Make a list, write a narrative, heck, write yourself an email. “The top five things on my mind right now are…” and go.
Try it, and see how the rest of your day goes. Try it again tomorrow. I’d love to know how the experience goes for you.
Write on!
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The Confidence You Can't Measure
by Vincent Tang
When you do something good for yourself, you often want to see instant results. For me, Toastmasters is like meditation—unfortunately, the results aren’t always something we can visibly see or measure.
As someone who craves instant feedback—and who wanted to share the joy of these activities—I found it difficult to convince guests or friends of the benefits of something that has no obvious metric. How do you measure calm? How do you measure confidence?
After a meditation session, my instructor once mentioned that it was important to take our practice off the mat. During those moments when emotions threaten to spiral out of control, we should remind ourselves to return to the basics: breathing in and breathing out. That’s one way to know you’ve truly become calmer.
Can we relate this same principle to confidence? Why not take our Toastmasters practice outside the meeting room (or virtual room) as well?
This perspective helped me realize that Toastmasters skills can and should be carried into daily life. For me, it wasn’t about counting every “uh” and “um,” but about improving the way I connected in everyday conversations.
As someone who has wrestled with social anxiety, I often reflect on Table Topics. That exercise reminds me that speaking is about sharing openly, giving others space to do the same, and being ready for open-ended questions.
I was surprised at how natural it felt when I reframed it this way—like simply doing what I always practice, but beyond a Toastmasters meeting. Perhaps that’s the secret to confidence: carrying the reminder into real life.
The more we practice, the more we step into a new identity—and the harder it becomes to deny it. For example, if you speak every week, it becomes harder to say you are not a speaker, or that you are shy, timid, or any other self-deprecating label.
Just as meditation isn’t about what happens on the mat but about how you breathe through life, Toastmasters isn’t only about what happens in the meeting—it’s about who you become outside of it. And perhaps it’s in that daily practice, carried quietly into the world, that true confidence takes root.
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As Always, Sparkle & Shine, Friends!
Kelly Fallucca
VPPR, Public Speaking Northwest Toastmasters
D2 Area Director, C35
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This Thursday, September 4, at 6:30 pm PDT/5:30 pm AK,
you’re invited by Professionally Speaking
to experience: Two Talks. Eight Evaluations. Growth Guaranteed.
You can attend in person or online! Register for either option here - https://ProSpeaking4SeptOpenHouse.eventbrite.com
In person venue: The Village Green Community Center, 26159 Dulay Road NE, Kingston, WA – within walking distance of the Kingston Ferry terminal!
Both the In-person venue and Zoom will open by 6 pm for socializing, and for refreshments in person.
Professionally Speaking, an advanced club in D2, is here to fine-tune your skills. It’s not your average club. Each speaker receives insightful feedback from four experienced evaluators, each with a special focus. Whether you're a Toastmaster ready for more challenge—or simply curious about how professional-level feedback can transform your presentations—this will be the perfect meeting to visit, connect, and get inspired.
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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
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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:
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Topic: Focus on club special events.
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Word Limit: Try to limit posts to 200 words or less.
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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.
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Contact Information: All articles must include your club website and/or a contact email for more information.
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Event Posts: Submit up to three consecutive posts for a single event.
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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
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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? | | | | 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. | | | | |
