Hello Toastmaster!

District 2 Events & News

As the year comes to a close, I wish you a peaceful and restorative holiday season. May this be a time to rest, renew, and celebrate your progress—big and small. Every member plays a role in making District 2 a place of learning, encouragement, and connection. No matter where you are on your Toastmasters journey, your presence and participation matter. I’m excited about the growth and momentum we will continue to create together in the coming year.

Happy Holidays!

Anu Jokinen

District Director, 2025-2026

Save the Date! Leadership Summit

Get inspired to lead in 2026!

Join us in an evening of inspiration and growth!

We are excited to invite you to a hybrid District 2 Leadership Summit on Friday, January 23rd starting at 5:30 pm AK / 6:30 pm PT

In person location - Bellevue City Hall 450 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004

A dynamic Leadership Summit featuring two inspiring keynote speakers: Nikki Malcolm, CEO and Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance, and Benny Mobley, District 2 International Speech Contest Winner. They will share insights on leadership at scale and regional impact and inspire through the power of communication, presence, and purposeful leadership.

More details to come!

Online Event

In Person Event

Don’t Just Attend the Future—Help Design It.

Join Josh Hindman, the 2026 District 2 Conference Chair, and his team!

Wanted: Architects, Curators, & Storytellers

History in the Making: The Future of District 2

“Stronger Together – Powered by the Future” (Pending WHQ Approval) marks the historic debut of our new District 2. We aren’t just planning a conference; we are building a legacy.

The "No-Burnout" Pledge

Hesitant to lead? We’re rewriting the script. We utilize friendly, modern tech as your "co-pilot" to automate administrative grunt work. You focus on creativity, not clutter. These roles are fully HPL Ready.

Casting 6 Visionaries:

Contest Chair: Know the rules and work closely with the district Chief Judge while curating an amazing contest experience for all.
Finance Chair: Explore smart software to handle the math; you focus on funding the dream.
Operations Architect: Strategy over spreadsheets.
Experience Director: Curate interactive moments, not just lectures.
Brand Storyteller: Craft the narrative of this historic merger.
Strategic Partner: We automate the leads; you build the relationships.

The Deadline

We value momentum over perfection. The window to join this founding team closes December 31st. Let's Start the New Year with a full team!

Conference Date: May 16, 2026

Ready to lead?

Email TMJoshHindman@gmail.com to claim your role.

District 2 Town Hall - January 2026

Let's Get 2gether on the 2nd!

We will kick off the first District 2 Town Hall of 2026 with a special guest!

Our District Webmaster, Leah Ammon, will give us a live walkthrough of Phase 1 of the new District 2 website!

This is your opportunity to share feedback, ask questions, and help shape Phase 2 of the site. We’ll also share key district updates and open the floor for conversation, ideas, and Q&A.

Your voice matters, and we hope you’ll join the conversation as we shape what’s next for District 2 together.

📅 January 2, 2026

⏰ 11:00 AM AK / 12:00 PM PT

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

DATE	TIME	LOCATION	TOPIC
21 JAN 2026	12-1 PM PST	ZOOM	COT
28 JAN 2026	6-7:15 PM PST	ZOOM	COT

Additionally, Clubs can schedule to participate in a District Leader led Moments of Truth Assessment during their club meeting. See Great Strides Incentive for details.

COT Training Spreadsheet

The District Executive Committee met on December 3rd and approved the following for this contest season:

Areas with four (4) or fewer clubs in good standing will advance the top two (2) contestants to the Area contest.

Divisions with four (4) or fewer assigned clubs will continue to advance one (1) contestant to the Division contest.

To check if your club is advancing 1 or 2 contestants to the area contest, please click on the following link

Reminder - Please be sure to keep your club in good standing throughout the contest season so your club members will not be disqualified at any time! For more information on club status, click here

Your Voice Matters

Let’s Shape District 2 2Gether!

The winner for the week of December 15, 2025 is

Bryan Fiedorczyk of Greenspeakers EPA. Not only did Brian participate in the Moments of Truth Survey for his club, he also earned his club $10 in District bucks.

We continue with the Moments of Truth survey for another week, giving all members a chance to earn their club District Bucks while completing one of the Great Strides requirements.

As we take time to enjoy family and friends over the holidays, the TRIO would like you to think about your Toastmasters family. What do you want to experience more of over the next six months, in your club and in the District. To this end, we encourage you to participate in the District's Moments of Truth Survey as the Survey of the Week for the next two weeks.

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.

District 2 December Charter Anniversaries

December Charter Anniversaries

Congratulations to all the Clubs celebrating chartering in the month of December!

District 2 celebrates the dedication of every past and current member who has helped develop a supportive environment for growth. May you have many more years of transforming lives, one speech at a time!

District 2 Club Growth Director, Joanna Tavera

CREATE 2GETHER!

VPPR TIPS to Produce Your Powerful Presence™ – No. 23

From Resolutions to Results: The Magic Shift

Happy Holidays Toastmasters,

This season I for one propose we skip stressful resolutions. Instead, make a MAGIC LIST.

In 2026, what do you want to create that will move the needle for your

club?

More confidence? Stronger presence? Braver conversations? Leadership that feels aligned—not forced? Marketing campaigns that are easy and

fun to produce?

PRODUCE Your Powerful Presence™ is not about fixing what is broken—it is about amplifying what’s already powerful within you. Magic happens when intention meets action, voice meets vision, and presence leads the way.

🎯 CTA:

Write down the top 3 things you want to create for your clubs in 2026 that will have the most impact. Share them with your clubs, officers, and mentors.

It is not just the officer team’s responsibility to grow our clubs. Together we can achieve exponential growth in 2026. Keep learning and keep sharing!

Cheers to a year of impact, connection, and MAGIC. ✨

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

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 Webmaster | 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.