Toastmaster Rantschler,

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A club officer has a very important role in Toastmasters International. By providing leadership and support, you foster a positive environment that’s conducive to members’ personal and professional growth, allowing them to achieve their Toastmasters education program goals.

Start off the new Toastmasters year with the right tools to have a thriving club on the path to Distinguished status!

Be on the lookout for more training dates! See below!

Host Hybrid Meetings That Truly Connect

Want your hybrid meetings to feel less like a tech juggling act and more like a seamless, inclusive experience? Then don’t miss Hosting Great Hybrid Meetings, a live virtual training with the brilliant Chris Rimple—happening Thursday, June 26, from 6–7:30pm (PST).

This isn’t your average slideshow-and-lecture session. You’ll get real talk, real tips, and real setups that make hybrid meetings more dynamic and less chaotic. Whether you’re leading a club, hosting workshops, or just want to level up your Zoom game, this session will give you the tools, layouts, and strategies to make every attendee—online or in-person—feel like they’re in the room. All club officers and members are encouraged to attend!

✨ Bonus: ALL Officers can earn training credit by attending this course—making it a perfect opportunity to build your skills and meet your officer training requirements.

Chris will show you how to avoid echo chambers (literally), enhance engagement, and create a “wow” factor that bridges the digital divide. I’ll be there too, keeping the chat buzzing and helping your questions get answered live.

Let’s raise the bar for hybrid meetings—together.

For more information, please reach out to Josh Hindman

Hitting the Straightaway

Momentum Means Everything!

District 2 Toastmasters—you're not idling, you're accelerating! We’re halfway through our Beat the Clock campaign, and now’s the time to hit the gas.

This week is all about inviting guests and showcasing the power of your club. Whether you’re just a few members away from Distinguished or simply want to inject new energy into your meetings, your next guest might be your club’s future rockstar.

Try these winning strategies:

• Send a personal invite to 3 friends, colleagues, or former members.
• Post a short video or graphic: “Come see why I love my club!”
• Use your “why” story to spark curiosity—people connect with purpose.

This week’s challenge:

Share a short video (30–90 seconds) on social media with your guest invite, club success story, or personal Toastmasters journey.

• Tag District 2 Toastmasters
• Use #BeatTheClockTM
• Earn $25 D2 Dollars!

Let’s make this straightaway count. The finish line is up ahead—but right now, it’s all about speed, intention, and heart.

If you have questions about this incentive, please reach out to Anu Jokinen, PQD

Let’s Get to Know You – One Survey at a Time

Every week, we’re spotlighting one quick survey designed to help us better understand and support our members. This week’s focus: your goals, leadership interests, and what you value most in your Toastmasters journey.

Whether you're here to become a more confident communicator, explore leadership, or simply grow in new ways—your input helps shape the experience for everyone.

This short survey gives you a chance to be heard—and gives your leaders the insight they need to align club and district opportunities with what truly matters to you.

Take the Survey of the Week

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2526D2MIS1

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, if you have any questions

Time to Step Up - We Need Club Officers!

Hey everyone! Club Officer elections are here for the 2025-2026 Toastmasters year.

Important deadline: Get your officer list submitted to Toastmasters International by 10:59 PM PT on June 30, 2025 for Distinguished Club Program credit.

Why You Should Consider Being an Officer

Look, being a club officer isn't always glamorous, but it does have its rewards. It's where you really learn to lead. You'll deal with actual problems, help other members grow, and pick up skills that make you better at work and in life.

Think about the officers who made your club experience great when you first joined. The ones who kept things running smoothly, welcomed you warmly, or helped you tackle that scary first speech. That could be you for someone else.

We Have Roles That Fit Different Strengths

Whether you're good at planning (VP Education), love meeting new people (VP Membership), enjoy organizing (Secretary), are detail-oriented with numbers (Treasurer), like sharing stories and promoting events (VP Public Relations), want to lead and set the vision (President), or just want to help create a great club atmosphere (Sergeant at Arms) - there's a spot that fits.

Don't Wait for Someone Else

Seriously, don't assume someone else will volunteer. Your club needs what you bring to the table. You've been learning and growing here - now's your chance to give back and grow even more.

Talk to your current officers this week about how you can help lead next year. June 30th will be here before you know it!

Notice an outstanding Toastmaster or Toastmasters?

Nominate them to be featured here!

Congratulations Educational Achievements

See the full list of recipients

Pathways Education award recipient for last week:

Alex Michael, Ashley Arntson, Eileen Thomas, Elinor Chang,

Eta Ghanooni, Gurdev Singh, Jeffrey Baldwin, Katie Munoz,

Phoi Chau Truong, Roberto Haza, Timothy Siegel



Great work everyone!

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

“Mic check—one, two…”

We’ve all said it. But that simple phrase is more than a sound test—it’s a soul test. It asks: Are you ready to be heard… or just hoping not to mess up?

In Toastmasters, we learn to structure a speech, gesture with purpose, pause for effect. But there’s another level—when you don’t just give a speech… you perform it.

I want to share a little story about Skylar, one of many dynamic members of our Aspiring Leaders Toastmasters club. He doesn’t simply speak—he commands. His speeches don’t sit quietly in the air; they dance. With each delivery, Skylar becomes the message. His tone shifts, his body moves, his energy lives in the room or on screen. It’s not overacting—it’s overdelivering. It's performance with purpose.

And here’s the truth: You don’t need to be an actor to make people feel something. You just need to care enough about your message to bring it fully to life.

Voice matters. Presence matters. Intention matters.

So, here’s your mic check this week:

Are you playing it safe… or showing up like it’s your stage?

Need help stepping into that spotlight? Check out local performance, improv, or storytelling classes. Some magic isn’t learned in Pathways—it’s found in motion.

The mic is on. The lights are up. Let’s give them a show worth remembering.

Empowering voices by Josh Hindman, your Starburst Editor

2024/2025 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 Josh Hindman.

Starburst Suggestion Box

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

This newsletter was edited by - Josh Hindman, 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.