Hello Toastmaster!

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GREAT START INCENTIVE

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

*Dependent on budget approval 9/18

**Officers must complete training by 8/31

For more information see PQD News: Survey Winners & Great Start Dashboard and more.

D2 SEEKING CLUB COACHES

District 2 is seeking Club Coaches to assist eligible clubs to grow and better serve their members.

What are Club Coaches?

Being a successful club coach is a step toward your DTM. It’s also another way to grow your leadership and communication skills. District 2 is looking for Toastmasters who are experienced members to assist in rebuilding club membership and restoring club quality. A successful club coach will:

• Build rapport with club officers and members
• Instill enthusiasm, camaraderie, and structure within the club
• Assess the club environment and recommend best practices for success
• Work with club officers to develop a Club Success Plan
• Motivate the club to strive for Distinguished Club Program (DCP) recognition

Coaches who assist clubs to achieve Distinguished status (or higher) in the Distinguished Club Program will receive credit in the education program and a digital certificate of accomplishment.

Ready to sign up?

Our District Club Growth Director will help you get started!

ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW CLUB MENTOR OPPORTUNITY

Seeking passionate Toastmasters: Mentor A New Club To Success!

Experienced Toastmasters can enhance their leadership skills and contribute to the District 2 community. Dedicated Club Mentors are needed to guide and support newly forming Toastmasters clubs through their initial six to twelve months.

Club Mentors act as guides and advisors, helping new clubs implement the Toastmasters program effectively. Responsibilities include:

• Building rapport with the club and attending meetings regularly.
• Ensuring the club is strong and functional, connecting members with helpful resources.
• Familiarizing the club with the Toastmasters International website and its resources.
• Encouraging club officers to attend district-sponsored training and coaching them on their roles.
• Helping the club develop positive habits, e.g. prepared speeches, evaluations, and enthusiastic participation.
• Fostering a culture of membership-building within the club.

Being a Club Mentor offers a rewarding experience with several benefits:

• Enhancing communication and personal skills.
• Developing leadership and management qualities.
• Reinforcing Toastmasters knowledge.
• Increasing confidence and motivation.
• Earning credit towards the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award.
• Making a lasting impact on new Toastmasters and contributing to the growth of the program.

How to get started

Contact D2 Club Growth Director to express interest, learn more, and get started. 

This is an opportunity to share your Toastmasters journey and help shape new clubs. Join in making a difference!

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!

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!

Training deadline is August 31st!

Check the status of club officers trained for your club here.

More training opportunities have been added!

Have you ever scrolled through a newsletter and thought "I wish I could change this, add that, and remove the other'? Well, if you have, we'd like to talk to you. As you can imagine, editing a newsletter it an important undertaking, and it may even seem daunting. However, after six issues, I can tell you that is won't kill you and it is extremely gratifying to hear applause from our readers. If this is something that interests you, please reach out to PRM Marty Varela.

This is another chance to shape how our district connects with the world. Ready to unleash your creativity? Ready to try something new? Ready to make an impact?

Reach out to our Public Relations Committee, today—let’s make some magic happen together!

VPPR TIPS to Produce Your Powerful Presence™ – No. 4

Level Up Your Toastmasters Club Branding with Canva + AI

Why are branded, dynamic and modern visuals more important than ever?

Because you have only milliseconds for prospective members to 'stop the scroll' and land on your club's website or social media channels.

Use Canva to create professional, brand-aligned content—fast. Start by uploading Toastmasters’ official color palette and logos into Canva, found in the official Toastmasters Brand Manual.

Short on time? Let AI do the heavy lifting. 

(Tutorial videos below!)

• Use Canva’s built-in Magic Write to generate captions, bios, or newsletter blurbs.
• Try Text to Image to create eye-catching visuals for speeches or events.
• Use AI voiceover tools to narrate short promo videos or reels.

Quick Wins: 

✅ Design branded meeting notices.

✅ Create polished flyers with AI-generated content.

✅ Create short, shareable videos.

Use the tools in Canva to create templates and make content in a fun and easy way. Even if you are not a designer.

YOUTUBE VIDEO LINKS:

Ultimate Canva AI Tutorial (Everything You Can Do in 2025!) Over 15 AI Tools

How to Create a Brand Kit in Canva | Canva Pro Tutorial (2025)

Got questions or a topic you would love covered?

Email me at: k@kellyafallucca.com

Subject: Starburst Request

I would love to hear from you!

Let’s create the kind of presence that draws people in and grows our clubs.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Public Speaking Northwest Toastmasters Website

Public Speaking Northwest Toastmasters YouTube Channel

Notice an outstanding Toastmaster?

Nominate them to be featured here!

Come hear a Level Five Speaker Reflect on Their Path

We have a member completing the Presentation Mastery Pathway

As speakers, Toastmasters aspire to build their communication skills to become more effective in their work, home, and public lives. We are excited to share that one of our members is about to complete the Presentation Mastery Pathway. The final speech in the path is to "Reflect on Your Path." 

Redmond Nights Toastmasters meets every Sunday at 7 PM at Bear Creek United Methodist Church in Woodinville, WA 

Join us for what is sure to be an enlightening and inspiring talk!

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 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 - 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.