**4 December 2000**

# ![](media/image1.png) The Edge ![](media/image2.png)

**BNL Toastmasters, Club 8069, District 46**

**Meetings are held the 1^st^ and 3^rd^ Tuesday at 5:30 PM and the 4^th^
Tuesday at 12:05**

**Biology Building 463, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY
11973**

Upcoming Events

Tues., Dec 5 Club Meeting, 5:30 Theme: Happy Endings Room 160, Bldg 463

Thurs., Dec 7 Joint-Club Dinner\* La Grova Restaurant, Lake Grove,
6:30 - 9 PM

Tues., Dec 19 Club Holiday Party, 5:30 Theme: Holidays Room 160, Bldg
463

### Officers

### 2000-2001 

**President:**

Ronnie Evans

**VP Education:**

Nancy Manning

**VP Membership:**

Frank MacKay

**VP Public Relations:**

Nand Narain

**Secretary:**

Amy Halsted

**Treasurer:**

Claire Heil

**Sergeant at Arms:**

Beth Lin

**Newsletter Editors:**

Amy Halsted

### Beth Lin

Nancy Manning

### The mission of a Toastmasters Club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.

November 21 Meeting

Procrastination was the theme of the November 7 meeting. Our two new
members (hooray!) John Federmack and Cathy Schwartz attended. Amy was
Toastmaster of the day. John was Jokemaster, and he made us laugh. Beth
was Wordmaster, and her word was the sign language sign for \"later.\"
Pat presented table topics on a procrastination theme. His questions
made us think about some of the positive aspects of procrastination. He
reminded us too that what is procrastination in one culture may be the
normal pace of life in another.

In the speech portion of the meeting, Margaret Conover kicked off with
her Ice Breaker speech, and what a great job she did! Entitled \"I Love
Science,\" her speech covered the many chapters of her life, starting in
a one room schoolhouse in Harmony Corners, Wisconsin, picking up a PhD
in botany along the way, making stops in Australia and Stony Brook, and
ending in the present as a professional advocate for science museums for
children. We were quite captivated with her natural and engaging
delivery and the very interesting life she has lead. With this
delightful beginning, we hope we won\'t have to wait too long for
Margaret\'s next speech.

Pat Astre followed with a talk entitled \"First Things First.\" Using
audience participation, as he has to good effect before, Pat had us all
write down four numbers: 25, 20, 51 and 4. The first number represents
those who will die before they reach retirement; the next is the
percentage who will live out their retirement at or below the poverty
level; the 51 stands for all who will retire just above the poverty
level; and the lonely 4% is all those who planned well for their
retirement and had incomes of \$36 thousand or more. Pat described
several documents that everyone should have, including a durable power
of attorney, a living will and a will. Pat\'s advice was golden, and he
easily convinced us that we should all take these steps.

Amy\'s speech was about the remarkable method of reproduction of the
emperor penguin. After the female lays her single egg, the male places
it on top of his feet, covered by a flap of warm feathery belly skin.
The female departs and the males gather in tightly packed huddles on the
polar ice. They stand together against the dark, brutal cold and bitter
wind of a South Pole winter, managing not only to survive but also to
incubate their eggs. After two months, the female returns and both
cooperate on raising the chick. The devotion of the father penguins made
Amy think of her own father\'s love and patience, and she found great
beauty in the image of the team of huddling male penguins.

Beth was general evaluator and she also evaluated Pat\'s speech. Ronnie
evaluated Margaret and Pat evaluated Amy. Pat reported that Amy and John
had tied for Table Topics, and John was awarded the trophy. All members
are wished a very happy Thanksgiving.

\*Holiday Party: Time is running out! The Joint-Club Holiday Party will
be on Thursday, December 7th, from 6:30 - 9:00 PM at the La Grova
restaurant. Cost is \$25 per person, space is limited. Send check made
out to Toastmasters International to Dick McManus, 210 River Drive,
Moriches, NY 1955; 631-878-4648. Don\'t miss out on what promises to be
a fun evening.

# ***The Edge, Page 2 December 4, 2000***

BNL Toastmasters Regular Meeting Schedule

  ---------------------------------- ----------------- ----------------- -----------------
  **Date**                           **Dec. 5**        **Dec. 19**       **Jan. 2, 2001**

  **Theme**                          Happy Endings     Holiday Party     New Beginnings

  **TMOD**                           Nancy             Ronnie            

  **Joke**                                             Pat               

  **Word**                                                               

  **Timer**                                                              

  **Ah counter**                                                         

  **Grammarian**                                                         

  **Table Topics**                                                       

  **Speech #1**                      Cathy S.          Kim               

  **#2**                             John F.           Frank             

  **#3**                             Margaret C.       Pat               

  **#4**                             Frank M.          Nancy             

  **#5**                                                                 

  **#6**                                                                 

  **#7**                                                                 

  **General Eval.**                                                      

  ![](media/image3.wmf)**Evaluator   Beth                                
  #1**                                                                   

  **#2**                                                                 

  **#3**                             Nancy                               

  **#4**                             Ronnie                              

  **#5**                                                                 

  **Quiz Master**                                                        

  **Educational Talk**                                                   

  **Absent**                         Pat, Patty                          
  ---------------------------------- ----------------- ----------------- -----------------

![](media/image4.png)

*Mark your calendars for our special Holiday Meeting on December 19 with
goodies from around the world.*

***There will be no Club meeting on December 26. Plan now to make your
2000 goal - only two more BNL Toastmasters meetings this millennium!***

Our noon meeting of November 28 had five members present: Claire who
served as Toastmaster of the Day for her first time, Frank who gave two
speeches, Beth, Margaret F., and Ronnie. It was a relaxed meeting with
time for welcome camaraderie.

Members\' Progress Report

  -------------------- ----------------- --------------------------------
  **Member**           **Speeches        **Achievements**
                       completed**       

  Pat A.               9                 

  Susan C.             5                 

  Margaret C.          1                 

  Ronnie E.                              ATM-G + 5 CTMs

  John F.                                

  Margaret F.                            DTM

  Mary G.                                

  Amy H.               8                 

  Claire H.            4                 

  Beth L.                                ATM-G + 5 CTMs

  Patty L.             5                 

  Frank M.             9                 ATM-B

  Nancy M.             2                 CL, ATM-B

  Nand N.              1                 ATM-S

  Kimberly P.          4                 

  Luis R.              1                 

  Betsy S.             5                 

  Cathy S.                               

  Eric S.              5                 
  -------------------- ----------------- --------------------------------