**1 October 2001**

# ![](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**

<http://www.bnl.gov/bera/activities/toastmstrs/default.htm>

## [Upcoming Events]{.underline}

Tues, October 2 5:30 Meeting Theme: Mars

Tues, October 16 5:30 Meeting Theme: Harvest Time

Tues, October Noon Meeting Theme: A Stitch in Time

### Officers

### 2001-2002 

**President:**

Margaret Foster

**VP Education:**

Nancy Manning

**VP Membership &**

**VP Public Relations:**

Margaret Conover

**Secretary:**

Amy Halsted

**Treasurer:**

Ronnie Evans

**Sergeant at Arms:**

Kim Pellechi

**Newsletter Editors:**

Amy Halsted

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.

**September 18 Meeting**

The September 18 meeting was a demonstration of the power and
versatility of our Toastmasters club. Held on the one week anniversary
of the terrorist attacks, it was an occasion for those of us attending
to express some of the shock, sadness and little glimmers of hope that
we felt.

Leadership was the surprisingly appropriate theme of the meeting,
selected weeks earlier. Amy was Toastmaster of the day. She said that in
the past she has sometimes been dismissive of leadership but that the
attacks had forced her to think deeply about how very, very important it
is. Pat Astre did Table Topics and his questions focused squarely on our
experiences and reactions to the attacks. Everyone spoke honestly and
sincerely about what they had felt. Mari\'s reaction was to determine to
improve her skills and be better at the things she does. Amy noted that
in the midst of all the grief and grim news a near miraculous event had
occurred: a rare Sumatran rhino calf had been born at the Cincinnati
zoo.

The three speeches were all cheerful, each in its own way. Pat went
first, and his topic was the absurdity of the new inheritance tax law,
which has a rapidly approaching \"expiration\" date. The law is an empty
political gesture, essentially. Die soon, or you won\'t be able to take
advantage of it, he said. Amy\'s speech was about the joys of biking.
She had suggestions about where to buy a bike, how to equip it, and good
places to ride on eastern Long Island. Biking is great physical exercise
and mood elevating too, but don\'t get so dreamy that you aren\'t alert
and watchful of traffic and road hazards, she advised.

Beth spoke last and her poignant speech will stay in our minds for
months to come. Beth described her experience on September 11th, similar
to that of many of us, of coming home and seeing those profoundly
disturbing images of the planes flying into the World Trade Center
towers and their subsequent collapse. She sat with members of her family
and tried to absorb the monumental event that had occurred. Suddenly a
little voice piped up, it was Beth\'s granddaughter. \"Grandma, I\'m
hungry!\" said the little one. Beth found great hope and comfort in the
normal, natural statement, and so did we. In her evaluation, Nancy said
that it was the best speech she had ever heard Beth give.

Life does go on, life will go on, little girls will still get hungry, we
still need to do our jobs, and now more than ever we need to care for
our families and loved ones. We can look forward to the beauty of fall
colors, flocks of migrating birds, fields of orange pumpkins, gorgeous
sunsets and burning bright stars. We might think ahead to Thanksgiving,
when we will contemplate the complex richness of our lives and resolve,
for yet another year, not to take love and beauty for granted.

**Best wishes, Kim, and thanks!**

We were sorry to hear from Kim Pellechi that work and school are going
to take up her spare time and that she will be dropping out of the Club.
As Ronnie told her, we can only hope that she learned as much from us as
we learned from her. We look forward to seeing an article by her in the
national Toastmaster\'s magazine.We hope she\'ll visit whenever she
finds the time, and we wish her luck in all her pursuits.

# ***The Edge Page 2 September 27, 2001***

BNL Toastmasters Club Web site:
[www.bnl.gov/bera/activities/toastmstrs/default.htm](http://www.bnl.gov/bera/activities/toastmstrs/default.htm)

BNL Toastmasters Regular Meeting Schedule

+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **Date**         | **October 2** | **October 16**   | **October 23** |
|                  |               |                  |                |
|                  |               |                  | ###### NOON    |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **Theme**        | Mars          | Harvest Time     | A Stitch in    |
|                  |               |                  | Time           |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **TMOD**         | Margaret C.   | Margaret F.      |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **Joke**         | Nancy         |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **Word**         | Pat           |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **Timer**        | Susan         |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **Ah counter**   |               |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **Grammarian**   |               |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **Table Topics** |               |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **Speech #1**    | Amy           | Mari             |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **#2**           | Pat           | Bill D.          |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **#3**           | Nancy         | Beth             |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **#4**           | Beth          |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **#5**           |               |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **General        |               |                  |                |
| Eval.**          |               |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **Evaluator #1** | Susan         |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **#2**           |               |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **#3**           |               |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **#4**           |               |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **#5**           |               |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **Quiz Master**  |               | Beth             |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+
| **Absent**       | Nand          |                  |                |
+------------------+---------------+------------------+----------------+

![](media/image3.png){width="1.3333333333333333in"
height="1.3333333333333333in"}

**Important Notice:** Due to recent events, BNL's front gate now
requires photo ID before allowing entrance to the site. The gate will be
given the names of all off-site members and guests several days prior to
each meeting. If you wish to bring a guest with you, please notify Nancy
or Beth by 2 days prior to the meeting.

**Member Survey:** We are conducting a brief member survey in order to
better schedule some future meetings. Please be sure to return your
survey at or before our next meeting.

####### September 25 Noon Meeting

Six members were in attendance for our noon meeting. Everyone took an
active role. Bill Dunn and Beth Lin both presented speeches that were
evaluations of President Bush's inspiring Sept. 20^th^ speech. We as
Toastmasters do tend to view public speeches through our own unique
perspective.

Members\' Progress Report

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

  Pat A.                7                  CTM

  William B.                               

  Susan C.              5                  

  Margaret C.           6                  

  Bill D.               3                  

  Ronnie E.             2                  DTM

  John F.                                  

  Margaret F.           1                  DTM

  Anthony G.                               

  Amy H.                2                  CTM

  Benny H.                                 

  Beth L.               5                  ATM-G

  Patty L.              5                  

  Frank M.                                 ATM-B

  Nancy M.              5                  ATM-B

  Nand N.               4                  ATM-G

  Kimberly P.           1                  CTM

  Leyla P.              1                  

  Mari R.               1                  

  Betsy S.              5                  

  Cathy S.              4                  
  --------------------- ------------------ ------------------------------

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