**25 April 2001**

# ![](media/image1.png) The Edge ![](media/image1.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., May 1 Club Meeting, 5:30 Theme: Birds Room 160, Bldg 463

Tues., May 15 10^th^ Anniversary Charter Celebration 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.

**April 17 Meeting**

The theme of our April 17th meeting was birds, and Pat Astre was
Toastmaster of the Day. Margaret Conover was Jokemaster and Wordmaster.
She had a shaggy dog story for us that was bird related, and her word
was \"ornithology\". Pat asked Margaret Foster to step in as Table
Topics master and with a minimum of preparation she came up with some
interesting questions for us about birds and time.

After the break, Margaret Conover presented the first speech, entitled
\"Ornithocognition,\" a word of her own making. She told a number of
stories that demonstrated what birds have taught her and what she has
learned about birds. She mentioned two websites that have good
information about wild birds: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/ and
http://birds.cornell.edu/. Margaret\'s humor and natural delivery made
for an engaging speech.

Kim presented the next speech, \"The Surprise Dessert,\" #8 from the
basic manual. We relocated to the nearby kitchen space where Kim
prepared some delicious no-bake cookies. She led us through the recipe
and before our eyes the cookies took shape. Just as we see on the
cooking shows, Kim had a finished recipe of cookies for members to
taste. Here\'s the recipe for her easy fudgy cookies: 2 cups (475 ml)
sugar; ½ cup (125 ml) cocoa; ½ cup (125 ml) butter; ½ cup (125 ml) milk,
½ cup (125) peanut butter; 3 cups (700 ml) oatmeal; 1 tbsp (15 ml)
vanilla. Mix sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in sauce pan, boil one
minute. Blend in peanut butter, oatmeal and vanilla, stir well. Drop by
teaspoonfuls on wax paper, allow to cool completely. A unique and
delicious speech!

Amy spoke next with \"Thank You, Nepal,\" her tenth speech which earned
her the Competent Toastmaster Award (CTM). Amy told the group about a
trip she took to Nepal in 1990. She said that the Nepali language has no
word for \"thank you\" because in that Hindu/Buddhist culture a service
or favor improves the helper\'s karma and increases the likelihood of a
higher rebirth in the next life. This makes for an easy, joyous exchange
between people, without the burdens of debt and gratitude that exist in
Western culture. Amy showed slides of Kathmandu, Nepal\'s capital, and
the trails and towns in the mountains south of Mt. Everest.

Pat Astre was the last speaker with \"Baby Words,\" a project from the
Entertaining Speaker advanced manual. He spoke about the trials of
raising ornery teenagers, and the difficulty in teaching babies to talk.
The little ones sometimes seem to resist our earnest efforts to teach
them useful words, but then are remarkably quick to learn and repeat any
\"bad\" words that might slip from our lips in an unguarded moment.

Nancy was general evaluator, and she read Kim\'s evaluation notes on
Margaret\'s speech since Kim had had to leave the meeting early.
Margaret Foster evaluated Kim, and Ronnie evaluated Amy. The newsletter
editor regrets that she has forgotten who evaluated Pat\'s speech. Amy
presented the AH Counter\'s report and Kim\'s timer\'\' report was read.
The club spontaneously decided that Margaret Foster\'s performance as
off-the-cuff Tabletopics Master was deserving of the Bull-Thrower award.
Nancy noted that while the meeting had been fun and successful, more
effort should be made to hold the speeches to the assigned length and to
keep the meeting moving quickly. Ronnie closed the meeting.

# ***The Edge, Page 2 April 25, 2001***

# ![](media/image2.png){width="1.75in" height="1.1458333333333333in"}

BNL Toastmasters Regular Meeting Schedule

  ------------------ ------------------ ---------------- -----------------
  **Date**           **May 1**          **May 15**       **May 22 NOON**

  **Theme**          Dance Around the   Charter          Final Exams
                     May Pole           Celebration      

  **TMOD**           Ronnie             Margaret F.      Kim

  **Joke**                                               

  **Word**                                               

  **Timer**          Amy                                 

  **Ah counter**                                         

  **Grammarian**                                         

  **Table Topics**   Margaret C.        Beth             

  **Speech #1**      Margaret C.                         Kim

  **#2**             Kim                                 

  **#3**             Nancy                               

  **#4**                                                 

  **#5**                                                 

  **#6**                                                 

  **General Eval.**  Amy                Ronnie           

  **Evaluator #1**                                       

  **#2**                                                 

  **#3**                                                 

  **#4**                                                 

  **#5**                                                 

  **#6**                                                 

  **Quiz Master**                                        

  **Absent**                                             
  ------------------ ------------------ ---------------- -----------------

**Congratulations Amy on achieving your CTM!**

**BNL Toastmasters Club Web site:**

[www.bnl.gov/bera/activities/toastmstrs/default.htm](http://www.bnl.gov/bera/activities/toastmstrs/default.htm)

**Mark your calendars:**

**Our Charter Celebration is Coming!** May 15 will be our Charter
Celebration. Join us as we celebrate our 10^th^ Anniversary with special
guests, an outstanding program, and light refreshments.

**District 46 Toastmasters Spring Conference.** Saturday May 19 - Sunday
May 20. Woodbridge Hilton, Iselin, NJ.

Members\' Progress Report

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

  Pat A.                5                  CTM

  Susan C.              5                  

  Margaret C.           4                  

  Ronnie E.             1                  ATM-G + 5 CTMs

  John F.               1                  CTM

  Margaret F.                              DTM

  Mary G.                                  

  Amy H.                10                 CTM

  Claire H.             5                  

  Beth L.               2                  ATM-G + 5 CTMs

  Patty L.              5                  

  Frank M.              10                 ATM-B

  Nancy M.              3                  CL, ATM-B

  Nand N.               4                  ATM-S

  Kimberly P.           8                  

  Luis R.               1                  

  Betsy S.              5                  

  Cathy S.              2                  

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