Smart Speakers

We are the Federal Center Toastmasters Club. We meet the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Thursday of each month in Hyattsville, MD, from 12 noon to 1pm. Our meetings are held at the headquarters of the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC. Our meetings are open to the public, though visitors must go through building security procedures. For visitors who are not U.S. citizens, we do need to pre-coordinate a first visit with our security team. Contact us at: 1260@toastmastersclubs.org. We have been a Toastmasters Club for 40 years and always welcome new members! Join us, and you will improve your public-speaking and leadership skills in a friendly, supportive atmosphere!

*SPONSORED BY: Freestate Happy Wanderers Volksmarch Club, Inc. AVA-190* *AVA: America’s Walking Club- $4 walk fee per adult* **Start/Finish area will be set-up to conform to the State of Maryland, Howard County and the United Methodist Church of Savage Rules and Restrictions that are in place at the time of the walk events. Correct change or checks appreciated.** **START/FINISH: United Methodist Church of Savage, 9050 Baltimore St. Savage, MD 20763. Located on the corner of Baltimore and Foundry Streets. See drive directions on back. Restrooms are available at the Start/Finish.: Start both days sign in anytime between 9 AM and 12 Noon, finish by 3:00 PM.** TRAILS: Trails are rated either 1A or 2B. Four 5-km trail options are available. Trails are on sidewalks, paved paths and natural wooded areas in and near the Savage Mill Historic District. Many options are possible, including a trail suitable for strollers. In addition, the walk box for the Savage YRE is available in the Savage Mill, Postmasters Office near the Start-Finish. **ELIGIBILITY: These walks are open to the public. Everyone is welcome to participate.** **REGISTRATION: The fee for IVV Credit or Non-IVV Credit is $4.00. Children 12 and under (IVV-Credit included) walk for free courtesy of Freestate Happy Wanderers. The same trail may be walked for distance credit twice on the same start card on the same day with no extra charge. Join us for *Fun, Fitness, Friendship* PROCEDURE: Each participant must register at the start and completely fill out a start card and including signing waiver. The start card is to be carried on the walk and presented at each checkpoint. Participants must turn in start cards at the Finish Table after completing the event. The AVA New Walker packet, which includes both IVV Books and 3 walk credit coupons, for sale at New Walker Table cost $10.** **AVA SPECIAL PROGRAMS: A list of all qualifying AVA Special Programs will be available to participants at the Start/Finish table. Walkers may earn six IVV Credit stamps at our two-day event. Two traditional events both days (5-km/10-km trails) and the Savage YRE stamps for 2025 & 2026.** **CONDITIONS: Littering along the trails is prohibited. Howard County law requires that all pets be leashed and that owners clean up after their pets. The event will be held in all reasonable weather. Pets NOT permitted in the Church Hall, Start/Finish Room. If weather conditions are uncertain, and traveler advisories are in effect on the days of the events, please call the contact person listed below to obtain up-to-date information on walk event status.** **REFRESHMENTS: We are planning to serve food and drinks in the Freestate tradition. Water and hard candy will be available both days.** **DISCLAIMER: Every reasonable effort will be made to conduct a safe, enjoyable, and memorable event. The Freestate Happy Wanderers and the United Methodist Church of Savage shall not be liable for any accidents, theft, or material damage. SANCTION: The Maryland Volkssport Association (MVA) and the American Volkssport Association (AVA), a member of the International Federation of Popular Sports (IVV), sanctioned these events, AT129352, AT129353, AT129354 and AT129355** **INFORMATION: Call 410-437-2164 (H), 410-533-5805 (C) before 9:00 PM or via email at [wahasse1798@verizon.net](mailto:wahasse@ix.netcom.com) https://sites.google.com/svsvc.org/fhw/home** **DRIVE DIRECTIONS: FROM RT. I-95 NORTH OR SOUTH -TAKE EXIT FOR Rt. 32 EAST approx. 1 mile to exit at US Rt.1 South toward Laurel for one block. \*Turn Right at light on Howard St. which will become Baltimore St. Church is on the corners of Baltimore & Foundry Streets. FROM RT. 295 NORTH OR SOUTH BALTO/WASH PKWY, TAKE EXIT FOR RT. 32 WEST toward Columbia., TAKE EXIT RT 1 South for Historic Savage. \*FOLLOW DIRECTIONS ABOVE**: **Parking is allowed in the Church parking lot and on streets OBEY ALL SIGNS & RESTRICTIONS:** **Enjoy our YRE’s - Earn “I Walked ‘Em All” Patch** **Bowie-Y0390 (PSB & OSB), Cambridge Y1046, Chesapeake Beach Y1087 (PSB & OSB)** **Colesville Y3417 (OSB) – Frederick Y1899** **Glen Burnie BWI Airport Observation Trail Y1360** **Kinder Farm Park Y1896** **Indian Head Y0129, Laurel Y2019, Mount Airy Y1359 (OSB) Ocean City Walk Y1572 (OSB)** **Ocean City Bike YRE 3185 (OSB)** **Savage Mill Y0575 (PSB & OSB), St. Mary’s City Y1620 (OSB) Ft. Smallwood Park Y2767 (OSB)** **Wheaton Y1619 (PSB & OSB) Y0144 (PSB & OSB)**

CHILL N CHESS/CHECKERS** Come play chess and/or checkers!! Classic, clock, social. From novice to grandmaster. [American Pool Checkers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pool_Checkers) (not your kindergarten checkers!). Come chill with us, get your mind in the game. We offer Blunder Support Groups ;) 🤦‍♂️ **How’s your week?** Did you hang a queen? Fork yourself? Promote to *rook* instead of queen? 😭 > **Don’t worry—we’ve all been there.** > (Literally. We meet weekly. Bring snacks.) [Insta](https://www.instagram.com/capitalcheckers?igsh=YTkxZXd0eG9rZGtt&utm_source=qr) Give us a follow! Let’s play! BYOBevarages and food.

Let Spirit move you to a mix of music both sacred and fun, and all with an upbeat orientation. Freestyle, individual dancing in two sets of 30 mins each. Come on time to start with ten minutes of stretching. Donations accepted but not required. RSVPs appreciated.

Regular biweekly walk to find the birds and sights of Lake Artemesia.

Hey ASL Friends! Yes, we are really meeting on New Year - our first meeting on the very first day of the year! WHOOO! So mark your calendar and don’t pretend you forgot. Our next ASL hangout is on Thursday, January 1 at 3 PM. Please note: Tysons Corner will close at 7 PM, so we’ll gather starting at 3 PM and hang out until they kick us out. Tysons Corner Food Court – 3rd Floor 1961 Chain Bridge Rd, Tysons Corner, VA 22102 Come sign, chill, and start the New Year with the ASL community.

Want to mess with some electronics? Or perhaps contribute to HacDC's main group project? HacDC's latest event brings hardware projects to the community. We will focus primarily on the main project (Space Blimp!) but please feel free to bring some of your own projects to show off and work on!

We’re doing it again! The Social Sips and Bites is heading back to the State Theatre for another round of $5 COMEDY NIGHT! If you missed it last time, here’s your chance to redeem yourself (and your sense of humor). For just $5, you’ll get a night full of laughs, good vibes, and memories that might just become inside jokes. Grab your friends, prep your laugh muscles, and join us for another epic night of comedy gold. The State Theater is offering a fantastic deal—tickets for just $5! But act fast, as they’re selling quickly. If you’re interested, here’s the link to grab your tickets Don’t miss out! http://m.thestatetheatre.com/events/e2221.xml

This is a 9-mile circuit hike in the George Washington National Forest with around 1,500 feet of elevation gain. We will start the hike in the parking lot of the Stephens trail off Route 675 from Fort Valley Drive (route 678) past Front Royal, Virginia. The hike will start on the Stephens Trail and then connect to the Massanutten Trail close to the ridgeline overlooking the Shenandoah River. Once we arrive on the Massanutten Trail, we will hike out towards the observation tower in about one mile, have lunch, and then return to the car using the Massanutten trail. This definitely is not a hike where we will race through it because safety is a concern and making sure our fellow hikers enjoy the experience is important. Pace 2-2.5 mph if this speed is not conducive to your hiking level please know that I do not hike any slower or faster than this pace so please consider another hike. I also take frequent stops and breaks going up hills. PLEASE PRINT OUT ANY MAPS THAT YOU THINK YOU MAY NEED AS I DO NOT PROVIDE COPIES OF MAPS. ALL THE LINKS AND COORDINATES YOU WILL NEED ARE BELOW. Note: Smart phones will not give you the complete map and will end at the Sheetz! You can plot the coordinate below. We will stop at the Sheetz on your way (Sheetz, 15315 Washington St, Haymarket, VA 20169) the distance is about 154 miles round trip to the parking lot. If you are meeting us at the trailhead please be there by 915 am. The GPS coordinates to the trailhead are 38.72761, -78.51611 https://maps.app.goo.gl/QeFDSJf3oRYjvfMC7 We will have lunch at the top at the Observation Tower also if you would like additional information on the hike here is a link that should help you. [http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/KennedyPeak/](http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/KennedyPeak/) Now the warning: PLEASE DON’T SIGN UP FOR THIS HIKE UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN HIKING A LOT RECENTLY. This is not a beginner's hike, nor is it suitable for dogs. Bring plenty of beverages, lunch, sunscreen, bug spray and sturdy boots. We will meet at 8:00 a.m. to form our carpool in the East Falls Church Metro Kiss & Ride lot. We will promptly leave at 815. In addition to your hiking gear and plenty of water, please bring $5 for the Adventuring Trip Fee and a $12 carpool fee for your driver. Effective immediately, Adventuring will waive the $5 trip fee for any federal employee or contractor who has been furloughed during the current Shutdown. Trip participants will still have to pay their share of transportation costs. Please [click here](https://adventuringlgbtq.com/Adventuring_Release_Form.pdf) to review our release form. When you RSVP to an event, you affirm that you have read and agree to the terms of the release

*Root* is a game of woodland might and right. Stalk the woods as one of the Vagabonds, seize the initiative with the Eyrie birds of prey, rule over your subjects as the Marquise de Cat, or command the Woodland Alliance to create a new order. With creatures and cunning, you'll rule a fantastic forest kingdom in the ultimate asymmetric board game of adventure and war.

Kick off the new year with The ArtHouse in a stroll around Dupont Circle to tour a few art galleries. It will be cold but we won't be walking that far, and the galleries will be warm inside. We'll start off at Hillyer where photos in *RESIST* celebrate resistance and a call to action. It asks viewers to ponder the question “What are you willing to do or risk to resist?” *Unbreakable Elements* by Jun Lee explores printmaking through materials such as wood, paper, and glass. At the Ven, Solo Exhibition *Beauty through Contrast* showcases award winning international photo artist Sebastian Schuster. Vika Gallery is the contemporary art space of Vika Visual Arts Association — a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the arts in the Washington, DC region. **Dupont Underground** will present 21 portraits from the 1000 Dreams Project: Refugee stories in their own words. We'll finish around 8 pm. Can suggest a couple dinner places after for the group.

We will take a very slow walk throughout Alcova Heights Park, which is very flat and has wide pathways. The group leader will use a pair of binoculars if necessary, and seeing participants may use binoculars as well. However, our goal will be for both seeing and blind/low vision persons to hear, identify, and learn the sounds of the birds in the park and potentially develop mnemonics for the bird calls. You might be surprised to find how quickly you will learn the sounds of bird species! We will be aided by the Merlin app, and the group leader will record our bird observations in the eBird app. Over time, we will be able to query eBird to see our growing birding expertise! Participants wishing to use eBird and Merlin type apps, please download them and create accounts ahead of time; we won’t have time to do that during the event.

Full event details: [https://www.annkite.com/sundays](https://www.annkite.com/sundays) Join our Practice 11-1pm, bring a dish to share and stay if you can for the potluck after! The 5Rhythms® of Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, and Stillness form ‘The Wave’, a simple movement meditation practice that encourages us to find our own movement into presence and embodiment, discovering ourselves at our most fluid and creative level. The Rhythms are different ways of moving that are related to different ways of being in the world. As we practice them, we bring more of ourselves –body, heart, mind & soul- into movement, on the dance floor & out in the world. There are no steps to learn and it can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age, fitness, ability, or experience. Our dance is an individual and collective experience. How much you choose to interact with other dancers is up to you. We ask only that you come with a heartful respect for yourself and every other person on the floor. The 5Rhythms teacher is here to help take you deeper into the experience, when you’re ready. There are no steps to learn. 5Rhythms can be practiced by anyone regardless of age, fitness, ability, or experience. For more information about what to expect in your first 5Rhythms class, see https://www.annkite.com/about. Photo by Sue Green See less

The topic for January is "Chemistry" Speak Easy: true stories, told live. The idea is simple: an audience, an open microphone, and great stories. Hilarious, gripping, poignant- it's up to you. Audiences are invited to come to listen or come to tell as folks from all corners of Columbus offer their stories live on stage! Held at Wild Goose Creative's warm, intimate space, this night of tales occurs on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Doors open at 7:00 pm, show starts at 7:30 pm. Please arrive early if you want to tell, as we generally only have room for a limited number of tellers, and the sign-up sheet has a tendency to fill up fast. Formed around the idea that people need stories--they're what hold and draw us together--SpeakEasy celebrates the strangeness and commonness of being human. And in a world of smartphones, Facebook, Twitter, and more . . . it gives people a real, breathing, in-person way to connect. The night is geared for true stories of all kinds, taking the best tales told around kitchen tables, in darkened pubs, on the street corner, and at late-night parties and giving them an audience. Speak Easy is also a great outlet for performers, writers, and artists looking to share their favorite stories and perfect their skills. We strongly encourage tellers to please tell the story rather than read it so we keep within the spirit of good storytelling and stay engaged with the audience. All are welcome. Hang around after the show for a drink and build community!

Bring your Raspberry Pi, Arduino, microcontroller, or any other electronic project and join fellow electronics makers for a night of creativity and collaboration! This session is open forum to share your current projects—whether complete or in progress, it’s all interesting! Whether you’re deep into embedded systems, exploring new ideas, or just getting started, you’ll find a welcoming space to collaborate, share, and get inspired. I've been hardware hacking a See N Say to make it say whatever I want - while the project is in progress still, it should be working by this meetup! I'll bring it for demo. [See N Say Project](https://github.com/cdeever/esp32-see-n-say) While we continue to pursue a more permanent venue for this Meetup, we’ll be using public library facilities based on availability. This session will be at the Worthington Park Library in the Olentangy Meeting Room.

***FREE TOUR TICKET FOR ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL MEETUP MEMBERS*** Use Promo Code **MEETUP2025** to get your free ticket and route smart guide at [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sol-in-columbus-oh-a-smart-guided-short-one-way-loop-bikeway-tour-tickets-769120860197](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sol-in-columbus-oh-a-smart-guided-short-one-way-loop-bikeway-tour-tickets-769120860197) You can do the tour solo/with your favorite peeps, or try to generate a group ride of Meetup CycleNuts by RSVPing here and posting the day and time you are interested in others joining you. Either way, have fun on your memory-making adventure, and thank you for being a CycleNut! ### SOL in Columbus, OH \- A Smart\-guided Short One\-way Loop Bikeway Tour Short One-way Loop (SOL) in Columbus on bikeways. The smart-guided tour is mostly through scenic riverside parks with a quick downtown peek. All of that in 10 miles! 83% of the route is bikeway, and the rest is Google Maps designated "bicycle-friendly roads". This short ride passes through several beautiful riverside parks. Passing through downtown the route runs alongside Huntington Park baseball stadium, Nationwide Arena hockey stadium, near North Market (worth a stop if you enjoy markets with lots of tasty treats), within a few blocks of the state capitol, convention center, art museum, center of science and industry, several first-class hotels, and much more (see Points of Interest list below). Easily, anywhere along the way, the tour can be detoured to nearby points of interest. This smart-guided route comes with CycleNuts' 50% downhill guarantee. Sweating is optional. If your bike has gears, you might use them to climb in a few spots. All bikes are appropriate for this smart-guided tour (even a single-speed if you do not mind walking your bike up the spots mentioned). The route is shaded about 50% of the way. Sweating is optional - you set your pace, starting time, and touring agenda. Points of interest: COSI Scioto River North Market German Village The Scioto Mile Brewery District Huntington Park Nationwide Arena Columbus Union Station Arch Greater Columbus Convention Center **The Meetup plan = Show up, Rally with whoever else shows up, and Roll following the smart-guided instructions.** This is a smart guided tour route that can be ridden any day or time, solo or with others. It is only posted with a repeating set time and date with a tour leader to fit the Meetup format, and, more importantly, to encourage you to get out and ride when it is convenient for you. **If you are going to ride it and would like the company of others, then simply RSVP and post in the comments when it is that you are going to ride - date and time.** Take pictures/videos and share. Have fun! ***This is a repeating event on the calendar***\*, but the date and time do not necessarily need to be what is posted. **If you are interested in riding with a group, then simply RSVP and leave a message in the comment section** giving the date and time you would like others to join you. If you are interested in riding by yourself or with your private group of friends, then simply do it.\* ***The mission of this format is to create a catalog*** *of free group tour routes available for CycleNuts to ride as a group, or solo, in an area spanning several states. **The goal is to get people out cycling** either in groups or solo. **The vision is a cycling community with resources** available for bike tours, bike talk, and a format for lives experienced at the speed of bike.*

Start the new year with your local IxDA pals. Join members of the Central Ohio UX and design community for our monthly breakfast.

Come out to Improving for our monthly iOS and Mac meetings. This Month's Presentation: Nothing yet. (You should volunteer). What is Cocoaheads (http://cocoaheads.org/)? CocoaHeads is a group devoted to discussion of Apple Computer's Cocoa Framework for programming on MacOS X and iOS (including the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch). During monthly meetings, members present on their projects and offer tutorials on various programming topics. What is BuckeyeCocoa (http://buckeyecocoa.org/)? BuckeyeCocoa is a group of Objective-C/Swift developers/enthusiasts. We host monthly Cocoaheads and near-weekly NSCoder meetings in Columbus, Ohio. The meetings are free to attend. Presentations! Presenters welcome! We are always in need of people willing to present material. Any Swift and/or Objective-C related topic is welcome. Times can be 5 minutes (i.e. lightning talks) to a maximum of 2 hours. Interested? Contact info is on the BuckeyeCocoa website. To volunteer for a presentation contact us at @BuckeyeCocoa on Twitter. Follow us on Twitter! @BuckeyeCocoa (https://twitter.com/#!/Buckeyecocoa/) For more information: http://buckeyecocoa.org/

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. If the weather cooperates we will be meeting in the patio. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who want to discuss international travel and culture, and anyone who enjoys getting together for good conversations."