Originally this group was set up as a joke between friends and caused chaos to say the least.  Whoops!  The less said about that the better!

The group has suffered from many different name changes during its first year.  I was never quite satisfied with those different names.  Then low and behold!  Gates McFadden herself named our little group!

During the Slanted Fedora convention in Philadelphia in 2001, I was sitting on a table full of fellow Official BONCer's watching Gates McFadden perform a one-woman-show.  One of those particular BONCer's was a little... excited shall we say ;)  She was laughing so loud that Gates noticed us.  During her performance (which was brilliant btw) she kept glancing in our direction.

After she had finished and left the stage and dinner was being served to us, Dave Scott the convention guy came over to our table.  

"You must be The Gates Girls!" he said.  "Gates gave me a message for her girls. She told me to tell you that she knew we were there for her and REALLY wanted to come over and have a drink with us, but she thought we would be too hungry and wanting to eat."

Gates confirmed this to fellow GatesGirls and BONC members the following day.  Dana Massing, Cynthia Kehrer and myself (Karen Page) stood there stunned as she took time out to speak to us.  Dana was the only one of us who hadn't lost the power of speech and told her that we loved her.  And guess what!  Gates said she loved us too!