Dear Friends and Fellow Members:
Well, I think this is a first for me, a combination newsletter! A consequence of “busy-ness” but maybe a real time saver!
Please note on your calendar the membership meeting scheduled for March 12, at 6:30. In the event of inclement weather, severe cold, or impassable driveway, we will leave a voicemail message on the answering machine with notice of cancellation. Please call the museum before venturing out!
For those of you who read the quarterly newsletter (I know there are at least two of you!) you will know how I try to re-cap the previous month’s events and activities. This will be the case with this newsletter as well, but for a change I would like to project forward to the calendar in 2016. The Smith-Appleby House will be celebrating its 320th birthday, and looking quite well for a lady her age. I would like to see this as a year with special events to celebrate the occasion. I’ve been allowing my imagination to run wild; a picnic on the grounds for the Town of Smithfield, dedicating a time capsule, having special “A day in the life of an 18th Century girl” for girl scouts, and brownies. Open houses that feature clothing through the generations, photographs etc. For any of you that have experience with large birthday celebrations, I would love to learn from you. If you have an idea that would help to illustrate and celebrate the house, I would love to hear from you. A year to plan seems like a lot, but perhaps you too have noticed how the time flies by? Hands are always needed for all we do at the museum, is this the year we hear from you?
Looking back to our September Membership Meeting, the following were elected to the Executive Board Positions:
- President, Deb Cote
- Vice-President, Vacant
- Treasurer, Vacant – but filled kindly by Don Goncalves
- Publicity – Don Goncalves
- Membership – Teresa Ignasher
- Grounds – Don Burns
- Buildings – Glenn Graham
- Recording Secretary – Sal Capirchio
- Program Director – Maggie Botelho
Again, for those of you actively interested in the organization of the board, you will note the same names appearing year-after-year. This is as a result of the small number of people who are active in the Society, who live close enough to help, and who have the time to dedicate to the task.
I believe any one of us would be glad to step down, to make room for whatever position you would like to take on. This is not an exclusive club, we want all of our members to be involved! Please let us know how you would like to be more actively involved in the society!
We are still seeking funding for the beehive oven; send a check (specify “oven”), payable to the Historical Society of Smithfield, to the address in our letterhead. Your donation is tax deductible.
Now to our past events; On October 19, the Antique Show organized and run by Deb Cote was very successful, with more vendors than the previous year. I think that this will continue to be part of our calendar as it grows in size and popularity.
On November 15, our Colonial Dinner themed “A Colonial Dinner in New England,” was again a sold out event. Reducing the dinner to just one evening made things a lot easier, and the decorations, boughs and branches, made for such a nice transition to the Christmas Open House, I think we will do it again in 2015!
On December 7, our Christmas Open House was a delight to a great many children, and we were very grateful to Mary Ann and Barry Lowe, who braved the unknown, and donned the scarlet (and tartan) robes of Santa and Mrs. Claus.
We are in the process of putting the events calendar together for the upcoming season, and should have that for you at the meeting.
Again, the Membership Meeting is scheduled for March 12, at 6:30.
Warmest wishes,
Maggie Botelho
Program Director
