2021-2022 Monthly Meetings
September 9, 2021 - Franco American music
Don and Cindy Roy, National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellows, will play traditional Franco American music at 7:00 pm for the Newcomers and Neighbors September 9, 2021 meeting. Don’s virtuoso fiddling and Cindy’s steady rhythmic piano accompaniment, plus her top notch step dancing have entertained audiences across the country including the National Folk Festival, Carnegie Hall and Public Radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion.”
October 7, 2021 - Bill Evans on challenges of Police today
Long time Goose Rocks Beach neighbor, Bill Evans, who served 38 years in the Boston Police Department, ended his career as Police Commissioner of the City of Boston. He will tell us about the challenges police face today.
November 4, 2021 - Mainely Murders
Paula Keeney and Ann Whetstone, proprietors of Mainely Murders, an independent, specialty mystery bookstore will tell us about what it is like to sell murder and mayhem to our community.
2020-2021 Monthly Meetings
September 3, 2020 - First female engineering officer in Submarine Arm of US Navy
Please come to our first meeting of the year to hear Lieutenant Commander Jasmine D. Lee tell the story of how and why she became one of the first female engineering officers to serve in the submarine arm of the US Navy. We will meet outside at Lafayette Park. Street parking is available on Mechanic Street and Parsons Street as well as in the Lutheran Church parking lot on Lord Street. PLEASE BRING A LAWN CHAIR AND WEAR A MASK. You may also want to bring bug spray and a snack/beverage. Water bottles will be provided. Social distance will be “marked out” on the lawn to aid when you set up your chair. Hand sanitizer will be available.
October 1, 2020 - Maine Search and Rescue Dogs
In October representatives of the Maine Search and Rescue Dogs organization joined us in Lafayette Park. Elizabeth Fossett had her two German Shepherds: Kobuk, who won the American Humane Society's 2016 Hero Dog Award (S&R category) and Zena. Cindy Atwood had her Belgian Turveren named Ari.
November 7, 2020 - Practice session on Zoom for future meetings
Hope you all are enjoying this beautiful time of year. We will be starting big changes to our meetings starting in November. Now that the weather is too cold for outdoor meetings and our continuing concerns over the safety of a crowded indoor meeting, we are hosting our first virtual meeting. Since this is our first virtual meeting and we may need to work out any bugs and get our members comfortable with the new format we felt it best that the meeting had no outside speakers. Basically, it’s a trial run to get everyone, including us, acquainted with using the Zoom platform. This will be a low key very casual meeting. I will demonstrate some of the features of Zoom and you can learn how to participate in Zoom meetings. We will continue to use the Zoom platform until it is safe to hold indoor meetings or warm enough to go back to outdoor meetings.
December 5, 2020 - Celebrate the Holidays social
We will gather on December 30 via Zoom to enjoy the fruits of our labors, and to lift a virtual toast to the New Year! If you aren’t up to big-time decorating, put a ribbon on your dog or cat, or just snap a selfie to say Hello. Be sure to mention your name since we won’t have name tags on. If you are technologically challenged, let us know and a masked member of the Social Committee will be happy to visit you and take your picture so you can be included.
January 7, 2021 - A Brief Geological History of Southern Maine Beach Sands
The Sands making up the beaches of southern Maine have a unique history with respect to those on other beaches along the US coastline. Like all sands, they were created by weathering of rock. But where were those rocks? Perhaps they were the same rocks bounding our local beaches...the answer that geologist John Dykstra will give us may surprise you!
February 4, 2021 - Cape Porpoise archaeological discoveries
Tim Spahr of the Cape Porpoise Archaeological Alliance, a partnership between the Brick Store Museum and the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, will discuss the upcoming exhibition at the Brick Store Museum: Cape Porpoise: Archaeology in the Archipelago. He will address the archaeological discoveries made locally to build the story of indigenous peoples living here thousands of years ago. At the center of the discussion will be the dugout canoe, recently excavated in 2019 at Cape Porpoise and now in the collection of the Brick Store Museum. It was named as the oldest dugout canoe ever found in our region and what implications that has for the indigenous story here in southern Maine.
March 4, 2021 - Pot Luck Dinner substitute social event
An informal discussion of the year long semi quarantine we’ve all endured; its effects on our lifestyle and how we’ve each managed with these changes. Join the Zoom group to participate or just listen. Questions for discussion.
How to keep the coronavirus at bay indoors. what is a pulse oximeter and do I really need one at home?
April 8, 2021 - Road Rally
Beginning at noon, members received three emails, each with a set of clues to six different locations in our area. The goal was to take a photo at each location, then check in to get a cookie, enter names in drawing which was held at the 7 pm Zoom meeting.
May 5, 2012 (rain date May 12) -- Actor Richard McGonagle
Returning to outdoors at Lafayette Park at 4:30 pm for our last meeting of the season, it is fitting that before the curtain closes, we hear a presentation from actor, Richard McGonagle. Richard has appeared on stage, screen and most recently, as a popular character in a video game! You might recognize him from his guest performances on popular TV shows, including Law and Order. Richard will tell us about his long career acting on both coasts and finally returning to his family farm in Hollis Maine.