Friends of Seguin Island

Friends of Seguin Island

Spring 2008 #47

With the anticipation of summer, the Friends of Seguin Island are looking forward to another successful season on the island. As we prepare to open the light station, we want to thank last year’s caretakers, Cyndy Carney and Kate Power, whose enthusiasm and love of the island made our visitors’ experiences memorable.

During the past year, there was much devastation to overcome on the island. With the help of our dedicated volunteers and generous grant money, we were able to make extensive repairs to many of our buildings severely damaged by the Patriot’s Day storm of April 16, 2007.

Although the light stands unchanging, the Friends of Seguin Island is on the brink of a new beginning through the efforts of many dedicated members and volunteers. Thanks to our Administrative Coordinator, Connie Burt, we have a newly organized office with regular hours Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please come visit to see our new merchandise, learn about volunteer opportunities, and seek out information about Seguin Island and its historic lighthouse.

There is a lot happening in the 2008 season: Read about our new caretakers, the Bates College project to catalog our island artifacts, and much more. Thank you all for your continued support of and commitment to the mission of Friends of Seguin Island. We hope to see you at the annual meeting, auction, and barbecue on July 19!

If you’ve ever arrived in the cove without your own dinghy, you probably know how invigorating the water is. Or perhaps you were lucky enough to catch a friendly keeper on the beach who was willing to row you ashore. Last year, even that ride ashore was “refreshing” because our faithful old dinghy suffered a huge gash down her middle. She would get you ashore, but your feet and belongings were bound to be soaked upon arrival. Last year’s keepers made many attempts to patch her but, sadly, to no avail.

Anne Bridgman, On Island Committee member and cookie-baker extraordinaire, took note of the problem and inquired among her many seafaring friends. Thanks to the generosity of Bruce Tyrol, we now have a beautiful red Achilles “friend” to carry us safely and dryly to shore. Our new friend’s features include an inflatable front seat, a wooden back seat, oar locks, and the cutest little bimini you ever saw. Thank you, Bruce!

Thank you to all who contributed to the 150th Lens Anniversary Appeal. The total of $3,515 will greatly assist in our restoration projects.

We are very grateful to Carolyn Swain and the Elliott R. Donnelley Charitable Trust for a $2,500 grant for plumbing and electrical work in the guest quarters.

In 2007, generous donations were given to Friends of Seguin Island in memory of:

Students at Bates College this spring are taking a course entitled “An Introduction to Archives and Archival Science” with Instructor Katherine Stefko, who is the Director of Archives and Special Collections. We are very excited that they are reviewing the Friends of Seguin Island’s artifacts, ledgers, logs, photographs, letters, and other special historical items to produce for us a method of cataloging and preserving our materials. We are very grateful for their assistance and are happy to offer the students a field trip to Seguin Island in late May.

The Museum/Education Committee is grateful to those in the past who established the museum on the island. This year, it is our goal to expand, improve, and refresh the presentation of displays.

We also are in the early stages of planning a dinner-theater event for September. Ken Young has written a play about Seguin’s first lighthouse keeper, a mercenary soldier from a royal Hungarian family who fought in the Revolutionary War. If you would like to help make this a fun and successful evening, please call Ken Young at 442-8519. We also invite anyone with a general interest in working with this committee to please contact the office.

The Keepsake Collection Committee has been soliciting and gathering recipes, anecdotes, crafts, and photographs that we are in the process of compiling in a small book of island keepsakes. Thank you to all who responded to our letter requesting Seguin-related items. We received several submissions from past caretakers, and it’s not too late if you have a favorite memory you would like to submit for inclusion in our Keepsake Collection. Please send them to the office address, attention Keepsake Collection Committee. We plan to have the first copies available for sale at the Annual Meeting/Auction/BBQ on July 19.

This is a special request for volunteers, who are a much valued resource to our organization. It’s a continuing challenge, both physically and financially, for the Friends of Seguin Island to maintain the historic structures. Volunteers are needed in different areas such as participating in island work parties, helping during our various summer and fall events, joining the publicity committee, and assisting in the office, just to name a few opportunities. We need your support! Please contact the office and let us know how you can help. Thank You!

If you are interested in joining an on-island work party, please contact Cyndy Carney at 442-7145 or cyndy.carney@yahoo.com for more information. Rain dates are on Sunday of the same weekend. For information about other events, please contact the FOS office.

If you are receiving duplicate copies of this newsletter, or if you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please contact the FOS office. Thank you!