LIGHTHOUSES: FUN! EDUCATIONAL! GOOD CAMARADERIE! ------------------

A new club is being formed -- The New England Harbour Lights Collectors' Club. It will include all 6 New England states:NH, VT, ME, MA, CT, RI. Lighthouse enthusiasts and Harbour Lights Collectors are welcome to join this regional club The aim is to rotate the meetings between the states to both equalize travel distances, and to take advantage of exciting lighthouses and interesting resoure persons in each state, for both lighthouse visits and informative programs. The New England region is especially fortunate to have such a big variety of lighthouses and persons associated with lighthouse jobs and auxilliary jobs. This will be a good base to draw upon for interesting club programs. We are also not that far away from lighthouses in the Canadian Atlantic coastal provinces, and from our neighbor states in the Mid-Atlantic region, for possible longer trips to see lighthouses and for reciprocal exchange get-togethers with other HL clubs.
Eventually there will be several seasonal club meetings per year, with various programss such as: trips to lighthouses; boat trips past lighthouses; talks by Coast Guard and lighthouse employees past and present; slide shows on lighthouses (and chances for you to show your photographic work); programs on how to improve your photography and maybe even some lighthouse photo contests; swap and sell meets; lectures on the history of famous and regional lighthouses. Members will also be encouraged to share their knowledge and put on programs. The ultimate goal will be to schedule a visit by Bill Younger, founder of Harbour Lights.
The Harbour Lights Reunion in Providence, RI, in early October, will be a good opportunity for New England attendees to have an informal get-together and discuss ideas for the club. Watch for posted notices starting Thursday. We will be there Thursday through Sunday. A room and time will have to be set up, and hopefully HL staff can help us with that.
A goal is to have an official organizational meeting to establish charter membership in early November. Other items on the agenda will be to establish a dues structure; begin a By-Laws procedure; set up basic job positions; and set a calendar date for the next meeting in the spring. It will also be important to compile a list of volunteers from each state who would be willing to serve on the program committee and be knowledgeable about lighthouses in their state, resource persons for programs, and good meeting places. Also needed will be a volunteer for editor of a newsletter via mail and Internet to keep the members informed of club meetings and other interesting lighthouse-related regional activities.
Quite a few HL clubs are now being organized across the U.S.. This is an excellent way to stay in contact with what is happening in the collectible field; to get help in finding a desired lightouse or in selling one; and to make new friends who have a common hobby. Harbour Lights seems happy to see these clubs being formed, and it is mutually beneficial.
A little background on my husband Henry and myself Barbara, who are starting this club: we have had previous experience in this type of organizational activity. Our first "love" is photography, and in l979 we started a 5 state New England photography group with over 250 charter members, which grew to close to 400. The organization is still going strong today and provides 2 good photo seminars each year. If anyone is interested in improving their photography skills, contact us and we will let you know about their next seminar which will probably be the weekend before Thanksgiving in Danvers, MA.
We would like to see a good solid beginning charter membership in this lighthouse club and have it grow to be a strong and active organization with both educational and fun activities.
What you can do to help: l)spread the word about the club to both your local friends who like lighthouses, and to your friends on the Internet chatrooms on lighthouses and your E-mail contacts. 2) put notices up in your local HL dealers about the club 3)E-mail us your thoughts and ideas on this club 4) check out meeting places in your area which would be suitable such as libraries, schools, restaurants, lighthouse historical sites 5)watch for and forward to us places and dates of other lighthouse trips, groups, activities, lectures etc. for use in a newsetter and on the internet for our region. 6)think of a program you might put on using your knowledge or expertise about lighthouses or Harbour Lights collectibles 7) send us your name, address, phone, and e-mail address so we can compile a list of potential members.

ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING: probably Sunday Nov. l or Nov 8. I am looking at a restaurant for a luncheon meeting, as that way we have free use of a room to meet. The location will probably be near the junction of I-93 ad I-495 in the Andover, MA, area.
You need to send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to us so that we can send you a notice about this meeting and a reservation form for you to send back with payment to hold a lunch reservation for you.
Send to: Barbara and Henry Hupp, P.O. Box 83l, Derry, NH 03038.
E-mail address lightbeacon@webtv.net