Upcoming Fall Activities
Even though the
museum is closed, the Cavendish Historical Society (CHS) is very active. Not
only is the Young Historians program at Cavendish Town Elementary School in
full swing, we also have several
community activities coming up:
November 1 (Saturday): Annual Dia de los Muertos Workshop: Half way between fall and winter
solstice, many cultures believe this is a time when those who have died return
to visit the living. Our focus is on the South American customs, particularly
Mexico. The workshop will take place from 3-5 at Gethsemane Episcopal Church,
off of Depot Street, Parish Hall. Workshop
activities will include: Sand painting, skull cookie decorating; sugar
skull decorating (they're made of plaster); papel picado (Mexican paper cut
banners); paper flowers; and creation of a community altar. This is a free
event but donations are appreciated.
November
8 (Saturday): Fall dinner and sale, 5:30-7 at the Cavendish Town
Elementary School. Menu includes Pork
Roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegan option for main dish, green beans,
butternut squash, applesauce, homemade biscuits, dessert (crisps, pies and ice
cream) Gluten free options. Books and other items including “crickets” wooden
benches from the Cavendish Stone Church will be on sale. The cost is $10 for
Adults, $5 for children under 12 and free for children under 6.
For more information
about these events, please call 802-226-7807 or e-mail margoc@tds.net
A Yankee Lifestyle for Today
The hardscrabble
life of the early settlers to Cavendish and other parts of New England required
that they “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” Yankee thrift was
key to survival.
The founding
Cavendish families-Coffeens, Duttons and Proctors- had to live within their
means as credit cards, mass produced goods, and even “labor saving devices”
were unknown. Fortunately, they were not continually bombarded, in all directions with
advertisements and other strategies to make them want to spend money.
Differentiating between Needs and Wants: Ask yourself the following questions before
making purchases:
• Is it
essential for my health and well-being? Food, housing, clothing, medications
and means of mobility are essential. Within that are elements that separate a
need from a want. Things like sodas, snack foods, luxury clothes and cars are
not essential. Nuts versus cake for food, water over soda, are examples of
choices that meet the need in an affordable and healthy manner.
• Do you
measure your self worth by what you have versus who you are? Do you want something
because someone else has it or is it something you need?
Adopt the Buyerarchy: Reflect what you collect; Use what you have;
Borrow what you need; Swap; Make it yourself; Try a thrift store and Buy only
when you’ve tried the other options, and then when it’s on sale. Use cash,
versus a credit card, as you’ll spend less and are smarter in your selection.
Develop social capital: Volunteerism was key then and it continues
to this day. Activities, such as a barn raising or a sewing bee, were opportunities
for people to socialize, check in on their neighbors and get something done.
Basically, if you want to make sure someone is going to be there when you need
the help, be there for others.
Downsize Possessions: What brings us joy and contentment is our
connections with one another not the pile of stuff in the closet. The more
stuff you own, the more it owns you.
Entertainment:
- • Significantly reduce or eliminate TV: By
not watching TV, you reduce exposure to advertisements, reduce energy bill, and
have more time to do other things, like take a course at the local adult
learning center on basic home repair. If you don’t want to give up TV, consider
switching to video streaming which generally doesn’t have ads and is
considerably cheaper than a cable bill.
- • Use the library: Don’t buy what you can borrow. Libraries
aren’t just for books, as you can borrow videos, books on tape and use
computers to check e-mail.
- • Board games last longer than video games and you can play them when the power is out.
- • Take advantage of local opportunities and
enjoy nature
- • Entertain at Home: All of the first families owned inns/taverns,
so they definitely entertained at home.
Do it Yourself: Not only does it save money, but it gives
you the sense of a job well done.
Spend Time with Those Who Share Similar
Values: If your closest
friends prefer to spend their time shopping and maxing out their credit card,
chances are your going to feel it’s the “norm” to do likewise. We are very
influenced by the company we keep so if you want to keep your costs under
control, socialize more with friends and family who feel the same way.
For more tips on
thrifty living, check out the Cavendish Connects Yankee Thrift Pinterest Board.
Are You a Good Ancestor?
The famous polio vaccine pioneer Dr. Jonas Salk’s asked the
question, “Are we being good ancestors?” which is interpreted to mean how one’s
actions
shape the likelihood that future generations enjoy a healthy society and
environment. Because we’re a historical society, and the most frequent request
we receive is for information about ancestors, we want to suggest that being a
good ancestor also includes developing a strong family narrative and sharing it.
Research has shown that those who know their family’s
history do better when they face challenges. This is particularly helpful for
children who know the ups and downs of their family’s history. Yes, we owned a
profitable business and various members served on important boards and in
government, but there were also adversities-house fire, divorce, Aunt was
arrested etc. This helps people understand they belong to something bigger and
that they can persevere.
Interestingly, knowing “the story” isn’t just limited
to families, it also has been found to be helpful for schools, organizations,
businesses and even towns. During Irene, one of the most frequent questions we
received was how did the people in 1927 deal with the aftermath of the flood?
Fortunately, there was a great deal written and
documented, and this was made available at the shelter and at the Museum. Soon
there was a buzz about town. People were pulling together getting things done
and remarking, “just like they did in 1927.” Less than two months after the
flood, Cavendish celebrated its 250th anniversary. More than one
person commented about the importance of showing future generations, that if we
could pull it together to honor our town, they too can manage the crises they
face.
So what you can do to create your family’s story for
future generations:
• If your family already has a tradition for recording
family lore, keep it going.
• Use the “Do You Know Scale” (Bruce Feiler “The
Secrets of Happy Families”) as a guide for what to document:
1. Do you know how your parents met?
2. Do you know where your mother grew up?
3. Do you know where your father grew up?
4. Do you know where some of your grandparents grew
up?
5. Do you know where some of your grandparents met?
6. Do you know where your parents were married?
7. Do you know what went on when you were being born?
8. Do you know the source of your name?
9. Do you know some things about what happened when
your brothers or sisters were being born?
10. Do you know which person in your family you look
most like?
11. Do you know which person in the family you act
most like?
12. Do you know some of the illnesses and injuries
that your parents experienced when they were younger?
13. Do you know some of the lessons that your parents
learned from good or bad experiences?
14. Do you know some things that happened to your mom
or dad when they were in school?
15. Do you know the national background of your family
(such as English, German, Russian, etc)?
16. Do you know some of the jobs that your parents had
when they were young?
17. Do you know some awards that your parents received
when they were young?
18. Do
you know the names of the schools that your mom went to?
19. Do you know the names of the schools that your dad
went to?
20. Do you know about a relative whose face
"froze" in a grumpy position because he or she did not smile enough?
• Seek out family memories and stories from your
relatives
• Organize materials that be easy for
your family to access. This can include: scrapbook, website, photo album (be
sure to label all photographs), video, digital record, book etc.
• Share the story. Anytime is a good time for
storytelling. Whether it’s sitting around the table after Thanksgiving dinner
or when driving your child or grandchildren to an activity. The day after
Thanksgiving is the National Day of Listening. StoryCorps started this holiday
in 2008 and suggests taking an hour to record an interview with a loved one.
The Pinterest site Researching Your Cavendish Roots
has other links to help you with this project.
There is one last
thing you can do, donate to CHS (see form on the last page) in order that we
can continue to be the keeper of Cavendish’s stories and history.
Carmine Guica Autobiography is Back in Print
If you missed out on purchasing Carmine’s autobiography
about life in Cavendish, WWII and the early days of the Cavendish Historical Society, we’re happy
to let you know it’s back in print. The cost is $15 plus $5 for shipping and
handling. Checks should be made payable to CHS and mailed to PO Box 472,
Cavendish, VT 05142.
Dan Churchill
Jen
Harper
Bruce
McEnaney
Kem
Phillips
Gail
Woods
Margo
Caulfield Coordinator
Proctorsville
Mill. Check out the Cavendish, VT Facebook page for pictures of Cavendish past
and present.
BECOME A MEMBER, RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP, DONATE
If you
have not joined the Cavendish Historical Society, need to renew your
membership, and/or would like to be a volunteer, please complete the form below
and sending a check, payable to CHS, to CHS, PO Box 472, Cavendish, VT 05142.
All contributions are tax deductible.
Name: _______________________________________
Address:
_______________________________________________
Phone Number:
_____________________ E-Mail: ____________________________
Membership
Level
__
Individual Member $10 ___ Senior Member
65+ $5 ___ Sustaining Member $500
__
Household Member $15 ___ Contributing
Member $250
Volunteer
___
I would be interested in serving, as a volunteer .I would be interested in
serving on the following committee(s):__ Program Planning __ Fundraising __ Building (Museum)
__Archives _ Budget –– Cemetery __
Hands on History
Donations are always welcome and can be designated as
follows:
__ For
general purposes __ Educational Programs __Publications
__
Archaeological Activities _ Museum & Archival __ Special Events
__
Rankin Fund __
Williams Fund __ Hands on History
__
Other (please specify) __ Cemetery Restoration
No comments:
Post a Comment