February, 2010

From the President…

Greetings Friends,
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Winter’s in full swing and my cabin fever is rising. In between my job search and taking care of the house I’ve been spending time in my easy chair researching and dreaming about the many adventures the New England Unit has planned for the upcoming camping season and I’ve been counting the days until the fun begins!
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Speaking of fun, Pam and Chuck Bleakney hosted an impromptu NEU brunch on January 10th at Nancy’s Airfield Cafe in Stow, MA. 16 of our members attended, Leon and me included. We enjoyed a fantastic breakfast along with conversation and laughter. It was a great winter pick me up. Thanks to Pam and Chuck for arranging it!.
The next planned activity for the NEU is the “End of Winter” social being held in beautiful New Boston, NH, right here at my house! Please mark your calendars for Saturday March 6th. The party starts at 1:00pm.

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Now on to “Tailgate Sundays”. Our first planned event will be held on Sunday, April 18th, and we will be visiting the Longfellow National Historic Site located in Cambridge, MA. On this Sunday the NHS will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Longfellow’s writing of the iconic poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” in 1860. Henry W. Longfellow (portrayed by actor Ted Zalewski) will receive guests in the study at Longfellow National Historic Site. Frances Appleton Wetherell, great granddaughter of the poet, will present copies of the poem to visitors. Space is limited so I will need to make reservations for our group. If you plan to attend please let me know as soon as possible by emailing me at michelle.plunkett@comcast.net. Once I have a count, I will work out the details on where we will meet and where we will eat! Oh! Don’t forget your National Parks Passport book because this NHS offers a stamp!

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The next “Tailgate Sunday” adventure will be held sometime in May and we will be visiting Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell, MA. I will firm up the date after I confirm when the canal tours start for the season. I’m pretty excited to be visiting Lowell, as Leon and I lived in this fine city for 26+ years before moving north to New Boston. There are some great places to dine in Lowell right downtown within walking distance of the Booth Museum (which is part of the NHP). Stay tuned for the date and additional information.
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See you down the road!

Around the NEU

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We recently heard from long time member Paul Worthley. Paul has been a vital part of the NEU, Region One and WBCCI. He has served in many capacities and has been led many international and US caravans.
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Paul is enjoying his retirement, and is very busy with fishing trips into Canada with family and long time friend, Haley Holmes of Georgia. Paul’s note reminded me that Chuck and I never quite got time to go with Paul on his salmon fishing rallies, before he stopped running them, and that has always been a disappointment to me and a lesson in seizing the moment before it passes.
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Paul is ever the adventurer (having toured the world) and dedicated WBCCI life member. He is planning the to attend the International Rally this coming summer.
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Paul, it was great to hear from you, and we think of you often.

Geocaching

More and more NEU members are catching the geocaching bug! This high-tech treasure hunting has great appeal to those adventurers among us who love a challenge, and love the outdoors.
You’ll need some form of hand-held GPS and a list of hidden treasure sites in whatever area you will be visiting, and trust me, the are everywhere!
To find out more, visit the following website: http://www.geocaching.com

IBT and the State of WBCCI

Mid-Winter IBT qucik results, are as follows:

1. International Rally “over budget” for 2009 approved; funds moved from rally fund to cover $103K loss
2. Reduction in International Officer expense by 25%: Passed
3. Reduction in Region Officer expenses by 10%: Passed
4. Dues Increase of $10, July 2010: Passed
5. Voting by individual count: Defeated
6. Change of International Rally date/calendar: Withdrawn (no change)
7. Marketing budget of $5K: Passed
8. Grievance changes: Passed
9. Reorg. & consolidation of regions: sent to 2020 committee for rework

IBT meeting recording to be archived for your listening online at: http://www.wbcci.org Check the “IBT” section

New England Unit Events and Travels

Breakfast Club

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Breakfast out at local restaurants can be a wonderful way to spend a weekend morning. Many of you enjoy that on our camping weekends. Here are two to consider:
Nancy’s Airfield Cafe
302 Boxboro Rd.
Stow, MA 01775
978-897-3934
http://www.nancysairfieldcafe.com
Runway side restaurant. Casual and very much a locals’ spot, although, there was a group that had flown in from Taunton for breakfast. Interesting location, friendly staff, generous and delicious breakfasts. A very good value as well.
Jewell & The Beanstalk
793 Somerville St.
Manchester, NH 03103
603-624-3709
http://www.jbeanstalk.com
Neighborhood restaurant, with a fantastic breakfast menu. Vegetarian options, fabulous coffee, tasty and filling meals at a great value. We tried out omelets, hash, carrot cake pancakes, all just great. Antique interior with tin ceilings, bead board, and very casual. See the Phantom Gourmet review.