Monday, February 06, 2012

250th Anniversary Committee Holds Brainstorming Session

The 250th Anniversary Committee held an open meeting Saturday at the Council on Aging. Fifty Wellfleetians showed up and participated. The anniversary will take place August 4, 2013, but events will be scheduled throughout the year. Once committee members had been introduced, we started brainstorming. Here are some of the events already under consideration:

1.) A Made-in-Wellfleet day.
2.) Multi-media film organized by Dee Portnoy.
3.) Wellfleet-moments movie.
4.) The Wellfleet Historical Society is working on an oral history project.
5.) Walking tours, clambake.
6.) Sports events.
7.) The Chequessett Yacht Club will organize a golf tournament and a regatta.
8.) A giant potluck for town residents in off-season.

Here are more suggestions from the audience:

1.) The Adams Lodge will organize a Halloween party.
2.) Beth Chapman spoke of her involvement in Truro's 300th and suggested walking tours based on the watercolor paintings Edward Hopper created in our town.
3.) Elaine Lipton said the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival will dedicate one of its summer concerts to Wellfleet, with a program composed around Mary Oliver's poetry.
4.) Neighborhood block parties.
5.) Deb Giza suggested a horse and buggy tour of Paine Hollow.
6.) Marcia Seeler mentioned the Conservation Trust annual walk in September.
7.) An International Talk-Like-a-Pirate day celebration.
8.) Mark Hough of WHAT said playwrights will be encouraged to seek inspiration that fits the 250th theme.
9.) A scholarship for a student born and educated in Wellfleet could be created.
10.) A photo contest.
11.) Bob Prescott of MA Audubon volunteered to host a birthday party.
12.) The National Seashore will organize the Marconi Story and more.
13.) The Methodist Church may hold a tour of its stain glass windows, which illustrate the town and church's history.
14.) Someone spoke about the organization of a huge family photo on the town pier.
15.) Jean Schaefer, of the Wellfleet Non-Resident Taxpayers Association, suggested the creation of a booklet.
16.) David Wright and Becky Rosenberg may work together to organize a field day for children at Baker's field, an event they both remembered from the 200th anniversary.
17.) Becky may also organize a history of sports in Wellfleet.
18.) A triathalon.
19.) A kayak race.
20.) The Parkington Sisters will hold a concert at the bandstand on the pier.
21.) Kathleen Bacon volunteered to approach local sculptor Penelope Jenks with regard to the creation of a bronze commemorative statue of some kind.

Phew! Not sure I captured everything. The ideas were flowing fast and furious.

Do you have any suggestions you would like to share?

Comments (5)

Loading... Logging you in...
  • Logged in as
Sounds like you captured almost everything- ha ha- lots of ideas- the one I was curious about was the 'talk like a pirate day'-I'm not even sure what that would be like.

I especially liked the oral history project- in researching family and history- I do think we need to preserve more of it in oral and paper form- preserve it before those who know things are gone.
My recent post Wild Wednesday- Murky Soup- Part II
Indian Neck's avatar

Indian Neck · 679 weeks ago

Hi,
Few ideas that build on what you have mentioned.
Anything that builds on Wellfleet's history as both a working town and present day summer destination with amazing natural resources...... Native Americans, early European visitors, Whaling, Marconi, pirate ship wrecks and the railroad from history. Beautiful ocean and bay beaches, fresh water ponds and biking and hiking from the present.
I also think scholarships for local students is a great idea that nonresidents could contribute to. I know that Massachusetts law allows for a local checkoff contribution to town scholarships that any property owners can contribute to.
Of course restaurants, inns, WHAT, galleries and all of the various commercial enterprises that make the town so much fun need recognition too.
1 reply · active 678 weeks ago
Thanks, Indian Neck. I will make sure the committee reads your suggestions.
Dick Nicholson's avatar

Dick Nicholson · 678 weeks ago

How about a visual history to go along with the oral history project. I have seen many digital images from post cards, photos, etc that go back about 100 years and there are probably many paintings and drawings going back much farther. The material could be contributed to an archive section of your website for current and future use. Help could be provided for scanning photos and images in personal collections. The best images could be compiled into DVD and even coffee table format. Documents and letters could also be scanned into the archive. It would provide a repository for study and for Wellfleet's 300th.
1 reply · active 678 weeks ago
Thanks, Dick. I will pass these on.

Post a new comment

Comments by