Future of Castle Hill Grange
uncertain without new members
MAPLETON NEWS
by Jennifer Buzza
The Castle Hill Grange Hall Preservation Society held its yearly board of directors and monthly meeting Oct. 26. Officers and board members will remain the same for 2011. Discussions were held for future projects and fundraisers. The Society is thinking of creating a new cookbook for 2011 as one of the group’s larger fundraisers. Recipes will be requested with the goal of having the cookbooks for sale before Christmas 2011.
The hallway floor to the bathrooms has been completed and all agreed it was a great improvement! During the meeting, it was determined that without new members and more fundraisers, the hall will only remain open for functions for three more years. The Society would like to pass along this message: “If you have voted, gone to a function, or rented the hall in the last 10 years, please consider becoming a member or donating to keep the Grange Hall functioning for future generations.”
Meetings are once a month from February through November. Can you donate an hour of your time or ideas to help? Memberships are $10 per year for working members, $15 per year for non-working members, $100 for a lifetime membership or $150 for a lifetime couples membership. The Society thanks all that have supported in the past and those that continue to support the Hall.
Of Castle Hill, shot this 200-pound bear in Washburn in September. He is the 13-year-old son of Ricky Watt, and the grandson of Richard and Pat Watt of Castle Hill.
Birthday wishes this week go out to Amelia Rossi, Brianna Gilson, Janet Kelle, John Melton, Andrew Carney, Tyler Brown, Renee Ellis, Tina Warner, Larry Damore, Matt McHatten, Melissa Morrison, Craig Trombley, Tammy Getchell and Judy Ireland.
Happy anniversary wishes this week to Peter Goheen and Leah Buck, Wesley and Katie Buck, and Gloria and Dwight Wilcox all on the 12th.
The Castle Hill Advent Christian Church will have a community harvest supper Saturday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. There will be a pie-judging contest with a prize for the best all around pie. The pies will be enjoyed as desserts for the evening followed by a Thanksgiving feast provided by the church. Salads to share with the meal are welcome. This will be a time of visiting with friends and neighbors and giving thanks for all the blessings of the past year. Everyone is welcome.
Guest speaker
At the Mapleton United Baptist Church Sunday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m., David Raymond will discuss his research into Adoniram Judson’s famous conversion from Congregationalism to the Baptist faith. Judson was one of the first foreign missionaries commissioned by an American church and his famous “change of sentiments” led to the formation of a rival Baptist missionary organization. The purpose of Raymond’s research is to explain the lengthy public controversy that resulted from Judson’s defection. All are welcome. The Mapleton United Baptist Church is handicap accessible.
Cub Scout Pack 170 from Mapleton will be collecting non-perishable food items to help needy families in our community in time for Thanksgiving. You can help by placing your donated food items in a bag or box and leave it outside your front door for collection Sunday, Nov. 14 from noon-3 p.m. Please mark the bag or box with “BSA Food Drive.” To arrange for a different pick up time, please call 764-5662.
Perishable, frozen or food in glass containers will not be accepted, nor will homemade or “junk food” items. Suggested canned items include soup, chili, baby formula, vegetables and peanut butter. Boxed items include pastas, cereals, Tuna Helper, pasta mixes, one- or two-pound packages of sugar or flour and juice boxes.
All food collected will be taken to GIFT-Interfaith Food Panty for distribution to families in need. GIFT is a non-profit partnership working to meet hunger needs in Presque Isle, Mapleton and Chapman.
The Scouts of the Katahdin Area Council thank you for your support and donation to this annual nationwide food drive.
The West Chapman Advent Christian Church is participating in the Operation Christmas Child shoebox ministry this year. According to their website, “Samaritan’s Purse staff and partners plan to hand-deliver more than 8 million shoebox gifts to hurting children in more than 100 countries on six continents. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has hand-delivered more than 77 million shoebox gifts to needy children around the world.”
To participate, simply recycle a standard size shoebox or purchase a small plastic shoebox. The box can be wrapped (lid separately), but wrapping is not required.
Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. The appropriate boy/girl label must be taped to each box and can be found at several local churches, or by visiting www.samaritanspurse.org. Mark the correct age category on the label, and tape the label to the top of your box.
Fill the box with a variety of gifts that would be enjoyable to a child. Suggestions on the Samaritan’s Purse website include small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books. Hygiene items could include toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, and washcloth. Some other ideas include hard candy and lollipops (please double bag all candy), mints, gum, T-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, and watches.
In a separate envelope, donors are encouraged to enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. (If you include your name and address, the child may write back). Place a rubber band around the outside of each closed shoebox before taking it to a drop off site.
In addition to the items, those that assemble boxes to donate are asked to include $7 or more to cover the cost of shipping the boxes and other project costs incurred by Samaritan’s Purse. The West Chapman Church will be collecting boxes from now until Sunday, Nov. 14.
The Mapleton Daze Committee would like to announce a change in their plans for the annual supper and auction. Rather than having a supper this year, the Committee has decided to offer free coffee and desserts in conjunction with the auction at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20. The location has also changed for this year. The event will be held at the Mapleton Methodist Church. Mapleton resident Bert Winslow will serve as auctioneer.
Local students planning to attend Youth 2011 are hosting two family photo days (one in Mapleton and one in Washburn). Photographers will schedule 15-minute photo sessions. Unedited photos will be given to you that day on a CD. Photos can then be used to make Christmas gifts, cards and prints. The cost will be $25 for a 15-minute session and will include dozens of pictures. All money raised will help send the kids to Youth 2011 next summer.
Youth 2011 is the national youth gathering for the United Methodist Church. It is an event that only happens every four years and is the largest single gathering of UMC youth in existence. This four-day conference will bring together top United Methodist leaders, as well as the best ecumenical speakers, bands and talent with thousands of youth from all around the nation.
Call Torry Eaton at 764-3762 (or e-mail meaton@mfx.net) to schedule your session in Mapleton at the Mapleton United Methodist Church beginning at noon Dec. 5 or call Lisa Reed at 493-0989 (or e-mail randsguide@ainop.com) to schedule your session in Washburn at the Lidstone United Methodist Church beginning at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 21.
Pillowcases are now being collected to benefit several local groups including the hospital, fire department, Sister Mary O’Donnell Homeless Shelter, and Hope and Justice Project. Donations must be 100 percent cotton pillowcases and can be purchased or handmade. Please drop off the pillowcases to Sue Skidgell at the Mapleton Town Office by Friday, Dec. 3. Thank you for supporting this ministry!
The United Methodist Church will be hosting its weekly luncheon Friday, Nov. 12 at 11:30 a.m. There is no charge for the luncheon, but donations are accepted. All are welcome to attend.
Jennifer Buzza is the correspondent for Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman. She can be reached at 760-9115, or by e-mail at jbuzza@ainop.com.
