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STOUGHTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOUNDED 1895

(Regular meetings third Monday at 7:30 PM) 

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Volume V1, Number 3  - April  1975

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OUR MARCH MEETING was another successful evening with an excellent illustrated program presented by Hank Herbowy and John Stiles. We were treated to some scenes taken at the January Open House and nice views of Stoughton, then and now. Refreshments were served by Helen Holmes and Ruth Burnham. As has been the case in recent months we had a near-capacity attendance ... a rewarding sight . . . and they made themselves heard during the short community sing.

ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE PLANS have been in the capable hands of Joan and Norma Sullivan. They have arranged a fine day for us at the Old Dartmouth Historical Society and Whaling Museum in New Bedford. (This place is commonly known as the New Bedford Whaling Museum.) There are very few stairs to climb and nearly everything of interest is located on one floor. From the museum we will travel the short distance to Westport for our noon meal at White's, a pleasant place overlooking the water. At White's we have our choice of POT ROAST or SCALLOPS. Each entree includes salad, potato, vegetable, rolls, beverage and dessert. Both meals are $4.OO, gratuity and tax included. Reservations must be made. PLEASE CALL the Sullivans at 344-4011 and tell them your choice of POT ROAST or SCALLOPS and whether or not you wish to ride the bus. Let them know, also, if you will have a guest. As in the past, your admission to the museum and your bus fare will be paid by your Society. Your only cost will be $4.00 for your meal. PLEASE CALL. 344-4011 NOW TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATION. WE MUST RESERVE THE RESTAURANT SPACE EARLY .

RECENT GIFTS have come from Elsie and Mabel Simmons who brought us their mother's wedding dress and some of their grandparents' wedding clothes; Dick and Mary Garnhum made us a gift which enabled us to purchase our new wall-mounted projection screen; George H. Willis donated a turn-of-the-century police helmet and fire and police photos; our post card collection is enlarged by a gift from the Avon Historical Society; various sizes of shoe lasts, rough and finished, from Belcher's have been given by Cy and Evelyn Perkins.

FORTUNATE WINNERS . . . Violet Sullivan held the winning ticket for the handmade afghan awarded at the March meeting; Mildred Kelleher is now the owner of the 19" electric grandfather clock; and the following folks won Historical Society note paper: Sallie Estey, Ted Graham, Eleanor Meserve, Margaret Fitzpatrick, Grace Dillon, Katherine McPhee, Rob Raleigh and Richard Garnhum. Thanks to all who participated in our sale of tickets and thanks to Ruth Burnham and her committee who conducted this fund raiser for the Society.

WE NEED HOSPITALITY HOSTESSES for next season . . . and we need a chairman. Please call the current chairman, Eleanor Meserve at 344-24294, for information concerning the pleasant duties.

FROM TIME TO TIME WE ENTERTAIN groups from Our Town in our rooms. This month we hosted the Ice Breakers from the First Congregational Church on Saturday, the 5th, and we were pleased to have the Stoughton Branch of the Massachusetts Catholic Woman's Guild as our guests on the 9th of April. Our volunteer hosts and hostesses were quite helpful and informative to our visitors and, in turn, thoroughly enjoyed themselves, too. Many thanks.

PLANS ARE BEING MADE to hold an auction of some of the Stoughton 250th Anniversary Commemorative Coins in the Lucius Clapp Memorial near or on the Patriot's Day weekend. Watch the papers for announcement. Royalties from sales of the coins are to be used to finance anniversary activities.

IF YOU ARE APPROACHED by someone wishing to have you display some of your valuable antiques for anniversary or bicentennial celebrations, be very careful who you talk to about this. The person should have bona fide identification. It is better for you to loan such articles anonymously rather than tic off some other unscrupulous persons as to the contents of your home.

OUR APRIL 21 MEETING will feature another of our own members, Ted Graham, who has not divulged the subject of his illustrated program. Ted simply tells us that he has some memories in store for us. Come and see.

DUES, as voted in the March meeting and effective and payable in September, are now increased to $ 3.00 for individual memberships, $ 5.00 for husband and wife, $ 1.00 for seniors 65 years and over. (NOTE: only paid-up members are eligible for the Society-paid admission and bus fare on the May 17 Annual Pilgrimage. Are your 1974-75 dues paid?)

IN THE BEGINNING ... 200 YEARS AGO, solemn music was used in the church and people sane unaccompanied by instruments. The words to the hymns were printed, but the notes were not. Everyone who sang would use the same words but not the same tune. Of course, the discordant sounds bothered some of the people and a battle soon raged between a group of reformers who wanted to have "regular" singing and those who wanted to keep on sing-ing as they pleased.

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