READFIELD — Friends of the Readfield Union Meeting House have been invited to its second Members Appreciation Day from 6 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, at the Meeting House, 22 Church Road.
“This social gala allows the Board to personally thank all individual, corporate and business members which have made 2018 an especially fruitful year for the Meeting House,” said Board President John M. Perry, according to a news release from the group. He also acknowledged a donation of $200 from the Kennebec Savings Bank to sponsor the event.
A selection of wine, other beverages, cheese and assorted sweets will be available during the event so that board members and the newly constituted Community Outreach Committee can show the members what has been accomplished since the last fall. The major accomplishment was the completion of the floor substructure project, but several other steps in the building’s restoration were also taken this year.
“We would not be so far advanced in our preservation without the backing we have received from our members,” said Perry, according to the release. “This gathering is a modest way of showing all those who approve of our work that we are most appreciative of their continuing support. The Meeting House is a true community resource. In 1828 it was built as an ‘umbrella’ to unite different religious faiths. Today it is an ‘umbrella’ for all types of community-related events and programs.”
Perry also noted that each year membership has grown and that a number of the steps forward would not have been possible without the income generated by the members. He added that with the totally successful fundraising drive to replace the 144 joists in the floor support substructure, a special effort will be made to display the names of all those who purchased the joists in honor of their family or friends. “The total floor project cost $250,000. It would have been a bigger drain on our resources if so many persons had not stepped forward to buy the joists needed to complete the work,” said Perry, according to the release.
Flutist Christopher Lansley, from Auburn, will provide music. Nancy Durgin, board member and chairwoman of the Fund-Raising/Events Committee, said arrangements will be coordinated by other members of the board and the Community Outreach Committee. Flo Drake, also a member of the board and the Fund-Raising/Events Committee, will be organizing the event.
The event is open to all members in good standing. Friends who wish to join the Meeting House’s membership program can do so at the event.
For more information, contact M. B. Peladeau at 685-4537 or mpeladeau@roadrunner.com, or Nancy Durgin at 685-4481 or durgie@roadrunner.com.
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