Melissa Barbour with Malawi students.
The Waldoboro Woman’s Club met at noon on Jan. 9 at the VFW hall on Mill Street in Waldoboro. The hostesses were Betty Studley, Jean Lawrence, and Nancy Gault. Judi Lawrence, president, led the business meeting.
January birthdays were celebrated by Barbara Hunt and Nancy Gault.
Thought for the Day: “Thoughts” was given by Marilyn Andrews.
Thank you notes for donations were received from CHIP Inc. and The Lincoln Home for Christmas cookies.
Lawrence appointed a nominating committee of members Betty Studley, Alice Duff, and Carol Hall Perry. Nominees for officers for the 2018-2020 term will be voted upon at the April meeting and installed at the May luncheon meeting.
The club was fortunate to have two guest speakers.
Janet McMahon, vice president of Waldo Theatre, reported on recent events of the theater. Since the board started meeting in the fall of 2016, a good deal has happened. They have reestablished nonprofit status and by-laws, and expanded the board to eight members. The theater paid off $12,000 of inherited debt to local businesses.
Three community work days removed 12 truckloads of trash. The theater has received an additional $8,000 to cover basic operating costs, insurance, etc. Waldo Theatre has begun planning a capital campaign and had a first training recently. It will continue to expand its board and look for people with strong ties to community and financial campaign expertise in Friendship, Bremen, Bristol, and other towns also.
The success of Waldo Theatre depends on the entire community. It needs people to get involved. People are encouraged to join the board or serve on a committee and help spread the word.
The second guest speaker was Melissa Barbour, an English language arts teacher at Medomak Valley High School. Barbour spoke on a recent trip to the 2017 Malawi Teacher Workshop and related the following:
The daily workshop included the Go Malawi staff taking the midday meal together. After the meal, they read poetry and folktales; wrote plays, essays, poetry, and letters; presented lessons with learning strategies embodied in the lesson to help struggling learners with drawing and other hands-on projects.
Art was introduced into the curriculum, including in an exit strategy by which students respond to thought-provoking questions or statements. All in all, it was an inspiring and wonderful experience, with another trip planned in the near future.
The next meeting of the Waldoboro Woman’s Club will be on Tuesday, Feb. 13, with Dr. Emily Trask-Eaton, who will speak on women’s health.
For more information, call 273-3082 or contact the club’s Facebook page, “Waldoboro Woman’s Club.”
