October 7, 2026 Breakfast Meeting Notes
The 50/50 was won by Ken W.
Mike B got the chance to draw in the card game but was unsuccessful at locating the ace of spades.
Ben ran the meeting from Keene, where he is attending a conference.
Hey did you know: It’s Deb Kirschner’s birthday today! We serenaded her with a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday to You!”
We had the first frost of the season today, at least in Bridgewater.
Sally noted that if we want to put an object announcing our 100th anniversary in the time capsule in Concord, we need to get it to her by October 13.
There is a new driveway going in for the planned hotel.
The library has a parking lot owned by Habitat, where the library is seeking to expand.
Steve and Rick went up to the roof at Rand’s to look at the existing light string situation and plan for future festive holiday lighting..
The signpost is in at the amphitheater and we need to schedule a time to reinstall the sign and arrange a photo op.
Tickets for the Penny Sale grand prize are printed. Ben has gotten the tackle boxes and we can store the stuff at Newbury’s. He will send out an email telling everyone exactly where the supplies will be. He will also make sure that there will be a bank for each station.
Penny Sale signs will need to be installed. The sale is a little late this year so we will be putting signs up this Saturday the 10th. If anyone is available to help this Saturday morning, please show up at 9 am at the Common Man.
The high school setup night has been arranged. The hot dog vendor has been contacted, as has the DJ. Sharon brought the perforated sheets this morning so please take some for your prizes.
Steve noted that we can sell Penny Sale grand prize tickets on line; the QR code on the tickets will take people to the site where they can order tickets. We have a new QR code this year so the material in the boxes will need to be reviewed to be sure that we are handing out the right information.
Dan wanted to reiterate that if you want to do the job that you did last year, let him or Ben know so that he can assign jobs for Penny Sale night. The setup night will be October 28. Sharon and Ben are tied up then, so if anyone who has experience would like to take over, please let them know.
Our speaker today is our own Bill Clark, speaking about First Star Tonight. The organization was founded about 40 years ago, when Mike Fischler had a daughter in the hospital at Dartmouth in Hanover and wondered if he could set up a program to help the families of children who were chronically or terminally ill. First Star Tonight is a 501(c)3 charity covering the areas served by SAU 48. The program is similar to Make a Wish, but that organization typically only serves needs of $10,000 or greater, while First Start Tonight handles all sorts of smaller requests.
Recently examples of help provided by First Start Tonight include paying for the gas and lodging for a family whose child was being treated in Boston 4 days a week, sending terminally ill children on vacation, and sending a family to Cincinnati to see a football game featuring the child’s favorite player from Atlanta. Other money has been provided for glasses and dental care.
Referrals are all by word of mouth; school nurses are a good source. If you know someone who would benefit from a little help, let a board member know (Bill Clark and Mo Lafreniere are both board members). Note that 98% of the money raised goes to provide services; the rest goes to fund brochures and minor expenses.
First Star Tonight has an annual gala at the first Friday in April, at the Barn on the Pemi. It holds 3200 people and they sell out every year. The tickets pay for the dinner, and they have donations at the end of the event that raise $30-35,000 each year.
Ben told us that there have been a couple of meetings in the last week about the fusion of our district with 7780. If you are interested in helping out or just learning more, please see Ben.
Saturday, October 24, we will be packing meals up in North Conway. Our club has made a donation to defray the cost; you can sign up to attend any time between 8:30 and 5. Car pooling can be arranged. We will bring back food that will go to Plymouth Area Community Closet’s food pantry, the Senior Center, the Wentworth food pantry, and any other place you can suggest. The goal is to pack at least 20,000 meals.
Deb would like contact information for the Courage Kits. She can contact Ken Evans (he will be gone until the 19th).
Happy Dollars were shared by Denise, Deb, Phil, and Mike B.
Respectfully submitted,
Lora Miller, secretary
