The New England Chapter
of
The Old Antarctic Explorers Association

Membership By State

Chapter Membership Dues

     OAEA-NE By-Laws establish voluntary annual dues of five dollars for each member to help cover the Chapter's administrative expenses.  The fiscal year starts on October 1st with a dues drive.  Dues can be paid in person at a Chapter meeting or mailed directly to Secretary/Treasurer Marty Diller at the mailing address on the OAEA-NE web site "Officers/Contact" page.  Please make out all OAEA-NE checks to "OAEA-NE".  If you have any questions about your dues, please contact Marty Diller.

New England Chapter Fall 2009 Meeting

By Marty Diller,
New England Chapter Secretary-Treasurer  

This year's Fall Chapter meeting was held in northern New England, at the Gateway Restaurant in Somersworth, NH, near the border of southwestern Maine. Meeting coordinators had been searching for a new location in northern New England that is somewhat closer to the many attendees who make the long drive up from CT and RI - but is still relatively convenient to the attendees from Maine. The Gateway fit that requirement and also easily accommodated the 55 members and guests in attendance for this meeting.

Chapter Business

Following the social hour and lunch, the business meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance - led by Life Member Charlie "CB" Bevilacqua. Charlie brought along his personal U.S. Flag for this ceremony, as well as a POW/MIA flag. If other Chapter members wish to bring their flag(s) for use in the opening ceremony of a Chapter meeting, please contact CB or one of the Chapter Officers.

In Old Business, CB Bevilacqua announced that the book drive for the library at New South Pole Station will be ending within a couple of weeks because the NYANG's ski-Herk squadron in Scotia, NY will soon be leaving for the upcoming Antarctic summer season. Another book drive may occur next year.

In New Business, Chapter member Dr. Matt Spitkovsky (former scientist in the USSR polar research program) brought a guest, Bill Waller, to present some ideas for the Chapter's Education Committee to consider. Bill is the founder of the Cape Ann Science Alliance (CASA), a community organization in the Cape Ann, Massachusetts area that fosters scientific curiosity, opportunity, and discovery. An example of one of Bill's suggestions involves Chapter participation in an upcoming CASA public panel discussion on the topic "Settling the Moon and Mars - Insights from Personal Experiences of Living in Antarctica". This may be an excellent opportunity for the Chapter to take its first steps into meaningful public education of Antarctic research and exploration, and the Chapter Education Committee is considering this proposal.

Featured Presentation

At the last meeting, the Chapter honored its Operation Highjump and Deep Freeze I veterans, but due to time constraints, Charlie "CB" Bevilacqua was not given a chance to speak about his Antarctic Experience on Ross Island and McMurdo Sound. He got his chance at this meeting and described how the sailors and Seabees struggled to build and survive during that first summer of Operation Deep Freeze. From trying to sleep in a box with another man because they could not drive their tent stakes into the ice, to the lack of enough water to wash with (resulting in eating out of mess kits that were never clean and having to wear the cleanest of his dirty underwear), to the death of Construction Driver Third Class Richard T. Williams when his Caterpillar D-8 tractor broke through the sea ice of McMurdo Sound, these first pioneers of what is now referred to as the current "scientific age" of Antarctic exploration endured many hardships and dangers. The Seabees persevered, of course, and built the facility at Mc Murdo - the largest station in Antarctica.

Fundraising

Limited-edition, color OAEA-logo belt buckles were again the featured fundraising items at the meeting. Chapter-logo t-shirts, OAEA license plate frames, and OAEA-logo ball caps and polo shirts were also available for sale.

Also, the Chapter still has a quantity of Noel Gillespie's original-edition books about VX-VXE-6, "Courage, Sacrifice, and Devotion", and is now selling them for $15.00. A bookplate signed by the author accompanies each book. To order any of these items by mail, go to the "OAEA-NE Merchandise" link on the OAEA website (www.oaea.net), or contact Dave Hazard either via phone (207) 353-9068 or email: dhazard@gwi.net

Raffle winners included: Guest Helen Andrade (large ski-Herk color poster), CB Bevilacqua (bottle of wine), Al Buckes (31" outdoor penguin holiday sign), Larry Hunter (penguin salt and pepper shakers plus a 17" outdoor penguin holiday sign), Peggy Lippka (singing penguin Xmas toy), Karen Newquist (glass penguin paperweight), Lee Norris (USAF in Antarctica book), Nick Pelligrino (17" outdoor penguin holiday sign), and guest Oliver Wiley (glass penguin paperweight).

For the raffle, prizes were either donated by Chapter members or the Chapter.
Special thanks go to CB for his donation of $32 to the Chapter. With Carol Brown's assistance, CB raised this money by offering Antarctic charts and booklets to meeting attendees for a small donation. Many thanks also go to Tom Noel who donated the NYANG Herk photos to the raffle.

Drawing for Free Airline Tix to 2010 National Reunion

OAEA President Jim Heffel announced that he will personally donate one free round-trip airline ticket to the 2010 National Reunion from anywhere in the continental US in an effort to both increase attendance at that Reunion and to raise money for the OAEA Scholarship Program.

In addition, the 2006 OAEA National Reunion Committee (Warwick, RI) has matched that offer. To be eligible to win two round-trip tickets, you must donate at least $25 to the OAEA Scholarship Program before July 4, 2010. Multiple donations from individual donors are permitted. For each $25 donation, the donor will get another chance to win the tickets. Checks are to be sent to the OAEA Data Base Manager and marked for Scholarship Program. A donation form with mailing instructions can be found on the OAEA National Web site - just click on the 'OAEA Donor Award Levels' link. The ticket drawing will be held after the donation cut-off date.

Meeting Schedule

The next OAEA-NE Chapter Meeting is scheduled for 1 PM on Saturday, March 27, 2010, at Pelly's 19th Hole Restaurant, on the golf course of the former NAS Quonset Point in North Kingstown, RI.

     Noel Gillespie was at the 2006 OAEA National Symposium/Reunion signing copies of his book "Courage, Sacrifice, and Devotion". He sold out very quickly leaving many members still wanting copies of his book. The New England Chapter has received signed copies of Noel's book and now has them available for order.

Cost: $15.00 plus shipping.

To order "Courage, Sacrifice, and Devotion"
Please contact Dave Hazard via:
Phone: (207)353-9068 or
Email: Dave Hazard