New Boston monthly dinners, presentations foster togetherness

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:47:00 GMT

BY SALLY BRZOZOWSKI

Edward Everett has delivered his famous speech more than 137 times, but Friday was the first time that his speech followed a dinner of lasagna and chocolate truffle cake at the New Boston Community Church.

Everett, as portrayed by the actor Jim Cooke, visited New Hampshire on Friday to speak to a group of attendees who braved the cold for a chance to enrich their community and their minds. In his first incarnation, Edward Everett was known as one of the world’s most-famous orators, “the likes of Frank Sinatra,” according to Richard Katula, who just published a book on this friend of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Everett was “the other speaker at Gettysburg,” the one who spoke for almost two hours before President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.

This is the fourth year that residents of New Boston have enjoyed presentations and dinners together at the New Boston Community Church in what Butch Locke calls “a magical marriage with the library.”

Locke is on the Community Church’s Stewardship Committee, and was one of the organizers of Friday’s dinner.

Gail Parker also serves on the committee and arranges speakers and presentations on behalf of the Whipple Free Library Perspectives program. The Perspectives program started 10 years ago, but has thrived since its union with the community dinners.

“Perspectives is a way to give adults in this small New England town a new perspective, a chance to broaden their horizons,” said Parker.

Jed Callen, who has supported the program since it began, says the program came about when some residents realized the town had many programs to offer its youth, but very few opportunities for adults to expand their horizons. Now, the program has seen many visitors speak on diverse topics.

“We’ve had a doctor who visited Antarctica,” said Parker, “and a talk about the Big Dig, and then the next month someone came and talked about all the antiques they found during that construction project.”

“There was someone who talked about the last days of Marilyn Monroe, and two of the players from A League of Their Own visited once. We’ve also had local people who have something to share,” added Callen.

“Just because the talk is in the church doesn’t mean that there’s a connection to religion. We’ve had people in to talk about UFOs and aliens; really, the connection between this dinner and the Perspectives program is about serving the community.”

The dining room at the church was filled with guests sitting at round tables, making new friends and catching up with regulars.

Among them was 11-year-old Alexia Gorton. She was joined by her mother, brother, classmates, and other Community Church members who made sure the rotating group of diners were well-outfitted with everything, including dressing, lasagna, coffee and lemonade.

Bib and Verna Elliott, longtime residents of New Boston, dined on lasagna before moving to the next room to hear about Edward Everett.

“We’ve attended quite a few of them,” said Verna of the dinners. “It’s interesting, and it gives me a chance to find out what’s going on.”

The next community dinner takes place March 20 at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by the annual library auction, both at the Community Church in New Boston.

For more information on Whipple Free Library Perspectives, visit www.whipplefreelibrary.org.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the Community Church in New Boston

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:24:00 GMT

All are invited to come to the Community Church on Friday, March 16, anytime between 5 and 7 p.m. to enjoy a traditional New England boiled dinner, fresh salad, rolls and a dessert.

The cost for the dinner is $8 for adults (ages 13 and older), children ages 6 to 12 will be $6 each and children 5 and younger eat free.

There is a family-friendly price of $25 (parents and children) for a family of four.

All proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Community Church.

After dinner, at 7:30 p.m. the library perspectives will be presenting music from the WWII era, collected and presented by Calvin Knickerbocker, an artist of the New Hampshire Humanities Series. The perspective programs are presented to the public free of charge.

New Boston News : community

New Boston monthly dinners, presentations foster togetherness

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the Community Church in New Boston