Norwich bulletin., 1912-05-30
MAYFLoWER CLUB HOLDS
 ITS ANNUAL MEETING. Officers Reelected and Members En- ioyed Delightful Time at Norwich Town.


 The annual meeting of the Mayf1ower club was held on Wednesday at the home of Mrs. Nelson D. Robinson or Norwich Town. Mrs. Robinson was the same delightful hostess which she has been for the eight years past at these annual May meetings of the club and the M guests enjoyed her hospi- tality to the utmost. The meeting was an especially attractive one. as 1t marked the tenth anniversary of the first picnic ever held in Connecticut by members of the Mayfiower society. A four course luncheon was served, after which the club was called to order by the president, Mrs. Christopher Mor- gan for a business session. Officers were re- e-elected for another year as follows: President, Mrs. Christopher Morgan; treasurer, Mrs. Nelson D. Robinson; secretary; Miss Phebe H. Brewster:
 A special anniversary programme was conducted by Mrs. Charles B. Graves. First came a paper by Mrs. Nelson D. Robinson, Ten Years Itin- erary-1SG2-1 -1912, giving in wit and hu- nor the review of the ten years pie nics beginning with the first pilgrim age. She spoke of the birth of the Mayfower society at the old Hemp stead house, New Londen, March [, 1S96 When Mayflewer was six years old Mother Mary Branch planned to give the child a special pleasure in the form of a picnic, and chese ss the most desirable spot fer 1t the Brewster burying ground. After clever deserip- tiens of the boys and girls attending young Mayflower's party, Mrs. Robin son described the lunch hour and the story hour which followed. Again in 1903 Mother Mary gathered the chill dren for another picnic-but alas, twas for memorial service, as during the year little Mayflower had been kid mapped and carried to Hartford leav ing the Hampstead home bereft. The picnic day began with a dark pail, suggesting sorrow and later Dame Ma ture evidenced her sympathy most CO., plously. Mrs. Robinson declared later that her backyard was a better place to hold a picnic. The Mayflowers took her at her word and on the last Thurs day In May, 1904, 1s of them appeared with boxes and baskets of lunch. The next picnic was held in May, 1905. at Mayflower headquarters, Norwich Town. As these gatherings were not legally meetings of the society, Mrs. Robinson suggested the idea of a club and from that time 1t has been the Mayfiower club. Other picnics were now held each year besides the one in May, which became the annual May meeting. In 1908 the club celebrated it's wooden anniversary with gifts tC
 Mrs. Robinson, the headquarters hos tess, treasurer and chaplain. Six mem bers have died in these ten years.
 The original IS have grown to 43, and 1 49 luncheons have been held. The clut | has been social rather than literary l though special literary programme: mark commemorative events at times | The spirit of good comradeship has been and is the dominant force witt 1 the Mayflower club and tis safe tC
 anticipate the future from the past | Mrs. Robinson's paper was received with great enthusiasm and a bouquet | of pink and white carnations was pre- scented to her.
 Mrs. Graves then read a poem by Mrs. John L. Branehe descriptive oi | the first picnic at Brewster's Neck i Another poem by Miss Grace D | Wheeler and written for the occasion 1 was read by Miss Eliza w. Avery Mrs
 J. w. Bailey of Middletown, a member
 of the committee appointed at the state | meeting in Hartford to plan work fol l the society, was a guest of the clut
 and spoke to them about some of these plans.
 Those present were Mrs. Christophel 1 Morgan, Mystic; Mrs. Herbert L. Gran. dall, Mrs. Charles B. Jennings, Mis-
 Fanny L. Potter, Miss Elizabeth Stark
 Miss Genevieve Stark, Mrs. Carl J
 Viets, Mrs. Charles B. Graves, Mrs 1 Nelson M. Keeney, Mrs. L. K Ship. i man, Mrs. Joseph Csvarly, Mrs. Marc
 Comstock, Mrs. William c. Costello | New London: Miss Mabel Holman | Saybrook; Mrs. J. W. Bailey, Middle.
 town: Mrs. Guilford Smith, Soutl
 Windham; Miss Annie Tillinghast
 Plainfeld: Mrs. William Fitch. Mrs Sarah Mccall Spofford, Norwich Town; Mrs. Waterman R. Burnham l Mrs. Benjamin F. Lewis. Miss Filler
 Geer, Miss Lucy Geer Miss Eliza w
 Avery, Miss Phebe H. Brewster. Mrs B. P. Bishop, Mrs. E. J. Hunt, Nor 1 wich.