Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-20
VERMONT SOCIETY
MEETINGS NOVEL
Association Meets in Manner
CT Town CounCiI-Food
important Item.
BY MARGARET Il. DOWNING.


District of Columbia Society an
association. and ii can cope with MIS-
souri, as a show-me commonwealth.
In claiming to be the dean of all such
gatherings of citizens in the Federal
City it can produce proof unasSailahie
and to spare Vermont claims for its
State society that it has existed since
$50. or for 10 years. and there are
among its present active and enthuSl-
astic members two men who attended
the first meeting. held in the base
ment of the old City Postoftice, Penn
sylvania avenue and Seventh street
These are John c. Scotield, chief clerk
Of the War Department, and Henry
w. Taylor, for the past "A years chief
engineer of the Capitol Buildings. The
late Myron NJ. Parker. so largely
identified with the progress of the Cap
itaI City, was in 1880 an official of the
local postotfiCe. and as he had fire.
quently attended informal gatherings
of eXiled NermonterS. when the num-
hers grew, he proffered them the hos
pitality of the lower regions of the
poStotfice So there for some years
these homeSick sons and daughters of
the Green Mountain State met and
had their sugar parties and doughnutS
and other good things suggestive of
home.
Existed Since 1880.
The Vermont State Association has,
since 1880, enjoyed IA continual exist
ence. with fluctuations of prosperity
eS to the number of members and
their punctuaIity of attendance at the
meetings. Five years ago. feeling the
Yevivifying influence of State pride,
which awakened all similar organiza-
tons in the Federal territory, 1t was
reorganized on the lines Of a town
council, and when Citizen Calvin Cool
idSe joins the maple sugar frolics,
AS he has done on occasions. or at
tends a business meeting, he finds
things conducted exactly as in his old
home in Plymouth. where his father
was for a long time a selectman in
the town council. Thus. instead OF a
president, the Vermont State Associa-
ton calls its executive a moderator
and its secretary the town clerk. and
as guardian Of its finances it has both
treasurer and a collector OF taxes.
The elections are jolly affairs, in
which the main salon Of Hotel Cont
mental is made to resemble booth in
Vermont town as much as possible.
and in which every detail additionally
associated with such events is faith
fully depicted. There are five formal
meetings besides the business meeting
in November, all called at the con-
venience of the moderator and council,
and the program each year ends with
a maple sugar party and later in the
season there is a picnic
When the most distinguished ma
tIveS Of Vermont now in Washington
the President and Mrs. Calvin Cool
idge, came here in March. 1921. both
Joined the State association and the
same year attended the sugar party,
mingled merrily with the throngs and
enjoyed the sweets twisted on a fork.
with the doughnuts. cakes and sage
cheese. In Vermont the maple sugar
is poured boiling hot on sugared snow
and then eaten with d fork. Snow is
an uncertain quantity at the Capital,
and the State association, having to
name the day of the feast weeks in
advance, is obliged to have blocks of
ice provided for the boiling maple
sugar, and these are set close enough
together to permit several hundred
to help themselves, when it is ready.
Usually coffee is served at the end of
the feast. but maple sugar is the main
thing, and it is surprising how much
of this a genuine son or daughter OF
the Green Mountain State can enjoy
at one sitting.
The Attorney General and Mrs. Sar-
gent, of course, became members OF
their State association, though because