In lieu of our normal monthly meeting, a trip to and meeting with Montville Historical Society was arranged. President Donovan Bowley, Joe Berry, Gwen Brodis, Bill Jones, and Nancy Pike left for Montville at 8:30 AM. Montville shares its original proprietors with Hope, Appleton, Liberty & Camden.

We were graciously received by Montville Historical Society members, led by Debbi Stevens, in their new building, which is a reconstruction of their Kingdom School. Like Hope, Montville is a collection of diffuse villages and had a number of one-room schools. Because of our interest in saving, moving and refurbishing South Hope School, which has been offered to us, we took great interest in how Montville did it and how much it cost.

Two other points of great interest were Montville's historical calendar and their annual hayrides, both significant sources of net revenue. Debbi Stevens herself pioneered the calendars using the society's historic photographs and getting financing from local businessmen. She now does the same thing for a number of other historical societies. The annual hayrides use rented horse teams to take people on guided historical tours of Montville in fall leaf season.

Following the meeting, the participants took dinner at the Olde Mill Restaurant in Searsmont.

Respectfully submitted,
Bill Jones, Secretary