| Labor Day Conference at Geneva Point |
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Since 1946 families have been returning generation after generation to this annual mini-vacation at the end of the summer. Below are links to the past and the present. |
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| Link to vintage postcards of Geneva Point. This is the Inn built in 1870. |
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| Link to the official web site of the Geneva Point Conference Center. |
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| Link to information about the Labor Day Weekend Family Conference. |
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| "What We Do At Oak Hill Farm" a three-day seminar |
THE SEMINAR
I plan to talk about
♥ The legend and lore of Oak Hill Farm - Native American history right at my back door.
♥ What a city girl (or rather a suburbs girl) needs to know in rural Maine.
♥ Setting up and running a maple syrup operation - What were we thinking?
♥ Herbal remedies from green things other people are trying to eliminate from their lawns.
♥ How to maintain a 26-dog sled dog kennel and your sanity simultaneously.
♥ Inviting the public to share our special place: The Cottages at Oak Hill Farm.
| THE SCHEDULE
Session 1: Maple Sugaring - The History Behind This Phenomenon
Session 2: Maple Sugaring - Boiling, Bottling and Cooking - The Nitty Gritty Details
Session 3: Herbals - Teas, Salves and Dream Pillows | HOW I GOT HERE
My family grew up in the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church and began attending the Labor Day Conference in 1953 when I was 7. It was an annual ritual for our family until we three kids (my sister Joan and my brother Doug) dispersed to college in the mid-1960's. My parents, Woody and Marion Chapman, began to attend Elderhostels all over the world at that time. In a variety of years my brother and I returned to the conference -- probably 1977, 1978 and 1993. I also attended Camp Yo Aunta in 1960 and 1961. Stimulated by a chat room for Camp Yo Aunta Alumni, I felt the pull to come sit on a rock and be nourished by Geneva Point last Labor Day Weekend (2007). I had no idea that it was less than an hour from my home in Maine. I drove in just as everyone was assembling for dinner. I was amazed that the conference still existed and I didn't know about it. Friendly people asked me to join everyone for dinner and I soon discovered Linda (Bird) Carlson and Tom Stevens. Tom and Barbara Kipp talked me into staying for vespers and nostalgia, great memories and new possibilities brought me back. |
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