Forming a New Hampshire chapter

normsims

Morris canoe fan
In Memoriam
We wish to announce the formation of a New Hampshire chapter of the WCHA. We invite you to bring your canoes to Chocorua Lake near Tamworth, NH, at 10 a.m. on*Saturday Sept. 19 for a social gathering, a paddle, and to form the chapter.

A Little History
At the last WCHA assembly on July 15, four New Hampshire paddlers happened to meet each other near a Morris canoe on the green. After a joyful greeting, the question of forming a NH chapter became topic #1. A spontaneous commitment was joined. Ideas were presented and we resolved to invite all the NH members of WCHA and keep the membership open to any member of WCHA.* Annie made the announcement Thursday evening asking folks to sign up to receive the email announcement of our first assembly.

The Current Plan
Lake Chocorua is on NH Route 16. Chocorua Lake is located near Annie & Geoff Burke’s home in Tamworth, south of Conway. From Tamworth, go east on Rte. 113 about 3 miles, then north on Rte 16 another 2 or 3 miles. We’ll try to have a WCHA banner at the entrance. We will meet at the park at 10 a.m., paddle, then have a potluck lunch and a chat. Following lunch, we can paddle again and get to know one another. Right now we are expecting about 30 people.

Please let us know by email to rlbundyxyz@gmail.com if you are interested or hope to attend. RSVP’s will help with the planning. Our thought is to keep it simple and let consensus rule. Even if you can’t attend, we can keep you on our mailing list so you will always be in the loop.

Bob Bundy, Norm Sims, Bill and Dutchie Perron
 

Attachments

  • Jasper Francis Cropsey Lake Scene, Mount Chocorua.jpg
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a lovely paddle on Chocorua Lake today under bluebird skies. Geoff lead a hike to a really really old pine. Potluck lunch with way too much food. And some after lunch discussions on name and possible events..then off to survey Geoffs boatbuilding shop and marvel at the collection of old bandsaws, and his latest boat project.. and old clear lumber!
So went the first meeting of the Chocorua Chapter.. after all it was formed in the town of Chocorua NH and under the shadow of the grand mountain of same name.
It is open to all regardless of state of residence..( we have a few maniacs.. er Mainers who live nearby)
 
New Hampshire Chapter of WCHA Forms

On Sept. 19, 2015, about 15 wooden canoes and 30 paddlers gathered at Lake Chocorua, near the WCHA world headquarters in Tamworth, New Hampshire, to enjoy a beautiful day and to form a new chapter.

We decided to name it the Chocorua Chapter after the lake and the famous mountain on the southern edge of the White Mountains that looks a bit like the Matterhorn. We’ll need Annie or Geoff Burke to help, but it’s pronounced something like Choc-or-oo-ah, with the accent on the second syllable.

Nature provided light breezes, a crystalline blue sky, and comfortable temperatures for our first gathering. Geoff Burke led us across the lake to see perhaps the second or third oldest white pine tree in the state.

After a potluck lunch, we talked about a chapter. Greg Nolan and Benson Gray advised us on WCHA chapter practices. Everyone seemed to like outings, so we are planning an Autumnal Equinox Regional Assembly for the same weekend next year—at a place yet to be determined—that might allow us to learn more about how other chapters operate. Maybe we’ll have some meetings and outings at a member’s house in the spring and again at the annual gathering at Paul Smith’s in July. It all depends on what the members want to do.

The whole thing got started at the 2015 gathering. One day four of us—Bob Bundy, Bill and Dutchie Perron, and Norm Sims—met in among the Morris canoes and discovered we were all from New Hampshire. Why no New Hampshire chapter? From that, Annie helped organize a sign-up list that eventually grew to 73 names including interested folks from Michigan to Maine, and a chapter formed. If you’d like to be on the list, let us know at normansims1@gmail.com. Everyone is welcome. We have no dues and no particular rules.

Thanks to Bob Bundy for organizing the gathering, and to Annie and Geoff for giving us a tour of their home and boat shop in Tamworth.
 

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A few more pictures:

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Mt. Chocorua (chuh-CORE-oo-ah)

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our youngest member?

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discussion of new chapter

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Goeff Burke's shop - post-meeting tour

Greg
 
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