We will be sending out periodic newsletters through this web site over the next 9 months to keep you all posted on what the conference will look like, opportunities for scholarships, etc.  We are very much looking for your input so please contact us anytime with your thoughts, questions and ideas.

Idea number one for you all to work on:

We want to build an Island Trivial Pursuit game, Pelican Edition.  We want to have a very large possibly ongoing trivial pursuit game going during Reuniion  but to do so we need all your help.  We need from all of you questions and answers of trivial facts and events that have happened during your time on the island or stories you have heard.  We need to know the year of your event.  Things like what year did B.J. and Tom set the Chapel on fire, those kinds of things.  The more questions/answers we get the better the game will be.  Start those memories going but remember we do not want to make anyone too uncomfortable or ruin any relationships or political careers.  We will establish teams of competitors with a mixture from all the decades.  This will help us all get to know what has happened over theyears and get to know some new people.

Look for a Pelican Reunion page on Facebook coming soon.

We are gladly sharing the weekend with Laity once again this year.

There is one week this year between LOAS II and Pel Reunion.  We are working to see if we could create a work conference during that time to be able to give back to the Island, stay tuned for more information on this.  We are also going to look into an earlier arrival option for those traveling further or wanting an extra day on the Island.

Here is the really big challenge, we need you all to talk to everyone you possibly can about how great Pel Reunion is, dig through those old pel papers as well as your Christmas card list, connect with others through facebook.  This is our 29th year as a conference.

Talk with you all soon,

Bruce and Carole

Prudence C. Randall

If you have any audio or video of any Pel Show performances please let us know so we can work on building an online archive.

You can download the entire album in zip format (including LP Cover Art) (35.8 MB) or you can download individual songs, or play them through your web browser below.

The Pelican Show — 1974

Highlights From The Summer’s Best Performances

Star Island

Isles of Shoals, Off Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The Pelican Show — 1974

RAYMOND HARDIN, Musical Director

Side One

Band 1. The Introductory Skit

• A Television Parody, Featuring (in order of appearance.) Terry Bouricius, Leslie Bannon, John Robbins, Dave Phoenix, and Brian Fey. - MP3

Band 2. The Pelican Chorus

• The Drummer and the Cook (arr. Jacobsen) - MP3
• The Barbershop Quartet
  • Wiffenpoof Song [Trad. Yale Song] - MP3
  • Coney Island Baby [Anon.] - Ray Hardin, Terry Bouricius, Peter Kolbjornsen, and Dean Jorgensen. - MP3
• Pelican Solo - I Sit Beside the Fire (word by J. Tolkien) - John Robbins, vocal and guitar - MP3

Band 3.

• Down East Monolog - Stu ‘George’ Georgitis - MP3
• The Maintenance Crew (words by R. Joffe) - Featuring Paul Coleman, Stu Georgitis, Peter Kolbjornen, and Lyle Ramshaw (piano and earphones) - MP3
• The Kitchen Crew (represented by Dean Jorgensen and Dennis Walsh - MP3

Side Two

Band 1. Summer’s Song

• Here Comes the Sun (G. Harrison) - Randy Good (guitar) and John Robbins (guitar and vocal) - MP3

Band 2. The Madrigal Singers

• Fa Una Canzona (O. Veech) - MP3
• Awake! (R. Wagner) - MP3
• Breathe Soft, Ye Winds (W. Paxton) - MP3

Band 3. The Best of Pel Show Performances

• Listen, People (Anon.) - Randy Good, guitar, Robin Lovely (guitar and vocal) - MP3
• Melissa (G. Allman) - The Jazz Quartet: Randy Good, Hadrian Merier (guitars.) John Robbins (guitar and vocal), Dean Jorgensen, electric organ. - MP3
• Farewell To Tarwathie (Trad.) - Sung by Vange Bicknell - MP3

Band 4. Finale

• Oil Refinery Blues - Words by the Staff of ‘74 - MP3
• Pelican Encore - Words, V. McGill, Tune, J. Marais - MP3

Ever since 1947, when John Woodworth organized the first Pelican Chorus, the Pelican Show has been put on weekly each summer for the entertainment of the conferees. But, in truth, it seems as if the Pelicans themselves enjoy it even more than do the conferees. The summer of 1974 stands out in particular for two reasons. First, there was a well of talent to be tapped on the island, as well as people who had inherent talents for making people laugh. Above all, the Music Director was outstanding for putting it all together each week.

But the second reason is not so obvious. Living and working together creates a unique opportunity for a great spirit of unity to form amongh the Pelicans on Star. It is hoped that this can be felt while listening to this album.

This record was made possible by several people: Lynn Stewart, the president of Pel Club, Terry Ward, the Treasurer, and most of all, Ray Hardin, whose patience each week was as durable as East Rock in a nor’easter. And, of course, the Pelicans helped a little bit, too!

H. P. M.

January 1975

The Pelican Club

• Lynn Stewart, President
• Raymond Hardin, Musical Director
• H. Perry Mixer, Recording Engineer & Producer
• Recorded Live in August, 1974

Contact; registrar@pelicansarepelicans.org

Isles of Shoals ghost stories

dmcdermott@seacoastonline.com

Sandy Smith of Eliot, Maine, and her sister, Linda Walton of York, were born and raised in Kittery Point.

Smith is fond of saying that her first trip out to the Isles of Shoals occurred in 1939 when she “came out in a wicker basket” as an infant. Sister Linda’s similar trip occurred in 1941, “so I guess you know who’s older,” Walton was quick to quip.

The sisters’ grandmother had been the head of waitresses at the Oceanic House on Star Island since the 1920s, and on weekends, the family would gather on their father’s fishing boat for the trip from the mainland.

Some of the sisters’ favorite childhood memories are of the one precious week each summer they were allowed to stay on the island with their grandmother.

As adults, Smith and Walton have long been Shoalers, following in the tradition of their childhood. Out on the island for a conference several weeks ago, they joined a group of folks out on the rocks around a bonfire for a night of old-fashioned Shoals ghost stories.

Many well-worn tales were told. There’s the ghost of Blackbeard or at least his wife, who legend has it was abandoned on the isles by her roving husband who is said to have left buried treasure behind.

Then there’s the child of Betty Moody. Moody hid in one of the natural rocky crevices, more of a cave, from Native Americans, so the story goes. Moody’s child started whimpering, and she smothered the child to death trying to stop the sound.

And of course, Smuttynose Island is replete with tales of the ghosts of Karen and Anethe Christensen, who were murdered in March 1873.

Smith later sent along her own ghost stories to share with Seacoast Sunday readers. Following are her accounts:

****

Star Island

End of season, 1993. I was awakened around midnight (at the Oceanic House) by the Pels (the young people who work on the island each summer, called Pelicans) on the top floor, directly above my room, who were moving furniture around as they sometimes did, for whatever reason. This particular night, however, they never seemed to finish the job and sleep was out of the question. After what seemed hours, they were still at it.

The next morning, another resident mentioned being kept awake by the same racket. When I asked the others if they’d been bothered by the noise, they’d not been awakened by it. They also reminded me that the Pels had left for the season and there was no one up there! I’d forgotten the incident until a couple of years later when William O. Thompson gave a talk on ghosts at the William Fogg Library in Eliot. His closing comment was that I must know about the goings on in “Ghost Alley” — the top floor of Oceanic House.

Smuttynose

While staying on Star Island to run the gift shop (at Oceanic House) one summer, I was also substitute ranger on Smuttynose Island when the scheduled ranger could not show up due to weather or other circumstances.

How excited I was when I learned I had my first assignment!

That evening, I rowed again to Smutty for my stay on the island — it was all mine for one night! I was in my glory! I was awakened a little before 1 a.m. by the rattling of the latch on the back door of the Haley House (where rangers stay). I grabbed my flashlight and went to see what was going on. When I got there, the rattling stopped and no one there.

Not quite asleep again, the front door began to rattle. Same story.

Just about to sleep again when a rattling came from the door in the other room under the stairs. This was a tad much, and besides, no one was on the island except me. The rattling stopped just as I arrived at the inside door.

Back to the sleeping bag and ready for a good night’s sleep, finally. My mind knew there was no such thing as a ghost. I felt no concern and was totally relaxed, or so I believed. Before falling asleep, however, I discovered the hair on the back of my neck was standing on end for no reason I would accept.

When I awoke at first light the next morning, I quickly gathered my things together and rowed with alacrity back to Star.

Smuttynose No. 2

Jan and Ron were staying with me on Smuttynose for a couple of nights during the week of my tenure as Smuttynose Ranger one summer.

In the middle of the night, I grabbed my flashlight and quietly made my way to the outhouse. When I closed the outhouse door, I heard the “hook” part of the “hook and eye” lock on the outside swing up and over and into the “eye,” locking me firmly in the little building.

Here again, the “hook and eye” were a firm fit and this could not possibly happen. I yelled to my companions to “turn me loose,” to no avail. Then I beat on the door as well, to no avail. Finally, I awoke Jan who came to rescue while Ron slept on.

We were the only people on the island.

Smuttynose No. 3

I awoke to Kara opening the front door of the Haley House on her way in from the outhouse and heard her crawl back into her sleeping bag.

It was 5 a.m. and so we exchanged our “good mornings” and she reminded me not to fall back to sleep as a friend was due to call me on my cell phone at 6 a.m.

The unheard of happened and I fell back asleep, only to be awakened by a wicked noise and pounding on the front door. Kara came dashing into my room to see if I was OK. Neither of us had made the ruckus, but each thought the other had. I looked at my watch. It was 6 a.m. I turned on my phone and it rang.

May 18, 2008
From Seacoastonline.com
By Karen Dandurant
kdandurant@seacoastonline.com

May 18, 2008 6:00 AM

RYE — The new chief executive officer of the Star Island Corp. at the Isles of Shoals has a goal of bringing the island up to code and into the 21st century.

Of course, visiting Star Island is a bit like stepping back in time, and that’s important to many of the regular visitors.

And that means walking a fine line to accomplish both objectives.

Victoria Hardy said the island is part of Rye and the Seacoast community and, as such, it needs to be more accessible to the public.

“I want to encourage people to come here,” Hardy said. “I am looking at promoting a lot more day trips, and offering incentives like ‘dinner and a mooring.’ We are partnering with the staff at the Wentworth by the Sea to maybe donate box lunches. They are going to provide executive training for our food service people. They, in turn, want information about Star Island to give to their guests.”

Hardy said making the island more open also offers a chance to explore new revenue sources in addition to the seminars and retreats now held there.

“We are looking to revive the island as a location for photo shoots,” Hardy said. “We’re looking at weddings, in a gentle sort of way. We plan to invite all the wedding planners this summer. We could also host a Seacoast Day.”

Hardy said it might soon have a lobster license and be able to offer that on the menu occasionally.

She’s also toying with the idea of creating an ocean pool that would be more child-friendly and would create less parent anxiety about little ones in the ocean.

Last year, Star Island had to delay its June opening after its main building failed a fire and safety code inspection. Hardy is tackling that head-on.

Working with Keith Noyes, the newly hired director of operations and maintenance, all systems are being checked and upgraded. Fire alarm systems are installed in every building, with a master monitoring system at the front desk of the Oceanic Hotel. Exit plans are being created.

Noyes, who was director of public works in Exeter for 27 years, is up to the task and is excited about the challenge.

“I grew up in Rye Beach,” Noyes said. “Since I was 14, I crewed on the charter boats, so when I saw the job, it sparked my interest. I will live here for four months out of the year. My wife, Bonnie, will join me.”

Noyes said he was overwhelmed when he first began looking at the island’s needs.

“Then I found that the basic foundations of the buildings are sound,” he said. “A lot of the work is cosmetic. I plan to spend the summer assessing, and in the fall come up with a five-year, prioritized plan.”

The corporation has received a $100,000 grant from the Unitarian Universalist Congregational Church at Shelter Rock in Long Island.

Noyes has already “spent” it, he said.

Opening day is dependent on passing the inspection. Hardy said she’s not worried.

“We are working closely with the Rye Fire Department’s inspectors,” Hardy said. “They approved our plan in January. A more formal inspection is coming, and we are doing a major top-to-bottom assessment of each building, inside and out.”

Hardy was a consultant in the arts and entertainment industry for more than 20 years.

“I used to tell them that those inspectors are doing us a favor,” she said. “We can learn from them. Plus, it helps with the insurance and can lower premiums.”

On health safety issues, Star Island Corp. is contracting with Boston Medical Services, which will be able to land a helicopter on the island.

A sea of volunteers is busy right now getting the island ready for the anticipated June 14 opening. Carpenters are shoring up the Oceanic’s large veranda-style porch. Flowers are being planted and tended.

“It’s a challenge, because the window for repairs is so short once we can get out here,” Hardy said.

While working to modernize, Hardy is aware of the value of keeping the many island traditions. In fact, she might even bring an old one back.

Star Island is self-sufficient. It treats its own waste, uses salt water to flush toilets, uses reverse osmosis to use salt water as drinking water, composts and recycles everything.

At one time, the island had pigs.

“We’re exploring bringing back pigs,” Hardy said. “If we’re going to be self-sufficient, pigs are very useful. They eat all the scraps.”

Here’s the funny part.

Young people who work the summer season on Star Island are affectionately called Pelicans.

“When we had pigs, it was the job of one of the Pelicans to put suntan lotion on the piglets,” said former Star Island board member Irene Bush. “We are on a rock, an island. They get sunburned.”

For more information, visit www.starisland.org.

http://ontheselvage.blogspot.com/2008/03/isles-of-shoals.html

Saturday, March 1, 2008

The Isles of Shoals

This unlikely couple met at a little island hotel on one of the rocky islands divided along the border of New Hampshire and Maine. She was a waitress and he was a scholar and Shakespearian actor from a prominent family. Fortunately, opposites attract, because this pair are my great-grandparents (that’s Dar on the right!).

My Grandmother told the best stories of their adventures together… she being the one to change a flat tire when the car broke down, and her mother-in-law scolding him because his wife preferred the company of “the help” in the kitchen to that of the high-society guests at a dinner party.

I have their wedding silverware, and I use it every day. The thought of her standing over a sudsy sink, laughing with the servants (she had such a servant’s heart) makes me smile and makes washing my own dishes a little more pleasant.Maybe this Spring I’ll make it to this place that was so special to all of them… I’ve always wanted to go. It’s not so far from Brooklyn…

Rye — The Seacoast Science Center’s Feb. 28 Heritage Dinner brings Emmy-award winning producer Andrea Melville for a dynamic discussion on the making of a documentary about the historic Isles of Shoals.

Intended to air on public television in New Hampshire and Maine in October, “An Island Kingdom” will feature photographs, film, paintings, music and interviews with regional scholars to showcase the remarkable cultural changes at the Isles of Shoals over the past several centuries.

To set the stage, Shoals historian Ann Beattie will explore the four century history of the Isles through a series of fascinating historical images. Ms. Melville will then delve into the creative and hands-on process of producing and taping the hour-long documentary, An Island Kingdom.

Sponsored by Public Service of New Hampshire, the evening begins with a social hour at 6 p.m., dinner and presentation follows. Cost is $45/person; full payment is required to reserve your spot; reservations must be made by Feb. 22. To learn more, contact 436-8043, ext. 20 or registrar@seacentr.org, or visit www.seacoastsciencecenter.org

The committee has been meeting and reviewing documents, as well as talking to interested Shoalers.

A summary of the committee’s activities to date is available on the web at http://StarIslandOpenedLate.BlogSpot.com – the blog is intended to give the Star Island community a way to know what the committee has been doing. All of the committee’s conclusions and products will be released when they are ready for public review. The blog will *not* contain any “interim” reports or conclusions; it is just a vehicle for talking about the committee’s activities.

The committee welcomes input from the entire Star Island community. Our e-mail address is StarIslandOpenedLate@gmail.com

In the Star Spirit,

Jordan Young

Chair, “Island Opened Late” committee

Hey Everybody,

Sorry for the late notice but Pelicans are Pelicans.

The Pelicans Present…
A BANQUET BENEFIT FOR STAR ISLAND

Saturday, July 21, 2007
at South Church in Portsmouth, NH.

Social Hour begins at 5:00 p.m. (BYOB)
with dinner fresh from the kitchen of the Oceanic
and a short but spirited Pel Show to follow

Suggested donation $25 (young adults), $50 (adults), $100 or more
(anyone
who can)
All proceeds to benefit Star Island directly in a time of great need

Donations are tax deductible (less banquet value of $25)

Reservations strongly suggested; space is limited
Call the Front Desk at (603) 601-0832 to reserve your space!

CHILD CARE WILL BE AVAILABLE!

(South Church is at 292 State Street in downtown Portsmouth, NH)

Directions are located here

southchurch-uu.org/soChurchDirections.html

You Will Come Back!
Ben Kunz
Snack Bar Supervisor
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