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Eschelman gives keynote address

In the beautiful setting of MBNA's Ginley Hall, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Northport Maine, a packed crowd of lighthouse enthusiasts were treated to an evening of speakers, slides, and lighthouse door prizes.

Before the evening's dinner, Tim Harrison, president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and editor of Lighthouse Digest presented a brief slide presentation of a roll call of the dead, lighthouses no longer standing, ending each slide with a one word -"GONE." He then showed slides of lighthouses that the Foundation has been active in their restoration and fund raising. Since the meeting was also being used as a kick off fund raiser for the town's lighthouse, he followed with slides of the interior of local Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. It was here that the crowd was moved the most as one slide after another showed collapsed ceilings, rotten stairs, broken pipes and rusted railings. Harrison said he started off the evening this way, so that the audience would feel guilty about the lighthouse during dinner and buy more raffle tickets from the volunteers moving throughout the audience.

Later in the evening, Harrison, on behalf of the American Lighthouse Foundation, presented "Keeper of the Light" awards to Peter Ralston of the Island Institute and Ted Dernago Jr. of the United States Coast Guard for the role they played in the development of the Maine Lights Program which turns over 30 lighthouses over to local people for restoration and maintenance. Harrison said this is the most significant single event in modern lighthouse history, since the U.S. Lighthouse Service was dissolved in 1939.

Because of illness, Ralston was unable to attend, however, his award was accepted on his behalf by Anne Webster Wallace, Director of the Maine Lights Program. Anne read a prepared statement that Ralston had only dictated to her a hour before the meeting. He said he was humbled and honored by the spirit of the award. He went on to say that the Maine Lights Program was conceived and nurtured in Maine and while he supposed it would be impolite to play favorites, there is something special about the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse."

In accepting his award in person, Dernago spoke of the years of service these historic beacons have played in the development of the United States. He said that service now needs to be repaid in care and restoration. He went on to say, "The Coast Guard has done the best they can," . . . . "but now its the changing of the guard."

Throughout the evening, as a lighthouse would happen to be mentioned during the course of the evening, Harrison would introduce the many former keepers in the audience, including Connie Small, who just turned 97 and have given over 500 lectures on lighthouses. She is also author of the popular book, A Lighthouse Keepers Wife.

The keynote presentation was given by Ralph Eschelman, president of The National Lighthouse Museum Committee. Eschelmen eloquently described the pros and cons of the various site locations under consideration with a dramatic slide presentation. He made it clear that no decision had yet been made. For its choice, the committee will consider the location's lighthouse history, the negative as well as the positive impact the museum would have on an area, visitor potential, and the amount of money needed to build or restore a site. Earlier in the day, Eschelman had been given a tour of Rockland by Ken Black of the Shore Village Lighthouse Museum and by the Director of the Rockland Chamber of Commerce. Rockland is one of the towns vying for the site of the National Lighthouse Museum.

Harrison also announced at the meeting that two additional lighthouses had been licensed to the Foundation by the United States Coast Guard - Long Point Light and Wood End Light, both in Provincetown, MA. He said, outside of the Federal Government, this makes the American Lighthouse Foundation the largest holder of lighthouses in the country. He said that's why it is more important now than ever that people join and make donations, as well as apply for the MBNA lighthouse credit card. "We need money, more now than ever before to restore and maintian these lighthouses."

Harrison said the Foundation is especially grateful to MBNA for the use of Ginley Hall for the lighthouse convention. He said without their help, the success of the fund raising would not have been possible. A number of people commented that just being able to tour Ginley Hall's beautiful exhibits of ships under glass and original oil paintings was worth it by itself. MBNA is one of the largest issuers of credit cards in the nation. Harrison said, "MBNA has shown their support for lighthouse preservation, not just through the use of Ginley Hall but more importantly through their new lighthouse preservation credit cards which will help save lighthouses nationwide"

This story appeared in the July 1998 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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