40 MARINER / 2016 - ISSUE 3
Chapter News
T
he mission of the Casco Bay
Chapter is to bring graduates
and their families together
for the purpose of fellowship and
professional networking, and to
raise scholarship funds for students
at MMA. To that end, the past 6
months have been very busy for
the chapter. Starting in December,
2015, David Moore ’09 organized
a very successful holiday event at
Ri Ra’s in Portland’s Old Port district. It was a simple social event with
appetizers, cash bar and commemorative pint glasses available for sale,
the proceeds of which went to scholarships and the El Faro Memorial
Fund. Moore estimates roughly 100 graduates and guests attended.
Thanks, Dave, for all your hard work.
Additionally in December, the chapter hosted a formal holiday event
at the Rusty Scupper on the Coast Guard base in South Portland. The
Coast Guard put on an excellent dinner and an auction was held in
which funds were raised for scholarships and the El Faro Memorial
Fund. Special thanks to Ernie Goodwin ’61 for coordinating with the
Coast Guard to make this event a success.
In March, we held our annual Marine Flea Market at the Maine
Boatbuilder’s show at the Portland Company Complex. This is the Casco
Bay Chapter’s biggest fundraiser. Items were donated to the chapter by
boatyards and individuals from across New England, and the result was
nearly $10,000.00 raised. This year, in addition to the scholarship fund, a
portion of the proceeds went to the El Faro Memorial Fund. We’d like to
thank Earle Cianchette ’77 for providing us with a Cianbro shipping
container to hold all of our donated items prior to the show. Also, we’d
like to thank the owners of Portland Yacht Services, Phin and Joanna
Sprague for once again allotting us some space at the show at no cost. If
not for their generosity, the Marine Flea Market would not be possible.
The chapter hosted its first annual Casco Bay Summer Party at Rival-ries Pub & Grill in Portland on Thursday, June 30. What a great setting
for the event-- easy access, convenient parking and great atmosphere for
meeting and socializing with alumni.
So far in 2016, the chapter has awarded three scholarships of $2,000
each to the following students:
Shawn Shannon, Graduation Award
Class of 2016, South Portland, MaineJames Wetzel, Regimental Award
Class of 2016, North Yarmouth, MaineAlice Stenquist, Senior Banquet Award
Class of 2016, Bath, Maine
Congratulations to these graduates and best of luck in all your future
endeavors. We hope you’ll come visit us from time to time. For informa-
tion on how to apply for these scholarships, please contact Omar Chaar
’09 at [email protected].
In addition to our fundraising efforts, the Casco Bay Chapter holds
regularly scheduled monthly meetings, which are on the third Thursday
of each month at the Rusty Scupper on the Coast Guard Base in South
Portland. The regular gathering begins at 1700 and goes until 1900.
Chapter officers meet at 1600 to discuss chapter business, but please
know anyone is welcome to attend these business meetings. We’re always
looking for individuals who are interested in helping out the chapter or
participating in various projects.
As part of our monthly gatherings we’ll often invite guest speakers.
We’d like to offer special thanks to our coordinator David Fenderson
’56 who has done a terrific job securing excellent speakers for us. We’d
also like to thank our guest speakers this year who have been so gener-
ous with their time:
Capt. Nathan Gandy ’92, Commandant of Midshipman, MMA
Capt. Les Eadie ’76, Captain, Training Ship State of Maine, MMA
Capt. Andy Chase ’79, Professor, Marine Transportation Opera-
tions, MMA
RDML Bryan Cutchen ’83, U.S. Navy (Retired)Casco Bay
Chapter
T
he MMA Alumni Association and Department of Alumni Rela-
tions want to thank all who frequented our tailgating tent at every
home football game (except Homecoming). Special guests were:
Seadog Chapter Alumni (September 3), Bay State Alumni (at Mass
Maritime, September 17), MMA Class of 2017 (October 15) and MMA
football parents and friends (November 12). We served complimentary
chili, bbq chicken dip, other snacks, hot chocolate, and beverages to a
number of dedicated fans, students, alumni and friends alike. The tent
specialty is a savory seafood chowder. Special thanks to the parents and
fans who contributed snacks for each event. See you next year!ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HOSTS
TAILGATING AT HOME