Come
to the Waterside Community "Gam" on July 29, 2006
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~ An opportunity for conversation at sea or ashore ~ |
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mouse
aboard
The Ship to see whose Spirit takes "the helm in love" |
Wonder
of Wonders! |
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The
Ship ~ Navigating the Narrative
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For those who have come upon this virtual situation at the Comity.org domain quite by chance ~ it may be best to first forward you to a foreword ~ a preamble of sorts which will provide some context (and an array of links within and without Comity.org). For those adventurers who seek to know more about the plans for the Waterside community "gam" (an opportunity for social exchange afloat or ashore) ~ after review of the link within about gams and gamming in general ~ this detailed "Ship's log" ~ [last updated May 27, 2006 under the New Moon, with the next updates to this and the Comity.org Web site posted in phases with the Full Rose (or Strawberry) Moon on June 11 and the New Buck (or Thunder) Moon on June 25] ~ offers the compass, timetable and plot for the next gam, to be ventured on Saturday, July 29, 2006. Organized in a Motion of Comity with Yankee Homecoming's Festival for the Senses ~ an early entry briefly describes the gam at the festival's official website at the Opening Day calendar of events webpage as such:
And plotting along ~ plans for this next community gam are well
underway. Those who want to be "in the know" should
check this link for frequent updates. Those who want to join hands in
the planning ~ please make a Comity
connection. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
A trio
with brio really in the know about engaging all ages in this genre of
amusement is Moments
in Time Entertainment ~ with Dan Cleary serving as interlocutor,
helping to tie the elements together and adding tempo and momentum ~
Together with Chuck Wright & Al Maguire, offering a dynamic medley
of musings and musical melody throughout the afternoon gam. What? Beginning after Yankee Homecoming's noontide opening ceremonies, the (present) plan points to Lord Timothy Dexter's homecoming beforehand. [Check back for updates ("When") about his ETA (estimated time of arrival) ~ so you can meet him as Misty Isles is moored dockside ~ or (more likely the case) watch as Dexter is rowed ashore from Misty Isles' mooring in the Merrimack River.] As impressed in an early press release, it makes perfect sense that Dexter will return for this year's Yankee Homecoming Festival of the Senses. And to get a better sense of this (and that), visit the LordTimothyDexter.com Website page (link within/without). In those
Moments in Time, after Yankee Homecoming's opening ceremony ~
getting the gam on a roll with "sum gud songs" and "gamming"
~ Lord Tim ~ (who foretold that he "may come back toue see houe
you all goue on & wot you are" and insisted he wanted to make
"sum noise in the world") ~ will be doing just that ~
by making his profound observations ~ and serving as the "sounding
board" for the Waterside people ~ individually and collectively
~ with
continuous "amousement" and social interaction of "party
See pints" throughout the afternoon, on-stage and off-stage. And
Yankee Homecoming's larger than life ambassador-at-large Lord Timothy
Dexter deployed as the envoy on this voyage. The
"moment to moment" timetable and roster for this lively community
caucus is fairly fluid. And since this gam ashore stems from the New
England maritime tradition ~ let us employ the nautical timekeeping
of ship watches and bells.2
(Conveniently, a ship's bell is mounted at the Coast Guard monument
aside Market Landing Park ~ and can be heard abroad, loud and clear.) By 11:30PM or seven bells of the Forenoon Watch2 ~ Estimated time of arrival of Dexter by ship and dory. The Knowing Ones will know to add two extra (faint) bells, because his Lordship purportedly considered nine to be his lucky number to start any venture. And speaking of ventures, the materials for crafting the Waterside people's float at Market Landing Park (once the Middle Shipyard) will be set up beforehand. (Ongoing ~ the crafting of the flagship ~ in anticipation of the Waterside people's float ~ an entry in the Yankee Homecoming parade which concludes the 9-day festival on Sunday, August 6th.) At
eight bells of the Forenoon Watch (exactly Noon)2
~ Yankee Homecoming's opening ceremony begins ~ ending at about 12:30PM
(one bell of the Afternoon Watch) with the raising of the Yankee
Homecoming flag on the westerly side of Market Landing Park ~ and the
serving of the cheesecake traditionally donated by Alden Merrill. Plans
are to weave the two events seamlessly ~ much as one crew takes over
a watch aboard ship from another ~ with Dexter and crew crimping some
of the available "orfishels" for the official rededication
of the historic "waye" on the easterly side of Market Landing
Park. After which, with a sign of the times from their bosun whistles
~ all gammers are to come about. From
two bells of the Afternoon Watch (1:00PM) to six bells (3:00PM)2
~ A pastime of enlightening and entertaining "gamming"
~ with Moments in Time (in accord with Demijon Music Clan) engaging
participants of all ages in this (mirthfully meddling) medley of
nautical music. Always obsessed with time, Lord Timothy Dexter will
most likely offer to serve as the official timekeeper ~ using several
means, but first and foremost tolling the bell (that another interesting
knit with his Lordship as well). At
4:45PM ~ Moments In Time bring the show to a close with a moving homage
and patriotic songs until two bells of the First Dog Watch (by 5PM)2
~ when the stage must be readied for the evening concert ~ with
the guest narrator of Lincoln's Portrait (Guess who?) coming onto the
scene to practice his oratorical skills. Thereafter, the social gamming
continues at Market Landing Park ~ alongside with the crafting of the
flagship for the Waterside people's float. Where? In a Motion of Comity ~ the Firehouse Interim Program Director Donna Wilson has taken the first steps to arrange for use of the Firehouse Center, including its stage, as a potential rain venue for the community gam. However, in that Pirates of Penzance will be performed that evening, with curtain time at 7:30PM, will need to confirm any staging requirements with the director. In any event, let us all pray for good weather, for the waterfront (or its surrounds) would be truly the only venue to do this. Why?"For good cause and just because!" ~ This will be a party in which all are interactive participants. Which might best be spelled out using Lord Tim's unique orthography ~ "party See pints" ~ connoting the invitation to come to the party, be party to this and see (and hear and say) the multifarious "pints" (as Dexter was wont to spell "points") to be made ~ in a uncommonly enlightening and entertaining way. Regenerating of the Spirit of Community ~ bringing momentum to the Waterside Plan in Motion during this, The Year of Common Ground (March 25, 2006 - March 24, 2007) ~ a year during which the Waterside community marks several milestones in history and history in the making ~ Offering visibility and viability for those measures of change on the horizon ~ reveling in and focusing upon a revealing (re)view of where we have been and a glimpse of the short- and long-term vision of where we are going ~ And in remarking the many historical and generational milestones ~ as a community and region ~ (and constituents' personal and institutional/organizational milestones, as well) ~ come to understand the continuity with the Waterside's organic movement, in a Motion of Comity ~ past, present and future. By developing a keen Sense of Place and Sense of Purpose with this exercise of the Waterside's (multi-generational) body politic ~ acquiring a taste (and building the appetite) for sharing good food for thought ~ helping to make sense of it all by asking good (common sense) questions and questioning the answer ~ and by acknowledging that compromise offers the best promise for resolution: Becoming the Knowing Ones, one by one and all together. Of course, as with any cause, there is the risk that the messenger will overwhelm the message. That exists (in any tense) with respect to Dexter, in that the audience may consider the exponent/proponent a key component ~ the warp and woof ~ instead of the framework and that unseen thread in the array of threads that weave the fabric of the vision ~ that will knit the unfolding fabric of community in the work. (Traipse back to the concept/context footnoted at this link within.) But of course, that exists with any "party" ~ The Establishment or The Movement. (Duly noting that Emerson identified these as essentially the only two parties in existence throughout history.) But let us not get too serious ~ "just because" the event is to be a party to buoy the spirits. And will only be as spirited as its participants ... And
thereafter, for those seeking the ever-sustaining Spirit of Community
~ Lord Timothy Dexter
remains e-ternally available at LordTimothyDexter.com
~ serving as the e-xponent and e-vangelist for the Waterside movement
at his virtual seat and when he drops by the virtual
Wolfe Tavern. For just as Dexter once became the figurehead for
NAID's development of Newburyport's
industrial property more than a generation ago --- his Lordship motivates
today's generations to develop (or rather, envelop) the Waterside community's
intellectual, institutional and inspirational property --- and to make
good use of the instruments ~ "the systom of knollege & Lite"
~ that will enable us as a community to keep the Plan
in Motion with Absolute
Balance. On that note, let us do a bit of ciphering, using the Economic History Resources website (link without) for insight ~ comparing the relative worth of threepence at three key historical and generational milestones to today's money: - threepence (.03) in 1766 - 1769 would be valued at .75 today - threepence (.03) in 1806 would be valued at .50 today - threepence (.03) in 1826 would be valued at .60 today With the Waterside gam offering tons upon tons of fun ~ how much would today's generations of the Waterside people care to proffer ~ to become adventurers on this voyage ~ and Generations Onward Bourne? |
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1
As
previously mentioned (see link within) ~ in so many ways, Lord Timothy
Dexter and this setting are the perfect motif and milieu for this leg
of the journey (see link within). And Wonder
of Wonders! ~ The wonder of it all is how serendipitous this has become
~ between the players and play ~ with the stage part and parcel to this
production. 2 Referencing the BoatSafe.com website ~ a link without offering a cache of maritime information for seafarers and landlubbers of all ages ~ Bells are to be struck for every half-hour of each 4-hour watch ~ with the exception of the First Dog Watch (4PM - 6PM) and Second Dog Watch (6PM - 8PM)* which were staggered to allow for shipmates to have their "square meal." Thus, for each "watch" one would hear the the following: 00:30 1 bell 01:00 2 bells 01:30 2 bells, pause, 1 bell 02:00 2 bells, pause, 2 bells 02:30 2 bells, pause, 2 bells, pause, 1 bell 03:00 2 bells, pause, 2 bells, pause, 2 bells 03:30 2 bells, pause, 2 bells, pause, 2 bells, pause, 1 bell 04:00 2 bells, pause, 2 bells, pause, 2 bells, pause, 2 bells * At the end of the First Dog Watch, only four bells were struck. Then, the Second Dog Watch bells were struck like this: 6:30PM, one bell; 7PM two bells; 7:30PM, three bells; and at 8PM, eight bells. 3 This year not only marks the 200th anniversary of Lord Timothy Dexter's passing, it also marks the 375th anniversary of the (less peaceful) passing of another player who once walked this stage: the mysterious Walter (or Walt or Watt) Bagnall ~ for whom the Waterside locus "Watts Cellar" is named. For more insight, skip to the second footnote at "The Waterside" (link within). |
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