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Stone Achievement Award nominees sought The Quaboag Historical Society is seeking nominations for the Lucy Stone Achievement Award. The award is given annually to coincide with the Commonwealth's designated Lucy Stone Day on March 8. This special day of recognition is to honor a woman who dedicated her life working to obtain equal rights for all individuals. Lucy Stone was born and lived the first 25 years of her life on Coy Hill Road in West Brookfield. She taught in local schools for nine years, from 1834 when she was 16, until August 1843. After saving enough money to pay for her first semester's tuition, she left West Brookfield to attend Oberlin College in Ohio. At that time, Oberlin was the only college in the country to admit women and African-Americans. Lucy Stone was one of the first women from Massachusetts to earn a four-year college degree. After graduating from Oberlin, she became a lecturer for Abolitionist and Equal Rights groups. She often experienced the jeers, heckling and physical violence of hostile audiences, but she persevered. On Jan. 8, 1870 she became the founder and editor of The Woman's Journal newspaper, a publication focusing on "the interests of Woman, her educational, industrial, legal and political Equality." The Quaboag Historical Society asks local residents to send in nominations for any person living in one of the six towns of the Quaboag Plantation area (the four Brookfields, New Braintree and Warren), who the writer feels is deserving of recognition for his/her volunteer efforts in making their community a better place to live. Letters of nomination should give a brief explanation of why the writer feels the nominee is deserving of the award. The name, address and phone number of both the nominator and the nominee must be included with the letter. All entries should be received by the Society by Saturday, Feb. 26. The name of the person chosen will be announced the week of March 8, Lucy Stone Day. The recipient will be invited to attend the Quaboag Historical Society's Annual Luncheon Meeting on Sunday, April 24 at Ye Olde Tavern, Main Street, West Brookfield. A $100 U.S. Savings Bond and the Lucy Stone Achievement Award trophy will be given to the individual who, through outstanding volunteer community service, personifies Lucy Stone's final words to her daughter, Alice: “Make the world better.” Previous winners are Mrs. Connie Small, New Braintree; the late Mr. Paul Walker, New Braintree; the late Mrs. Gertrude Hill, West Brookfield; Mrs. Jane Dolan, Warren; Mr. Dick Fiske, North Brookfield, and Mr. Philip Peirce, Brookfield.
Nomination letters are to be mailed to: Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Society secretary at: 413-436-9212. |
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