The YMCA of the Chesapeake is hosting its annual Fall Membership Campaign throughout the month of October and will waive the $75 joining fee at all eleven of its locations on the Eastern Shore.  

“With the changing of the seasons, October is a great time to join, or rejoin, the Y and make a commitment to yourself, your family and your community,” said Jennifer Gill, YMCA of the Chesapeake Chief Operating Officer. “With the Y, you’re not just a member of a facility; you’re part of a cause. With a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, improving health and well-being, and supporting our neighbors, Y membership not only brings about meaningful change in yourself, but also in your community.”

YMCA memberships not only provide access to a facility, they also support programs that strengthen our communities, support the organization’s programs and operations and ensure that no one is turned away due to an inability to pay.

YMCA of the Chesapeake memberships include access to all eleven YMCA of the Chesapeake locations from Elkton to Chincoteague as well as all Ys in Maryland and participating Ys across the Country. Members also benefit from more than 300 land and water fitness classes, free “stay and play” childcare while they exercise and discounts on youth sports, swim lessons, day camps and other enrichment programs. 

Through the Y’s Open Doors Program, no individual or family is turned away due to financial hardship, and membership fees can be reduced for those who qualify. The Open Doors Program is made possible through the generosity of members, volunteers and community donors through the Annual Campaign. 

To learn more about joining the YMCA of the Chesapeake, visit www.ymcachesapeake.org/membership or stop by a local branch. Branch locations are available at www.ymcachesapeake.org/locations. 

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum has a full slate of youth programs on tap this fall, with a wide variety of offerings designed to spark learning through exploration of the Bay and beyond.

This fall, CBMM’s after-school programs include the return of Rising Tide and Free Fishing Fridays, while Homeschool Days and Science Saturdays offer engaging examinations of important topics through the lens of CBMM’s campus and collection.

Open to sixth through ninth graders, the free Rising Tide after-school program offers the opportunity to learn new skills, work with hand and power tools, and explore the environment and history of the Chesapeake region. Projects this year will include the completion of the program’s second stand-up paddleboard, a skin-on-frame boat, and a possible replica build of a soft shell crab float in CBMM’s collection.

Rising Tide resumes next Monday, Sept. 25, and is offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 3:30-5:30pm for a majority of the school year. After-school transportation is offered from the Easton YMCA and St. Michaels Middle/High School and back to the Easton YMCA.

All necessary tools and materials are provided, and no prior woodworking experience is necessary. Register at bit.ly/RisingTide2023 or email [email protected] for more information.

CBMM’s Free Fishing Fridays program invites community members of all ages for catch-and-release fishing on Fridays from 3:30-5:30pm. There are six dates on the fall calendar (Sept. 29-Oct. 20, plus Nov. 10 and 17) for this weather-permitting, drop-in program that teaches the basics of fishing, including casting techniques and fish identification.

No fishing license or equipment is required to participate. Fishing rods and bait are provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own fishing pole. Children under 10 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. Anyone interested in participating should contact Youth Programs Coordinator Sophie Stuart at 410-745-4974 or [email protected].

A new addition to the lineup, CBMM’s Science Saturdays will be held monthly from 1-3pm rotating between Little Explorers (ages 4-7) and Curiosity Club (8-11). Under the direction of an experienced educator, participants will learn through hands-on activities that incorporate science, art, and museum exploration.

The Curiosity Club will meet Oct. 14 and Dec. 9 as well as Feb. 10 and April 13 in 2024, while the Little Explorers are scheduled for Nov. 11, plus Jan. 13 and March 9 in the new year.

Registration for all sessions is open now at bit.ly/ScienceSaturdays2023. The cost is $15 per class, with a 20% discount for CBMM Members. Need-based scholarships are available by emailing [email protected].

CBMM is hosting upcoming Homeschool Days on Sept. 26 and 28 and special homeschool workshops on Oct. 23 and Nov. 29. On all four days, there is a morning session from 10:30am-12pm followed by an afternoon class from 1-2:30pm. To register, visit bit.ly/CBMMHomeschool.

During next week’s program, participants will participate in the Oystering Legacy immersive tour, which offers an up-close look at an oyster nursery’s crabs, fish, and baby mollusks while exploring how the oyster has shaped the Bay and its people. The cost is $5 per participating student or accompanying adult.

The Oct. 23 workshop, designed for students ages 8-15, goes inside the life of a Bay lighthouse keeper in 1879 utilizing the Hooper Strait Lighthouse on CBMM’s campus, while the Nov. 29 workshop, titled “Feather Weather,” is geared toward children ages 5-8, who will explore how birds fly and their migration patterns and design their own bird-inspired paper airplanes.

The cost for each of these programs is $15 per participant. Students may be dropped off by a chaperoning adult and picked up at the end of the program. If accompanying adults and additional non-participant children would like to explore CBMM during the program, they may purchase a $5 ticket with children 5 years and younger free.

Beyond all that public programming, now is a great time to schedule a group visit for the 2023-24 school year.

Student groups, including school, Scout, and other youth programs, are encouraged to contact [email protected] for more information about scheduling a CBMM field trip. Group offerings include the popular Lighthouse Overnight Adventure program, which is available this fall for groups to spend a night on campus in the Hooper Strait Lighthouse.

The Talbot County Young Professionals are bringing Paddle-Jam to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum on Oct. 8, with the fundraiser supporting CBMM’s Rising Tide after-school program.

Designed to be enjoyed via kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddleboard, Paddle-Jam is back for the first time since 2019 with a new location and community partner.

Paddlers of all levels are invited to join this 4.5-mile paddle poker “fun run” along the Miles River, beginning at 10am. The cost is $50 for participants who pre-register at bit.ly/PaddleJam2023 and $60 for day-of, in-person registration.

“We are so pleased to bring this exciting paddling event back, and what better location than the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels and the Miles River!” said Amy Kreiner, President of the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce. “Rising Tide is such a valuable program, teaching our kids about the rich history and skills of our watermen, boatbuilders and the surrounding waterways.”

This year, the Paddle-Jam course begins at CBMM’s Fogg’s Landing launch and takes participants past the iconic Hooper Strait Lighthouse, Inn at Perry Cabin, Miles River Yacht Club, and more while following the St. Michaels shoreline. Along the way, participants will receive random jumbo playing cards at various stops to create a poker hand with the best ones winning prizes.

The leisurely paddle finishes back at CBMM where the fun will continue with an After-Paddle Party featuring music, food, games, and local brews.

Registration and check-in begins at 9am that morning, with light refreshments offered. The paddle is expected to last two to three hours, and prizes will be awarded at 1pm during the after-paddle party.

The registration fee includes CBMM general admission to enjoy all the exhibitions and historic structures across the 18-acre waterfront campus. CBMM is also hosting the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival that weekend.

All Paddle-Jam participants are required to wear USCG-approved PFDs, and SUP participants are required to wear a leash.

Registration fees are non-refundable. The event will take place weather permitting with no rain date. Participants should come prepared in case of wet weather.

If the Coast Guard issues a small-craft-advisory during the scheduled event time, event organizers reserve the right to cancel the event for the safety of all.

The Talbot County Young Professionals are a committee of the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce, with a goal of developing the next generation of leaders, while encouraging networking among the brightest minds in our community.

Rising Tide is CBMM’s free after-school program open to sixth through ninth graders. Since 2015, the program has taught area students the basics of boatbuilding and woodworking in a welcoming, relaxed environment, offering the opportunity to learn new skills, work with hand and power tools, and explore the environment and history of the Chesapeake region.

One Mission Cambridge has been helping meet the physical and spiritual needs of men, women, and children in Cambridge one resident at a time since its opening in June 2022. By consolidating some of the area’s food pantries, One Mission Cambridge offers a food pantry store where people can shop for what they need in a dignified manner. In addition, the center offers community navigation with computers onsite for people to research jobs complete job applications, and look up resources to help them connect to community services. By partnering with many of the community’s other churches, nonprofits, businesses, and government, the organization is bringing hope to the city’s most vulnerable populations.

“Food insecurity is much higher than I think most people know in Dorchester County. The good news is we have a lot of people working hard at that. Krista Pettit, Director of One Mission Cambridge, has done a really good job of holding this community coalition together around this issue,” comments Bill Christopher, President/CEO of the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce.

“Working in a coordinated effort, where the government, the nonprofit community, and the business community, come together and work to solve the problem is the answer. None by themselves is going to be able to do so.”

One Mission refers job seekers to the American Job Center, through the Workforce Investment Board at Chesapeake College’s Cambridge Center, which has resources, including computers, available to help job seekers.

Petitt hopes that more churches and businesses will consider partnering with her organization in the future, either through volunteering, providing resources, or partnering on programs and activities that can help Cambridge residents. She comments, “We are so grateful for those who have stepped up and offered their help. In a year, we have been able to accomplish amazing things together for this community, serving 710 different individuals, and supporting 1673 people, including 533 children, 772 adults, and 368 seniors just in the last few months. We could do even more with more of us partnering.”

Mayor Steve Rideout echoes Christopher’s comments, praising Krista on her coalition-building efforts. states, “We need to be focusing more on partnerships and collaboration. You can reach far more if you join together.”

“We have so many people who are above the poverty level receiving government benefits. In Cambridge, 57% of the population meets these criteria compared to 45% in Dorchester County. People are afraid of the government systems, many of whom because the systems don’t work or haven’t worked for them. They don’t trust the systems in place and people just take care of their own families.”

“One Mission Cambridge volunteers and staff are nonjudgmental and are saying, just come. Once people come and realize there are no strings attached, they take what they need and they come back again. That’s what I think will change the culture of those who mistrust government or agencies into a culture where people will be more likely to trust. You can’t have hope if your basic needs aren’t being met – you can’t have a belief that you’re going to get out of where you are,” he adds.

“What I think One Mission Cambridge is accomplishing, by offering and not making demands, is helping people to see that there’s something different out there for them. One Mission Cambridge is a caring, responsive organization that will help them without any strings attached.”

One Mission Cambridge is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 1 to 6 p.m. for services. For additional information visit onemissioncambridge.org, Facebook, and Instagram, or call 410-901-3959. For further information about donating to One Mission Cambridge, contact Krista Pettit at 443-521-6825. Donations can be made to One Mission Cambridge, P.O. Box 1495, Cambridge, MD 21613.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum hosts Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival XL on Friday-Sunday, Oct. 6-8, welcoming one of the nation’s largest gatherings of small boat enthusiasts and unique watercraft back to its waterfront campus.

Hundreds of amateur and professional boatbuilders and enthusiasts will come from all over the region to display their one-of-a-kind kayaks, canoes, and other traditional small craft at the 40^th edition of the annual festival, which runs 10am–5pm all three days.

Public entrance to the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival is included with CBMM’s general admission, which is good for two consecutive days and free for CBMM members.

Head to cbmm.org/MASCF to learn more about the three-day event. Anyone looking to register as a participant and gain access to the full slate of events can get more info at cbmm.org/MASCFparticipants.

A family-friendly fall staple, MASCF invites guests to marvel at the craftsmanship and innovation used in traditional and contemporary small craft, showcased both on land and in the water, while enjoying all that CBMM has to offer across its 18-acre campus. Throughout the weekend, boat owners are encouraged to share their knowledge and boating experiences with guests.

Saturday offers a full slate of MASCF activities. CBMM Shipyard staff and Chesapeake Wooden Boat Builders School instructors will offer boatbuilding and maritime demonstrations that day, and Chesapeake Light Craft will be on site with a selection of vessels from its fleet for guests to demo.

That afternoon, there will be a spirited small craft race on the Miles River. Guests are encouraged to watch all the action from CBMM’s waterfront and docks.

Also on Saturday, guests are invited to a special presentation in CBMM’s Shipyard. A weeklong workshop on traditional Japanese boatbuilding, led by author, boatbuilder, and educator Douglas Brooks, concludes with a traditional Shinto launching ceremony to celebrate the completion of a 21-foot Japanese river boat. That evening, Brooks will be the keynote speaker at the dinner for MASCF participants.

Everyone on campus for MASCF will be able to vote for their favorite boat, with the People’s Choice award and others announced among participants on Saturday evening. Limited offerings will be available for the public to see on Sunday.

For safety reasons, non-service dogs need to be kept home during CBMM festivals, including the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival.

Join us on Thursday, September 7, 6:30 pm at the Dorchester County Library, 303 Gay Street in Cambridge for a discussion with Matt Leonard, Executive Director, Cambridge Waterfront Development Corporation.

Pictured: (left to right) Dale Brown, Nancy Holt, and Haines Holt celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Roberta B. Holt Scholarship Fund.

The Roberta B. Holt Scholarship Fund at Mid-Shore Community Foundation (MSCF) celebrated its 10^th anniversary this year by awarding $560,000 in scholarships to deserving Caroline County students. Over the last 10 years, the fund has awarded $2.8 million. The story behind the fund is about a successful woman from Caroline County who wanted her assets to be used toward bettering her fellow man – specifically supporting the educational endeavors of students in need of financial support to achieve their goals.

Roberta “Bobbie” Baxter Holt was a native of Federalsburg. She graduated from Federalsburg High School and then received her bachelor’s degree in sociology at the University of Delaware, a master’s degree in social work at the University of Minnesota, and a doctorate in social work from the Catholic University of America. She was a research associate in the Laboratory of Brain Evolution and Behavior at the National Institutes of Mental Health and had a long successful career as a psychotherapist with a family-oriented practice in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She also served on the faculty of Georgetown University in what is now the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family. She lived in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

“She remained connected to her Federalsburg roots. She exemplified her personal philosophy of doing something productive every day to further yourself or humankind. She was determined to use her success and the assets of her estate to encourage others to do the same. Her brother, Haines Holt, established this extraordinary scholarship program to fulfill her commitment to education,” comments Buck Duncan, President of MSCF.

Education was something Bobbie valued.  Haines states, “As the executor of her estate, I knew she wanted the funds to help people in Caroline County further their education.”

Although Bobbie never had children of her own, she influenced many children, including the life of one of her closest friends who shared her memories of Bobbie, stating, “She came from a small provincial town, went far, and yet remained humble . . . She was a supportive friend to young people. My daughter asked, ‘Did she have a glimmer of the impact she had on people?’”

Bobbie was exposed to the needs of the Caroline County community while working as a volunteer toward the end of her life with the Caroline County Department of Social Services. In setting up the scholarship fund at MSCF in honor of his sister, Haines engaged friends Clay Railey from Chesapeake College and Dale Brown, a principal in Caroline County, to help him find students who needed educational support. During the early years when the scholarship was awarded, students received funding toward one year of their college programs. Since then, students receive support for all four years if they are attending a four-year college. An additional change since the scholarship’s early days is that it supports students attending trade schools and provides scholarships for non-traditional students furthering their education.

“Trade schools and adults returning to get their education are growing numbers in the scholarships we award,” Haines adds.

“I know a lot of people think about the legacy they want to leave in their communities. Bobbie certainly did — this fund is changing lives generationally,” he concludes.

Mid-Shore Community Foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties.  In FY23, MSCF awarded 221 scholarships, totaling $1.7 Million. The majority of the Foundation’s scholarships, including the Roberta B. Holt Scholarship, are awarded through a Pooled Scholarship Application – students complete one online application and the Foundation matches them to all scholarships for which they meet eligibility.  The 2023/24 Pooled Scholarship Application will open on December 1, 2023.  To apply visit www.mscf.org.

Pictured at the Shorebirds game, front row left to right, are Daisy Scharf and Leslie Scharf.  Pictured back row left to right, are Orlando Scharf, Santos Scharf, Dandy Scharf, foster parents Jeanne and Jeff Scharf, Paris Quillet, Talbot County Department of Social Services, and Jessica Cruz Regional Recruiter, Dorchester Department of Social Services.

The Mid Shore Departments of Social Services recently sponsored a trip to a Shorebirds game in Salisbury in appreciation of foster and adoptive parents on the Mid-Shore. Families were provided with a parking pass, tickets to general seating and each person received $20 in “Bird Bucks” for food, drinks, games and souvenirs.

“Our families love this tradition of going to a Shorebirds game in the summer. This is just one of the many ways we thank our families each year for the work they do for our children in foster care,” comments Paris Quillet, Special Projects Coordinator for the Talbot County Department of Social Services.

For further information on becoming a foster or adoptive parent, call the Talbot County Department of Social Services at 410-820-7371 or visit midshoreresourceparents.com