About
Us
The Washburn-Norlands Foundation, Inc. Seeks Nominations for its Board of Trustees
Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity that will make a lasting difference?
The Washburn-Norlands Foundation has open seats on its board, including the important position of Treasurer. The upcoming year is an exciting one as the Norlands reaches closer to its goal of rebuilding the barn and becoming a complete, active working farm once again.Washburn-Norlands has succeeded in rebuilding renowned living history programs after much transition over the past few years. Won’t you join us and help this nonprofit organization to keep growing?
Perhaps you are interested or know someone who is the perfect candidate. The Board is particularly interested in individuals with financial, business, education, marketing, public relations, non-profit and fund development expertise, but more importantly who have a passion for the Norlands and want to take action for making a lasting difference to the organization.
Board members support the Norlands’ mission and purpose and act as governing trustees of the museum on behalf of its members, contributors, and community-at-large. Please contact the Norlands for a more complete description of the Board members’ activities.
To submit a nomination, please contact the Norlands with the following information:
- Full name of nominee (individuals may nominate themselves)
- Complete address of nominee and contact information, including email address.
- Information about the nominee’s qualifications and interests. This may include a resume and letter addressing the nominee’s skills, background, availability, and interest in serving on the board.
Nominations may be mailed, faxed, or emailed:
The Washburn-Norlands Foundation Board of Trustees
290 Norlands Road
Livermore, ME 04253
Email: norlands@norlands.org
Phone: 207-897-4366 | Fax: 207-897-4963 |
Our Mission
Our mission is to preserve the heritage and
traditions of rural life in Maine's past, to celebrate
the achievements of Livermore's Washburn family,
and to use living history methods to make values,
activities, and issues of the past relevant to present
and future generations.
To accomplish this, we aspire—
- to achieve and
maintain the fiscal stability needed to assure
ongoing care of buildings, grounds and collections
at Norlands, (a National Registry historic
site)
- to use the resources
of Norlands (land, buildings and collections) as
a basis of programs for all ages, fulfilling established
educational mandates, and utilizing experiential techniques
to convey historical understandings and insights
- to foster interest in the
Washburn family's roles in major issues and events
of its time (including abolition, the Civil War,
westward expansion, and industrial/commercial
development), relating these to issues, challenges
and opportunities of our present day
- to represent
the past, present and future of farming
as a way of life, as an example of sustainable
resource management, and as a source of basic
human necessities including food and raw materials
for clothing
- to
be a site where visitors experience opportunities
for hands-on
involvement in the activities and skills of sustainable
and independent
rural living in both historical and contemporary
times
- to foster interest, involvement and pride,
on the part of local and
area residents, organizations, institutions
and governmental agencies, in
the unique community resource and legacies represented by
Norlands and the
Washburn family heritage
Washburn-Norlands Foundation, Inc.
is a non-profit organization operating under section
501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Service.
Incorporation Date: December 1973 The organization is run by a board of trustees
and volunteer sub-committees.
Norlands Board of Trustees
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Rob Boothby
Mary Castonguay: Vice president and book keeper
Jennifer Colby-Morse
Jane Frost
Ron Kley:
founding trustee
Sheri Leahan: President
Tayloe Washburn
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Staff
Sheri Leahan- Acting Director
Mary Castonguay- Bookkeeper
Ray Fleury- Historic Farmer
Willi Irish- Director of Interpretation and Training
Renee Bonin- Education and Program Coordinator
Anna Keller- Caretaker
In Memoriam
Ethel "Billie" Wilson Gammon,
founder of the Washburn-Norlands Living History
Center, died on Sunday morning, January 11,
2009 at her home in North Livermore. She
will be greatly missed by everyone in the "Norlands" community.
Read
story in the Sun Journal |
In 1954, Billie started her work at
the Norlands, with the restoration of the
library. She went on to develop a
world-renowned museum education program
based on living history methods. Her
dream for Norlands was that through real-life
experiences in the past, children and families
would come to appreciate the everyday struggles
of the people who lived in the late 1800's
in rural Maine.
She developed the foundational curricula
that is used in Norlands' school
programs and "live-ins" today. Since
the mid-1970's the programs she developed
have sparked the imaginations of hundreds
of thousands children from across New England. It
is because of Billie's vision, hard work,
commitment and ability to motivate others
that Norlands exists and continues to this
day. |
"Billie" Gammon,
founder of the
Washburn-Norlands Living History Center |
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