Frances Perkins Alumnae Group Field Trip (Buckland, MA)

Have you ever wondered . . . Who was Mary Lyon?
Why is she an important figure in women’s history?
What makes her life inspiring?
Do you know why historians call her achievement “an astonishing feat?”
How did Mary Lyon transform, forever, the course of women’s education?

Come learn about Mary Lyon among the autumn foliage and fellow Frances Perkin’s alumnae!

Where: The birthplace of Mary Lyon, Buckland, Massachusetts

When: October 17, 2015  (Peak foliage season!)
Time: 10:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Fee: $25 includes breakfast, lunch, the tour, and a donation to the Mary Lyon Foundation. Advance payment will be available.
RSVP: Via email or email me with questions. If you would like to carpool please let me know.

Itinerary:
10:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Meet and greet with continental breakfast

11:00 a.m.–Noon

Short walking tour of Upper Buckland sites that tell Mary Lyon’s story, led by Polly Anderson of the historical society. There will be time to spend in the historical society, which has Mary Lyon artifacts.
We can use cars if it’s raining or there are mobility issues.

Noon–1:00 p.m.
Lunch (at the church/historical society)

1:00–2:00 p.m.
Visit Mary Lyon’s winter school for girls at the Mary Lyon House, complete with benches and school books still there (including informal presentation)—it’s very cool! This is Sue Samoriski’s home. Sue is founder and co-director of the Mary Lyon Foundation.

2:00 p.m.
Farewell and sendoff to Mary Lyon’s birthplace a few miles away (optional, on your own).

Mary Lyon Foundation: The Mary Lyon Foundation is coming up on its twenty-fifth year of “providing innovative support for local education.” They serve the nine rural towns in the Mohawk Trail Regional School District—the largest, geographically, in Massachusetts. The organization has been a leader and model for other local education foundations. You can still get a good idea of the breadth of the work.