The Andover Service Club met at the 74 Main Restaurant in New London for their annual Christmas luncheon. It was a very enjoyable event. The food was delicious, there was a festive feeling in the room, and all spent a very pleasant time dining, chatting, and laughing with friends.

In between courses, a brief business meeting was held. The Thanksgiving Pie sale was very successful as usual and added a nice profit to our scholarship fund. Kitty Kidder said that so far volunteers have baked 40 cakes for the Proctor Academy birthday fundraiser!  Our next fundraiser will be at the Primary Election in February.

A big highlight of the luncheon was the drawing of the names of the winners of the Basket Raffle. Sandy Miller had done an excellent job in preparing not only three baskets, but many small gift bags containing gift certificates donated by local businesses, totaling 10 prizes in all! Congratulations to the lucky winners.

The Christmas luncheon would not be complete without the singing of Christmas carols. Margo Coolidge, playing her guitar, led us on a few of our favorites. We were all in great voice and enjoyed singing with our friends. After the delicious dessert, everyone wished a Merry Christmas to all.

After all the excitement of the holidays, things are fairly quiet with the Service Club. We are now looking forward to our next fundraiser, which will be a bake sale on February 11, Primary Day. We appreciate the support of the community in making these events successful.

The club is now in its 60th year and has been contributing to the town and surrounding area with contributions to many organizations. We look forward to many more years of service to Andover and would welcome any ladies in the area who would like to join us in this worthy endeavor.

Sandy Miller is enclosing an addition to the Basket Raffle held on December 12. She would like to thank all who donated: Hannaford’s Supermarket, Grevior Furniture, May Garden Restaurant, Pizza Chef, Naughty Nellie’s Kitchen, Belletete’s, Bar Harbor Bank, The Refinery Restaurant, JJ’s Market and Deli, Danbury General Store, Lis Ann’s, and Alley Oops. Congratulations to all the winners: Brenda Jurta, Jane Walker, Danny Nelson, Kim Miller, Robin Boynton, Kathy Kelley, Pat Fleury, Donna Duclos, Heather Fritzky, Kerry Rainvile, and Nancie Jacobson.

Thanks to Sandy for all the work and effort in making the raffle a success.

“ASC will be commencing the application process for the award of scholarships for the coming 2020-2021 academic year.  Applicants must be legal residents of Andover and enrolled in any continuing education program. Application forms will be available in early February at Merrimack Valley High School, Proctor Academy, Andover Elementary Middle School, and the ASC Thrift and Gift Shop, as well as the Beacon website.”

News From The Andover Thrift & Gift Shop:
Following a successful re-opening in early December, this month we will be showcasing Emma Chase Designs artisan jewelry, designed with beautiful stones such as amethyst, amazonite, and Czech glass, along with a variety of items crafted from lace, including jewelry and bowls by Brenda Fox of the Crafty Fox, items crafted from vintage glassware, sand dollar/starfish ornaments, wine bottle cheese boards, and by Beryl Sanborn of Whimsy Garden Art.

Back by popular demand are Diane Seamans of DSigns with silk eco printed scarves and note cards, along with Ronnie MacLean from RJM Woodworks with fine crafted wood boxes, cooking utensils, jewelry, and more. (See the Andover Thrift & Gift’s separate article for details of these fabulous Artisans and their merchandise). Shop locally and support community Artisans and the nonprofit thrift shop. Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10 AM to 4 PM, and Saturday 10 AM to 2 PM.

The shop is located next to the Andover Elementary/Middle School at 26 School Street in Andover. The shop accepts only women’s clothing and jewelry/accessories for consignment, but gratefully accepts donations of both womens and childrens clothing. We no longer carry men’s clothing or footwear in the shop, but if received we will donate those items to the Hydrocephalus Foundation.