180th birthday

The Female Samaritan Association meeting Oct. 18 was held in the vestry of the Stevens Avenue Congregational Church, Portland. The group meets there on the third Thursday of the month. This meeting was a celebration of the association’s 180th anniversary, with guest speakers, musical entertainment, and delicious refreshments.

The association was organized March 4, 1828, by Mercy Bisbee, the 26-year-old wife of the Rev. John Bisbee, pastor of the Universalist Church. She felt the need for an organization to care for and administer to the physical needs of the poor, outside the church. A lady of strong sympathy for the needy, Mercy saw that the charities for the poor were within the different church circles, and narrowly aiding their own poor. She also saw that there was a large number of struggling poor outside of the churches, not cared for by any society of sect.

She notified a meeting of ladies and laid before them her views. Her appeal was unanimously responded to, and the “Female Samaritan Society” came into existence, with the mottoes: “Blessed is he who considereth the poor” and “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”

The well-attended meeting Oct. 18 was opened by isabelle Dodge, program co-chairwoman. Edward Suslovic, mayor of Portland, gave congratulatory remarks. The musical program was appreciated, with Dianne Procida playing the guitar and Connie Keeley, soloist. We enjoyed their number, “Harvest Moon,” a familiar song to many of us. The Wiscasset Charitable Society, called “Our Sister Organization” on the program, was given special acknowledgment. The Benediction was given by the Rev. Ezra Chapola, of the Stevens Avenue Congregational Church.

The 15 groups that are helped by the association include Amistad Inc., Big Brothers/ Big Sisters of Southern Maine, Center for Grieving Children, Center For Therapeutic Recreation, Gary’s House, Grace-Street Ministry, Family Crisis Center Services, First Radio Parish Church, Home Health Visiting Nurses, Hospice of Southern Maine, McCauley Residence, Mission Possible, Preble Street Resources Center, Ronald McDonald House and Seafarer’s Friend Society.

Officers for 2007-2008 are: President, Charlotte Butters; first vice president, Jeanette Graham; secretary, Sandra Litcher; corresponding secretary, Pauline Flaherty; treasurer, Madeline Young; and past president, Catherine Anderson. Bobby Lu Ray is historian, and also was in charge of the refreshments.

Local vocals

Frank Glazer, pianist, with Christina Astrachan, soprano, and Kathleen Grammer, mezzo-soprano, gave the half-hour concert Oct. 23 at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, presented by the Portland Conservatory of Music. On the program were songs by Brahms, Mendelssohn, Dvorak and Rossini.

In that brief time we heard 10 songs, beautifully sung and accompanied. We especially enjoyed hearing Glazer’s playing in the last number, Rossini’s “La Regata Veneziana.” There were brief, clever piano solos at the end of each verse.

These two women will sing again, also accompanied by Glazer, in a longer concert, at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 in the Woodfords Congregational Church, Woodford Street, Portland.

The next one of the free noonday concerts, on Thursday, will feature the Royal River Philharmonic jazz Band.

We were pleased to see our friend D. Lee Rich of Cape Elizabeth, at the Oct. 23 concert.

A printed copy of the words to the songs, in German and Italian, with English translations opposite, was given to us with the program. It was fun to follow the foreign words, as the ladies were singing them.

Piece of cake

Today’s recipe, Mystery Mocha Cake, comes from the same 1953 “Parade Cook Book” as last week’s recipe. This cake is one I baked several years ago, and it was well-received. I have been asked to bake it again soon. The mystery is, what happens to the cup of coffee poured over the cake batter, with cocoa and sugar. It is quite a pleasant mystery.

Mystery Mocha Cake

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup sifted enriched flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 square (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa (unsweetened)

1 cup cold, double-strength coffee

Mix and sift first three ingredients. Melt chocolate and butter together over hot water; add to first mixture, blend well. Combine milk and vanilla; add and mix well.

Pour into greased pan. Combine brown sugar, white sugar, cocoa. sprinkle over batter. Pour coffee over batter (my coffee was not double strength). Bake in moderate oven, 350 degrees, for 40 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Ramblings