100 years ago: 1919

The campfire meeting of Troop 1, Auburn Boy Scouts took place as planned last evening. Knowler Eldridge, assistant scoutmaster was in charge. Numerous stories and songs were rendered by the scouts.

50 years ago: 1969

A testimonial honoring Mr. and Mrs. Edward (Florence) Varney for 25 years of service to boys and Scouting took place Friday night at the First Universalist Church. L. Damon Scales served as master of ceremonies and among those paying tribute to Mr. and Mrs. Varney were Carleton Morrill, Walter Pelletier, Scout executive Prescott Balback and Theodore White, Cubmaster of Troop III. Paul Ward presented a plaque to Mr. Varney and Mrs. Glenn Davis presented flowers to Mrs. Varney and their daughters, Mrs. Jacqueline Lothrop, Barbara Varney, and Val Varney. The Varneys’ service in Scouting began in 1944 when they helped organize Pack 111 at the Auburn Universalist Church. Mr. Varney served six years as Cubmaster and during that time he and his wife helped organize a number of other packs in the vicinity. He received the first Scouters Awards in the area for training and organizational work and from 1951 to 1964 he served as neighboring commissioner. He and this wife organized training session and district powwows for training Scouts and den mothers. In 1964 he again became Cubmaster of Pack 111, and also working with the Webelos groups. The Varney children have carried on and both sons were elevated to the Order of the Arrow. One son, William. has been a scoutmaster at Sabattus and now holds a similar post at Pittsfield. Richard is explorer-advisor for the Explorer Post and is taking his father’s place as Cubmaster of Pack 111. Their daughter, Mrs. Jacqueline Lothrop, has been a den mother the past two years and her husband, Murray, is chairman of the pack committee. Richard Varney showed pictures from the family album covering a period of 25 years. An informal reception followed and refreshments were served.

25 years ago: 1994

For Angelina LeClair, being able to use food stamps in certain restaurants means a hot breakfast — a blueberry muffin, bacon and coffee — in the cafeteria adjoining the housing complex where she lives. “I’m there every morning,” says LeClair. a 69-year-old great-grandmother who is among the 128 elderly disabled residents of the Marcotte Congregate Housing center.

The material used in Looking Back is reproduced exactly as it originally appeared, although misspellings and errors may be corrected.

Copy the Story Link