In the midst of our first year at the Robert Frost Stone House Museum, we are grateful and excited - grateful for the support that has enabled us to make our dream come true and excited about what the future holds for us. The Board is now focusing on plans for the future of our fledgling museum, exploring how we can reach out to the community and let the public know about the rich cultural heritage we are preserving for them.

With our limited budget we knew we needed to explore outside funding possibilities - and the Vermont Humanities Council emerged as a natural fit, a remarkable resource with the same goals as ours. On November 1st, we submitted an application to the Council for a grant that will help us fund a three-pronged agenda aimed at accomplishing our objectives: (1) to reach the general public directly through a series of programs; (2) to collaborate with area schools in providing learning experiences at the museum for their students; and (3) to improve the presentation of the exhibits to make the most out of our collection.

The program series, which we're calling "Sunday Afternoons with Robert Frost," will run once a month from May through September 2003. Beginning with a dramatic reading of selected Frost poems performed by members of Oldcastle Theatre Company, the series will include talks by four speakers, each with a unique insight into the life and work of Robert Frost, and a panel discussion featuring scholars on the cutting edge of research in Frost studies. The second phase, which includes working with a consultant to create and implement a lesson-plan-based children's tour, will be targeted to elementary and middle-school-students. Finally we are hoping to enlist the help of an experienced museum curator and an exhibit designer to assess our current exhibits and guide us in plans for future displays.

We will know by the end of December if the Vermont Humanities Council has awarded us this grant. Meanwhile based on the heartwarming reception the Museum has been given to date and the continuing support of our members, we are confident that we are on our way toward fulfilling our mission.