“At the bottom of the planet lies
an enchanted continent…
like a pale sleeping princess.
Sinister and beautiful,
she lies in her frozen slumber,
with amethysts and emeralds of ice,
her dreams iridescent ice halos
around the sun and moon,
her horizons painted with pastel shades
of pink, gold, green, and blue.
Such is Antarctica,
luring land of ever-lasting mystery.”

Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd,
writing in the National Geographic

The New England Chapter of the OAEA
comprises of those members living in
the New England area.

Connecticut – Maine – Massachusetts
New Hampshire – Rhode Island – Vermont

By Laws

OF THE
OLD ANTARCTIC EXPLORERS ASSOCIATION
OF NEW ENGLAND, Inc.
(Revised September 21, 2008)

Click Here for a copy of the By-Laws

PREAMBLE

We unite to form the
OLD ANTARCTIC EXPLORERS ASSOCIATION
of NEW ENGLAND, Inc.;

in which we are dedicated to supporting, at the regional
level, the mission, and goals of our parent national organization,
the OLD ANTARCTIC EXPLORERS ASSOCIATION, INC. (OAEA),
as set forth in the OAEA National By-Laws.

Officers/Contacts

~~~~~~~~
Chapter President
Ron Gilchrist
Narraganset, RI
Phone: (401) 741-2483
~
Chapter Vice President
Bill Maloney
North Kingstown, RI
Phone: (401) 486-1200

Chapter Secretary/Treasurer
OAEA Secretary
Marty Diller
Brunswick, Maine
Email: mdiller01(at) gmail (dot) com
Phone: (207) 729-0197
~~~~~
Immediate Past President
Dave Hazard
Lisbon, ME
Phone: (207) 353-9068

Chapter Directors At-Large:

Rick Canfield Shoreham, VT Telephone: (802) 272-7596	Dick Kopplin Moosup, CT Telephone: (860) 464-7557

Chapter Meeting

The

2026 Spring Meeting

of the New England Chapter of the Old Antarctic Explorers Association

is scheduled for:

Saturday, April 18, 2026
1-4 PM

Location:
Spumoni’s Restaurant

1537 Newport Avenue
Pawtucket, RI
Phone: 401-726-4449

Directions

From I-95 southbound toward Providence, RI:

— In MA, take Exit 2A and merge onto MA Rt.1A South (US-1A S) / Newport Avenue;

— Follow US-1A S / Newport Ave. for 0.6 miles to Spumoni’s (2 min / 0.6 miles).

From I-95 Northbound toward Massachusetts:

— Entering MA, take Exit 2A for MA Rt.1A South (US-1A S);

— Merge onto MA Rt.1A South (US-1A S) / Newport Avenue toward Pawtucket;

— Follow US-1A S / Newport Ave. for 0.6 miles to Spumoni’s (2 min / 0.6 miles).

Chapter Meeting Agenda

1:00-1:30 pm: Socializing and merchandise sales.

1:30-2:30 pm: Eat lunch.

2:30-4 pm: Business meeting / presentation
and raffle/door prize drawings.

__________________

As usual, this will be very informal.
We are expecting a large gathering of 25-30 or more folks
who enjoy sharing their experiences with other OAEs and FNGs.
Remember spouses and friends are welcome, too!
Bring your pictures, cruise books, yeah – all that fun stuff!
_________________

For last-minute help in finding directions to any of the weekend’s activities, please contact:

Marty Diller
Cell Phone: (207) 751-0903

Chapter News
CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP

Chapter Membership
As of 22 February 2026

Members:	156
Members-At-Large:	15
Total:	171

Membership By State

CT:	16
MA:	56
ME:	25
NH:	20
RI:	29
VT:	10
Total:	156

Chapter Membership Dues

OAEA-NE By-Laws establish voluntary annual dues of $5 (five dollars) for each member to help cover the Chapter’s administrative expenses.
The fiscal year starts on October 1st with a dues drive during the second quarter. Dues can be paid in person at a Chapter meeting or mailed directly to Secretary/Treasurer Marty Diller
at the mailing address above on the “Officers/Contact” page. Please make all OAEA-NE checks payable to “OAEA-NE”.
If you have any questions about your dues, please contact Marty Diller.

New England Chapter Fall 2025 Meeting

By New England Chapter Secretary-Treasurer

We continue to closely monitor our meeting attendance numbers, and were disappointed that only 20 attendees planned to attend the Fall meeting at the Bull N’Claw this time. Secretary Diller was concerned that the restaurant owner would raise the cost of the meals due to the low attendance, but the owner dismissed any concerns about the number of diners, pointing out that we have had our Fall meetings at the Bull N’Claw for the last 12 years, and he will waive attendee limits for our Chapter meeting’s Group Luncheons going forward.

CHAPTER BUSINESS

Following another delicious meal, Chapter President Ron Gilchrist approached the Chapter officers to consider canceling the business meeting due to the noise level in the section of the restaurant in which we were assigned. After accepting the April 2025 meeting minutes as distributed to the members (in lieu of reading them), a Motion by Secretary Diller, to suspend the meeting due to noise interference by a nearby larger group of diners who were holding a “Celebration of Life” event for a deceased family member, was Seconded and was passed by majority vote.

Fundraising

The winner of the meeting’s 50/50 raffle ($50) was Larry Hunter, who donated his winnings back to the Chapter. The first door prize winner, Jane Gilchrist, won a free lunch at the next Chapter meeting she attends. Other door prize winners included:

Stuffed Toy Penguin; guest Sheryl Proctor,
Penguin wall plaque; guest Jeri Canfield,
Acrylic penguin paperweight; Barry Chase (VX-6, DF’60,’61, DF’65-68),
OAEA penguin pin; Lloyd Mills (AKCS, USN (Ret.); VXE-6, DF’71-74),
“Antarctic Aviation” book by member Fred Santino (VX-6 DF’65,’66); Life Associate Billie Hunter, and
“Antarctic Awakening” book by member Fred Santino; Rick Canfield (ASA, ITT (electrician); 1980-83).

Presentation

New regular Life Member Bev Diller (February 2025 M/V Heritage Adventurer cruise to Ross Island) and Life member Marty Diller (VXE-6, DF’92-94; Feb. 2025 cruise) shared their slideshow photos and video clips of their winter vacation 4-week cruise to Antarctica from the port of Bluff, NZ. The cruise was preceded by a week of sightseeing on the South Island, and followed by a week of sightseeing in the Sydney region of Australia. Of note, Marty & Bev visited the huts of the following Antarctic explorers during their cruise:

Carsten Borchgrevink’s Southern Cross Hut (1898-1900) at Cape Adare.
Scott’s Discovery Hut (1901-1904) at Ross Island’s Hut Point.
Shackleton’s Nimrod Hut (1907-1909) at Ross Island’s Cape Royds.
Scott’s Terra Nova Hut (1910-1913) at Ross Island’s Cape Evans.
Sir Edmund Hillary’s ‘Trans-Antarctic Expedition’ / IGY Hut (1955-1958) on NZ’s Scott Base, Ross Island.

Meeting Schedule

The next OAEA-NE Chapter meeting is TENTATIVELY scheduled for 1pm on Saturday, April 18, 2025, at Spumoni’s restaurant in Pawtucket, RI.

Upcoming Reunions

As information becomes available,
it will be posted on this page.

VXE-6 Association Reunion 8 – 12 October 2025 Best Western East Inn & Suites, San Antonio, TX	POC: AZCM (A/C) Bob McCauley Email: bobmccauley2@cox.net website: http://puckeredpenguins.org/newsandevents.html
OAEA National Reunion 2026 TBA ~~Colorado Springs, CO~~	POC: Phone: (719) -1412 Email:
The Antarctican Society ~~July 31 – August 3, 2025~~	POC: Tom Henderson website: https://www.antarctican.org/2026-gathering

The New England Chapter of the OAEA comprises of those members living in the New England area.

Connecticut – Maine – Massachusetts New Hampshire – Rhode Island – Vermont