Maxine Schaefer acted as the Secretary of the LCSNA for the first 20 years of its existence. But in truth she was more than a
Secretary in those early days. She was an ambassador: welcoming new members to the Society, coordinating introductions, and tirelessly
responding to a large and colorful flow of questions about Lewis Carroll from correspondents young and old, from North America and abroad.
The most amazing thing is that she managed all this before the days of
e-mail! And like our venerable author, Lewis Carroll, Maxine loved children.
Board Member David Schaefer felt that the most fitting way to honor Maxine’s memory was to start a children’s literary outreach fund
bearing her name. The day before each LSCNA meeting, members of the Society present a dramatic reading from one of the two Alice books
to an audience of children at a local school or library. The teachers prepare their students well for this event and at the end of the reading, there is always a lively discussion with the children, and
then each child is given their very own hardcover edition of the book, to read and treasure. Each book bears
a special bookplate in Maxine’s honor, custom-designed for us by talented LCSNA member Jonathan Dixon.
Maxine would have loved to see how much the Alice books are appreciated by these young children. Their attention during the readings
and insightful questions afterwards are most heartening. Both the readers and the LCSNA members who come to observe gain as
much from the experience as do the children. This may be the most important thing that the Society does and could possibly result in new members
for generations to come. What a great legacy for our late secretary and dear friend, Maxine Schaefer.
To date, 19 schools and libraries in 11 states have been visited, and over 1,000 hardcover books have been given away to delighted children.
A full list of schools visited can be seen here.
The next Maxine Schaefer Memorial Reading will be held from 2:00 to 3:00 at the Robert Brent Elementary School on Friday, April 25th. The
school is located at 301 North Carolina Avenue, S. E., Washington, D.C., 20003 (202 698-3363 office phone), which is just a few
blocks from the Library of Congress. All Carrollians are welcome!
Here are some links to photos from previous readings.
- Photos from the Fall 2002 reading in San Francisco.
- Photos from the Spring 2003 reading in Aurora, IL.
- Photos from the Fall 2004 reading in Fresno.
- Photos from the Fall 2005 reading in Des Moines.
- Photos from the November 3rd Fall 2006 reading in New York.
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