I propose to organize a 251 Club to be made up of Vermonters and others who can
show that they have visited, not merely driven through, the 251 towns in the state.
A swift turn from one of our main roads, and you are on your way to the rewarding
experience of a lifetime and memories good until the years are frosty.
Dr. Arthur Peach (1886-1956)
| The 251 Club was first suggested by Dr. Arthur W. Peach, retired Director of the
Vermont Historical Society, in his Vermont Life Magazine (Summer 1954) literary
column, At the Sign of the Quill. Given the wide circulation of the magazine, the
response from within and outside of Vermont's borders was remarkable.
Over a half-century later, the quest to visit Vermont's 246 "organized" towns and
cities, as well as its five "unorganized" towns (Averill, Ferdinand, Glastenbury,
Lewis, and Somerset) continues. 251 Club members are challenged to adventure
through the state, discovering people and places along the way.
There are no forms to complete and you need not have visited all 251 towns and
cities to become a member. Upon joining you will receive a Vermont map to guide
you and a list of cities and towns in the state to check off as you visit. You will also
be invited to meet other club members at two annual dinner meetings held in the
summer and fall When you complete your 251 quest, we will send you a Plus
membership card acknowledging your accomplishment, which will also be noted in The Wayfarer. |
 Read the articles published in Vermont Life about the 251 Club here.
|
Dr. Arthur Peach
 Prior to his six-year tenure as the historical society's top administrator, Dr. Peach
was a distinguished member of Norwich University's English Department, which he
joined in 1913. He transformed the university's meager course offerings in English
literature into an English major and became the first English department chair, a
position he held for 37 years, while he coached the football and debate teams,
played cello in the Musical Club Singers Orchestra, and found time to be an avid
outdoorsman.
In addition to the notable accomplishments at Norwich University, Dr. Peach edited
a four-volume collection of Vermont prose, poetry, biography and folk songs;
chaired the state's Sesquicentennial Commission in 1941; co-founded the Authors
League of Vermont (now the League of Vermont Writers); and served as president
of the Poetry Society of Vermont and the Better Library Movement, which created
the regional library system that is still in operation today. |
