The Summer Eastern conference was held on June 11-13th at the Geneva Point Center in Moultonborough, NH.

Directors present were:

NH- Chris Haartz
VT-Peter Hayes
NY-Bill Starr
ME/Web Master- Bill Cobb
Historian-Bob Spear
NJ co director-Ray Grimes
VT emeritus-Mark Houghwout
Former historian- Iris and Bill Baird

A total of 16 people in attendance.

Friday

Friday night consisted of meeting where all attendeed came into the center to swap stories.

Saturday

Saturday morning started at 9:30 and first speaker was Bryan Nowell Capt of the forest rangers of NH Forest and Lands Central region area. He gave a power point presentation on Fire towers of NH and then did a slide show of all the towers that are still standing in NH. 

Iris Baird spoke about the Weeks act of 1911. It was an act that was developed by John Weeks congressman from MA to conserve land and have funds set aside for fire protection, schools and roads. Congressman Week’s summer estate is located in Lancaster NH with a stone Fire tower on site. The estate is now a state park historical site.

After Iris spoke Karyn Cotes Pitcher Mt fire lookout operator gave a power point presentation of NH fire tower system within the state.

After lunch, Chris Haartz gave a slide show of early detection in NH fire and how NH fire towers got started.

Bill Starr showed a 20 minute DVD documentary about Adirondack fire towers. After that he showed a slide show on DVD of fire towers of the Adirondacks.

Bill Cobb did a presentation of Maine fire towers.

Karyn Cotes did a slide show of NH towers

The last presentation for the afternoon was a 16 mm film that Chris Haartz found on ebay about fire lookout operators job. It was filmed in late 50’s early 60’s and it ran for about 20 minutes.

In the evening Ed Maheux Red Hill tower operator and fire warden for Moultonborough gave a power point presentation about the Red Hill tower which is the only tower in the state that is not operated by the state but by a few towns in the surrounding area - Moultonborough being one of those towns.

Sunday

On Sunday due to the threat of rain, the group went to Great Hill in Tamworth, which is a few miles north of the conference site .The tower is a 10’x10’ 35’ high the tower no longer is in use but it is on the National Historic Lookout Register and used as a spot for hikers to stop on a hiking trail and see what is around them. The tower is maintained by a nature conservancy.