Page 18 - Newsletter_Spring_2020

In a final sabbatical, Paul and Glynn went to Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand in 1996. Porter was active in the school
community, as well as serving on a variety of boards. He was also instrumental in creating a woodworking shop for students
at the school. A parent of one of the students there made tools, so Porter suggested that he donate a collection to get the shop
up and running. He instructed students in building a variety of items including scenery for school plays and created several
wooden shapes to assist math students to learn volume, area and other dimensions.

Paul told Bruce Arnold, “One of my great joys at the school was to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Lawrenceville School
Camp for Underprivileged Children (located in Asbury, NJ – not Asbury Park), which is now in its 108th year of operation.”
The camp, staffed by a faculty member, with Lawrenceville students volunteering for two-week sessions as counselors, is graced
with a playing field named “Porter’s Field,” with a plaque inlaid in a stone, to honor Paul’s interest and involvement during all
those years. The Lawrenceville Alumni made it possible for many students to attend The Lawrenceville School, where he is very
proud to have had one small part in their education. He says that “Many of those students are now my good friends, just as I
felt many of my Houlton teachers thought of me as their friend.”

Paul and Glynn retired from Lawrenceville in 1998 after 38 years of teaching (the Headmaster at that time was Michael Cary
from Washburn, ME, also a Bowdoin graduate) and returned to Houlton, actually, to Nickerson Lake in New Limerick where
they had come each summer while they were teaching. While summering at Nickerson Lake during his teaching career, Paul
teamed up with Gary Bossie, an HHS faculty member, doing carpentry and painting for local residents. When Porter and his
wife, Glynn retired full-time to New Limerick in 1998, he found extra time on his hands and became involved with the local
children’s theatre, Star Bright Theatre, building sets for them.

Upon retirement Paul and Glynn returned to their summer home on Nickerson Lake and Paul became active in a number of
groups serving on several boards. They include: Star Bright Children’s Theatre, Nickerson Lake Preservation Group, United
Methodist Church, Aroostook Historical Society, Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum, Masonic Lodge No. 96, and
Houlton Lodge of Elks. Paul received the coveted Paul Harris Fellow Award in 2009 from Houlton Rotary Club, which is
presented to a deserving community member who exemplifies the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.” In 2010, he helped
organize the Northern Maine Woodturners group. Paul was passionate about working with wood and spent countless hours
at his lathe in his cellar workshop; his favorite place to be. Paul was also a part of the “Paint Houlton’s Heritage” project,
inspired by the late Esther Orr Faulkner, a well-known local artist who taught classes in painting for seniors. He also made and
donated many wooden items for Houlton’s Rotary Auction and other fundraisers. Paul also had his hand in the kiosk located at
Houlton’s Riverfront Park.

Soon after returning to Houlton, Paul got involved with the HHS Alumni Association. He says, “I think I started by helping
to mail out the Newsletter but that lead to membership on the board, two Chairmanships of the All-Class Reunion Galas in
2000 and 2005 and a member of the Fund-Raising Committee.” His real goal for the Association is increased scholarships
for graduates of HHS. He would like to make it possible for any student to attend the college of his/her choice, if they can
get accepted, without being deterred by the great expense of today’s education. He knows that the HHS Alumni Association
cannot pay for full tuition, but he hopes it may eventually
be able to award substantial help, rather than just rewarding
recipients enough money to buy books (sometimes only a
math book and then for only one semester).

In 2007, when Houlton was celebrating its bicentennial,
Paul participated in the Paint Houlton’s Heritage project,
which drew artists to paint scenes of Houlton landmarks.
Porter chose to create paintings of several steeples in the
downtown, among those, the steeple on the post office and
several area churches. His interest in painting was inspired
by local artist, Esther Orr Faulkner, who taught a painting
class for seniors.

“Paul’s Passions”, a collection of various art forms created by
Paul Porter debuted July 3rd , 2012, at Visions Blue Moon
Gallery on Main Street. Porter received guests at a public
reception as part of Houlton’s annual Midnight Madness.

www.houltonalumni.com PAGE 18