Veterans' Day and Variety Show

Let the American flag fly

In Honor of Those Who Have Served

Police lead the parade

Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2017 began with a parade that passed by the front of Peoples UMC around 10:15 in the morning. A rather bitter cold morning kept many people away from attending. The pictures that I have included show most of the groups that were represented in the parade.

Note the American flag

South Portland High School Marching Band

Sea Scouts

Mixed citizenry

Coast Guard



South Portland Fire Department




Practice before the show

Early Arrivals for Variety Show

Dick Matthews MC

Paul Obie plays National Anthem

Honoring the flag

Some of the audience

The Ushers and Because He Lives

Later that evening the Peoples Annual Variety Show was held in Ellis Hall beginning at 7 PM. Over 80 people were in attendance. Proceeds of the monetary donations were to go to Stewart P. Morrill Post American Legion to be used for their education programs, including the monetary rewards given to Oratory Contest participantsThe evening’s program began with the presentation of the American Flag with all singing the national anthem to the strains of Paul Obie’s harmonica. The Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Dick Matthews who regaled us with some jokes and good introductions to the various acts that would perform over the next two hours.

More of the audience

Merrill Kaiser and Elvis

Aaron Matthews

The first group to perform was a gathering of 11 folks from the Ushers of Peoples Church. Their number in this segment is titled,” Because He Lives”. They would again appear at the end of the show leading all in a Military Medley of songs that would be ended with all in the room singing an emotional “God Bless America”.

Beverly Sloatman

Sally Smith

Christina and friend

After the Ushers sang it was time for Merrill Kaiser to sing an Elvis number. He in turn was followed by Aaron Matthews who is the son of the MC and an active member of the South Portland High School student body.

Mrs. Beverly Sloatman a woman who is almost 89 years of age performed an interpretive dance that was to say the least, inspiring and meaningful.

Merrill returns

Rosemary, Sally and the Old Gray Goose

Dick Miller and Debbie Cole

Betty Smith

Pastor Tom Frey

Our own Sally Smith came with her old gray goose which was said to say, dead. She has often used this number and act in the past mixed with such things as “My bucket has a whole in it.”

Christina Irace and a friend sang and played a     Ukulele following Sally’s comic skit.

Dick and Aaron with Elvira

Then it was time for another surprise from Dick Miller who usually seems to have a rather stern look about him and therefore the comic song that he had sung in Barbershop presentations in the past caught us amusingly by surprise.

Betty Smith, the daughter of Sally, followed with a musical rendition a cappella.

Two sisters, Rosemary and Marni from the Darling clan followed with some back and forth family banter and followed with a duet. As you can see Marni had to move her position to follow her sister’s direction.

Eosemary and Marni

To finish out the first half of the program Pastor Tom completed Act 1 with a comical interpretation of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” which could only have been originally developed in Brooklyn!

Aaron returns

Christina is back

Needless to say most of the acts that had accompaniment could not have done as well as they did without the able piano playing of Debbie Cole, our music minister at Peoples. Thank you Debbie for all you do for us!

While the program was underway there were some folks in the kitchen preparing refreshments. Here is a picture of Susan and Rob commiserating.

In Act 2 Dick Matthews the Master of Ceremonies and his son Aaron started everything off with a duet to the tune “Elvira”.

The second performer was Merrill back for an encore singing a Roger Whitaker number. Aaron returned to sing another number and he in turn was followed by Christina and Marni singing solos.

Before Marni was finished for the evening she teamed with Dick Miller on a duet.

Paul and Lin as a team

The last performers on the agenda were Paul Obie and Lin Arnold who sang and played a couple of numbers in which both were featured in parts of their two songs.

At a little past 9 PM the Ushers returned to the stage area to sing a Military Medley which included a tribute to the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and the Navy. As the songs were being sung people in the audience were encouraged to either stand or raise their hand to indicate a connection to one or more of the services that were tribute by the songs.

The Ushers

The Ushers

Again leading the singing the ushers also led the audience in the singing of “God Bless America” which concluded this fun-filled evening for all of the participants as well as the audience.

A free will donation was collected as people entered, the proceeds of which were to go to the Stewart P. Morrill American Legion Post to be used in their programs for children and education.  Over $200 was the donation.

Art and Becky

Debbie Cole our accompanist par excellence