Shipwrecks, Pirates and Rum Tasting: An evening at the Cape Cod Science Cafe

During the summer of 2020 I had the honor of being in the Commodore succession at the Wequaquet Lake Yacht Club (WLYC). This governance structure is similar to most where there are specific duties associated with each position.  As the Rear Commodore, I was tasked with running the House Committee and daily operations at the grill. In a "normal" year this might have been manageable. In a pandemic year, it was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. With extreme pressure from the Board of Directors, I reluctantly agreed to open the club utilizing state and local COVID19 guidelines to keep our teen employees safe and our membership safe. I created a COVID19 Oversight Committee made up of club members who would have had, at the time (May 2020), special knowledge or experience including doctors, nurses, school principal, attorney, police etc., who could review the controls I was implementing. 

Having to oversee daily operations at the club for 10+ weeks in excess of 80 hours a week of my time on site, I did manage to manage a handful of safe events for the private club members and their guests to enjoy. And I organized and orchestrated one special event: 'Shipwrecks, Pirates, and Rum Tasting' held on August 1, 2020. 

Since it's a private club, we used our internal marketing channels: 'This Week at the Lake' Eblast & Events Wipe Board in 'The Fireside Room'. 

I worked with the bar manager to select three different rums, including a locally sourced one(Twenty Boats is made on Cape Cod)! We also worked out pricing for beverages which was a nice price for guests but yielded a "great" night for the bar! 

Since I was running the grill this summer with my teenage workforce, I created a 'themed' meal choice that I prepared via crockpot and had a limited menu for folks who wanted more familiar food off our menu. We charged an admission fee to cover the meal plus there were a few price tiers to choose from: One that was the meal only, one that was the meal plus the rum flight and one that was meal plus rum drink. Having the pre-order food, pre-assigned tables, and being able to put in the pre-written meal tickets when the guests checked-in made for a very smooth evening in the kitchen for my staff! It also created a relaxed vibe for patrons. This pre-order/pre-assigned seats combined with staggered dinner/coctail hour is a model that we used for the rest of the limited summer events (Comedy Nights and Adult BINGO Nights).

'Shipwrecks, Pirates, and Rum Tasting' was an adult version of the Cape Cod Science Cafe held at the Wequaquet Lake Yacht Club (WLYC) on Saturday evening August 1, 2020, at 7pm. Attendance was limited to 48 people due to COVID-19 protocols with table distancing at this establishment. Mandatory masks were worn, except when seated. Meals were pre-ordered and dinner was prepped by kitchen staff once guests
checked in and we held dinner/cocktail hour over between 6-7:30pm. What was served? A Caribbean themed dinner consisting of jerk chicken, beans & rice with less spicy options like chicken quesadilla & tater tots, chicken salad wrap or a grilled cheese & fries. 

As part of the RSVP guest could choose to order the rum flight for the rum tasting/flavor chemistry portion of the evening which kicked off the technical program led by a local area chemist. History, flavors, aromas, and fun facts were all part of the rum tasting. Rum concoctions such as mai tai's, rum punch, and pina colada's were available throughout the evening (as well as a full bar for those not inclined to imbibe rum).

Local marine educator, Eben Franks who has 45 years of experience as a sailor, seaman, sea-going technician, geological engineer, underwater vehicle pilot, adventurer, and ocean explorer shared his passion for the ocean and firsthand  knowledge of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary which is located right here on Cape Cod off the coast of Provincetown and is home to over 200 shipwrecks! The featured honorable special guest and marine archaeologist, Calvin Mires  wowed us with tales of the sea, ocean, pirates and shipwrecks. He left us wanting MORE real pirate stories from the shipwrecks he has worked on during his career and that evening he promised us a dedicated 'Pirate' Science Cafe in 2021! 

Sandwich STEM Academy Clean Energy Festival 2018

Dr. Jack Driscoll (@pidguy), President of PID Analyzers, a Sandwich STEM Academy Science Advisory Board Member and STEM Academy grandparent, was an exhibitor at the STEM Academy Clean Energy Day

This event was funded through Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, through a grant that was written and facilitated by the Sandwich STEM Academy Science and Engineering teachers and took place at Sandwich High School for Sandwich students in Grades 6, 7 and 8 on Tuesday, May 22nd (9:30am-2pm) and showcased and celebrated renewable energies. The Clean Energy Fair’s mission is to promote sustainable and renewable energy through hands-on education. The event included a brief welcoming ceremony, an energy carnival, hands-on learning energy activities, exhibitor booths, a “passport” to record their learning experiences, and a gift bag for all students. Grade 7 and 8 students attended a brief welcoming ceremony in the auditorium, then headed to the gym, where they spent a total of 75 minutes, rotating through three stations: the energy carnival, exhibitors’ booths, and hands-on energy activities.

 PID Analyzers, a Sandwich-based manufacturing company, was among the 10 exhibitors at STEM Academy Clean Energy Festival. 
PID Analyzers' exhibit was on energy storage with batteries used to power their portable analyzers. Batteries included lead acid (old type), NIMH, LiPO, and Li ion. The students were very excited about the event and an 11th grader taking photos and videos said that she wished that she had something like this when she was in the 7th grade.

STEM Journey V Keynote Speaker Announced

Pre-register for this event: Event Registration

 KEYNOTE LECTURE: Robotics in the 21st Century

Andrew Reichel is a Northeastern University Gordon Fellow and Robotics Engineer at iRobot Corporation, headquartered outside of Boston Massachusetts. He has worked as an engineer within iRobot’s R&D sector since 2011 working on Horizon 2-level projects during that time. Reichel has fostered his passion for engineering and robotics through his studies at Mashpee High School, Wentworth Institute of Technology and Northeastern University. Following his move to Mashpee Massachusetts in spring of 1998, Mr. Reichel completed his academics his senior year of high school in 2008. During his last year at Mashpee High, Andrew was exposed to his first engineering applications in his drafting course in the form of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) while looking forward to an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. Ultimately landing on Wentworth Institute of Technology, Andrew completed his undergraduate studies in summer of 2012, graduating with his BS in Mechanical Engineering and over a year and half of engineering work experience after working as a Mechanical Engineering Co-op at both Hydroid Inc. and iRobot Corp. After graduating, Andrew begin a brief stint of work as an engineer with BAE Systems Inc. in the Land and Armaments division, in Santa Clara, CA. Focusing on retrofitting an existing vehicle platform for the middle-east theatre, Andrew returned to iRobot shortly thereafter, to focus on his passion for robotics. Now a sub-system lead and staff mechanical engineer, Andrew has focused on the development of actuating/sensing technologies and platform mobility where he currently holds several USPTO Design patents. Andrew began graduate studies at Northeastern University in the field of Data Science in fall of 2016 where he studies now as a Gordon Fellow within the institute. Andrew’s passion for data-driven design and research has only been bolstered with the advent of connected devices and the smart-home. He looks forward to graduating with his MS in Data Science in 2019 and continuing his engineering career in applied technology.

Opening Remarks: Women in STEM

Dr. Dorothy J. Phillips is serving her second term on the American Chemical Society Board of Directors, Director-at-Large, 2014- 2019. She holds a B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University in chemistry and a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati in biochemistry. Dr. Phillips began her industrial career in 1974 at Dow Chemical Company where she spent nine years and received three patents. She joined Waters Corporation in R&D in 1984 and retired in 2013 as Director of Strategic Marketing. She was instrumental in the development of Waters’ flagship Symmetry^® and Oasis^® product brands. She received the Waters Manager’s Award for Innovation in 1987 and 1988. She has published and/or presented over 70 papers that focus on high performance liquid chromatography technology and applications.

In 1996, Dr. Phillips transitioned from R&D to Marketing as Brand Manager for the Oasis^® family of products. As Director of Strategic Marketing, she traveled in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Japan to identify and assess new technologies and business opportunities to meet global separation needs. She was the first recipient of the Waters Leadership Award for outstanding contributions to Waters and the Waters Community in 2008.

Her honors and awards also include the Vanderbilt University Dr. Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Endowed Chair, 2015; American Chemical Society Fellow, Class of 2010; Distinguished Chemist Award, The New England Institute of Chemists, Division of the American Institute of Chemists, 2011; Shirley B. Radding Award, Santa Clara Valley Section ACS, 2008; Northeastern Section ACS Henry A. Hill Award, 2006; Nashville Section ACS, Salute to Excellence Award, 2004; TTT Mentor Program (Cambridge, MA) Role Model in Science, 2003-17; Unsung Heroine Award, Vanderbilt University, 2006; Distinguished Alumni, University of Cincinnati, McMickens College of Arts and Sciences, 1994 and Center for Women Studies, 1993.  Vanderbilt University presents annually The Dr. Dorothy Wingfield Phillips Award for Leadership to a graduating senior in recognition of the student’s outstanding accomplishments.

She was a speaker at recent ACS national meetings including the spring 2015 Committee on Minority Affairs Luncheon in Denver, CO and the fall 2015 “Legacy of Henry A. Hill” symposium in Boston, MA. Dr. Phillips was an invited speaker in Beijing at the Sixth Annual International Congress of Drug Discovery Science and Technology in 2008 and at PepCon 2010. During the International Year of Chemistry in 2011 she was invited to speak at North Carolina A&T State University Department of Chemistry Fourth Bi-annual Chemical Sciences Symposium; International Conference on Chemistry for Mankind, Nagpur, India; and the 15th Indian Society of Chemists & Biologists International Conference, Rajkot (Gujarat), India.

Dr. Phillips also serves ACS through the Northeastern Local Section, chair,1993, councilor, 1995-2013 and Trustee, 2014-2019 and in the Division of Analytical Chemistry, chair, 2009-2010. She is a member of National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, Sigma Xi, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Her husband James Phillips, a chemist, is an ACS volunteer. They have three adult children and grandchildren.

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Call for activities: STEM Journey V

We're seeking STEM stakeholders to join us on our STEM Journey, Saturday March 3, 2018 from 11am-5pm, and bring hands-on STEM activities/demonstrations that are interesting to students in grades K-12. The 2018 theme is Robotics in the 21st Century!

Contact Jennifer Maclachlan to learn how you can participate by being a hands-on activity exhibitor or event sponsor.

Cape Cod Forensic Science Cafe at Cape Cod Celebrates National Chemistry Week 2016

Join us for our fourth annual Cape Cod Celebrates National Chemistry Week at the Cape & Islands Boy Scouts Camp Greenough’s Wicked Cool Autumn Welcome featuring the Cape Cod Forensic Science Cafe: A hands-on experience led by local area businesses, educators and members of the Northeastern Local Section of the American Chemical Society. This event is open to the public. Barnstable County Sheriff’s office will show fingerprinting techniques used by the county to solve crimes, Cambridge Science Festival’s Science on the Street and Palladium Science Academy of NY will utilize the forensic theme in their hands-on activities. Stay tuned to the Cape Cod Science Cafe blog for more featured activities. Participants who complete all science cafe activities will earn a Wicked Cool Science Cafe badge for their efforts. Contact me if you would like to volunteer at this event or learn about volunteer opportunities at other public outreach education events in the Boston area. 

EVENT PHOTOS BY BRIAN D'AMICO: