Imaging taking a day trip with some good friends, but not knowing the destination until you arrive. Ever thought of making May Baskets for shut-ins? How about entering an Easter bonnet contest?

These are just a few of the activities the ladies of the Carmel-Etna Extension Homemaker Group enjoy.

Oh, but they do so much more.

“Every year we have an auction of white elephant items, and the money raised goes into the treasury,” said Mary Pike, 72. “We use the money to help others in some way. For instance, if a member dies, we make a contribution to the charity of the family’s choice. We also gave some money to a local family who was burned out, and also to nonprofit charities that may need help.”

The group holds a meeting once a month, which includes a potluck lunch. There are no membership requirements, and annual dues are $2.

“We are not just a social group,” said Pike. “We always try to learn something new and to add to the community.”

The yearly mystery trip, in which only the lead car in a caravan of members knows the secret location, usually is somewhat educational and interesting. Last year the group went to Surry Gardens.

“I drive a little faster than some, and they get aggravated when I lead,” said Pike with a sheepish laugh. “I have to stop and let them catch up.”

The group invites speakers to attend the monthly meetings and discuss such topics as beekeeping or health issues, she added. Members can choose certain subjects, do some research and make a short presentation to the group as well. Recent topics included Scottish tartans and Maine Indian tribes.

“A different month is chosen each year, and we buy birthday gifts for the residents of the Maine Veterans’ Home in Bangor,” said Anne Crowley, 65, president of the group.

“I joined when I retired four years ago and I love it,” she added. “There’s an awful lot of fellowship.”

Pike and Crowley emphasize the group’s strong community service base. Every month members bring something useful to the meetings for those in need such as personal care items or paper goods, or greeting cards complete with stamps for nursing home residents.

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension isn’t new, but it certainly has changed a bit over the years.

It began decades ago as the farm bureau with a goal of teaching young, new wives the necessary tasks of homemaking. Canning, cooking, gardening and sewing were just a few of the skills needed in the 1920s.

Every town had a group that received local support from its county Extension office.

As the years passed and times changed, so did the needs of the women involved. More women entered the work force, and that left little time for homemaking classes.

Towns began merging their groups. The Carmel-Etna Extension now covers Bangor, Carmel, Dixmont, Etna, Hampden, Hermon, Levant, Newburgh, Stetson and Winterport – making it one of three groups in Penobscot County.

“We have about 35 members now, but would love to have more,” said Pike. “We’re a fun group. I have been a member for 40 years, and I love it. Most of us are seniors and we have a lot of fun.”

While the type of information offered might be different, the goal of the Cooperative Extension remains the same.

“The mission of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension is to help Maine people improve their lives through education,” said Louise Kirkland, extension educator for Penobscot County. “The Extension groups receive support from the county office for program ideas, publications and ideas for speakers. Being part of the Cooperative Extension, they can access our resources.”

In November 1994, at Kirkland’s suggestion, Eleanor Toothaker wrote the Homemakers of Penobscot Extension Creed:

We, the Homemakers of Maine, pledge to see beyond ourselves in all we do. We pledge loyalty to our homes, our families, our communities and our environment. Show us how to take “minute vacations” for the nourishment of healthy bodies and healthy minds. May the pride of these efforts be filled with joy and understanding. May we nurture hope for continuous education in all we pursue and be strengthened by each other.

Well said, Eleanor.

For more information on the Carmel-Etna Homemakers Extension Group, call Mary Pike at 848-5081, Anne Crowley at 848-3877 or Louise Kirkland at 942-7396.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging in Bangor. For information about EAA programs and services, call Chuck or Marilyn at 941-2865 or log on www.eaaa.org.