Ink Drinkers
The French have a term for people who love books. For people who can’t get enough of the written word. For people who have an insatiable appetite for pulp-based entertainment. In France, they’re referred to as Ink Drinkers. Better known here as bibliophiles, booklovers, or most often, bookworms, even though bookworm can have negative connotations.
But that’s OK, we bookworms don’t really mind. In fact, some of us wear it proudly as a badge of honor. Because we know that without books there’d be no way to teach our children to read? And reading is kinda important, don’t you agree?
Think about it. Reading is the foundation of which all learning is built. It develops and expands our vocabulary. It advances our skills of comprehension, critical thinking, and concentration. And it even helps to improve our memory by strengthening neuron connections in the brain.
Books are not only sources of information and education, but sources of entertainment and enjoyment. They can enrich all aspects of our lives by teaching us new things. We learn about the past from books. And our future. And what better device to exercise our power of imagination.
Speaking of devices, in a world without books, one might say that eReaders, audio books, or the web would be fine substitutes, and we could still enjoy the content of the very same books. Maybe. But if we had no books to begin with, would there even be authors to write digital books, or would their talents be wasted on memes, posts, and blogs? Ugh, who needs more blogs?
And even if there were, browsing a digital library just wouldn’t be the same as perusing the scintillating shelves of a bookstore or library and discovering new authors and new tales of wonder.
Think about this too. How many times have you been intrigued by the cover art, picked up that book, turned it over in your hand - front to back, back to front - and walked away with the anticipation of your next exciting read?
So, thank goodness for books and bookworms. And thank goodness some of these bookworms are part of an organization here in Rome called Romemakers. Because it’s Romemakers who brought us one of Rome’s most cherished points of interest; the Lester Public Library.
Back in 1984, bringing a library to Rome was an obsession of Mary Bolskey, a 40 year member of Romemakers, Charlotte Van Alstine, and Mike Stankiewwicz, a Town of Rome board member. And after a yeoman's effort with countless milestones, hurdles, and small victories, Rome had a library to call its very own.
Obviously, a great win for the town and surrounding areas, but that’s just a small part of what Romemakers has done since their inception in 1972, and what they continue to do each and every day.
Romemakers is one of three clubs in Adams County that belong to a national organization called the Home and Community Education Association (HCE). Like others in HCE, Romemakers is a community service group that, as the association name suggests, focuses its efforts on educational and community improvement opportunities.
For example, Romemakers initiated a voter’s forum, called Meet Your Candidate. An ongoing symposium that introduces candidates for elected positions to the public. Ongoing, in fact, every year since the first one back in 1974.
Other popular programs held annually are the Old-Fashioned Craft Fair which raises money for high school, college, and technical school students. And with support from local organizations, businesses, and Visit Rome, a Halloween party, giving all the Harry Potters, Barbies, and Princess Peaches a fun and safe alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating.
The Romemakers have offered CPR classes, created Blizzard Boxes delivering meals to those who didn’t have the means in time of need, developed a safety program to assist First Responders in emergency situations, and so much more.
In fact, to list all the Romemaker initiatives would be a fool’s errand. Suffice it to say, they do so many incredible things to help make Rome the best it can be, and yet, they tend to fly under the radar, maybe because humility is one of the group’s core values. They do all of this not for recognition or compensation, but merely for the love of the community they call home.
To find out more about Romemakers, or better yet, to become a member, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RomemakersHCE/. Or email Linda O’Dell at lodell2017@gmail.com.
Written by: Lydell Capritta
