Grants 2010 has been a year for intense and focused work behind the scenes. With so many schools losing funds, we were unable to produce the annual Drake Pageant or offer many workshops. The cutbacks have had the advantage of freeing us to update and complete our many materials, as well as create plans for new activities. Consequently, we have been busy writing grants toward new initiatives. We particularly thank the Marin Community Foundation for providing funds to help us get professional assistance in grant preparation.

New eStore. We are in the process of changing access to and delivery of our materials. Printing small sets of units is expensive and inefficient. Once in place, teachers and musicians will be able to obtain electronic copies and licenses to use our workbooks, scores, and student guides. Teachers will then be able to produce copies as needed, and have more flexibility in terms of printing an entire workbook or separate pages. We are also considering the addition of PowerPoint presentations within our theme areas as another adjunct for the classroom. We welcome your thoughts here.

Discovering Drake: An Ocean Adventure Another event we could not repeat was the 2009 cruise aboard the catamaran Kitty Kat. Organized by the Point Reyes National Seashore Association, Drake Navigators Guild and Mother Lode Musical Theatre, retraced Captain General Francis Drake's track as he rounded Point Reyes headlands, we spied the little cove that bears his name and found shelter for his heavy laden ship, the Golden Hind. As the fog lifted and the sun revealed the white cliffs that so resemble the white cliffs of Dover, scholars aboard recounted Drakes landing and cited the navigational notes and archeological excavations that confirm Drakes Bay as the site of Nova Albion, the first New England. Passengers received an illustrated program.

Board Member and California Historian Clarice Stasz visited the Golden Hind replica in Brixham,Devon, not far from Plymouth. Although she found another the Golden Hinde replica in Southwark, London better for living history, she considers the location of the Brixham ship better for appreciating the pull of the sea and life below decks. Both replicas are used for school field trips in the UK. In past visits to England, Stasz has photographed numerous objects illustrative of the social and cultural life of the Elizabethans, which she intends to use in future projects at MLMT. She is also working on a curricular unit on Myths of Spanish California, to correct many of the misleading beliefs about life then.

Musical Scores for Rental are also in preparation. Almost complete is "Coyote and the Human People," a five-person opera for performance by adults. This is one of past MLMT traveling productions that will be edited and updated for other companies. Pictured are lyricist Corinne Swall and composer/arranger Monroe Kanouse. Already available for rental are "Las Posadas" and "Creation of the Earth as Told by Coyote." For pricing information, contact us for details.