Calendar of Activities – Community of Cabin John, Maryland

2020 CJCA Calendar

As of March 15, 2020, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, all CJCA activities and events have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. This 2020 calendar, established in 2019, represents the many opportunities the community would have had to gather for fun, information and good work.

Jan. 29 – CJCA Meeting, Topic: CJ author Judy Welles on her new book Potomac

Feb. 22 – Trivia NightFeb. 26 — CJCA Meeting

Feb. 26 — CJCA Meeting

March 1 — CJ Blood Drive

March 22 — CJCA and FofCJC Creek Cleanup (Tentative)

March 25 — CJCA Meeting

March 29 — Spring Egg Hunt (Tentative)

April 26 — New Neighbor Potluck

April 29 — CJCA Meeting

May 17 — CJ Blood Drive

May 27 — CJCA Meeting, Officer Elections

July 4 – Fourth of July Parade

July TBD – Potomac Canoe Trip

Sept. 19 – Chicken and Crab Feast

Sept. 30 — CJCA Meeting

Oct. 4 — CJ Blood Drive

Oct. 25 – Community Center Haunted House

Oct. 28 – CJCA Meeting

Nov. 18 – CJCA Meeting

Nov. 26 – Turkey Trot

Dec. 6 – Community Center Craft Fair

Dec. 13 – Holiday Party

Italicized events are sponsored by the Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center and supported by the CJCA

The Latest

- CJ Residents Enthused About Minnie’s Island Non-Profit
  April 16, 2021The CJ founders of a newly created entity that aims to assume control of Minnie’s Island, received near universal support from the roughly 50 people who listened to their plans at the March 24 CJCA Zoom meeting. Minnie’s Island, located in the Potomac River about 100 yards off-shore from Lockhouse 8 on the C&O Canal, is roughly eight acres of wild habitat with a dilapidated wooden lodge and large deck at one end. Led by Pascal Pittman of 80th Place, the Minnie’s Island Community Conservancy (MICC) is being formed to receive ownership of the island from the Potomac Conservancy. The other founding members of MICC are CJ residents Burr Gray, Jack Mandel, and Mac Thornton. A day after the meeting MICC became a registered corporation, allowing it to begin working on its 501(c)(3) status. The organization “is dedicated to the preservation of the ecological, architectural, scientific, and humanist legacy of Minnie’s Island,” according to its mission statement. To achieve its aims, MICC is counting on community awareness, volunteerism, and donations to support the refurbishment of the cabin, the removal of non-invasive species from the island, and on-going maintenance, Pascal told meeting participants. For the structure, he envisions bringing to working order the composting toilet, a woodburning stove, and a well. The addition of solar panels would allow for electricity. It will take a couple of years, he noted. But then the island would be ready to host six to eight people at a time for recreation, educational programs, conservation, and scientific research. MICC also is in discussions with the National Park Service to take on maintenance responsibility for Lockhouse 8. Pascal explained that its role would be two-fold: the lockhouse would serve as a staging area for access to Minnie’s, primarily by enabling the canoes and kayaks needed to reach the island to be stored in its basement. It would also allow the group to schedule more educational programs as they would be able to use the lockhouse as meeting space if inclement weather kept the group from transporting people to the island. Pascal said they are hoping to raise funds initially by having folks donate $250 a year and volunteer time working on island projects. But he stressed that Minnie’s would not be “a Sycamore Island private club” and that its fundraising is not part of a “pay to play” plan. He assured meeting attendees that the public would have access to the island “in a controlled manner.” To find out more about MICC, email Pascal Pittman at pascaldpittman@gmail.com. By Susan Shipp, CJCA President... Read more...