Women’s Success Network delivers a boatload of fun

An invitation from Pat Hurton to join members of the Women’s Success Network (WSN) for an evening “charter cruise” of Webster Lake on the Indian Princess gave me momentary pause. There was an initial hesitation, governed by the feeling that I would be “a duck out of water”—so to speak.

Not to worry. There was not only the warm welcome extended by Ms. Hurton, Jeannie Hebert, Alise Breton and others in attendance, there was the chance to experience Chris Robert’s paddleboat for the second time in the past several years.

Doing so, the thought that inevitably came to mind—as I’m sure it did for the WSN’ers—was “what was all the fuss about? Why was there such an uproar and so much consternation, so much opposition, when Mr. Robert first proposed the idea of putting such a craft on “Lake Chaubunagungamaug”?

Many of residents of the lake who resisted Mr. Robert’s plan “have been on the boat” themselves since the tumult settled down, David Balessandro told me. We were standing on the lower deck just outside an enclosed area that features a bar, the galley, two “heads” and a full-screen TV.

The 59-ton vessel, propelled by two stern wheels, was moving smoothly and quietly through the water.

A mid-October night that had started with temperatures near 70 degrees was still perfectly comfortable and when a breeze with a chill in it kicked up people topside were advised by “Mary,” a deck hand, to move to a spot behind the control room “and you’ll be nice and warm.”

Ms. Hebert of the host Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce was one of the first to climb the stairs to the upper deck from the lower floor, where drinks and hors d’oeuvres were served. “Come on up,” she said over the loudspeaker. “It’s a great view!”

Mr. Balessandro is known as “Diver Dave” for his scuba-diving expertise. “I also hold a captain’s license,” he said. He was enjoying filling members of the Women’s Success Network in on the nuances of the lake, which is dotted with homes all around. Passing these, he returned waves and whistles from people hailing the Indian Princess from their front porch, some of them tending steaks on the grill. “That’s Waterfront Mary’s,” he noted, pointing to a popular restaurant and its bright lights. “We’re in Vodka Cove right now, also known as The Dugout.”

Carol Archambault of Green Compass, a USDA organic leader in the hemp wellness industry, was impressed by the boat and the reception she got from WSN leadership. Ms. Archambault sees membership in the Women’s Success Network as an exciting new thread in her life.

“Membership in WSN will help me step out of my comfort zone, personally as well as professionally,” Ms. Archambault said. “Connecting with other women, making new friendships and sharing ideas on how we can help one another is what I am most looking forward to.

“I believe that Green Compass can impact people’s lives for the better and I love sharing the message of how women can start their own business to help contribute financially to the family. Whether they are a stay-at-home mom, work full-time or part-time, or are recently retired, this business is for everyone, at any age.

“I started with Green Compass because I saw how its products really make a difference in someone’s quality of life. I love helping people feel better!”

Green Compass’s operation is “vertically integrated,” she said. In other words, the company controls the entire process, from when the seeds are put in the ground on the farm it owns “to the product that arrives at your doorstep.”

A clean CO2 extraction process, independent third-party lab besting and an adherence to “Good Lab Practices” (GLP) and “Good Manufacturing Practices” (GMP) are the foundation of Green Compass’s commitment to quality.

“We’re moving!” Carol Dauphinais of the Grafton Country Store said, as the Indian Princess left port.

“What a fun evening!” Heather McGuire of Sundance Newbridge Publishing wrote Ms. Hurton in an email after the event. “Thank you for being so kind to me, and taking time to introduce me to some new people. I am really enjoying being part of this network.”

Ms. McGuire told me on the boat that Sundance, which is based in Marlborough, publishes educational and children’s books. She is a sales consultant. “It’s a good industry,” she said. “Teachers are a caring group of people.”

For more information about the Women’s Success Network and upcoming WSN events like “Commerce on the Common” in Grafton, go to blackstonevalley.org.

Contact Rod Lee at [email protected] or 774-232-2999.