Down East in Maine, ire evaluated for permanent membership Down East in Maine, Chosen chiefly from The Red Book an unauthorized who who of Mount De The Cranberry Club sert's summer society, prospective mem- The Cranberry Club bers must come from proper backgrounds for Brahmins Only and also have ^something intellectual" to Is for Brahmins Only offer. is said Invitations to join are ardently sought by the aristocrats of Mount Desert Island and And if You Want to Be-Privy Continued From First Page refusals to join are almost unheard of But nated members bring various dishea to one fortyish Philadelphia initiate stopped To the Most Unique' Club. make lunch and wildflower committee going after a few meetings It's supposed You Can Just Go Fish members gather centerpiece blossoms to be great honor she says, but don't Although the membership typically fends like snooty things They wore hats and for itself at the meetings and lunches, Mrs dresses and wanted to wear blue jeans I By Liz ROMAN GALLESE Colby sometimes acts as cook And for the felt as if was just wasting beautiful sailing Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL annual meeting each August she makes fish days GREAT CRANBERRY ISLAND, Maine chowder Mrs Colby also keeps buiy clean Washing dishes isn't necessarily what ing the cottage and chauffeuring guests When she went to meet Mrs. Autor' Needham Harper Signs makes Mrs. Nelson Rockefeller happy But when she was a guest of Mrs. Vincent Astor guests at the public marina in August Mrs at the Cranberry Club here in August she of Colby was swept aside by Secret Service Share-Purchase Pact course followed custom by pitching in with men as Vice President and Mrs. Rockefeller the cleanup of the chowder bowls set off to walk the length of the island to the With Eurcom, of Paris Meantime, the Vice President napped on clubhouse He seemed just like neighbor a pillowed bench nearby He had declined an elderly resident says Actually the car ride from the boat that brought the Rockefellers are practically neighbors as Rockefellers to the island. preferring to they have a summer place at nearby Seal Mis W ALA STREET 200 AL Staff R organize walk the 2% miles to the small rustic club Harbor NEW YORK -Needham Harper & Steers house at the other end of the island's only Most residents of Great Cranberry Island Inc., an advertising agency, announced an road either smile about the Cranberry Club or ig agreement that allows Eurcom S.A. Paris 'Roughing it" is de rigueur for members more it but maybe that's because they TO to buy up to 82 2,000 Needham shares or 10% and guests at the exclusive women's club, almost never asked to join One resident of the stock outstanding on the open mar and folks like the Astors and Rockefellers was asked to join, but local savants suggest ket Needham shares were quoted in over have been roughing it there in summertime that it was because her family was from the counter trading Friday at $5 bid a share for some 80 years. Former Harvard Presi Northeast Harbor the most exclusive of the which would value the block at $410,000 dent Nathan Pusey and entertainer Garry resort villages on Mount Desert Needham said it will also purchase Moore have been guests there ( You go in Indeed it's suspected here that new 0.5% interent in Eurcom, which is closely your sailor pants, but it's stuffy, says Mr. members aren' even considered these days held for about $100,000 Moore and the membership of only 25 is unless they at least summer residents of Eurcom is the parent company of Cie obviously highly selective Northeast Harbor Mrs. Astor moved (her Univas, which has a European-based net Indeed the Cranberry Club the most summer residence) from Bar Harbor to work of advertising agencies. Needham said unique club in the world." says Mrs. John Northeast Harbor just so she could join. the reciprocal stock purchases are intended Simonds of Peterborough, N.H., the club's one person familiar with the club maintains to 'strengthen the working relationship" be president Women whose mothers are members tween Needham and Univas The two adver But its unique features are carefully have a much easier time of it The prevail tising concerns have had cooperation agree guarded from the outside world Thus, al- ing wisdom is that a daughter automatically menta since 1969 Needham said though this island of 200 residents is just 2% inherits her mother membership upon the In connection with the agreement miles off Maine's large Mount Desert Island mother a death But this rule tends to create Jacques Douce, chairman of Eurcom was (which includes such posh resort villages as a generally older membership elected to the board of Needham Harper Bar Harbor and Northeast Harbor few A resident remembers Mrs Fay once Mount Desert Island residents have ever Paul Harper chairman of Needham has saying in the library that it WIN NO nice been on the Euroom board since 1972 heard of the Cranberry Club that Josephine could finally join Jone Lobbying for Silence phine who is in her sixties became a mem Needham said it and Eurcom don't con So protective are Cranberry Clubbers of ber few years ago when her mother died template any further purchases of each oth their privacy that when they learned of The club nowadays combats the geriatric en " shares but that "such purchases may plans for a newspaper story about them mage by inviting a few youngsters into the be made in the future subject to prior agree- they began Jobbying for this paper to call off club for a single season after which they ment between the companies the story And women with Mayflower type names began slamming down telephones when they found the voice at the other end was re- porter. You can just go flah!! said Mrs. Malcolm Peabody of Cambridge Maas. the mother of former Massachusetts Gov End cott Peabody Mrs. W Rodman Fan of New York City abowed considerably more restraint if not cooperation Oh! T know who you are you're that reporter. she said when reached by phone You sound like a lovely person But won' tell you anything. or my name would be mud The reception was even cooler at the clubhouse itself. which now is closed for the winter A reporter trying to poer in the club . windows was ousted from the prop- erty by a mustachioed man who identified himself as Great Cranberry Island's con stable. Cloistered Cottage The decidedly unpretentious clubhouse is but a three room gray-shingled cottage perched on a knoll overlooking the sea Woodlands aurround the cottage which is reached by a dirt road leading 100 yards from the island only paved road In the clubhouse kitchen. only recently provided with hot running water, is a tub sink and a tiny refrigerator There is also tiny bedroom and larger living room, fur nished haphazardly with wooden tables, cane chairs and cushioned benches. Over the fireplace is a "Cranberry Club sign. and portraits of unsmiling dowagers peer down from the walls The clubhouse is little changed from its humble beginnings in the 1890s, when group of matronly birdwatchers used to pienic OD the rocks overlooking the ocean and thought it would be a nice spot to have shelter from the rain. A set of club ru as adopted in the early days still is posted by the fireplace, local residents say, admonishing members not to leave crumbs behind, not to rearrange the furniture. and to sign the club's datebook and inform the caretaker if they should want to engage the clubhouse for a private party. Members like things the way they were. Gail Colby, the club's caretaker told a reporter before club officers imposed a gag rule on her. Says Robert Pyle, president of Mount De sert's Chamber of Commerce It's a bas- tion of way of life not currently in vogue But it's a closed club: it has its mysterious aspects Mr. Pyle who is also the librarian of the Northeast Harbor Public Library, says many of the Cranberry Club members are also board members of the library. Local folks say the club members hold weekly meetings. and one ritual in for the women to make presentations, usually chronicling trips they have taken Desig Please Turn to Page 15, Column