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eager to start a new life for themselves. They formed a colony and it was from there that the birth of our
new nation came. On May 31, 2003, close to four hundred years later, on the same hollowed grounds
our forefathers landed on, another group of people gathered, brought together by their mutual love of an
endearing dog breed that they owned, known as the Papillon. From that gathering came the birth of The
New England Butterfly Club.
Meriam Webster defines the word colony as: A group of people with a common interest living in one
place. One can equate our group to the same word. We are a group of people with a common interest
in Papillons, who live in the same region known as New England.
It enables us to easily come together to share our fondness of the butterfly dog and other regional
interests as well.
How it all began…
Through internet Papillon lists, we became familiar with those who not only owned Papillons, but lived
within our area as well. We began to exchange email with them. The next step was to put faces to those
correspondences. Pam Hawkins met Bobbie Mastalerz at a dog show in Worchester, MA in November
of 2002. In early 2003, Jeanne deGraaf visited Pam Hawkins at work which happened to be in the
vicinity of where Jeanne lived. Soon after that visit, Pam asked Jeanne if she’d like to accompany her on
a trip that would unite her with her forever Pap, Mickey. Jeanne accepted and in the middle of a snow
storm they drove down to New Jersey, where Mickey awaited. Ilse and Ted Anderson lived not to far
from where Pam worked too, and like Jeanne, they stopped in and paid her a visit. In the days that
followed Pam introduced Ilse to Jeanne. It was during this same period of time that Jeanne and her
husband Bruce met Renee Groleau and her cousin Kim at a dog show held in W. Springfield, MA. in
April of 2003.
The foundation of our friendship was laid. It was time to build on what we now had and what better way
to do so then by having a Papillon Play Day!
Jeanne was the one who would unite us all by so graciously volunteering to be the host of our first play
day. The invitations were sent and on the bright and beautiful day of May 31, 2003, Jeanne, Bruce and
Lily hosted our first play day at their lovely home in Shrewsbury, MA. In attendance that day were: Ilse,
Ted and Biba Anderson, Renee and Kirby Groleau, Pam and Mickey Hawkins and Renee’s cousin Kim
Constant and her Dachshund, Chip. Bobbie was unable to attend due to being at a dog show.
Both butterflies and humans alike had a bash that day, we felt as if we had known each other forever. It
was then and there that we decided we wanted to spread our wings even more and form a club, the New
England Butterfly Club to be exact!
In September of 2003, Pam Hawkins hosted our second play day.
On that day Ilse and Ted unveiled our new club logo that they created.
They presented it on a cake. The logo is of a New England lighthouse, with butterflies fluttering about,
reminiscent of the seagulls that do the same over the New England coastline. Also incorporated into the
design are the four founding Papillons of our club: Biba, Kirby, Lily and Mickey; who we are eternally
indebted to for being the reason we’ve been brought together.
Our club was official; it was ready to take flight…
Now, two years later, with our own website and group list and many memorable butterfly play days
behind us, it has!
Like a New England fisherman who casts his nets into the ocean waters, we too cast our net, our
butterfly net, over the New England landscape in hopes to catch more Papillon friends throughout the
coming years.
Renee Groleau
` NewEngland,
2005
