Next Sunday at noon the Martha’s Vineyard branch of the King Canute Society International will meet at the little bridge on State Beach Road. There, members and guests will fill buckets with sand and proceed single file to the parking lot near the Oak Bluffs town beach. Here members of the King Canute society will don their ancient robes and accompanied by musicians playing traditional period instruments will lead the procession up East Chop and to the cliffs (but not too near). Here, after another ceremony of speeches, certified members will approach the overhang and empty one by one the buckets of sand into th e sea below. A simple buffet with an assortment of items from the sea will follow.

As you know the erosion of the East Chop Bluff is caused by the constant barrage of waves and wind which are ever changing on the Island. Some locals blame the weight and type of sand used to build the new crop of trophy homes sprouting up around the Island. Many feel that the federal government will pay for all of this as if these funds were coming from some remote and inexhaustible source like from the land of Oz.

There are few universals in life but one of the most common but least understood is that all pants have four pockets. The first and largest pocket is to put aside funds for the Feds, the second for the State, third for your local government and the last, which is usually the smallest and most likely empty pocket, is reserved for your own personal needs.

The King Canute Society is active all over the world and has been trying to address the new conditions triggered by climate change. They were recently involved in the effort to save trophy homes on Nantucket from falling into the sea. This was such a common experience that rumors had it that several families went to sleep every night wearing life preservers and flippers.

As many of you already know the Island of Martha’s Vineyard is getting smaller. In the Eldridge map of 1913, Martha;s Vineyard was 125 sq. miles; in 1969 we were 100 sq. miles and in 2019, according to the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, we are now 88 sq. miles.

Donations to this worthy nonprofit may be made to: King Canute International Society, c/o attorneys Peachum and Patchum, 15 Liberty Square, Falmouth.

This event is free and open to the public. Please bring your own bucket.

John Crelan lives in Oak Bluffs and curates the annual Island Bloomsday celebration.