By BILL MAULE | Contributing writer

KINGSTON — Some years ago, perhaps 10 or so, Kingston’s Rotary Club sought another way to earn more funds for our charitable causes. The club designed special labels for small bottles of water. We sold these not only to provide a small amount of money for our charitable work, but also to bring us some favorable publicity.

The first sales effort came at a Fourth of July parade in Kingston. I enjoyed walking the route, selling the bottles to thirsty folk waiting for the parade to start. It was fun to have an excuse to chat with many a Kingstonian and to engage in a bit of jocularity in my sales pitch, including such corny lines such as noting that it was excellent water and had been passed by our club president. Not everyone got the joke.

Then came the day when fellow Rotarian Nancy Martin led me into a life of crime and an encounter with the cops. Of course, that is a gross exaggeration, but it makes for a more interesting tale.

I had quickly jumped to volunteer when Nancy sought club members to join her in making sales to another captive audience — families sitting in hot cars waiting for the Kingston-to-Edmonds ferry on a Sunday afternoon. On the appointed day, I noticed there were only three other Rotarians involved — all female. Again, it was fun to banter with prospective customers, this time all from the other side of the Sound.

The fun came to a sudden end. One of our worthy deputy sheriffs approached me, very politely indeed. It was interesting that sexism still existed in our lovely little city by the sea. Since I was the only male in our little sales force, he naturally assumed that I was the leader and thus the principal culprit.

Quite deferentially, he said he was well aware that we represented a very worthy cause, but our peddling in the public street was contrary to law and asked us to cease and desist. I explained that we were not aware of that law and would end our sales immediately. I informed Nancy and we did as requested; we immediately ceased and desisted.

Thus ended the well-intended effort to quench the thirst of the thirsty and to add a few bucks to nourish our worthy projects.

— Bill Maule is a long-time Kingston resident and ferry rider.