It seems the Woodchucks won’t become a formal organization after all. The local group of senior citizen woodsmen considered incorporating last month at the town’s request. But the group decided last week to remain a loose association of volunteers, and instead fall under the Boothbay Region Community Resource Council’s umbrella.

The Town of Boothbay requested the Woodchuck formally organize last month in order to continue their three-year relationship with the all-volunteer organization. The town has provided the group with space at the municipal woodlot where the Woodchucks cut and store firewood. As the Woodchucks’ membership has grown, municipal leaders worried about potential liability concerns in the crowded public woodlot used by the volunteer group and public works department.

On Aug. 13, BRCRC President Susan Wilson and Woodchuck Alan Strouss explained how the relationship between the two community-minded organizations would work. The Woodchucks will either become or continue to be one of several community service programs like Food for Thought and Set for Success associated with the BRCRC. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the BRCRC carries insurance. Once the BRCRC enters into a lease agreement with the town, the Woodchucks would be protected under the organization’s insurance.

The BRCRC will negotiate a lease with the town on the Woodchucks’ behalf. During an Aug. 9 meeting, town officials met with BRCRC and Woodchuck representatives who outlined how the volunteer woodsmen would operate. The parties agreed that the Woodchucks would remain a separate entity, but fall under the BRCRC umbrella. The lease agreement would be between the town and BRCRC. All town monies designated for Woodchuck use will transfer into a BRCRC bank account.

According to Wilson, the new arrangement isn’t actually new. She believed the Woodchucks were a BRCRC program since its inception.The Woodchucks originated during a BRCRC executive committee meeting in 2008.

“I’ve always considered the Woodchucks part of the BRCRC,” Wilson said. “Henry is a BRCRC member and regularly reported on the group’s activities. I never thought of them as anything but a member of our organization.”

Rowe attended the selectmen’s meeting, but he had a different recollection of the Woodchucks beginnings. Rowe agreed the Woodchucks originated during a BRCRC executive commitee meeting when he asked, “What is being done to meet the region’s heating needs?”

The question led to a group of men huddling at a different end of the congregational church where the committee meeting was held. This impromptu meeting of a group senior citizen woodsmen eventually became the Woodchucks.

“I asked the question about who was going to take charge and it ended up in dead silence,” Rowe said. “I did my damnedest to find somebody to take charge, but nobody did. So five and half years later here we are.”

Even though the Woodchucks concept was born during a BRCRC meeting, Rowe always considered the group an independent organization without any official ties.

“We’ve always done things on our own,” Rowe said. “Some people may have thought we were part of the BRCRC, but I never felt that way.”

During the Aug. 9 meeting, the BRCRC and the Woodchucks informed Town Manager James Chaousis about the understanding reached between the two organizations. Chaousis is currently working on a draft lease agreement. The town expects to enter into the agreement with the BRCRC later this year.

In other action, Chaousis reported the board meeting was the second event live-streamed with the town’s new audio video equipment. Boothbay installed the equipment into the municipal room last month. The town is capable of live-streaming any event from the room. Town officials plan on live-streaming all municipal meetings. Recorded meetings can also be viewed on the Internet. The town may also make the room available to other groups who wanting to live-stream their events.

“We’re still trying to figure out what kind of resource we have and how to use it,” Chaousis said. “We’re still evaluating the system’s assets and liabilities to see how to use it in the public’s interest.”

The first Boothbay meeting live-streamed was the Board of Appeals meeting held on Aug. 12.

The selectmen also agreed to meet with their Boothbay Harbor counterparts to discuss economic development. The joint meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 26 in the Boothbay Harbor town office.

The next selectmen’s meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 27 in the municipal room.