This annual event celebrates youth involvement in the study of local history and features the winners of the Nancy Carnegie Merrill History Award. The contest and event are in honor of our esteemed citizen and town historian, Nancy Carnegie Merrill, and are generously sponsored by Service Credit Union.

This year, the topic for our annual essay contest is “Youth at Work” and students were asked to choose a topic that relates to an aspect of the working lives of young people in Exeter. The winners will be asked to read their essays at the event, and will receive a $100 prize, provided by Service Credit Union. Exeter High School principal Michael Monahan will give the introductory remarks, and we will hear music by local students.

Our 12th annual Youth Night is dedicated to the memory of Malcolm Wetherbee. In 2007, as a trustee of the Exeter Historical Society, he established the Nancy Carnegie Merrill History Award and Youth Night, and wrote the words to Exeter’s unofficial town song, “O Exeter, Sweet Exeter”. We are forever grateful to Malcolm for his dedication to Exeter's history and to educating young people of its importance.