Meeting Minutes

June 30, 2005

Starksboro Historical Society
June 30, 2005

Starksboro Town Office
7:00 -8:15 pm

Members present: Emma Lou Craig, Cynthia Kling, Gerry Heffernan, Olive Phillips, Sarah Adams, Ruth Beecher

1. MINUTES from April 18, 2005 were approved.

2. VERMONT HISTORY EXPO
Our display featuring Elijah Hedding, Bertha Hanson, and Dave Mason at the Vermont History Expo (June 24-26) in Tunbridge was great. Special thanks to Cynthia Kling for her artistic expertise in setting up the display. Thanks also to members who donated their time while 'manning' the exhibit over the weekend: Cynthia, Emma Lou, Elsa, Olive and Ruth. It was very nice to be part of the Expo, AND part of our 5-town display.

3. STARKSBORO'S 225th ANNIVERSARY - NOV. 4 CELEBRATION
Elsa suggested that we have a potluck to celebrate the 225th anniversary of Starksboro's charter, which was November 7, 1780. The painted curtain in the Town Hall could also be included in this celebration with a presentation by Chris Hadsel. Discussion ensued regarding hosting the potluck in the church on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4th, then folks could cross the street to the Town Hall to view the curtain, and go back to the church for the presentation regarding the curtain's restoration. Emma Lou offered to put information in the Gazette.

4. REGULAR MEETING DATE
We established a regular meeting date for our committee: the 4th Thursday of the month, at the Town Office, at 7:00 pm, beginning September 22nd.

5. NON-PROFIT STATUS
Emma Lou has the 501(c)3 paperwork needed for non-profit status. She is currently waiting for a call back from the state before proceeding.

6. BYLAWS
Bylaws from area historical societies are being gathered. A subcommittee was formed for the purpose of reviewing these documents: Sarah Adams, Ruth Beecher, and Emma Lou Craig. Jim Runcie has offered to check bylaws when we've got a working draft.

7. LOGO
Cynthia has generously offered to create a logo for the Starksboro Historical Society!

8. BROCHURE
We discussed the need to eventually create a brochure. Membership dues to be included as follows: Family membership $10.00, Lifetime membership $150.00.

9. TREASURER
Sarah Adams, our treasurer, will be opening a bank account for the Starksboro Historical Society. Donations are being accepted at any time!

10. DIRECTION OF COMMITTEE
A brief discussion was started regarding where we'll go with this committee. Possibilities include cataloging items, education, and cemeteries.

11. DISPLAY FROM THE HISTORY EXPO
Cynthia has the items from the Expo in her garage and will set them up in the Starksboro Public Library for now. Maybe we'll put the display up in the Town Office or at Robinson School at a later date.

12. EDUCATION CONNECTIONS
Ruth mentioned a late-June school inservice day where teachers brought in objects that represent our culture now and in the past. Objects include light bulb/candle; plastic ladle/aluminum ladle; old milk bottle/milk carton; store bought pickles/home canned pickles; etc. Teachers would like to create an interactive display of objects in the fall for students.

QUESTIONS: would Starksboro Historical Society members like to contribute to this display? Where could we have the display set up? Discussion regarding Rick Mason's arrowhead collection and bottle collection.

13. GUEST SPEAKERS
Folks are encouraged to keep their eyes and ears open for possible guest speakers to draw people in. Connections with the Vermont Humanities Council may prove beneficial.

14. ROBINSON SCHOOL'S HISTORY
Sarah expressed interest in pursuing the history of Robinson School. This led to a great collection of memories that Olive has regarding her days at Robinson!

15. NEXT MEETING
Our next meeting will be September 22nd, at the Town Office, at 7:00 pm. (We discussed the possibility of meeting at various locations in the future, such as the Jerusalem Schoolhouse.)

Special thanks to Em for the delicious ice cream on a hot summer's night!

Respectfully submitted,
Ruth Beecher