Meeting Minutes

November 30, 2006

Starksboro Historical Society Meeting
November 30, 2006
Starksboro Town Offices
7:00-8:40 pm

Members present: Emma Lou Craig, Olive Phillips, Sarah Adams, Cynthia Kling, Robert Stokes, Kevin Hanson, and Ruth Beecher

Secretary’s minutes from September 28, 2006 were approved. Treasurer’s Report approved. We have just over $1,000 in our checking account.

Old Business & Information:

1. After a year’s worth of communicating with the IRS, we have officially received our non-profit 501(c)(3) status. Emma Lou will follow through with the required annual paperwork.

2. There are display cabinets available at the Middlebury College Museum of Art mentioned in the VT Historical Alliance Newsletter either for sale or free to a non-profit. Sarah will call to get more information.

3. Kudos to Elsa for receiving a local history grant of $250,000 (funded by VT Public Television and the VT Division of Historic Preservation) to research Chimney Point’s History and create a documentary, timed to coincide with the 400th Anniversary of Champlain’s visit to the Lake.

4. Discussion of 2007 History Expo. It was agreed since no one attended or was invited to attend the meetings, we would not have a display in the summer of 2007.

New Business:

1. Due to having a speaker at our annual meeting time, our election of officers for 2007 will be moved to our March meeting.

2. Emma Lou and Olive attended a Collections Workshop at The Vermont Historical Society on September 12, 2006. There were several suggestions and ideas provided to help organize and start our Collection Management in keeping with other Historical Societies. Too much for now, but good to start, newborn as we are. All would tie in with the work Kevin is doing on the collections computer program. All items we receive/save are numbered and catalogued along with the same number entered in both a notebook as well as in the computer. More on this at a later date.

3. We received a request for family bibles. Em will research source of request if anyone has old family bibles they are willing to pass on to a collector.

4. Kevin mentioned that we could look at the data entry system if a computer was available. Ruth offered to bring her PC laptop to a future meeting, or she could set up the Tech Lab at Robinson School to allow everyone easy viewing. Or Em will check with Cheryl to see if it’s OK to access the Internet on the town’s computer at one of our meetings. The system can be accessed directly from this link - http://www.starksboromeetinghouse.org/shs/DBTest/catalog_login_test.asp or go to Starksboromeetinghouse.org, then the INFORMATION page, then BETA ONLINE CATALOG link towards the bottom of the page. There are links for DATA ENTRY and OUTPUT (where schools or libraries could see reports for research purposes). To test the database, log on with the username shstest, password 05487. This is a separate database we can use to try out the program. There are areas for accessions, objects and utilities, etc. (If these instructions don't work, please contact Kevin, our web and computer system guru, at kphanson@gmavt.net)

5. Emma Lou offered to update the brochure soon.

6. Howard Coffin will be speaking at our next meeting on January 26th at 7pm at the Starksboro Village Meeting House (in place of our meeting on the 25th). Posters are available to publicize this event. All present volunteered to post in popular places for advertising the event. We will serve cookies, cider and other goodies and need contributors -- please let us know if you are able to make something or buy cider! Topic: Vermont author and Civil War historian Howard Coffin will speak on Vermont's involvement in the Civil War and how the conflict affected Vermont and Vermonters. Hopefully we can glean more information on Starksboro participants?

7. We brainstormed ideas/locations for future meetings in 2007:
* Building Crown Point Road, the first major highway in Vermont with Jim Rowe as speaker
* Quaker Meeting House/Potluck Annual Gathering in South Starksboro
* Starksboro Farms (not during their busier seasons)
* Brown Hill/Cynthia's barn with a cemetery theme

8. We discussed using Starksboro's cemeteries as resources for inventories of former Starksboro residents. Robert is a member of the Green Mount Cemetery Commission and offered to contact Art Clifford regarding his information on Green Mount Cemetery. Emma-Lou offered to find out information regarding the cemeteries next to Dave and Bette Mason's house and on Mason Hill South. Sarah offered to investigate the Quaker cemetery. We also discussed the possibility of offering a 'bus tour' of Starksboro's cemeteries, perhaps in 2008.

9. Sarah spoke with Vera Ryersbach regarding a school project entitled Festival of the Book. Project idea: connect Robinson students with residents we interview to create booklets of interviews. Sarah will follow through with Vera on this.

10. Sarah mentioned that three new members joined us: Welcome to Frank Bryan, Joyce Fuller Tubbs, and Connie Waller! Sarah will give their contact information to Ruth.

11. Kevin received a CD in the mail from the Vt. Women's History Project entitled "Strengthening the Future by Illuminating the Past". The CD includes interviews about women from the Vt. History Expo 2006. Let Emma- Lou know if you would like to borrow it.

12. We investigated the small room upstairs as a potential temporary location for SHS to use. Em will discuss this with Cheryl Estey and ask the Select Board.

13. Next Meeting: Friday, January 26: Speaker-Howard Coffin at 7pm at Village Meeting House.

Our March meeting will be a business meeting with election of officers and finalizing meeting topics/locations for rest of year.

Respectfully submitted,
Ruth Beecher