EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING President Jerry Francis called the meeting to order at 12:35 P. M. The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag followed. Officers and Directors Present: George Broseman, Denise Francis, Jerry Francis, Stella Gabuzda, Ted Goldsborough, Alison Graham, Jack Hagner, S. Hamill Horne, Chris Jones, Dick Jones, Bobbie McElroy, Ross Mitchell, Bruce Reed, and Joan Roberts. Excused Absence(s): Mary Keim, Jack Maguire, Mickey Shumway. Invited Guest(s): Phil Eidelson. Jerry Francis gave a brief review of 2002. The National Register of Historic Places Certificate was received from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for the Lower Merion Academy, Cynwyd Elementary, Bala Cynwyd Junior High School Complex. We hope to have a joint dedication ceremony with the School District in the Spring. Jack Maguire will inquire as to a date that is convenient for both the Cynwyd School and the Bala Cynwyd Middle School. Also, Jerry Francis informed the Township Commissioners about the receipt of the National Register Certificate. Treasurer's Report: Jack Hagner presented the unaudited statement of our financial position as of December 31, 2002 and a copy of the Budget for 2002. The book inventory is down from 1,953 books to 1,619 books, which are stored at the warehouse, in the Academy building and the copies on consignment. Assets are $121,431, of which $49,520 are restricted for the Academy building renovations and $71,911 are unrestricted. Included in the $193,017 funds received for renovations, is $106,260 in kind contribution from the Lower Merion School District, based on a detailed schedule of estimated costs of renovation work performed. The Treasurer's Report was moved, seconded and unanimously passed to accept as presented. The report will under go a financial review by Mazen and Company. Academy Building: Ross Mitchell presented a list of The Lower Merion Historical Society Foundation/Grant requests. He also found a website that lists financial statements from foundations, who they give to and what their interests are. The goal is to raise $341,000 in Phase ll. There is still $23,600 remaining to be raised. We will not know about the grant application to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development until August. We have also secured a list of members of the Main Line Chamber of Commerce. Because of our $90,000 Keystone Grant, work must be started on our renovations by March 1, 2003. Also, the Township's Zoning Hearing Board has a similar start date. Jerry Francis announced that the School District has begun their demolition work on the building which is the removal of asbestos, basement sinks, and the removal of the second floor kitchen.. Our contractor (McCoubrey/Overholser) will begin work on March 1, 2003 and they will take until September to complete their part of the renovations. We expect to finish the move from Ashbridge in October and have the dedication of the Academy building in November. The State of Pennsylvania has many building codes and require a building permit. We've requested six variances from the State L&I and will have to appear before their Appeal Panel. The Township's Building and Planning Department requires multiple building permits. Bob Duncan has been very cooperative and helpful in acquiring these necessary permits. Meetings with Township and School staffs have been very cordial. Inspectors are in regularly checking on the progress of the work. Blueprints for the project are available, if anyone is interested. The First Three Hundred: Jerry Francis discussed the number differences in the inventory from the Treasurer's report. The sale of 48 books in October through December makes the difference and is reported on the hand out sheet. Education: Ted Goldsborough discussed the Education Program for the next few months. Jerry Francis will do a display of artifacts about the Lenape Indians at 6 elementary schools. In April, the program to talk to classes of school students will begin. Then bus tours of the area will be given, usually about 13 tours. In May the intergenerational interviews will be given at schools. Ted Goldsborough has requested the school tours be finished by May 15 when he leaves on vacation. Lynn Kauffman has helped move up the school schedules. Pennsylvania has passed changes in their education program wanting more local history in schools. Ted Goldsborough made a video of his bus tours. Took 3 hours to tape. The Lower Merion High School representative has misplaced the first tape. Luckily there are 2 other tapes. Denise Francis suggested that perhaps Society members would be willing to help with the taping project. Jerry Francis reported that the School District is behind on their plan to insert History into their curriculum but have scheduled the discussion for the next School Board meeting. During 2002, the Society did 52 lectures, attended by 3,011 people. Library: Jerry Francis made the report for Mary Keim. The Library concept has changed as it now overlaps with the website. When the Library was only at Ashbridge everyone wanting information had to go there. Now, with the website, we process over 3,000 hits a day where users can receive answers to their inquiries. In addition, last year we answered 128 e-mails from internet users. Our new electronic library is working fine, but it will never replace our printed library materials or replace the special skills of our Special Librarians at Ashbridge: Mary Keim, Mary Wood and Ted Goldsborough. Membership: Denise Francis reported that the membership letters went out 2 weeks earlier this year. The complimentary and life member letters do not get dues envelopes. Membership remains steady. Core remains stable, over 360 with all categories combined. The membership letter and form are now incorporated into our website. Program: Chris Jones distributed a hand out sheet with the program through September. The first program will be at Beechwood House on the Shipley School campus on Wednesday, February 26, from 6:00 to 8:00 P. M. The speaker will be Dr. Daniel N. Rolph, head of Reference Services, Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The House has been magnificently restored by a committee, headed by a Shipley Alumna, who raised over $2,000,000. Friends and Friends were the Architects. Chris Jones hopes to cut costs by having volunteers bring food and clean up. Our Annual Meeting is on Sunday, April 13, from 2:00 to 4:00 P. M. at the Merion Tribute House. The speaker will be Bruce Gill, Curator & Director, Harriton House, on the history of the Harriton Plantation. Sunday, June 8, 2:00 to 5:00 P. M. will be a bus trip & guided tour of Stenton Mansion and Barn, the Georgian home of Scottish Quaker, James Logan. Sunday, September 20, from 11:00 A. M. to 3:00 P. M. will be the dedication of the Friends of Autocar/ Historical Society Site Marker. Details are still to be worked out. The luncheon will be at the Lower Merion High School Cafeteria. Autocar trucks & cars will be displayed at two sites. Chris Jones discussed a two-tier system of charges, members and non-member rates. Chris & Dick Jones were helpful in setting up the bus tour with the Merion Friends/ Haverford Friends. The William Morrison talk at Beaumont was very successful. At least 120 attended, half were Beaumont residents. Public Relations: Chris Jones announced that the next Milestones would be out in March. Flyers for the February meeting will be distributed to Libraries and newspapers and be done by Dick Jones. Publicity: Our outreach programs have been with the Autocar group, the Quaker tour and the meeting with the Haverford Historical Society. Strategic Plan: To plan for the future "The Heritage Federation" has been formed to serve as a community clearing-house for disparate information and collections. By serving as a facilitator unifying local information into an easily accessible format for research and education, for all ages and uses. By bundling with other groups, we will be stronger. The Federation will be a two-tiered program composed of the "Partnership Program" and the "Fellowship Program". Many local businesses, schools and community organizations will be able to use our services. Old Business: At the last Board meeting, the fall and winter goals were presented. The program now is to catalogue the thousands of names of those buried in Lower Merion cemeteries. A virtual-tour of burial sites will go on the website and eventually there will be a database to find burial plots. We have records for Lower Merion Baptist Church, but need their permission to load them onto our website. Question was asked about West Laurel Hill Cemetery. They have their own records and additional funding would be necessary if we wanted to incorporate them onto our website. Quakers did not use headstones. Anne Bagley and Phil Eidelson are working on the Roberts Family Papers which, when completed, will be incorporated onto our website. Denise Francis described the Library inventory project. The General Reference Collection has been cataloged and incorporated onto our website. Very few reference books remain at Ashbridge House. We now have three Library Collections: General Reference, Lower Merion Literary Company, and Dr. Edward H. Snow. Winter and Spring goals are: Finish getting the necessary funding to complete Academy renovations, finish upgrade of the website's search engine, and work on the upcoming school lectures. Jack Hagner and Jerry Francis will develop a 2003 budget. Nominating Committee will come up with a slate of officers for our April Annual Meeting. Chris Jones, Ross Mitchell, Ted Goldsborough will work on identifying nominees. New Business: Ross Mitchell introduced Alan Tarver, an architect who has volunteered his services. George Broseman will help Ted Goldsborough with the placement of the Autocar Marker on dedication day. The meeting was adjourned at 2:58 P. M. Respectfully Submitted |