2004: Newtown, PA
DATE: 2004 October 21-23
ORGANIZER: Dave Kimmerly, Lyle Rosenberger & Greg Huber
FIELD TRIP ITINERARY:
(1) Henry Mercer Museum, Doylestown, PA
(2) Barn Tour of Bucks County, PA
Mercer Museum, Doylestown
Minutes - Pioneer America Society Board Meeting
Newtown, Pennsylvania, October 21, 2004
Members Present:
Charles Calkins, Frank Ainsley, Alec Bobersky, Artimus Keiffer, Keith Sculle, Bob Sherman, Cathy Wilson, Delilah Tayloe. Kevin Coleman was invited in order to present a proposal concerning a future meeting site.
I. Calkins convened the meeting at 7:12 p.m., and welcomed the Board to Newtown. New board members Cathy Wilson, Bill Tishler, and Jeff Durbin were announced. Charles Calkins expressed the society$)A!/s thanks to Dave Kimmerly and Lyle Rosenberger for their efforts and work in planning this meeting.
II. The minutes of the 2003 Barbados meeting were accepted as written.
III. The Treasurer$)A!/s Reports were unanimously accepted as presented.
IV. Reports:
A. General Announcements:
Calkins announced his resignation as Executive Director to become effective after the 2005 annual conference in Baton Rouge. He said that he would appoint an ad-hoc committee to identify a new executive director, and that the committee would report to the board at the Baton Rouge meeting.
B. Material Culture:
Keiffer reported that publication and printing of Material Culture, Vol. 36:2 was completed, mailed, and received. Volume 37:1, the Terry Jordan Memorial Issue is on schedule and will contain 15 book reviews. Calkins said that he is very impressed with Material Culture$)A!*with the broader scope of interests and the good use of reprints of classic articles from the early issues. Keiffer said that Scott Roper, the Book Review Editor, has about several dozen books on hand to be reviewed. Also, there is an abundance of articles for the next year. The board unanimously agreed that the look and image and the variety of topical articles is good. Keiffer said that Fall 2005 (37:2); Spring 2006 (38:1); and Fall 2006 (38:2) are well on the way to completion.
C. P.A.S.T.:
In the absence of Marty Perkins, Charlie Calkins reported that Volume 25 and 26 have been published and the journal is back on a timely schedule. Calkins said that the P.A.S. has been served well by Marty and he then read a letter of resignation from Marty effective after the 2004 meeting and the editing of P.A.S.T. for the Newtown meeting unless a new editor immediately steps forward. Calkins stated the board$)A!/s gratitude for the many years of service that Marty Perkins has given the Society.
D. P.A.S. Newsletter:
Cathy Wilson announced that Capital Blueprint Company in Springfield, IL, was now photocopying the newsletter and that the xeroxing saves about $400 in the cost of each newsletter. Calkins thanked Cathy for her excellent work on the Newsletter, and asked all members to send any items to the Newsletter editor.
Mercer Mansion, Doylestown
E. Future Meeting Sites:
On October 27-29, 2005, Craig Colten of LSU will host the meeting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jay Edwards and Craig Colten will each lead a field trip and Charles Aiken will deliver the keynote address. The PAS meeting will be held jointly with the Eastern Historical Geographers Association.
The 2006 meeting will be held in Ohio. Kevin Coleman presented a preliminary proposal for a meeting in Chillicothe, Ohio to be hosted by the Ross County Historical Society. Because of some uncertainties concerning the degree of support to help Kevin plan such a meeting, the board suggested a preference for the 2006 meeting to held in Springfield, Ohio. Artimus Keiffer will be the local arrangements chairman and Kevin Coleman will work with him. It was suggested that the board consider the Chillicothe meeting for possibly 2009, after Kevin arranges firmer commitments from local organizations there. Bob Sherman volunteered to have discussions with organizations in Cooperstown, New York about a future meeting there.
Paula Reed and Susan Trail have offered to host the 2007 meeting in west central Maryland.
The schedule for future meeting sites is as follows:
Oct. 27-29, 2005 Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Oct. 5-7, 2006 Springfield, Ohio
2007 West Central Maryland
2008 (?) Cooperstown, New York suggested
2009 (?) Chillicothe, Ohio
E. Henry H. Douglas Distinguished Service Award:
Calkins announced that this year$)A!/s winner is John Jakle. The Service Awards Committee is composed of Tracey Sculle, Chair, Floyd Mansberger, and Barbara Mooney. This committee will need a replacement for Tracey Sculle for next year.
F. Report of the Book Awards Committee:
Delilah Tayloe reported that the Book Awards Committee, consisting of herself, Brett Rogers (Chair) and Cathy Ambler, has recommended that the Fred Kniffen Best-Authored Book Award be presented to John Rehder for his book Appalachian Folkways.
There was no award this year for the Allen G. Noble Award for best-edited book.
G. Warren Roberts Graduate Student Paper Awards
The first ever winner of the Warren Roberts Graduate Student Paper Awards is Kathy Roberts for her paper $)A!0Living the Good Life: Cellar Houses and Social Changes in West Virginia.$)A!1 Ms. Roberts is a graduate student in folklore at Indiana University.
H. PAS Historic Preservation Award of Merit.
This award annually recognizes the preservation, interpretation, instruction, celebration or exhibition of American material culture. The Preservation Awards for 2004 were to the following:
This award went to Save the Speaker$)A!/s House, Inc. of Collegeville, Pennsylvania for their work in saving the Frederick Muhlenberg House from demolition by a large pharmacy chain. The group plans to restore the house as a museum. Accepting the award were Al and Barbara Douglas.
Honorable Mention:
(1) Franconia Historical Society for preventing the demolition of the Jonas G. Leidy House. Accepting the award were members Vickie Stauffer and Kate Nuss.
(2) Upper Moreland Historical Association for encouraging the adoption of local historic preservation ordinances and for organizing bus tours of local historic sites.
V. Old Business:
A. Discussion of the PAS website:
Because of problems with Triovisions, LLC., Frank Ainsley that the site was transferred to a new host, Wordwright, Inc. and that a new, greatly improved and more attractive webpage will be available early in 2005.
VI. New Business:
A. Resignations:
Calkins announced his resignation as Executive Director to become effective after the 2005 annual conference in Baton Rouge. He also read a letter of resignation from Marty Perkins, editor of P.A.S.T.
The Board accepted the resignations of Calkins and Perkins. Sculle moved and Ainsley seconded that Calkins send a statement of commendation honoring Perkins for his many years of stellar service be sent to Old World Wisconsin. Also Calkins was asked to request that Perkins do the editorial work for this year$)A!/s P.A.S.T., the papers from the Newtown meeting. Passed unanimously.
B. Search Committee:
Calkins appointed an ad-hoc committee to identify a new executive director, and that the committee would report to the board at the Baton Rouge meeting. Keith Sculle was asked to chair the committee, and that he and Sculle would ask two others members to serve on it. . Keiffer moved and Sherman seconded the formation of the committee and it was passed unanimously by the Board
C. Special Recognitions:
(1) The Board recognized the contributions of Carol Kneisley of the Wittenber g University Publications Department to the production of Material Culture.
The Board voted to give her a $200 gift certificate and a one-year membership in the society.
(2) The Board also gave special recognition to Artimus Keiffer for his fine work on
Material Culture, and for working efficiently and honorably with all contributors and for
working on the production of the updated membership brochure. Calkins was asked to send a letter praising Keiffer to the appropriate administrators at Wittenberg University.
D. Board Slate for 2005 Meeting:
Nominees for Board of Directors: The terms of Bob Sherman, Glenn Harper, and Marshall McLennan end this year. Calkins thanked the outgoing board members for their contributions. The 2003-2005 board members are Cathy Wilson, Bill Tishler, and Jeff Durbin. The 2004-2006 board members are Keith Sculle, Alex Bobersky, and Delilah Tayloe. The board elected to the 2005-2007 board$)A!*Mike Davis, Tom Rasmussen, Chris Mayda.
E. Membership Topics:
(1) Artimus Keiffer and Cathy Wilson reported on their membership booth that they had set up at the National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Several new members joined at that meeting.
(2) Keiffer reported on the new membership brochure. The Board authorized Keiffer to investigate the cost of printing from 500 to 2,000 copies and to proceed with the printing of the new brochure. The Board approved a $100 honorarium for the student who assisted in the development of the brochure.
(3) Discussion about possible discount for a multiple year membership.
F. Preservation Awards Committee:
Glenn Harper sent an email stating the he was resigning as chair of the Preservation Awards Committee effective with this meeting. Bob Sherman volunteered to head the committee.
Keiffer moved and Ainsley seconded that the Preservation Award of Merit be revamped and that it will no longer include the $500 monetary award; instead the society will award a plaque and a one-year institutional membership. The Board passed the motion unanimously.
G. The meeting was adjourned at 10:40 p.m.
Chimney on Mercer Tile Work
Minutes - Pioneer America Society Business Meeting
1. Charlie Calkins called the meeting to order at 12:35 p.m.
2. Calkins welcomed the Society to Newtown and Bucks County and thanked Dave Kimmerly and Lyle Rosenberger for their work in planning and working to make the 2004 meeting a success.
3. The Board accepted the resignations of two officers effective at the end of 2005$)A!*Charlie Calkins, Executive Director, and Marty Perkins, Editor of P.A.S.T. A search committee comprised of Keith Sculle, Chair, Marshall Bowen, and Noreen Bobersky has been created to run an announcement in the newsletter and identify a successor for the position of Executive Director.
4. Ainsley issued a plea for the members to send him updated email addresses.
5. On October 27-29, 2005, the PAS will meet in Baton Rouge, Louisiana - a meeting being planned by Craig Colten of LSU. Colten invited the society to come to Louisiana. Jay Edwards and Craig Colten will each lead a field trip and Charles Aiken will deliver the keynote address. The PAS meeting will be held jointly with the Eastern Historical Geographers Association. The 2006 meeting will be hosted by Artimus Keiffer of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio.
6. Nominees for Board of Directors:
The 2005-2007 board members nominated by the Board are Mike Davis, Tom Rasmussen, and Chris Mayda. All were elected by unanimously. The outgoing 2002-2004 board members are Marshall McLennan, Glenn Harper, and Bob Sherman. On behalf of the Society, Calkins extended the PAS's gratitude to these board members for their years of service.
7. Dave Kimmerly announced a tour of the statuary gardens of Tyler Hall. Greg Huber announced that his barn tour would leave at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
8. The meeting was officially adjourned at 1:50 p.m
Pioneer America Society Awards Banquet
October 22, 2004 in Newtown, Pennsylvania
1. At 8:55 p.m., after a wonderful banquet at the Brick Hotel, Dave Kimmerly welcomed the Pioneer America Society to Newtown.
2. Book Awards: Delilah Tayloe of the Book Awards Committee announced that the Fred Kniffen Best-Authored Book Award was presented to John Rehder for his book Appalachian Folkways. There was no award this year for the Allen G. Noble Award for best-edited book.
3. PAS Historic Preservation Award of Merit. This award annually recognizes the preservation, interpretation, instruction, celebration or exhibition of American material culture. Dave Kimmerly, Local Arrangements Chair, announced the recipients of the awards for 2004.
The Historic Preservation of Merit Award: This award went to Save the Speaker$)A!/s House, Inc. of Collegeville, Pennsylvania for their work in saving the Frederick Muhlenberg House from demolition by a large pharmacy chain. The group plans to restore the house as a museum. Accepting the award were Al and Barbara Douglas.
Honorable Mention:
(1) Franconia Historical Society for preventing the demolition of the Jonas G. Leidy House. Accepting the award were members Vickie Stauffer and Kate Nuss.
(2) Upper Moreland Historical Association for encouraging the adoption of local historic preservation ordinances and for organizing bus tours of local historic sites.
4. Henry H. Douglas Distinguished Service Award: Frank Ainsley announced that this year$)A!/s winner was John Jakle, retired professor of geography at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. PAS Secretary Frank Ainsley read some of many accomplishments of service that Jakle has contributed over many years as a member of the PAS, and as an author of many books contributing to the study and dissemination of material culture.
5. The first ever winner of the Warren Roberts Graduate Student Paper Awards was Kathy Roberts for her paper $)A!0Living the Good Life: Cellar Houses and Social Changes in West Virginia.$)A!1 Ms. Roberts is a graduate student in folklore at Indiana University. The daughter of Warren Roberts was a guest at the banquet.
6. A brief slide presentation on the life of Henry Mercer by Cory Amsler concluded the banquet which adjourned at 9:45 p.m.