Our meeting was held on Saturday August 4th at the Shushan Covered Bridge Museum and School House following a wonderful day in Washington Co. celebrating the dedication of Buskirks, Eagleville, and Rexleigh Covered Bridges. We had a sign in sheet and 47 members attended. We are having a special two month raffle on a covered bridge bedspread and pillow once owned by one of our society’s Past Presidents Frances Withee. They were donated by her daughter Sharon Dunn. It has raised $38.00 so far. Today’s raffle was a copper and wooden wall plaque of a covered bridge that was donated by Ada Jeffrey and won by Gary Beckstead. We raised $10.00 for the society on it. The 50-50 brought in $15.00 for the society and the same for our winner Hank Messing. The meeting was brought to order at 4:23 p.m. by President Donna Freeland. Dave and Marikka Guay, along with their daughter Jenn, proudly announced that the NYSCBS’s booth that was set up at the Salem courthouse today raised $300.50 from sales of covered bridge items. A big thank you and applause was given! Dick Bailey’s clocks and other items he made were a big hit! Next we had self introductions followed by congratulations to Dave and Carol Frantz on celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The July minutes were read and with a few minor corrections were accepted. Hank Messing gave his Treasurer’s report. Balance of Checking: $9,360.99, Savings: $24,877.25, Richard Wilson Memorial Fund $2,057.26, CDs: $21,991.39. Membership Total is 372. We have 8 fewer than at this time last year. President Donna Freeland reminded us to encourage gift memberships. Jeanette Wilson found that the difference in mailing the Courier flat or folded was 39 cents higher sending it flat. We will continue sending it folded. A huge thank you went out to Sean McDermott for doing such a wonderful job editing for the first time on the last Courier. We will eagerly await the printing of today’s story on the dedication of the Washington Co. covered bridges that will be written by Joyce Soroka. We have received a thank you note from Sara Ashton of the Cambridge Valley Community Development and Preservation Partnership Inc. for our $500 donation. Our upcoming newsletter will contain the proposed changes to our by-laws. There will be thirty days to observe them and they will be voted on in October. Dave Guay collected some information about a memorial bench for Dick Wilson from the Brownell Lumber Co. They would construct a six foot bench for $167. We would provide our own plaque. Information on a builder in Salem who built the bench at the Shushan Covered Bridge is being sought. Suggestions were made concerning the location for the bench. Another possibility is a memorial tree planted. A motion was made by Hank Messing and seconded by Wayne Marshfield to proceed with setting up the memorial. The issue of our society’s insurance came up and Joyce Soroka reported that the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society carries liability insurance. She will email the information to us. We gave Marty Hornung a nice thank you for her perseverance in having our calendars ready in time for today’s event. We thanked John Rich for making the arrangements that allowed us to have our meeting at the Shushan Covered Bridge and providing us shelter beneath the cool shade of a tent. Sally Smith thanked us for our support towards the dedication of the Washington Co. Covered Bridges. Grant and Marie Musser’s son will be donating their collection of covered bridge memorabilia to be auctioned off at our next meeting. Donna Freeland and Linda Schott will go and collect it next Sunday. All donations can be brought to the Hamden Town Hall on September 9th. Marty Hornung was notified that Irma Apel has items to donate and will also be collecting them. Joyce Soroka announced that Wayne Siefert’s Covered Bridge Festival was a real success in Pa. He has received a gift membership to the NYSCBS. Pat Cook reports that three Perry Co. bridges are being worked on. George Conn reminded us that the Theodore Burr CB Society’s 50th Anniversary is will be held in 2009 and also that the Richard Donovan Memorial Safari will be held September 29-30 this year. Sharon Dunn suggested a collection to donate to the Shushan Covered Bridge Museum that brought about $42.00. Donna Freeland informed us there will be a History Fair at the Historic Mabee Farm in Rotterdam Junction, NY. on September 15th. If anyone is interested in setting up and covering a booth there for our society let her know. Chuck Knapp reminded us of the October 14th meeting at the Wings of Eagles Nation Warplane Museum. There will be a$5.00 fee to take the tour after the meeting. According to Hank Messing old pictures of the Shushan Covered Bridge were received from the Museum of Art History in San Diego, Ca. They will be added to our archives.
At 5:20 a motion was made by Dave Guay and seconded by Chuck Knapp to close the meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Schott Recording Secretary