BSHS Newsletter May 2007

vol 27 #1

download a printable version here

old business:

craft fair weekend

The Museum was open during the Craft Fair and was a big hit. Many thanks are in order. A great thanks to Brittany and all the volunteers who helped keep the Museum open for extended Craft Fair hours.

Our new booth continued to welcome many visitors. Thanks also to all our volunteers who manned the booth. A special shout out to our youngest volunteers ever: Robert Papel and Hayes Taylor.

museum update

A tremendous thanks to our Museum Committee, Joan and Susan, for organizing all the donations and displays. They have also been cataloging, and photographing, all items in the Museums collection. Their economy is well worth mentioning, as they are only half way through the budget so far. But to be sure there's plenty more to do.

new business:

bshs books

new copies of the beersheba book were printed to get us through the next few summers. we are also setting up to issue a second, updated and expanded edition of the book and have established a publications committee (currently clopper almon) to organize and handle the process. the publication committee will also handle all bshs publications. please contact an officer or board member about inclusion in the book, or to volunteer on the publication committee.

museum objectives (summer '07)

in addition to the great work accomplished so far, joan and susan laid out a great plan for moving forward. the next steps include:

• volunteers to help catalog papers, books and genealogical material. bshs is considering a paid helper as well, but we should all be involved in this important preservation effort.

• we also need help in the continuing effort to photograph the museums collection.

• we also need folding chairs for meetings and discussions; a real 'open' and 'closed' sign for the front door; filing cabinets for paperwork; improved shelving to display bshs items 'for sale' (books, postcards, etc.); additional electrical outlets and improved lighting; some form of document preservation.

• event days for children at the museum will include an 'old time work day.' we don't mean making the kids clean the museum, although... rather a program that demonstrates life in beersheba 100 years ago. cooking lessons (from scratch, of course), cider making, wood working, horse shoeing, and other non-powered tool chores and lively-hoods, etc., will create a living history display, allowing the kids to interact with history, instead of just looking at it. we also want to have a puppet show day, hosted by joan almon who has graciously volunteered to organize the event.

• the museum will start collecting digital and audio records of stories and family histories, for archival purposes.

additional business

• look for bshs web site soon.

• we are restarting (thanks to elizabeth papel for organizing the effort) the walking tour of beersheba. please let us know if we can show your house, or if you can volunteer as a guide.

a motion to open the museum through november, with paid staff, carried.