Lynn Buonviri - R.I.P.
We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Lynn Buonviri, a long-time member and friend. Lynn died on May 2nd at age 77 at the MedStar St Mary's ICU.
We of course remember Lynn best for her Moll Dyer and Other Witch Tales of Southern Maryland. The relocation and enhancement of the Moll Dyer rock to Tudor Hall was due largely to her determination and generosity.
In lieu of a funeral, donations in Lynn's honor may be made to the Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Foundation (NTM) at https://ntminfo.org/, an organization working toward a cure for the diseases from which Lynn suffered.
Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Pete Himmelheber Award
At the 2024 Annual General Meeting & Spring Dinner, Tim Heely accompanied by Lillie Himmelheber presented the first annual Peter Himmelheber Award for Excellence in Research, Preservation, and Interpretation of St. Mary's County History. The recipient was Al Gough.
Al has been a member of the Historical Society for over fifty years. He served as a Board member and succeeded Regina Combs Hammett as Editor The Chronicles of St Mary’s from 1996 to 2006. Al has contributed over seventy articles to The Chronicles. He also wrote a history of the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO), Lighting Up Our Lives: The History of Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, published in 2012.
At the Award's announcement, Al received a standing ovation from a room of 165 guests. In addition to the plaque shown, he was also presented with a lacquered plaque with a copy of his first article for The Chronicles.
Well deserved, Al, well deserved!
Travis Parno - Excavations at St. Mary's Fort
The Spring Dinner included Travis Parno, PhD, Director of Research at Historic St. Mary's City gave a terrific presentation about, well, excavations at the fort. Travis, and we, received many complements on his presentation. He made what could have been a dry-ish and technical subject come alive, and not merely interesting but compelling.
If you missed the Dinner, you can find Travis' presentation - along with presentation of the Pete Himmelheber Award - at our website. Just go to Event Videos | Member Events. Or simply click on this link and you'll be there in a flash.
Officers & Directors Elected
Awards and presentations were not the only things that took place at the Spring Dinner. It is, after all, the Annual General Meeting at which members elect, or re-elect, Directors and Officers.
Directors Jason Babcock, Mike Mummaugh, Marsha Williams, and Pat Woodburn were re-elected to four-year terms through 2028.
Officers Christine Senese, Treasurer, and Dr. John Roache, VP, were re-elected for two year terms as through 2026.
And, elected to the Board were Daniel Kerns and Steven Gass. Both will serve out terms of retired Directors through 2027.
Please congratulate these Directors who offer their time and experience to guide the Historical Society.
2023 Report to Members
This past Monday, all Primary Members should have received the 2023 Report to Members via email. This is the first annual report issued by the Historical Society to review both finances and activities in the year just past. It was also given to attendees at the Spring Dinner.
If you did not receive it or would like a hard-copy, please send an email to admin@smaryshistory.org and we'll send one to you!
And while we're at it, how about advertising your membership in the Historical Society? We have window-stickers available for you free-of-charge. Just drop by Tudor Hall during our regular hours and ask for one. They are easy to apply, don't leave a mess, and tell your friends and neighbors that you are proud to be part of this wonderful organization.
The View from the Loggia
Now, that is quite a view, though admittedly not from Tudor Hall's loggia.
It is an aerial view of Nernier, France, where, come June 1st, my wife and I will spend a month-long holiday. Nernier is a small medieval village on the shore of Lake Geneva in the Haute Savoie region of France. This is the first vacation that I've taken since becoming part of the Historical Society (I don't consider our Winter hiatus to be a proper vacation) and my wife and I are looking forward to it immensely.
However, I admit to a degree of angst about getting the June edition of the Tudor Hall Times out to all of you. Even during the numbing Doldrums-of-COVID when nothing happened, I managed to get this missive out each month. But being out of the County - not to mention out of the country - poses a challenge complicated even more by my desire to take only a low-functioning tablet with me, not a high-functioning notebook PC.
So, while I will do my best to send along some sort of news about things historical, I beg your forgiveness if I fall silent. Between the Lake and the Alps, between the wine, cheese, pastries, etcetera, etcetera, I may a little distracted.
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