The Monthly Newsletter of the St. Mary's County Historical Society AUGUST 2024
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The View from the Loggia
The View from the Loggia could not have been much better than it was this past Friday when about one-hundred members and guests came to Tudor Hall for the annual Summer Social. Membership chair Susan Dyer and her always diligent Committee ensured that attendees were well cared for with food and drink. Indeed, many guests brought along their favorite savories to add to the abundance. 
I've always enjoyed the Summer Social as it gives me - all of us, really - a chance to chat informally with members in a relaxed setting. That is something we try to do at the dinners but often is less satisfactory than the Social. If you missed it this year (we did shift the date due to the threat of inclement weather), please make it point to join us next year. You will be glad you did!
Fall Dinner is October 18th
Make your plans now to join us at the Olde Breton Inn on Friday, October 18th for the Fall Dinner. In addition to the usual good food, we have an exciting speaker on tap for the evening: Captain Angela Laaro, the newly-appointed skipper of the Dove.
 Captain Laaro is no stranger to St. Mary's County. She was graduated from St. Mary's College of Maryland in 2015 with a BS in Biology. Her nautical career has seen her in responsible positions on the Great Lakes, the Caribbean, and up and down the Atlantic, including on the tall ship Lynx, a replica War of 1812 square topsail schooner, serving as the Chief Mate. Her theme for the 18th is: Sailing Full Circle with Captain Laaro: The Nautical Voyage of a St. Mary's County Local.
Reservations will go live on our website shortly (we'll send a notice). We encourage you to make yours quickly as this will surely be a sold out event!
The 2024 Annual Appeal
It is because of your support of and generosity to the Annual Appeal that in recent years we have been able to:
- Digitize the treasure trove of archival materials on hand at Tudor Hall
- Provide access to our archives on our website
- Implement secure, off-site backup of archives and family files
- Hire an experienced and capable Archivist
- Create an electronic library catalog in our Research Center
- Develop an online platform for oral histories from the County and the UCAC
 We rarely set fund-raising goals, preferring instead to rely on your assessment of our activities and your goodwill in helping us fulfill our mission of collecting, preserving, interpreting, and - importantly - giving life to this County's rich history.
Through these Annual Appeals, we hope we have, and will continue to, earn your trust and endorsement that we're doing the right things in the right ways.
In early September, you'll receive a letter from our President, Adm. Tim Heely, USN (Ret.) along with a donation card. You'll also be able to contribute via our website. Watch for it!
Thank you.
Planning for the Future
The Board of Directors will soon undertake the development of a strategic plan to guide the Historical Society over the next few years. It can be a complex task and is never easy.
That's why we need your help. You see, we are developing a pretty comprehensive survey for members, former members and nonmembers to, well, tell us what you think. Why you joined - or didn't join - the Historical Society. What you like about being a member and what you don't. Importantly, we will ask for you thoughts on how we can increase membership, improve our programs and develop new ones, and where you'd like to see us go over the next three to five years.
You will hear more about plan development and your role in it over the next couple of months. When the surveys come your way - and they will - we encourage you to spend the few minutes it will take to thoughtfully complete them.
Our Mission - our future - depends on you.
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