The View from the Loggia
Peter LaPorte, Executive Director
Making Things Comfortable
Among the many things we like about the Olde Breton Inn is its location and charm. The Bailey family has been and continues to be very supportive of Historical Society. But, as we all know, the popularity of our dinners leads to congestion and crowding in their dining room. The bar is crowded, as is the buffet line. Those seated at the sides can't see the screen or speaker well and the sound can be uneven. And, importantly, people spend time looking for open seats, tipping chairs, or not sitting with friends.
These dinners are important to us all and we want you, our members and your guests, to enjoy them. So, for the 2025 Annual General Meeting & Spring Dinner (for which the program and reservation link are below), we're making a few adjustments:
First, we've invested in a new projector which will add some floor space in front of the screen and help a bit with crowding.
Second, we will reposition the audio speakers to, hopefully, improve the sound.
Third, there will be two bartenders instead of one which should speed things up there.
Fourth, and most significantly, we are offering three reservation choices:
Premium Reservations will enjoy seats assigned by name with optimal views of the screen and speaker, and be called first to the buffet line.
Supporter Reservations will enjoy seats assigned by name with good views of the screen and presenter.
General Reservations will not include assigned seats.
With Premium and Supporter Reservations, you can arrive when you want. No need to tilt chairs for a good seat. And, if you include the names of your friends or guests in the same reservation, you're assured of sitting together.
Premium and Supporter Reservations include a modest added cost per person. All reservations are first-come, first-served. If demand is high, Premium and Supporter will still have seats assigned by name but may not be as well positioned to see the screen.
Details are explained on the reservations page of our website and on the reservation form. Links are below.
You may ask why we are charging a bit more for Premium and Supporter reservations. This time we're not soliciting sponsorships but these dinners do support our operations. We believe that many people will be comfortable with a slight premium for reserved seating, welcoming the benefits more than having concerns about the modest cost.
One additional note. To save money, this year we will not send invitations through the mail, only by email. The reservation link is below; but, if you don't want to use a credit card through our website, you can click on the link at the very bottom of this newsletter to download a reservation form to mail with your check. Or, you can call Mary Wolfe at 301.475.2467 Wednesday through Friday between 9:00am and 1:00pm to make a reservation.
Bottom line: We're trying to make functions at the Olde Breton Inn comfortable as well as entertaining. We hope this is a step in that direction.
The 2025 Annual General Meeting & Spring Dinner
We look forward to seeing and greeting you May 29th. In addition to trying to make the evening more comfortable as described above, the program promises to be both interesting and fun. We encourage you to make reservations soon.
The Program:
Election of Directors & Officers
Our Spring Meeting is also our General Meeting at which Members vote to elect or re-elect Directors and Officers. The Historical Society Board consists of sixteen Directors who serve a four-year term and Officers who are elected from the Board for a two-year term. Members may nominate Directors either in advance by sending an email to Roy Dyson, Nominating Committee Chair, or to director@stmaryshistory.org, or from the floor that evening.
The Pete Himmelheber Award
The second Pete Himmelheber Award will be presented during the evening. The award is intended to honor the legacy of our late Director and Chronicles of St. Mary's editor, and was first presented last year to Al Gough.
The award recognizes individuals or groups who have contributed to the discovery, preservation, and interpretation of St. Mary's County History. Recipients are identified and voted on by the Board of Directors. Nominees include academic and non-academic people whose passion for history and St. Mary's County is expressed through research, writing, teaching, and media.
Please be there to honor this year's recipient.
The Farmer's Wife: A Revolting Murder - A Remarkable Year
Lawyer and journalist, Carol Booker has covered everything from civil rights to the civil war in Nigeria. After graduation from Georgetown University law school, she became legal counsel to public and international broadcasting groups, the environmental giant Greenpeace, and the US Commission on Civil Rights. 
Carol's books include Shocking the Conscience: a Reporter's Account of the Civil Rights Movement, written with her late husband, acclaimed journalist Simeon Booker; Cove Point on the Chesapeake: the Beacon, the Bay, and the Dream; and, The Waterman's Widow: A True Story of Crime and Mystery in Solomon's Island. Carol lives in Lusby over in Calvert County.
At the dinner, she will talk about her recently published book about the cold-blooded murder of a farmer's wife in the tiny hamlet of Friendship in Anne Arundel County. Like her previous book about murder on Solomon's Island, The Waterman's Widow, Carol crafts a first-class whodunit from historical documents and the astute mind of a top-flight journalist. This was a murder most foul and one that made headlines across the country.
You can make reservations by either clicking on or scanning this QR code:
Arborist Matt Anacker
We learned the other day of the passing of Matt Anacker, President of the Maryland Arborist Association (MAA). We were - and remain - grateful to Matt, the MAA, and his colleague and Historical Society friend and member, Tom Mayer for the outstanding work they did here at Tudor Hall trimming and pruning our many trees.
Folks like Matt and organizations like the MAA are rare and precious. Back in November, 2022, they assembled six teams of professional arborists from as far away as Baltimore for the day-long job of cutting back our trees and bushes. All without charge to the Historical Society.
Thank you, Matt. Rest in peace.
Sharing Memories
In last month's issue of the Tudor Hall Times, we asked for your stories of the past--memories, really--that we can video record for posterity. While some folks are reluctant and others feel that, well, their stories aren't all that special, we are thus far pleased with the level of interest shown.
If you have stories, no matter how modest, please don't be shy. The history and importantly, the culture of a place are known and preserved in little things. . .everyday occurrences that shine most brightly when remembered and past on.
So, again, we ask you--particularly the "senior countians" among us--to sit down and talk, to us. Pick a subject. "Remember when. . ." is your only cue. And if you have photos, all the better! We'll capture them and preserve them, too.
If you're interested, please shoot an email to director@stmaryshistory.org. We'll follow up with you!
Past issues of the Tudor Hall Times can be found on our website under Publications
|