Here we are approaching the end of May and I find myself appalled that I somehow overlooked getting this month's Tudor Hall Times to you. Perhaps it owes to so much going on or - more likely - it owes to my increasing forgetfulness (my excuse is that I turned eighty-two a few days ago).

Whatever the cause, my apologies. I've yet to miss a month getting this missive to you you, our members and our friends. I don't want to start now. It is important that we let you know we're here, we care, and most of all, you're important to everything we do.

75^th Anniversary Celebration Announced

Plans for the Historical Society's 75th Anniversary Celebration were announced at the Spring Dinner and Annual General Meeting earlier this month.

The festivities will take place Friday, September 11^th at The White Rose in Callaway. The event will be different from our "normal" dinners. We will celebrate the people and history of the Historical Society and the County. There will be live music, a served ("plated") dinner, and an open bar. And a few other surprises. . .

Featured on the program is Coach Orlando "Tubby" Smith. Born and raised down the road in Scotland, Coach Smith is one of most celebrated sons of the County.

He's had an extraordinary career starting at Great Mills High School to coaching Division 1 college basketball. and all the way an NCAA championship. A true leader and excellent speaker, Coach Smith's story is inspiring to everyone who loves this County and has aspired to greatness.

Pete Himmelheber Award Recipients

At the Annual General Meeting & Spring Dinner on May 8^th the third annual Pete Himmelheber Award was presented to Karen and Gene Wood.

The annual award recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to the preservation and interpretation of County history. Long-time volunteer Researcher, Karen Wood received the plaque from Lillie Himmelheber and Historical Society President, Tim Heely.

The presentation was especially poignant and meaningful. Gene, who passed away suddenly, was a devoted and avid contributor to the Historical Society. From rebuilding shelves in our Research Center, to fixing lighting, refurbishing the grandfather's clock in the lobby, to building from scratch the carriage on which the Ark cannon rests, Gene was extraordinary. 

Similarly, Karen continues to be an industrious, patient, detailed-oriented, and much-loved volunteer. It was she who inspired our annual Christmas open house.

Individually and together, this year's recipients were deserving of this honor.

Historically Speaking: A Very Excellent Lecture

On April 23^rd, Professor Mary T. Hall of St. Mary's College of Maryland, delivered an extraordinary presentation titled Every Man His Own Historian: Civil War Diaries of Two Opposing Soldiers. Her lecture to a well-attended audience of students, faculty, and public, was based on her recent book "From a Yankee to a Rebel Diary", the story of a small “remembrancer”  that belonged initially to a Union private who wrote in it faithfully for six months before abandoning it outside of Richmond in June 1862.  A Confederate soldier – Professor Hall’s great-grandfather – found the book and in entries spanning over thirty months, wrote of illnesses that nearly killed him, a religious conversion that changed his life, and his grueling experiences as a prisoner of war. 

You can find the video of her wonderful and humor-filled lecture here.

The story was detailed and compelling. But perhaps of even greater interest is that these two humble men wrote for themselves and their loved ones. Not as historians. Not for posterity. But to capture the small, personal burdens that they encountered and overcame.  Yet in doing the simple act of writing, they opened a window into a world that may never have been seen. 

Professor Hall went on to say that every man - all of us - can be historians by way of the diaries, photos, and memorabilia that chronicle our daily lives. It is these intimate, personal accounts of events, of history, that draw us to Ken Burns documentaries. While we all may think that we live humble lives, each of our stories is important. And, like the Union and Confederate soldiers in Professor Hall's narrative, through the memories we place on paper, we may also reveal the meaning and fabric of the larger story. 

If you're not a member, how about joining us! A downloadable Membership Form is attached below.