October has come and gone, and with it the Society’s 84th annual meeting. The weather was favorable, and the atmosphere was seasonal. The night featured business as usual, a speaker, the grand opening of an exhibit, and some excellent food courtesy of our volunteers.
With a giant funerary display as its backdrop, the annual meeting commenced with an address from the outgoing president, Mary Yanity, highlighting the state of the Society. In her words “things are good” she reviewed the many events the Society now does on a yearly basis and the increased visitorship which has resulted. Treasurer Kris Welch followed with the financial report for the year and indicated the Society is in good financial health. Finally, it was time for Herb Gleditsch to provide his nominating report with a slate of new officers.
At the conclusion of this year, Dorie Leathers and Cori Woods will step down to pursue other things. Other board members have been shifted to positions that better align with their skills. Katie Gaudreau will be taking on the Museum, Mary Yanity has moved to Membership, and Jackie Wiley to the At-Large position. A few folks who previously served on the board have returned for more of the action. Gary Clawson will resume his role as Library Chair, Allen Fiechuk returns to head the Fundraising Committee, and Chuck Spence steps into the role of Vice President.
Following the business meeting, a program was provided by Jim Ferguson discussing a history of funerary practices, commentary on his funeral home celebrating 100 years in business, and the future of mortuary practices. Mr. Ferguson also brought several types of antique equipment for the talk and generously allowed the Society to keep it on display for the remainder of the season.
Two other items of interest also occurred during the evening. The opening of the mortuary display took place with its curator Makenna Berchin present to answer questions and speak with eager visitors. Guests also had the opportunity to visit the Clark House, which was freshly decorated for the upcoming Trick-or-Treat event on Halloween.
Special thanks to Kris Welch for providing delicious mummy dogs for the main course and cupcakes with chocolate spiders for dessert. The Society is also grateful for the effort of Cori and Jet Woods in making the pasta salad. The mother daughter duo crafted an excellent dish, which featured intricately carved carrots in the likeness of pumpkins for a nice seasonal twist.
Now that the annual meeting is over, many of the newly positioned board members are already planning for an exciting year ahead. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the evening and contributed to a memorable event!
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