May signals the end of the semester and graduation for local university students. Unfortunately, this means it is time to say goodbye to our interns at the Society. April witnessed several well attended events and has laid a nice framework for upcoming May happenings. The Annual Operating Campaign takes place over the next few months and will help to fuel projects for the second half of the year. There are many moving parts which make up the Society, and when they move in harmony, some truly amazing things can happen.
Trivia night was a successful evening, with fun had by all. The teams who answered the most questions correctly were awarded a gift card to a local restaurant for their demonstration of knowledge. Special thanks to Wendy from the HomeMade Restaurant for providing the food, the Indiana Key Club for helping throughout the evening, and to all the Society volunteers who put in the work to make the event possible. Given the positive response, this is an event the Society will consider keeping on the calendar for 2025. Winners were also announced for the "My Indiana County" Photo contest at the conclusion of the evening. The winning pieces will appear in the Society's annual calendar and the winners will also receive a monetary prize.
Moving along to current happenings, tickets are going fast for the Spring Victorian Ladies Tea. Mary Jo Bowes has once again crafted an incredibly enjoyable afternoon. Many of the regular attendees have purchased their tickets, however, there are some new faces on the guest list. Tickets are $25, with a reduced price of $20 for Society members. The afternoon will feature an assortment of pastries, the Society's signature blend of tea, and coffee from Cafe Amadeus. The following week, a small sale will take place to close out the month. "Oldies but Goodies, and Books" will feature a small table of items over the course of the week of May 21 throughout the day. The focus of the sale is surplus books from the Society's gift shop, as well as gifts and nick knacks.
From a Program perspective, both author talks from April saw nice attendance and witnessed many new faces in the Society. Sara Lambert Bloom's talk on Iselin drew a nice crowd and Janice Dembosky saw many of the chairs in the room filled. A recording of both talks can be found on the Society's website. The Society is working with the American Legion Post 141 and NAFF to host a concert in the park on Sunday May 26. The following day, the American Legion Post 141 will host the annual Memorial Day Program. It is a great way to get out and honor those who served. Baseball fans will be pleased with the Society's upcoming book talk in June with Bob Fulton. His passion is the Pittsburgh Pirates and will share insight into his new book "Burial at Home Plate." The Program Committee continues to make connections with other organizations and grow the Society's involvement within the community.
The annual giving campaign letters will be in the mail soon. We encourage every member and the public to give to this important drive to help the Society operate for another year. Any amount contributes to keeping the lights on and supports the continued work of our committees, as well as the preservation of artifacts and documents. If every current member gives $47, the Society will hit its operating budget amount for the year and be able to continue its work full steam ahead.
This month the Society says goodbye to its spring semester interns. Joshua Kriesman is adding the finishing touches to his display. Maddison Webster has successfully given the medical exhibit a facelift, providing more information for interested museumgoers. Other past interns have returned to volunteer, such as Kaylee Becker George, who has put forth a fantastic effort to keep the incoming donations cataloged and current.
Sadly, early last month, our Director Emeritus Jean Williams passed away. A service was held on April 15 at Calvary Presbyterian where friends and family honored her memory. Despite the loss, we remember Jean's legacy at the Society and are grateful for the impact she has had on the organization.
Over the years there have been many wonderful volunteers who have made the dream of the Society's founders become a reality. Consider supporting the annual campaign or joining the Society for one of our many events to keep that dream alive. It is through the amazing support of our volunteers and members that the Society can continue to preserve Indiana County's history, one document at a time.