LEROYPENNYSAVER&NEWS -MARCH 15, 2015
ACommitment To Education
byLynneBelluscio
I’d like tocommend theBoard
of Trustees of the Historical So-
ciety, for making a commitment
to the future of the organization.
At the recent meeting of the
Board of Trustees, it was unan-
imously voted to commemorate
the 75th Anniversary of the
foundingof theHistoricalSociety
with the establishment of a new
endowment dedicated strictly to
education programs. It is hoped
that this endowmentwill grow in
thenext fewyearsandwillenable
the Historical Society to hire a
museum educator.
The Historical Society’s life
members were asked to make
contributions to the endowment
and it is a wonderful example
of their generosity, that over
$3,000 has been contributed by
our life members. In addition,
it was announced at Saturday’s
Dinner Auction that the profit of
the evening would be added to
theLifeMember’s contributions
with the hope that the total will
reach$10,000 and it looks like it
willbeclose to the targetamount.
Once$10,000hasbeen raised,
we have a commitment from a
friend of the Historical Society
to match that amount, and this
will be a good start for the new
endowment. Of course the en-
dowment will have to be much
larger to generate the necessary
income to fund programs, but it
is a beginning.
I also want to thank the Board
for recognizing my determined
efforts tocontinue theeducational
programsmidst all theotherduties
that I am called upon to perform.
The new endowment will be
known asLynne’s Fun–d. Dona-
tionsat any timecanbedesignated
to Lynne’s Fund and can only be
used foreducationalprogramming.
School programming
is an integral part of
the Historical Society’s
mission and vision. We
hope that theexperiences
that the students have
at LeRoy House will
remain with them as a
positive legacy of this
community. Many of
them will move away.
But we hope that a little
bit of LeRoy’s history
willgowith them. May-
be they will remember
eating their baked bis-
cuits with hand churned
butter.Orusing theapple
Playing games in the front yard.
peeler. Some will remember
using a scrub board on the back
porch or planting marigolds in
Jacob LeRoy’s garden. And
there might be a couple of kids
who remember that theywon the
spelling bee.
And they better remember the
tragic story of Frozen Charlotte
and never ever go out the door
onacolddaywithout theirwinter
coats and warmmittens - - and
always listen to their mother!!!
Maybe theywill remembermeet-
ingMrs.LeRoyand themaid. Or
singing in the back parlor as the
doors open to reveal the candle
lit Christmas tree.
It’shard toevaluate the impact
of our education programs. For
many years, we have had kids
tellus that theirparentsremember
coming to LeRoy House when
they were in school. I consider
that a positive thing. We enjoy
having the kids come to the tent
during theOatkaFestival toshow
their friends and family how to
play the old games.
Through theyears a lot of vol-
unteershaveshared their timeand
energy to make these programs
available - -Joanne Graham,
Barb Elliott, Ruth Harvie, Ange
Bell, Martha Tabone, Cheryll
Fernaays, Shelia Furr, Martha
Davis,BrendaBeal,SylviaFraser
and many others. To insure that
theseprogramswill continue, the
Historical Society is investing in
the future and there is no better
time than now.
Thank you to all the people
who opened their wallets and
bought something at the auction.
Thank you to all the folks who
donated items or gift certificates
for theauction. Thankyou to the
D&RDepot forputting togethera
wonderful1940meal.And thank
you to our life members for be-
lieving inwhatwe do.
AngeBellwithbarn raising.
LeslieDeloozewithkids in thebuttery.
Group of kids on the front porch.
