March 2010 Message from the President

There are times when being the President of our Society seems like a full time job.  Now is one of those times.  We are gearing up for the work weekend, then school tours, then Colonial Heritage Day and its activities, and then the summer long weekend tours that follow.  We are working with the township officials, with private home owners, planning parking and traffic controls for the events, researching, writing and editing a book on the Bartram Covered Bridge, and worrying about publicity, following up on items discussed at the previous board meeting and preparing for the next one, finding candidates to nominate for board positions, attending to property management issues for a large commercial property, planning capital projects, working with a Boy Scout troop on an upcoming Eagle Scout project, and contributing to the newsletter.  We also meet periodically with representatives of historical societies in neighboring communities to share ideas on attracting and retaining members, program ideas, and learning more about other Delaware County historic sites and resources, which we have in abundance.  We are also considering starting a school scholarship or annual award, we are wrapping up one grant and considering seeking others, and we have no shortage of ideas for future projects.  There are times when we stop and say “why?”  Wouldn’t it be easier to sit at home and watch TV or read a book and let other people do this?  

For me, the answer is that I want to give back to life what I get out of it.  Life is a joyful experience for me, because no matter where I go in my travels, I meet interesting people doing interesting things and making their communities a worthwhile place to live and to visit.  I want people with a passion for their history and their town to tell me about their local sights, the special places to eat, the unique and unusual things that have been preserved in their town.  I like quirky museums like the Stoogeum (Three Stooges Museum in Ambler), a testament to one person’s irrational love for slapstick and silliness.  I am thrilled when the gates are opened at the Newlin Grist Mill, and right before your eyes, the slow trickle of water begins to turn the huge water wheel that then puts in motion the roomful of 18^th century devices that can grind, saw, sharpen, or do every task that a mill could do, while using as fuel the water from the nearby stream.   I want the same and more for our town – a wonderful parade, an annual day of community celebration, educating our children to the wonders of history in our area, providing a museum of local history, celebrating an old covered bridge, preserving the many good things about our community and its heritage, and like a good steward, passing them on to those who come next.  For me, none of this happens in front of my TV.  It happens when I turn off the set, and get out into the stream of life.  Yes, life is busier that way, but more interesting, more challenging, more exciting as well.  And more rewarding.