My Notes  (photos below notes)

May 2018 Meeting

Sun River Valley Historical Society 

These are my unofficial and informal notes of today’s meeting at the Fort Shaw Community Center.  Attend the next meeting to hear reading of the official notes of our Secretary Dianne Sand.  Any errors and/or omissions in these notes are mine alone.

This was our last regular meeting of the 2017-2018 season. 

Election of officers:  President - Burnette Batista, Vice President - Sue Williams, Secretary – Dianne Sand, and Treasurer – Earl Sheldon.  Directors Bob Milford, Kermit Stanfield, Ken Robison, Don Batista, Elerine LaRoque, Ida Johnson, Ina Mae Cooper, and John Bennett.

There were several donations of items today, including a McClellan saddle, part of an Army bed frame, and cartridge shells and slugs found at Fort Shaw by Ken Robison, a beautiful cup with a date of 1905 believed from the St. Louis World’s Fair by Ida Johnson, a book donated by Earl Sheldon,  a book and a rifle bayonet found at the fort in a beautiful shadow box crafted by Don Ensley, a painting of Col. Robert G. Shaw donated by Ruth Merja, and two papers from the McKnight Sutler’s Store.

Burnette gave the Treasurers report, said that our insurance is paid up, and called for membership report by Membership Chair Rita Sands. 

Burnette presented the annual report, citing many accomplishments including the great success of our 150th Anniversary Celebration last August, building improvements, completion of the Memory Tower grounds and the all the bricks on the west wall of the tower.  She reported that we are short less than a half-dozen bricks to complete the south wall, and by the end of the meeting all  to complete the south wall were sold.  Several bricks have been bought honoring soldiers who served at the Fort, and one in honor of the students and teachers of the Fort Shaw Indian School. 

Burnette also reported that Debbie Briscoe has donated about 70 books, mostly paperbacks.  She also told of a tour she conducted of the Fort for a group of students and teachers from the Browning Schools.  She also took them out to the cemetery and gave the students seeds for wild flowers to distribute about the grounds. 

We had considerable discussion of the 2018 Annual Tour scheduled for Sunday, August 12th following Valley Fun Days on the 11th.  A committee was formed and a follow-up meeting set for June 11th.  It sounds like another fun day in the making, so mark your calendars.

Earl reported on activity of our Facebook page and the www.srvhs.info website and asked if we should continue both and fund the website.  Motion was made, seconded and passed to continue and pay for the website for another year.

Bob Milford gave an update on the Adams Barn and said a clean-up day will be called this summer.  Ken Robison reported on the recent meeting and progress toward the Upper Missouri Heritage Area. Ken reported on the upcoming event of the Great Falls – Cascade County Historical Preservation to take place at the refurbished theater in Belt, MT, and said the Annual Mullan Road event has been moved from Spokane, WA to Kellogg, ID on May 19th.

There were a couple other items that I noted, but I can’t read my writing. Perils of age. 😊