October 23, 2008 Meeting

Thanks to all of you who attended last Thursday’s meeting of the committee at Chatham. Thanks too for all your work on the work groups, which, every one, produced important and useful work.

Posted here are the notes of the meeting, with a more complete list of projects. I have, as promised, separated the projects into two general groups: those that the committee will need to undertake on its own initiative, and those for which the committee will need to provide recruitment (i.e. engage another organization to do it), collaboration, and support. It was the consensus of the group that virtually everything on this finalized list is worth pursuing. If anyone feels otherwise, then please let me know and we will address the issue at the next meeting. If I hear no objections, I will go ahead and fold the project list into the Action Plan…..

Given that the 4th Thursday in November is Thanksgiving, we’ll move our next meeting to December 4. I’ll let you know about a location.

At our next, we have three major tasks:

- Finalize the list and assign members to work teams for each project–all on a volunteer basis (each of you picks your projects). Bear in mind, that there is no way our committee can do all the work needed to get all these programs or initiatives moving forward. We have to reach out to others–non-members–to help. If a particular project has no one to carry its mail, then that project will not move forward. Prior to the next meeting, please give some thought to the projects you might be most interested in working on–and those to which you can make the biggest contribution.

- Settle on the members of the Committee for Review, Support, and Coordination and how that committee will function. Its major tasks will be to review projects for inclusion under the 150th banner, provide coordination with local governments and the statewide Sesquicentennial Commission, outreach to the press, and seek funding for important initiatives.

- Charge the standing committee on African-American history and programs with getting started–acting as both advocate and resource, working to reach out to the African-American Community, and ensuring the Sesquicentennial Observance hereabouts adequately addresses the stories and places associated with slavery, struggle, and freedom.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.