From Our President at Annual Meeting, January 6, 2008
Mission
The North Andover Historical Society is a non-profit educational institution, dedicated to preserving, acquiring, teaching, exhibiting and researching North Andover history, which it does mainly through its collections. This institution serves as a repository for artifacts, archival information, and objects made or used in the North Andover area from the 17th Century onward. In addition, the North Andover Historical Society supports and promotes the architectural and landscape heritage of the town.
Adopted by the Board, April 12, 2000
Last fall I attended the New England Museum Association meeting with our ED, Carol Majahad. Many of the sessions focused on ways that Historical Societies/Museums are reinventing themselves to attract wider audiences. A major theme was a shift from acquiring and preserving activities to interactive teaching and exhibiting activities. Technology has changed the expectations of our audiences. I believe that we need to join this evolution.
To that end, the board has begun a strategic planning project that will begin next Saturday, January 19, with an offsite board retreat. We hope to develop an operational plan that will guide us through the next few years. Our goals continue to be to increase financial strength to support our current level of mission activities & to create a plan to increase space available for future acquisition. However, we need a plan that we can all discuss and implement.
On a lighter note, in March our Executive Director will have been with us for twenty years. We will honor her with a tea in the spring at a date to be announced. The Society has scheduled many programs and events that will occur between now and June; I encourage you to participate in them. We are working on shifting our hours to include some Saturdays and Sundays in the Spring and Fall to make our programs available to a wider audience. We continue to pursue the short term goals of increasing membership and program revenues that I identified last year.
In closing, thank you to our members, Board Directors, and the staff for all their hard work.
Kathy C. Stevens, President
Executive Director’s Report on Fiscal year 2006-2007
Carol Majahad
This past year has been one of challenges and changes. The construction in the Old Center made access to our properties a real physical challenge, but by in large, our regular programs went on without interruption. Partnerships helped to pave the way to new audiences. Fifty programs were presented as compared to 41 total for the previous year; not all were great successes, but our total audience by August 31, 2007 was up 17% from the previous year.
We partnered with the North Parish Church to celebrate the completed preservation and renovation of their building, a linchpin of the Old Center’s personality and history. We joined with the local chapter of the American Quilt Study group to present a daylong seminar on researching quilt history and this association led us to our participation in the countywide exhibit of quilts at the Wenham Museum this past October, viewed by the national AQSG group during their annual meeting in Lowell. We completed our joint Massachusetts Foundation Scholar in Residence grant on local foodways with the Andover Historical Society, and this October, armed with our new laptop and educational slide show, we joined their educators’ marketplace. The Historical Society went all the way to Durham, New Hampshire for a museum studies course at the University of New Hampshire.
This year promises new opportunities. In October, I presented a unit on the Andover witch trials for the 8th grade class, as sponsored by the Enrichment Council. This was the second Enrichment Council sponsored presentation, but this year’s presentation, as integrated into a special topics history-literature week, has the potential (we hope) to continue for several years. If we have learned anything in the past few years, it is the lesson that in times of economic scarcity, the survivors are those who band together and develop their own unique product and services.
During the past fiscal year, our volunteer involvement rose 66.6% from the previous year. Thanks to those volunteers (and that includes our hard working board members) we completed the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) self study, community surveys and site visit. There is much more to be done as we sort our way into the future, but the burden shared is a burden able to be borne. Our Parson Barnard House now has a core of trained and costumed docents to help interpret the rooms during special events. We have drawn on our membership to develop an October series on 1692 Andover. Our membership and partners continue to provide the speakers for the This Old North Andover House series. Volunteers set up and provide the refreshments, and meet and greet our guests at events like this throughout the year. With the development of more on-site, multi-rotation school programs, we continue –a thirty-five year tradition, by the way-- to rely on volunteer educators.
Our staff (thank you Kathy & Inga) continues, with volunteer help, to identify, accession, catalogue and house our three dimensional and archival collections. Exhibits help tie into our programs, like last year’s “We Went to Meeting” presentation. Our newest installation on North Andover history is a step toward fulfilling our status as a true history museum. Other steps, such as making the cottage more hands on has also brought us closer to meeting the needs of this community.
Fiscal year 2006-2007 was not without problems, but points to a sustainable future because of the dedication of the staff, the board and the membership of the North Andover Historical Society. As we proceed along in fy08, I feel confident that we will manage our growth, make careful planning a priority and continue to fulfill—and expand—our mission of education for all audiences. I thank all of you for the support and work you provide to keep this institution alive and growing.
New Members
Family
Louise Borke & Family
Susan Bozorth & Family
Sandra Cannella & Family
Marguerite & Joyce Cooper
Robert & Patricia Coppetta
Megan & Douglas Evans
Sandra Gleed & Family
Dan Lanen & Family
Ross & Kari Lochrie
Catherine McGoldrick & Family
Kevin & Kristine McLellan
Gail Ralston & Robert Decelle
Judy Reilly & Family
Jon Waisnor & Family
Senior
Howard Kaepplein Roselyn Listernick
Fran Stiglin
Single
Margo Burns Terri Goodridge
“Welcome Back”
Senior - Marianne Berry
Single - Tom Buthmann
———————————————————————-
Upcoming Events
Adventures in Time: “Knit Away”, February 20, Part I, 1 to 3pm. A school vacation workshop for children ages 7 and up. Learn the time honored needlecraft of knitting, or practice your purl stitches! We will create our own needles — but you can also bring your own. Yarn will be provided. (Part II, machine knitting, will be offered in April.) Members: $5; Non-members: $7. Snowdate: Feb. 22. Space is limited, so advance registration is suggested. For more information, or to register, call the Society at 978-686-4035.
Behind the Scenes - History for Kids, March 27, 10am to 11:30. How do you make history come alive? Join us for an informative session on what goes into creating the many kinds of interactive history programs for children that the Society offers both for the schools and over vacations. Following this overview, long-time Society volunteer and Board member, Martha Larson, will introduce us to the art of creating more authentic historical costumes through the use of period correct fabric choices. This program is free and open to the public. The snowdate for this program is April 3.
Adventures in Time: Knit Away, Part 2, April 23, 1 to 3pm. School vacation workshop for children, ages 7 and up. This workshop is a continuation of February’s workshop. Having looked at knitting by hand with needles, this session is for machine knitted creations. Members : $5; Non-members - $7. Advance registration is suggested, call the Society for more information or to register.
Do It Right: Historic House Restoration, May 7, 7pm. Mark your calendar for an informative presentation from Essex County preservation professionals, woodwright James Whidden and architect Mathew Cummings. Come and enjoy this virtual tour of their work and learn first hand some of their rules for preservation. The lecture begins at 7pm, doors open at 6:45. Society Members $5 - Non-members: $7. All proceeds go to help the Parson Barnard Preservation Fund.
This Old North Andover House Series: The Samuel Osgood House, May 21, 7:30pm. The Samuel Osgood Birthplace, built in 1740, is one of the few North Andover individual listed properties on the National Register. Join home-owner and Board member Martha Larson for this illustrated talk about recent and past renovations, archeological finds, period paint choices and all the joys and trials of owning an 18th century local landmark. The lecture begins at 7:30, doors open at 7pm. Members free - Non-members $7.
Herb Fair at Johnson Cottage, June 7, 8am - 3pm. This is a joint event with the Herb Society of Andover. Plant sale, demonstrations and themed tours of the Johnson Cottage. Details will be announced in the Spring newsletter.
2008 Summer Adventures in Time. “Working in Time” will be held the week of July 7 through July 11th. “Our Bright New Age” is scheduled August 4 through August 8th. Look for further details in the Spring newsletter. The 2007 Summer Adventures in Time program was funded in part by the Brown Family Foundation and The Greater Lawrence Summer Fund.
SAVE THE DATE! Third Annual Garden Tour, June 21, 2008, 10am to 4pm. Details TBA in the Spring Newsletter.
___________________________________________
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the North Andover Garden Club for the beautiful wreaths that decorated our properties during the holiday season.
Calendar
*Adventures in Time: “Knit Away”, Part I, February 20th, 1 to 3pm. Snowdate is February 22.
*Behind the Scenes - History for Kids, March 27, 10am to 11:30am. Snowdate is April 3.
*Adventures in Time, “Knit Away”, Part II, April 23, 1 to 3pm.
*Do It Right: Historic House Restoration, May 7, 7pm.
*This Old North Andover House Series: The Samuel Osgood House, May 21, 7:30pm.
*Herb Fair at Johnson Cottage, June 7, 8am to 3pm.
*Third Annual Garden Tour, June 21, 10am to 4pm.
*2008 Summer Adventures in Time: 1st Week, July 7 - 11th, “Working in Time”; 2nd Week, August 4 -8th,
“Our Bright New Age”.
Research Fees
The Society’s recent MAP self-assessment process brought to light the need to better manage all of our resources, both human (cost of personnel) and physical (including the cost of preservation for our collections).
Effective February 1st, our new fee schedule will be:
Non members: $15 for the first hour; $10/hour for following hours.
Basic Membership levels (Senior, Single & Family): First 2 hours free; $5/hour for following hours.
Non Member Businesses: $25 per hour.
Staff-conducted research: $20 for the first hour and $15 for each following hour.
Mission
The North Andover Historical Society is a non-profit educational institution, dedicated to preserving, acquiring, teaching, exhibiting and researching North Andover history, which it does mainly through its collections. This institution serves as a repository for artifacts, archival information, and objects made or used in the North Andover area from the 17th Century onward. In addition, the North Andover Historical Society supports and promotes the architectural and landscape heritage of the town.
Adopted by the Board, April 12, 2000
Last fall I attended the New England Museum Association meeting with our ED, Carol Majahad. Many of the sessions focused on ways that Historical Societies/Museums are reinventing themselves to attract wider audiences. A major theme was a shift from acquiring and preserving activities to interactive teaching and exhibiting activities. Technology has changed the expectations of our audiences. I believe that we need to join this evolution.
To that end, the board has begun a strategic planning project that will begin next Saturday, January 19, with an offsite board retreat. We hope to develop an operational plan that will guide us through the next few years. Our goals continue to be to increase financial strength to support our current level of mission activities & to create a plan to increase space available for future acquisition. However, we need a plan that we can all discuss and implement.
On a lighter note, in March our Executive Director will have been with us for twenty years. We will honor her with a tea in the spring at a date to be announced. The Society has scheduled many programs and events that will occur between now and June; I encourage you to participate in them. We are working on shifting our hours to include some Saturdays and Sundays in the Spring and Fall to make our programs available to a wider audience. We continue to pursue the short term goals of increasing membership and program revenues that I identified last year.
In closing, thank you to our members, Board Directors, and the staff for all their hard work.
Kathy C. Stevens, President
Executive Director’s Report on Fiscal year 2006-2007
Carol Majahad
This past year has been one of challenges and changes. The construction in the Old Center made access to our properties a real physical challenge, but by in large, our regular programs went on without interruption. Partnerships helped to pave the way to new audiences. Fifty programs were presented as compared to 41 total for the previous year; not all were great successes, but our total audience by August 31, 2007 was up 17% from the previous year.
We partnered with the North Parish Church to celebrate the completed preservation and renovation of their building, a linchpin of the Old Center’s personality and history. We joined with the local chapter of the American Quilt Study group to present a daylong seminar on researching quilt history and this association led us to our participation in the countywide exhibit of quilts at the Wenham Museum this past October, viewed by the national AQSG group during their annual meeting in Lowell. We completed our joint Massachusetts Foundation Scholar in Residence grant on local foodways with the Andover Historical Society, and this October, armed with our new laptop and educational slide show, we joined their educators’ marketplace. The Historical Society went all the way to Durham, New Hampshire for a museum studies course at the University of New Hampshire.
This year promises new opportunities. In October, I presented a unit on the Andover witch trials for the 8th grade class, as sponsored by the Enrichment Council. This was the second Enrichment Council sponsored presentation, but this year’s presentation, as integrated into a special topics history-literature week, has the potential (we hope) to continue for several years. If we have learned anything in the past few years, it is the lesson that in times of economic scarcity, the survivors are those who band together and develop their own unique product and services.
During the past fiscal year, our volunteer involvement rose 66.6% from the previous year. Thanks to those volunteers (and that includes our hard working board members) we completed the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) self study, community surveys and site visit. There is much more to be done as we sort our way into the future, but the burden shared is a burden able to be borne. Our Parson Barnard House now has a core of trained and costumed docents to help interpret the rooms during special events. We have drawn on our membership to develop an October series on 1692 Andover. Our membership and partners continue to provide the speakers for the This Old North Andover House series. Volunteers set up and provide the refreshments, and meet and greet our guests at events like this throughout the year. With the development of more on-site, multi-rotation school programs, we continue –a thirty-five year tradition, by the way-- to rely on volunteer educators.
Our staff (thank you Kathy & Inga) continues, with volunteer help, to identify, accession, catalogue and house our three dimensional and archival collections. Exhibits help tie into our programs, like last year’s “We Went to Meeting” presentation. Our newest installation on North Andover history is a step toward fulfilling our status as a true history museum. Other steps, such as making the cottage more hands on has also brought us closer to meeting the needs of this community.
Fiscal year 2006-2007 was not without problems, but points to a sustainable future because of the dedication of the staff, the board and the membership of the North Andover Historical Society. As we proceed along in fy08, I feel confident that we will manage our growth, make careful planning a priority and continue to fulfill—and expand—our mission of education for all audiences. I thank all of you for the support and work you provide to keep this institution alive and growing.
New Members
Family
Louise Borke & Family
Susan Bozorth & Family
Sandra Cannella & Family
Marguerite & Joyce Cooper
Robert & Patricia Coppetta
Megan & Douglas Evans
Sandra Gleed & Family
Dan Lanen & Family
Ross & Kari Lochrie
Catherine McGoldrick & Family
Kevin & Kristine McLellan
Gail Ralston & Robert Decelle
Judy Reilly & Family
Jon Waisnor & Family
Senior
Howard Kaepplein Roselyn Listernick
Fran Stiglin
Single
Margo Burns Terri Goodridge
“Welcome Back”
Senior - Marianne Berry
Single - Tom Buthmann
———————————————————————-
Upcoming Events
Adventures in Time: “Knit Away”, February 20, Part I, 1 to 3pm. A school vacation workshop for children ages 7 and up. Learn the time honored needlecraft of knitting, or practice your purl stitches! We will create our own needles — but you can also bring your own. Yarn will be provided. (Part II, machine knitting, will be offered in April.) Members: $5; Non-members: $7. Snowdate: Feb. 22. Space is limited, so advance registration is suggested. For more information, or to register, call the Society at 978-686-4035.
Behind the Scenes - History for Kids, March 27, 10am to 11:30. How do you make history come alive? Join us for an informative session on what goes into creating the many kinds of interactive history programs for children that the Society offers both for the schools and over vacations. Following this overview, long-time Society volunteer and Board member, Martha Larson, will introduce us to the art of creating more authentic historical costumes through the use of period correct fabric choices. This program is free and open to the public. The snowdate for this program is April 3.
Adventures in Time: Knit Away, Part 2, April 23, 1 to 3pm. School vacation workshop for children, ages 7 and up. This workshop is a continuation of February’s workshop. Having looked at knitting by hand with needles, this session is for machine knitted creations. Members : $5; Non-members - $7. Advance registration is suggested, call the Society for more information or to register.
Do It Right: Historic House Restoration, May 7, 7pm. Mark your calendar for an informative presentation from Essex County preservation professionals, woodwright James Whidden and architect Mathew Cummings. Come and enjoy this virtual tour of their work and learn first hand some of their rules for preservation. The lecture begins at 7pm, doors open at 6:45. Society Members $5 - Non-members: $7. All proceeds go to help the Parson Barnard Preservation Fund.
This Old North Andover House Series: The Samuel Osgood House, May 21, 7:30pm. The Samuel Osgood Birthplace, built in 1740, is one of the few North Andover individual listed properties on the National Register. Join home-owner and Board member Martha Larson for this illustrated talk about recent and past renovations, archeological finds, period paint choices and all the joys and trials of owning an 18th century local landmark. The lecture begins at 7:30, doors open at 7pm. Members free - Non-members $7.
Herb Fair at Johnson Cottage, June 7, 8am - 3pm. This is a joint event with the Herb Society of Andover. Plant sale, demonstrations and themed tours of the Johnson Cottage. Details will be announced in the Spring newsletter.
2008 Summer Adventures in Time. “Working in Time” will be held the week of July 7 through July 11th. “Our Bright New Age” is scheduled August 4 through August 8th. Look for further details in the Spring newsletter. The 2007 Summer Adventures in Time program was funded in part by the Brown Family Foundation and The Greater Lawrence Summer Fund.
SAVE THE DATE! Third Annual Garden Tour, June 21, 2008, 10am to 4pm. Details TBA in the Spring Newsletter.
___________________________________________
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the North Andover Garden Club for the beautiful wreaths that decorated our properties during the holiday season.
Calendar
*Adventures in Time: “Knit Away”, Part I, February 20th, 1 to 3pm. Snowdate is February 22.
*Behind the Scenes - History for Kids, March 27, 10am to 11:30am. Snowdate is April 3.
*Adventures in Time, “Knit Away”, Part II, April 23, 1 to 3pm.
*Do It Right: Historic House Restoration, May 7, 7pm.
*This Old North Andover House Series: The Samuel Osgood House, May 21, 7:30pm.
*Herb Fair at Johnson Cottage, June 7, 8am to 3pm.
*Third Annual Garden Tour, June 21, 10am to 4pm.
*2008 Summer Adventures in Time: 1st Week, July 7 - 11th, “Working in Time”; 2nd Week, August 4 -8th,
“Our Bright New Age”.
Research Fees
The Society’s recent MAP self-assessment process brought to light the need to better manage all of our resources, both human (cost of personnel) and physical (including the cost of preservation for our collections).
Effective February 1st, our new fee schedule will be:
Non members: $15 for the first hour; $10/hour for following hours.
Basic Membership levels (Senior, Single & Family): First 2 hours free; $5/hour for following hours.
Non Member Businesses: $25 per hour.
Staff-conducted research: $20 for the first hour and $15 for each following hour.
Page Last Modified Fri 07-13-2007 22:42
Winter 2008
Volume 3, Issue 1
Volume 3, Issue 1
The North Andover
Historical Society
Established 1913
Headquarters:
153 Academy Road
North Andover MA
01845
Phone: 978-686-4035
Fax: 978-686-6616
Email:
nahistory@juno.com
Web address
northandoverhistoricalsociety.org
Staff
Executive Director:
Carol Majahad
Library/Archives: Kathy Szyska
Special Projects: Inga Larson
Board of Directors
Officers
President: Kathy Stevens
Vice President: Robert Stevens
Secretary: Cathy Dawson
Treasurer: Ken Rea
Directors
Anne Ericson
Cathy Fowler
Daniel J. Griffin
Diane Huster
Martha Larson
Michael Lenihan
Scott Masse
Dorothy Nolin
Robert Rainville
James Worden
Leslie Young-Lemire
Copyright © 2007 North Andover Historical Society. All rights
reserved.