Ice Cream Social at Depot

Again the perennial question: what happened to summer?  Anyone have a clue?  With so much activity going on practically every weekend in July and August, with houseguests and friends and relatives arriving one after another all season long, there doesn’t seem to be much time to catch one’s breath.   Here we find ourselves again looking toward Labor Day weekend as the last warm hurrah, and with it our annual Ice Cream Social, always one of the nicest gatherings of the year.  This is the evening in which we recognize our excellent roster of volunteers, a gesture made doubly valid this year by the smashing success of our Earl Young Home Tour.

Many of the Society’s activities would not be possible without the substantial input of this loyal cadre, many of whom have helped the Society for years, some of whom are just now beginning what we hope will be a long contribution.  So please join us for this always popular event to say thank you to them.

When: Tuesday, September 7 at 7:00 P. M.
Where:  The Depot

Don’t hesitate to bring a guest or two.  All are welcome.  No admission charge, donations appreciated.  Musical entertainment will be provided by our old friends the Tagalongs.

MUSEUM & STORE HOURS THROUGH YEAR’S END

The Harsha House Museum will be open 1 to 4 p. m. Monday through Saturday up to September 4.  Beginning September 7 through January 1, the hours will be Tuesday through Saturday 1 to 4 p. m.   The side office door facing the Charlevoix State Bank is open from 11 a. m. to 4 p. m. on those days for those who need to conduct Society business or make a store purchase before opening.

MEMBERSHIP CHAIR NEEDED

An unexpected vacancy has appeared on our Board of Directors, the position of Membership Chair.  This position has responsibility for making sure the membership roster is up to date in all its current levels, sending out annual renewals in conjunction with the museum co-directors, thinking of methods to increase membership, and keeping the Board informed of the overall membership picture for present and future planning.

HOME TOUR A SUCCESS BEYOND EXPECTATIONS

Dear members:  On July 28 an event took place which set a precedent for the Community and Society: the first ever tour of the interiors of eight of Earl Young’s houses, including the second one he built for himself and his family.  The houses are wonderful in their unique style and have been a focus of interest for years, since they were built.  Folks visited from at least seventeen states according to the guest book one of the owners showed us, and as they gathered in their hundreds there were smiling faces everywhere to be seen.  The event was a huge success.  Visitors left behind extravagant compliments for the houses and the procedures for visiting them, and took away a wonderful experience.  The response of the public to the ability to see these houses was dumbfounding.  We are extraordinarily pleased and proud.  We are so grateful to the owners who were willing to share their homes, and to all the people who worked so hard to coordinate the event.  President Mona

The states that home tour coordinator President Mona Bergeon is referring to are Texas, Arizona, Utah, Massachusetts, Alabama, California, Colorado, New York, Georgia, Florida, Wyoming, Missouri, Ohio, New Mexico, Virginia, Nevada, and of course Michigan.  These were only the visitors who signed the guestbook.  We’ll never know the exact range of states, but this list is indicative of the extreme interest Earl Young’s work is now generating nationwide.  It will only continue to grow, and Charlevoix and the Society can only continue to benefit from this remarkable legacy.  For people to have traveled to Charlevoix from all over the country for this single opportunity is indicative of the priceless treasure we are so fortunate to have in our midst.

Mona received a note from a gratified visitor who said that she had been on many home tours not only in the United States but also abroad, and this was the finest one she had ever done.  At the Harsha House, just before closing on July 28, a woman said that this would be the home tour against which she would judge any home tour she might take in the future.

The Society would like to again extend its profound thanks to a singular group of hostesses and docents who smoothly guided through 792 ticket holders in six hours while providing a warm welcome and a generous amount of information about each house in the process.  (We could easily have sold 1200 tickets.)  The comments which came back to Harsha House regarding the quality of the docent group were of universal praise.  (To all members who served as hostesses/docents, please attend our Ice Cream Social on September 7 so we can thank you in person.   If you know anyone who participated alongside you who is not a Society member, please inform them of the event and encourage them to attend also.)

And of course another round of thanks to the home owners themselves without whose cooperation, and contagious enthusiasm, this project would never have been possible: Lisa and Andre Radandt, Eleanor and Monte Korn, Karen Stankevich, Susan and Harry Boyd, Debra and Miles Singer, Beth and Sidney Feldman, Robert Bytwerk, and Nancy and Lance O’Donnell.

The Society netted around $23,500 from this project.  Will we do it again?  We’ll have to wait and see.

  SOCIETY MEMBERS ESTHER & TOM CAREY TO RECEIVE DUERR AWARD PRIOR TO STANTON LECTURE

Author Doug Stanton, who lives in Traverse City, will be the featured speaker for the Margaret Duerr Program on Thursday, September 16 at 6:30 P. M. in the community room of the Charlevoix Public Library.   Mr. Stanton is the author of In Harm’s Way, a recounting of the sinking of the U. S. S. Indianapolis into shark-infested Pacific waterstoward the end of World War II,and his 2009 New York Times bestseller Horse Soldiers which tells the story of a heroic band of U. S. soldiers who rode to victory, albeit short-lived, in Afghanistan.   This book received the rare privilege of a front page review in the Sunday Times Book Review and reached #2 on the Times’ non-fiction list.  It is rumored that Horse Soldiers has been optioned for the screen by Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

Prior to the lecture, the Michigan Room Committee of the library will present the eighth annual Margaret Duerr Book Award.  Each year, an individual or individuals who have demonstrated a special interest in the quality of life in Northern Michigan is (are) selected for this award.  This year’s recipients are lifelong Charlevoix residents and Society members Esther and Tom Carey, selected for their lifetime commitment to community service.

Light refreshments will be served by the Friends of the Library.

WAR OF 1812 TALL SHIP, “AMERICA’S PRIVATEER” THE LYNX, COMING

From Thursday, September 2 through Saturday, September 4 an “interpretation” of a celebrated War of 1812 square top sail, 114-ton, 122-foot privateer schooner called the Lynx will be in Charlevoix.  The ship’s visit is sponsored by the Seaports Great Lakes Group and the Charlevoix City Marina.  She is fitted with period ordnance, which will be fired, and flies pennants and flags of the 1812 era, a representative of one of the first ships to defend the young country’s newly won freedom.  The crew will wear period dress and operate the ship in keeping with the maritime traditions of early 19th century America.  The Lynx represents a “letter of Marque” Baltimore Clipper, considered to be among the finest privateer schooners ever built.  This vessel was hired to train the cast and crew of the recent hit movie series Pirates of the Caribbean.  In 2012 she will be on the East Coast to participate in the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 and the Star Spangled Banner.  Don’t miss this photo op to relive part of America’s history!

Schedule: September 2. Grand Arrival 10 a. m.  Be on the channel to cheer and welcome her in!  Public Dockside Tours 11 A. M.-1 P. M., donations accepted.  2-4 p. m. and 5-7 p. m.—Public Adventure Sail and Public Sunset Sail.  Price: Adults $65, Children 12 and under $35.

September 3 and 4.  10 a. m. – 1 p. m., Public Dockside Tours, donations accepted.   2-4 p. m. and 5-7 p. m. Public Adventure Sail and Public Sunset Sail.   Prices same as above.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Since you are reading this paper you are a member of the Charlevoix Historical Society.  We ask you to consider a charitable bequest through your will or estate plan, one of the easiest ways to make a lasting gift to the organization you love.  Planned giving options are varied and personal; your attorney or financial advisor can help you with structuring your plan.  There are benefits to you and your heirs; please think about this and find out what would work best for you.

President Mona

REMINDER OF TRAIN TRIP OPPORTUNITY ON SEPTEMBER 4th

As if there weren’t enough going on Labor Day weekend, a reminder from last month’s newsletter of the Bluewater Michigan Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society’s multi-class round trip train scheduled to run on Saturday, September 4 between Petoskey and Elmira, with stops in Boyne Falls, from 5 to 8 p. m.  Boarding will be at 4 p.m. near the Perry Davis Hotel at Pennsylvania Park Station.  Call the Petoskey Chamber of Commerce, 231-347-4150 for details, or pick up an information sheet at the Harsha House.

Donation in memory of Bob Gill received in July from: Charlevoix Community Band

Donations (unrestricted) received in July from: Mason & Kammerman, P. C.; The C & O. Club; James Ochs