GRANITE FALLS, NC (September 27, 2016)…Persons interested in the history of Southern Caldwell County are invited to become charter members of the Granite Falls Historical Association, Inc. The first meeting will be on Monday, October 17, 2016 in the fellowship hall of Philadelphia Lutheran Church located at 52 Pinewood Road in Granite Falls. The event will begin at 7 p. m. with registration and refreshments followed by a short program, an informational session, and a brief business session.
Charter night will be a dream come true for residents of Southern Caldwell County who have talked about forming a historical society to preserve local memories, promote interest in history, and preserve important artifacts. While the Granite Falls History Committee has been doing this work to some extent, the primary purpose of the committee is to take care of the Granite Falls History and Transportation Museum. The new Association will expand the work of the committee and undertake new projects.
In order to accomplish the tasks involved with starting a new organization, the committee invited museum volunteers to help them activate the Granite Falls Historical Association, Inc., a non-profit corporation, which has existed “on paper” since 2002. On June 21 2016, the history committee and museum volunteers met at the museum to elect an interim Board of Trustees. The following persons are serving as officers: President Linda Crowder, Vice President Jeanne Whisnant, Treasurer Adele Mangan, and Secretary Mary Elizabeth Akalski. Dr. Caryl Burns is the group’s parliamentarian. Other trustees are Gaye Williams, Gifford Poe, Barbara Ross, and Cary Ross.
The interim board has been meeting to set dues, formulate bylaws, and plan the inaugural meeting. Annual dues will be $12. Persons joining the Association on October 17th will be given an opportunity to vote on the bylaws, approve the Board of Directors for 2016 – 2017, and indicate areas of interest. For more information about the History Association, email Linda Crowder at lrdrcrowder@charter.net or call her at 828-396-1066.