Historical Association needs money and members
By Sam Atkins
Published in News on November 18, 2004 2:01 PM
A lack of money and manpower continue to be a concern of the Wayne County Historical Association, and both are necessary to keep it and the Wayne County Museum going, says the association's president.
"We want to maintain our mission, which is to discover, preserve, display and disseminate historical knowledge and artifacts of Wayne County," said Nancy Delia, association president. "In order to meet that mission, we have to increase our membership."
People have the misconception that there are some criteria they have to meet to join the association, she said. Anyone interested in history and working on fun projects is encouraged to join.
"We really want some fresh ideas and to put up different exhibits, but it all requires manpower."
The association has around 120 members living inside and outside Wayne County. Some people think they have to live in Goldsboro or have family in this area to join, but that does not matter either, she said. People affiliated with Seymour Johnson Air Force Base are also encouraged to join.
The association needs more money, because it continues to face high utility bills and the need to rewire the museum. The wiring dates back to the mid-1920s.
Ms. Delia said most of the money raised will go toward the electrical and roof repairs. Members are researching grants that could help pay for the work, although the association is in need of someone who has experience in grant writing.
She said bids for the electrical and roof work are supposed to come in this week. Once they get the bids and agree on a company, they will have an estimate of how much money they need to raise.
The association has planned several upcoming events at the museum:
*On Sunday, Dr. Daniel Gall, an associate professor at Mount Olive College, will give a slide presentation titled "Prehistoric Indian Cultures of North Carolina" at 2 p.m., followed by light refreshments. This is in conjunction with a new exhibit at the museum called "Pre-Columbian Archaeology: Pre-history of the Americas."
The display includes prehistoric artifacts from eastern North Carolina and covers a span of almost 10,000 years. The exhibit will be up through December.
*"A Winter Wonderland" event will be held Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and Dec. 14 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. There will be demonstrations of holiday crafts for children, singing of Christmas carols and home-made baked goods will be sold. A surprise guest will join the festivities each night.
*There are plans for a black history exhibit in January in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. There will also be a wine-tasting event, a Civil War re-enactment and a 2005 Christmas Tour.
*The association has also discussed having an exhibit similar to the "Remembering Adamsville" display, which was popular. In order to plan all of these things, the association needs more membership.
Once the membership is increased, there will be some members-only activities. The general membership is encouraged to attend the monthly board meetings effective Jan. 1, which are on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m.
The public can come to the monthly meetings to learn about the association and join, she said. The association will be working with other organizations like the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce to do things in the community, not just at the museum.
Additions to the Wall of Fame will be revealed in late January, and there will be a reception to honor those selected.
Members receive a 10 percent discount on all museum store purchases. They can also attend members-only receptions and parties, receive a quarterly newsletter and are invited to hear speakers at the general membership meetings.
Membership is $35 for a single person and $50 for a family. People or groups can rent the downstairs of the museum for parties, family reunions, weddings and other events. Preference is given to members, said Ms. Delia.
The museum is located at 116 N. William St. in Goldsboro. The museum's hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, or by appointment. For more information, call 734-5023 or e-mail [email protected].