Mid-Atlantic Chapter

By Robert Lundegard, Vice President

Our Chapter met on March 8, 2008 at the Morris County Visitors Center at the Cooper Mill in northwestern New Jersey. The meeting was hosted by Ivins Smith and his wife Joanne. The Smiths were marvelous hosts and the meeting was great fun. SPOOM-MA expressed its appreciation to the Smiths for doing an outstanding job.

This report is oriented to other SPOOM Chapters. SPOOM-MA members are kept well informed about Chapter activity by Susan Langley’s excellent newsletter. By writing for other Chapters we hope to encourage cross chapter coordination and to learn from other Chapter programs.

The business meeting of SPOOM-MA was held on March 8, at 9:00 am in the Morris County Visitors Center at the Cooper Mill site. The agenda, prepared by our president Chuck Ives, included: 1. Chapter participation in the SPOOM national meeting in September, 2. A Strategy for attracting new members. 3. Celebrating the Bi-centennial of Mid Atlantic Milling, and 4. Hosting the next Chapter meeting in August, 2008.

A new Chapter letterhead, with a logo preparerd by Steve Spring, was passed out to open the discussion of the need for publicy materials. A SPOOM-MA brochure needs to be prepared using the logo, the bylaws, and the Chapter program goals.

After discussion, it was decided to have a SPOOM-MA information table at the next SPOOM national meeting in Grantsville, MD at Stantons Mill. Marge Lundegard agreed to make the necessary arrangements.

The Nominating committee distributed a proposed slate of officers for the 2009-2011 term. After discussion, the slate was approved and will be voted on at the August meeting. The new officers will take up their duties in January, 2009.

There was substantial discussion of what SPOOM Chapters can do to attract new members by getting our message to outsiders. There is an urgent need to attract new members and reverse the losses of recent years. Membership is now about 1200 members down from a high of over 2000. It is recognized that our most important asset in attracting the public interest is the Old Mill News (OMN). Discussion followed on: making use of the extra issues of OMN to introduce our society to outsiders; establishing working links with related societies, like TIMS, the Tide Mills Conference, and the National Barn Alliance to attract new members; establishing out-reach programs at high schools, vo-tech schools, history groups and colleges as other communities; using all Chapter members in contacting possible new members in their communities. The discussion concluded by Chuck Ives appointing a Membership Committee and asking that a statements of duties and responsibilities be prepared as a basis for further discussion at the next meeting.

The members present from the Colvin Run Mill (CRM) announced the plans to celebrate the CRM bicentennial in 2011. These plans include the CRM proposal to the SPOOM Board to host the 2011 SPOOM annual meeting. This meeting will focus on the history of milling in early America. Several Chapter members proposed Chapter participation in the celebration of early American mills in coordination with SPOOM and the Colvin Run Mill. Those present responded favorably to this suggestion and Chuck Ives appointed a committee, to be chaired by Judy Groves, to develop an approach and proposal for such a Mid-Atlantic celebration. Committee members include: Mason Maddox, Bob Anderson, Chuck Ives, Ivan & Marlene Lufriu, Richard Abbott, and Bob Lundegard. A proposal is to be prepared for discussion in August.

The next Chapter meeting will be held on August 9, 2008 at the Wallace Cross Mill in York, Pennsylvania. The business meeting will be on Saturday and will be a part of a larger program of tours and visits to local museums and mills. There will be presentations on the restoration and interpretation of the Wallace Cross Mill.