The president called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM with 11 members and 1 guest present.

The minutes of the November 18, 2003 meeting were read.

Talk continued on the clean-up of the Olde Rockport Cemetery located behind the Lifetime Education Center on South Fifth Street. It was discussed that the Key Club of South Spencer High School would be willing to help with the clean-up of the cemetery as one of their projects.

The superintendent of the School Corporation stated that he was going to have the dumpster now located on the cemetery ground moved to the concrete area of the parking lot.

It was discussed about using vinyl fencing sections as markers for the graves that were found - either by locating the headstones or by dowsing.

A work day will be set up in the future after the weather clears.

It was brought up again about having a Lincoln Presenter put on a program for the Historical Society with the program also being open to the public. We would like to have it in the Courthouse Auditorium with a small reception afterwards in the Courthouse Rotunda. Refreshments from the Lincoln era would be served. This year, 2004, will be the 160th anniversary of when Lincoln spoke at the Courthouse while stumping for the Whip candidate, Henry Clay. Permission is to be requested from the County Commissioners to use the auditorium on April 15, 2004. (April 15, 1865 was the day that Lincoln died.)

When we have a verbal commitment from the Lincoln Presenter, advertising of the event will begin. It was suggested that the advertising be put on the local Channel 3 and also to the Evansville stations.

The yearly Historical Banquet was also discussed with two tentative dates - May 15, 2004 or May 1, 2004.

There will be no meeting in January.

The next meeting will be February 3, 2004 at 6:30 PM in the Genealogy Room of the Rockport Public Library.