Tuesday, October 11, 2005.

The president called the meeting to order with 13 members and three guests present. This meeting had been postponed from October 4, 2005.

The newsreporter read her notes of the last meeting, as the secretary was not present.

The treasurer’s report was given. There was one bill for postage from the Genealogy Room librarian. A motion was made and seconded to pay the postage. The motion carried.

The president had received a letter about how the pictures were to be taken of Boner Bridge. He is going to check with the photographer and Dr. Cooper to get the pictures taken.

A Boy Scout was present with his parents. He wanted to see about taking on the cleaning of the Old Rockport Cemetery behind the South Spencer Administration Building as a project for his Eagle Scout Badge.

A discussion followed on who was responsible for the maintenance of the cemetery.

One member said that it was the responsibility of the Township Trustee to maintain the cemetery. He stated that he had been at a meeting several years ago when this topic was discussed and it had been voted to send a letter to the local trustee and apparently this hadn't been done, since no one knew who was responsible.

Other members talked about the cemetery. It was stated that a bushhog couldn't be taken in to clean up the cemetery, as more damage would be done to the headstones.

The Boy Scout would supervise the project under the direction of the scout leader who is his father. The scout has to prepare a proposal (develop a plan) on what needs to be done, how much the project would cost, and where the funds will come from to pay for the project. The president was going to meet with the family at the cemetery to see how to start the project.

A member reported that was he had visited the Huffman Mill Bridge since the painting had been done and in less than a couple of weeks there was some graffiti on the inside again.

The member also mentioned that Eugenia Strassell, a graduate of R. H. S. Class of 1916, who had written the poem that was placed on the rebuilt column for the old Rockport High School, had been mentioned in the Spencer County Leader under an article on Hoosier Ancestors. It stated that the woman was the first girls' basketball coach at Dale, Indiana.

A member mentioned that he was going to contact someone to get an estimate on the cost of sandblasting the beams at the Huffman Mill Bridge.

More discussion was held on the 2006 Historian of the Year Banquet commemorative historian. A motion was made and seconded on the commemorative historian. The motion carried.

The date for the banquet is tentatively set for Saturday, April 22, 2006 with an alternative date of Saturday, April 29, 2005. The president is going to check on the availability of the Chrisney 4-H Community Building.

A member is going to check on the availability of the speaker.

There were several books that had been requested by the Genealogy Room librarian. A motion was made and seconded to purchase five of the six requested books. Motion carried.

The president had some books that had been brought to the meeting from Buffalo Run at Gentryville, Indiana. A motion was made and seconded to purchase three of the books. Motion carried.

A member told about a meeting that was held recently at Grandview, Indiana. Several groups had gotten together to see about getting a steamboat to stop at the Grandview landing and then the passengers could take tours through Spencer County. The purpose was to get more tourists into Spencer County.

A member mentioned that a new web page was now available that had information about the history of the South Spencer School Corporation.

A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 8:45 PM.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, November 1, 2005 at 6:30 PM.