President’s State of the Lee Historical Society

2013 Annual Meeting, October 10, 2013

Senior Center

by Stephen A. Cozzaglio

Welcome to our Annual Meeting and Second Appreciation Potluck Supper. We thank all of you for your participation in this event. We have come a long way from where we started about 11 years ago. I remember when we first met in the little room in the Airoldi Building used by the Lee Historical Commission. I remember the night we met in the Courtroom of the Town Hall where we became officially the “Lee Historical Society.” It was through the encouragement of the Lee Historic Commission and those brave members of the Organization Committee that made the Society come to fruition. To those individuals, I say, “thank you.”

The Board of Directors over the years has worked long and hard to build up the Society to where it is today. As time has passed, we have lost some valuable Board Members through death. Because of that we are sorely in need of someone to assist us in recording and catoloquing the donation of artifacts and other materials made to the Society. We are also in need of some more fund-raising geniuses. Over the years through our fund-raising,we have raised over $23,000. During the past 3 or 4 years we have given 1 scholarship each year to a Lee High School student.  Many Leeites as well as those from other communities have donated monies and artifacts to

the Society.

We have offered 5 or 6 programs each year in the Lee Senior Center for members and non-members at no cost. We have received a few Request to assist those who needed genealogy information on their families. In fact, one woman from South Carolina wanted information on her family who she thought might be buried in the South Lee cemetery. We followed up on her request and visited the South Lee Cemetery and found the headstones of her family members. We took digital pictures of those headstones and e-mailed the pictures. The next day the family contacted us wanting us to recommend a Bed-and-Breakfast. We did and they came the next weekend. When all was said and done they thanked us and donated $100 to the Society. It is stories like this that allow us to continue on knowing that we have helped others to locate their ancestors. In August through the planning and research of Bambi Johndrow and Brenda Liebenow, we sponsored a walk through Lee’s Fairmount Cemetery. A job well-done by Bambi and Brenda. Ethel Noonan and her Program Committee has already booked John Root for a program in 2014. As you know since 2008 we have been selling cups with pictures of Historical Lee building on them. These year we added the old wooden bridge in South Lee. Mal Eckert has been writing and publishing our newsletter since the beginning of our existence. If you have not visited our web site, and would like to go to:  www.leehistoricsociety.homestead.com.