03 17 1994 Oro-Medonte History Committee - Minutes (2)TFE TOWNSHIP OF ORQ-i; DONTE
HISTORY CCU:MITTEE MEETING
Liarch 17, 1994
The Township of Oro-Medonte History Committee met this evening.
at the Township Administration Building in the Committee Room .
All Members having been notified by telephone. The meeting had
been called by te Chairperson.
The following members were present:
Lcreen (Rice) Lucas
Walter Hutchinson
Henry Neufeld
Walter Hutchinson
Earl tobertson
Jadeen Henderson
Tim Crawford
Absent
Bernice Hickling
Sandra Shelswell
Opening: The Chairperson opened the meeting at 7:35 p.m.
::inutes:
The Minutes of the 1-st regular meeting held on
Janur.ry 13, 1994, were on motion of Tim Crawford
and Earl Robertson adopted Fs printed and received.
Copies of the Minutes had beer. forty riled tc all members.
Business arising from the last meeting
Rercrt rn re -appointment of the Township History Committee
and proiosed Budget for the Committee fro 1994.
Council's response under Communications.
Corresrondence and Communications
(a) Fresented letter frcm the Tcwnshii_ Clerk advising that
Council had instructed that an appropriate By-law appoint-
ing members to the Tcwnshi$ of Oro-Medonte History Committee
be prefared and presented once the Medonte Historical Society
had been contacted to submit names of persons which they
would like incori oratc d into the History- Committee appointment
By-law. Also th<.t the Committee request for a Budget in the
rmennt of $2000 for 1994 had been referred tc the 1994 Budget
and that the status of the Budget request mill be confirmed
through the Trersurer at the completion of the 1994 Budget
deliberations.
(b) Fresented Memo from the Deputy -Clerk enclosing a letter
from :,_rs. Joyce Harrison, Chilliwack, B.C., being an enquiry
rs to any information or family history en Morrison, Mcrhee
and McGinnis families. Stating that her great grandparents
were Neil Uor. rison and Sarrh 1 innie (:. crhee) Morrison and
that she was interested to know if there are any relatives
of these families buried in Oro. And that Ann Mclnnes w- s
the daughter of Neil and Sarah Morrison and that her son
Teter wr.s her father. Letter also advises that she had
written to the Simcoe County Branch of C.G.S. and had re-
ceived a letter from them advising of three books Iublished
by the Branch and two Oro Township Historical Books -
"'The Stcry of Oro" and Kith 'N Kin, and that she had asked
the Library in Chilliwack to see if they cculd obtain them
through Interlibrary loan. The foregoing enquiry had arisen
from T.V. program on Cemeteries in Oro, which her daughter
had seen.
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Secretary advised that after contacting members of the Committee,
Walter Hutchinson, Earl Robertson and Loreen Lucas revrding the
enquiry, it appeared th<et all were familiar with the family names
and that Morrisons and McPhees were buried in Township cemeteries.
And after research in Kith 'N Kin and a publication "Years of
Witness", a history of Elmvale Fresbyt'rian Church, published to
celebrate its 125th Anniversary in 1985. (Earl Robertson has a
copy of this book) After all research a reply was forwarded of
all the information obtained in the publications along with 21
photo copies of pages from the publications having reference to
the family names involved. Also advising airs. Zoyce Harrison of
the Oro Publications available and cost of each. The foregoing
action was taken to avoid delay in response until the next meeting
of the Committee.
In the meantime a reply hbs been received from l:.rs. Harrison
acknowledging receijt of the letter and enclosed photo copies
along with a cheque in the amount of $10, towards cost of postage
and photo copies. Also that she is looking forward to any additional
information th-.t the Committee may come upon, since further enquiries
:have been made reg•rding the families in question.
It was moved by Jadeen Henderson and seconded by Walter Hutchinson
that the correspondence as presented and forwarded be accepted
as satisf-ctory end be filed for reference.
Old Business
(n) The Chairperson advised tht she along with Tim Crawford
had continued indexing the slides th,t had been placed in
proper sleeves for preservation.
(h) Tim Crawford presented a copy of a short article written
by Marian Keith should be made use of, possibly at the next
It1en:or. 1 Service at the African. The article h• d been in
the history files. Also that he had edited some changes in
it to reflect modern day saying. (such as African in place
of r.egro )
It was left that further inquires be made before any action
is::.taken.
(c) The matter of preserving the old Guthrie School house as had
been considered and proposed by Larry Cotton and other members
in the Community. Jadeen Henderson and Walter Hutchinson
had t.ttended a meeting at the site as to whether it was at
all suitable to be moved. A short discussion was held on
the matter and it was left that the Committee take to active
part on the matter and the following motion was passed.
'It was moved by Tim Crawford and seconded by Earl Robertson
that Jadeen Henderson inform Larry Cotton that members of
the History Committee appointed by the Township Council
are not able to participate in any fund railing for the
preservation of the old Guthrie School House.'
New Business
(a) Committee proposed program for 1994.
(-s indicated in ::inutes of January 13, 1994)
(b) Fror osed Memorial Service st the African EpiscoI e1 Methodist
Church in 1994.
Tim Crawford reported that he had contacted the Black
History Society in Toronto regarding a proposed Service in
1994. The person he had contacted had indicated that the
Society would be agreeable to F rticipating sh 4uld a Sertce
be programed to take place.
It was left that Tim Crawford continueLccntact other members
of the Black History Society from naives th t hae been made
available at the last Service held in 1988.
(c) Tim Crawford presented some archival material purchased
for use in preservation of documents and other trrterial
of historic value.
It was moved by Jadeen Henderson and seconded by Walter
Hutchinson th-t the achmittee recommend to Council that an
account of less than $100 from Carr McLean be paid for the
Archival material purchased.
Election of Officers for 1994
The Chairperson declared all offices vacant.
The Secretary called for nom`_naticns for Chairperson -
Lereen (Rice) Lucas nominated Tim Crawford for Chairman
Henry Neufeld declared nominations closed.
Tim Crawford indicated that since he was very in_trested in
Historical work he would acceit the nomination.
Earl robertson nomim-ted Henry Neufeld for Secretary.
Loreen Lucas declared nominations closed.
It was moved by Tim Crawford and seconded by Henry Neufeid
that Welter Hutchinson anc' Earl Robertson be honourary co -Chair
for the Committee in 1994.
Names of Officers to be submitted to Cthuncil.
Tim Crawford state' that a vote of thanks should be recorded
for the hard work that Loreen hr,d put into this Committee for
many years.
It was moved by Earl Robertson and seconded by Walter Hutchinson
that a vote of thanks be extended to Loreen (Rice) Lucas for
her excellent work on the Committee since 1968 and as Chair-
person since 1984.
Ad 1 ournment
It was moved by Walt"r Hutchinson that the meeting
adjourn =t 10:00 p.m. to meet again on Tuesday,
April 12, 1994.
Committe members spent some time reviewing some documents
for preservation or discard. :;aterial to be kept and prepared
for record and historic use was placed in the History Committee
filing cabinet for further action.
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Committee members will be continuing with some de the projects
in progress between meetings.
enry Neufeld
Secretary
Loreen (Rice) Lucas
Chpirperson
Township of Oro/Iiedonte
History Committee