Feb. 7, 2009

 

Dear Seymour Historical Society Members and Supporters:

Throughout the past year, most of you have received these regular mailings from the society announcing upcoming, free programs. And we promise that the next time you hear from us, it will be to invite you to one of these events. But the purpose of this note is to make our annual request for your support.

For those of you who enjoyed any or all of the nine programs we presented in 2008, we hope you will consider becoming members; your dues will help us continue to attract interesting speakers. For those of you who were annual members in 2008, we hope you will consider renewing your membership. For those of you who are life members, you owe us nothing more, though some of you choose to make an annual donation.

In normal years, we would stop there with our solicitation. But this is no normal year. As everyone well knows, the economy is in shambles. For us, that means that the annual grant that covers our operating costs will be reduced. Further, we suffered a devastating monetary setback earlier this winter when our furnace malfunctioned and then died. The replacement cost was $17,000, an amount that has left our finances on extremely shaky footing.

So we have no choice but to launch a fund-raising campaign. We hope you will consider adding a few dollars to your membership dues to help us cover the furnace costs and move ahead with other needed repairs. The accompanying membership form has a place for you to mark your contribution. You may combine dues and a donation on one check, and we’ve enclosed a stamped envelope for your convenience. As an enticement, we’ll also deliver a Seymour Historical Society throw (a small blanket embroidered with images of the town) to the first 15 people who send $35 or more in donations, above and beyond membership dues.

We do not expect your donations alone to cover our capital costs. We are pursuing additional grants from banks and other organizations. It’s important to note, though, that as a private, non-profit group we receive no taxpayer money, nor do we receive support from the Katharine Matthies Foundation, even though our museum is Ms. Matthies former home.

Now here’s the good news. A full slate of programs for 2009 is in the works, including one that will be for members only. We also plan to launch a new website in the next few weeks. And we’ve begun to present programs on Seymour history in local schools.

In closing, we want to thank you for coming to Seymour Historical Society programs and supporting us with your donations. We hope to prove to you in the coming year that your time and your money are well spent.

Sincerely,

 

Audrey Andrews         Heather Brown           Loreen Coe                Joetta Fredericks       Saundra Gesek

Jay Hatfield                 Ray Johnson               Roberta King              Pauline Lounsbury      Mary Skurat

Paul Sussman

 

Officers and Board of Directors
Seymour Historical Society