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Lock 52 Historical Society

of Port Byron, NY

Strategic Plan

for the 2015 Calendar Year

and Beyond

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The Lock 52 Historical Society and the Future

Its kind of a transform-or-die model, said Michael A. Jehle, the executive

director of the Fairfield Museum and History Center. You need to demon-

strate relevancy. You need to demonstrate your role in the cultural needs of

your constituents. If youre a historical society that tells the same creaky

story, people are not going to pay much attention. From an article in the New York Times, October 23, 2014, These Fusty Names Are History

Summary of Where We Are Today (2015) As Board Members of the Lock 52 Historical Society, we face a couple major challenges. Our

biggest challenge is that the people who first came together and served as the heart of the Soci-

ety have aged and moved on, and we need to be turning over the Society to a new generation of

leadership.

We are now entering into the second or maybe even the third generation of leadership, and the

people we will be looking to carry on the work of the Society do not have the sense of history

that the first and second generations had. They come from a much different world then what

was here in 1978.

Our second challenge is that the world of museums and historical societies today is far different

then it was back in 1978. The statement above came from an article in the New York Times. It

really says it all. We are at a time when the Society needs to take stock of the future and our

role in it. Back in 1978, the role of the Society was to be a very local organization serving a

population that was mainly comprised of the village and town, and the occasional visitor look-

ing for information on a past generation.

We are seeing a change in the way people visit museums and what they expect to get from their

visit. Static displays and photographs dont excite people anymore. People really want to be en-

gaged during their visit. They want to touch things and feel things. As museum experts have

said about the new Erie Canal Park now being built in Port Byron; Today people dont want to

visit another old house museum! There are enough old houses set up as museums, and many of

those that are set up as museums are failing, going broke, and closing down.

Back in 1978, a person who was researching their family had to rely on the local historical so-

cieties to fill in the missing gaps. They guided people to local sources and helped with local

folklore. Today, all that and more can be found in minutes on the internet. The Society can still

help to fill in the holes of someones research, because we collect the personal artifacts, stories,

and photographs that dont make it into the newspapers or journals.

We also face a challenge in that the Village and Town budgets are increasingly scrutinized for

cuts, and as a non-critical social expenditure, we are in danger of losing our funding. (About

90% of our budget comes from the Town and Village.)

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To plan for the future, we need to take a critical look at our current situation, and then look out

a few years to see where we wish to be as a Society. Then we need to make plans on how to get

there.

Goals for the Future

The following goals were discussed at the February 2015 meeting of the Board.

1) Build membership

2) Develop projects and programs that engage the community

3) Develop projects that will attract visitors to the community

4) Make repairs to house so that building is suitable for meetings and collection.

5) Actively collect artifacts, photos and papers that relate to the history of village and town.

6) Develop fund raising for larger projects.

The following is a discussion of the goals, giving a background as to where we are today and

the suggested actions for the future.

Goal 1)Build membership

The Society was begun by people who wanted to preserve the history of the village and town.

Those who are at least 60 years old or older recall a real downtown in Port Byron, where a fam-

ily could shop in a department store, at the same time they went to the pharmacy, shoe store, or

meat market. They may have expected to meet their spouse here, find work and raise a family

somewhere nearby. The younger generation has grown up and experienced a Port Byron far dif-

ferent. They grew up with a worn out downtown that had little to offer them, and most likely

saw from a car as they passed through. They went to school in Port Byron and planned on leav-

ing as soon as they could. With this background, it is hard to get them excited about helping to

save the memories of a worn out area that they really just wish to leave as soon as they are able.

If the Society is to survive and grow, it will need to engage this younger generation in some

way that makes them want to serve as a Board Member and volunteer.

People join the Society because they value the work of the Society, they enjoy history and nos-

talgia, they enjoy sharing time and memories with like minded folks. Members will come from

people who enjoy their life in Port Byron, and enjoy sharing with their friends.

We can also look to build membership by demonstrating a worth to the community. People who

see a response to our efforts to promote history and tourism may consider supporting the Soci-

ety if they see a return for their investment.

In addition, our membership fee structure is undervalued. We maintain a $5.00 membership be-

cause we are afraid to ask people for more, and in doing so, we undervalue our worth. It costs

around $1.00 to send out a reminder, so in effect we have a $4.00 membership.

Suggested Actions;

1) Increase membership to $10 for singles and $15 for families.

2) Brainstorm the mailing list for people who should be asked to join.

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3) Create a mail out a newsletter twice a year that will engage the membership and other fun-

ders, such as the Village and Town.

4) Engage the businesses of the village and town to highlight our work and possible member-

ship support.

Goal 2)-Develop projects and programs that engage the community.

We must recognize that not every person will become a member of the Society, however, we

can strive to impart a sense of place and pride by sharing our common bonds brought down

through the history of the village and town.

Suggested Actions;

1) Create a space in the Pine Street house that is welcoming and set up for programs. People

should not feel confined when they attend a meeting or program.

2) Hold a program each month May through October that highlights the history of the town

and village, its citizens, or businesses.

3) Have available audio visual equipment that will accommodate the latest technology.

4) Develop displays that can be shared with the public at the library, offices, post offices and

businesses.

Goal 3)Carry out projects that will attract visitors to the community

The Society should be making the history of the village and town easily accessible to potential

visitors and tourists. Projects should highlight historical attractions that are accessible in times

when the Society building is not open to the public. We have the Canalway Trail that brings

people into the village and town almost every day during the summer and fall. A report of the

Economic Impact of the Erie Canalway Trail shows that 80% of tourists have some interest in

the canal history and they will be looking for sites that highlight this history.

We should also be engaging the business owners of the village and town to help them make the

connection between history, tourism, and the potential economic impacts that could result in

greater promotion.

Suggested Actions;

1) Continue with the development of a guide book that can be used for self tours. This could

be sold at various outlets in the village.

2) Continue to build outreach to potential tourists by way of websites, blogs and other social

media.

3) Develop compelling stories that will attract people and make Port Byron a must see in their

travels.

4) Develop signage at critical areas that will highlight the history of larger events, places and

people.

Goal 4)-Make repairs to house so that building is suitable for meetings and collection

The house at 73 Pine Street dates back to the 1840s, and serves as the Societys headquarters,

where it provides storage, display and programming spaces. The house has many limitations

that limit what the Society can do.

Suggested Actions;

1) The basement should be remodeled into a space that is safe and dry for the collection of the

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Society.

2) Structural deficiencies should be repaired to make the house safe and secure for the mem-

bers and guests.

3) Old windows should be replaced.

4) Utilities should be updated.

Goal 5)Actively collect artifacts, photos and papers that relate to the history of village

and town

The stated mission of the Society is to collect items that help to tell the story of the region we

serve; the town of Mentz, and the village of Port Byron. Over time, the Society has become a

place for all old things, even though it may not related to the mission. The collection has been

kept in a manner not suitable for long term storage.

Suggested Actions;

1) Review the collections policy. The policy should reflect the mission of the Society.

2) Market the Society as a place for donations of materials.

3) Share new findings with the public to raise awareness that we wish to be the communities

attic.

4) Store the collection using archives safe materials and standards.

Goal 6)Develop fund raising for larger projects.

Over the past few years, the Society has had a very good fund raising committee to help raise

money for operational needs and small repairs. However, due to the lack of someone who

wishes to pursue grants, the Society has missed out on the opportunity to apply for many small

and large grants that could help with improvements to the programming and house.

Suggested Actions;

1) Try to find a Board Member who is willing to learn about grant writing.

2) Since grants tend to run in cyclical terms, begin a list of possible grants, even if its applica-

tion time has passed for the current year.

3) Network to learn about grants.

4) Develop a boiler plate history that can be used for all grants.

Moving Forward; Setting Goals for 2015

Building on the goals and accomplishments of 2014, the following action list was created. (Not

in order of importance, except for #1.)

1) Membership It is the primary goal of the Society to increase the membership base. It

should be the overarching goal in almost everything we do as a Society. However, it should

not be an over bearing presence in our lives.

A. The membership dues should be increased with different levels of support, to begin

at $10 per year. With this increase, we should be mailing two newsletters a year to all members.

B. Collect emails address to make a list for quick contact with members.

2) House Work. Continue with 2014 goals.

A. Office space in kitchen area. Set up office to accommodate library of books, study

guides, work area.

B. Remodel bathroom by removing tub.

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C. Continue to develop remodeling plans for basement, estimate cost projections, pursue

funding.

D. Develop a to do list of needed repairs.

E. Clean basement.

F. Repair floor joists in kitchen.

G. Replace windows in kitchen.

3) Public Outreach. This now includes all efforts to connect with the membership and general

public.

A. Writing articles for Citizen and other papers.

B. Social media; Facebook, blog

C. Traveling displays.

D. Programs that highlight local history. This could be developed in conjunction with

traveling displays, housing the display in the house and then moving to library, post of-

fice, drugstore.

E. Port Byron Minutes, video series.

F. Word of mouth. Simply speaking up when someone says nothing is happening in Port

Byron. Let the business owners or friends know what we are doing, Tell the Village and

Town Boards know that we are doing things.

G. Host rest stop during Cycling the Erie Canal bike ride. Hand out water, cookies, and

information about Port Byron.

H. Write an article for publication in a travel magazine

4) Working with neighboring societies to increase visibility and outreach. Collaboration is key

to success. How can we help them and how can they help us?

5) Economic / community. The Society should be looking at ways to tie the mission of the

organization to the economic well being of the community. The Society can help the commu-

nity by promoting the history, which will result in increased tourism awareness. The Society

should also be advocating for historical preservation and documentation.

6) Build on the increase in activity that will come as a result of the Erie Canal Heritage Park. It

is likely that the building activities around Lock 52 and the Erie House will result in increase in

activity related to interest in what Port Byron has to offer. We should position our efforts to

make use of this increased visibility.

7) Build a website that connects our information, blogs and video series.

8) Grant seeking for remodel of basement

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Appendix

Survey of Membership Benefits Offered by Other Organizations..8

The Difference in the Generations, an Overview ...9

How to Make History Interesting by Ray Notgrass.10

Goals Laid Out in 2014..12

List of Current Officers and Active Members..14

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Member Benefits

I surveyed a number of historical societies on the internet, and I found that all organizations

struggle with this, and many look to boost their membership by offering additional goodies.

Here is a list of what I found;

*Free admission

*Publications

*Member only benefits

*Traveler benefits (if the Society holds tours)

*Discounts on purchases

*Tax deductions (501c3)

*Business discounts (where a local business will give the member a discount on services

or purchases)

*Discounts on printing

*Calendar

*Free parking

*Website access, and access to past publications

*Advertising

*How to clinics

This is a sampling and not every group did all these things. Larger organizations were able to

provide more benefits, while the smaller organizations offered the basics, free admission and

parking. Again, all tried to make the case for, Join because we are doing good, but it is

unlikely this works. And this is not to say that we need to offer a goodie in return for member-

ship, but it is included here to make the point that many organizations are doing everything they

can to get people to join.

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The Difference in the Generations

This is included as it helps to define the different generations and how their expectations can

and will impact the Society.

Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Boomers are hard working, loyal, confident, and competitive. They

want to help, they like to join organizations and have meetings. The youngest Boomer is now at

least 50 years old, and 10,000 are retiring each day for the next 19 years. Boomers have been

the backbone of all organizations.

Generation Xer- (1965-1981) Xers have different life experiences and expectations. They

were brought up by parents who may have been divorced or with each working. Xers had to be

more self dependent, and were brought up watching TV. Right now, they are dealing with fam-

ily and employment issues. They have little time for volunteering.

Generation Yer- (1982-1995) Yers also have different life experiences and expectations, even

more so than the Yers. They have been brought up with technology and frankly have a com-

pletely different school experience than the Boomers. They like to exchange ideas by way of

texting or other digital means. They dislike meetings. They want to know how they will benefit

from their association with the Society. Instead of what can I do for you they want to know

what can you do for me.

We can all point to exceptions to these rules. Certainly some people enjoy being a part of some-

thing larger and enjoy volunteering, but as a whole, the above descriptions do seem to express

how the generational groups differ.

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How to Make History Interesting by Ray Notgrass

Theodore Roosevelt suffered from severe asthma as a child. He overcame this difficulty by a

strong determination to succeed. He attended Harvard and was elected to the New York state

legislature. Then in 1884, within a matter of hours and in the same house, his mother died at the

age of 48 and his wife died at the age of 22 after giving birth to a child.

Roosevelt left it all and went out to the Dakota territory. He raised cattle and took up hunting in

the daytime, then read classic literature by the campfire in the evenings. He finally found him-

self, returned to New York, remarried, and entered politics. As police commissioner of New

York City, Roosevelt often patrolled the streets at night.

He became a reform governor of New York, then in 1900 was nominated for vice-president to

run with William McKinley. Some speculate that Republican politicians in New York encour-

aged his nomination to get him out of the state and out of their way. When McKinley was assas-

sinated in 1901, the cowboy-philosopher became President of the United States.

Somehow I find this more interesting than simply reciting the facts of Roosevelt's presidency. I

imagine you do, too.

Ken Burns, award-winning producer of PBS series on the Civil War and other topics, has said

that the key to making history interesting is to engage the emotions. If we can find some per-

sonal, moving connection with history, we will want to learn more.

The last five letters of the word explain it: history is a story. We all love stories, and we relate

better to stories than to a listing of facts, dates, and wars. History is our story. It is the shoulders

on which we stand to see farther in our own day. The story of human beings, of people who

have courageously become immigrants, used their God-given abilities to produce great inven-

tions, and given their lives in a noble cause, is not boring.

Here are some suggestions on how to make your study of history come alive.

1.Don't depend on textbooks. Textbooks try to organize and arrange the material for the

convenience of the teacher, not necessarily for the enjoyment of the student. At one of our

seminars, a homeschooling mother in Alabama told me that she had started studying Ala-

bama history with a standard textbook. Both she and her daughter were bored to tears. She

put aside the textbook and began checking out library books that told about people and

events in the state. They both love it and now find history fascinating. It is helpful to have

some overall framework in which to place people, events, and trends; but I encourage you to

find a source that is a good narrative of the story of history and not simply an outline of

facts. Supplement this with real books, living books, that make the story personal.

2.Emphasize individuals. The one hundred people who came to America on the Mayflower

were one hundred individuals, each with a story. Today the Mayflower Society is composed

of descendants of the passengers on the Mayflower. They know personally what that coura-

geous voyage meant. World War II to me is not just a big war that started with Germany

and Japan being aggressive. My dad served in World War II. He landed in northern France

the day after D-Day. He endured the Battle of the Bulge and enemy bombings. It was while

he was stationed in England before the D-Day invasion that he met the woman who became

his wife and my mother. World War II is personal to me. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

in Washington, D.C. is perhaps the most vivid example of making history personal. On the

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long marble wall are etched the names of the 58,000 Americans who died in that conflict.

We visited Washington on Veterans Day weekend a few years ago. At the wall we saw leg-

less veterans in wheelchairs who were not able to hold back their tears. We saw flowers and

notes addressed to "Daddy" at the base of the wall. History was never more personal than it

was that day. Read biographies and autobiographies. Talk to people who have participated

in history. Do some genealogical research in your own family to find your personal connec-

tion with history. Persons make history.

3.Learn the stories. Historical novels are a good way to appreciate how the lives of individu-

als are affected by historical events. Movies such as "Fiddler on the Roof" give beautiful

portrayals of everyday people being swept along by changes in society. You may not care

much about the Populist movement of the late 1800s, but you would love Sockless Jerry

Simpson. Simpson was a Kansas politician who ran for Congress in 1890 as a man of the

people. His opponent was a wealthy railroad company lawyer. Simpson cast his opponent as

a tool of big business whose silk hosiery showed his priorities. Simpson's opponent sneered

back that it was better to wear silk stockings than no stockings at all, a put-down of Simp-

son's commoner status. Simpson turned the put-down into a political asset, became

"Sockless Jerry," and won the election. Read the stories of people who lived in earlier times,

not just books about them. Read "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" and see if

your blood doesn't boil at what that former slave endured. Read "Up from Slavery" to learn

the hardships that Booker T. Washington overcame. The possibilities are endless.

4.Make a connection with your interests. Let your study of history be guided by what you

enjoy. You don't have to emphasize wars and diplomacy and Congress if you are fascinated

by architecture, for instance. You might find it interesting to learn what people cooked and

sewed in earlier times. Study the history of farming or road building or doll-making if that

is where your heart is. Again, it is helpful to be learning the framework of history for per-

spective; but leave enough time for a topic that will click with you or your child.

5.Take field trips. This may be the most effective way to make history interesting. I can't

tell you the excitement I felt when we stood at Sycamore Shoals near Elizabethton, Tennes-

see, where so much early Tennessee history was made, or when we went to the place near

Kingsport where John Donelson's flotilla left on its fateful journey to help found Nashville.

The battle of Shiloh will mean more to you after you visit the battlefield. In our nation's

capital you can see the actual Star-Spangled Banner that inspired Francis Scott Key, Lind-

bergh's Spirit of St. Louis, and much more. We have always traveled on a tight budget, sav-

ing up for a while, making meals from groceries instead of going to restaurants, combining

sightseeing with business trips, and camping out instead of depending on motels every

night. It is possible to take great field trips on a family budget.

Plato said, "Those who tell the stories change society." It is why Jesus told

parables. It was true with Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, a

story that changed society.

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Goals Laid Out in 2014

The Board of Trustees held a meeting on January 8, 2014, to brainstorm ideas/ goals for the fu-

ture of the Society. The following 10 points were developed in no particular order. During the

2014 calendar year, a number of these goals were addressed.

1) Hold tea parties or other meetings that would show respect to our seniors. Celebrate

their lives, what they have done, etc. Update a program was developed that highlight

the biography of those in the community who were 90 or older. This was done by inter-

viewing the people and writing a short one page bio which was read to those at the

meeting. This was well received.

2) Work with Montezuma Historical Society on joint meetings, trips, events. Update Lock

52 assisted MHS with a program in June, bu helping with advertising and refreshments.

A number of Lock 52 members belong to the MHS.

3) Write up articles for InPort, Blog, Citizen. In short, find ways to get the message out

there that there is a local historical society. Update the Citizen articles have been useful

in driving people to other social media sites and in increasing awareness for the Society.

4) Continue with Blog, Facebook, other social media outlets. Mike explained that he had

set up a Facebook account and had a number of people like us. Free, easy way to get

noticed. Update the Facebook site has grown to 145 likes over the year. The blog has

8800 views, although this includes web crawlers that drive up the total and are not

real views.

5) Pay to Advertise in the Shoppers Guide at least once a month, maybe twice. There is

some question about how long this paper will continue in print, but we might as well use

it as long as it is around. Update as feared, the SG went out of business on July 4th.

6) Purchase video camera that is easy to use for recording visitors, programs, even making

videos for a web site. Update the camera was purchased.

7) Develop projects that can enrich what we do as a Society. Photograph the village, make

videos, work on genealogy. We need to have projects that let us be seen doing things.

Update Tina has photographed much of the village.

8) Build a traveling display that can be placed at Library, Town or Village Office, or other

public places. These should be small, easy to transport and set up in a limited space. One

display was created under the title Faces and Places. This was displayed in Library

and currently in Herbst. There was a request for more of these.

9) Develop budget for 2014. Update this was done by March and needs to be reviewed

each year.

10) House work- There was considerable discussion about how best to use the Pine Street

house. A couple points came up. The first is that the house is not so much dirty, but it is

messy. We have a lot of stuff and little space for it all. The point also came up that we

must have something to show people who visit the house. Some people just drop in, and

we should have something to show.

a. Find someone to repair foundation so back room is safe and secure. Update

completed in May by Waynes Construction.

b. Remodel display room. This will mean not only replacing the walls and ceiling,

but also making it better suited as a display room. The school stuff can be

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packed away. Update completed over the summer and dedicated as the Jack and

Hellen Davies Display Room at the September meeting.

c. Remodel bathroom. It must stay as a bathroom, but the tub can go. Update no

work done.

d. Vets room stays as Vets room. Clean up by removing clutter. Update much of

the clutter was removed to the rear storage room.

e. Living Room stays as public meeting space, with small vignettes, and wall deco-

rations.

f. Dining room becomes study / work area / library. This will give us room for

office of sorts, computer, work area, books. It was stressed that we need a ta-

ble for refreshments. This can be accommodated. We might need to ask the own-

ers of some of the furnishings to take them back. Update Little done, some stuff

removed.

g. Kitchen remains as old, but usable kitchen. Update cleaned!

h. Back room is remodeled to be storage. Mike stressed the need for storage. The

basement is not suited for storage of paper products. It can be used for large

items. Update- Backroom done. Basement storage is in planning

i. Upstairs small bedroom becomes storage. Remove old bed. Organize for easy

collection access. Update nothing done

j. Upstairs large bedroom remains as is.

In all areas, non display items should be cleaned up and boxed if in storage.

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Officers-

Michael Riley- Trustee, President

38 Green St

POB 302

Port Byron, NY 13140

224-1716

mriley20@twcny.rr.com

2014, 2015, 2016

Jean Stoneburg Trustee, VP

PO Box 453

Port Byron, NY 13140

776-8888

Hellen Davies- Secretary

PO Box 289

Port Byron, NY 13140

776-4281

Mark Emerson- trustee, Treasurer

94 Halsey Rd

Port Byron, NY 13140

776-4567

emerson@tds.net

2014, 2015, 2016

Trustees-

Mel Carner - trustee

PO Box 385

Montezuma, NY 13117

776-5390

maillady1@tds.net

2013, 2014, 2015

Sandy Faulkner trustee

PO Box 806

Skaneateles, NY

253-4784

maxie7573@verizon.net

2014, 2015, 2016

Chick Walker - trustee

PO Box 528

Port Byron, NY 13140

776-4027

chickw46@yahoo.com

2015, 2016, 2017

Betty Smith - trustee

9116 Oakland Rd

Port Byron, NY 13140

776-4035

2013, 2014, 2015

Lila Wilson - trustee

9197 Conquest Rd

Port Byron, NY 13140

776-8893

2013, 2014, 2015

Tina Morrissey-trustee

4833 Twelve Corners Rd,

Auburn, NY 13021

(315) 224-4745

morrissey5430@roadrunner.com

2015, 2016, 2017

Keith McIver-trustee

k.a.mciver@live.com

2015, 2016, 2017

Active Members-

Richard Martens

POB 92

Church Street Apts

Port Byron, NY 13140

776-4489

Anita Messina

84 Green St

Port Byron, NY 13140

776-8564

bugs2@tds.net

Barb Black

64 Green St

Port Byron, NY 13140

776-8269

Rachele Wilson

PO Box 32

Port Byron, NY 13140

Evalyn Taylor

Director Port Byron Library

evalynt@hotmail.com

Terms

2015- 2016 Lila Mike

Mel Sandy

Betty Mark

2017-

Keith

Tina

Chick