MEETING MINUTES

Wednesday,  October 8, 2014   

Thompson Community Center

PROGRAM SUMMARY

“The History of Appleton’s Ravines”

CALL TO ORDER BY PRESIDENT TOM SUTTER 

TOTAL ATTENDANCE:     120

 
OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:

Not recorded.

  REVIEW OF UPCOMING MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS:

November 12 - The Appleton Picture Show.  Bring your own photos for show and tell.

December 6th   9th AHS History Fair, City Center, Downtown Appleton

 APPLETON  HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION:

 ·         Officers for the organization are as follows:

A.   President  - Thomas Sutter

B.   Vice President  - Christine Williams

C.   Secretary – James Richter

D.   Treasurer – Laura Leimer

 ·         Committee Chairs for the organization are as follows:

 A.  Mark and Karen Moderson, Principal Organizers

B.  Brian Schneider, Technical Resources

C.  David Buss, Research Specialist

D.  Gwen Sargeant, Public Relations and Web Page

 PRESIDENT SUTTER ANNOUNCEMENTS:

A.    Greetings extended to members and guests.

B.     Sadly, on Friday, September 12 we lost one of our compatriots as our friend and board member Karen Probst peacefully started her next journey.  A copy of her obituary is on the back table and we ask that you keep her family in your thoughts and prayers.  There will be a memorial service Saturday, October 11th at 2 p.m. in Kaukauna.

C.     Our thanks to Larry Konz for his lively presentation on the history of the Appleton Yacht Club at our last meeting.

D.    November 12th is our annual meeting and election of board members and have our annual picture show.  Please show up with your pictures starting at 6 so we can smoothly present the scanned photos during the meeting.  We will also have a short presentation by local teacher Donna McClelland about an interesting history project she has done with her students.  And finally at the November meeting while we wait for the photos to be scanned and presented we would like to hear from you.  Why you are interested in Appleton history?  What is your story?  Why do you come to our meetings and events?  A thank you to Amy Plamann for sparking this idea.  We will also ask if you have any old home movies of Appleton, parades, sites, etc.  Maybe we can have a movie night at one of our future meetings.

E.     We do not meet in December, but will have our History Fair on December 6th in the morning at the City Center and the indoor farm market.  Jim Richter and Mark Moderson are in charge so let them know if you would like to help out.  Be sure to attend and let your friends know about it.  Heck, even let your enemies know about it—we will make them friends of history.  The theme is Appleton toy makers and children’s furniture makers and Victorian Christmas.  See you there!

F.      2015 will soon be here and we are working on another great series of presentations for you.  Our membership for 2014 hit the 100 mark and we look forward to a great 2015.  Membership renewals this month cover the rest of this year and all of next year.  Also if you are not a member of the Wisconsin Historical Society, there are flyers on the back table for you to join.  We are now an official Affiliate of the State Historical Society as our framed Certificate in the back shows.

G.    In the news:  Bubolz Nature Preserve is doing a capital campaign for a new nature center building and there are brochures in the back for you to consider.  The Pavilion at Pierce Park in the Appleton has been torn down and will be replaced by the time of Appleton City Band concerts next spring.  Ivan Spangenberg did a presentation for us on the history of City Band.  There are also two articles on the Asylum Cemetery project.  Our friend Scott Mahnke did his Appleton Then and Now presentation for us in April and has now been asked to repeat that on October 30th at 6:30 at the Appleton Public Library.

H.    The door prize of a Fazoli’s gift certificate was won by Bill Dutcher.

AHS CEMETARY WALK PRELIMINARY REPORT:

Gwen Sargeant, AHS Board Member and Cemetary Walk Chairperson, reported that our Cemetary Walk held on Saturday, August 17th, was again well received by the community:

1.    The event was titled Meet the Mayors-Part 3.

2.    Some 30 people attended and received a tour of the graves of 5 Appleton Mayors.

3.    Each location had an actor in period correct costume portraying the deceased. Thanks to the five true-to-life actors:

a.    Tom Sutter.

b.    Nate Kalies.

c.    Reverend Leon Ehlert.

d.    Ken Syring.

e.    Jacob Steinmetz.

AHS COMMUNICATIONS REPORTS:

A summary of  upcoming programs and events was presented.

  PROGRAM : Appleton’s Ravines-Rivers Ran Through Them

Presenters:

 Teacher Sandy Benton and Fox River Academy 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. 

The Presentation: 

The Fox River Academy Environmental Charter School is located at 1000 S. Mason St.,

Appleton, WI 54914, and can be reached by phone at (920) 832-4848. The Fox River Academy was started by two motivated traditional teachers, Sandra Benton and Julie Spalding, who noticed at the end of the year what their students remembered the most from the past year were the hands-on lessons that often incorporated outdoor activity.

With the support of the Appleton Area School District and community the Fox River Academy was started with the goal of providing real-world experiences.
Students develop the ability to make connections, transfer their knowledge from familiar to unfamiliar contexts, and learn to "do science" rather than just "learn about science."  Fox River Academy uses a broad, encompassing question or essential questions, to guide learning. These essential questions, based on major science and social studies themes, direct the focus of all core subjects. Reading, writing, math, and technology are taught as supportive thinking skills needed by informed citizens.

Fox River Academy as a school project established  a "Ravine Team" that has studied the ravines of the City of Appleton and put together this presentation. As an extension of this research the group has done a major restoration project at the Pierce Park Ravine. 

Benton and her team showed a Power Point on their research. Many graphics and pictures of Appleton’s historic ravines were shown: