I wanted to make mention of three things we do from Backus-Page House Museum that you might not be aware of. I call them outreach or community engagement.
On Wednesday, Melanie and I spent part of the day at Beattie Haven Retirement Home in Wardsville. Approximately 40 people were in attendance for a delicious lunch and a guest speaker (me). Melanie ran all the technical parts of the Power Point presentation while I talked for about 30 minutes at answered questions from the guests.
What we showed and spoke of was a brief background of the museum, and a slideshow tour of both the house and the barn so people had a taste of what they would experience when they visit in person. We also took five of our kitchen and pantry artefacts plus the 20th anniversary society timeline of newspaper clippings and pictures as a small display. Each guest received a small print of the Moorhouse Doll (artist Jenny Phillips), a copy of the doll's story, a membership/donation form, and some information about the museum and society. Currently we don't have a set fee for talks like these, but a donation to the museum is always appreciated. Our focus is to encourage in person visits. Thank you to Beattie Haven for inviting us.
On our way back from Wardsville, we stopped at Bobier Villa in Dutton to take down the displays that Melanie had put up in July. One featured our year's events and a reuse of last year's Accounts of a Hard Days Work photographs, graphics, and artefacts. This showed actual prices of items that were purchased from the Wallacetown satellite store, Hockin and Poole in the 1890's.
The second display reused exhibit pieces and introduced a newer artefact for St. Peter's Anglican Church that is located just down the road from our museum and was built in 1827. We appreciate Bobier Villa letting us fill the two spaces each year as a project for one of our summer student staff and I know they appreciate not having to come up with new ideas themselves. I hope visitors, residents, and staff enjoy the historical information of the area.
Today my husband, John, along with Tyrconnell Heritage Society President Robert Ellis, Board Member Janice Ellis, and I will be representing the Backus-Page House Museum at Southwold's Remembrance Day Service in Shedden at the Keystone Complex. I am very much looking forward to hearing Steve Peters' talk about St. Thomas being attacked by the Americans in November of 1814 during the War of 1812.
The committee who organizes this important annual service, contacted me over a year and a half ago for my assistance. I was happy to help by asking the re-enactor friends and contacts I have made through hosting our past 1812 Events if they would attend. Kim Lundberg, who re-enacts a First Nations warrior and Roy Winders who re-enacts a Captain of the British Indian Department are placing a wreath in honour of the veterans of the War of 1812. The Goldsworthy family (who re-enact Americans) and other re-enactors will be attending as well and marching with the veterans. They will also be staying afterwards to answer questions from the public. Thank you to the committee for inviting us to participate and thank you to my re-enactor friends for agreeing to attend.
While you are reading this post, please take a moment to thank all those who have served to protect our rights and freedoms, and those who remained to serve in others way on the home front. If there is something we can do to assist you or your organization, I'd be happy to discuss the possibilities with you. A community museum is successful when it contributes to the community as much as the community contributes to it. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Angela
info@backuspagehouse.ca
519-762-3072
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