Upcoming Events from the History Center in Fort Wayne
These events will be held at the History Center located at 302 E. Berry St. in Fort Wayne unless otherwise noted.

• Traders Days at the Chief Richardville House
  This event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 2, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Chief Richardville House located at 5705 Bluffton Rd. in Fort Wayne.
  
  The event will feature traditional Miami and neighboring tribes' crafts, goods and wares for sale, Three Rivers Language Center, and traditional Native American languages. Trader Days is free to the public.
  
  
• George R. Mather Lecture Series: Why Presidents Succeed with Alfred J. Zacher
  This event will be held on Sunday, Nov. 2, from 2 to 3 p.m.
  
  Zacher will analyze what Americans want in presidential leadership and why a few have succeeded and others have failed. Zacher has written the only book on the second term of U.S. presidents, Trial and Triumph: Presidential Power in the Second Term. He has appeared on the Today Show, CSPAN Booknotes and Chris Matthew's Hardball. The lecture is free to public.
  
  
• Holiday Portraits By George
  This event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 15, from noon to 5 p.m.
  
  Have your family photos taken in a classic setting for your holiday greeting cards or a unique family portrait! Photos prices vary, starting at $4.75 and up, and can be chosen and purchased online. Regular museum admission applies.
  
  
• Festival of Gingerbread Preview Party
  This event will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
  
  Join us for hors d'oeuvres, wine and entertainment. Honorary Chair Julia Meek will be available to sign her limited edition Festival of Gingerbread artwork. The cost is $20.00 per person. Call (260) 426-2882 x 308 to RSVP.
  
  
• Festival of Gingerbread Lighting Night
  This event will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 26, from 5 to 9 p.m.
  
  Visitors can get a sneak peak at the gingerbread houses during lighting night, as downtown Fort Wayne kicks off HolidayFest with lighting ceremonies.
  
  
• Festival of Gingerbread
  This festival will be held Nov. 28 through Dec. 14.
  
  Experience over 100 gingerbread creations on display. Weekend activities during the Festival include visits by Santa and Mrs. Claus, storytelling, a cookie decorating party, gingerbread cookie sales and more. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, and free to members and children ages five and under. Hours during the festival are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day.

For more information on any of these events please visit http://www.fwhistorycenter.com/ or call (260) 426-2882.

SAFE AND SOUND. LETTER TO FOLLOW: Stories of Hoosiers at Home and War during WWII
This presentation is a part of the "Sharing Hoosier History through Stories" series sponsored by the Indiana Historical Society and Storytelling Arts of Indiana, Inc.

The presentation is free to the public and will take place at the following venues:

• Anderson Public Library
  Saturday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m.
  Call (765) 641-2442 for details.
  
• Harold W. Richardson Memorial Chapel at Franklin College
  Thursday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m.
  Call (317) 738-8214 for details.
  
• Allen County Public Library
  Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m.
  Call (260) 421-1235 for details.
  
• Monroe County Public Library
  Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m.
  Call (812) 349-3228 for details.

Stephanie Holman came upon the two-line telegraph, "SAFE AND SOUND. LETTER TO FOLLOW", while researching at the Indiana Historical Society's library. This wireless “radiogram” was sent home to Indiana nearly 70 years ago, just after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Holman's storytelling performance presents a fascinating mix of humor and fear as revealed in the war letters of World War II. The letters by soldiers and their families describe both the realities of war on the battlefront and the effects of war on the home front. Stories of military life dominate the narrative, from the trials of basic training to close calls in battle. Yet, through their inquires about family crops, sweethearts and the romantic notions of younger siblings, these letters also reveal a yearning to stay connected with home and loved ones.

Contact host organizations at the phone numbers listed above or visit http://www.indianahistory.org/ for additional information.

Dedication for Revolutionary War Soldier in Greenville
This event for Jesse Stroud (1755-1812) will take place on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 1:30 p.m. at Schrader Taylor Cemetery, located at 8810 Old Vincennes Rd. on Ida and Cookie Collins’ property in Greenville.

The Harrison County DAR and the Revolutionary Color Guard from Bloomington will be present for the dedication.

Jesse Stroud has been in an unmarked grave for over 100 years. Jesse, with his brothers John and Thomas, arrived in Greenville in 1806. They had journeyed from North Carolina up the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap and across the Buffalo Trace which ran just south of Greenville. Jesse had served in the Militia in 1771 under Capt. Hinds when the British attacked his home in Guilford County, N.C. He had a great grandson, Lt. Col. Virgil (Gus) Grissom (1926-1967) and great nephew, Brigadier General Anson Mills (1823-1914) who led the battles of Powder River and Slim Buttes against the Sioux who slaughtered General Custer.

For more information contact Lance Stroud at (812) 633-4470.

The Bridge-Building Kennedys in Rushville
This fall business-dinner meeting of the Rush County Historical Society is open to the public and will be held on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. at the Benjamin Rush Middle School in Rushville.

Following the tragedy at Moscow this summer, the Moscow bridge as well as all the Rush County covered bridges have been objects of discussion and concern by many residents. Becky Webb will present an interesting slant on these discussions in her program, The Bridge-Building Kennedys: The Men, The Model and Some Memories, as she relates family stories and information about her famous ancestors. She will talk about the three generations of Kennedy men involved in the bridge building business, the history of the model housed in the museum and the personal stories associated with the family. Her program will include many pictures and artifacts from the Gowdy House Museum, as well as her personal collection.

Dinner will be catered by Lori Hoeing. A short business meeting will be conducted by President David Northam followed by the program presented by Becky Webb.

The cost for the dinner meeting is $14 for members and $16 for non-members.

Reservations are required by Oct. 31 and can be made by calling Phyllis Fecher at (765) 932-1810.

Restored Civil War Flag Unveiling at the Dubois County Museum
This event will take place on Sunday, Nov. 9, from 1 to 4 p.m. with a short program at 2 p.m. at the Dubois County Museum located at 2704 N. Newton St. (U.S. 231) in Jasper.

Sept. 17, 1862, was the bloodiest day of battle of any war, not just the Civil War. This was the day of the Battle of Antietam. The soldiers of the 27th Regiment Indiana were in the thick of the battle. Dubois, Daviess, Pike, Martin, Lawrence, Jackson, Washington and Brown counties lost many of their boys on that day fighting in “The Cornfield.” The regiment suffered 42 percent casualties in three hours.

A flag used in that famous battle, having been restored, is now being placed on display for the first time in a new area of the military section at the Dubois County Museum during this event. Phil Buecher, who inherited and donated the Company K flag, will be there as well as Jennifer Hein, who patiently restored the flag. Persons who are descendants of this famous regiment are especially invited to the event as well as those who have an interest in the Civil War itself. There will be a great deal of information on local veterans. Special Civil War artifacts will also be shown in this permanent exhibit.

For more information call (812) 634-7733.

Holiday Decoration Silent Auction at the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum
For those who haven’t started shopping for the holidays yet or are looking for creative and unique gifts, the annual silent auction will be held Nov. 17 through Dec. 6 at the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum located at 1050 S. Main St. in Scottsburg.

The auction will be open and available during regular museum hours, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The auction ends at the conclusion of the museum’s Holiday Open House at 5 p.m. on Dec. 6.

Anyone interested in donating items can contact the museum at (812) 752-1050. The museum will accept items from businesses or organizations, homemade arts or crafts, specially decorated trees or wreaths, gift certificates or non-perishable food items.  Donors’ names will be posted with their items.

Funds raised from the event will be used to help pay for the recent construction at the museum. For additional information about the event or to inquire about making a donation, please contact Executive Director Jeremy Risen or Assistant Director Jeannie Abbot at (812) 752-1050.

Brown Bag Lunch Featuring Military History at the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum
This event will be held on Nov. 19 at noon at the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum located at 1050 S. Main St. in Scottsburg.

Andrew Rowden will present The Cottonbalers: America’s Premiere Infantry Regiment. Rowden leads a group of living history re-enactors who portray the 7th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division at World War II and other living history events. 

The program is free and open to the public. Those attending the event supply their own lunch and the museum provides drinks and desserts.

The museum provides the Brown Bag Lunch programs Sept. through May each year on the third Wednesday of the month at noon. Each month features a different speaker covering a wide variety of topics and typically lasting about an hour. Coming up on Dec. 17, Terry Amick will present The Holy Land. The programs are in the museum’s Michael L. Smith Room, which seats approximately fifty people. 

For more information call (812) 752-1050.

The Big Read Grants
The Institute of Museum and Library Services, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, announces the fifth deadline for The Big Read. The purpose of The Big Read is to revitalize the role of literature in American popular culture. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 are available to encourage local communities to inspire reading by developing and carrying out programming revolving around a single work of literature. The application deadline is Feb. 3, 2009. Programming must be conducted between Sept. 2009 and June 2010. This will be the only application deadline in 2009.

The Big Read grants require the participation of a library as a lead applicant or a partner. IMLS strongly encourages museums of all types to apply as lead applicants or as partner organizations in The Big Read. Communities across the country have strengthened their Big Read projects by enlisting the support of art, science, history and children's museums, as well as aquaria, arboreta, botanical gardens, nature centers and zoos.

Organizations selected to participate in The Big Read will receive:

• A grant
• Financial support to attend a national orientation meeting
• Educational and promotional materials for broad distribution
• An organizer's guide for developing and managing Big Read activities
• Guidance on working with local media
• Inclusion of the organization and its activities on the Big Read Web site
• The prestige of participating in a highly visible national initiative

The Request for Proposals can be downloaded at http://www.neabigread.org/. The proposal deadline is Feb. 3, 2009. Questions should be directed to Arts Midwest at (612) 238-8010 or TheBigRead@artsmidwest.org.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

RGK Foundation Grants
The RGK Foundation awards grants in the broad areas of education, community and medicine/health. Grants are made only to nonprofit organizations certified as tax-exempt under Sections 501(c)(3) or 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and classified as "not a private foundation" under Section 509(a).

While the foundation does award some grants of more than $25,000, it is anticipated that most grants awarded will be under $25,000.

There is no deadline for submitting an electronic letter of inquiry. Foundation staff reviews electronic letters of inquiry on an ongoing basis and typically responds within two days, but asks that applicants allow up to two weeks for a response. The foundation will send an e-mail message either declining each applicant's request or inviting the applicant to submit a formal application packet for further consideration.

For more information visit www.rgkfoundation.org/public/guidelines.

Charles Lafitte Foundation Funds
CLF's mission is to provide for and support inventive and effective ways of helping people help themselves and others around them to lead healthy, satisfying and enriched lives. To fulfill this mission, the foundation acts as grant maker, innovator and volunteer for four main programs: education, children's advocacy, medical research and issues, and the arts.

The foundation funds organizations throughout the country but is limited to supporting 501(c)(3) institutions.

For more information visit www.charleslafitte.org/applications.html.

MetLife Foundation Funds
MetLife Foundation makes contributions only to tax-exempt organizations under
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Grants usually fall within the following broad areas of concern: health, civic affairs, education, culture and public broadcasting.

For more information visit www.metlife.com/Applications/Corporate/WPS/CDA/PageGenerator/0,1674,P296,00.html.

NEH Picturing America Deadline Extended
The National Endowment for the Humanities recently announced that it was extending the deadline for a second round of applications for its Picturing America program. The deadline is being extended to Nov. 14, 2008.

Picturing America is a free educational resource that helps teach American history and culture by bringing some of our nation’s greatest works of art directly to classrooms and libraries.

Public, private, parochial, and charter and home school consortia (K-12), as well as public libraries in the U.S and its territories are eligible to receive Picturing America materials. Previous recipients of the Picturing America collection are not eligible for a second award.

Under the Picturing American program, at no cost, recipients will receive a set of large, high-quality reproductions of 40 pieces of great American art (each approximately 24” x 36”) and an illustrated teachers resource book with information about the artists and artwork and lesson ideas for all grade levels to facilitate the use of the reproductions in core subject areas. Delivery of these materials is scheduled for spring 2009.

For more information visit http://picturingamerica.neh.gov/.

Picturing America is distributed by the NEH in cooperation with the American Library Association.

Family History: Show Me the Money! Business and Employment Records in Genealogy
This event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

The cost is $10 or $8 for IHS members. Register by Oct. 31.

Jobs are family destiny. Most immigrants came to America for the freedom to work, especially to work for more money. This two-hour workshop, featuring Ron Darrah, will show you how to use work records to follow and to understand your ancestors. Mr. Darrah is a frequent genealogy lecturer in Indiana and was a founding director of the Genealogical Society of Marion County. He currently serves as the Chair of the Society of Civil War Families of Indiana.

Advance registration is required. For more information, call (317) 234-1830 or e-mail welcome@indianahistory.org.

National:

Education Coordinator at the Museum of disABILITY History in Williamsville, N.Y.
The Museum of disABILITY History is dedicated to advancing the understanding, acceptance and independence of people with disabilities. The Museum's exhibits, collections, archives and educational programs create awareness and a platform for dialogue and discovery.

Duties:

• Responsible for the planning, coordination, implementation and evaluation of quality educational programs and materials integrated to NYS curriculum standards for K-12 students, individuals with developmental disabilities and the general public
• Develop and implement curriculum-based school tour and disability awareness scout programs
• Establish and maintain volunteer programs
• Recruit and train docents
• Responsible for promoting the Museum in the WNY community
• Assist with the marketing of educational programs
• Help create exhibit resources for different age groups
• Work closely with schools, colleges and professional organizations to establish partnerships for in-service teacher training

Required Qualifications:

• BA or BS in History or Education
• Museum experience or a combination of Museum studies, education and experience
• Knowledge of NYS Learning Standards.

Preferred Qualifications:

• MS in Museum Studies or Education
• Teaching experience, as well as experience working with individuals with disabilities
• Computer skills including experience working with PastPerfect museum software and museum applications
• Comfortable with public speaking and presentations, particularly with younger audiences
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Candidates should be comfortable working in a team environment

Please forward resume and cover letter to:
Tess Fraser, Director
Museum of disABILITY History
1291 N. Forest Rd.
Williamsville, NY 14221
E-mail: tfraser@people-inc.org