by PAT MCGLONE
The Rockbridge Historical Society kicked off a year-long education initiative this past weekend.
The Society had an ice cream social on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its Campbell House headquarters on Washington Street.
Children got a free cone and adults took home a map of the county.
The open house social had wood workers, musicians and re-enactors who emphasized local traditions with their skills. A fiddler, guitarist and banjo player were playing Appalachian music. A Native-American, fluent in Cherokee, wore authentic garb.
“We’re really trying to focus on history education, to get [children] excited about history as young as 3 and 4,” said George Warren IV, executive director of the society.
Founded in 1939, Rockbridge Historical Society is the oldest and largest county historical society in Virginia. It owns a sizable portion of historical property that extends to nearly the entire block surrounding Campbell House. Much of its funding comes from renting out portions of the property as well as member dues, donations and grants.
Pam Simpson, a Society trustee, said the 500-member organization is healthy. Despite the obvious local support and the money that comes from dues and rental properties, Simpson said, there are some financial issues that have been ironed out.
“We were facing some problems with taking care of these historic structures,” she said. The society recently won a grant that helped with the renovation and restoration of the upper floor of the Castle, one of the historic buildings the Society owns next to the Campbell House.
Warren said that the ice cream social is the first step in promoting history education in elementary and middle schools for the upcoming year. Warren hopes to involve not only the children, but their parents as well. The social had a turnout of about 800 visitors by 1 p.m., a good kickoff for the year.
“We’re doing it for the love of it, but we also perceive an enormous need,” Warren said.
He said that part of the problem in schools is the need to teach a highly structured curriculum that ignores a lot of important history, especially local. He said schools just don’t have to time or resources to teach as intensively as they should. He believes that much of the fault lies on the Standards of Learning programs, which he said are too rigid and exclusive.
But, Warren said, his society’s educational initiative has broad and deep public support in the area.
“We wouldn’t be the oldest and largest county historical society in the state without support.”
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisors:
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd