Present or past residents of Southwest Kansas are being invited to become members of the Finney County Historical Society, according to Mary Eves, a member of the FCHS Board of Directors and leader of the organization’s membership committee.
“Each year our board conducts a membership drive between January and our annual meeting in April, and this offers a great opportunity to people who believe in preserving the history and heritage of our community,” Eves said.
Those who join can become as active as they like in programs at the Finney County Historical Museum, as well as events throughout the year. They also receive a quarterly newsletter, The Sequoyan; a listing in the FCHS annual report; a 20 percent discount on most purchases at the museum gift shop; voting rights in annual board elections; and invitations to free and fund-raising events, programs and activities that celebrate history throughout the year.
Those include the ongoing Brown Bag Lunch and Evening at the Museum presentations; the society’s annual banquet and Finney County Pioneer Awards; the Flea Market Festival of Antiques, Collectibles, Art and Crafts; the Historic Homes and Buildings Tour; and the Historic Walking Tours of Valley View Cemetery. Others range from the Southwest Kansas Antiques Appraisal Fair each spring and a history picnic each fall, to a live history re-enactment each spring, with dinner, on the patio at the museum.
“Even more important,” Eves said, “through your membership support, you earn the satisfaction of knowing that you’re supporting museum exhibits, which draw over 20,000 visitors annually; a growing collection of over 18,000 artifacts and records; year-round research into the past; and an education program serving thousands of children and adults each year.”
Annual membership dues are $15 for individuals, $25 for families or $50 for businesses. There are also donor memberships of $50 to any greater amount. Membership forms are available at the museum, where exhibit hours are 1-5 p.m. seven days weekly and office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The number for information is 620-272-3664.
Local residents are also welcome to contact Eves or other members of the FCHS Membership Committee, including Carla Algrim, Rosemary Corbett, Loretta DeLaRosa, Keith Downer, Barbara Goss, Beth Tedrow or John Wheeler.
