Task Force Meeting Minutes – Sept. 11, 2018

World War One Commemoration Task Force Meeting Minutes

September 11, 2018

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Bozman Government Center

1. Chair Finkelstein welcomed the members and asked for acceptance of the August meeting minutes – approved
   
   
2. The chair reminded members to promote calendar events through their respective organizations; events are posted to the national WWI Centennial Commemoration calendar and are listed at the end of these minutes.
   
   
3. Zenia Simpson provided a brief of last month’s County Fair including the WWI Tour Bus which had almost 2800 visitors including over 700 children during the Fair
   
   
4. Serena Bollinger provided an update of the first interpretive panel to be placed in Clarendon Central Park. The goal is to get the main panel installed for unveiling on the centennial anniversary on November 11. HALRB should complete their review soon.
   
   
5. The Chair will be doing a podcast with the national WWI Centennial Commission to promote the work of the Task Force and to talk about the interpretive panels which are funded in part by a grant from the commission. The date has moved but may still happen this month.
   
   
6. Craig Syphax updated the Task Force on his work through Arlington Independent Media on a WWI themed show to be broadcast in October. There will be 2-3 episodes that will include comments by Task Force members and tours of WWI displays at the American Battle Monuments Commission and Arlington National Cemetery.
   
   
7. There was a brief discussion on the Challenge Coins that were developed to further fund the interpretive panels. The Arlington Historical Society will continue to sell the coins at Clarendon Day and their museum.
   
   
8. Frank O’Leary provided an update of the fundraising effort to date. Funds are held by the Arlington Historical Society and now total $19,259.
   
   
9. Dan Donahue from Post 139 provided an update of still developing plans for the American Legion sponsored event on Armistice Day 2018. The event will begin around 10:30 a.m. on November 11 and will include “Bells of Peace”, the ringing of bells encouraged by the national WWI Centennial Commission.  Plans also are considering music (possibly Opera NOVA) and the poet laureate (Zenia Simpson to follow up) and speakers County Board Vice-Chair Christian Dorsey and Task Force Chair Allison Finkelstein.
   
   
10. The November meeting of the Task Force will be conducted on November 1 so that the Task Force may deal with last minute details of the November 11 event.
    
    
11. The Chair asked Task Force members to consider making an “in-kind” contribution to the Alexandria Historical Society for the September 26 lecture by Professor Jeffrey Sammons; food and beverages are welcome.
    
    
12. Upcoming Events:
    1. TBD: Book talk/author event by Kate Germano, author of Fight Like a Girl at the Arlington Central Library
    2. September 26, time TBD: Professor Jeffrey Sammons lecture on African Americans in WWI. Joint event with the Alexandria Historical Society and Black Heritage Museum of Arlington. Location: Lyceum in Alexandria.
    3. October 18, time TBD: Library Film Screening—The Big Parade (silent film)
    4. November 8, time TBD: Arlington Historical Society lecture by Kim Holien on the history of Ft. Myer, location TBD
    5. November 11 at 11:00am: American Legion Veterans Day Ceremony at the Clarendon War Memorial.
    6. November 17, time TBA: Arlington Sister Cities lecture by COL (Ret.) Rob Dalessandro about the Armistice, place and details TBA.
    7. November 18, 11:00am-1:30pm: Arlington National Cemetery WWI walking tour https://www.eventbrite.com/e/history-tour-world-war-i-tickets-48412940408
    8. November 29, time TBD: Garett Peck book talk at Arlington Central Library, The Great War in America: World War I and its Aftermath