Its annual general meeting had
one sad moment, but many happy ones. The Eaton Corner Museum members met on May
24 to take stock of the past year, and elect new board members. Eighteen of the
68 members were present at the assembly in the Museum's former Congregational
church.
They were seated on old church pews, surrounded by newly mounted
displays. The displays are part of the "A Tale of the Townships" exhibition
that opens on June 7.
The sad moment was one of silence to honour directors and members who
passed away in the recent past. President Marc Nault noted that two of them,
Charles Bury last February and Richard Faubert in 2012, were key promoters of
the Eaton Corner Museum's new direction. In addition to the new exhibition, it
purchased the Foss House, situated beside the Congregational church. This
historic building will be the welcome centre. It will have facilities for
handicapped persons, and parking for buses. On the second floor will be secure
storage space for the Museum's collection. The Foss House will open a few weeks
later than the new exhibition, said Nault.
The happy moments celebrated these new developments, after a year of hard
work. Plus, the reports noted their new website, www.eatoncorner.ca.
New heritage gardens behind the Foss House. William Stone's Leg, with four
sold-out performances. And a boxful of valuable Compton County and Donald
Morrison archives, just received from Thomas Mckay in Washington DC.
"It's a lot of work, but I think our culture is worth it," said Nault.
"If you do nothing else, cultivate storytelling. It's wonderful what a good
storyteller can do." That's what Dick Evans advised. The role of a local museum
is "to create a sense of community identity for people, and to turn that into a
story."
Evans was the main speaker of the evening, and his topic was "The joys and
challenges of preserving local history." Evans was the founding president of
the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network, of which the Eaton Corner Museum is a member.
Elected for a two-year term were six board members: Marc Nault, Holly
McMillan, Serena Wintle, Claudia Racine, Steve Lepitre and Chantal Bolduc.
Currently serving a two-year term ending in 2015 are Mario Santerre, Keith
Bennett, Jacqueline Hyman, Elaine Lebourveau and Sharon Moore. "Now we have two
board members under the age of 40," Nault said happily. He also gave special
thanks to past president Pat Boychuck, who has just retired from the board.
The Eaton Corner Museum is at 374
Route 253. It's opening hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry
fees are adults $8, seniors $6, children $4, and families $20 maximum. For
information or group reservations, contact 819-875-5256 or info@eatoncorner.ca.
