Submitted by Tammy Herron ([email protected])
I will start this President’s Message off apologetically—I should have had this message out at the beginning of January, but life has thrown some major curve balls my way as of late. I would like to say that I am looking forward to serving as President of the SGA for the next couple of years and will strive to get information out in a timelier manner.
For those of you who were not in attendance at the 2012 Fall Meeting, the new (and some not so new) officers for 2012-2014 are President Tammy Herron, Vice President Leslie Perry, Secretary Pam Baughman (thank you for your willingness to serve again), Treasurer Rick Sellers (thank you for your willingness to serve again), and Ex-Officio Catherine Long. Newly elected board members for 2012-2016 are Phillip T. Ashlock (aka PT), Tom Lewis, Amanda Morrow, and Joseph Roberts. Board members serving the 2010-2014 terms are Lyn Kirkland (who has stepped in to fill Leslie Perry’s unexpired term now that she is VP), Matthew Newberry, Don Thieme, and Inger Wood. Additional officers include Early Georgia Editor Jared Wood, Early Georgia Managing Editor Dr. David Hally, and The Profile Editor Ben Steere. I look forward to working with the SGA leadership and our members throughout the state as we strive to grow and strengthen the organization. On that note, I would like to mention that the officers and board members will be holding a Strategic Planning Meeting in February to reevaluate and prioritize the list of both short and long term goals for the organization, so look for an update on the website following that meeting.
I personally wish to thank everyone who worked to make the 2012 Fall Meeting a success in Columbus—especially, Matthew Newberry, Suzanne Newberry, Lynn Pietak, and Dean Wood. I hope that you read Past-President Catherine Long’s summary of the Fall Meeting, if not, perhaps this will prompt you to do so. Those of you who were unable to attend the meeting, tour, and social hour downtown afterwards missed a real treat! We received a warm welcome by our hosts at the Columbus Museum and gleaned much information from the interesting and informative papers presented during the morning session. Following lunch, we enjoyed a fantastic tour of the National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus led by Mr. Jeffrey Seymour. If you find yourself traveling near or through Columbus, I encourage you to stop in and take a tour of both of these wonderful institutions that are working to preserve Georgia’s history. I think you will be glad you did! We had great food and fun during the social hour at The Cannon Brew Pub downtown and enjoyed people-watching during the city’s annual Spooktacular Halloween Celebration—some of the scenes were definitely quite spooky!
And speaking of meetings, please SAVE THE DATE and make plans to join us for the 2013 Spring Meeting on Saturday, May 18th in Macon! Preliminary plans include a morning session of presentations at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, boxed lunch, tour of Ocmulgee National Monument by Dan Bigman, and more presentations at Ocmulgee in the afternoon. I look forward to seeing you there! Please visit SGA’s website for continued updates regarding Georgia Archaeology Month and the Spring Meeting.
Now that Georgia Archaeology Month in on your mind, did you know this year marks the 20th year that SGA has hosted an annual archaeology awareness promotion? What began as GEORGIA ARCHAEOLOGY AWARENESS WEEK in May of 1994 has evolved into a month-long celebration and outreach effort to promote a better of understanding of archaeology in general, how archaeology is conducted in Georgia, and the importance of site preservation. The theme for 2013 is “Digging and Diving into the Past: Celebrating 20 Years of Georgia Archaeology Awareness.” Again, please visit the website often for additional postings regarding this awesome celebration and the calendar of events that will be taking place around the state.
On another note, the SGA has joined The Coalition to Preserve the Georgia Archives and will be listed as a supporting organization in the Georgia Archives advocacy document. As many of you will remember, Catherine Long, the immediate past president of our organization, sent letters last September in support of the Georgia Archives to the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Secretary of State. “In order to continue the preservation, study and education of all Georgia’s rich history,” Mrs. Long urged these officials to reconsider their decision to close the archives. Like-minded organizations around the state are working to ensure that legislators are aware that additional funding is needed “in the next state budget to restore the Georgia Archives to its ability to be open to the public for regular business hours and to have sufficient staff to provide the basic full range of services that a state archival institution should provide.” As such, the officers and board members felt that it was our duty to join with other supporting organizations throughout the state as a Coalition Partner.
One last note, please take time to renew your membership for 2013! If you have already done so, then I thank you immensely. And remember that you can join and/or renew even faster and easier now via credit card payment online by clicking SGA’s NEW payment link here.
Hope to see y’all at the Spring Meeting in Macon!
Posted online on Tuesday, January 29th, 2013
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