The board of directors of the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement elected a new leadership team during its monthly meeting Jan. 15.
The group of four officers, who will serve one-year terms, are Co-Presidents David White and Jeffery Seay, and Co-Vice Presidents Robert Voss and Dan Hunter.
The other members of the board of directors are: Rosetta Baker; Virginia N. Baker; Virginia S. “Ginny” Baker, Ph.D.; Clifford Jackson; Roy Pickron; Rita Pruette, D.N.P.; and Barbara Jean Throne, J.D.
With the decision last fall of Willard Smith and Howard Johnson Jr. to retire from the Settlement’s board of directors, the fate of Blountstown’s well-regarded living-history museum has been questioned by people who legitimately wonder whether it can survive without the last two founding board members at the helm.
The answer, according to White and Seay, lies not in the board or its officers, but in support from the community.
“If we can get the community behind the Settlement, then it will succeed, but that has always been the case,” said Seay, who joined the board in 2009. “The board of directors and its officers might have some impressive-sounding titles and offer some overall guidance, but having volunteers is the thing that is crucial. Volunteers have always been the key to the Settlement’s success and will continue to be the key.”
From staffing the gate, gift shop and concession stand during events to conducting guided tours of the Settlement’s 18 historical buildings during regular weekday business hours, volunteers have always been the lifeblood of the Settlement.
“There are a hundred jobs at the Settlement that can, should and need to be done on a regular basis. These include opportunities for young people and old people,” said White, who joined the board in 2004. “We just want to get the word out to everyone in Calhoun and Liberty counties that we need your talents, your time and your know-how, and we need them right now.”
Seay added that even Willard and Linda Smith, Howard Johnson Jr. and Frances Price — a group that he thinks of as the “Mount Rushmore of the Settlement” — needed an army of volunteers to help them build the organization over the past 25 years into a place that visitors often say is the best living-history museum they’ve ever seen.
“It is true that Willard, Linda, Howard and Frances not only provided leadership at the top, but they also led our volunteers by example with ‘sweat-equity,’” Seay said. “In other words, they worked events, they worked behind the scenes, they worked the phones, they wrote grant proposals, they staffed the gate, they pushed the lawn mower, they sold Cokes and they baked biscuits. They taught classes on the trades and crafts of the past. They were organizers, keeping the Settlement’s ducks in a row. They got here early and they stayed late. In short, they did everything they could to ‘build a better mousetrap,’ and it shows. The proof is obvious — the proof is the Settlement.”
Now, the Settlement is seeking a new generation of volunteers to ensure that the “best living-history museum” continues to thrive. Anyone — young, old or in between — who is interested in giving of their talents, time and know-how is invited to join the Settlement’s volunteer register. To do so, call Janice Holley, office manager, at (850) 674-2777. In addition, anyone who wishes to fill recent board vacancies can request an application by calling the same number.
In addition, the board of directors is planning a community “town-hall” forum this spring to give the public an opportunity to show their support by sharing ideas and providing feedback about the Settlement.
“This is hopefully the beginning of a broad effort to promote involvement and encourage a sense of ownership of the Settlement among local residents,” White said. “We want to approach the community with humility, listen to what people have to say and simply ask them to join us in our mission of historic preservation because there is strength in numbers. Working with the community and for the community is the only way we will succeed.”
The community “town-hall” forum will be advertised ahead of time in The Calhoun-Liberty Journal. To learn more, visit www.panhandlepioneer.org.