Presidents Report March 2023

 

AFHM Members and Supporters:

 

With February now out of the way we can begin thinking about Spring and Daylight Savings Time that starts on March 12th! Thankfully winter has been pretty good to us for the most part, with no extended cold spells and NO SNOW! As such we should be seeing a lower utility bill for February and an indicator of our monthly winter usage now that the new heater has been installed and operational. Keep your fingers crossed.

 

Lawrence House Featured Exhibit of the Month:

• WWI Uniform (see photo below). This pristine conditioned uniform was donated by Janet Sozio, President of the Burlington County Prison Museum. It’s a piece she had offered several years ago before the Lawrence House became a reality. Thanks Janet!
• WWI Display. Learn about the contributions made by women in the support of the war effort, as well as the story of Camp Dix that was built in just 60 days! Also featured is the role New Jersey played in the chemical warfare aspect of the war’s battles

Current Activity of Note:

• “Right to Fight” documentary planning meeting on February 13th with Bob vonBargen, Ron Hathaway, Fred Hogan, George San Roman, and Shazel Manu Mohammed from the non-profit African Link organization to discuss collaborative ideas and strategies for this black history in the military project. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for March 21st

• Group tour of the RVN-TV studios on February 20th with a follow-on sit-down with the owner Keith Reynolds to discuss the potential for a weekly military history program. A contract proposal is pending
• Participation in a memorial plaque presentation at the Bordentown middle school to honor a former student who, sadly, was killed in action in the Vietnam War. The student, CPL “Joey” Thorn, was a fellow classmate of Don Cammus and a $1000 was pledged by AFHM as a contribution for the plaque, as raised by a special dedicated fundraiser for this local military hero. The contribution was greatly appreciated and served to promote our organization’s presence in the community and our non-profit mission to preserve, honor, and educate the public on our military history focus
• An interview with Congressman Andy Kim’s office for their monthly “Honor a Volunteer” recognition initiative. The focus was on recognizing all the volunteers who support the AFHM mission. A date for its publishing is pending and will be shared with our members and supporters
• The “Saturday Speakers” series got off to a great start with Kelly Atkinson’s “Three Centuries of Black History – Montford Point Marines” presentation on February 25th. 25 were in attendance with several touring the Lawrence House and donating at our gift shop to an amount of $170! Upcoming programs scheduled are (please plan to support!):
  • Gold Star Mothers documentary premier – 3/18
  • “Heroes Appreciation Day” at Jimmy’s restaurant – 3/23 (MiniMo event weather permitting)
  • Burlington City Food Tour (+ Lawrence House) – 3/25
  • Saturday Speakers featuring Billy Terrell – 4/22

Reminders: Our children’s book, “Seeds of Freedom”, is available at the Lawrence House gift shop for a $20 donation ($30 with the eagle plush toy). Also available are supplies of Bridging the Gap coffee at $10 per bag/K-cup box. Stop by and pick up some for your family, friends, and personal use. These are great products that promote our brand while raising needed operational funds for AFHM. Get ’em while their HOT!

 

Next Meeting:

• Date – Friday, March 17th @10am
• Coffee/water & pastries provided
• Main focus agenda item – Review & approval of the revised by-laws
• Location – Town & Country Diner, Rt 130N, Bordentown
•  
• See you there!

 

 

Roy Plummer

President

Armed Forces Heritage Museum
459 High Street
Burlington, NJ 08016
Cell: 856-313-8704 Home: 609-499-2074

Email: roy.plummer@afhmus.org

www.afhmus.org
A non-profit