2023 EVENTS
EVENTS
THURSDAY MARCH 9, 2023 | 6:30PM
Chili Potluck Dinner and Kitchen Fundraiser.
Donations will be accepted to go toward our Kitchen
Fund that purchases cups, plates, coffee, and other
supplies for our events. The after-dinner topic will be
“Where were you and your parents born?” There will
be a large world map to mark the locations.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2023 | 11AM -
1PM
Annual Presidents’ Day Soup Luncheon fundraiser.
Enjoy a selection of homemade soups, bread, and
desserts, along with hammered dulcimer music
performed by Don Gillett.
2023 upcoming events.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2023 | 7PM
General Meeting: “African American Musicians in
Kansas 1860-1920,” presented by Lem Sheppard.
Sponsored by Humanities Kansas.
African American musicians from 1860-1920 are
often part of an under-told story in Kansas history
from 1860-1920. Not defined as traditionally Black
music, these musicians played in mandolin quartets,
cornet bands, orchestras, and string bands. They
performed as itinerant musicians and jubilee singers
at civic events, weddings, fairs, barn dances, and
private homes. They were an important feature of
the musical landscape of Kansas, and their history
mirrors the history of Kansas itself: the struggle of
abolition, the Civil War, and Western migration. This
talk explores the dynamic musical history of African
Americans, and the social and cultural impacts in
Kansas.
Lem Sheppard is an internationally known blues
guitarist, vocalist, and historian based in Pittsburg,
Kansas.
“African American Musicians in Kansas 1860-1920” is
part of Humanities Kansas's Speakers Bureau,
featuring humanities-based presentations designed
to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that
inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic
engagement.
SATURDAY MAY 6, 2023 | 8AM - 11AM
Breakfast and Bake Sale Fundraiser: Pancakes or
biscuits with gravy along with a wide variety of
homemade baked goods.
FRIDAY APRIL 21, 2023 | 2PM - 7PM
SATURDAY APRIL 22, 2023 | 9AM - 3PM
Annual Plant and Mulch Sale Fundraiser: double-
ground natural mulch and a variety of plants. Mulch
is sold loose by the cubic yard.
THURSDAY APRIL 13, 2023 | 7PM
General Meeting: “The Civil War in Kansas,”
presented by Will Haynes. Sponsored by Humanities
Kansas.
For Kansans, the violent guerrilla warfare between
proslavery and antislavery forces known as Bleeding
Kansas foreshadowed the national Civil War to
come. From 1861-65, the border struggle continued
to heat up as Kansans fended off Confederate
attacks, accepted the formerly enslaved into their
communities, and engaged in bitter political
debates. Men of all backgrounds—white, black, and
Native American—served in uniform, while women
managed farmsteads and formed societies to help
the needy. This talk presents the story of Kansas
during the Civil War and how it helped shape the
state’s image for years afterward.
Will is the director of engagement and learning for
Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence, Kansas. He
earned a PhD in history from the University of
Kansas and has contributed to public history
projects involving the New York Times, the Truman
Library Institute, and the Kansas City Public Library.
“The Civil War in Kansas” is part of Humanities
Kansas's Speakers Bureau and “21st Century Civics,”
a collection of resources that invite Kansans to
participate in community discussions and learn
more about the history of American democracy and
the shared responsibilities of citizenship. “21st
Century Civics” is made possible with support from
“A More Perfect Union: America at 250,” an initiative
of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Support for “The Civil War in Kansas” has been
provided by the Freedom’s Frontier National
Heritage Area.
SATURDAY JUNE 10, 2023 | 10AM
Fieldtrip to The Watkins Museum in Lawrence and
lunch afterward. We will meet at the station at 10am
and carpool to Lawrence. There will be a $5/person
fee for the guided tour of the museum. Sign up at
the May general meeting, by phone, or email.
THURSDAY MAY 11, 2023 | 7PM
General Meeting: “The Girl Behind the Plow: The
WLA in WWI,” presented by Mary L. Schmidt.
The Women’s Land Army (WLA), modeled after a
European program, trained young women to work
on farms when men were away during World War I.
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 | 7PM
General Meeting: “History of the Sunflower
Village,” presented by Brenda Spencer.
Sunflower Village, currently known as Clearview
City, was built as a planned community just a few
miles east of Eudora in the 1940s in order to house
some of the employees of the Sunflower Army
Ammunition Plant.
Brenda Spencer has been a historic preservation
professional for over 35 years, providing
preservation planning, consulting, and design
services across Kansas and surrounding states.
Brenda, along with her sister Michelle Spencer,
wrote the successful nomination that placed
Sunflower Village on the National Register of
Historic Places.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 12, 2023 | 7PM
General Meeting: “History of the Monticello
Township Fire Department,” presented by Bob
Garrett.
Mr. Garrett was an original member of the
department when it was created in 1973.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | 7PM
General Meeting: “US Presidential Libraries and
Museums,” presented by Anita Tebbe. Sponsored by
Humanities Kansas.
US Presidential Libraries and Museums are
impressive structures that act as repositories of
valuable presidential records and artifacts. But who
started this trend and when? What role do these
institutions play in how and what we remember?
Why are they important? This presentation delves
into the who, what, when, where, and why of the 13
US Presidential Libraries and Museums and explores
why they are critical to the educational health of our
country.
Anita Tebbe teaches continuing education courses
and is a retired professor in the Legal Studies
Department at Johnson County Community College.
“US Presidential Libraries and Museums” is part of
Humanities Kansas's Speakers Bureau and “21st
Century Civics,” a collection of resources that invite
Kansans to participate in community discussions and
learn more about the history of American democracy
and the shared responsibilities of citizenship. “21st
Century Civics” is made possible with support from
“A More Perfect Union: America at 250,” an initiative
of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2023 | 8AM -
11AM
Breakfast and Bake Sale Fundraiser: Pancakes or
biscuits with gravy along with a wide variety of
homemade baked goods.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 14, 2023 | 6:30PM
Annual Business Meeting: Election of officers and
adoption of budget for 2024, holiday pot-luck dinner
and optional ornament exchange.