Minutes NHOGA Spring Meeting

May 12, 2018

Wilmot Town Hall

11 North Wilmot Road

Wilmot, NH

 

President Marty Hunt called the meeting to order at 10:00 am. Officers in attendance: Marty Hunt, Rae Tober (VP, auditor), Sue Hunt (Treasurer) and Richard Maloon( secretary). President Hunt also introduced Wilmot Cemetery trustee Alan Price and Historical society President Elizabeth Kirby (co-hosts) along with Douglas MacDonald and Christine Jensen, who helped with the morning treats.

 

Sue Hunt (treasurer) reported a balance, as of May 1, 2017 of $9159.85. Rae Tober spoke about how she audited the books, received on May 9, and using industry standard forms was able to verify to the penny the reported balance. Dues are now year-to-year, no longer April-to-April as before. All recommendations of previous bookkeeping changes have now been met.

 

Richard Maloon submitted the minutes for last fall's meeting September 23, 2017. They will sent to the web master.

 

Business

• NHOGA has been following SB 132, a bill to establish a state registry of historical burial grounds and cemeteries. The future of the bill is less clear than in the past. At an April 23d 2018 meeting in Concord it was reported Terry Knowles, a key supporter, has retired from State government. Senator Watters is still the sponsor of the bill. Bristol asked the board for money but this may have been the wrong Commission board, as this board has no money. In addition a previous request by the Commission for $35,000 was disallowed. It is recognized that several databases exist including the one accessible on the NHOGA web site. The President of NHOGA is a member of the Commission.

• Joshua Segal of Bennington is still doing Website update, and a private company CCINSPIRE is still providing free hosting and backup. Goggle maps are now used to show location. This was a multi year effort and Joshua Segal was thanked for his dedication to this task. Any updates to locations may be sent to the Webmaster directly. (Exact latitude and longitude)

• A discussion was held as to what constitutes a forum and guidance by Roberts's rules will be used to clarify this for NHOGA.

• It was reported Nancy Dodge passed away

• NHOGA is still actively watching the situation with the Northern Pass power lines coming too close to burial grounds.

• Bea Jillette of Goshen has some physical records and will bring them to the NHOGA Archive box Collection Box MC96. https://www.library.unh.edu/find/archives/collections/new-hampshire-old-graveyard-association-records-1976-2000. It was moved and seconded (Michelle Smith) that funds be used if necessary.

• Alton has found some interesting artifacts at a remote site on an Island. (No update)

• A Hands on workshop was held in Durham October 2017

• The proper way to access a private burial ground is covered in NH RSA 289:14

 

Elections:

 

The following slate of 2018 officers was submitted and voted in:

 

 

The new President Dexter Dean said he will continue the emphasis on Historical records and providing preservation workshops and looked forward to work with the officers and members in the coming year.

 

Al Price then turned the meeting over to the Wilmot Historical Society member and Oral historian Fred Ogmundson, who gave an interesting (oral) history of Wilmot. This "pioneering" Town, first populated and incorporated about 1780 had a population of 1200 in 1850, falling to 400 by 1950 and now back to about 1400 in 2018. There are two historic private and eight public burial grounds.

 

After lunch, the members scattered to see either the Bunker Hill cemetery, North Road cemetery, where an on site Preservation workshop will take place June 12, 2018 starting registration 9:30 am. or they went to one of interest to them.

 

Richard Maloon 5/21/2018