The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-04-27

crease that if thought best. This will
be the basis for something worth
while.
Arrange the number of meetings to
be held, when and where. The next
step is the appointment of a commit.
tee to outline programme for the
members. This committee should in
vestigate the present histories of the
county and city, and see what is OBJ
tainable in the library. With this as a
basis, they should decide how many
years are to be covered up to the time
of the present generation. Following
this arrangement of plans, see that all
possible subjects that would be of gen.
eral interest are listed. Say for the
first ten years of the history of Mount
Vernon.
Having arranged so much of the plan
the rest will naturally follow as one
decade is completed afer another.
When the first decade is carefully ar
ranged, submit the same to general
meeting of the society for their approx
al, Determine among your members
who will be willing to prepare papers
to read, or have read, before the his
torical society at the next meeting.
There should be at least one such pa.
per prepared for reading at each meet.
ing and possibly more, to be decided
upon by the president before the meet.
ing is called to order.
1t will not be difficult to obtain in
formation through old books and pub
lie records, diaries and ledgers, news
paper files of past years, and through
conversations with the older citizens
of the town, many OF whom have
minds richly stored with memories
and incidents of the past, and who
will be eager to give information for
historical papers.
Following the meetings at which
these papers are read, the secretary
or historian Of the society should copy
them into a permanent record book or
history, dating them properly and Civ.
ing credit to whom it is due. Subse-
quently the papers should be given to
the newspapers for publication. BY
holding the meetings once a month
and seeing that the newspapers pub
lish each paper as it appears, added in
terest will be aroused among the mem
bers of the community, who can and
will give assistance in increasing the
and standing of the or.
ganization
There are a number of old ledgers |
and papers in the possession of per-
sons living in Mount Vernon, as well |
as other notes of unusual value, which |
should be located and made use of !
to the fullest extent
There is no reason why an historical
society should not obtain the use OF
one of the old homes of the city for
their meetings, and as place in which
relics of the earlier days as may
come into their possession. Such an
when sufficiently estab-
lished should be allowed to hang on
its walls many relics which are
loaned; at times many gifts will be
made to their museum, thus insuring
a permanent exhibit building should
eventually be bought by the society or
the city and made exempt from taxa
ton, AS being for the public good. The
funds that accumulate should be eX-
pended in the upkeep OF such a build. |
ing.
Where Is your local patriotism? Why |
leave all such action 20 the ID. A. r. or
the Sons of the Revolution? All can
not obtain membership in these socie.
ties. but everyone can assist in the es.
Enlistment of a local historical society |
that will perpetuate the traditions and
history of the early days of Mount Yer.
non. Now is the moment to formulate
this movement: organize without de.
lay and be the first to establish 10,
cal historical society among the small
er cities of Ohio
Yours for action,
PIERSON w. BANNING,
Los Angeles. Cal.
l4S North Wilton Place