NEW SHARON – As agreed, Historical Society members at their final meeting on July 21, donated the $300 left in the Society’s checking account to the Ditzler Library, along with the single copy of the updated Early New Sharon Maine Historic photo book.
Society members Forrest Bonney and Joanne Page presented the items to librarian Diana Oliver.
The library also has CDs available which show all the updated photos with related stories. The photo collection is available to view online here.
Spencer T.
Some might wonder why the Historical Society would give all its funds to the Library. It is a curious series of events. First, the NSHS asked to move the town’s history materials to a different town owned facility than the towns’ facility were they were housed. Second,the board put in the town warrant an article to assume the ownership of the materials, and it passed, which transferred the property to the town. (Note, the members of the NSHS never thought that the town did Not own the materials). Next, the Society, in order to avoid having to have heavy insurance costs, unincorporated the association, BUT DID NOT DISOLVE THE ASSOCIATION. The Selectmen, not understanding that “dissolving” the incorporation did not render the NSHS no longer an a legal association, decided, for some reason, that since they owned all the material, they would set up and appoint a committee to do what the NSHS had been doing for 33 years. Finally, the NSHS, realizing that it had been rendered useless, decided to disband and give all its funds to the Ditzler Library. That is what happened.
The HISTORICAL SOCIETY donation to the Library was made AFTER all corporate tax obligations were paid (please note Chair of Historical Committee and Select Board who had questions). Plus all current dues were returned to HS members. The donation check from one member was returned after learning the Town was taking over the Historical Society and replacing it with the Historical Committee. And that the Committee is completely controlled by the Select Board.
To support this “control” factor, at a recent Selectmen’s Meeting the Chair of the Historical Committee was asked to put out a press release advising the status and operation of the new Historical Committee. And the release would have to be approved by the Selectmen before being published.
This a bit embarrassing
I had/have made a couple of past modest contibutions to the Society following Bulldog articles and have received a couple of really nice ‘thank you” and personal notes from Dana Dill which I have kept
Down stream entities from my home down of Farmington do have histories that need to be preserved and maintained
CHUCK DAVIS: Dana Dill, along with two of his children (co-chairs) and two volunteers, are on the new 5-member “Historical Committee” created and managed by the Selectmen. The “Committee” replaced the “Society”. They will be overseeing the historical artifacts museum now located at the Town Offices. You can still contact Dana.
To Bil Reid, again I will point out that Maynard Webster, Forrest Bonney, and Lorna Nichols were the Board members that put the Article in the Town Warrant to assume ownership of the collection. Please don’t blame those not involved. It is a waste of energy to be upset that the current Board is following the rules set forth by the State as a result of the combination of that Article passing and the Dissolution paperwork filed by NSHS. The Committee only replaces the dissolved corporation, not the unincorporated Society.
Your work and the work of your peers was/is instrumental in the preservation of New Sharon’s past. Please don’t allow bruised egos to compromise that for future generations.
We look forward to moving onward and upward, we gladly accept all donations, (we had several tonight) Anyone is welcome to come visit Wednesday Evenings 5-7, or by appointment, numbers can be found on town of New Sharon webpage, We will also be holding a Grand Opening this year. Chuck Davis, you may personally call my Dad, Dana Dill. I’m glad he stayed to help guide us.
Co-Chair Darlene Power
Amanda, thank you so much for your remarks. I knew, and others in the NSHS knew who peopled the board and put in the article. No surprise. But Society members who wanted to move the collection from one town facility to another never figured that the town would seize what was already the town’s, i.e. it was unnecessary and not relevant. We blame only those involved. The new selectmen did not understand that the NSHS was an association before it was incorporated and remained a legal association after no longer an incorporated entity. We could have continued what we had been doing for 33 years. We were treated rudely. We discovered, to our amazement, that a committee had been set up tp do what we had been doing. The new board, which included one member from the previous board, did not call on the NSHS membership to discuss the plan to set up an historical committee. The members of the board simply exercised their power and were not thoughtful, and neighborly. The Committee only replaces the dissolved corporation, not the unincorporated Society.
As for your “The Committee only replaces the dissolved corporation, not the unincorporated Society.“ The setting up a town committee was unnecessary and clumsily done.
I just find it odd than Dana and Jessie Dill stayed on, and are still fully active members of the committee, all New Sharon Selectman meetings are recorded, so if you were unable to attend, you could of listen to it online, I have gone to five Selectman meetings, and all society members were invited to attend, but the only ones that showed was myself and a previous member.
Yes it’s sad, but sometimes we have to move forward.