Tuesday, March 17, 2015

The Winston County Genealogical Society met at the Winston County Archives in Double Springs. The February meeting was canceled due to inclement weather.

I. Minutes:

A. Minutes from the January meeting were read. Ronald made a motion to accept the minutes as read, Treva seconded, and the motion carried.

II. Treasurer’s Report:

    1. Beginning Balance: $1,199.41
    2. Deposits: $1,366.00
    3. Checks: $821.73 – USPS, $49.00, postage; Treva, $357.08, Lulu books; Downs and Associates, $270.00, taxes; Treva, $63.90, toner cartridge; and UPS Store, $81.75, newsletter printing
    4. Ending Balance: $1,743.68
    5. Petty Cash Report: Beginning $123.72; Ending: $76.23

III. Old Business:

    1. The bylaws were typed, omitting the sections that only one officer could serve only one position and the secretary and treasurer positions were split. This was due to not having enough people willing to take offices. The board of directors and officers signed the bylaws.
    2. Regarding our letter and information that was mailed out to Alabama historical and genealogical societies, we received newsletters from Crenshaw and Autauga Counties, with Crenshaw wanting to swap newsletters with us. Dale County also ordered a set of our Winston Roots books, and Marion County may order a set as well.
    3. Winston Roots, Vol. III: Early Pioneers and Settlers of an Alabama County has been published since our last meeting. We have already sold about sixty copies.

IV. New Business:

    1. We will have a speaker from the Lawrence County Archives at our next meeting.
    2. The Southern Cross Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy will be having a grave ceremony for Stephen McCollum at Fairview on April 11th at 11:00.
    3. Our March newsletter is published.
    4. Alabama Genealogical Society will be having a Spring Seminar on organizing research at Samford University on March 28th.
    5. We have received numerous new books, including Robin Sterling’s new books on Blount County marriages and two Marion County newspaper books. The Georgia Loose Land Lottery Records book has come in. Dianne Miller has donated several more books and Alabama Historical Quarterlies.
    6. Raven Millwood has donated a DVD of the Looney’s Tavern play and has finished indexing our previous newsletters.
    7. Robin Sterling has been working on a new book on the Mt. Ebron and Deer areas. Walter L. Shaddix had been a correspondent to the newspapers from 1904 until the early 1960s and told of the history of Western Winston. These articles also mention a Winston County High School "Book of Memory" that was near completion for the 50th anniversary of the school in 1958 and was supposed to be sealed for fifty years. Members are trying to find what happened to this book.
    8. Delores Brooks, a member who lives in McCalla, has asked permission to nominate the society to the DAR for recognition for all the preservation and historical work we do.
    9. The Tucker reunion will be the third Saturday in May. Joel Mize has invited the SAR color guard to perform a ceremony at the reunion. It will be at Hopewell Cemetery.

V. Program:

    1. Darryal introduced our speaker, Tom Bartlett, who has written a book on Cornell Shaddix. Mr. Shaddix was accepted as a cadet in 1943 and was given an assignment as bombardier in 1944 with the Bloody 100th. He was shot down in Belgium, near a German outpost. He was picked up and put on the Belgium underground and walked across France to escape and was reunited with the army. His story is told in the new book, Fallen Fortress. Mr. Bartlett has graciously donated a copy to the archives. It is available on Amazon.

VI. Attendance: 15

Meeting adjourned.