After President Jefferson left us at the Germanna Reunion, we heard Sven and Olaf Schneider on the piano and trombone. Unfortunately, the piano at the College was not in tune but they still put on an excellent program of national anthems, old favorites, and a few hymns. Their father and two brothers are also musicians. (When the last German Heritage Tour visited Trupbach, the group was welcomed by a brass band in which Rudi Schneider, the father, was playing the trumpet.)
After the program ended, we ate lunch at the College. At two o'clock, the group assembled at the Visitor’s Center for a dedication of benches and the Germanna flag. The Foundation had never had a flag and a generous member paid for the design and purchase of several copies of the flag.
In the package of the registration material, there was a financial balance sheet for the Foundation. This was a novel item which has been omitted since Mr. Carpenter was the treasurer. Essentially, the balance sheet shows that the Foundation is the custodian for some very valuable properties which do not produce any income such as the land, Salubria, and the Visitor's Center. These require money for their support and upkeep. The major sources of income are membership dues, the sale of books and other items, and the Reunion.
The Foundation looks to sponsor activities which offer benefits to the members and which earn it some money. The Heritage Tours to Germany are very popular and, besides earning a little money for the Foundation, build ties to the "fatherland". Next February, the Foundation will try another new activity, a week's cruise in the Caribbean, during which Germanna lectures will be offered while "at sea". Naturally, lectures require lecturers. Thom Faircloth and I have volunteered to do this. If you are interested in this, contact the Foundation for information. At the Reunion, Skip Poole was taking expressions of interest and it looks as though there will be enough people to make the trip worthwhile. (Another Heritage Tour next year has also been announced and these continue to be sellouts.)
Thom Faircloth announced that special activities will mark the Reunion next year, which will be the fiftieth Reunion of the Foundation. For those of you making advance plans, the Reunion will be held on July 14, 15, and 16 (Friday through Sunday). I have not mentioned here the typical Friday activities but they consist of tours in the area and family meetings.
(20 Jul 05)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.