Surratt Conference Cancelled

[wpbinzel]

(11-30-2020 11:01 AM)Gene C Wrote:  Are there any plans on the drawing board for a Surratt Conference in 2021?

Gene -

At this point, it would seem very unlikely that there will be a formal Surratt Society Conference in April 2021 for the following reasons: (1) it is uncertain whether it will be safe to travel and gather by then; (2) the hotel we have used for the Conference for years has closed, so we would have to locate and negotiate with a completely new venue; (3) Laurie Verge, who organized the Conferences in the past, arranged for the speakers, and made the arrangements with the venue, passed away in February, and; (4) the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which owns the Surratt House Museum, has informed the Museum staff not to engage in activities related to the Surratt Society. Consequently, given the health concerns, the lack of a venue, and the lack of staff to plan and execute it, as I said, it would seem highly unlikely that there will be an in-person Surratt Conference in April 2021.

However, an abbreviated virtual 2021 Conference is a distinct possibility. Louise Oertly, who is the president of the Surratt Society, and I are exploring having a Zoom-type meeting with one or two speakers and the Surratt Society Annual Meeting. Hopefully, we will be able to announce something early next year.

Two other bits of news about the Surratt Society:

(1) When the Surratt House Museum was closed by the Commission (by order of the Governor of MD) in March, the Commission suspended all activity related to the monthly printing and mailing of The Surratt Courier. At this point, it is uncertain when or whether the Commission will resume publication. From what I have been told, it is unlikely that they will. Consequently, Louise and I are working on getting the Courier posted online bimonthly. We know that people enjoyed receiving those stapled yellow pages in the mail, but without the support of the Commission, the Surratt Society (with annual dues of $10) simply does not have the resources to print and mail the Courier on an ongoing basis. Here again, we hope to be able to announce this in a matter of weeks.

(2) Speaking of dues, I have received a couple of inquiries from people seeking to renew their annual membership in the Surratt Society for 2021. The two primary benefits of membership in the Surratt Society are free admission to the Surratt House Museum and The Surratt Courier. Because neither of those were available to members for much of this year, the Executive Committee of the Surratt Society voted to automatically extend all annual memberships until November 1, 2021, so no dues are owed until then. (Of course, the Surratt Society always appreciates and is grateful for donations: The Surratt Society, 9118 Brandywine Road, Clinton, MD 20735.)

I hope this information is helpful, and I will post additional details as they become available.

Bill