A post-Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. Greetings from your Foundation Board of Directors. I will open with some changes, both current and eventually coming up in 2021.
Dr. Ron Baker, Foundation Treasurer has retired from the board after completing 9-years of truly outstanding service! Dr. Baker started assisting the Foundation while working as a volunteer with Callaway County Board of Tourism, which is now the City Hall for the Village of Kingdom City. A few years after being elected to the board, Dr. Baker accepted the position of Treasurer.
Ron is the face of the annual flag program and many promotional events including the FFAM Convention and Winter Fire School. While Dr. Baker indicated he is stepping away, he also hinted he is not too far away, which leaves us hopeful regarding future special projects. Dr. Baker has and remains an outstanding ambassador of the Foundation.
For now, the Foundation has committed to onsite services Saturday night May 16, and Sunday morning May 17, 2021, the third weekend in May as usual. We hope this will not be subject to change, but we are honest enough to leave open the possibility of required flexibility. We are planning to “live stream” the Sunday morning service, which will be a new addition to our processes, the program, and viewing.
If you have a chance to visit the memorial, you will now notice another new but much smaller building addition in the green space of the parking lot. A shelter house and picnic area are underway matching the colors of the museum building. Construction complements of Kenneth and Sherry Hoover, with assistance from Morton and to be dedicated in the memory of Arthur (ART) Smith, the first chairman of the foundation. This has also created some interest with the Village of Kingdom City to get involved on some finishing touches of this project. More good things are being added to your memorial grounds.
In closing, our other activities, in brief, include updating the website and our bylaws that are both long overdue plus some directed maintenance projects of electrical, masonry, bricks, and grounds. The Foundation is taking on a more informed and active position with Cancer Presumption and involvement with our State Cancer Consortium for Firefighters. A 6th Funeral Assistance Trailer is being added specifically dedicated both in size and equipment for LODD support. That about wraps it up for now. Thank you for taking the time to review this update regarding your state memorial.
FFAM
