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rcwrt.org

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Bill Welsch, President               Gary Cowardin, Editor    
10708 Rocket Dr.                     1404 Lorraine Ave.       
Glen Allen, VA 23060                 Richmond, VA 23227-3735  
wmwelsch@comcast.net                 cowardin@juno.com        
Trouble  in  the Valley Including the
Fires and Other Heretofore Mostly Uncovered Episodes
by
Dr. Edward Ayers
6pm, WEDNESDAY, November 9, 2016, at the 
Willow Oaks Country Club, Richmond, VA.,
6228 Forest Hill Avenue


Edward Ayers  is  Tucker-Boatwright  Professor  of  the  Humanities  and
president  emeritus at the University of Richmond.  Dr.  Ayers was named
National Professor of the Year  and  received  the  National  Humanities
Medal from President Obama at the White House in 2013.                  

Ayers's The Promise of the  New  South  was  a  finalist  for  both  the
National  Book  Award  and  the Pulitzer Prize, and another book, In the
Presence of Mine Enemies: Civil War in the Heart of America, based on  a
pioneering  online archive, "The Valley of the Shadow," won the Bancroft
Prize for distinguished writing in American history.  His new book,  The
Thin  Light  of  Freedom:  Civil  War  and  Emancipation in the Heart of
America, will be out next fall.                                         

Ayers is one of the co-hosts for BackStory,  a radio  show  and  podcast
about  American  history,  heard  every  week coast-to-coast on over 200
stations and with over ten million downloads.  He is also an editor  for
American  Panorama,  an  interactive  digital atlas of American history,
produced at the University of Richmond with support from the  Andrew  W.
Mellon Foundation."                                                     

It's not too late to sign up for this dinner, see below.

Meeting Attendance for Last Month: 57
Message from Our President
The year has been a financially challenging one for the  Richmond  Civil
War  Round  Table.   Early on, we discovered that for the last few years
our expenses have  exceeded  our  income,  resulting  in  a  significant
reduction of our reserves.  I wish to thank the members of the Executive
Committee for their important efforts in getting  us  back  on  a  sound
footing.  Collectively, we have developed a new fiscal reporting system,
controlled speakers expenses, and made the annual dinner and field  trip
self-supporting.   Without  these  changes, we were headed for financial
trouble.  The one area that remains problematic is our dues structure.  

Thanks to a committee of  members  and  ex-presidents,  chaired  by  Dan
Balfour,   the  Executive  Committee  is  now  ready  to  endorse  their
recommended  changes.   Under  this  new  plan,  our   only   membership
categories  would be regular with annual dues of $35 and married couples
with dues of $45.  This will not affect life and student  members.   But
it  will  raise  the dues of senior members from $20 to $35.  Here's the
background  thinking.   Approximately  one  third  of  our  members  are
currently  senior status, paying $20.  That divides to $1.67 per monthly
meeting - certainly a great bargain.  The  regular  rate  of  $35  would
amount to a $1.25 increase per meeting - still a great bargain.  The $35
rate equals $2.92 per meeting - to be redundant - still  a  great  deal.
Yes,  I  realize this sounds a public TV fund raising campaign, but it's
true!                                                                   

We cannot continue to provide our quality programming and activities  at
the  current  level  without  an  increase  in  revenue.   The last dues
increase was about ten years ago.  Obviously, costs have increased since
then.   With  the  graying  of the RCWRT, our situation will only become
more critical, unless changes are made.  Another piece of the picture is
the  cost  of  sending our monthly newsletter via USPS - a cost of about
$10 yearly per member.  Given the  above,  the  math  is  obvious.   But
neither  the  dues  committee  nor  the Executive Committee recommends a
surcharge for that service.  We  do,  however,  strongly  encourage  all
members  who are able to receive the newsletter only through email to do
so.  That will also help the cause.  Finally, for current members who do
not  pay  their  annual  dues  by  April  1  of  a  given  year,  a  $25
re-initiation fee will be assessed.  This  is  timely  in  allowing  for
yearly  budget  planning  and  enabling  the  secretary and treasurer to
maintain accurate membership listings.                                  

Our constitution mandates that all such changes to the dues structure be
approved by the membership in attendance at the December meeting.  This,
then, is the preview of what will be proposed at  that  gathering.   The
Executive  Committee  strongly  and unanimously endorses these proposals
and recommends your  endorsement  in  December.   Please  feel  free  to
contact any one of us for further clarification and with questions. It's
never easy requesting more money from  members,  but  the  situation  is
serious  and  must  be  addressed.   Thanks  to all for your anticipated
support.                                                                

To end  on  a  Civil  War  note,  here's  a  fascinating  video  of  the
restoration  of  Lee's Gettysburg headquarters from the Civil War Trust.

In March, I offered a story about Confederate veterans in London.  Here's
one from the Library of Virginia about a New York Englishman  in  Dixie. 


Enjoy and see you at the annual dinner next week to hear Dr. Ed Ayers.   
                                                       Bill
Annual Members Dinner Meeting
Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 6pm
River Dining Room Willow Oaks Country Club
6228 Forest Hill Avenue, Richmond, VA 23225
Cost:  $35.00 per person       A Cash Bar will be available 

Menu:  Chicken Night Buffet featuring Fried or Baked Chicken
Choice of two salads
One vegetable
Spaghetti 
Choice of two desserts

IT'S NOT TOO LATE, YOU HAVE UNTIL SUNDAY 11/6 TO CALL
OR E-MAIL TROY.

Contact Troy Arnold:                                                      
E-mail:   go2troyrcwrt@gmail.com                                          
Phone 804-740-8718 (leave a clear message & call back number if no answer)

Help Us Save Postage Costs    
If you have an E-mail address and internet access and are not currently
receiving your newsletter notification via E-mail please let me have   
your NAME and E-mail address. My E-mail address is:  cowardin@juno.com 
(You can also use this link to change E-mail addressess  just  click  my
E-mail address above. (If you are changing an E-mail address be sure to
include the old address.)                                              

Civil War Trust
For the latest CWT news visit: www.civilwar.org
Upcoming Events/Links

National Park Service Richmond

Richmond Battlefields Association News & Events
www.saverichmondbattlefields.org/events.htm


Visit The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar
www.tredegar.org

Pamplin Historical Park and
The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier
www.pamplinpark.org
and their
Special Events Calendar

Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours
civilwarseminars.org

RCWRT Monthly Speakers for 2016