Retiring FOB Board Members Honored
Last month Virginia Harris retired from her position as President of the Friends of Boothe Park after serving for 19 years. Known to friends and colleagues as Ginny, she has been on the Board since 1994 and has shown her professionalism and kindness to all.
Ginny’s work at Sacred Heart University as Executive Director of Foundations and Grants, greatly enhanced the ability to attract donors for many Boothe causes and buildings. As Mayor Laura Hoydick’s proclamation pointed out: “She has demonstrated unwavering leadership and commitment to the mission of the organization. Under Ginny’s guidance the Friends of Boothe have developed a comprehensive strategic plan and secured funding necessary to convert an old barn into a beautiful and welcoming Visitor Center.
In addition, we honor Paul Reslink, another long-time Board member, for his service to the Friends. Eight years of that time, Paul served as Secretary for the Board. Mayor Laura Hoydick’s proclamation read: “Paul Reslink has faithfully served on the Friends of Boothe board for many years, contributing his skills, time, and passion to the preservation and restoration of some of the parks most cherished landmarks, including the miniature lighthouse, the clock tower, the Boothe Summer Cottage, and the barn that became the Visitors Center.”
The Friends of Boothe hope that Ginny and Paul will continue to inspire them in the years ahead. Your pleasant personalities, energy, and concepts have spiced up the park for years.
What Do Boothe Volunteers Do?
We often ask people if they would like to volunteer with the Friends of Boothe, but we don’t often explain the types of things that our volunteers do. The most obvious thing is to become a tour guide in one of our buildings. Learning to be a Homestead tour guide requires listening to other guides, and reading up on the history of the Boothe brothers. Then, each guide will keep the fun facts and oddities that interested them most to share with visitors.
But we have other buildings as well that have guides: the Nature Museum, the Technocratic Cathedral, the Visitor’s Center, the Americana Museum, the Carriage House and the Blacksmith Shop. So instead of just touring, our volunteers can learn weaving on the old looms, games from the old days for the school program, baking in the kitchen, and even blacksmithing! Fundraising via creative events is always welcome too. And…. decorating for our events.
Decorating for the Homestead Holiday is a massive job. Each and every room is decorated with creative holiday items that will put everyone in the Christmas spirit. Last week many volunteers spent a couple of hours bringing all the items down from the attics, into the Homestead, to begin decorating. This project will take a few more hours, on a few more days, to be ready for the big reveal on December 5th. Join us!
See the ad on the next page to buy tickets ahead of time using the QR code or the link!
Holiday At the Homestead
Boothe Memorial Park & Museum
Celebrate the season in the beautifully decorated Homestead!
Decorated wreaths for sale and 3 ft trees for auction
SANTA will visit Sat. and Sun. afternoon in our Visitor Center
Friday, Dec. 5 6:30– 8:30pm
Saturday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Dec. 7 1:00 – 4:00pm and 6:30– 8:30pm
Monday, Dec. 8 6:30 – 8:00pm
Admission $5.00/children free
https://buytickets.at/friendsofbootheparkinc/1923881/share/3911b8528954a858444a4d2845344ca4
Rod Jovanelly – New President of the Friends of Boothe Board of Directors
The Friends of Boothe welcome Rod Jovanelly as their new president. Rod first became aware of Friends of Boothe in 2013 when his daughter volunteered there for the summer. Rod noted: “I approached Bessie Burton (current curator and director) with an idea I had for a video. It was during the writing and development process that I started to learn how special this park was and how the Friends of Boothe acted as the custodians of the brothers’ legacy.”
A professional photographer, Rod has owned and operated his own business, “A Touch of Color”, for 26 years. He has used his talent by producing the fascinating video which currently plays in the Visitor’s Center. He also worked with several other volunteers to create a photographic timeline of events in Boothe history that now decorate the walls of the Visitor’s Center. Rod’s photos are used in the Friends newsletter as well.
Rod shared, “ Back when I was in Kindergarten, I had an instamatic camera that I took with me everywhere. I wanted to capture what I saw. When I got the prints back from the lab, I was never happy with the results. In 10th grade I purchased my first 35mm SLR camera. I started processing my own film and printing my own photographs in our basement. From that point on it’s been a life-long learning process.”
Visiting the park almost daily with his dog Baily, Rod is looking forward to continuing Ginny and Paul’s honored tradition of service to the park and upholding the Boothe Brothers legacy. He has been on the Board of Directors for the Friends for over 4 years and the Park has benefitted greatly from his creativity. We are grateful that he has agreed to manage our Board and direct us in new uplifting projects.
Become a Member of the Friends of Boothe
The Friends of Boothe is a Non-Profit organization so we welcome all donations and memberships. Becoming a member provides you with a few special benefits each year, such as members-only events, and even scheduling your own private tour at any time of year!
Donation Options:
Individual membership = $20
Family membership = $30
Business Contribution = $50
Donation = any amount
A big “Thank You” goes to all of you who are already supporting us! And a big “Welcome!” to those who are joining this fun group!
If you are reading this online, Click here: https://boothememorialpark.com
- In the top row click: “Support Us”
- Click on: “Membership”
- Fill out the online form on our secure website.
- Click “Submit” at the bottom of the screen.
Pumpkin Fest was a Smashing Success!
…But No Pumpkins were Smashed!
Pumpkins were carved on site in the morning and awards were given for the best carvings in the afternoon. Parents and children paraded around all day in costumes. Even some dogs got dressed up! An inflatable corn maze, a train ride around the park, and even a horse-drawn carriage ride was part of the fun.
Friends of Boothe had most of the buildings open with tour-guides, sold cookies, and had a prize wheel at our tent. We gave out prizes to hundreds of excited children and parents. Some of the prizes were old Boothe rulers which were purchased by the brothers themselves over 50 years ago. Hundreds of people signed up as Friends and are probably receiving this newsletter for the very first time. Welcome!
Yes, it was a stunning day and the crowds proved that this is a highly anticipated event. We will let the photos speak for themselves!