Column: Pat Muslo, Preserving the Past

May has been a very busy month at the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library & Village. Starting with Discover History Days, when local 11th grade humanities students research, create presentations and teach area fifth graders about the history of Freeborn County and what it was like to live and work during an earlier time period.

This project is one our community should be very proud of as it teaches our young people to be resourceful, creative and to stand out among their peers. It teaches them to work with younger children, to learn from their adult mentors, to listen and learn from the conversations they have with residents from St. John’s Lutheran Home and to work with each other to make a day in the life of our area youth, to be something to remember for the rest of their life.

So it is not just a day to be out of school, but a day to have fun, celebrate our heritage and learn from the past. Many area residents help to make this project a success by donating their time and knowledge before, during and after this event. Jim Haney, the teacher who works many extra hours to make this happen, also deserves a thank you for going that extra stretch to make the project a success.

This opportunity sometimes helps students to realize that teaching is something they would like to do, or not. It is a life lesson to learn to think outside of their comfort zone, to work together with all ages, to develop and present their subject matter not only once, but four times throughout the day. I am very proud to be able to host this wonderful project and want to say a very sincere thank you to all our community partners that makes this project possible.

Next on the agenda for the month are our school tours. During May we have 18 school tours booked and in progress. Local residents volunteer to be guides to teach and share their experiences with our local school children. The students love to visit the museum and learn about the past. Each grade that visits gets a different tour, so they learn different things each time they visit. Thank you to all of our volunteer guides!

Last Sunday we held the annual meeting of the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library & Village. A brief business meeting was held that included a review of 2010 events and projects as well as a progress report on the Building Expansion Fundraising and plans for 2011 events and projects for the museum.

FCHM Day Camps are right around the corner. June 7 and 9 we will be hosting day camps for students that have completed fourth, fifth or sixth grade. During these two days participants will enjoy games, crafts activities and experiences from earlier times. Camp will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost is $10 for members and $15 for non members and includes lunch for the students on both days and all supplies. Students must be pre-registered by May 31.

We will also have a one-day session from 9 a.m. to noon June 11 for students that have completed first, second or third grade. The cost is $5 for members or $7.50 for nonmembers. Preregistration is required for this session by June 7. Call or stop by the museum for further details.

FCHM is proud to be a Blue Star Museum. Watch for a news release soon that explains this program and what it will do for area families who have members being deployed soon from our community. May our prayers and thoughts be with the families of our soldiers this Memorial day and always as they serve to preserve our safety and freedoms. And to all the men and women that have served in the past to protect our great country.

We will host a four-hour Defensive Driving Refresher Class from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. June 7. The cost is $19 and you must pre-register. Please call the museum at 373-8003 for details or stop by to register at the museum at 1031 Bridge Avenue during our regular business hours, which are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Eddie Cochran Weekend is right around the corner. On June 11 the museum will again be serving rootbeer floats in the Village, and we have a member of Eddie’s family who will be visiting the museum that day. During the afternoon we also have a volunteer that will give a presentation about Eddie’s life and career. The museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with reduced admission. Come and join in the fun and enjoy a rootbeer float.

Time is also running out to register for our research trip to Salt Lake City, Utah. The deadline is June 1 so don’t delay — stop by and register soon to take a trip of a lifetime to research your family history. The trip is scheduled for Oct. 3-8, 2011.

Remember, what happen today is history tomorrow!

Pat Mulso is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum in Albert Lea.