Thursday, May 10, 2012

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...


…and that pretty much describes my mood as I left the Fredericksburg Regional Genealogy Club meeting last night. 

We drove through pouring rain and heavy traffic to arrive on time at the Salem Church Branch Library, where the genealogy club meetings are held.  We were very interested in hearing the guest speaker who was going to talk about the history and future of the Fredericksburg City Cemetery. This cemetery was established in 1844, but I believe there are some interments prior to that date. Since we are new to the area and of course love cemeteries, we arrived with pen and paper in hand.  

But alas, the sixteen people that showed up for this meeting in anticipation had their hopes dashed when the president and vice president of the club looked at each other and said, “Didn’t you contact the speaker?” “No.” “No.”  They not only did not communicate with each other, they did not arrange for a speaker, and then sent out an email detailing the talk!  They admitted they didn’t regularly check emails, sometimes for days at a time.

Needless to say I was furious. When you hold an officer position, you have a responsibility to uphold your duties. And not just laugh off the situation.  If you don’t take the job seriously, you should find someone else that will. Sixteen people came out in inclement weather to have their time and effort wasted for an hour and a half.  That time was filled with pretty much meaningless chitchat.

We will now check out the Fredericksburg City Cemetery ourselves.  According to the website, this cemetery has provided the final resting place for Fredericksburg’s notable citizens. The beautifully crafted markers and monument document the accomplishments of the deceased.  And our personal field trip will provide a story for a future blog. 

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