AHSGR FOLKLORE AND LINGUISTICS COMMITTEE

Tuesday, July 29, 2008 

Committee members present:  Ken Koehler, Karen Penner, Nancy Borrell, Velma Jesser, Mabel Kiessling, Marge Benson

Committee members absent:  Howard Guenthner, Ray Lambrecht

Guests:  Gail Genrich (Staff), Anna Bartkowski (Journal Editor)

The meeting was held at 9:30am on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 in Casper Wyoming

1.      Minutes of the October meeting were approved.

2.      Introduction of Gail Genrich and Anna Bartkowski

3.      Folklore Symposium

a.       Casper Convention:  Folklore Symposium to be held on Friday, August 1,

2008 from 8:30am-9:30am.  We had 15 entries in our Storytelling Contest,

one from Germany.  We will award a 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place.  There will be 5

honorable mentions.  Also there will be a tribute to Adolph Lesser by his

daughter, Cindy Lesser Babish from 9:45am-10:45am.  She will have an

accordionist with her and it was decided to use the money not used for the

Youth Essay Contest to give this accordionist an honorarium.  The GRHS

Youth Essays will be from 11:00am-11:15am.

b.      Medicine Hat Convention:  There will be a Folklore Symposium with

Storytelling contest in 2009 lasting 2-3 hours.  Also, Saskatchewan has a

Singing group.  There will be a demonstration on iron crosses by Darrell

Thompson.  The committee will check if a smaller version can be made to sell or use as centerpieces.

4.      Storytelling:  The Storytelling Contest entry form was edited and corrected for

2009 and the judges will be selected at the October Board of Directors meeting in

Lincoln.  Anthology, Vol II is completed and should arrive by Wednesday for sale in the bookstore.  It is titled “Treasured Tales,”  and the picture on the front is a

recent photo of Ed Hoak’s travels to Russia.  The book is dedicated to Art and

Cleora Flegel.  It covers 2003-2006, with 250 printed.  Velma Jesser will begin

working on 2007-2008.

5.      Welcome Night in Medicine Hat will be a man playing several instruments and a

Lady reading stories.  The Volunteer Dinner will have a Mennonite quartet.  In Casper there will be piano playing before each dinner.

6.      Tape/CD/Video Inventory project will be looked into at the October Board of

Directors meeting in October in Lincoln.

7.      Request was made to have Gwen Meister attend the October Folklore meeting.  Nancy Borrell will contact her.  We also discussed having cooking demonstrations

again at the Lincoln convention.

8.      Reservations can be made at Medicine Hat.  Board members are guaranteed to be

in the convention hotel.  It is the Medicine Hat Lodge and Convention Center.

9.      Discussed audio conferencing for Board meetings.  Further discussion at October

Board meeting.

  10.  Meeting adjourned at 11:00am.