The Beekman House Programming and Fundraising sub-committees will be meeting at 10 a.m. this Saturday, the 25th, in the Program Room behind the Beekman House. We would love for you to join us if you are interested in helping with planning or implementation of Beekman House tours, activities, and events!
We plan to open the House for regular docent-led tours from noon to 4 p.m. on the 3rd Saturday of the month from May through November. We’ve sent out a call for docent volunteers, but we also need to plan for on-site activities, over and above the House tour, that will attract visitors and encourage people to make repeat visits.
Possibilities include a plant sale in May, artists sketching the House in June, finished art displayed in July, Britt string camp quartets in August, ? in September, ? in October, and the Beekman Victorian Christmas Bazaar in November. However, these are just ideas. They need to be developed with specific details, resources, and implementation plans. And should we consider modifying our tour talk each time to relate it to a different aspect of Jacksonville history or current events?
We also plan to offer special “Closets and Cupboards” tours on the 2nd Saturday of the month from May through August (and possibly on demand). This $20 package will include a brown bag lunch in the Program Room; a “living history” tour set in 1932 and led by Ben and Carrie Beekman or their cousins or former cooks/handymen; and a 20 minute history talk on a theme related subject. This will be reservation only, and we want to pre-sell as many tours as possible. Lunches need to be organized, theme topics planned, and individuals recruited to research and present the talks.
Children’s History Activities are also part of the plan, but we will save them for a later meeting once we see how many parents we can interest in participating.
Finally, we need to plan some Beekman House fundraising events. The Victorian Christmas Bazaar will be one, and we need to start planning for it now. We are also exploring turning artists’ sketches/paintings of the Beekman House into note cards, postcards, and wine labels for Beekman Blend wines. However, the latter are not events, but on-going efforts. Do we plan for a big annual fundraiser? Quarterly ones?
Put on your thinking caps and bring your ideas on Saturday! And please let me know if you plan to attend.
Thank you for your support!
Carolyn Kingsnorth
Beekman Legacy Action Committee
541-245-3650