Hello again, Dear Friends,

We’ve come full circle together…from my letter to you in the spring of 2020 to this spring letter of 2021…and what a year it has been!

We have endured the pandemic and held the Society together, thanks to all of you who have been so generous with your support from the Giving Challenge all the way to the End of the Year campaign.  Without your financial help, it would be a pretty “hard candy Christmas” for VAHS about now.  In addition, many thanks go out to all our volunteers who worked behind the scenes to keep the business of the Society moving along.  Probably our greatest achievement this year has been the joy of seeing the restored Ringling Circus Car now in its forever home at the Depot Campus. A few more months of work to complete the interior of the car are still ahead, and as things begin to safely open up towards fall, we all look forward to resuming free tours of the Campus attractions.

Our lecture series progresses “virtually” as we are treated to local history information in conjunction with the celebration of Sarasota County’s Centennial.  Remember to “tap” the podium in your emails, or on our website, to enjoy the Betty Intagliata Lecture Series, funded by the Bill Jervey, Jr. Charitable Foundation.

Spring is here with the promise of rebirth and new growth; both of which we hope will come to VAHS.  As I write this, an old song is running through my mind.  The original name of the tune was “To Everything There Is a Season”, but the name I remember it by is “Turn, Turn, Turn,” as recorded by Pete Seegar in the late 50s. The lyrics are based on chapter 3 of the Book of Ecclesiastes, which is supposedly ascribed to King Solomon.  At this point in time, these words seem to say everything we have experienced in the last year.  Please let me share them with you…

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal, a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain that which is to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time of love, and a time of hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

And so we turn, turn, turn…..

Please stay safe and well, my friends, until we can again say “COME!  CELEBRATE HISTORY WITH US!”

Sue Chapman, President

president@veniceareahistoricalsociety.org