The Beaufort History Museum held it’s annual meeting on Tuesday, January 26, at the museum’s main hall. Nearly fifty museum members and guests attended.

Board President Carol Lauvray presided over the meeting.  She reported on the progress the Museum has made over the past year, citing the growth in membership, the dramatic increase in the number of visitors and many successful new exhibits and events presented during the fall of 2015, including the popular Hoodoo exhibit and Pat Conroy’s 70^th Birthday celebration.

 “We are extremely grateful to our Docents, volunteers and members, who have participated with great enthusiasm and energy.  Our Docents are the lifeblood of the Museum and have volunteered more than 2,000 hours of their time to welcome and educate visitors over the past year.  I’d also like to thank our Board of Directors, who are providing excellent leadership and contributing their diverse talents and many hours of time to help the Museum reach it’s goals.” Lauvray said. 

She also provided a preview of events that will take place at the Museum in the coming months.  Featured are:

·      March 11 – 13, 2016: A weekend-long Living History Encampment in the Arsenal Courtyard, featuring re-enactors portraying a Union Army company from Pennsylvania stationed in Beaufort during the Civil War, as well as freed men and women, abolitionists, missionaries and tradesmen.  “We are excited about presenting this interactive educational event and pleased that the Beaufort County Library, Penn Center and Historic Beaufort Foundation are partnering with us to make this period of history come to life over the weekend,” Lauvray said.

·      May 3, 2016: The second annual Beaufort History Museum Tea: The Fundraiser will feature local historic re-enactor Kim Poovy and for the second year will be held at the Dataw Island Club.

·      June 10 – 11, 2016: The South Carolina Humanities Festival, showcasing Beaufort County’s culture, arts, and history. The Museum plans to unveil an important new exhibit on the Reconstruction Period in Beaufort, which began early during the Civil War.

Among the other business conducted at the annual meeting, four members were elected to the Board of Directors: Andrea Allen, Steve Guida, Stuart Heath and Larry Koolkin. Guida, Heath and Koolkin were previously appointed to the BHM Board to fill vacant Board positions with unexpired terms. Andrea Allen, who is a Licensed Master Social Worker and recently retired from Coastal Empire Community Mental Health Center, has served on the Boards for a variety of nonprofit and for profit organizations, and fills a newly open position on the Museum’s Board. In addition, Beaufort native Major General (retired) H. L. “Mitch” Mitchell and Ingrid Owens, Director of History, Arts and Culture at Penn Center, Inc., were recently appointed to fulfill unexpired Museum Board Member terms.

Following the Museum’s annual meeting many of the members and guests left the Arsenal and walked the short distance to the Beaufort Inn to extend the convivial spirit of the event and to enjoy a delicious prearranged dinner.

The Beaufort History Museum has evolved to focus specifically on the history of the Beaufort District.     It strives to manage and display artifacts and documents held by the City of Beaufort, telling the compelling stories of this area from the early 16^thCentury until modern times.  Docent classes are conducted on an ongoing basis.