July 29, 2012 Citizen Article

On the weekend of August 11^th and 12^th, many organizations along the route of the canal system will take part in “Canal Splash” events. In Cayuga County, we hold two activities on Saturday. At the Old Brutus Historical Society in Weedsport, the museum will be from 9 till 2. For a small Society, they pack a lot into their building and it is worth the time to walk through. Then over in Montezuma, the Montezuma Historical Society will be holding a guided walking tour of the Heritage Park, explaining the rich collection of canal and business sites. I will be leading the tour, which will take about two hours and cover about two miles at a very easy pace. If you ever had any questions about the canal or the historical use of the marshes, come get your questions answered. For more information about the tour, go to our Cayuga County Canal Tours blog at http://canalsplash.blogspot.com/.

By the time you all read this, we will have celebrated our last Heritage Days in Port Byron. The organizers have decided to end the yearly event, because of the lack of organizational help, meaning a lack of volunteers. As president of the Historical Society, I see this issue very clearly as our pool of volunteer help is getting so small that it is difficult to carry out programs. The loss of one or two good volunteers can mean a reduction of 25% of available manpower. Then of course, more work falls on fewer people and then everyone throws up their hands, as it isn’t fun anymore. So what to do?

The other day, a group of Society members were sitting about comparing their ages. I found that at 52, I am one of the youngest members, not by years, but by decades. This raises a question for me. These fine hard working people joined the Society not at age 70 or 80, but when they were in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. But we don’t have that replacement anymore. The 40 and 50 something’s out there are not joining and becoming active anymore. Nor are those in their 60’s. What happened that changed the way people lived and joined into community organizations that we are now living on the coattails of those who have been members for years? It is not a good situation to be in.

The loss of a yearly celebration can be easily dismissed, but the local historical society serves as the collective memory of the town and village. We tend to believe that our shared community memory lives in the old people. But with each passing, that memory is weakened just a little more. The historical society may not replace the people, but it can help to preserve the memories long term for us and for those not yet born. What happens when that is gone? And does it really matter? I think it does, which is why I donate my time to volunteer at the society. I hope that some others will think the same way before it is too late.

Michael Riley is the Town of Mentz Historian and the President of the Lock 52 Historical Society. The Lock 52 blog can be found at http://lock52hs.blogspot.com/. Michael can be reached at mriley20@twcny.rr.com