The Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of Pennsylvania, Inc.

Monthly Business Meeting

Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, Manheim, PA

Sunday, August 4, 2019, 2:00 p.m.

 

President Tom Walczak called the meeting to order at 2:01 p.m. and lead us in the pledge of allegiance

He asked us all to remember the victims of the mass shootings of yesterday and this morning.

 

NEW MEMBERS AND GUESTS:  Jim McCauley, a new member, and members KC Klingensmith and Bob Griner from Western PA were in attendance.

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Tom reminded everyone the minutes were available for review and he will ask for approval later in the meeting.

 

TREASURER’S REPORT:  We have 3 new members: Rose and Roger Lawrence from Chapin, SC, and Mackenzie Maley of Camp Hill, PA.  We have 392 members renewed for 2018-19, 8 less than one year ago.

 

MEMBERS’ REPORTS:

Bob Griner and KC attended the National Society’s Tour of New Brunswick Canada this past week.  He noted they put headache bars to good use.  They are made of 12” iron beams and often placed at a distance from bridge so you can get good photos without them in the picture.

 

OFFICERS’ REPORTS:

President Tom Walczak visited Packsaddle in Somerset County which he found in good condition, and White, Shriver and Scott in Green County.  They were also all in good shape.

 

First Vice President Jim Smedley and Gloria attended the Union County mini-safari led by Bob Kuether.  Carl McDaniel, 95 years old, also attended.  He was quite spry and able to keep pace with the remainder of the group. The downside of the tour was Millmont Bridge which is about to collapse.  Bob did a great job leading the safari!  Jim and Gloria also attended the National Society’s New Brunswick tour.  They saw 33 bridges in New Brunswick and 4 in Maine during the trip.  He asked if anyone had seen Stillwater Bridge since it was painted as he received a complaint about over spraying on the bridge by the painter.  No one had seen it.  Jim announced he had free new books published by the National Parks Service for those interested.  The deadline for PA Crossings is October 6th, the week before our meeting at Hoss’s.

Second Vice President Ray Finkelstein and Linda also attended the National’s Canadian tour and also stopped to see 3 bridges in Maine.  The highlight was Hartland – wow – an amazing bridge, the longest in the world.  St. Martin’s was special too.  There you could see two bridges and a replica lighthouse at one time. He announced good news that the city of Allentown was awarded a $750,000 grant for work to be done on Bogert’s Bridge.  He read a news release on the subject to the group.  He also attended the Union County mini-safari and said Bob did a great job!  Ray announced that next month he will lead the mini-safari in Lehigh County and gave a few details on the schedule for the day.

 

Third Vice President Steve Wolfhope made a trip to Germany with his son and grandson in June to retrace their Wolfhope heritage.  Unexpectedly he did see a small non-authentic covered bridge at a museum in Cloppenburg, Germany.

 

Fourth Vice President Tim McLaughlin – Not in attendance.  No report.

 

Treasurer Bob Kuether was surprised to find Factory Bridge closed for repairs during our safari to Union County.  Penitentiary Bridge had many holes in the roof and Millmont was in bad shape.  On August 18th he and Judy will take the Country Store to the Lancaster Bike event.  September 7th we will scrape and prepare Red Bridge in Perry County for painting and will paint it on September 14th.  The 3rd weekend in September will be our mini-safari to Adams County.  So far we have held 4 of the 7 safaris and total attendance is 113 people.

 

Historian Fred Moll – While traveling along the PA turnpike on his way to Dayton, Ohio he saw a covered bridge around the Bedford area but did not have time to stop.  He has been making weekly trips to visit the Dreibelbis Covered Bridge in Greenwich Township, PA.  No visible work has been done at the bridge since the last week of May.  The week of June 11th the upper part of Route 143 from Lenhartsville down one mile was closed to traffic due to bridge repairs.  The roadway is still closed.

 

Corresponding Secretary Pam Heisey: No report.

Recording Secretary Gloria Smedley:  No report.

 

ILLNESSES/DEATHS of MEMBERS:  Frank Mailey came home yesterday after having open heart surgery on Monday and is doing well.  Gloria Wolfhope spoke with Olive Jones who thanked everyone for the many 100th birthday cards she received.  She is very weak with a bad heart and has around the clock in-home care.  Her daughter Janet’s husband, Herb Orland, is under hospice care with kidney failure.

 

OLD BUSINESS:  None

 

NEW BUSINESS:  We are still open for suggestions for next year’s safari.  Current ideas include Southeast Ohio and New Hampshire/Vermont.  Jim presented the final group of proposed changes to our bylaws to the membership.  All were reviewed and approved.  He will update the bylaws with the approved changes and place the new set on our webpage.

 

NEW COVERED BRIDGE ITEMS:  Greg Williams shared a picture of a winter scene and covered bridge.  Tom left brochures on the table for the Columbia.-Montour Covered Bridge Festival.

  

APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July minutes were approved as presented.  Tom thanked Pam Mailey for taking the minutes last month in Gloria’s absence.

ADJOURNMENT - The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m. followed by the presentation “Covered Bridges of the Midwest” by Gloria Smedley.

NEXT MEETING - Our Next Meeting will be held on September 8th at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Manheim, PA starting at 2:00 pm.

 

Respectfully Submitted, Gloria Smedley, Recording Secretary, August 13, 2019