Director's Digest
By Greg Holbrook
Executive Director
New Smyrna Museum of History
There's an Irish proverb that goes, "You will never plough a field by thinking about ploughing a field" or the more modern, "You will never plough a field if you only turn it over in your mind".
As a thought provoking play on words, it evokes a reminder that all great ideas are pointless unless someone is willing to take action on the idea, a fitting thought for a Labor Day weekend.
Back in July of 1982 when the charter members of the Southeast Volusia Historical Society met, the decision was made to take action on their conversations about the need to form an organization to begin the work of documenting and preserving the history of our local area. Within 2 months documents had been filed with the State of Florida and the non-profit we know as the Southeast Volusia Historical Society came into existence.
As I walk through our museum facility today, almost 40 years later, I wonder if those founding members envisioned that the fruits of their efforts would have been so productive?
Without the benefit of hindsight they could never know the future events and interactions that would bring us to where we are today. I guess they just believed that their idea, and what they had decided to do about that idea, were worth the effort and the community would likely benefit in the long run. They were right.
Recently, we met with a group of local citizens who also had an idea they thought was worth applying their efforts to. They felt that the City of New Smyrna Beach and Southeast Volusia County would benefit if citizens were more aware of the efforts of individuals and organizations that were taking action to preserve elements of our local history.
These people felt that those individuals who were spending their own money and time to save old structures in our community instead of asking for permission to tear them down, deserved to have a light shined on them and be recognized for their efforts.
As the discussion developed, it also identified a need to recognize individuals and organizations that have worked to preserve other elements of our local history so that future residents and descendants of local families would have access to the information.
Our Board of Directors here at the New Smyrna Museum of History agreed with them and formed the partnership to create the New Smyrna Museum of History's Historic Preservation Award Program in January of this year.
As you can see from the sponsorship list that precedes this article, there are many others who also believe in this worthy cause. We are eagerly looking forward to our first annual Historic Preservation Awards Gala projected for this coming Valentines Day, where we will publicly recognize the inaugural recipients of the 5 awards that were created, as well as all those who are nominees for an award.
Currently, it seems the differences that set us apart are easier to spot than those that bring us together as a community.
It is refreshing to work with a team of people who are focused on rewarding the efforts of those who have taken steps to retain our community's character, and the stories of those people who where here before us, so that they might be enjoyed and learned from by future generations.
Perhaps the best work we do isn't the 9-5 that we do to sustain ourselves and our families, but rather the work we do to improve and preserve the community around us, so that it can be enjoyed together by all of us. It's our community to preserve and celebrate, and if anything is worth getting off the couch for, it must certainly be that.
Have a great Labor Day Weekend!
