Greetings!
We are excited to see you all at Sunflowers at Sunset Party on June 24, 7 PM. While we will still use great caution: no shared food or drink, a minimum of 3 feet between picnic "pods" we encourage you to bring a picnic and the beverage of your choice and enjoy the music, sunflowers and sunset with us.
The music will be courtesy of local band
Just One Sip (featuring our own John Llodra) for your entertainment. They will play an unplugged set of favorite tunes.
Special news to share
Plus, we will have some exciting news to share at The General Field party about our work and you will be the first to hear it. So pack your picnic and meet us at The General Field.
For another event this month, see the side bar for an exciting family event using iNaturalist. Once your family uses this web-based app, your phone becomes an encyclopedia in your pocket!
Update on the Moors Schoolhouse Site
After the GCT
discovered information about a history of enslavement by members of the Moors family, the trustees spent 5 months of research, discussion and reporting on the history of the Moors Schoolhouse property. In June, a vote of 8-6-1 was cast to keep the name of Moors Schoolhouse. "Our vote to retain the name was as close as any I can recall," said president Mark Gerath. "Most of our decisions are unanimous or nearly so and I had hoped for consensus on renaming too. In the end, this issue was more difficult and the decision factors more complex and personal."
Ted Lapres, who was president during the discussion and review period, agreed the conversations were difficult, but that Trustees stepped up to the challenge. "Throughout the whole process, I felt our Trustees were thoughtful, inquisitive, and deeply respectful of
others opinions even when their own differed," he noted. "While it represented an emotional issue, the manner in which we approached it, in my opinion, strengthened
the bond and respect our Trustees had for each other. And I believe leaves us better positioned as a
team to work together on future matters of the GCT."
What was unanimous: the desire to create more dialogue on this important subject. We are working with partners in town such as the GPL, The History Center, Groton's Diversity Task Force and the Racial and Social Justice Group to create a variety of events. These include a walking history talk on the Moors Family and district schools by historian Joshua Vollmar, a discussion on slavery and abolitionism in Groton, and bringing guest authors in to speak on how to encourage diversity in our open spaces. More on these is coming soon.
In the meantime, this kiosk will at the Moors Schoolhouse Site will be updated this summer with this history so any visitor to the site will know a fuller story.
Lupines courtesy of member Sally Reed.