Membership dues for 2006 have increased to $12.00 a year per person or family. Some confusion may have resulted over our dues increase from $10 per year to $12 per year. We apologize for this confusion, we should have prepared the membership for the change. After a couple months before the attending members, proposed constitutional amendments were adopted by the membership attending our monthly meeting on December 2, 2005. This dues increase was one of those changes that affects all of us. I believe we only mentioned the increase on the back cover under the mailing label for the Winter 2005 issue. We now know that folks are going right to the content, and that's good!
Cards were sent in January 2006 to all the members saying "Now is the time to renew your membership in Ancestral Trails Historical Society", thus some confusion resulted. Many members' renewals were actually not due until later in the year. The card goes on to say "please check your address label for your renewal date. If your label says 20054, then your membership has expired. If it says 20061, then it expires with the Spring issue of Ancestral News." This is the spring issue is Volume 31, No. 1. So, this spring issue will be your last unless you renew as soon as you receive this present issue you are reading. If your label says 20062, then you know you'll need to renew after the Summer or No. 2 issue.
At a board meeting in January it was decided that all members renewing their memberships in December 2005 and January 2006 at the old rate, are members in good standing. If you have sent the extra $2.00 we won't refuse it, but it is not necessary. All memberships due this spring and later should be renewed at the new rate. We don't want to lose a single member because of any misunderstanding. We apologize for any confusion. We hope to make this year's publication very interesting and helpful. All constructive criticism and advice is welcome.
Left to right: Ann Sipes, Bev Harrison, Gary Kempf, Lisa and Steve Lindsey, Carolyn Wimp, Sharon Williams, and Connie Hickey - some of your officers and staff on tour of the Hardin County History museum, February 3, 2006. Missing are Maggie Olson, Earl Meyers, Rosa O'Bryant, and Carol Cox.