Arlington County WWI Commemoration Task Force Meeting
May 9, 2017
- General Business
- Establish regular meeting time: 2nd Tuesday of the month, 5:15-7:15pm, room 311 at 2100 Clarendon Blvd unless otherwise scheduled
- Chair’s vision of success is threefold: engage different community groups/members for diversity and inclusivity; link with other organizations in Arlington; interpretation of Clarendon memorial
- Planning roster of events
- See draft schedule sent out by Allison
- Event to add – Preservation office partnership with Arlington Independent Media and high school interns’ project; event to screen final project
- Event to add – AHS essay contest next year – start January, end April – POC Cathy Hix
- See draft schedule sent out by Allison
- AHS special exhibit open until November 2018
- June 6 – AHS gala, Allison speaking
- June 10 – Mitchell Yockelson speaking at National Archives about book Forty-Seven Days: How Pershing’s Warriors Came of Age to defeat the German Army in World War I – hosted by Sister Cities Assoc.
- June 21 – Margaret Wagner speaking at Central Library – “America and the Great War: A Library of Congress Illustrated History”
- Arlington County Fair – August 16-20, 2017 – partner with Library/Center for Local History booth (POC Diane Kresh) to piggy-back and partner, and promote work of Task Force
- Clarendon Day?
- Frequency of events? – aim to have event or project to promote (on behalf of our organizations), partner with, or host every month (i.e. bike tours, book clubs, speaking engagements, etc.)
- IDEAS: collaborate on ideas and email Allison
- Mobile tour bus with WWI/WWII exhibits (by County); request dates/appearances (possibly next year at County Fair); advised by Courtney to request for event where lots of people can attend and see it
- Valor Run for the Women’s Memorial (virtual run)
- Arts – play performance, choir, cabaret
- Community service events – what do vets in Arlington need? POC Legion/VFW
- Art contest – perhaps start November for Veterans’ Day, have kids see special local exhibits for inspiration, turn into poster with blurb – exhibit winners’ work in library/lobby of 2100? POC Mitchell Zink
- Women in WWI – Allison can speak at events on subject; Women’s History Month; involve Girl Scouts/youth sports as audience
- Spanish Flu – 2018 topic
- Music** – Library of Congress has sheet music through 1923 in public domain; American Jukebox; Arlington Corral (concert next season?); Harlem Hellfighters – origins of jazz; Columbia Pike Blues Fest; **Army Band – Pershing’s Own – ensembles can be hired; possible venues: Kenmore Middle School auditorium; musical history event – POC Diane will speak with curator contacts; Twilight Tattoo?
- African Americans in war; immigrants in war
- Tom of Unknown Soldier wreath laying on behalf of Task Force
- Genealogy/family history – project to start soon – promote local resources and National Archives; library has ancestry.com access; depository/archive for Arlington residents to share stories; scanning of photos/docs/objects on mobile tour bus?; gather stories from people who have benefitted from Arlington resources; include Center for Local History’s exhibit
- Library compiling WWI-related bibliographies, filmographies, possibly host screenings of select films
- Develop app – walking history around Arlington; work with Courtney with Convention and Visitor Center Bureau; would require money to develop; hashtag/QR code – can be used to promote task force and WWI events; use at events/booths
- Immigration – intersection with war; Americanization; ostracizing German language and culture, internment of enemy aliens in Hot Springs, NC
- Federal employees living in Arlington, working in DC
- WWI on homefront
- Sedition/espionage
- Subcommittees – to organize Task Force efforts in more focused manner
- Events committee – Dan, Frank, Katie, Cynthia, Diane – start brainstorming for conclusion keynote/special presentation/event for November 11, 2018
- Education committee – Cathy, student task force members, Mithell, Joe, Brenton
- Engagement committee – (catch-all/outreach; social media, website, networks, etc.) Katie, Sarah, Peter
- Research and Resources – Allison, Cynthia, volunteers on case by case basis or for specific topics/overflow
- Subcommittee members are allowed to email about task force business – use Reply All to keep staff liaisons informed
- Memorial Day Activities
- Doughboy uniforms secured from ABMC for color guard, Legion Post 139 can provide 3 parade rifles
- Ceremony by Legion on Monday, May 29, 1pm at Clarendon War Memorial; includes wreath-laying, talk by someone from Legion, and small luncheon at Post
- WWI/WWII Regional Brochure by Convention and Visitors Bureau in development to include commemoration events in different Northern Virginia locations, self-guided tours, etc.
- Memorial flowers at Arlington Cemetery
- AUSA, #floweroneverygrave for Memorial Day and at other national cemeteries across the US; sign up/register online to participate
- Miscellaneous notes
- Aug 2018 County Fair – Mobile tour bus – donuts to go with doughboys and doughnut dollies (reenactors?)
- Peter Golkin – The Citizen, sent to every household in county, can be used to advertise task force and other events
- Sarah will send out schedule of dates over next few months (2nd Tuesdays)
- Immediately following meeting – group to discuss interpretation of Clarendon Memorial; in contact with local NAACP chapter, Ms. Nightengale and fellow officers
- Open discussion – no topics – meeting adjourned 6:35pm