Members of the Douglass Alumni Association Trustees Board were given that news at the board's meeting this past Saturday, February 21, 2009. The city informed us that before they could talk to the contractor the city hired for the auditorium's demolition, the firm had already started the abestos removal process and many items, including rows of seats were destroyed in the setup process. We have received the top part of the blue stage draperies, but the side curtains are now contaminated with asbestos fibers and have to be destroyed.
We will have more on this story in the coming days.
Also, arrangements are being made to store the new schoolbooks discovered in lockers on the second floor. After they are moved out of the school building, the Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority has offered storage space in one of its buildings. Original plans to store them inside the old Sarge's Place building have been scrapped because of chronic leaks and moisture problems there. The new storage place will be decided soon.
Calvin Sneed also proposed that the old school books that have supplied our School Book Fairs up to this point, now be sold to the general public, regardless of the former students' names in them. The reasoning is, the Board has held them for the past year on reserve for the people to come and get them, and if they haven't picked them up by now, they must not want them. Those books will be sold along with the general school books and Douglass Library books with no names in them.
As for the NEW books recently discovered, the proposal is to go through and record the former students' names just like the old ones, then reserve the NEW books for former students to get them, just like before. We will have school book fairs for the NEWLY FOUND books between now and the Douglass Reunion the 4th of July weekend.
AFTER THE REUNION, they will be lumped in with the old books, and all will be sold to the general public and anyone who wants to buy them.
In discussion of Trustee Board OLD BUSINESS from the last meeting, Reverend Mills of White Pine, Tennessee was invited to the meeting to talk about his publication business, and he presented samples of what he has done for other organizations. It was decided that the Ad Committee would put together the Souvenir Booklet and present it to the Trustee Board.
Board Member and Ad Committee chairperson Linda Bly voiced her opinion about bringing someone else in for the publication, after she had already spoken to someone else about it. President Doug Releford then advised her that she is the chairperson for the Ad Committee and whatever she presented to the Trustee members would be accepted. Linda also explained how the booklet would be constructed.
President Doug Releford is also talking to a person who does DVD duplication to sell as a fundraiser, the "Douglass Teacher Memories" DVD recently shown at the Last Great Program in the Douglass Auditorium. Those findings are to come soon.
Alumni Association Vice President Andra Watterson told the group that she and Calvin Sneed have lots of pictures and inquired if those pictures would be used in the booklet. Linda Bly explained that she wanted the booklet to be about Douglass, and not what is going on in the community. Trustee members agreed and told her to bring in her final draft and present it to the other Trustee members.
Several names of local churches were submitted as sites for the Douglass Reunion Memorial Service on Sunday, July 5th. The board selected by the Trustee Board is Mt. Zion Church, 386 Dunbar Street. Linda Bly will contact the pastor of that church.
Trustee Board members also voted to have Rev. Anthony Daniels be the main speaker at the Memorial Service on Sunday, July 5th. Pamela Sensabaugh will contact him.
Also chosen as the main speaker for the Douglass Reunion Banquet on Saturday, July
4th, is Thomas Bond, Jr. Virginia Hankins will contact him.
Under NEW BUSINESS, trustee board member and Ad Booklet chairperson Linda Bly inquired about the reunion activities of the Kingsport Ebony Club, which is holding its Reunion in conjunction with the Douglass Alumni. President Releford had spoken with Jeff Faulkerson, the Ebony Club organizer about the group holding its Reunion Banquet along with the Douglass Reunion banquet. After discussion, the Trustee Board members decided that the Ebony Club could take part in the Douglass Banquet, but that the Douglass Alumni Association would have complete control of the program. This creates a conflict with the Ebony Club, as that group wants to honor its original Dobyns-Bennett teacher sponsor Elizabeth Dudney and longtime D-B teacher-sponsor Dawnella Ellis, so the Ebony Club is in search of a new banquet location for its members.
Due to the lateness of obtaining a band, Board Trustee members have decided to get a D-J to supply music for the Reunion events. Trustee member Ozine Bly is contacting Richard Ford of DJ Express to see if he is available for the July 4th weekend.
THE DOUGLASS REUNION PARADE - THERE WILL NOT BE A PARADE FOR REUNION 2009 - DOUGLASS ALUMNI WILL BE TAKING PART IN THE KINGSPORT 4TH OF JULY PARADE
Dates and times for the Douglass Reunion events were decided on at the meeting.
Friday, July 3rd - Start Time TBA: Reunion Registration-Check In, Meadowview
Friday, July 3rd - Start Time TBA: Sock-Hop, Meadowview
Saturday, July 4th - 7 AM: Scholarship Golf Tournament, Cattails at Meadowview
Saturday, July 4th - 10 AM: Kingsport 4th of July Parade (Alumni Float)
Saturday, July 4th - 12 Noon to 3 PM: Reunion Field Day, Douglass Ballfield
Saturday, July 4th - 6:30 PM: Reunion Banquet, Meadowview Main Ballroom
Sunday, July 5th - 10:30 AM: Church of your choice
Sunday, July 5th - Start Time TBA: Alumni Memorial Service, Mt. Zion Church
