Interlude: While We Firm Up the Program

Several of us from the steering committee for My Story Matters are wrestling with how to create the best possible conference, working from the presenter proposals that arrived in November and the suggested keynoters as well. I'll post a draft soon; Joanne Bertrand has been especially helpful in test-driving the program with some students at St. Johnsbury Academy.

I'm also a bit slow just now due to commitments to talk about my young adult mystery, The Darkness Under the Water. To make it easy for you to see what's going on with this, I'm posting on here the same article that's on the book's blog, BethKanell.blogspot.com. I think it gives a taste of the diversity of experience that we can draw on right here in the Northeast Kingdom.

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Today's author event was a discussion with the Lyceum Club at St. Johnsbury Academy. We talked about Molly's choices in The Darkness Under the Water, and about how she handled the stresses and situations in her life. An interesting side discussion formed around the effects of tuberculosis on Molly's mother's health, and how that might also have a role in her distance from her daughter as the book begins.

Two bits of regional history came up in particular in today's discussion. One concerns whether Catholics in this area would have dared to enter a Protestant church and attend a service there in 1930, as Katy O'Connor and her family do near the start of the book. Because two of the discussion participants spoke of their experience growing up as French (French Canadian) Catholics in Vermont, we talked about the way Catholics side-stepped going to Protestant services in the 1950s -- going into the social events "downstairs" in the churches, but not into the worship "upstairs." Some were taught by the priests that to attend a Protestant worship service would be a terrible sin.

But Academy historian Rich Beck confirmed earlier this fall, and so did archivist Joanne Bertrand today, that the active presence and malevolence of the Ku Klux Klan in Vermont in the 1930s pushed some Catholics into attending Protestant churches after all, as a way of keeping a low profile. The KKK targeted both people of color and Catholics in Vermont at that time.

The second bit was the presence of Mohawk Indians in the region. One discussion participant explained that her French-Canadian origin family had only recently realized one of its members was a Mohawk. That brought up the role of the Mohawk crew that came south from Montreal in the 1950s for the construction of the second large power dam here, Moore Dam. The steel-work supervisor from that time period recently recalled how he'd contacted the union "hall" in Montreal to get extra help, and how exciting it was to watch the crew: One member kept the fire going at ground level (where he could enjoy seeing who came and went all day), and the others worked many feet above him, as much as two stories higher. The fire-working crew member would heat a large metal rivet at the fire, seize it with tongs, and hurl it up into the air; other crew members, above, caught each rivet with a metal funnel-shaped device, and hammered each into the steel structure. To start your own research on Mohawk steelworkers, click here.

I'm posting a photo here from construction of Comerford Dam -- the one that actually was built in 1930. This was taken while the dam was under construction.

Now Seeking Proposals for Presentations!

My Story Matters: A History Conference for High School Students in the Northeast Kingdom

April 8, 2009
Lyndon State College

Request for Proposals
Due: November 15, 2008
Email completed form (you can use this announcement, printed out, or ask us to e-mail one to you) to: nikki.vendituoli@lyndoninstitute.org

Sponsored by the Vermont Women’s History Project (Vermont Commission on Women), and Lyndon State College, LSC Women’s Group, with collaboration from the Fairbanks Museum and the Grace Stuart Orcutt Library (St. Johnsbury Academy).
Vermont’s history is built upon the rich and varied experiences of its women and men, young and old. It’s time to celebrate their, and our, stories. This conference is for grades 9 – 12. We’re especially interested in proposals about women and other new areas of research. This conference will help educate Northeast Kingdom youth about Vermont history through a fun, interactive, reflective day featuring thoughtful speakers and workshops. We’re looking for the following:
• Workshops
• Dramatic performances
• Research or stories
Suggested Title:
Presenter(s) (Please list the contact person first):
Name Phone Email Institution & Mailing Address



Options for Presentation Length: ___ 45 minutes in morning ___ 45 minutes in afternoon ___ 1 ½ hours total in morning

Preferred Maximum Workshop Size: ____ Appropriate for what grade level(s): ____

Workshop Description (125 word maximum – can be workshops, dramatic presentations, research and stories):







Please indicate the equipment you will need for your session.
You will need to bring your own computer.
___ Computer hookup for PC ___ Internet connection
___ Computer hookup for Mac ___ VCR
___ LCD projector ___ Overhead projector
___ Screen ___ Other: __________________________

Special considerations (Please note any other room considerations we should know about for planning purposes):




Please complete and return this form by email to Nikki.Vendituoli@lyndoninstitute.org. For additional information, please contact Beth Kanell at BethPoet@aol.com or Judith Irving at Judith.Irving@state.vt.us.
NOTE: Some travel funds will be available and will be announced when proposals are accepted. If you must have an honorarium in order to be able to attend, please check here: _______
Someone from the My Story Matters committee will contact you by the end of November to inform you of the status of your proposal. This committee reserves the right to make minor editing changes to your proposal.

Thank you for your interest and submitting your proposal!