2005 annual general membership meeting of the Ulster-Scots Society Of America .

Ulster-Scots Society of America Convention Invitation and Details (PDF - 132KB)

Hello friends and members of the Ulster-Scots Society of America,  On behalf of the national council,  I am pleased to announce the 2005 annual general membership meeting of the Ulster-Scots Society Of America .  This year's AGM will be held in Canton, Georgia on October 14 &15 (see lodging information below).  Let me encourage everyone to please consider your schedule and mark down this important event on your calendar.  This year's AGM will be well worth the effort to attend.  

I am delighted to announce that our special speaker this year will be Billy Kennedy.  Billy hails from Belfast, Northern Ireland.  A journalist, author and lecturer he has written some 8 books on the history of the Scots-Irish in America.  His most recent book, entitled  "Women Of The Frontier"  was published in 2004. Please see his biography below for more information.  I am also excited about the fact that this year's meeting will be centered around the Funk Heritage Center at Reinhardt College, in Waleska Georgia.  The center contains excellent exhibits detailing life on the frontier (see more info below).  A major focus of the center is the  native American peoples and their interaction with the early Appalachian settlers.  The Executive Director of the center,  Dr. Joe Kitchens has very graciously agreed to be our guide through the various exhibits (see schedule below).   I am also pleased to announce that Chris Moser will also be speaking to the society.  Chris is the Producer and Writer for Redwine Productions' upcoming documentary entitlted "America's Other Irish".  Redwine Productions is based in Atlanta, Ga.  The society is one of the sponsors of this documentary and Chris will be coming to provide us a history of this project and progress made to date.   Please note membership meeting agenda below.  

Attendees will need to pay $25 upfront for the cost of the reception/banquet/museum tour. Please send payment to:   Robert Babb,  Treasurer, Ulster-Scots Society of America at 116 Talicud Trail, Apex, North Carolina, 27539.  Please make payment out to Ulster-Scots Society of America.   A block of 20 rooms has been reserved for both Friday and Saturday nights at the Holiday Inn Express in Canton, Ga.  Individual rooms should be booked directly through the Holiday Inn Express in Canton, GA  at (770) 479-7300 or by email at hiecanton@alltel.net .  (see driving directions below).  

You must indicate attendance at the USSA Convention to get the group discount of $79.99 per night. Suites are available for an additional $10 and are worth the extra price. There is an indoor pool and a small workout room. Continental breakfast is included.  Please advise me at your earliest convenience if you plan to attend the AGM to include staying at the Holiday Inn Express.  Membership in the Society is only a requirement for attending the Society business meeting on the evening of Friday, October 14th.  Everything else on the agenda is open to members and non-members as well.  Non-members who would like to attend simply need to note the total cost and lodging information and advise me of their intent to attend.  Of course we hope by the end of the AGM they will want to become active members in the society.

 Please let me know if you have any questions.  See you in Georgia!  Aye, Paul Smallwood,  President, Ulster-Scots Society of America www.ulsterscotssociety.com

Annual General Membership Meeting Agenda:
Friday, 10/14 - Sat. 10/15.

Friday:     
6:00pm - 7:00pm - Wine and Cheese reception at the Holiday Inn Express in Canton, Georgia followed by dinner to be catered by Cracker Barrel
7:00pm - 8:00pm - Billy Kennedy
8:00pm - 9:00pm - Society Business, Discuss 2006 Ulster-Scots Heritage Tour

Saturday:
9:00am -  Meet at Funk Heritage Center, Waleska, Georgia (coffee and danish)
9:30am - 10:00am  Presentation by Dr. Kitchens
10:00am - 12:00pm Tour the center

Saturday - Sunday:  Officer-At-Large Melinda Freels will give out information for activities in nearby Marietta, Georgia ("Gone with the Wind Museum," etc.) and Atlanta (numerous possibilities.)

About Author – Journalist Billy Kennedy
Billy Kennedy is a journalist of wide recognition in Northern Ireland for over 30 years. With the Ulster/Belfast News Letter, a newspaper founded in 1737, he has been a news editor, assistant editor, and leader writer. He is also a public relations consultant, author, and lecturer. His abiding interest is in the Scots-Irish settlement on the American frontier, and through his authorship, Billy Kennedy has lectured in major cities and towns in the southeastern Appalachian region, on the eastern seaboard, and in Texas.

Funk Heritage Center :  Located on the picturesque Reinhardt College campus in Waleska, Georgia the Funk Heritage Center is in a contemporary building inspired by Indian designs. The museum interprets the story of the Southeastern Indians and the early Appalachian settlers through dioramas, interactive displays, artifacts and exhibits of contemporary Native American art. On the museum's grounds is a recreated early 19th century settlers' village. There is also a special “Tools of the Trades” exhibit which features thousands of tools from more than 100 crafts and trades, many dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Guided tours of the museum take 90 minutes.

Directions Holiday Inn Express, Canton, Georgia