We had a wonderful attendance of just under 50 people at our FOWB Annual Meeting today! The meeting was held in the parish hall of New Hope Baptist Church, in Locust Grove, Virginia. Pastor Eddie welcomed us warmly and showed Bob and Mike how to work the AV equipment. He started us off with a lovely prayer and then we had our business meeting! Lunch, which was catered by Generals Quarters Catering, was delicious and nobody left hungry! Historian Mike Block gave an excellent talk after lunch and we are delighted to welcome him as a new board member beginning in January 2025!
New Hope Baptist Church played a big role in the Mine Run Campaign, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem called “I Heard the Bells” that Christmas, 1863, after his son, Charles, was wounded at the Battle of Mine Run. The poem was later made into a Christmas Carol, and attendees each went home with a little handbell to help them remember when and why that poem was written.
Many thanks to the wonderful people at New Hope Baptist Church for letting us use their parish hall for our meeting! It was perfect!
