Lincoln Writing Competition Lunch
This year’s annual Hildene luncheon celebrating Lincoln’s birthday and honoring the winners of the Lincoln Writing Competition will feature a notable guest speaker. The keynoter at the event scheduled for February 2 at 12:00 at the Equinox Resort will be renowned Lincoln scholar, Douglas L. Wilson, author of Lincoln’s Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words. Wilson and his topic are particularly appropriate in light of the fact that the challenge confronting this year’s writing competition contestants, consisting of Bennington County public, private and home schooled eighth graders, was to write what would have been President Lincoln’s farewell address to the nation had he survived his second term. Since Lincoln was assassinated 40 days after beginning his second term there was no t precedent for what the students were asked to compose, adding to the degree of difficulty.
Lincoln’s Sword was awarded the prestigious “Lincoln Prize” in 2007. In the book’s
prologue, Wilson points out that when Lincoln was elected president, “The last thing the intellectual establishment expected from this folksy, self-educated prairie politician was literary ability…Only with his death, however, did it begin to dawn on his contemporaries that Abraham Lincoln’s words were destined to find a permanent place in the American imagination.” In her review of Lincoln’s Sword, Team of Rivals author and past Hildene speaker, Doris Kearns Goodwin writes, “This book is so good that it will shape Lincoln scholarship for generations. At the same time, it is so beautifully written that it will be read by the general reader for years to come. Never has the craft of Lincoln’s writing been more brilliantly revealed. Never has the mind of Lincoln been more deeply penetrated.”
Eminently qualified to speak on Lincoln the orator, Douglas L. Wilson is co-director with Rodney O. Davis of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College. He has authored or co-authored several books on an array of Lincoln topics. Hildene Executive Director, Seth Bongartz notes, “Hildene is honored to have a Lincoln scholar of Douglas Wilson’s stature and scope here for this event, one that directly links the youth of the community to the Lincoln legacy through the Writing Competition.”
This year’s Lincoln Writing Competition winners, chosen from 87 submissions from schools across The Shires are; First Place winner, William Cousseau and Second Place winner Nicole Ratelle, both Long Trail School students; Honorable Mentions include Daniel Frank from Sacred Heart and St. Francis de Sales School; Izzy Kratzer of Maple Street School and Long Trail students, Aaryn Vaughn and Isabelle Barnard. These winners will be guests of honor at the luncheon. First and second place recipients will present their winning speeches and all will receive their awards; $1,000, First Prize; $500, Second Prize; and $100 each, Honorable Mention.
Reservations are required for the Lincoln’s Birthday Buffet Luncheon that will take place in the Colonnade Room of the Equinox, at a cost of $30 per person. For more information on the event or to reserve a seat for the luncheon, call Carrie Howe at 802.367.7960 or email carrie@hildene.org.
Hildene Symposium 2008, Why it Matters
The new year has the dual distinction of being an election year, as well
as the year in which the nation commences its formal celebration of the
bicentennial of the birth of it’s 16^th president, Abraham Lincoln, thus
making the topic for the 2008 Hildene Symposium timely indeed: /WHY IT
MATTERS: The Nine Most Important Elections in U. S./ /History. /Hildene
has gathered an impressive collection of nationally recognized speakers
for this year’s event. Some of the country’s finest historians and
scholars are scheduled to participate May 28, 29 and 30. Speakers will
cover elections that span the years from 1800 to 1932; contests whose
outcomes had lasting influences on both the social and political climate
for years to come.
Building on the overwhelming success of its five previous symposiums,
including the most recent, “/In the Shadow of Greatness: The Lives of
Presidential Children” /in 2005, there is great anticipation among
organizers about the 2008 gathering. Symposium events will be held at
Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home and the Equinox Resort. A preliminary
schedule can be found online at www.hildene.org <http://www.hildene.org/>.
To learn more about the 2008 Hildene Symposium or to register, contact
symposium coordinator, Carrie Howe at 802.367.7960 or email
carrie@hildene.org.
Hildene Ski Season Begins
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it Snow! is the mantra this season, as the
Ski Touring Center at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home opens for its
28^th season. Now open daily, year round, with great access to the newly
renovated Welcome Center by way of the new entrance road, ski
enthusiasts can cross-country ski or snowshoe on approximately 14
kilometers of trails of which 80% are for the novice, take a break for
some hot chocolate or coffee and snacks in the Carriage Barn, shop or
browse in the Museum Store and then up to the family’s Georgian Revival
mansion for a touch of Lincoln family history. Most guests agree this is
a great way to spend a winter’s day in the beautiful Shires of Vermont!
The Ski Pavilion was built in 2005 with lumber harvested and milled at
Hildene and a designed to be in keeping with its natural surroundings.
It is post and beam construction with an open floor plan. The wood
burning stove is set against an imposing stone wall that rises from
floor to ceiling adding warmth and New England charm. Skis, poles, and
snowshoes are available for rental or skiers may bring their own
equipment. Lessons are available by prior arrangement.
When they hit the trails, skiers will find varying levels of difficulty.
While the majority of the trails are appropriate for novices, advanced
skiers looking for quick turns and more narrow downhill trails will find
several “black” trails on the property that provide the challenge they
seek. Since the mid-80’s cross-country skiing has consisted of primarily
two styles. One is the traditional stride or classical style, the style
used at Hildene. The second is freestyle which is significantly faster
and incorporates the “skating” technique. For “skate skiers,” the meadow
trails are managed to include clear rolled and packed areas. Maintained
trails on the Lincoln Family Home’s lands are packed and tracked and can
accommodate both skiers and snowshoers.
Based on weather conditions, the Ski Touring Center is open daily from
9:30 to 4:00 pm.
All those using the trails must sign in at the Ski Pavilion which is
accessed through the Welcome Center where trail passes are purchased.
These passes include admission to the house. The Lincoln Family Home is
open daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Parking is at the Welcome Center.
For information on the Ski Touring Center schedule, rates or conditions,
call 802.362.1788 or visit on the web at www.hildene.org.
Hildene Winter History Series Looks at the Most Influential first Ladies
With recent renovations completed on the Carriage Barn, Hildene has
announced that this year’s popular Winter History Series will be held in
the historic building that also serves as the Welcome Center. This
year’s presenters will speak on the topic of influential first ladies.
As with the presidents, the ladies must have inhabited the White House
prior to 1968. The group of esteemed woman from which attendees will
ultimately choose who they deem “The Most Influential First Lady” are,
in scheduled order: Grace Coolidge, Jackie Kennedy, Mary Todd Lincoln,
Abigail Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt. Each woman was a powerful presence
in her day and so are the professors, authors and historians who will be
presenting from January through May on the second Wednesday of each month.
The first talk in the series will take place on Wednesday, January 8 and
features Cyndy Bittinger, speaking on Grace Coolidge. Bittinger is the
Executive Director of the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation based in
Plymouth,Vermont.
Each presentation of the Winter History Series begins at 7:00 and
includes a 45 minute presentation with 30 minutes available for
questions and discussion. These events are free and open to the public.
On Wednesday, February 13, University of Vermont Professor Melanie
Gustafson argues for Jackie Kennedy. Local author C.J. King will present
the case for Mary Todd Lincoln on Wednesday, March 12. On Wednesday,
April 9, biographer and historian Natalie Bober will explain why she
thinks Abigail Adams should be considered the most influential first
lady of the group. In the final lecture of the series on Wednesday, May
14, author and Williams College Professor Susan Dunn will make a case
that Eleanor Roosevelt is the first lady who should top the list. At the
conclusion of the last lecture, ballots will be available for members of
the audience to rank their choice for the top honor. Results will be
announced!
The Hildene Winter History Series is co-sponsored by the University of
Vermont. The Hildene Museum Store will be open for a cup of coffee and a
snack before the event and plentiful parking is available. For further
information please call Hildene at 802.362.1788 or email
info@hildene.org
Hildene Book Club Discusses Cokie Robert's "Founding Mothers"
While public radio listeners are familiar with the illustrious broadcast career of NPR senior news analyst, Cokie Roberts, they may not be as acquainted with her literary work. Hildene History Book Club members are about to learn more about the New York Times bestselling author’s writing when they take on her most recent book Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation. They will discuss it when next they meet on Monday, February 11. Roberts draws upon private journals and personal correspondence to tell the stories of fascinating and passionate Revolutionary War Era women such as Martha Washington and Abigail Adams, highlighting their trials and triumphs.
In a review for the Library Journal, Janice Dunham writes, “This is not just a collection of women’s stories; it is a retelling of the American Revolution and the beginnings of the United States. Roberts…interweaves the women’s stories with the story of the developing nation. The retelling is so convincing that we speculate and anguish with the women over whether there will be a revolution, a war, a Continental Congress, safety from the Indians and the British, enough food to eat, or imprisonment as a traitor because one is related to a signer.”
The Hildene History Book Club meets on the second Monday of each month in the Beckwith Room of the Welcome Center from 3:30 to 5:00. The group encourages readers to join in when they can. Attendance each month is not a prerequisite. To sign up or to learn more about the club, contact Brian Knight at 802.367.1225 or email brian@hildene.org. Book club selections for upcoming months can be found online at www.hildene.org.
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