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CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY IS GOOD AFTERNOON.I USE ONE OF THOSE, THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION.
AN ELECTION OF BEAUFORD COUNTY IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.
PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ONE NATION UNDER GOD INVISIBLE JUSTICE.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE NOW AT PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UH, IF THERE'S ANYONE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO FIVE MINUTES.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE.
YOU SEE NO ONE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR MINUTES FROM THE MEETING ON APRIL 26TH.
UH, CAN I GET A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT? SOME MOVED.
NEXT, WE WILL NOT DO UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE THE AGENDA TO NEW BUSINESS, AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE OATH OF OFFICE FOR OUR NEWLY APPOINTED BOARD MEMBERS, AND MARIE WILL ADMINISTER THE OATH.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING EXHIBIT ONE, AND WE'RE GONNA ASK ALL OF OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE JUST RECENTLY GOTTEN THEIR APPOINTMENT LETTER FROM THE GOVERNOR TO PLEASE STAND.
AND WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST REPEAT AFTER ME? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I AM DULY QUALIFIED, THAT I DULY QUALIFIED ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE, ACCORDING, ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE, TO EXERCISE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE, TO EXERCISE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE TO WHICH I HAVE BEEN APPOINTED TO WHICH I HAVE BEEN APPOINTED.
AND THAT I WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, TO BEST OF MY ABILITY, DISCHARGE THE DUTIES.
DISCHARGE, DISCHARGE, DISCHARGE THE DUTIES THEREOF.
THEREOF OF, AND PRESERVE AND PRESERVE, PROTECT, PROTECT, AND DEFEND AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE, THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE CONSTITUTION, AND OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND UNITED UNITED STATES, STATES.
YOU SHOULD HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU A COPY OF THE, THIS PARTICULAR OATH.
WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE SIGN, UH, ABOVE YOUR NAME AND I WILL NOTARIZE IT.
WELCOME UPON CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR APPOINTMENT.
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR COMMITTEE REPORTS PORTS.
FIRST ON THE LIST IS FACILITIES.
DO WE HAVE ANY UPDATE ON FACILITIES? UH, UM, I CAN DO THAT IF YOU OKAY.
I CAN DO A BRIEF UPDATE ON FACILITIES.
UM, THE BID FOR OUR RENOVATION OR OUR ADDITION TO OUR, UM, MAIN OFFICE, UM, SHOULD HAVE COME IN ON YESTERDAY.
I DON'T KNOW THE WHOLE STATUS OF THAT, BUT WHEN I SPOKE WITH OUR, UM, ACA, WHICH IS OUR LIAISON BETWEEN US AND, AND THE COUNTY, UM, SHE INFORMED ME THAT ONCE EVERYTHING IS, UM, I GUESS ACCEPTED AND APPROVED, IT WILL BE ABOUT AN 11 MONTH PROCESS.
SO IT'S SOMETIME NEXT YEAR BEFORE WE COULD PROBABLY SEE
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ANY SERIOUS MAJOR PROGRESS ON THAT.LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
THERE IS NO REPORT AT THIS TIME.
THERE'S NO REPORT AT THIS TIME.
WE ARE NOW TO OUR DIRECTOR'S REPORT, UM, MADAM CHAIR AND THE BOARD.
UM, WE DO NOT HAVE A WRITTEN REPORT TODAY, SO, BUT I WILL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH, UM, OUR LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE, WHICH WAS INTRODUCED EARLIER IN THE YEAR HOUSE BILL 42 17, WHICH IS ADDING ADDITIONAL PRECINCTS TO BEAUFORD COUNTY.
AND, UM, THE BILL WAS APPROVED BY THE HOUSE.
IT WAS SENT OVER TO THE SENATE, UH, I THINK IT WAS MAY 2ND, AND IT, THE SENATE SENT IT OVER TO, NO, IT'S IN COMMITTEE.
SO RIGHT NOW, EVEN THOUGH THE SESSION ENDED, THE GENERAL SESSION ENDED ON LAST THURSDAY, ACTUALLY MAY 11TH, IT ENDED.
WHAT HAPPENED IS THEY ADJOURNED WITHOUT ADDRESSING THAT PARTICULAR BILL.
SO I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE, UH, STATE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND THEY WERE TRYING TO GET THE SENATORS TO TRY TO ADDRESS THAT WHILE THEY'RE BACK IN TO GENERAL SESSION RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, BACK INTO THAT SPECIAL SESSION TO SEE IF THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND GET THAT DONE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, SORRY, BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
BECAUSE IF THEY DO NOT DO THAT, IT MAY BE JANUARY BEFORE WE CAN HAVE ANYTHING DONE.
AND HOPEFULLY WHAT WE WERE PLANNING ON THAT WE WOULD GET THAT BILL DONE AND WE COULD START WORKING ON GETTING THOSE PRECINCTS SITUATED, GETTING VOTERS NOTIFIED BEFORE THE 2024 ELECTION CYCLE BEGAN.
BECAUSE WE KNOW WE HAVE LOTS OF STUFF GOING ON IN 2024.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING AT PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARIES IN FEBRUARY, AND I REALLY WANNA TRY AND, AND GET PEOPLE, UM, THE VOTERS NOTIFIED OF WHAT THEIR NEW POLLING LOCATIONS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHERE THEY ARE GOING WHEN THOSE ELECTIONS GET STARTED.
WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF DAYS.
I'M NOT SURE IF THE SENATE IS STILL IN, IN SESSION TODAY.
UM, AND IF THEY ARE GOING TO ADDRESS ANY ADDITIONAL BILL OTHER THAN WHAT THEY WERE CALLED BACK TO ADDRESS THE BUDGET AND, UM, THAT ABORTION BILL, WHICH WAS PASSED LAST NIGHT.
SO I, I'M NOT SURE WHERE WE ARE.
DO YOU, UM, AS OF ABOUT NOON IT, IT PASSED SECOND READING YESTERDAY, AND THERE WAS UNANIMOUS CONSENT FOR THIRD READING TODAY IN THE SENATE FOR THIS PARTICULAR BILL.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET IT DONE AND, AND GET PEOPLE NOTIFIED OF THEIR NEW POLLING LOCATIONS.
BUT AS A BOARD, WE STILL HAVE LOTS OF WORK TO DO.
WE GOTTA FIND PLACES TO HAVE, UM, OR TO HOUSE THESE PRECINCTS, UM, BLUFFTON FOLKS IN THE BLUFFTON AREA.
WE, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO TRY AND FIND, UH, FACILITIES THAT WE CAN USE.
UM, WE'VE ALL BEEN WORKING HARD TRYING TO, TO FIND A, A PLACE THAT, UM, THAT WOULD BE AMENABLE TO LETTING US USING THEM AS POLLING LOCATION.
SO PLEASE, UM, IF YOU KNOW FRIENDS THAT LIVE IN THE BLUFFTON AREA AND THEY BELONG TO A, A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION THAT HAVE A CLUB, OR I MEAN A CLUBHOUSE OR SOMETHING, TALK TO THEM AND LET THEM KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THE BOARD WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO HELP IN THIS PROCESS OF, UM, WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING A SERVICE BY OFFERING UP THE USE OF THEIR FACILITY.
SO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, UM, AND FACILITIES ARE
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LIMITED, SO WE HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE CHURCHES IN THOSE AREAS AS WELL.SO IF YOU KNOW ANYBODY THAT KNOWS SOMEBODY THAT KNOWS SOMEBODY, GO AHEAD AND STOP PUTTING ON A GOOD WORD.
UM, BECAUSE WE GONNA NEED PLACES.
IF NOT, WE GONNA BE STANDING IN LONG LINES COME NOVEMBER AND, AND WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
THAT'S, UM, THAT'S IT SO FAR AS FACILITIES AND THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE.
WE ALSO RECRUITING POLL WORKERS.
WE HAVE SCHEDULED POLL WORKERS TRAINING THE FIRST SATURDAY IN EACH MONTH UP UNTIL WHEN? JULY IS THE LAST SATURDAY.
IS WE GONNA DO IT THE FIRST SATURDAY IN JUNE AND IN JULY WE GONNA DO IT THE LAST SATURDAY AND THE FIRST SATURDAY IN AUGUST, AND THE FIRST SATURDAY IN AUGUST.
THIRD JULY 29TH AND AUGUST 5TH.
AND THEY'RE ALL GONNA BE HERE.
SO OUR FIRST SESSION, OUR FIRST, UM, COWORKERS TRAINING SESSION WE HAD ON, UM, MAY THE SIXTH, AND WE HAD ABOUT 16 PEOPLE IN THAT SESSION.
THE NEXT SESSION IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE THE THIRD, AND RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE SIX PEOPLE, I THINK THAT'S ENROLLED.
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN BECOMING A POLL WORKER, THEY NEED TO GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND IT WILL DIRECT THEM, UM, ON HOW TO SIGN UP TO BECOME A POLL WORKER.
AND THEY CAN SELECT ANY ONE OF THOSE AVAILABLE DATES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SIGN THEMSELVES UP FOR THE CLASS.
THE CLASS WILL BE ABOUT FOUR HOURS.
IT'S NOT A CLASS THAT YOU WILL BE PAID TO ATTEND, BUT, UM, IT'S THE INITIAL POLL WORKERS TRAINING CLASS.
SO PLEASE TALK TO YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, BUT THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A CIVIC SERVICE TO THE VOTERS IN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
ENCOURAGE THEM TO BECOME POLL WORKERS AND GET INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
MARIA SAYS THAT THEY'RE GONNA GO TO SC VOTES.GOV.
NO, NO, BC THE BEAUFORD COUNTY WEBSITE.
YOU GOTTA VOTER REGISTRATION FUND.
THE BUFORD COUNTY VOTER REGISTRATION WEBSITE.
IS THAT THE BC GOV.NET? IT'S VOTE, WHAT IS IT? CHRIS? VOTE BUFORD.
WHAT'S THE FIRST PART OF IT? THAT IS THE, THAT IS THE WEBSITE.
WE DON'T KNOW OUR OWN WEBSITE.
AND YOU GO TO THE, OUR, OUR LINK.
AND THEN WHAT WE WILL DO, ONCE THAT PERSON FILLS OUT THAT WHEN THEY FILL OUT THE LITTLE THING, IT'LL LET US KNOW THEY'RE INTERESTED, THEN WE'LL SIGN THEM AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SIGN UP FOR THEIR OWN CLASSES.
GO TO THE BEAUFORD COUNTY WEBSITE, BEAUFORD GOV, ALL ONE WORD VOTE.
THAT'S THE, WHAT HELPS IS THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING TO THIS OR SEEING IT BY T ANOTHER, THE EXACT LOCATION THEY GO TO, THAT WAS SOMETHING MY ONLY POINT.
AND IT'S BERET COUNTY SC GOV GOV.GOV VOTES, BACKSLASH BACK VOTE, BACKSLASH VOTES.
SEE COUNTY RIC COUNTY SE.GOV VOTE.
MARIE FOLLOW UP QUESTION, SINCE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RECRUITMENT OF POLL MANAGERS IN THE MINUTES FOR THE RE PRECINCT COMMITTEE REPORT ON APRIL 26TH, THERE WAS AN ITEM THAT SAID, RECRUITMENT OF VOLUNTEERS WHO MAY WORK FOUR OR MORE HOURS IS ADVANTAGEOUS.
ARE WE SAYING THAT WE'RE GONNA ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME IN AND WORK SPLIT SHIFTS ON ELECTION DAY? NO, SIR.
WHERE WAS THAT IN THE MINUTES? THAT'S VOLUNTEERS, NOT VOLUNTEERS, NOT WORKERS, VOLUNTEERS, MARIA.
OH, VOLUNTEERS CAN CHOOSE HOW MANY HOURS THEY WANT TO WORK.
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THAT THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ON PAYROLL.IT DOESN'T APPLY TO POLL WORKERS.
THEY, THEY CAN BE POLL WORKERS.
THAT'S THE MEANING OF THE WORK VOLUNTEER.
AND, AND, AND ALSO THOUGH IS, UM, EARLY VOTING OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.
THOSE PEOPLE CAN HAVE A, YOU KNOW, SPLIT EVERY WORK, WHATEVER THEY CAN.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT, DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? IT DID.
UM, NEW BOARD MEMBERS BOARD ORIENTATION WILL BE SET UP FOR YOU ALL, AND WE ARE HOPING TO DO IT IN ONE SETTING.
SO I'LL COORDINATE WITH YOU LATER ON, ON THE DATES THAT WE CAN GET TOGETHER.
RIGHT NOW, IF YOU COULD, UM, LOOK AT YOUR CALENDAR AND PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR AS JUNE THE NINTH, JUNE 13TH, OR JUNE 16TH, SO YOU CAN HAVE SOME IDEA OF WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE, IT'LL BE ONE OF THOSE THREE DATES, AND HOPEFULLY 16TH YOU WILL BE AVAILABLE JUNE 9TH, JUNE 13TH, OR JUNE 16TH.
AND YOU CAN JUST, WE'LL TALK LATER ON WHAT DAY IS BEST FOR YOU ALL.
AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT, UNLESS YOU HAVE HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, ARE BOARD MEMBERS ELIGIBLE TO BE POLL WORKERS? NO, SIR.
YOU CAN'T DO, YOU CAN'T PLAY BOTH ROLES, UNFORTUNATELY, LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS, NOTHING FOR WORKERS.
ANYONE ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTION? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
MR. WEK, WHAT ABOUT YOU? DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, NOAM? I ASK 'EM ALL BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED.
I, I WOULD ASSUME THAT AT THE ORIENTATION YOU WILL GO OVER THE PROPOSED PRECINCTS AND THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION.
THE PARTICULAR ORIENTATION THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS THE ONE THAT WILL BE DONE BY S E C, BY THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION.
THIS IS NOT THE, THE ORIENTATION, THE, THE COUNTY ORIENTATION.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PRECINCTS.
WE'RE GONNA BE INCREASING THE NUMBER OF POLLING LOCATIONS.
SO WE WILL BE INCREASING THE NUMBER OF POLL MANAGERS THAT WE NEED.
AND WE ALWAYS GO THROUGH THIS CYCLE OF, ONCE A, A POLL MANAGER FINISH WITH A, UM, GENERAL ELECTION, THEY DON'T ALWAYS COME BACK.
SO WE ARE JUST TRYING TO BUILD UP OUR DATABASE SO THAT WE WILL HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH POLL WORKERS THAT WE CAN USE, UM, IN THE 2024 ELECTIONS CYCLE.
AND, AND ALONG THOSE LINES AS WELL, WE WANT TO OVERPOPULATE EACH SITE TO A CASE OF DROPOUTS, ONE THING, BUT ALSO NOT TO WHERE EVERYBODY OUT WHO IS THERE.
UM, SO WE'VE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THERE'S ALWAYS, YOU'RE ALWAYS RIGHT THERE IN EACH SITE.
YOU'VE ALWAYS NOT HAD REALLY HAD ENOUGH.
SO WE'RE REALLY STRESSING THAT.
AND THAT, UH, WE'RE ASKING YOU WHEN YOU GO OUT AND ASK TO WORK, UM, WHICH WHETHER BE THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY IN YOUR SYSTEM OR WHEN YOU GET NEW PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TRY TO BULK UP EACH WHOLE LOCATION THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT MAKES IT GO A LOT SMOOTH FOR EACH SEGMENT.
SO THEY CAN'T USE THE MINIMUM.
WE WANT MORE THAN THE MINIMUM.
SO THAT IS TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE BURDENS ON THE ONES THAT ARE THERE.
AND THE MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE, I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL GET WAITED ON A LITTLE BIT QUICKER.
CURBSIDE WILL PROBABLY GO A LITTLE BIT QUICKER.
AND, AND, AND CURBSIDE IS NOT GONNA GO AWAY.
WE ARE GONNA HAVE CURBSIDE FOR A WHILE.
AND SO WE ARE GONNA NEED TO MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS ARE WELL, UM, POPULATED SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE ISSUES.
THESE WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE CONCERNED, UH, CONCERNS, UM, OF THE EXISTING POLL WORKERS NOT HAVING ENOUGH PEOPLE TO, TO, TO CARRY THE BURDEN.
UH, I ALSO HAVE A COMMENT ABOUT THE POLL WORKERS.
AND, UH, I BELIEVE IN VOLUNTEERS BECAUSE I ALWAYS FIND MYSELF VOLUNTEERING, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LONG HOURS AT THE POLL, IF YOU DECIDE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE VOLUNTEERS WORKING
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IN YOUR PRECINCT, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS IN ORDER TO FILL IN, OR EITHER ENOUGH POLL WORKERS.BECAUSE FOR AN EXAMPLE, IF I COME IN AT SIX O'CLOCK, I MAY SAY, I NEED TO LEAVE AT 11.
YOU NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS GOING TO FILL THAT GAP, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, THEN WE ARE GOING TO BE BACKED UP.
SO VOLUNTEERING IS GOOD, BUT MAKE SURE YOU DO COVER ALL OF THAT TO MAKE SURE YOU DO HAVE ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS, ESPECIALLY COME NOVEMBER.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, EVEN WITH THE EARLY VOTING, BECAUSE YOU COULD FIND YOURSELF REALLY SHORT AND NOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BACKUP IN YOUR PRECINCT, PRETTY MUCH WHAT SHE'S SAYING.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET VOLUNTEERS, YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR TWO.
WELL, NOT JUST ONE AND YOU LEAVING AND YOU'RE LOOKING THAT PERSON.
SO IF YOU GONNA GET A VOLUNTEER IN A PARTICULAR PRECINCT MM-HMM.
DO VOLUNTEERS TAKE THE TRAINING? YES, MA'AM.
SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO DO ALL THE TASKS SINCE THEY'VE TAKEN THE TRAINING? YES, MA'AM.
THEY CANNOT VOLUNTEER WITHOUT BEING TRAINED.
THEY HAVE TO SIGN UP JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WITH THEM IS THAT WHEN, LIKE THE PAPERWORK SIDE OF IT, THEY JUST, THEY GIVE US LESS PAPERWORK.
WE JUST GET VERIFY CITIZENSHIP AND THE ORIGINAL BASIC INFORMATION WE GET DON'T HAVE TO DO TAX OR ANY OTHER STUFF.
CRAIG, YOU HAVE ANYTHING? NO, JUST MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, REALIZE THAT THE TEAM HERE DOES A GOOD JOB OF FINDING WORKERS, BUT IT'S UP TO US TO FILL 'EM.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF OUR PRECINCTS TO FILL THE VOTES, SORT OF THE VOTE.
POLL WORKERS ARE KIND OF LIKE SILK BLOUSES.
AND, AND I'LL SEND YOU, THERE'S, THERE'S ACTUALLY, THERE'S MORE TO THAT WEBSITE TO GET TO THE INFORMATION, AND I'LL SEND IT TO YOU AFTER THE MEETING.
BUT IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY BEAUFORD COUNTY SC.GOV VOTE SLASH VOTE SLASH POLL WORKERS.
SO I'LL SEND IT TO EVERYBODY JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IT.
IT'S A LOT EASIER JUST TO SEND 'EM TO ONE PLACE RATHER THAN LET THEM MAKE A DECISION.
UM, WHAT I SAY, OH, UM, ANY, AND YOU GUYS ARE, UH, UH, INVITED TO ATTEND ANY OF THE POLL WORKERS TRAINING.
IF YOU WANT TO REFRESH YOURSELF ON SOME OF THE BASICS, YOU CAN ATTEND ANY OF THE POLL WORKERS TRAINING YOURSELVES AS WELL.
I, I, I WOULD REQUEST THAT THEY BE GIVEN A COPY OF THE, UH, PROPOSED PRECINCT.
SO SINCE THEY'RE BOARD MEMBERS NOW, THEY PROBABLY NEED TO ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR HELPING US TO IDENTIFY NEW POLLING PLACES.
I THINK, UM, THE CHAIR, VERY HELPFUL INFORMATION.
I THINK THE CHAIR WILL BE ASSIGNING.
DO YOU HAVE THAT ON YOUR, ON YOUR REPORT TO ASSIGN COMMITTEES AND, AND, AND AREAS? NOT TODAY.
WELL, BECAUSE WE WERE GONNA WAIT TO SEE EXACTLY IF, UH, EVERYTHING GOT GOT PASSED IN THE HOUSE OKAY.
BUT YOU, YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF ALL THE COMMITTEE, THE, THE BOARD'S, COMMITTEES.
AND LET, JUST LET THIS CHAIR KNOW, AND SHE WILL CONSIDER APPOINTING YOU TO THOSE COMMITTEE.
BUT SHE'S NOT GONNA DO THAT TODAY.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE PART OF IT IS MAKE SURE THEY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE COMMITTEES DO BEFORE WE HAVE 'EM SIGNED UP.
AND SO WILL YOU BE SENDING US, LIKE, YOU KNOW, A BLURB ON WHAT EACH COMMITTEE DOES? YOU HAVE IT RIGHT? YOU DON'T HAVE IT.
REMEMBER SEEING, I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING IT TO YOU SEE IT, IT, IS IT IN THERE? IT WAS IN, UH, IT WAS PAGE AND ALL THOSE ATTACHMENTS THAT WE WERE EMAILED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BE BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE? HMM.
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I HAVE A CLOSING COMMENT.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, AGAIN, PERSONALLY WELCOME OUR NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS, AND, UH, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, AND I KNOW YOU WILL, UH, MARIE AND, AND MARIE AND WENDELL AND, UM, JANE, WHO IS, UH, THE TRAINER FOR OUR POLL WORKERS.
JEAN, JEAN, JEAN, AND, UH, MYSELF, CHRIS, YOU KNOW, ANY OF US, WE WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY AND WILLING TO HELP YOU.
UH, WE JUST NEED EVERYONE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, START LOOKING, UH, TO GET POLL WORKERS.
EVEN IF YOU, IF YOU LIVE ON HILTON HEAD AND YOU HAVE FRIENDS IN BLUFFTON, YOU KNOW, I COULD DEARLY USE THE HELP
SO I WILL WELCOME ANY ASSISTANCE BECAUSE, UM, IT'S GONNA BE VERY BUSY AND WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO WAIT ON THE LONG LINE LONGER THAN THEY NEED TO.
SO WE WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM, WE'LL GET THE JOB DONE, AND WE WILL MAKE OURSELVES AND OUR COUNTY LOOK VERY GOOD.
UM, YOU MAY WAIT, YOU HAVE A FULL BOARD OF NINE, BUT YOU NEED TO DO AN ELECTION FOR BOARD SECRETARY ALSO.
OKAY, SO NOW THE FLOOR IS OPEN, UH, FOR HIS SECRETARY.
AND GUESS WHAT? WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL RECORDER THAT YOU CAN USE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU GO AND YOU, WHAT DOES THE SECRETARY DO? TAKE, HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THAT?
HE GOES TO CHRIS AND, UH, CHRIS HAVE IT, AND WE GET IT FEW DAYS BEFORE THE BOARD MEETING SO WE CAN LOOK OVER IT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, EVERYTHING IS THERE.
BECAUSE I'M QUITE SURE EVERYONE IS ALWAYS TAKING NOTES, EVEN THOUGH THE SECRETARY IS DOING HIS OR HER THING, FOLKS ARE STILL TAKING NOTES THAT IF THEY SEE SOMETHING THAT WAS LEFT OUT, THEY CAN LET YOU KNOW.
SO WILL BE ADDED IN BEFORE WE GET HERE.
SO YOU, WHAT THE SECRETARY DOES IS YOU TAKE YOUR NOTES AND YOU COMPARE IT WITH THE RECORDER, TAKE THE RECORDER, AND YOU LOAD IT ONTO YOUR LAPTOP OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO USE, AND THEN YOU CAN JUST TYPE IT UP FROM THERE, YOU KNOW, SO YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A FORM THAT'S ALREADY PRE FITTED AND THEN YOU SEND IT TO CHRIS AND CHRIS WILL MAKE ANY CLEAN IT UP OR WHATEVER.
I CAN SAY THAT SINCE I WAS A PAST SECRETARY.
SO, ANYTHING ELSE, JEAN? THAT'S ABOUT IT, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
THAT SOUNDS COOL, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO FLO IS OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS.
YOU DON'T WANT EVERYBODY TO SAY I, YEAH.
I, I THINK SOMEBODY IS REALLY GOOD AT DETAILS, CUZ I KNOW HE IS.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW NAME MATT SWEENEY.
MATT SWEENEY HAS BEEN NOMINATED.
NOTHING FALLS THROUGH THE CRACKS WHEN MATT'S ARE AROUND.
IS THERE ANY OTHER SETTING A HIGH BAR.
ANY OTHER I NEEDER MOTION A MOVE.
ALL RIGHT, SO MOVE THAT MATTERS.
OUR NEW SWEENEY IS OUR NEW SECRETARY.
HE'S ALREADY GOT MORE NOTES THAN HALF A BEAT THAN I'VE HAD IN TWO YEARS.
ALL IN FAVOR OF MATT BEING OUR NEW SECRETARY.
OKAY, IT'S UNANIMOUSLY THAT MATT, YOU ARE A NEW SECRETARY.
AND AS JIM SAID, YOU'RE GONNA DO A GREAT JOB.
UH, MARIE, DO YOU HAVE ANY, ANYBODY HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? I THINK WE HAVE, UM, UPCOMING CLASSES, RIGHT?
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YES, MA'AM.YOU GUYS HAVE, UM, LIST CLASSES? MY BOARD MEMBERS PROBABLY HAVE GOTTEN AN EMAIL SAYING ARE IN SEPTEMBER, SO I'LL BE MAKING Y'ALL, YOU GUYS JUST HAVE TO GO TO COLUMBIA, LEARN, HAVE FUN AND COME BACK.
YEAH, I GOT ONE IN JUNE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 28TH AT 2:00 PM RIGHT HERE IN CONS.
CHAMBERS, CAN I GET A MOTION FOR THE MEETING TO BE ADJOURNED AT AS MOON SECOND 2 32? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
AND EVERYONE HAVE A SAFE AND BLESSED MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND HOLIDAY.
HEY, I'M TONY HAWK AND YOU'RE WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
THE COUNTY CHANNEL IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON VIDEO ON DEMAND.
GO TO BEAUFORT COUNTY SC.GOV, SCROLL DOWN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, CLICK WATCH NOW, AND THEN CLICK THE VIDEO ON DEMAND BUTTON AND SELECT YOUR PROGRAM FROM THE LIST CALL MEETING TO, UH, ORDER.
IF YOU'D LIKE A DVD OF THIS PROGRAM, CLICK ON THE LINK ON THE RIGHT AND FILL OUT THE ORDER FORM.
AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
THIS IS LARRY ROLAND, AND THIS IS A BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
ONE OF THE, UH, MOST FASCINATING ARTIFACTS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE ARE THE RUINS OF THE OLD SHELDON CHURCH.
THE PROPER NAME IS THE PARISH CHURCH OF PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH, SOUTH CAROLINA.
PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH WAS FOUNDED IN 1745.
IN RESPONSE, IT WAS THE SECOND ANGLICAN PARISH IN THE BEAUFORT DISTRICT.
HELENA PARISH FOUNDED IN 1712, THE ORIGINAL PARISH, PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH IN 1745 WAS IN THE MIDST OF AN ECONOMIC BOOM BECAUSE RICE PLANTATION SURROUNDED THE SITE ON HOSPA NECK, WHERE THE CHURCH EVENTUALLY WAS BUILT, AND THOSE RICE PLANNERS WERE VERY WEALTHY.
IN 1745, THE COMMONS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ESTABLISHED PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH, AND IN 1751, THEY LAID THE CORNERSTONE FOR PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH.
THE CHURCH WAS FINISHED BY 1755 AND WELL APPOINTED.
IT HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE FIRST OR OLDEST TEMPLE FORM GREEK REVIVAL BUILDING IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.
SO THAT RUINED AT SHELDON, WHICH FASCINATES PEOPLE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD FASCINATE PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST EXAMPLE OF A TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE THAT BECAME ASSOCIATED WITH AMERICAN DEMOCRACY IN AMERICAN PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH, OR THE OLD SHELDON RUINS, WAS BURNED BY BRITISH TORIES DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN 1779, IT LE RUINS UNTIL 1826, CHARLES FRAZIER, THE FAMOUS LOW COUNTRY ARTIST, PAINTED A PICTURE OF IT IN 1819 AFTER IT WAS RESTORED TO USE AND SERVICES.
IN 1826, HE CAME AND LOOKED AT IT AND HE SAID, MY GOD, THEY'VE TAKEN A BEAUTIFUL RUIN AND TURNED IT INTO AN UGLY CHURCH.
SO THE UNION ARMY AND THE EVENTS OF THE CIVIL WAR RESTORED IT TO A BEAUTIFUL RUIN.
WE THOUGHT FOR MANY YEARS THAT PRINCE WILLIAM PARIS CHURCH HAD BEEN BURNED BY SHERMAN'S FORCES AS THEY MARCHED THROUGH THIS DISTRICT.
THAT TURNS OUT NOT TO BE TRUE.
THE CHURCH WAS INTACT AFTER THE CIVIL WAR AND WAS DISMANTLED BY LOCAL FOLKS WHO USED THE PARTS OF THE CHURCH TO BUILD THEIR HOMES AND BARNES.
AND SO THE WOOD BASICALLY WAS TAKEN OUT, THE ROOF FELL IN THE CHURCH, BECAME A RUIN, AND WAS IN DISUSE UNTIL MODERN TIMES IT HAS REMAINED.
AS CHARLES FRASER SAID, A BEAUTIFUL AND ENTICING RUIN.
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COUNTY MOMENT.TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.
FORT FREMONT CLOSES OUT A 305TH YEAR LEGACY OF COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS IN PORT ROYAL SOUND, BEGINNING IN THE MID 16TH CENTURY.
IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE CLOSING CHAPTER OF AMERICA'S COASTAL DEFENSE SYSTEM BEFORE THE DAWN OF AIR POWER.
FORT FREMONT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE MOST ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME.
IT WOULD PARALLEL THE B 17 AND AIRCRAFT CARRIER OF WORLD WAR II, THE F 35 OF TODAY.
FORT FREMONT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BEAUFORD CULTURE, VERY SIMILAR TO PARIS ISLAND AND THE MARINE CORPS AIRBASE.
TODAY IN 1525, THE SPANIARDS NAMED THIS SOUND AND THIS HARBOR, SANTA ELENA, THEY CALLED THE NAVIGATIONAL POINT, LA PUN DESCENT, ELENA, THE POINT OF SANTA ELENA.
AND WHAT THE SPANISH EXPLORER HAS DISCOVERED IS THAT PORT ROYAL SOUND IS A UNIQUE PIECE OF GEOGRAPHY.
IT'S THE DEEPEST NATURAL HARBOR SOUTH OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, POSSIBLY SOUTH OF NEW YORK, THE CHANNEL INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THIS I FIND A REMARKABLE GEOLOGICAL FACT.
THE CHANNEL HA, UH, HAS NOT CHANGED FOR 500 YEARS.
THERE'S NO INLET ON THE SOUTHERN COAST THAT HASN'T SHIFTED ENTIRELY IN 500 YEARS EXCEPT PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THERE'S SOMETHING GEOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT, OR ONE MIGHT SAY MAGICAL ABOUT PORT ROYALS ISLAND.
SO SPANISH SAILORS BEING THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN THEIR TIME, FOUND THIS PLACE VERY EARLY, KNEW THAT FOR THE SPANISH EXPLORATIONS, THE AMERICAN SOUTHEAST, THIS WOULD BE THE ENTRADA, THE ENTRANCE.
AND SO THEY BUILT A CITY ACROSS THE RIVER, UH, ACROSS THE SOUND FROM WHERE WE ARE ON PARIS ISLAND THAT BECAME THE FIRST CAPITAL OF FLORIDA.
AND THEY EXPLORED THE BACK COUNTRY FROM THIS LOCATION FOR, UH, MORE THAN A CENTURY, WITH THE OBJECT OF BUILDING A HIGHWAY FROM THIS MAGNIFICENT HARBOR TO MEXICO CITY.
SO THE SOUND WAS KNOWN TO THE SPANIARDS, IT WAS KNOWN TO THE FRENCH WHO ACTUALLY GOT HERE FIRST AND FOLLOW, AND CREATED THE FIRST PROTESTANT COLONY IN THE NEW WORLD ON PARIS ISLAND OVER MY SHOULDER.
UM, AND THAT COLONY WAS A FAILURE.
IT WAS PART OF SPANISH, FLORIDA WHEN THE ENGLISH ARRIVED 150 YEARS LATER.
AND THIS WAS BECAME, AS A CONSEQUENCE, A BATTLEGROUND IN THE 18TH CENTURY BETWEEN SPANISH INTERESTS IN FLORIDA AND ST.
AUGUSTINE AND THE ENGLISH COLONY IN CAROLINA AND IN CHARLESTON AND BACK AND FORTH.
THESE WARS WENT, MANY OF THEM NAVAL WARS, MANY OF THEM EMPLOYING AS ALL THE SAILORS KNEW BY THEN THE MAGIC OF PORT ROYAL SOUND.
WHEN THE CIVIL WAR CAME, CONFEDERATES DEFENDED THE, UH, HARBOR, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY INDEFENSIBLE AGAINST, UH, LARGE NAVAL FORCES.
SO THE US NAVY MADE IT THEIR PRINCIPLE TARGET DURING THE BIG BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR, AND SENT THE LARGEST FLOTILLA OF SHIPS, UM, ASSEMBLED BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN THE 19TH CENTER INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
ON NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 7TH, 1861, IN A FOUR HOUR CANON A, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN DEAFENING FROM WHERE WE'RE SITTING, WAS HEARD FROM MILES FROM SAVANNAH, NEARLY TO CHARLESTON.
IT WAS CALLED THE DAY OF THE BIG GUN SHOOT.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, THIS HARBOR THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WAS FILLED WITH SHIPS.
THERE WOULD BE HUNDREDS OF SHIPS IN THIS HARBOR.
THERE WAS A THOUSAND FOOT, UH, DOCK WITH A RAILROAD ON TOP OFF OF HILTON HEAD.
UM, THE MILITARY INSTALLATION WAS MAMMOTH.
THERE WERE 13,000 US SOLDIERS ON HILTON HEAD, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LARGEST POPULATION ON HILTON HEAD UNTIL 1974.
SO THIS WAS A MAJOR US GOVERNMENT INSTALLATION IN THE HEART OF THE SOUTH.
IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE US ARMY DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, SOUTH ATLANTIC BLOCKHEAD SQUADRON.
SO THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE NAVY WERE HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT, IT BECAME, AND, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE STORY OF FORT FREMONT STARTS WITH THAT HUGE CIVIL WAR MILITARY, UH, OPERATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS, UM, ON HILTON HEAD ON ST.
HELEN ISLAND, ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND IN BU, AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE A MASSIVE CHANGE IN
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TECHNOLOGY THAT'S GONNA REVOLUTIONIZE THE MILITARY.DURING THE CIVIL WAR, WE HAD IRONCLAD SHIPS, WE HAD RIFLED CANNONS, BUT THEY WERE ALL MADE OUT OF IRON, AND THEY WERE NOT TERRIBLY EFFECTIVE.
BUT IT'S TECHNOLOGY'S GONNA CHANGE.
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE STEEL PRODUCED, AND STEEL IS MUCH HARDER.
SO NOW WE HAVE A NEW MATERIAL TO MAKE ARMOR OUT OF FOR SHIPS.
SO WE CAN HAVE THESE ARMORED SHIPS MADE WITH STEEL IN A MUCH MORE RESISTANCE, A SHOT, BECAUSE I HAVE STEEL, I CAN MAKE, UH, STRONGER BARRELS FOR MY GUNS.
UH, I CAN RIFLE AND MACHINE THESE MUCH BETTER.
AND THE RIFLING IS THE SPIRALS THAT ARE CUT IN THE BARREL THAT ALLOWS IT TO SHOOT FURTHER WITH MORE ACCURACY.
AND WE CAN ALSO NOW HAVE BREACH LOADING GUNS THAT CAN LOCK FROM BEHIND.
SO I CAN LOAD MY GUN FROM BEHIND.
I DON'T HAVE TO GO HAVE THE OLD BLACK POWDER MUZZLE LOADING HAD BEFORE.
NOW I CAN FIRE MUCH MORE RAPIDLY.
IF I COMPARE THE GUN OF, UH, 1890 TO THE GUNS OF 1860, UH, FOR THE SAME CALIBER, THE SAME DIAMETER GUN, UH, THE 1890 GUN WILL BE ABLE TO FIRE PROJECTILE AS FOUR TIMES HEAVIER, CAN SHOOT IT THREE TIMES FURTHER, CAN PUT IT IN WITH GREATER PRECISION, AND CAN PUT IT THROUGH MUCH MORE ARMOR THAN ANYTHING.
WE HAD IN 1860S WORLD DIFFERENCE.
A MILITARY HISTORIAN, ER LEWIS, WOULD SAY THAT THE CHANGE BETWEEN THE CIVIL WAR IN 1890 IN ARTILLERY TECHNOLOGY WAS THE GREATEST THAT WOULD BE SEEN SINCE INVENTION OF ARTILLERY IN THE 14TH CENTURY TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NUCLEAR PROJECTILE IN THE 1950S.
SO THERE'S BEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN GUN TECHNOLOGY AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S NOT JUST THE STEEL, BUT ALSO THE POWDER THAT FIRES THESE GUNS IS DIFFERENT.
WE'RE HAVING NEW CHEMICAL MAKEUP AND SORT OF LIKE CORDITE IS INVENTED NOW, AND IT'S STILL A WIDELY USED MILITARY EXPLOSIVE.
SMOKELESS POWDER IS INVENTED DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, AND IT'S NOT JUST CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, BUT IT'S THE DETAILS OF HOW YOU MAKE THE GRAIN, HOW FAST THEY BURN.
SO MUCH LIKE THE SKILL OF FIRING A SOLID ROCKET, UM, SOLID FUEL, UM, ROCKET.
IT'S THAT SAME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED IN THESE, UH, GUNPOWDER AND THIS NEW POWDER.
SO OUR WEAPONS OF THIS DAY ARE, ARE MUCH, MUCH GREATER.
UM, THEY WOULD BE THE GREAT KILLING MACHINES OF WORLD WAR I, MOST OF THE CASUALTIES ON THE BATTLEFIELDS OF WORLD WAR.
SO THE WORLD HAS SEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN ARTILLERY, AND THAT'S TIED INTO CHANGES IN SHIPS.
WE NOW HAVE STEEL ARMORED SHIPS.
THEY'RE ALL, UH, STEAM POWERED.
THEY ARE NOW EQUIPPED WITH THESE FINE LONG RANGE GUNS, AND THEY NOW BECOME THE DOMINANT THREAT OF THE LATE 19TH, EARLY 20TH CENTURY.
THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH WOULD BOMBARD CITIES LIKE CAIRO AND REDUCE 'EM TO RUBBLE BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DEFEND THEM.
SO THIS IS HOW THE WORLD WAS SEEING THE THREAT FROM THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY.
BIG BATTLESHIPS ARE THE THREAT OF THE ERA, AND NEW GUNS AND FORTIFICATIONS ON, UH, THE GROUND ARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FIRST THINGS THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CIVIL WAR IS THEY BUILT A RAILROAD TO PORT ROYAL SOUND, WHICH DIDN'T EXIST.
IT WAS THE FIRST CONNECTION OF THE SEA ISLANDS TO THE MAINLAND.
THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT RAILROAD IS IT BROUGHT P COAL TO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
SO WHEN THE COAL WAS DELIVERED, THE NAVY FOLLOWED IN 1872, ROBERT SMALLS WAS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE, AND HE PUSHED THROUGH A RESOLUTION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR CALLING FOR THEM TO PUT A NAVY STATION ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND EVENTUALLY HE WOULD GO ON TO CONGRESS WHERE HE WOULD CONTINUE HIS SUPPORT FOR A NAVY STATION HERE IN THE BEAUFORT PORT ROYAL AREA.
THEY EVENTUALLY OPENED A NAVY STATION HERE AND A COALING STATION THEY CREATED IN THE 1890S ON PARIS ISLAND, THE LARGEST DRY DOCK IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS THE PERIOD WHEN THE US NAVY WAS SWITCHING FROM SAIL TO STEAM.
ALL THE NAVIES OF THE WORLD NEED COALING STATION.
THIS WAS THE PRINCIPLE COALING STATION BECAUSE OF THE RAILROAD FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN US FLEETS, THIS WOULD BE THE BIGGEST DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK.
IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, THAT'S CAPABLE OF TAKING THESE NEW BONARD BATTLE SHIPS AND THESE NEW MODERN ARMORED CRUISERS.
SO THIS BECOMES, AT THIS POINT, A STRATEGIC NAVY BASIN THAT IT HA PROVIDES COAL AND IT PROVIDES, UH, TOP LINE SUPPORT TO THE SHIPS, AND THEY CAN REPAIR THE HOLES OF EVEN THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE US NAVY.
FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR, NATIONAL STRATEGY AND EMPHASIS IN THE UNITED STATES SHIFTED FROM REC TO RECOVERY FROM WAR, AND ALL OF OUR COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS WENT INTO NEGLECT.
THE MILITARY WAS BUSY TAMING THE WEST, AND COASTAL DEFENSES, UH, BECAME SOMETHING THAT WAS NO LONGER IMPORTANT.
AND THE REST OF THE WORLD, TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING FORWARD, AND THEY'RE DEVELOPING THESE BATTLESHIPS.
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UH, HIGH QUALITY ARTILLERY.AND THIS IS GOING ON, UH, WORLDWIDE.
AND IN 1885, PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND APPOINTED INDICO BOARD, THIS WAS SEC HEADED BY SECRETARY WAR INDICO, WILLIAM INDICO AND THE BOARD WOULD MEET AND ISSUE A REPORT IN 1886.
AND THEY SAID THE CONDITIONS OF OUR COASTAL DEFENSES WERE JUST UNBEARABLE.
THEY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY LIKE THAT.
AND THEY MADE RECOMMENDATION FOR FORTIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENTS.
THEY IDENTIFIED 29 PLACES THAT NEEDED FORTIFICATIONS, AND 11 OF WHICH WERE CRITICAL IN THAT LIST OF 29.
SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON ARE ON THE LIST, BUT BEAUFORD IS NOT ON THE LIST.
THEY'LL TAKE INTERNATIONAL EVENTS TO BRING BEAUFORD INTO THE PLAY OF, OF MODERN FORT TECHNOLOGY.
SO THE USS MAINE WAS HERE ON PATROL AND IN THE HARBOR, AND WHILE THEY WERE IN THE HARBOR, SEVERAL TIMES, THEY ENTERTAINED THE LOCAL POPULATION.
SO THE MERCHANTS AND THE SOCIAL LEADERS AND THE POLITICAL LEADERS OF BEAUFORT WERE INVITED TO COME HAVE LUNCH WITH THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP CAPTAIN SINGS BE, AND THE OFFICERS GOT TO KNOW THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE GET, GOT TO KNOW THE OFFICERS.
THE CREW, WHICH WAS LARGE, WOULD GO ASHORE ON PAYDAY AND MAKE FRIENDS WITH EVERYBODY IN TOWN.
SO IT WAS A VERY SOCIAL, UM, ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNS, PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORT AND THE SHIP.
SO THE MAIN LEFT HERE, IT WENT AND REPRO, PROVISIONED IT REFUELED IN KEY WEST, AND THEN WENT TO 90 MILES ACROSS TO HAVANA INTO THE HARBOR AND BLEW UP THIS INFLAMED.
THE ALREADY, UH, HOT PASSIONS BOTH IN CUBA AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AT THAT POINT, SOMEBODY IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT REALIZED THAT WE HAD THIS BIG DRY DOCK, THE ONLY DRY DOCK IN THE SOUTH THAT COULD TAKE ON AND REPAIR THESE BIG CAPITAL SHIPS THAT WERE IN OUR NAVY.
WE WERE GOING TO START OPERATIONS AGAINST A POWER IN THE CARIBBEAN.
AND THIS FORT WAS TOTALLY UNDEFENDED, AND THAT'S WHAT PUT FORT FREMONT ON THE MAP.
WE HAD TO HAVE A FORT HERE TO DEFEND THE COALING STATION, AND ESPECIALLY THIS BIG DRY DOCK, AS WELL AS THIS FINE HARBOR THAT'S HERE.
AND OF COURSE, THAT EVENT, WHICH KILLED 300 OR MORE SAILORS ON THE SHIP, UM, WAS VERY MUCH FOLLOWED BY THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA AND VERY MUCH LAMENTED BY THE MANY FRIENDS THAT THE CREW HAD MADE HERE.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE USS MAINE WAS A PERSONAL MATTER TO BEAUFORT AND TO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
UM, AND OF COURSE, IT WAS THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR AND THE ATTEMPT TO DEFEND THIS HARBOR AGAIN, WHICH LED TO THE, THE CREATION OF FORT FREMONT.
THE UNITED STATES DECLARED WAR ON SPAIN IN, IN APRIL, 1898.
AND BY EARLY MAY, WE HAD TEMPORARY BATTERIES IN PLACE HERE, SUBMARINE MINES WERE IN PLACE, AND IN THE SUMMER, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY PLACE THE MINES ACROSS THE BEAUFORT RIVER.
THE TEMPORARY BATTERIES WERE A TEMPORARY EXPEDIENT.
THEY WERE LOCATED TO MY LEFT ABOUT A THOUSAND YARDS.
THEY IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF WHAT WOULD BECOME FORT FREMONT, THE LARGE BATTERIES WITH HOUSE OF LARGE GUNS, BATTERY FOUR, THE RAPID FIRE GUNS.
THE SMALLER BATTERY WAS COMPLETED BY JUNE OF 1898.
IN THE 1898, EVERYBODY IN TOWN WENT TO WAR.
UM, THEY HAD A NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, SOUTH JOHN NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, AND THEY WERE ABSORBED BY THE NAVY.
UH, MANY OF THEM RAN TUGBOATS FROM HERE TO NEW YORK TO KEY WEST, WHICH WAS THE PRINCIPLE SUPPORT BASE TAMPA AND KEY WEST FOR THE US ARMY OPERATIONS IN CUBA.
PEACE WAS DECLARED BY THE END OF 1898, AND THE, UH, REMAINDER OF FORT FREMONT WOULD NOT BE FINISHED UNTIL EARLY 1899, AND THE FIRST SOLDIERS WOULD ARRIVE FROM THE REGULAR ARMY AT THAT POINT IN MARCH, 1899.
WELL, FORT FREMONT WAS NAMED FOR, UH, MAJOR GENERAL JOHN FREMONT.
UH, HE WAS ACTUALLY A LOCAL BOY, SO TO SPEAK.
UH, HE WAS BORN AND GREW UP IN, UH, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, JUST, UH, SOUTH OF US.
AND, UH, WENT TO, UH, COLLEGE IN THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, UH, UP JUST NORTH OF US IN CHARLESTON.
HE SERVED IN THE ARMY AND, UH, PRIMARILY INITIALLY AS A, UH, EXPLORER, AS ARMY FORTS WERE GENERALLY NAMED FOR ARMY OFFICERS.
UH, AND HE WAS, UH, CONNECTED LOCALLY.
UH, THIS IS, UH, MORE THAN LIKELY WHY THE FORT WAS NAMED FOR HIM.
THE FORT WAS CONSTRUCTED ON A SITE, UH, DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RIVER FROM, UH, THE PARIS ISLAND, UH, UH, NAVAL STATION.
UH, AND THE SITE SELECTED WAS 170
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ACRES, WHICH INCLUDED THE TWO, UH, ARTILLERY, UH, B BATTERIES.UH, FORT, UH, FOR FREMONT, OF COURSE, HAD BATTERY FURNACE AND BATTERY JESSUP.
UH, BUT THEN ADJACENT TO THE BATTERY SITE WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE QUADRANGLE, A VERY TYPICAL MILITARY TYPE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE SQUARE.
UH, WE ARE SITTING IN THE NUMBER THREE GUN POSITION OF A THREE GUN BATTERY BATTERY JESSUP, WHICH HAD THREE 10 INCH DISAPPEARING CARRIAGE, LARGE CALIBER GUNS BREACH LOADING GUNS.
THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO, UH, ENGAGE THE WARSHIPS THAT MIGHT, UH, BE ENTERING THE HARBOR, UH, AND FORT ROYAL SOUND.
WE'RE HERE NOW AT THE SECOND BATTERY, UH, THAT WAS PART OF FORT FREMONT.
THIS IS BATTERY FOR, UH, WAS NAMED FOR, UH, ARMY OFFICER, UH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY KILLED DURING THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR.
UH, DURING THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL, UH, BATTERY FOR MOUNTED TWO, UH, BRITISH MADE 4.72 INCH ARMSTRONG QUICKFIRE GUNS.
UH, THEY WERE CALLED QUICKFIRE BECAUSE THEY LOADED, UH, WERE LOADED WITH A COMPLETE CARTRIDGE.
AND IT, UH, IN TIME OF ACTION, THEY COULD FIRE FOUR TO SIX ROUNDS PER MINUTE.
THE PURPOSE OF BATTERY FOUR WAS TO DEFEND THE MINEFIELD, WHICH WAS THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THE ENDICOTT COAST ARTILLERY OR, OR CO-DEFENSE SYSTEM.
UH, A MINEFIELD, UH, WITH CONTROLLED MINES.
CONTROLLED MEANING THAT THEY WERE CONNECTED ELECTRICALLY TO SHORE AND COULD BE FIRED ON COMMAND FROM SHORE.
THAT, UH, CONTROL STATION WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, PROBABLY SHARED WITH THE PLOTTING ROOM.
AND IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE MINEFIELD, OBVIOUSLY AN ENEMY WOULD WANT TO INTERFERE WITH THAT.
MIGHT SEND VESSELS, UH, SMALL SHIPS IN HERE AT NIGHT TO TRY TO INTERFERE.
AND THIS BATTERY WOULD TAKE THOSE VESSELS UNDER FIRE IF THERE WAS SOME, UH, THERE WAS SUSPECTED THAT, UH, UH, THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING TO INTERFERE WITH THE MINES, SUCH AS, UH, PULLING UP THE CABLES AND CUTTING THOSE.
THE INDIGO ERA ERA FORT WAS A FORMIDABLE TECHNOLOGY.
IT REPRESENTED STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY, DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME AGAINST THE STATE OF THE ART THREAT, WHICH WOULD BE THE BATTLESHIP.
THE LIFE FOR THE SOLDIERS AT FORT FREMONT WAS DISCIPLINED AND REGIMENTED.
THEY EVEN HAD MEALTIMES WERE SPECIFIED LENGTHS OF TIME, 15 MINUTES FOR LUNCH, 15 MINUTES AT BREAKFAST, 20 MINUTES AT SUPPER.
THEY HAD TO PRACTICE THEIR SKILLS.
THEY WERE TRAINING AND DOING MAINTENANCE CONSTANTLY, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THESE BIG GUNS.
THEY HAD TO HAVE SKILLS IN AND PRACTICE THE SKILLS IN ARTILLERY MIND LAYING SIGNALING, WHICH INVOLVED IN OUR CASE AT FORT FREMONT, THE USE OF THE FIRE CONTROL TOWER, WHICH WAS A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED AND, UM, ADVANCED SIGNALING TECHNIQUE.
THEN THEY ALSO HAD TO, UM, PRACTICE THE TYPICAL MILITARY SKILLS, MARCHING AND DRILLING, SMALL ARMS, FIRE, FIRST AID, AND SO FORTH.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY ALSO, UM, HAD PARTICIPATED IN ATHLETICS.
THEY HAD PHYSICAL TRAINING, PT, AND THEY ALSO HAD SPORTS TEAMS. SO THIS WAS TO KEEP THEM PHYSICALLY FIT SO THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE THEIR, THEIR DUTIES, BECAUSE THEY WERE, IT WAS PRETTY RIGOROUS AT FORT FREMONT.
WHEN EVENTUALLY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MOVE THE DRY DOCK AND THE COALING STATION AND THE NAVY STATION UP TO CHARLESTON, THEN THIS FORT NO LONGER BECAME SIGNIFICANT.
THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT HERE THAT WAS TO BE PROTECTED.
AND AT THAT POINT, 1911, THE LAST TROOPS WERE TRANSFERRED OUT, AND FORT WAS CLOSED IN 1901, THE MAYOR OF CHARLESTON AND THE UNITED STATES SENATOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, WANTED THIS TO MOVE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY TO CHARLESTON COUNTY, CUZ THERE ARE MORE VOTES IN CHARLESTON COUNTY.
AND THE MAYOR WANTED THE US CORPS OF ENGINEERS THAN THE NAVY TO DREDGE THE HARBOR IN CHARLESTON.
CUZ BATTLESHIPS IN THOSE DAYS REQUIRED 26 FEET OF WATER.
CHARLESTON'S NATURAL HARBOR IS 15 FEET OF WATER.
PORT ROYAL IS 30 FEET OF WATER.
IN ORDER FOR CHARLESTON TO SUSTAIN ITS PORT, IT'S COMMERCIAL PORT, IT HAD TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
WELL, IF THEY COULD GET THE NAVY UP THERE, THEY GET THE CORE OF ENGINEERS TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
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AND THE, UH, THE PLAY FOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN, THE US SENATOR IN 1900 WAS THAT HE'D GET A WHOLE LOT MORE VOTES FROM VOTES FROM THE LARGEST CITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.SO IT WAS A POLITICAL COMMERCIAL OPERATION, AND THEY MOVED THE NATION AND IT WAS DONE, BOOM, LIKE THAT.
THE FORT DID ITS JOB AS A DETERRENT FOR ANYBODY THAT WISHED TO ATTACK THESE.
IN FACT, THE WHOLE INDICO SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH NEVER CHALLENGED IN, UH, THIS ERA HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, PROVIDED SOME 300 MAJOR GUNS, COASTAL GUNS, TO PRO, UH, PROTECT MAJOR AREAS, AND LEFT THE UNITED STATES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY WITH AS WELL DEFENDED, UH, COASTLINE AS ANY PLACE IN, IN THE WORLD.
BUT I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT IT'S A MAGNIFICENT ARTIFACT OF AN ERA, AND IT'S AN ERA THAT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED, UH, THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, UM, THE NAVAL STATION ACROSS THE RIVER HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A PIECE OF HISTORY THAT'S DISAPPEARING AND THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORD COUNTY HAVE PRESERVED IT FOR THE USE OF THE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, AS A MEMORIAL TO THAT MOMENT IN HISTORY, FORT FREMONT CLOSES A 350 YEAR STORY OF HOMELAND SECURITY ADDRESSING EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN THE 19TH CENTURY.
IT'S A TALE OF HOW GEOGRAPHY, TECHNOLOGY, AND NATIONAL SECURITY CREATES A TRANSITION FOR AMERICA TO BECOME A GLOBAL POWER.
IT'S ALSO A WONDERFUL SNAPSHOT OF AMERICA.
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BUFORD COUNTY HAVE A VALUED PARTNERSHIP WORKING IN TANDEM TO PRESERVE THE FORT'S INTEGRITY AND PROMOTE THE HISTORICAL, NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THE FORT.
MOST IMPORTANT, WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.