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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
I'M A CALLING TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE LIBRARY, LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
UH, WE WILL START WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
EVERYBODY STAND AND ROSA LEE WILL US SPEECH.
I INCHES TO THE FLAG ONE AND FOR ALL.
UH, WE'LL NOW INTRODUCE THE BOARD MEMBERS.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO START? BRENDA POWELL, DISTRICT ONE, CHAIR THOMAS.
TRACY ROBINSON AT DISTRICT FOUR.
LYNN MILLER, CHAIR AND DISTRICT 10.
ROSALIE RICHMOND, DISTRICT SEVEN.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW LIAISON.
HE IS IS THE COUNTY COUNCILMAN.
AND, UH, HIS, HIS NAME IS JOE PASSER.
AND JOE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
AND I'M, IT'S PLEASURE TO BE A PART OF THE LIBRARY BOARD.
UM, MY JOB IS TO BRING TWO COUNCIL THE WANTS AND NEEDS OF OUR FEW.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, AMANDA, MY NAME IS AMANDA DICKMAN.
I AM PLEASED TO BE YOUR LIBRARY DIRECTOR FOR ANOTHER MONTH.
WOULD LIKE INTRODUCE THE TWO GUYS? YEAH.
BEFORE I DO THAT, I WANNA INTRODUCE THE, THE FINAL FOLKS FROM BROADCAST WHO ARE, UH, WHO ARE KEEPING US RECORDED AND READY FOR PUBLIC, UM, VIEWING.
UH, WE HAVE ON THE SCREENS AL BISHOP, MATT GOLDEN AND TIM LYONS.
SO THANKING THEM FOR KEEPING US, UM, ON RECORD.
WE DO HAVE THREE GUESTS WITH US TODAY AND, UM, I CAN INTRODUCE THEM AND IF I HAVE MISSED ANYTHING, FEEL FREE TO TO, TO FILL IN.
AND FOR ME WE HAVE ANGELA BALDRY, MARY ANN SEER, AND MARY FOSTER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR COMING.
AND UH, MR. PARMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING OUR LIAISON.
UM, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT FROM ANY OF THE LADIES? NO.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, NEXT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
I'D LIKE TO AMEND THE MINUTES, UM, BECAUSE AT THE BOTTOM OF MEMBERS OF, UM, AT THE DOMINATING COMMITTEE, WE, UH, IT WASN'T LISTED WHO THE MEMBERS WERE.
SO WHEN END THAT CHAIR AS TRACY ROBINSON, THIS IS FOR NOMINATING AT THE BOTTOM, BRENDA POWELL AND ROSALIE RICHMOND.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UM, QUICKLY APPROVE THE MINUTES AS CORRECTED OVER.
ANY IS SECOND? KATHY? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
UH, IS THERE ANY CORRESPONDENCE? NO, MAAM.
COULD WE HAVE THE LIBRARY DIRECTORS TO PLACED? SO, UM, I HAVE LOTS OF PICTURES AND LOTS OF STATS IN DATA.
IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT PRESENTATION.
IN YOUR PACKET, YOU HAVE MY MONTHLY REPORT, WHICH YOU'RE USED TO SEEING.
UM, IT INCLUDES A LOT OF WONDERFUL STATISTICS ABOUT ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT LIBRARIES ARE DOING.
IT ALSO, UM, HAS A FEW FLYERS AND I'LL GO OVER SOME OF THOSE IN THIS PRESENTATION.
I HOPE YOU'RE STILL ENJOYING THE LIST OF THE TOP REQUESTED TITLES IN THAT MONTH.
SO YOU CAN HAVE SOMETHING TO PUT ON YOUR TO BE READ LIST IN MARCH.
UM, WE ARE NOW IN MARCH, AND SO A LOT OF OUR THOUGHTS TURN TO WOMEN'S ARY TO, UH, ST.
AND IN THE HILLHEAD LIBRARY WE HAVE MR. BUSH, WHO IS PROMINENTLY ON THE CIRCULATION DESK, ALL DRESSED OUT IN HIS ST.
WE HAVE SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST COUPLE OF PROGRAMS AND EVENTS HELD AT OUR LIBRARIES.
IN THE UPPER, UH, LEFT CORNER, YOU SEE CRAFTY CREATIONS, WHICH TAKE PLACE HERE, UM, EVERY MONTH AT THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY.
THEY ALWAYS DO SOME SORT OF FUN CRAFT.
UM, ON THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER ARE SNAKES.
UM, AND I WAS NOT PRESENT THAT DAY.
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I, AT THE AL LIBRARY, WE HAD BEEN IN THE SNAKES OF THE LOW COUNTRY.YOU MAY REMEMBER 300 PEOPLE ON THE LAWN FOR THE OPENING OF THE FORAL LIBRARY.
THREE PEOPLE WERE SNACKS, BUT, BUT WE DID HAVE 50, UM, A MIXTURE OF ALL AGES FOR THAT, I GUESS, WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT ADJECTIVE FIX THERE, BUT IT WAS EXCITING.
IN THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND, YOU'LL SEE OUR TEAM BOARD FROM THE BLUFF TO BRANCH LIBRARY.
THEY'VE JUST PAINTED IN A MYSTERY ESCAPE ROOM.
UM, AND THEY FIGURED OUT WHO DONE IT.
IN THE MIDDLE, YOU SEE A QUILT PROGRAM, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU SPEND TIME HERE IN THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY TODAY TO SEE THE QUILTS CENTER ON DISPLAY BY THE MAY RIVER QUILT GROUP.
AND THEN IN THE RIGHT, YOU SEE OUR INMATE CLUB THAT MEETS HERE.
I GUESS THAT'S A PHRASE THAT THAT DATES ME, DOESN'T END.
BUT, UM, I, UH, WE HAVE A YOUNG GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ENJOY GETTING TOGETHER, DRAWING AND READING, AND TYPES OF THE GRAPHIC NOTES.
I WANNA TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE PERSONNEL UPDATE.
SO, UM, WE DID IN THIS, IN THIS LAST TIME SINCE WE MET TOGETHER, UH, WE HAVE ADDED A NEW LIBRARY ASSISTANT AT THE BUFORT LIBRARY THAT FILLED A VACANCY.
WE HAD THREE INTERNAL TRANSITIONS.
SO WE HAD SOME VACANCIES THAT WERE FILLED FROM EXISTING LIBRARY STAFF THAT'S A LIBRARY ASSISTANT PART-TIME AT THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY THAT WILL BE WORKING FULL-TIME, A LIBRARY ASSISTANT FULL-TIME AT THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY, WHO WANTS TO GO TO PART-TIME AND FINISH FOR EDUCATION.
AND THEN A LIBRARY ASSISTANT AT FULL-TIME.
UH, WHO WORKS AT BUFORD ACTUALLY LIVES IN WALTON.
AND SINCE WE HAD A VACANCY HERE, PREFERRED TO WORK HERE.
SO A LITTLE BIT OF INTERN SHUFFLING ALL IN, UM, FULFILLING THE REQUEST AND DESIRES OF THE EMPLOYEES IN THOSE POSITIONS.
UH, IT IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHERE PEOPLE START TO MAKE TRANSITIONS.
UM, I'M STILL SEARCHING FOR A DEPUTY DIRECTION BECAUSE I NEED TO FIND THE RIGHT FIT AND THE RIGHT PERSON.
UM, WE HAVE A FEW, UH, WE HAVE TWO.
THE NEXT TWO VACANCIES YOU SEE ARE, UM, ALMOST DECK TO LIBRARY ADMINISTRATOR FOR USER EXPERIENCE WAS A NEW RE UH, NEW POSITION REQUEST THAT WAS FULFILLED, UM, IN THIS BUDGET YEAR.
SO I NOW GET THE ABILITY TO SEEK AND HIRE A USER EXPERIENCE LIBRARIAN.
THAT PERSON WILL BE WORKING IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE AND THEY WILL BE, UM, FULFILLING MY DREAM TO HAVE AN ONBOARDING EXPERIENCE FOR EVERY LIBRARY STAFF.
SO WHEN WE WELCOME A NEW PROGRAMMER OR A NEW LIBRARY, I'D LIKE TO HAVE BEAUFORT CANADA LIBRARY UNIVERSITY SO THAT THEY GET A TASTE OF OUR CORE VALUES AND CORE PARTS OF LIBRARY CHIP, AND THEN SPECIALIZED TRAINING IN WHAT THEY, THEY'LL BE DOING.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE TRAIN PEOPLE ON THE FLY AND THAT'S OKAY, BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE A MORE INTENTIONAL TRAINING PART AND THEY WILL HANDLE THAT AS WELL AS MEETING REPS.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW I HANDLE ALL OF THIS.
UM, A LIBRARY MANAGER AT HILTON ED, UM, MANY OF YOU KNOW MS. MARYJO.
SHE HAS DECIDED TO RETIRE AND HAS SHARED THAT INFORMATION.
SO WE'LL NOW BE SEEKING A LIBRARY MANAGER AT THE HILTON HEAD BRIDGE.
UH, WE ARE STILL SEEKING A SENIOR LIBRARIAN AT THE LOCO BRIDGE TO MANAGE THE LOCO LIBRARY.
WE'VE DONE SEVERAL INTERVIEWS.
AGAIN, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE FIND THE RIGHT FIT.
AND, UH, THIS LIBRARIAN FOR COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT IS ALSO AN ACQUISITION REQUEST THAT I ASKED COUNTY COUNCIL FOR AND THEY APPROVED FOR THIS YEAR.
AND SO NOW I GET TO HIRE A PERSON WHO WILL DO FOR OUR PRINT COLLECTIONS.
WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD WE DO WITH OUR DIGITAL COLLECTIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT I HAVE A LIBRARIAN WHO'S SOLE FOCUS IS, UM, BUYING EVERYTHING IN DIGITAL, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING WHAT WE NEED AND MEETING THE NEEDS AND REQUESTS THERE.
I NEED TO DO THAT ON THE PRINT SIDE OF THINGS.
SO, UM, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A QUALIFIED PERSON TO ASSIST US IN THAT WAY.
AND THEN I HAVE LIBRARY ASSISTANT FULL-TIME AT BLUFFTON, FULL-TIME AT BUFORT IN PART-TIME AT HILTON HEAD.
UM, SOME OF THOSE ARE RESIGNATIONS FOR RELOCATION AND SOME OF THOSE ARE RESIGNATION BECAUSE OF, UM, OTHER ISSUES THAT THEY, THEY NEED TO TAKE CARE OF.
THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO WORK ANYMORE.
AMANDA, ARE THERE A LOT OF LIBRARIAN QUALIFIED PEOPLE IN THE AREA? YOU KNOW, BURET COUNTY IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, AND WE HAVE THAT COMING FORWARD.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO WORK HERE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE TO WORK WITH BOOKS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE APPLY TO WORK IN LIBRARIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE DREAM OF BEING AROUND BOOKS ALL DAY.
AND SO WE DO, UM, END UP GETTING A LOT OF APPLICATIONS FOR SOME OF THE POSITIONS.
UM, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO MAKE A HARD CHOICE BETWEEN TOP CANDIDATES.
UM, BUT FOR THE MOST PART WE FOUND THAT PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND AT THE LIBRARY.
SO NOW AS CUSTOMARY, I'LL START GIVING YOU THE REST OF MY UPDATES.
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IN TERMS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.AS YOU REMEMBER, WE HAVE FOUR GOALS IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THOSE ARE IN TERMS OF USER EXPERIENCE, COLLECTION, SPACE, AND COMMUNICATION.
SO WITH USER EXPERIENCE, OUR STRATEGIC FOCUS IS TO PROVIDE LIBRARY VISITORS WITH A FRIENDLY, INFORMED, AND USER-FOCUSED EXPERIENCE.
SO I'M VERY PLEASED TO TELL YOU THAT AS OF FEBRUARY 28TH, WE HAVE ISSUED 4,330 NEW LIBRARY CARDS THIS YEAR, SO FAR SINCE JULY ONE.
NOW I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU A NUMBER WITHOUT ANY CONTEXT.
WHY AM I SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE IN ALL OF THE LAST YEAR, WE GAVE OUT 4,200 IN A, SO WITH A FEW MORE MONTHS TO GO, WE'VE ALREADY SURPASSED THE NEW LIBRARY CARDS FOR LAST YEAR.
SO THAT, THAT NUMBER TELLS ME A COUPLE THINGS.
THAT ALSO TELLS ME THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING TO THE LIBRARY.
AND BOTH OF THOSE THINGS MAKE ME HAPPY.
ALSO, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, UM, WE WRAPPED OUR FIRST EVER WINTER READING PROGRAM.
UM, ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS READ JUST A FEW MINUTES A DAY.
UM, AND WE HAD, FOR THE FIRST TIME, EVERO PROVIDED THIS PROGRAM.
WE HAD 623 PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THE AGE BREAKDOWN THERE, THAT'S 91, UM, UNDER THE AGE OF 5, 210 IN THAT ELEMENTARY SWEET SPOT, AND 67 IN THAT TEENAGE YEARS, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD.
SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT INITIAL INTEREST IN THIS FIRST PILOT OF THIS PROGRAM, AND WE HOPE TO BRING IT BACK FOR, FOR YEARS.
DOES ANYBODY HERE FOR PARTICIPATE? GREAT, THANK YOU SEAN.
WE HAD A WINNER FROM EACH AGE CATEGORY, UM, THANKS TO THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY.
SO THE FRIENDS OF BUER, THE FRIENDS OF BLUFFTON AND THE FRIENDS OF HILTON NET ALL PROVIDED A $50 CARD TO EITHER BOOK CIVILIAN OR BARNES NOSE TO EXECUTE THESE WINNERS READING.
SO OUR SECOND GOAL, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, IS IN TERMS OF COLLECTIONS.
AND OUR MAJOR FOCUS IS TO OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF COLLECTIONS IN CONTEMPORARY FORMATS.
SO THIS IS ABOUT THE BEST PICTURE I COULD GIVE FOR YOU OF THE PALMETTO POST.
UM, WHY AM I SHOWING YOU THIS? UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, MY OFFICES, UM, IN THE FU LIBRARY ON THE SECOND FLOOR, AND I SHARED SPACE WITH THE BEAUFORT DISTRICT COLLECTION OR OUR ARCHIVES.
A FEW WEEKS AGO, I HEARD A BIG SQUEAL AND I HAD TO GO RUN AND FIND OUT WHAT HAD BEEN GRACE CORDIAL, WHO RUNS THE BUFORT DISTRICT COLLECTION, HAD JUST GOTTEN AN EMAIL FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA DIGITAL NEWSPAPER PROJECT, LETTING HER KNOW THAT THE POUND POSTS, WHICH WE OWN, IS GOING TO BE DIGITIZED ON THE SURFACE.
GRACE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR THAT MESSAGE FOR 20 YEARS,
AND THIS IS A BIG WIN FOR RESEARCHERS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS, UM, DIGITAL ACCESS TO A PAPER THAT WAS, UM, PUBLISHED IN THE 18 HUNDREDS.
AND SO THIS IS, THIS IS A BIG WIN FOR THE BEFOR DISTRICT COLLECTION.
IT'S A GREAT HONOR TO HAVE THIS COLLECTION DIGITIZED AND MADE AVAILABLE BEYOND BE COUNTY.
WE ALSO ARE CIRCULATING THANKS TO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY AND THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION.
WE HAVE BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR KITS FOR CIRCULATION, AND WE ONLY, WE JUST RELEASED THOSE, JUST MADE THOSE AVAILABLE LATE JANUARY.
SO IN FEBRUARY THEY ALREADY CIRCULATED 21 TIMES.
SO THE FEEDBACK WE'RE GETTING IS THAT IT WAS NICE TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.
THEY MIGHT, UH, THE PERSON MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN ADVICE FROM THEIR PHYSICIAN TO, TO MONITOR, UH, FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE, THESE PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND THEN GO PURCHASE ONE.
THEY COULD JUST BORROW ONE FROM US.
AND SO REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT, UM, THESE ARE BEING UTILIZED AND MEETING A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY, BEING AVAILABLE IN EVERY, THEY'RE AVAILABLE IN EVERY LOCATION.
AND THERE'S MULTIPLE KITS AT EACH LOCATION.
AND GOAL IS CREATE WELCOMING IN SENSIBLE LIBRARY SPACES.
AND SO I HAVE SEVERAL NEW PROJECTS THAT WE ARE INVOLVED IN.
UM, RIGHT NOW, IF YOU WERE TO VISIT ME IN MY OFFICE, YOU WOULD SEE THAT I'M IN A HUDDLED, UM, MASS IN MY WORK BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING PAID MUCH NEEDED PAINT.
UM, BUT THERE'S PAINT TOUCHUP HAPPENING THROUGHOUT BEAUFORT BRANCH RIGHT NOW.
IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, WE WILL BE HAVING NEW FURNITURE IN THE CHILDREN'S AREA OF THE HILTON 10 LIBRARY, AND WE'LL BE REPLACING THE, UH, CIRCULATION DESKS THERE AS WELL AS THE COMPUTER TABLES, UM, WHERE THE
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KIDS USE THE A WE COMPUTER GAMES.UM, WE'RE ALSO UPGRADING THE COMPUTERS AT THE COMPUTER LABS IN, SAY, HELMET AND HILTON 10.
SO, SO THOSE COMPUTERS ARE GOING TO GET AN UPLIFT AN, UH, UPGRADE.
AND THEN, UM, WANNA KNOW THAT DR. PORTER, WHERE SHE HERE TODAY WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO HEAR, UH, THE READING GARDEN IS GOING TO BE RENOVATED, UH, LATE MAY, EARLY JUNE THAT WE'VE HAD ISSUES WITH OTHER GROWTH.
UM, SOME A EA ISSUES THERE WITH ACCESSING THAT AND JUST IT'S, IT'S IN, IT'S IN NEED OF SOME LOVE.
AND I'M HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT IT'S GOING TO GET THAT, UM, THIS FREE.
AND OUR FINAL, UH, STRATEGIC GOAL IS TO DELIVER TIMELY, RELEVANT COMMUNICATION BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.
OUR MARKETING TEAM HAS BEEN, UH, WORKING VERY HARD, UH, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.
THEY HAVE IMPLEMENTED A NEW CARDHOLDER WELCOME AWARD EMAIL.
SO WHEN YOU REGISTER WITH THE LIBRARY, YOU GET YOUR LIBRARY CARD AUTOMATICALLY, YOU ARE SENT, UM, A WELCOME AWARD EMAIL, AND IT JUST KIND OF GIVES YOU AN INTRODUCTION INTO, UH, ALL OF THE LIBRARY HAS TO OFFER AND HOPEFULLY PIQUE YOUR INTEREST TO CLICK AND FIND OUT MORE.
UM, SO FAR, 370 PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED THAT WELCOME AWARD EMAIL.
ALSO, MANY OF YOU PROBABLY SUBSCRIBE TO BEFORD COUNTY ADMINISTRATION WEEKLY UPDATES, UH, THAT CURRENTLY HAS A SUB SUBSCRIBERSHIP OF 50,000 EMAIL ADDRESSES, AND NOW THE LIBRARY'S GOING TO BE FEATURED.
SO WHEN YOU GET THAT WEEKLY UPDATE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE, UH, HIGHLIGHTS ON COUNCIL MEETINGS, UH, OTHER TYPES OF NEWS AND EVENTS, THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
BUT YOU'LL ALSO SEE THINGS ABOUT THE LIBRARY AS WELL AS PARK DIRECT AND OTHER TYPES OF DEPARTMENTS.
YOU'RE REALLY HAPPY TO GET THE LIBRARY IN THAT PUBLICATION.
AND THEN ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU KNOW, IS IN TERMS OF EMAIL MARKETING, THE INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR THE EDUCATION SECTOR IS THAT 35% OF EMAILS GET OPENED AND READ.
THEY CALL IT THE OPEN READ RATE OR THE OPEN RED RATE.
UM, OUR EMAILS EVERY MONTH, THE AVERAGE IS THAT THEY ARE OPENED AND READ 45% OF THE TIME.
JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT, UM, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT HOW OUR EMAILS ARE COMING ACROSS TO THE, TO THE PERSON AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING INFORMATION THAT IS OF INTEREST TO THEM AND WILL PEAK THEIR ABILITY TO CLICK AND LEARN MORE.
WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN PROGRAM ATTENDANCE, IN UTILIZATION OF RESOURCES, AND ALSO JUST, UM, GENERAL COMMUNICATION BACK TO US.
WE DO GET A LOT OF RESPONSES BACK TO THOSE, UM, UH, THOSE EMAILS AS WELL.
BUT JUST KINDA LET YOU KNOW HOW OUR EMAIL MARKETING IS PERFORMING PERFORM.
WE'RE ABOUT 10% ABOVE EDUCATION STANDARD AND A FEW UPCOMING PROGRAMS THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN.
OUR A O BOOKMARK CONTEST IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, AND THAT IS AVAILABLE TO ALL AGES.
THERE WILL BE A, UH, WINNING, UH, BOOKMARK SELECTED IN EACH AGE CATEGORY.
THERE ARE FOUR, AND WE WILL PRINT FOUR, UH, DESIGNS ANYTIME FOR SUMMER READING.
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SELECTED WILL GET AN ARTIST BAG, A GIFT BAG WITH ARTIST SUPPLIES APPROPRIATE TO THEIR AGE CATEGORY.
UM, SO DO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SUBMIT THEIR ARTWORK.
UH, WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE THE TEMPLATES AT EACH OF OUR BRANCHES, AND THEY CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD IT FROM OUR WEBSITE.
BUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THERE IS WHAT THEY THINK COLOR YOUR WORLD MEANS.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR THE WINNING SUBMISSIONS FOR BOOKMARKS, UH, ON THE THEME OF COLOR OUR WORLD, WHICH IS OUR READING THEME, A VERY SHAMELESS PLUG.
YOURS TRULY WILL BE PRESENTING HONKY TALK ANGELS.
I SHARE MUSICAL STORYTELLING, UH, ADVENTURE, UH, THROUGH, UM, THE CLASSIC FEMALE PIONEERS AND COUNTRY MUSIC.
IT'S THAT, THAT'S A SAD PROJECT OF MINES.
I OF COURSE, AM NOT BEING PAID FOR THIS.
I, IT'S JUST, UH, SOMETHING THAT I LOVE TO DO ANYTIME I GET TO WEAR A GUITAR AND SINGING IN THE LIBRARY IS A GREAT DAY FOR ME.
SO TO STEP AWAY FROM THE PAPERWORK AND, UH, SING A LITTLE PATCHY CLIMB.
SO PLEASE COME AND SEE THAT I'LL BE IN BEAUFORT ON FRIDAY AT TWO AND THEN SOUTH ABROAD NEXT THURSDAY.
YOU CAN SEE THE PRESENTATION AT 11 O'CLOCK IN THIS ROOM OR AT 3:00 PM ON HILLS AS AN EDGE.
THERE ARE OTHER WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO EXPERIENCE PROGRAMS AT OUR IVORY.
ONE OF THE ONES, ONE OF THE SERIES THAT'S REALLY, UM, CATCHING A LOT OF INTEREST IS THE LIBRARY TRAVEL SERIES AT THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY.
THEIR NEXT MEETING WILL TALK ABOUT SCOTLAND AND I HEAR THE QUITE, QUITE A CROWD FLOOR WEEK.
UH, SO YOU CAN GO SEE THEM MARCH 19TH AND HEAR ALL ABOUT SCOTLAND.
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COLLECTION IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER.YOUR STRING IS, UH, ELIZA LUCAS PINKY.
WE'RE HAVING MRS. PEGGY PICKETT.
SHE, UM, DRESSES AS MRS. PINKY AND DOES A PRESENTATION.
SO YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HISTORY.
YOU MAY WANT TO COME TO BUFORD ON TUESDAY, MARCH THE 25TH TO SEE THAT PRESENTATION.
ALSO ON THE LOCAL HISTORY VEIN, UH, WE HAVE, UM, MR. CHRIS BARR FROM THE, UM, RECONSTRUCTION AIR PARK MUSEUM.
HE'S GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT ROBERT SAS AND UNTOLD STORIES, UH, FROM THE PLANTER AND OUR ST HELLO LIBRARY ON MARCH THE 27TH.
WE WILL HAVE MR. BOB SHEPHERD SPEAK ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE WITH THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN.
SO ANOTHER, ALL THREE OF THOSE ARE ALL ON, ON THAT SLIDE TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL HISTORY RELATED.
SO I'M HOPING TO PIQUE YOUR INTEREST IN ATTENDING ONE OF THOSE EVENTS.
NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK WILL HAPPEN IN APRIL, AND SO WE ARE GATHERING ALL OF OUR ENERGIES AND TRYING TO CREATE A WEEK OF ROBUST PROGRAMMING TO CELEBRATE ALL THINGS LIBRARY.
OUR LOBI RANCH IS ALREADY, UH, PROMOTING WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE OFFERING.
SO THEY HAVE STORY TIME, AN EGG ON A DRAWING, UH, AND PAINTING KIND OF THE PROGRAM.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, ONE OF THEIR FAMILY STORYTIMES WITH BUTTONS AND BOOKMARKS AND FOR ROYAL HAS ALREADY, UM, SAID THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO BOOK PAGE ORGON FOR THE INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT OUR, UM, OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT COME OUT AS MORE AND MORE BITS AROUND NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK START TO GET POPULATED.
AND WITH THAT, THAT IS THE END OF MY OFFICIAL DIRECT SUPPORT.
I'LL ANNOTATE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, THANK YOU.
THAT, UH, SHOWS HOW BUSY THE LIBRARY IS AND HOW IMPORTANT IT'S, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO THE, UH, TO THE REPORT.
THE COMMITTEE REPORTS, UH, JOE BOGAS IS NOT HERE.
SO AMANDA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE THE FINANCE REPORT? I CAN DO THAT.
UM, THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT, WE'LL GET INTO THE, THE ACTUAL EACH PAGE FOR YOU.
BUT THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE WITH, IN TERMS OF OUR OPERATING EXPENSES, WE'RE 67% THROUGH THE YEAR OR 61% SPENT.
UM, THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL $47,000 THAT ISN'T REPORTED TO YOU YET BECAUSE IT HASN'T CLEARED THE BASE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE RIGHT IN THE SWEET SPOT.
WE AREN'T OVER, BUT WE'RE RIGHT ON TRACK TO FINISH OUT THE YEAR.
IN TERMS OF OUR SPECIAL FUNDS, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE THE PAST PERIOD IN REVENUES RECEIVED THROUGH THE NORTH ABROAD IMPACT FEE BALANCE.
WE'LL GO OVER THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
AND THEN I ALWAYS LIKE TO POINT OUT, AND JOE SAID, BECAUSE IT'S HIS FAVORITE REPORT IN TERMS OF MATERIALS IN THIS REPORTING PERIOD, WE HAVE SPENT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ON PUTTING BOOKS ON THE SHELVES AND THEN, AND IN OUR DIGITAL RESOURCES.
SO I'LL START WITH A, AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT OUR, UM, OPERATING SO SPECIAL FUNDS ON CONVERT AT OKE.
UM, SO SPECIAL FUNDS, THESE ARE IMPACT FEES AS I MENTIONED.
THE, WE RECEIVED OUR, UM, SECOND, OUR THIRD AND FOURTH, UH, INSTALLMENTS OF STATE AID.
SO JUST TO KIND OF REMIND YOU OF HOW IMPORTANT A STATE AID IS TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, OUR STATE AID IS $468,728 THAT A HALF OF OUR BOOK BUYING BUDGET.
AND SO IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT WE HAVE THIS SUPPORT FROM THE STATE.
UM, AND WE HAVE, WE'RE THANKFUL THAT THE STATE SENT ALL OF IT SO WE CAN SPEND IT BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR.
IN TERMS OF IMPACT FEES, UH, IN THE NEW NORTHERN DISTRICT, WE RECEIVED THREE OVER 300,000 IN IMPACT FEES IN THAT DISTRICT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF GROWTH HAPPENING IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE DISTRICT, AT LEAST IN THIS REPORTING PERIOD.
JUST KIND OF LEFT OFF THE PAGE AT ME.
WHEN I'M LOOKING AT UPDATING THESE FUNDS FOR YOU, WE HAVE, UM, IN THE MIDDLE COLUMN, WE'RE STILL REPORTING THE BALANCES IN THE OLD IMPACT FEE DISTRICT.
THERE'S NO MONEY GOING INTO THOSE ANYMORE, BUT WE DO, UH, NEED TO UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS FOR CAPITAL PROJECT AS THEY COME UP AND APPLICABLE TO THAT DISTRICT.
UM, IN TERMS OF OUR SPECIAL TRUSTS, UM, DONATIONS, NO BIG MOVEMENT THERE IN TERMS OF OUR OPERATIONS UPDATES, OUR OPERATIONS BUDGETS THAT WE GET FROM THE COUNTY.
THIS IS WHERE I SAID WE ARE 67% THROUGH THE YEAR WITH 61%, UM, EXPENDITURES CLEARED THROUGH THE BANK.
UM, AGAIN, ANOTHER 47,000 IN INVOICES.
WE PROCESS JUST HAVING IT PAID, SO WE'RE ON TRACK THERE.
YOU KNOW, THAT MY, UM, MY GOAL IS TO LEAVE NO HARMONY ON THE TABLE.
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ALWAYS LIKE TO REPORT TO YOU WHAT WE'VE SPENT IN TERMS OF BOOKS, AUDIO VISUAL, OUR LEASE BOOKS, DATABASES, MAGAZINES, OR PERIODICALS AND ULA, AND THEN WHAT FUNDS SORT OF PAID FOR THAT, WHETHER IT WAS STATE, UH, DIFFERENT DISTRICT COLLECTION FUND, WHETHER IT'S LOTTERY FUNDS, COUNTY FUNDS OR FRIENDS.AND SO AT THIS POINT OF THE YEAR, WE'VE SPENT ALMOST HALF OF OUR ALLOCATION TOWARDS MATERIALS.
SO WE WERE ON TRACK AS JOE WOULD SAY, FOR, UH, NEARLY $1 MILLION SPEND ON BOOKS.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT LIBRARIES SHOULD BE DOING IS PUT THE MONEY RIGHT BACK ON THE SHELF.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE FINANCE REPORTS? QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
UH, WE'LL DO, WE'LL, WE'LL UH, MOVE ON WITH THE OTHER COMMITTEES.
WE HAVE NEW COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN NOW.
SO IN A NEW YEAR, UM, UH,
KATHY COOPER, IS THERE ANY REPORT? ONLY ONE AMANDA GAVE US HERE.
I BELIEVE WE'RE GOING, WE'RE WANT TO START REACHING ON, UM, I SAID THE NEXT YEAR ON STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO, UM, SO IT'S NICE THAT WE'RE, THAT WE HAD THIS NICE, UM, THAT, THAT WE CAN LOOK AT IT WAY YOU WERE RECORDING IT AND USE THAT AS PRODUCTION MANDATE FOR THE NEXT APPOINTMENT.
UM, JANET PORTER IS NOT EITHER AND THERE'S BEEN NO, UH, UH, BULLET CHALLENGE THAT REQUESTED FOR FREQUENT, WE CONSIDER EARLY SHANNON, UM, LIBRARY.
ITS SHANA, HAVE YOU TALKED TO OR ANYTHING? SHE HIGHLIGHTED THE ADVANCE OF RELATED READING GARDEN.
BRENDA, DO YOU HAVE ANY REPORTS FROM BRETT BERG? BUT WE'RE GONNA, AGAIN, GONNA HAVE TO ASK AMANDA, AMANDA REPORT THAT SHE ATTENDED THE PREMISE OF THE LIBRARY OF BEAUFORT.
UM, I'M, YOU, THEY WILL NEXT MEET TOMORROW.
UM, THEY'RE DISCUSSING, UH, A LOT OF THINGS.
THEY'RE CERTAIN, THEY'RE IN THE MIDST OF THEIR BOOK SANDWICH GEN SERIES.
THEY JUST WRAPPED IT ON MONDAY.
UM, HAD THE PLEASURE OF WE, WELL, THE LIBRARY HAD THE PLEASURE OF JOINING THEM IN THAT AND ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO TALK TO ATTENDEES ABOUT LIBRARIES, UM, RESOURCES AND MATERIALS.
AND THEY HAD A GREAT SUCCESS WITH THAT.
SO THEY'RE VERY HAPPY TO JUST HAVE ANOTHER SEASON IN THE BOOKS, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, I WILL MEET WITH THEM TOMORROW.
THEY ARE, UM, EXPLORING, UM, WAYS THAT THEY CAN PERHAPS, UH, COMPLIMENT AND SUPPORT WHAT I, A LIBRARY, UM, THROUGH SMALLER TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT, THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE ON FIRST.
SO REALLY EXCITED FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP.
UM, ROSE, DO YOU HAVE A REPORT FOR
UH, HILTON HAD IS MS. BILL? I, I DO.
I I DIDN'T ATTEND THEIR LAST MEETING EITHER.
I WAS AT A CONFERENCE, BUT I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THEY WERE HAVING THEIR BIG SALE THIS WEEKEND.
UM, SO THEY CALL IT THE EPIC BOOK SALE.
UM, AND SO IF YOU ARE IN, IN THE MARKET FOR USED BOOKS AT A THE GREAT PRICE, COME TO THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY THIS THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY.
UM, AND, UH, SOME GREAT DEALS AND SUPPORT THE LIBRARY IN THE PROCESS.
THERE'S THE BIGGEST SIGN AS YOU WALK IN.
THANKS TO UH, MORE, BUT, UM, FOR SOME THINGS ARE BEING PREPARED TO DO, REPLACING THEM ON MEMORIAL CHILDREN FURNITURE.
HILTON HAD GRACE TO THE COMPUTER LAST THAT BOTH HILTON HAD SAN AND THE RENOVATIONS TO THE READING TOLTON HAD, UH, ACTUALLY THINK ABOUT THESE PROPOSED THINGS IS THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED AND ALREADY BEEN FINANCED.
SO THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING.
UM, SO THE LAST TERM, UH, FRIENDS MEETING THAT MET WAS HILTON HAD.
AND UM, THEY'RE UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING, THEY'RE RELOOKING AT THEIR BYLAWS.
THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THEY HAVE EVERYTHING, UH, WELL DONE BECAUSE SOME OF THE MEMBERS ARE STAYING ON A PATH.
THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING NEW VOLUNTEERS.
SO SOME OF THE MEMBERS ARE STAYING PATH OF THEIR, THEIR DATE THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT A BYLAW AND THEY'RE ALSO PLANNING AN ANNUAL MEETING.
AND IN MAY THEY HAVEN'T HAD AN ANNUAL MEETING FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
[00:30:01]
MOVED THERE.SO THAT WILL BE, UM, THEY'RE GONNA REINCORPORATE THAT, GET IT, GET EVERYTHING BACK ALL.
UM, SO THAT HELPED ME, UH, PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION ON LIAISON, BUT I COULDN'T BE THERE.
BUT THE KATHY WAS SIGNED ENOUGH TO GO, I THINK.
DO YOU HAVE OTHER REPORT? DO YOU HAVE A REPORT? GOOD.
UH, THE MEETING WAS HELD ON THE 27TH OF FEBRUARY.
THERE WERE ONLY THREE MEMBERS PRESENT, ILLNESS PLUS AMANDA AND MYSELF.
UM, THEIR ANNUAL 24 25 CAMPAIGN BROUGHT IN $26,715 IS SOME SEVEN FIVE, UH, DONORS.
THEIR DONOR POOL IS BECOMING TO SMALLER AND THEY EXPRESS AND A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL DONORS.
AND THEY SEND OUT A REQUEST LETTER ONCE A YEAR.
AND SO IF ANYBODY HAS SUGGESTIONS, I'M SURE THEY WOULD BE OPEN TO TRYING SOMETHING NEW OR GETTING ADDITIONAL NAMES.
UM, THE FOUNDATION TOTAL NET WORTH IS 933,000 575 50 WITH 627,000 IN UNRESTRICTED FUNDS.
AND THE FOUNDATION IS THE AGAINST COURTNEY, THE ANNUAL SUMMER READING PROGRAM UP TO $16,000.
HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT THE SUPPORT FOR THE GENERAL READING.
DO THE FRIENDS SUPPORT IT AS WELL? YES.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION.
AND YOU HEARD THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT THEY'RE SUPPORTING WITH THAT INVESTMENT? UM, UH, THE FRIENDS, ALL FRIENDS GROUPS ALSO PARTICIPATE AS WELL.
THEY HELP US, UM, PUT THIS WHOLE PROGRAM TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCENTIVIZING, UH, READERS OF ALL AGES.
'CAUSE IT IS FOR ADULTS TOO, UM, AND MOTIVATING PEOPLE TO READ ALL SUMMER RULE.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES THE COMMITTEE REPORTS.
IS THERE ANY OLD BUSINESS AND A NEW BUSINESS? UM, AMANDA, DID YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT IT? THE OTHER YES, I'M SORRY.
I FORGOT TO MENTION IN YOUR, IN MY MONTHLY REPORT, I DID, UM, GIVE YOU A FEW BILLS THAT WE ARE TRACKING AND JUST FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES, WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THEY DO HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND THAT, UM, MYSELF, ALONG WITH OTHER LIBRARY SUPPORTERS AND DIRECTORS ACROSS THE STATE ARE MONITORING THESE.
UM, SO THEY ARE HOUSE BILL 4 0 4 5, UM, WHICH, UM, WOULD, UH, ADJUST THE REQUIREMENTS ON COUNTY LIBRARY DIRECTOR REMOVING A MASTER'S DEGREE REQUIREMENT, AND THEN ALSO HOUSE BILL 3 8 50, UM, WHICH WOULD INTRODUCE THAT THIS, THE LIBRARY HAS TO CERTIFY QUARTERLY, UH, ABOUT OUR COLLECTIONS IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR STATE AID.
AND THEN SENATE BILL 1 0 4, UM, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THAT HOUSE VERSION, AND THEN A BUDGET PROVISO THAT, UM, WOULD, UM, JEOPARDIZE A PORTION OF STATE AID TO ANY LIBRARY THAT REFUSED TO BE A POLLING LOCATION DURING A VOTING, UM, PERIOD.
AS I MENTIONED, I'M JUST SHARING THAT FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
I WANT YOU TO BE INFORMED, UM, ABOUT THESE DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT A STATE LEVEL AND, AND WHAT THEY COULD, UM, HOW THEY COULD IMPACT LIBRARIES ACROSS THE STATE AND NOT JUST IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS OF THE LAST EVENING AND THE ALERTS THAT I RECEIVED THIS MORNING, THAT HOUSE BILL 4 0 4 5 RELATED TO, UH, THE MASTER'S DEGREE FOR A LIBRARY DIRECTOR THAT WAS TABLED, UH, SO THAT IT IS NOT MOVING AT THE MOMENT IN THE HOUSE.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, HOUSE BILL 3 8 50, UM, REGARDING THE QUARTERLY CERTIFICATION IN ORDER TO GET STATE AID THAT WAS ALSO TABLED AND THE HOUSE WASN'T PRESENTED AS YESTERDAY.
SO THEY PASSED A BUDGET THAT DID NOT INCLUDE THOSE TWO AMENDMENTS.
SO, UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO THANK YOUR REPRESENTATIVES FOR LISTENING AND FOR VOTING IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC LIBRARY.
DID THEY ALL, DID, DID THE WHOLE SESSION VOTED ON THAT OR THIS WAS, THAT WAS OUR COMMITTEE AND VOTED.
IT WAS VOTED IN THE GENERAL SESSION OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE.
SO WE CAN THANK ANY OF ALL OUR REPRESENTATIVES IN TERMS OF THE, UM, THE RECORDED VOTES, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DELEGATION VOTED TO TABLE THOSE OF EVIDENCE.
I HAVE QUESTION, IS IT TYPICAL THAT I HAVE THIS MANY LEGISLATIVES, UM, OPTIONS OUT PER YEAR SINCE I'M NEW? I HAVE NO IDEA.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, I MEANT TO BEGIN MY INTRODUCTION WITH, THIS ISN'T MY FOURTH YEAR AS YOUR LIBRARY DIRECTOR.
UM, IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS TODAY SINCE WE SHUT DOWN FOR COVID.
I DON'T KNOW, IT FEELS LIKE THAT WAS ONLY A MINUTE AGO.
BUT, UM, AND I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO MY EXPERIENCE.
UM, AND SO KATHY, UH, IT HAS NOT BEEN MY EXPERIENCE
[00:35:01]
THAT THERE'LL BE THIS MANY BILLS ADDRESSING LIBRARIES.AND, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO KIND OF KEEP TRACK OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND KIND OF KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AS FAR AS YOUR LOVERS ARE CONCERNED.
WE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THEM, KEEP OUR KIDS EDUCATED AND MEETING, AND WE DON'T WANNA, WE DON'T WANT THAT TO GO AWAY.
AND, UM, SO OUR NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 14TH AT FOUR O'CLOCK AT THE B FOR CRASH LIBRARY.
CAN I HAVE AN, A MOTION FOR I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN.
UH, I WE'RE, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO TALK ABOUT AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO TALK ABOUT IN A, ALL OF THIS IN A VERY SMALL KIND OF PRESENTATION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
UH, IF Y'ALL REMEMBER, UH, WE STARTED WORKING ON A NEW SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OPPORTUNITY LAST YEAR, UM, BECAUSE WE KNEW, AND WE HAVE KNOWN THAT TRYING TO RECRUIT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO BE CLASS ONE CERTIFIED, WHICH IS WHAT THE STATE REQUIRED.
UH, YOU KNOW, TO BE IN OUR SCHOOLS AS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, WHICH ARE, IS, IS A SPECIAL, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THAT IS REALLY A SPECIAL CANDIDATE, UH, THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THAT CLOSE IN ASSOCIATION TO OUR KIDS.
UM, AND, BUT WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY FACTORS IT CREATES, NOT ONLY IN OUR SCHOOLS, BUT WHAT OUR WHAT OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL, BECAUSE THE SCHOOL IS A MELTING POT OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.
SO HAVING THAT RIGHT PERSON IN THAT JOB AND THAT ROLE TO PROVIDE SECURITY TO OUR KIDS LEADERSHIP, TO OUR KIDS, UH, AND GIVING THE CONFIDENCE TO THE STAFF TO WORK IN THE SCHOOLS.
I MEAN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIND THAT RIGHT PERSON.
SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND A CLASS ONE OR A CLASS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, IS ONE THAT GOES TO THE ACADEMY FOR 12 WEEKS, SPENDS 12 WEEKS FOR THE MOST PART IN COLUMBIA.
WE DO SOME OF THE TRAINING HERE LOCALLY, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, HAS TO BE DONE IN COLUMBIA.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT TO BE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS THAT REALLY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THEIR LIFE AND THEIR FAMILY TO GO TO COLUMBIA AND GO THROUGH BOOTCAMP TO BE A CLASS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
SO I HAD OUR TRAINING STAFF PUT TOGETHER A TRAINING SYLLABUS FOR A, WHAT WE CALL A CLASS THREE.
UH, AND IT WAS A CLASS THREE DESIGNATION FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.
WHAT THAT DID IS, IS IT ALLOWED US TO CREATE A TRAINING SYLLABUS THAT WE COULD TAKE A PERSON, UM, YOU KNOW, OF, OF ANY AGE.
UM, AND THAT WE WOULD BRING THEM INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, WITH BLUFFTON OR BUFORD OR PORT ROYAL OR SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
UH, AND WE WOULD TRAIN THEM HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
ALL OF THEIR TRAINING WOULD BE DONE RIGHT HERE.
UH, IT WOULD BE EIGHT WEEKS, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE THAN EIGHT WEEKS OF TRAINING.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO START THIS, UH, OUR FIRST CLASS.
WE'D LIKE TO START IT IN JUNE.
UH, THAT WAY WE CAN GET 'EM THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND BE READY FOR DEPLOYMENT, UH, WHEN SCHOOL STARTS IN AUGUST.
UH, I, I THINK IT'S AN AWESOME PROGRAM.
WE, WE, WE SENT THE TRAINING SYLLABUS TO THE ACADEMY THAT TRAINS ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THEY APPROVED IT, UH, WITH THE BLESSING OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA TRAINING COUNCIL.
SO WE ARE READY TO GET THIS THING MOVING AND GET IT STARTED.
AND I THINK FOR US, UH, WE JUST NEED TO KIND OF TELL OUR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR? UH, THE ROLE IS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.
IT'S A CLASS THREE LAW ENFORCEMENT DESIGNATION.
UH, IT'S A UNIFORM POSITION, IT'S AN ARMED POSITION.
UH, THEY HAVE ARREST POWERS, UH, AND THEY HAVE ALL THE POWERS OF ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS, UH, THAT THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO.
[00:40:01]
SHERIFF? I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA, AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING LEAD ON THIS.UM, WE HAVE FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN BLUFFTON THAT CURRENTLY ARE NOT STAFFED BY CLASS THREE OR HIGHER OFFICERS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM IS GONNA ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THESE POSITIONS AND IT'S GONNA PROVIDE MORE OF A SECURITY BLANKET FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO INCLUDE OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
WE'RE EXCITED TO BE PART OF IT.
WHO, WHO DO WE WANT TO ATTRACT? I THINK WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF RETIRED MILITARY FOLKS HERE MM-HMM
THAT ARE ABLE TO RETIRE FAIRLY YOUNG AND MAY BE LOOKING FOR THAT JOB.
THEY MAY HAVE CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WITH THE, WITH THE PROGRAM THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER.
UM, THEY'LL BE HOME WHEN THEIR CHILDREN ARE HOME, NOT IN SCHOOL.
AND, UM, AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID, YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, SHERIFF, WE, WE NEED TO GET INTO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IF WE, IF WE WAITED UNTIL HIGH SCHOOLS WERE TOO LATE.
I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU TOOK THE LEAD ON IT.
UM, I'M EXCITED TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME PEOPLE IN, BUT I REALLY THINK THE YOUNG RETIRED MILITARY PEOPLE ARE, THEY'RE JUST MADE FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE GONE THROUGHOUT OUR CAREERS, UH, IN THE COUNTY OF BEAUFORT AND WE'VE HAD CONVERSATION AFTER CONVERSATION WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M RETIRED, I'D LIKE TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO.
AND THEN YOU START TALKING TO 'EM AND THEY'RE A RETIRED TEACHER OR RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT, RETIRED FIRE DEPARTMENT, RETIRED MILITARY, RETIRED BANKERS, RETIRED, I MEAN, RETIRED, THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER.
AND ARE STILL, STILL AT AN AGE THAT THEY COULD, UM, THEY, THEY COULD DO THIS JOB WITH NO PROBLEM AT ALL OF ANY KIND.
UM, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT, THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, THOSE THAT ARE STILL, THAT STILL FEEL LIKE THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THAT MAYBE HAVE ALWAYS LOOKED AT LAW ENFORCEMENT AS BEING A JOB, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PAY AND BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE WORKING CONDITIONS AND FAMILIES AND, AND ALL THAT, THEY JUST DIDN'T WANNA DO IT.
BUT HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO MAKE $45,000 A YEAR STARTING PAY TO WORK BASICALLY THE SCHEDULE OF THE TEACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH IS A PRETTY GOOD SCHEDULE.
IT IS, UH, TO HAVE BENEFITS, UH, TO BE IN THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR MATURITY, UH, THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCE AND, AND YOU KNOW, TO TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGE KIDS WHO WILL BENEFIT GREATLY FROM JUST HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SOCIALIZE AND BE AROUND, UH, THESE FOLKS THAT BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE.
AND I, WE AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
YOU TAKE BLUFFTON AND BEAUFORT AND, AND IN THE COUNTY AND THEN IN PORT ROYAL, THOSE PEOPLE ARE HERE.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS TO DO.
AND I JUST THINK THIS IS AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO, YOU KNOW WHAT, JUST DO IT KINDA LIKE NIKE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, THE TRAINING IS, I THINK THEY'LL ENJOY THEIR TRAINING.
AGAIN, IT'S ALL DONE RIGHT HERE.
THEY, THEY'LL STAY AT HOME, THEY'LL SLEEP IN THEIR OWN BED, THEY'LL HAVE THEIR OWN PILLOW, AND THEN THEY CAN COME TO TRAINING.
AND ONCE THEY'RE CERTIFIED, UH, THEN THEY'LL START THE SCHOOL YEAR, UH, AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
SO, I MEAN, I KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY REPRESENTS THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, SO WHAT ELSE, WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK THIS, UM, THIS PROGRAM'S GONNA DO IN TOTALITY FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? I THINK, I THINK THIS PROGRAM, ONE WILL BE ABLE TO GET US OVER THE TOP.
I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET A POLICE OFFICER IN EVERY SCHOOL IN BEFORD COUNTY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
A POLICE OFFICER AND I, AND I, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF TRAINING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS JOB.
THERE IS, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A SECURITY OFFICER.
THIS IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE WELL TRAINED, UH, IN THIS.
AND I, I THINK THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WITH THE YOUNG CHILDREN TARGETING THE RETIREES, WHETHER THEY'RE RETIRED TEACHERS, RETIRED MILITARY IS IMPORTANT.
THEY'VE GOT THE LIFE EXPERIENCE FOR THE, FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AND, AND TO GET THAT STARTED OFF.
SO I HOW, HOW MANY, HOW MANY OPENINGS DO YOU HAVE FOR THIS PROGRAM? FOR THIS PROGRAM? WE, WE ONLY HAVE TWO CURRENTLY.
POSSIBLY A THIRD COMING ON BOARD.
I'VE GOT NINE JOE, I HAVE FOUR.
SO, I MEAN, IN TOTAL, AND HERE'S THE THING.
IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU WORK AT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT OR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UH, OR PORT ROYAL OR FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO COME TO WORK.
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TO BE A CLASS THREE SRO, DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU GO, DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE EMPLOYED BY.
THE WORK ENVIRONMENT'S BASICALLY THE SAME.
THERE MAY BE A DIFFERENCE IN UNIFORM THAT YOU WEAR AT THE SCHOOL THAT YOU'RE ASSIGNED TO, UH, THE PAY.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE BASICALLY THE SAME.
SO ALL WE WANT PEOPLE TO DO IS PUT
[00:45:01]
THEIR APPLICATIONS IN, GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM AND DETAIL.AND IF YOU REALLY HAVE AN INTEREST IN IT, UH, THEN LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GET STARTED.
AND, AND ONE THING THAT I WANT TO HIT ON IS THIS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT AND, AND REASON BEING IS NONE OF OUR KIDS SHOULD FEEL AFRAID GOING TO SCHOOL.
UM, THEY SHOULD BE GOING TO SCHOOL TO LEARN AND NOT WORRYING ABOUT THEIR SAFETY.
UM, AND WHAT THIS DOES IS THIS PROVIDES ANOTHER LAYER OF SAFETY FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
UM, IT ALSO PROVIDES PEOPLE WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO MENTOR THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN MM-HMM
UH, AS THEY'RE COMING UP THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND SO, LIKE THE SHERIFF SAID, IF YOU TRULY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, UH, THIS IS A POSITION THAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WILL BE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
I JUST HOPE THE APPLICATION START POURING IN.
AND IF YOU GET MORE THAN, THAN YOU NEED THEN AND, AND WE NEED TO GO TO BEAUFORT OR WE NEED TO GO TO, UH, THE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR, OR PORT ROYAL, WE JUST NEED, WE NEED TO PUT THESE PEOPLE TO WORK.
WE NEED TO FILL THESE VACANCIES, UH, AND LET'S MAKE OUR SCHOOLS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS SAFE AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
AND I THINK THE UNIQUENESS OF THIS PROGRAM, THESE OFFICERS WILL BE TRAINED BY PEOPLE THAT HAVE CHILDREN IN THESE SCHOOLS.
THEY HAVE THE SAME DESIRES, THE OUTCOMES THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
WELL, I MEAN, THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS THAT WE ARE, WE WILL BE DOING THE TRAINING TOGETHER.
IF YOU GET, IF YOU GET, IF YOU HIRE ONE OR TWO AND YOU HIRE FOUR, AND YOU KNOW, AND I CAN FILL THE NINE THAT WE NEED, WE'RE ALL GONNA BE TRAINING TOGETHER.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE ONE TRAINING SYLLABUS TO BENEFIT, UH, THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM.
I MEAN, THIS IS GOING TO BE, THIS, THIS PROGRAM IS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA AS A WHOLE.
THIS IS NOT JUST FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
BUT I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE GOING TO START THIS AND INITIATE, YOU KNOW, THE SRO CLASS THREE POSITION HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND WE'RE GONNA SHOW THE STATE IT WORKS.
AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE TRAINING TOGETHER, SHERIFF, IS YOU'RE CREATING A NETWORK BEFORE YOU EVEN GET STARTED.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WHERE IF YOU CAN RUN INTO A PROBLEM, YOU HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE THAT YOU CAN CALL AND GET SOME ADVICE OR TALK TO THEM ABOUT THINGS GOING ON IN THEIR SCHOOL AND CURRENT TRENDS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THEIR SCHOOL.
SO IT'S A GREAT COLLABORATION OF ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY GETTING TOGETHER, BECAUSE HAVING THAT NETWORK AND PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN RELY ON FOR ADDITIONAL ADVICE IS INVALUABLE.
WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I MEAN, I WANT, I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE THOSE PHONE CALLS OR GO ONLINE AND RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST THE, THE, THE CLASS THREE SRO, UH, THROUGH ALL AGENCIES.
SO I THINK LINDSEY, IF WE CAN, I MEAN, AT THIS POINT, I THINK IF WE PUT THAT INFORMATION ON THIS VIDEO FOR BLUFFTON, BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WEBPAGE AND PHONE NUMBERS, UH, I THINK, WE'LL HOPEFULLY WE'LL START GETTING CALLS.
THAT SOUND GOOD TO Y'ALL? YES, SIR.
HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THE LARGEST SHIPS IN THE WORLD COULD SAIL INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND, AND THAT'S WHAT GENERAL BOAT, THE FRENCH EXPLORER SAID.
ALL THE SHIPS OF FRANCE, NA, ALL THE SHIPS OF THE WORLD COULD SAFELY RIDE IN ITS MOUTHS.
IT'S VERY DEEP AND VERY UNUSUAL.
AND IF YOU'RE A SAILOR AND YOU GO UP AND DOWN THE COAST ON THE INLAND PASSAGE, YOU COME INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND, YOU KNOW, IT'S DIFFERENT.
IT IS 60 FEET DEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF PORT ROYAL SOUND, 30 FEET DEEP OVER THE BAR.
AND THE INTERESTING THING TO ME IS THAT THE SHAPE OF THE ENTRANCE HAS NOT CHANGED FOR 500 YEARS, MILLIONS OF SHELLS LEFT BY NATIVE INHABITANTS OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS ATTEST TO THE BOUNTY OF ITS WATERS.
CLOVIS POINTS, WHICH ARE MORE THAN 10,000 YEARS OLD, HAVE BEEN UNEARTHED ON ITS SHORES.
INEVITABLY, THE NATURAL RICHES OF THE SEA ISLANDS SURROUNDING PORT ROYAL SOUND ATTRACTED THE GREAT EMPIRES OF THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES.
FIRST, SPAIN ARRIVED IN 1521, THEN FRANCE CAME ASHORE IN 1562.
FINALLY, THE BRITISH CLAIMED THEM AS CAROLINA.
[00:50:02]
THE LAND OF CHARLES, AFTER BARELY SURVIVING A DEADLY CLASH WITH THE NATIVE AMERICANS, THE SETTLERS DEMANDED PROTECTION FROM THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.THEIR LOG FORD IN BEAUFORT TOWN HAD BEEN BURNED.
AND IT WAS IN THAT EARLY PERIOD, IN THIS EARLY 1720S THAT THE PEOPLE OF BUFORT SAID, WE NEED A FORT TO PROTECT US.
SO THEY BUILT THIS TO PROTECT THE INLAND PASSAGE BEFORE IT GOT TO BUFORT, WHICH IS THE REASON FOR THE LOCATION OF WHAT EVENTUALLY BECAME FORT FREDERICK OR FORT PRINCE FREDERICK.
THE NEW FORT BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE IN 1726 AFTER THE FAMOUS SETTLER COLONEL JOHN BARNWELL, BETTER KNOWN AS TUSKA AURORA JACK RETURNED FROM ENGLAND WITH THE INDEPENDENT COMPANY AFOOT A REGIMENT OF BRITISH REGULARS.
FOR THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS, FORT PRINCE FREDERICK, A SMALL STRUCTURE MEASURING JUST 125 FEET BY 75 FEET EXISTED AS A TYPICAL FRONTIER STYLE LOG AND EARTH.
AND FORT ARTILLERY STOOD AT THE READY TO SLOW ANY APPROACH BY THE SPANISH FLEET.
AS SOON AS THE FIRST WARNINGS FROM THE WATCH CANNONS AT THE MOUTH OF THE SOUND WERE FIRED, THE MILITIA WOULD BE DISPATCHED.
THE SETTLERS OF THE ISLANDS ENVISIONED SOMETHING STURDIER, A STRUCTURE THAT COULD OFFER THEM REAL PROTECTION IN TIMES OF TROUBLE.
BUT THE PEOPLE KEPT PETITIONING THE COMMONS HOUSE ASSEMBLY OF THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT FOR MORE MONEY TO FINISH THE FORT AND BUILD IT MORE STOUTLY.
IN 1773, THE FRENCH GANAU SETTLER AND CONTRACTOR, JOHN DIBERT, WAS HIRED TO DEVISE A MORE SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURE.
AND HE SAID, I'LL BUILD A FORT OF OYSTER SHELL IN LINE, WHICH IS WHAT WE SEE THERE TODAY.
AND HE BUILT THE FORT, AND AS IT WAS DESCRIBED IN 1733, WAS FIVE FEET THICK AND FIVE FEET HIGH.
THE FORT WAS NAMED FOR THE ELDEST SON OF KING GEORGE II OF ENGLAND.
SO FORT PRINCE FREDERICK, WHICH IS HIS FORMAL NAME, WAS BUILT IN 1726, COMPLETED IN 1733, PROBABLY ABANDONED BY 1740.
AND FOR THE FIRST SEVEN YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE, 1726 TO 1733, IT WAS THE SOUTHERN FRONTIER OF ENGLISH NORTH AMERICA.
AND ALTHOUGH THE BRITISH OCCUPIED PORT ROYAL FOR A TIME DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, THE GREATEST BATTLE WAGED BY FORT PRINCE FREDERICK OVER THE NEXT CENTURY AND A HALF WAS WON WITH THE WEEDS AND THE WEATHER.
A PLANTER BY THE NAME OF JOHN JOYNER SMITH CAME INTO POSSESSION OF THE LAND EARLY IN THE 18 HUNDREDS, TURNING THE EXPANSE ABOVE THE OLD FORD INTO FIELDS OF COTTON TENDED BY THE ENSLAVED.
BUT ALL THAT CHANGED IN NOVEMBER OF 1861, WHEN UNION FORCES OVERCAME THE CONFEDERATE TERRITORY.
WHEN THE PORT ROYAL BATTLE OF PORT ROYAL SOUND HAPPENED IN THE FALL OF 1861, AND THE PLANTERS FROM THE BEAUFORT REGION, SKEDADDLED, AS THEY CALL IT, UM, THEY LEFT BEHIND BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10,000 SLAVES.
IT'S THE PEOPLE WERE SO JUBILANT, UH, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HEARD THE CANNONS GO OFF, BECAUSE THERE WERE ABOUT 55 SHIPS COMING INTO THAT AREA THAT THEY CALL IT BIG GUN SHOOT DAY
AND WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HEARD THE BIG GUN SHOOT, THEY, THEY SAID, FREEDOM IS HERE.
THE YANKEES ARE HERE, SO WE ARE FREE.
BUT THAT AREA ON THOSE BLUFFS ABOVE FORT FREDERICK IS, UH, WHERE THERE'LL BE CAMPS AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE WAR, AND THEY'LL BE EVERYTHING FROM ARTILLERY TO INFANTRY AND CAMPED BOTH WHITE AND BLACK TROOPS THROUGHOUT THE AREA.
THEY WILL BUILD A PIER OVER TOP OF THE WALLS OF FORT FREDERICK OUT INTO THE BEAUFORT RIVER OVER THE TOP OF OLD FORT FREDERICK STEP.
THE FIRST BLACK REGIMENT MUSTERED IN AS THE FIRST SOUTH CAROLINA OF AFRICAN DESCENT.
IT'S GONNA BE IN THE SUMMER OF 1862.
EVERYTHING SORT OF BEGINS TO CHANGE AND PERMISSION IS GIVEN TO BEGIN RAISING BLACK REGIMENTS.
AT THAT TIME, PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN SENT A MILITARY GOVERNOR TO PORT ROYAL GENERAL RUFUS SAXTON IS GIVEN PERMISSION TO BEGIN RAISING UPWARDS OF 5,000 BLACK TROOPS.
AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS HE DOES IS HE ORDERS THEM TO ASSEMBLE AT THE SMITH PLANTATION.
AND THAT WILL BECOME THEIR CAMP.
AND EVENTUALLY IT WILL BE NAMED CAMP SAXTON IN HIS HONOR, DOZENS OF MISSIONARIES, TEACHERS AND PHYSICIANS FROM THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE US ARRIVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO BEGIN A PROJECT THAT WILL COME TO BE KNOWN AS THE PORT ROYAL EXPERIMENT.
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THEY ARE JOINED BY THE FAMED HARRIET TUBMAN, WHO BROUGHT MANY PEOPLE TO FREEDOM WITH THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.SHE NURSED THE CIVIL WAR INJURED WHILE SHE SHOWED THE NEWLY FREED PEOPLE HOW TO WILLINGLY WORK IN A WAGE BASED SYSTEM, RATHER THAN BEING FORCED TO LABOR UNDER THE THREAT OF THE LASH.
MISS LAURA TOWN ESTABLISHED THE PENN SCHOOL ON ST.
HELENA ISLAND, JUST A FERRY RIDE ACROSS THE SOUND FROM FORT FREDERICK, AN INSTITUTION THAT IS STILL IN OPERATION TODAY.
LINCOLN WATCHED THE EXPERIMENT WITH GREAT INTEREST, AND DURING THE SUMMER OF 1862, ANNOUNCED THE PRELIMINARY EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
IMMEDIATELY PLANS WERE MADE FOR AN ELABORATE CELEBRATION AT CAMP SAXTON FOR JANUARY 1ST, 1863.
THE DAY THE PROCLAMATION WAS TO BE SIGNED.
THEY ROASTING 10 OXEN AND, UH, PREPARING TABLES FOR FOUR, 5,000 PEOPLE TO COME DOWN TO IT.
OF COURSE, WHEN IT WAS READ AND AFTER IT WAS READ, SOMEONE SPONTANEOUSLY POPPED OUT WITH THE SOUND, MY COUNTRY TIS THE, AND JUBILATION TOOK PLACE.
BUT THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WAS A HIGH POINT IN THEIR LIVES.
AT THAT TIME WHEN THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WAS READ, THEY USED THAT FORT AS THE BASE FOR THEIR DOCK, YOU KNOW, AND THE DOCK WAS BUILT OVER THE TOP OF THE FORT AND BOATS CAME IN.
AND, BUT THERE IT WAS, I MEAN, IN GROUND, AT GROUND ZERO OF THAT EVENT.
AND, UH, THAT EVENT IS A SIGNIFICANT EVENT HAS EVER OCCURRED IN 500 YEARS OF HISTORY.
THIS COUNTY, CERTAINLY IN ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE STATE'S HISTORY, A DEVASTATING HURRICANE SHOOK THE SEA ISLANDS IN 1893, CAUSING MASSIVE DAMAGE.
YET THE ST STURDINESS OF THE FIVE FOOT TALL AND FIVE FOOT WIDE WALLS SAVED THE FORT FROM AN ANNIHILATION.
TODAY, IT STILL STANDS AS THE OLDEST TABBY STRUCTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE WINTER OF 2015, ARCHEOLOGISTS WORK TO EXCAVATE THE REMAINS OF FORT FREDERICK IN PREPARATION FOR THE DAY WHEN IT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC BY LAND.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS, OLD FORT FREDERICK IS ALSO BEING GIVEN A NEW LAYER OF TABBY IN PREPARATION FOR ITS FUTURE.
AS THE ONE REMAINING AMBASSADOR TO WITNESS A PIVOTAL HISTORICAL EVENT, THE FORT'S MOST IMPORTANT JOB, AS IT TURNED OUT, WAS TO SERVE AS THE ACTUAL BRIDGE FROM THE WATERS OF PORT ROYAL SOUND, SUPPORTING PEOPLE AS THEY STEPPED TOWARD THEIR CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.