I agree with Sue and John. It isn't the cemetery that is in question, it is the proposed photos. The historical approach, as suggested by Sue, seems a viable option that would bring honor to those who are buried in this cemetery. Virginia ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Roush" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 2:56 PM Subject: Re: [INPCRP] A novel way to raise money for a cemetery > Dear Sue, > > So glad to read your opinion and commentary...I too felt the calendar was in > terrible taste and only promotes the thing we all hate to see, > VANDALISM......what a desecration to our forefathers..... > > John Roush > Marion, Indiana > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sue Silver" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 9:45 AM > Subject: Re: [INPCRP] A novel way to raise money for a cemetery > > > > Hello all, > > > > I debated whether to comment on this calendar matter and decided that it > was > > important to say a few words. > > > > I have long been offended by advertisements put out by pharmacies (etc.) > at > > Halloween that associate the holiday with cemeteries by selling mock > > tombstones for placement in front yards. I was also offended back in 1998 > > when MTV was featuring music videos depicting "dark themed" songs being > sung > > in cemeteries. I do not even have to look at the images from this > calendar > > to know that I would object to the use of their cemetery in this manner > > simply to raise funds. > > > > It would have been far more appropriate for them to have researched their > > "residents" and tried to locate photos of the people and stories of their > > lives to put in a calendar along with a photo of the person's grave stone. > > What better way to show the beauty of their city of the dead and to > educate > > the community and tourists as to who settled their town or village? > > Instead, they've mimicked the gals from Britain (and others) by posing > > "seemingly" nude, and in the process have actually done the type of thing > > that offends me, as a cemetery preservationist, the most. > > > > They have used their cemetery in a way they would not want anyone else to > > use it. It is like prostituting the place for a quick fix giving no > > forethought to how the calendar might be perceived by others and using > humor > > in an inappropriate manner. > > > > I can envision that some errant teen will see these calendars and think > this > > is a cool thing to go do. Oh, yes, and let's bring some friends and some > > beer (or worse) and have a party doing it. > > > > To me, this type of project is a recipe for promoting vandalism. > > > > Sue Silver > > California > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rhonda Stoffer" <[email protected]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 5:56 AM > > Subject: [INPCRP] A novel way to raise money for a cemetery > > > > > > > Got this from a National Genealogy Society newsletter. Any one want to > do > > a > > > calendar for INPCRP? > > > > > > > > > Oakwood Cemetery Fundraiser is All an Illusion > > > > > > Posing with a Civil War saber beside the grave of Gen. George Thomas, > the > > > only > > > Union general in the Civil War never to lose a battle, retired Army Col. > > > Charles > > > Johnson, 72, appears to be wearing nothing but his Army boots, a World > War > > > II > > > helmet and a Vietnam-era backpack. > > > > > > The photo of Johnson, vice president of the Oakwood Cemetery board of > > > trustees, > > > plus photographs of other "seemingly n*ked" board members and prominent > > > residents of the community were used to create an inventive fundraiser. > > > > > > Founded in 1848, the Oakwood Cemetery covers more than 600 acres of > > > protected > > > land overlooking the city of Troy in upstate New York. It is one of the > > > largest > > > rural cemeteries in America and contains four man-made lakes, extensive > > > lawns, > > > two residential structures, two chapels, twenty-four mausoleums, and > > > monuments > > > and statuary for nearly 60,000 gravesites, with over half the gravesites > > > filled > > > in the 19th century. > > > > > > Although the historical value of the Oakwood Cemetery is tremendous, so > > are > > > the > > > maintenance bills. To help raise funds for repairs, the Oakwood Cemetery > > > board > > > of trustees decided to take a few risks and produce the "Cemetery > > Illusions > > > Calendar 2005." Selling for $14.95 the calendar is carefully designed > to > > > create > > > a dignified illusion of n*de models taking part in tea parties and other > > > activities among the tombstones and cemetery structures. But it's all an > > > illusion. > > > > > > "They look n*ked, but they were told to put on Speedo bathing suits," > said > > > Terry > > > Page, president of the Oakwood Cemetery board of trustees. "That's why > > it's > > > called 'Cemetery Illusions.' " > > > > > > To view a slide show and/or narrated video clip showing several scenes > > from > > > the > > > calendar and discussing its purpose, visit > > > http://www.nbc10.com/news/3767302/detail.html > > > > > > "Cemetery Illusions Calendar 2005 is available on the Internet at > > > http://www.oakwoodcemetery.org/calendar.htm > > > > > > To learn more about Oakwood Cemetery's history, the many things that can > > be > > > learned by visiting it, and the need to protect and preserve it for all > > > time, > > > read "Listening to Oakwood" at > > http://members.aol.com/oakwoodcem/nielser.htm > > > > > > Contributed by Carla Ridenour, [email protected] > > > > > > Note: An * replaces specific letters in this article so that UpFront > won't > > > be > > > nabbed by junk mail filters. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rhonda Stoffer > > > Head of Indiana History and Genealogy Services > > > Marion Public Library > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== > > > To UNSUBSCRIBE, send message consisting only of > > > "UNSUBSCRIBE" to [email protected] > > > or to [email protected] (for DIGEST version) > > > > > > > > > > > ==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== > > To UNSUBSCRIBE, send message consisting only of > > "UNSUBSCRIBE" to [email protected] > > or to [email protected] (for DIGEST version) > > > > > ==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== > "Show me your cemeteries, and I will tell you what kind of people you have." > Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790) > >