The idea is great. But frankly, I find the calendar offensive. And I agree with what several others have said about it possibly sending the wrong message. But it is a good idea to discuss fundraising activities. While we have this topic on the table, what other fundraising ideas have been successful? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rhonda Stoffer" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 7:56 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) >

I just bought a new 2005 Calendar from the Association of Gravestone Studies. Belive it cost me $5.00. It is wonderful history to look at. It's an outdoor museum of art. This is all about the beauty from these wonderful stone carvers of the past. Come on you guys. L.A. So dose anyone know if they finished Van Sickle last Saturday? > The idea is great. But frankly, I find the calendar offensive. And I agree > with what several others have said about it possibly sending the wrong > message. But it is a good idea to discuss fundraising activities. While we > have this topic on the table, what other fundraising ideas have been > successful?