Posted by Allan Wilford Howerton Link: More on Allan Howerton
on March 24, 2008, 4:25 pm
172.162.144.139
At the 2007 Railsplitter Society Reunion at Springfield, Illinois outgoing President John O'Malley initiated discussion at the executive committee meeting and the second business meeting as to the possibility of associate members (sons, daughters, grandchildren of Railsplitters) continuing the Society when the time comes that 84th veterans will no longer be able to carry on due to age, infirmity, and death. This would assure that the division's story is kept alive and active. Importantly, it would also protect from infringement the copyright name of The Railsplitter Society.
Some associate members have been active in recent years in assisting with reunion arrangements. Others have intensively studied the division's history and know as much or more about Railsplitter operations as those of us who were there and saw only a small part of the war firsthand. Some have put up web sites on behalf of their father's service or that of other relatives, written about it, collected photographs and other memorabilia, and otherwise contributed to telling the Railsplitter story. Questions, however, were raised at these meetings as to whether there would be enough interest to adequately maintain the Society as an organization.
Although no decision was made, it was decided that an article would appear in a subsequent issue of The Railsplitter requesting reaction to the proposal, and particularly expressions of interest by associates. The Society's Executive Secretary published that article in the February 2008 issue of The Railsplitter (Page 10, boxed piece) as follows:
How Long?
How long can the Railsplitter Society continue as an active unit. This question has been asked many times. I do not have the answer. Do you?
It has been suggested that sons and daughters might be interested in keeping the Society alive. There are 67 Life and annual Associate members (children and grandchildren of members}. Very few attend reunions.
In 2007 there were 75 Railsplitters present at the reunion and the number will decrease in coming years.
We will be discussing this issue at our Reunion in Branson (August 29-31 2008). If you have any thoughts on the issue make your views known at the Reunion or send them to Reunion (Railsplitter) Headquarters (84th Infantry Division Railsplitter Society, Inc., P.O. Box 827, Sioux Falls, SD 57191-9827).
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EDITORIAL
by Allan W. Howerton (K335)
I came rather late to the Society, attending my first reunion at Chattanooga in 1992. Since then Joan and I have participated in most of the reunions and the 1994 Battlefield Tour in Europe. I have been active in the Society a number of ways: Writing a unit reports column and other occasional articles for The Railsplitter; maintaining this web site; and assisting with research about the division arising from questions posed on the web site or from readers of my memoir, "Dear Captain, et al." Knowing many sons, daughters, and grandchildren of Railsplitters through these activities, I believe that they are quite capable of continuing the Society in some manner. This, I feel, would be far better than allowing it to lapse into nonbeing, as it must surely do soon unless steps are taken now to begin passing the torch.
What should be done? The Society might consider amending the bylaws to permit associates to serve on the Board of Directors, hold other offices, and become integrated into positions of leadership. If that were done a gradual transition might occur.
How such an evolution would come about and what would result cannot be predicted in advance. The Society would not necessarily have to be carried forward in the same manner that it has been over the years; through heavy reliance on annual reunions, for example. Whatever model emerges would develop as time passes and the associates take up their roles. Differences, as such, are not necessarily important. It is the preservation of the legacy that matters. And that matters a lot, whether it is done through web sites, reunions, other periodic meetings, publications, or whatever.
The big question is the one raised in the Executive Secretary's piece in The Railsplitter; Is there enough interest? So that the Society can assess that, I urge everyone with an interest in the 84th to post their views here, but MOST IMPORTANTLY TO SOCIETY HEADQUARTERS as a basis for discussion at Branson. Time if fleeting so please do it now.
A general summary of views posted here will be provided to the Society.
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