Happy Fiftieth Anniversary to a Board of Directors with a long history!

Agnes Yuill, first president of the Lanark Township Museum board of directors and Bill Croft, first curator of the Lanark Township Museum 

September 18th, 1974

A group of eighteen local residents gathered in the Town Hall in Middleville on September 18th, 1974 at 8 pm “for the purpose of setting up a Lanark Township Museum Board and other business relative there to”. 

Names mentioned in the inaugural minutes were: Agnes Yuill, Bill Croft, Raymond Arnott,  Agnes ‘Toots’ Borrowman, Ken Bowes, Bill Cameron, James Dodds, Lionel Easton, Isobel Ireton, Ken Manson, Ellis Mather, Len McKay, Bob McKay, Laurie Munro and David Robertson. John D. Cameron of Carleton Place was a guest in an advisory role. Lyall Mather and Corrine Pretty were nominated to the positions of secretary and treasurer, but not present.

When the meeting came to order, Bill Cameron was nominated to act as chairperson and Agnes ‘Toots’ Borrowman was nominated to act as secretary for the evening’s proceedings

The initial order of business was to nominate Agnes Yuill as first president of the Lanark Township Museum Board. A motion was put forth and carried to contact both Lyall Mather to serve as the first secretary and Corinne Pretty to serve as the first treasurer. (Both Lyall and Corinne assumed these roles at the subsequent meetings.) Bill Croft and Isobel Ireton were nominated to be members of the Board of Directors. Both Bill and Isobel accepted the nominations. 

The following committees were formed: 
Building Committee:  Ken Manson, Ken Bowes and Bob McKay
Grounds Committee:  Ellis Mather, Lionel Easton and Laurie Munro
Finance Committee:  Raymond Arnott and Len McKay

It was suggested at the meeting that people be contacted from other points in the Township to try and interest more people in this new venture. 

The meeting adjourned with a plan to meet “at the earliest possible date”. 

Fifty years later, The Board of Directors of the Middleville and District Museum met on September 9th, 2024 at the Museum. The current Board of Directors, led by President Alice Borrowman, has eight members. The Board along with a few other regular members meet monthly to carry on the work and vision started by the local residents fifty years ago. 

Happy Fiftieth Anniversary, Middleville and District Museum Board of Directors!