The St. Augustine 450 Community Corps, a 501.c.3 non-profit organized in 2007 to generate community interest for the city’s 450th anniversary in 2015, then moving to a support role in 2009 rather than appearing to compete with city efforts, is ramping up again.
The corps’ executive board this week voted to inventory existing and generate new “solid projects” before calling on our list of more than 300 volunteers.
We want to further develop projects from an extensive list of ideas on our oldcity450.com website.
The renewed corps activity comes as the city weighs its relationship with the First America Foundation it designated to manage the commemoration last August, now charged with accomplishing little.
It doesn’t take a foundation to revise our tour guide training and testing program – something University of Florida Historian Michael Gannon and Archaeologist Kathy Deagan volunteered to assist with two years ago.
It doesn’t take a major corporate contribution to begin a beautification program in our historic district and throughout our city.
Initiatives are already under way.
A program is being designed to stock and rent period clothes for reenactments. We have been a military community since Pedro Menendez established the first militia in September 1565.
Our military units, from the National Guard, Florida Department of Military Affairs to numerous veterans’ organizations, have begun developing programs -– one of the most exciting is an 18th century black militia which played a major role in the “Battle of Bloody Mose” in 1740.
The 450 Community Corps board stressed that its role is to complement, not compete with, future plans to commemorate the city’s anniversary in 2015.
George Gardner
St. Augustine, FL
Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer
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