Historical Society Combines Annual Meeting with Holiday Luncheon

Marco Island Historical Society (MIHS) members and guests gathered at Hammock Bay to conduct their annual meeting and enjoy a sumptuous holiday luncheon on Tuesday, December 5.

Following the approval of the Annual Meeting Minutes, MIHS Past President Alan Sandlin was welcomed to the podium to install the 2024 MIHS Officers and Board of Directors. Officers for the coming year are: 

• Michael O’Rourke, President
• Tish Champagne, President-Elect
• Valinda Bilbrey, Secretary
• Bertil Engh, Treasurer
• Ronal Saffin, Assistant Treasurer
• Neil Bretthauer, Executive Committee Director At Large

The Board of Directors for the coming year are:

Shirley Barcic, Linda Cassens, Chris Heflin, Mary Jo O’Regan, Pam Rakoczy, Allyson Richards, Myrt Rose, Henry Stanley, Chris Sullivan, and Pat Rutledge, Chief Executive Officer.

Roger Johnson and Ron Rutledge were awarded lifetime membership in the Marco Island Historical Society in recognition of their dedication and commitment to the Marco Island Historical Society and Museum.

Allyson Richards, Chair, and Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan, Executive Director of Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, were welcomed. Guests attending the event were asked to donate nonperishable food pantry items to Our Daily Bread and did so generously.

Michelle Henessey, Chair of the United Church of Marco Island Mission Committee, was welcomed and thanked for the generous grant made to the Marco Island Historical Society by the committee toward the conservation of a precious artifact from the Deltona Era of Marco Island’s history, the gulls sculpture.

Michael O’Rourke and Pat Rutledge each spoke about the accomplishments of the Historical Society in 2023 and the goals of the organization for 2024 and beyond. Rutledge concluded by saying that 2024 is the 30th Anniversary of the incorporation of the MIHS. She thanked Bill and Betsy Perdichizzi and Alan and Linda Sandlin, present at the event, for helping to build the dream of a permanent museum on Marco Island. As Pat said, “The MIHS is 30 years old. With the ongoing help and support of our members, donors, and friends, the history of Marco Island will be preserved and shared for 30 x 30 years for future generations to experience”.

The event ended with an MIHS holiday tradition, the reading of Christmas Eve on Marco by Alan and Linda Sandlin. The poem, by an unknown author, concludes with, “And I heard him exclaim as he went on his way: Merry Christmas Marco Island, I wish I could stay.” A joyful time was had by all.