Historic Ellicott City - Girl Scout Gold Award

Here is an e-mail I received about a fantastic project being put together by a Centennial High School Junior:

Hello Mr. Coale,

My father is an avid reader of your blog and he recommended that I contact you.  I am a junior at Centennial High school working on my Girl Scout Gold Award.  My project is a partnership with Howard County Recreation and Parks and I have chosen to focus on promoting the rich but underappreciated history of Ellicott City.  I have always been passionate about history and in my younger years I attended a Victorian Dreams camp at the Patapsco Female Institute which allowed me to experience the life of a student there in the 19^th century. I absolutely loved this camp and attended it until I exceeded the age limit.  About a year ago my current project advisor and Heritage program and Facilities Manager, Mrs. Jacque Galke, informed me that there is no longer enough interest in local history to hold the camp. I was saddened to learn about the lack of interest in local history but it inspired me to make Historic Ellicott City the topic of my Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award given by the Girl Scouts.

During the past year, I have been working diligently to plan an event called “Your Past… It Matters!” which will occur on October 5^th, 2013 from 1 to 4 PM and involve five historic sites; the Patapsco Female Institute, the Thomas Isaac Log Cabin, the Firehouse Museum, the Colored School, Restored, and the B & O Railroad Museum.  At each site participants will receive a tour from a knowledgeable Howard County Recreation and Parks docent, get their informational passports stamped, and participate in fun historical games and activities.  Some of these activities will include learning lace making, spinning and weaving, trying on pinafores, playing colonial games, going on a scavenger hunt of the Relic Wall, and much more!

It would be really amazing if you could feature my upcoming event on your blog because I would like to share Ellicott City’s history with as many people as possible. There is a sign up online at http://www.howardcountymd.gov/2013fallguide.htm.  It can also be found on page 21 of the Howard County Recreation and Parks 2013 Fall Activity Guide or on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/yourpastitmatters.   

There is a $10 per person fee that will help to cover the cost of registration, bring in the knowledgeable tour guides, provide for two shuttle buses, and provide free passes to the B and O Railroad Museum, but I feel that with all of the opportunities I have planned, this event is worth much more.  Also, the first 100 people who sign up are guaranteed to receive a Historic Ellicott City T shirt designed by a very talented artist.  Below is a picture of the shirt (which I think is quite stylish):

  

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this e-mail. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions. I hope you can help me spread the word about my event because without lots of participation it cannot be a success.

Sincerely,

Emily Abdow

 You know where I'll be October 5th.  Will you join me?

Have a great Wednesday doing what you love.