Heritage Fair and The Openning

Today is the McHenry County Historical Society's annual Heritage Fair. MCHS's Heritage Fair is the event that I got my start volunteering at 8 years ago. The Heritage Fair is one of the highlights of my year and I cannot wait for the fun to begin. The theme of this years Heritage Fair is Hats Off To Hometowns, and features the openning of new exhibits such as Hats Off To Hometowns and my exhibit Girls and Women: Then and Now! The museum staff wants everyone to wear a hat with their hometown on it, I had a blast putting my together and I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with. This years Heritage Fair will include a magic show, auction, white elephant sale, and more. The Heritage Fair is at the McHenry County Historical Society Museum in Union, IL from 10am-4pm. This is the first year since I started volunteering at MCHS that I will not speaking in the Gannon Cabin. I am looking forward to seeing everything that I haven't seen (due to the fact that I'm usually in the cabin). I am also very excited for the openning of my exhibit! I finished putting the final touches on it last Thursday and am very excited for people to see it. It was a lot of work putting it together but I wouldn't spend a second of the time I put into my exhibit any other way.  I know that I will never forget today and I am looking forward to a day of making memories!

Synopsis

Throughout the 20^th century the girls and women of McHenry County have been changing the world and writing history in the process. The girls and women of McHenry County helped cement new gender roles into a changing society. Through suffrage, the Great Depression, WWI and WWII, women have stepped up and countered everything that life has thrown at them, changing and challenging gender roles in the process. The girls and women of McHenry County were a part of this change, they stood up for what they believed in and never gave up, and they showed confidence and determination while they did it.

From Bronze To Gold

Hello, my name is Sarah French and I am an Ambassador Girl Scout and a Senior at Huntley High School in Huntley IL. I started volunteering for the McHenry County Historical Society when I was ten years old, by speaking in the Gannon Cabin during MCHS’s Heritage Fair and Cider Fest. I’ve spoken in the cabin at those two festivals every year since. I love teaching others about the historical Gannon Cabin. It’s a great way to interact with the community. For my Girl Scout Gold Award (which is similar to a Boy Scout Eagle Award and is the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn), I am putting an exhibit together called Girls and Women: Then and Now. For my Girl Scout Gold Award  project I wanted to educate others about what it was like to be a girl or woman in 20th century rural America, how women have progressed in society, and how girl’s and women’s’ roles have changed throughout history. I decided to put this together because my love of history is an important part of my life and I want to share it with others. I was inspired by history at an early age and I hope that this exhibit inspires others. I believe that our past and what we learn from it can help us mold our future. I love spending time and volunteering at MCHS and putting this exhibit together has been one of the best experiences of my life. During these past eight years that I’ve volunteered at MCHS I’ve realized that moving forward toward the future doesn’t mean letting go of the past.