Dear Friends,
It has been yet another busy season for all of us at the Wayzata Historical Society! As September draws to a close, so too will this chapter in our organization’s history. Effective October 1, 2023, our team will be joining three other local history organizations to become the new Lake Minnetonka Historical Society (LMHS). As we transition into this new era, one may feel a bit of sadness to see the Wayzata Historical Society name go away. Indeed, the past 41 years have seen much growth and many good times. As we navigated through this process, the board considered these thoughts deeply. Instead of feeling any sense of loss, I personally see this as one of the most exciting times ever for our local history. The consolidation forming the new Lake Minnetonka Historical Society will allow our mission of collecting, preserving, and sharing our history to be strengthened and continue far into the future.
As a born-and-raised Wayzatan, I do fully believe this transition makes sense. There will be no shortage of opportunities for current WHS members to volunteer with LMHS. We will maintain our presence at the Wayzata Depot Museum and Garden Railroad and will continue to host programs in Wayzata throughout the year. Also, Wayzata has much to gain as our current archives space will be the home of the consolidated LMHS archival collection.
I encourage anyone interested in volunteering with LMHS to attend a Volunteer Open House 3:00-5:00 p.m. Saturday, October 14, at the Wayzata Community Room. This is the second in a series of LMHS Volunteer Open Houses to be held around Lake Minnetonka over the next year. Open House attendees will be able to meet the LMHS board and learn about the different volunteer opportunities and committees at the new organization. Opportunities are varied and fit a wide range of ages, abilities, interests, schedules, and locations including the Wayzata Depot Museum and LMHS Archives.
It has been a privilege to serve on the WHS board of directors for the past eight years and as your president for the past four years. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was the random kid who would show up eager to learn something new at the history programs! As I step down as president, I want to thank all the volunteers and board members who have contributed their time and effort to our Society since 1982. I also want to thank all of you, our members and supporters, for being the backbone of our existence all these years. We truly appreciate your continued support and patronage. Looking towards the future, we are excited to enter this new era together!
With gratitude,
Aaron Person, President
Pat Broyles, Vice President
Andy Bond, Treasurer
Joanie Holst, Secretary
Lynn McCarthy
Terry Middlekauff
Sue Sorrentino
Members of the new LMHS board of directors are:
Lisa Stevens, President
Aaron Person, Vice President
Tom McCarthy, Treasurer
Liz Vandam, Secretary
Joanie Holst
Jeff Magnuson
Scott McGinnis
Sharon Provost