2005 Year in Review

The Vision, the Spirit, the Strength and Accomplishment

That said, I look back to the year 2002 and wonder aloud how a few interested Morrison citizens could muster the courage to even imagine how a sesquicentennial celebration might be planned, implemented and carried out.Let's face the fact that a 150th birthday for Morrison is indeed a single event. The only reference points are other city's recent 150th party's and we found out quickly that when those events were over, well the organizers disappeared as quickly as the candles were snuffed out. Who could blame them, for after all the events are planned by volunteers and they do have occupations to return to. We did look at other city's websites and they were quite helpful, primarily in the outliing of events and what others were doing to celebrate.

There is one very clear constant however that I wish to pass along to anyone wishing to plan a unique event....develop a direct yet simple goal and keep it as your constant companion with all of your decision making. The Morrison Sesquicentennial was clear and concise..."Plan and implement a sesquicentennial celebration to ge inclusive of any citizen, organization or business wishing to participate". When you become busy with the details of a large event and your mind becomes "crowded", it was many times necessary to lean back on the reason the event was occurring in the first place.

The Morrison Sesquicentennial committee included some of the best of Morrison citizens. It was my pleasure to have witnessed the evolution of 12 separate people, most never have worked together before and none ever working on such a large project ever. The committee itself was a living, breathing, production machine and found itself capable of accomplishing things that individuals could not.

We found our committee becoming an important destination point for those wishing to either participate or do business with us. We chose Directors with interests in areas needing their expertise or interest and we allowed them to manage that part of the event. Delegating was the key and in return the committee required monthly and weekly reporting to insure good communication and consistency with our goal.I watched and admired all who volunteered as they helped to grab a hold of the reins of this "beast" as I called it many times. Our committee formed a personal bond with each other that I am proud to say I was a part of.

Our sesquicentennial celebration was in many ways a huge success prior to the July 8,9 and 10 weekend as so many separate mini-events were implemented. I will never forget that clear Saturday morning in July of 2004 when our very first event was held at Morrison Community Hospital. We honored Dr.s Dick and Ike Vandermyde for their many years of service to our community. We invited their patients to attend a group photo and when several hundred people showed up and I heard the roar of the crowd when Dr. Dick pulled into the parking lot I absolutely knew then we were doing something good that people would remember for a long, long time.

The weekend of July 8,9 and 10, 2005 has been photographed, videotaped and captured in all of our memories for as long as we wish to remember. Yes, I will remember our slogan, the Indian tipi village, the Civil War re-enactors, the pageant, the parade (oh how I love that Harvey Zuidema Goodenough Dairy milk truck)and the trains. But I will cherish forever the friendship and admiration of our committee members who so unselfishly gave of their time to make this celebration the sucess that it was.

by Bob Vaughn, theCity1.com
July 15, 2005