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"Forging Ahead in Fredericksburg"

By Jack Bales (PF-258)

Early May's "Forging Ahead in Fredericksburg" marked the third convention held in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It's been my favorite, as well, perhaps because the weather could not possibly have been better, especially for the Saturday trolley tour of the city. I had few logistical details to be concerned about, as once again, Chris Jones and his staff at the Hampton Inn were on top of things, as were the catering folks at the University of Mary Washington with whom I've worked for years.

I enjoyed hosting a get-together for early arrivals on the Wednesday evening before the convention. The food was great, but the company and conversation were even better, and those present got to welcome Mark Muello, one of our newest members, and his wife, Linda, from Lincoln, Maine. (Incidentally, Mark brought his father's well-used shoeshine box to display at the convention, complete with original brush and other accessories.)

Some weeks ago, David Jones of Baltimore, Maryland, brought me a huge assortment of books belonging to his late father and H.A.S. member, Robert A. Jones (PF-904), to be sold on consignment at the convention auction. The big boxes and plastic bins filled my two spare bedrooms, and I had visions of having to make multiple trips to the hotel on Thursday morning. Fortunately, James King, Bob Petitto, and Bob Sipes loaded their cars Wednesday night with most of the books, and all I had were three small boxes to take to the Hampton Inn.

The convention didn't really start until Thursday afternoon, but the hotel's large meeting room was open by about 8:30 in the morning, and I had plenty of snacks and drinks on hand for everyone. I spent much of the day helping Bob Sipes list all the books we had on hand for the auction, with the break in our routine being the Board of Directors meeting in the afternoon.

I've had several opportunities to view Jeff Looney's fine collection of series books — many with gorgeous dust jackets and/or lengthy inscriptions that especially make the volumes stand out. But Jeff collects more than just an author's books, and in his intriguing presentation on Friday morning, "Not Just Books Anymore: Other Juvenile Book Collectibles," he focused on some of the many non-book items he has picked up over the years. These include a mug inscribed to Jesse Lynch Williams, Princeton Class of 1892, issued for the 10-year reunion in 1902. Williams wrote several books about college life published by Scribner's, including Princeton Stories (1895), The Adventures of a Freshman (1899) and The Girl and the Game, and Other College Stories (1908).

I was especially intrigued with Jeff's photograph of John R. Tunis. It came from the estate of Tunis's literary agent and was taken at the same session as the photo that appears on the back of the dust jacket of his autobiography, A Measure of Independence (Atheneum, 1964). Jeff also has a framed 1905 nursing certificate issued by the Massachusetts Emergency and Hygiene Association to Elise Riche Hall, who four years later married Arthur Stanwood Pier, the author of the "St. Timothy's" series and a longtime editor of The Youth's Companion.

I followed Jeff's fascinating talk with my PowerPoint presentation, "Albert Payson Terhune: The Master of Sunnybank." While in junior high and high school I read many of the dog stories by Terhune (1872-1942), and in recent years I've been re-reading and collecting the books.

Next up was "Alger Firsts, Reprints, and More: A Discussion Regarding the Fundamentals of Collecting Alger." This PowerPoint panel presentation, featuring Scott Chase, Bill Gowen, Keith Thompson, and moderated by Bob Sipes, included a conversation about various first edition points, including advertisements. Books that Bob highlighted in his PowerPoint were Phil the Fiddler, From Canal Boy to President (and the elusive erratum slip), Mark Stanton, Tom Brace, Joe's Luck, Adrift in New York, and Robert Coverdale's Struggle, among others.

Friday afternoon and Saturday morning were devoted to the annual auction, and James King and Jeff Looney did yeoman's work as auctioneers, ably assisted by Lisa Chase and Debby Jones. There was spirited bidding for a few Alger editions, including a scarce Hurst and a hard-to-find Donohue, as I recall. But it wasn't all books, and Rob Kasper's check signed by Ralph Waldo Emerson and a cut signature of Horatio Alger, Jr. attracted much interest and attention, along with Bill Gowen's donation of a framed printed-on-canvas reproduction of Norman Rockwell's unpublished charcoal image of Phil the Fiddler, one of the artist's Alger heroes of his youth. The auction raised an impressive $2,055.60 for the Society.

The Friday evening dinner was again held at Castiglia's Italian restaurant, where I presented the Strive & Succeed Award to high school senior Disaya Spinner.

It can be hard to find the time to get outside and go exploring during a Horatio Alger Society convention, which is why I included a motorized trolley bus tour of Fredericksburg as the main event for Saturday afternoon. As I previously said, the weather was picture-perfect for such an event (sunny with temperatures in the low seventies); moreover, our driver and narrator, Jim Kniseley, was both friendly and humorous (he even let me provide a few observations of my own as we went along). I asked if we could drive down College Avenue, where the main buildings of the university were located, and he readily agreed. Saturday was Graduation Day, so UMW Professor Liane Houghtalin could not make all the convention activities. We did, though, spot her while she was walking down the street, and Jim stopped the trolley so we could all say hello.

Our large meeting room was turned into a banquet room for Saturday evening's festivities. In "Adventures, Gems, and Treasures: Stories from UMW's Special Collections & University Archives," Angie Kemp, Interim Head of Special Collections & University Archives at Simpson Library, highlighted historical and noteworthy "gems and treasures" in the university's Special Collections. I particularly liked hearing about the scrapbooks that alumni occasionally donate to the library, for they often contain significant photographs that showcase (and shed light on!) the university's history.

Angie's background and expertise are founded in digital preservation. I am pleased to say that she scanned — and enhanced — many of the photographs for my recent book, The Chicago Cub Shot for Love. A much more historically significant example of Angie's work, however, is her digitization of a 1668 leatherbound King James Bible on which 20-year-old George Washington had placed his hand when he joined the Masons at the Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge in 1752.

I received the Society's Carl T. Hartmann Luck & Pluck Award for hosting the previous convention. As the previous recipient of the Richard R. Seddon Award, I was pleased to present the award this year. In my remarks, I mentioned that the plaque refers to the "admirable qualities and warm companionship of Dick Seddon." I knew Dick Seddon, I said, and noted that I had often observed this year's award winner welcoming and talking to people at conventions. I added that he also helps keep things running smoothly at our annual events, and that "it is therefore my pleasure to give this year's Richard R. Seddon Award to Bob Sipes."

For the past three years, Liane Houghtalin's drawing for convention attendees to win a gift basket of "made in Virginia" items has been a highlight of the banquet. Melissa Givey won it the first time, Scott Chase the second, and this year, new member Mark Muello was the lucky recipient. Another popular feature of the convention was Liane's candy bowl in the meeting room, which was kept well stocked from Thursday through Saturday. Incidentally, Liane's sister, Lynda, visiting from California, was present at several of the convention events, and I had the opportunity of talking with both of them.

The meeting/hospitality room stayed open late every night of the convention, and it was pleasant just relaxing at the end of the day and chatting amiably with those present. I recall seeing Terry Booth, Scott Chase, Bill Gowen, Carol Nackenoff, Keith Thompson, and others one evening, and Debby Jones told me that after I departed Saturday night, she talked with Dick Hoffman, James King, Bob Petitto, and Bob Sipes. And after they locked up the room and went to their rooms, the only item left on the convention schedule was breakfast Sunday morning.

Looking ahead to 2024: The Horatio Alger Society convention will be returning to Fredericksburg, Virginia, during the first weekend of May, from Thursday, May 2 to Sunday, May 5. I am pleased to announce that we have already secured the same $89 (plus tax) nightly room rate at the Hampton Inn and Suites which we enjoyed in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Some of the important details for next year's convention, "The Fredericksburg Fourth," are all set, but I have been working on changing a few things from previous years.

Our Friday night dinner is one of them. Fredericksburg has many fine restaurants, but not that many have private rooms; moreover, since downtown parking in the city is at a premium, I want a restaurant with its own parking lot.

I have been doing some close checking and have even been looking at local blogs. Armed with a good lead, I recently asked Virginia H.A.S. members Liane Houghtalin, Rob Kasper, and Jeff Looney for their input. Not only did we have a fine lunch on June 3 at a local establishment, but we also met with the owner and chef, who came up with some excellent suggestions for a buffet.

Nothing has been settled, but I am in no hurry. Furthermore, I am pleased to say that there are at least two more restaurants I intend to visit!

I will provide additional convention details in future issues of Newsboy. I look forward to planning "The Fredericksburg Fourth," and hope to see you there!