Gratis.
The Knott Historical Society has been honoring the families selected by
the Gingerbread Festival Committee since 1995 to corroborate the
Festival and its visitors, but not in conjunction therewith. Other
businesses in town do the same to corroborate the theme and family
selected by the Festival Committee once it has been placed in the local
paper - but do not actively involve themselves with the Festival
Committee. Since our organization is directly involved with history -
what better way to honor the family than to provide proof copies of
their histories, photos, entertainment, and the family's antiques
exhibited at the Society during the Festival?
We have never been sanctioned by the Festival Committee to honor these
families, we do it because we want to, and because the families selected
to be honored want us to. We submit biographies of outstanding
community-minded candidates for the Festival Committee's consideration
for their Hall of Fame, and have composed several speeches for the
Festival's Preliminary Events to honor the family - all gratis and
non-compensatorily.
Since 1996 the Society has honored the various families with all our
associated events at the Society's headquarters in Hindman above the
town, and has had no activities on Main Street other than our window
exhibits. Above all else, we do not want discord among the families we
honor, that defeats the purpose of paying homage to them.
Living in a free country as ours - both organizations should be able to
honor the Caudills freely to the benefit of the family and to the
edification thereof. We do not see honoring the family as a conflict of
interest by either organization, rather a corroboration and an
enhancement to the Festival itself. To quibble in recriminations is to
bring dishonor to the family and the organizations involved therein.
We will honor the Caudills this year in the way our non-profit
organization is designed to - "to preserve the history" of our
forebearers. It doesn't matter to us which organization you involve
yourself with as long as we collectively can bring honor to the Caudill
family.
David Smith.
CC: The Gingerbread Festival Committee