2022
Here is our recap of 2022:
In February, we visited Fort Indiantown Gap for the ASMIC show and voted to form a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
In April, we created decals of the logo that Living History Co. designed for us for a fundraiser for our upcoming insignia project. If you missed out, drop us a line because we still have some left! Julz is great and has really been an asset to our efforts!
We also worked with Repros By Ray for our first large-scale reproduction project to get copies of the early 1900s 8th Regiment, Company G collar insignia for our 1916 mobilization event. We have more of these as well, and they will be available for those who attend Men of Iron - Pennsylvania in the Great War this September.
In May, we provided a program for the Dillsburg Area Public Library on the history of the NGP in York and Cumberland Counties and had a nice discussion with a member of "The Gobin Guards," which is a veteran organization that is tied to the lineage of the original Company G of the 8th Regiment. We also supported the timeline event at the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation and observed Memorial Day at different locations around the state.
June saw us return to Pennsville, NJ to support our friends at Fort Mott State Park for the annual Spanish-American War event that one of our members puts on.
June also found our resident carpenter knocking out another run of the blanket bag frames that we copied directly from the example in the Pennsylvania National Guard Military Museum collection. A really great equipment detail that we are extremely fortunate to have had access to.
In July, we visited the ASMIC show again, and some of our members set up at the historic Dill's Tavern in Dillsburg, PA for a local history exhibit for the Northern York County Historical and Preservation Society and the Dillsburg Farmers Market. It was well-received, and we enjoyed our time there.
In August, we conducted a program for the Greater Dover Historical Society on the NGP in York County during the late 1800s. We always love to explore "hometown history" in the areas where our members live!
We also visited our friends at the Mt. Gretna Area Historical Society for some much-needed archives time and knocked out some really great research for our 1916 event the following month.
To prepare for our 1916 event, and to upgrade our late-1800s canteens, we worked with Thos. Frost Canteen Covers & Accessories for some really great reproduction canteen covers for both time periods. Glad to have Tom as a friend and supplier for those hard-to-get custom items. Tom also made us a stamp to mark our haversacks and blanket bags from What Price Glory. Jerry does a great job of keeping us stocked with unmarked examples to stamp with the NGP! For those that have recently started to follow us, Jerry also made us some really great reproduction leather equipment a few years ago to include belts, buckles, bayonet frogs, and cartridge boxes, all marked NGP.
Our first event with our friends at the Pennsylvania Military Museum was in September where we were joined by others to portray the NGP's mobilization for the border in 1916. We're looking forward to coming back twice in 2023!
Later that month, one of our members was in Salem, Massachusetts to explore the early history of our nation's National Guard and where the Massachusetts National Guard mustered for the first time.
October saw our monthly "Artifact of the Month" program kick off on our Facebook and on our YouTube channel, and we visited the Cumberland County Historical Society for a presentation on the NGP history in Cumberland County. We also supported an event for Pine Grove Furnace State Park and the Friends of Pine Grove Furnace State Park as part of the educational area of their annual Fall event.
We were very fortunate to observe Veterans Day and Armistice Day in two countries in November, with some of our members participating in a local ceremony here in Pennsylvania, while another member was in France to honor the NGP members who served overseas with the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard during WW1.
Our schedule wrapped up in December with the annual Soldiers' Christmas event which showcased the observance of the holidays in the military throughout history.
As part of becoming a 501c3 non-profit, we opened up bank account once our paperwork was completed with the Internal Revenue Service. At the close of the year, we had a balance of $20, the amount put in to open the account.
Thank you for all of the support in 2022, and we're looking forward to 2023! Keep an eye out for our event posts and ways that you can help support our mission and historic preservation at NGP connected sites!