Pal-Mac History Clubs Are Going Strong!
By: Linda Braun, Town of Macedon Historian and Macedon Historical Society Secretary
An AMAZING field trip was held this past week! On Wednesday, March 16, nineteen young people and their teacher came to visit the historic Macedon Academy, located at 1185 Macedon Center Rd, in Macedon Center. Built in 1853, this building is a cornerstone to Macedon’s history. Members of the Macedon Historical Society (MHS) were on hand to greet them.
We all know that the past two years have been a challenge, especially for our young people. So, having the opportunity to participate in a club was important. Did you know that there are 2 History clubs at the Pal-Mac Intermediate School? I was delighted when I began having discussions with the Social Studies department earlier in the school year. I wanted to share a little history about Macedon and Wayne County and to provide any support or resources that might be needed. Our Bicentennial – 200th year of founding of both Macedon and Wayne County is being celebrated now through the actual year, 2023.
Earlier in the year, the History Club, about 20 strong, walked to the Macedon Library where I shared information about primary documents and the Bullis Family. These students are working together to do research and complete a report about the Bullis Family. It was wonderful to see the excitement, curiosity and interest in these young boys and girls. It was a pleasure to work with them. I hope their submission to New York State will be successful!
Then, this past week a second group of young people visited the Macedon Academy as a culmination of their History Bowl Club. Their main project for the past couple of months was to build a board game based on Macedon….Macedonopoly. They voted and chose to visit the Academy as their field trip.
They were greeted at the entrance of this 1853 building by Linda Braun and the MHS President, Sandy Pagano, dressed in a period school teacher costume. They were provided a little background on the building and the fact that both boys and girls attended this building between 1853 and 1902. We took a quick tour of the building. We checked out the second-floor auditorium and went backstage to see the 1970’s Yorkers’ display. As a former member of the Pal-Mac Yorkers, under Mr. Dave Taber, I remember fondly going to a convention in Niagara Falls many years ago. I think that that and my parents is what inspired me to keep learning more about our history.
We returned to the lower level and let these curious young people go exploring on a scavenger hunt! They were so excited to be working individually or with a partner. They found and identified signers of the Declaration of Sentiments, people in our paintings, places on maps, the type of saddle we have on display, members of the Macedon Class of 1951 and much more. They even learned that a baby buggy was once called a pram and that radios were once pieces of furniture!
Pal-Mac has a couple of truly amazing teachers in Karin Thomas and Darlene Lombardo. The Pal-Mac district, New York State, and the United States should be very proud of these teachers. History is an integral part of our learning experience. Hats off to these teachers for making it an exciting experience. One that I hope will last through out their lives.
As the Historian of Macedon, Secretary for the Macedon Historical Society and Chair of the Macedon Bicentennial Committee, I invite everyone to get involved! Start learning, start exploring. The Macedon Historical Society is always looking for more members and or volunteers! Check us out at macedonhistoricalsociety.org. For more information write P.O. Box 303, Macedon NY 14502, or email : macedonacademy.gmail.com