1997 ANNUAL MEETING BOWLING GREEN KENTUCKY OCT 9 - 12, 1998
Some 100 Gang members congregated at the Greenwood Executive Inn to take part in our fourth Annual Meeting, renewing old friendships and discussing our various James - Younger Gang projects. Friday's schedule opened with our annual business meeting, and outgoing President N. David Smith expressed his appreciation for serving as president over the past two years, thanking all who had contributed to the growth and success of the Gang during his tenure. Elections for new officers were held, and the results are displayed in The Board. The Fayetteville, Arkansas region was selected for the 1998 conference site, with Charlotte and Phillip Steele to be our hosts. The exact date will be announced later.
The rest of Friday was filled with presentations by Ralph Ganis - "Those Who Rode With Jesse James"; Wilbur Zink, Rex MacBeth and Frank Younger - "The History of Jim Younger's Violin", in which the restoration was discussed and a minerature recital was given on the instrument. Time was left Friday for many to tour the Corvette plant and museum, and a nearby cave where the gang spent the night after robbing the Russellville Bank.
On Saturday we made a tour bus trip to Russellville for the Tobacco Festival, and were met by Gang member and president of the Southern Deposit Bank, Danny Coffey, Russellville mayor Ken Smith, historian Mary Lucy Franklin, Joe Gran Clark, and other Russellville citizens, who gave us a special tour of the Nimrod, Norton, and Long Bank building which the James - Younger Gang robbed on March 20, 1868. This was followed by a horseback re-enactment of the robbery. A tasty barbecue luncheon followed in the bank lobby. Following our Russellville activities, we went to Adairville and toured the Hite home, now owned by Jim Tyler. It was here where the gang stayed for several weeks following their first robbery of the Liberty, Mo. bank on February 6, 1866. Steve Eng, Nashville song writer and gang historian, then met us in Nashville to guide us to significant James-Younger sites. We then rushed back to Bowling Green for our closing reception and annual Awards banquet (see Perry Awards). Mary Mims brought us her Zerelda skit, and Rex MacBeth once again entertained us with his wonderful cowboy poetry.
Sunday, it was adieu until next year in Arkansas.
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