NOTES – 1983

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 17: PUBLICATIONS PMSS
Notes 1983
Spring and Fall

NOTES – 1983

“Notes from the Pine Mountain Settlement School”
Spring and Fall 1983

GALLERY: NOTES – 1983 Spring

To carry on our work we need more money than we have…[for] the especially critical need to replace our worn-out water mains….

TAGS: Notes 1983 Spring, photographs, Sir Francis Drake, David Brower, Thomas Merton, William Creech, Lee Roy Anderson, fundraising 

TRANSCRIPTION: NOTES – 1983 Spring

P. 1

NOTES FROM THE
PINE MOUNTAIN
SETTLEMENT SCHOOL

PINE MOUNTAIN * HARLAN COUNTY * KENTUCKY 40810
Telephone: 606 / 558-4361

Spring               The Rev. Alvin Boggs, Director               1983

THE PAST

[Image: Photograph of log house in forest setting.]

“See that ye hold fast the heritage we leave you. Yea, and teach your children its value, that never in the coming centuries their hearts may fail them nor their hands. grow weak.
— Sir Francis Drake

THE PRESENT

[Image: Photograph of students in a forest setting engaged in an ecological experiment.]

“We seek a renewed stirring of love for the earth; we urge that what a man is capable of doing to the earth is not always what he ought to do; and we plead that all people, here, now determine that a wide, spacious, untrampled freedom shall remain as a living testimony that this generation, our own, had love for the next.”
— David Brower

P. 2

THE FUTURE

[Image: Photograph of sunshine through trees in a forest.]

One must “Begin by learning to see and respect the visible creation which mirrors the glory and perfection of the invisible God.”
— Thomas Merton

P. 3

[Image: Photograph of the altar in the Chapel.]

“I want all younguns taught to serve the living God. Of course they won’t all do that, but they can have good and evil laid before them and they can choose which they will.”
— William Creech

Pictures by Courier Journal and Lee Roy Anderson

P. 4

Pine Mountain has always reached for the unreachable; it is doing that today. It hopes to continue to do so far into the future. We know that those who receive our Notes are people who share our deep love for God’s world and its people. To carry on our work we need more money than we have; for salaries; to help supply the food and lodging of those who come, many of whom could not afford the full cost of their visit; to repair our buildings and facilities, especially the critical need to replace our worn-out water mains; and to care for our land.

We are so thankful for all of you who share in and enable our work with your generous contributions. Without your help we could not cope with the steady stream of groups that face us week after week with great expectations. Please help us not to fail them.

**********

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

WILDFLOWER WEEKEND  April 22-24, 1983
BLACK MOUNTAIN WILDFLOWER WEEKEND  May 6-8, 1983
HOMECOMING  August 13, 1983
FALL COLOR WEEKEND  October 14-16, 1983
NATIVITY PLAY  December 11, 1983
JANUARY TERM (for college credit)  January 3-27, 1984

We regret very much that the Edible Wildplant Workshop and the Medicinal Wildplant Workshop scheduled for June and August 1983 have had to be canceled this year.

GALLERY: NOTES – 1983 FALL

Burkham Schoolhouse destroyed by fire!! As we were all fighting the fire, and watching this important building in many of our lives disappear before us, the comments of the Pine Mountain community people were that out of these ashes would be built a new multi-purpose community center.

TAGS: Notes 1983 Fall, James Urquhart, Carol Urquhart, Burton Rogers, Mary Rogers, Environmental Education, gift shop, library, Rev. Alvin Boggs, fundraising, Fannie Gratz obituary, Jess Patterson obituary, Burkham Schoolhouse fire, West Wind, Laurel House, Chapel, pipe organ, swimming pool, playground, community service

TRANSCRIPTION: NOTES – 1983 Fall

P. 1

NOTES FROM THE
PINE MOUNTAIN
SETTLEMENT SCHOOL

PINE MOUNTAIN * HARLAN COUNTY * KENTUCKY 40810
Telephone: 606 / 558-4361

Fall              James Urquhart, Director               1983

Dear Friends of Pine Mountain,

[Image: Photograph of “Jim and Carol Urquhart.“]

As we begin our sojourn as members of the Pine Mountain Community we are looking forward to a long and exciting involvement with Pine Mountain Settlement School. We have been coming to Kentucky for many years to participate in various cultural and musical events, and have many friends in the area, to which we have already added many more. Pine Mountain’s rich history of boarding school days (when there were few or no roads into the area), the community school days, special education involvement, leadership in the co-op movement, innovative educational ideas, craft center, hospital, medical clinic, Frontier Nursing outpost, environmental education program, among many other service involvements presents a genuine challenge to us as we begin to seek and develop Pine Mountain’s future. We have found our neighbors friendly and the region beautiful beyond compare. We are excited about the future and look forward to meeting and hearing from as many of you as possible.
[Signed] Jim Urquhart
Jim Urquhart, Director

P. 2

[Image: Photograph of “Burton and Mary Rogers .”]

Burton and Mary Rogers remain involved in the ongoing program at Pine Mountain. Burton (Director-Emeritus) continues to look after many necessary items in the ongoing day-to-day comings and goings of Pine Mountain, while Mary teaches in the environmental education program, when she is not busy with the gift shop, drawing pictures for publicity or maintaining the library and Pine Mountain Room. They are together an inspiration to all and most recently voted Harlan Countians of the Year.

[Image: Photograph of “Rev. Alvin Boggs,.”]

Rev. Alvin Boggs, in his new role as Associate Director of Development, is actively working to build up the school funding base in order that we might continue to teach all that we can and more to instill environmental concepts of land stewardship and other values inherent in our rich mountain heritage.

**********

IN MEMORIAM:

FANNIE GRATZ of Lexington, long-time friend of Miss Katherine Pettit and a strong influence in the life of Pine Mountain Settlement School, especially in the weaving program.

JESS PATTERSON, a cherished employee of Pine Mountain Settlement School, woodworker and craftsman. Jess was the builder of our gift shop dulcimers, numbering close to 1000 built before his death.

P. 3

Burkham Schoolhouse Destroyed By Fire !!

[Images: Two photographs of the burning of Burkham Schoolhouse.]

November 7 [handwritten notation: “(November) 8, 1983″]
Dear Friends:

Tragedy struck us today as our beloved Burkham burned to the ground, and even now is smoldering. It had begun to be revitalized again as a real part of our school and community. Burton Rogers’ and Carol Urquhart’s offices were housed there, and the environmental education students used it at least twice a week. The newly started continuing education classes, serving many members of our community already, met there three to four days a week. Community dances were being held there, as well as reunions, and we had many more plans for Burkham. The voting polls were in there today; now all that is dashed away, but not our hopes and the spirit that is building here. As we were all fighting the fire, and watching this important building in many of our lives disappear before us, the comments of the Pine Mountain community people were that out of these ashes would be built a new multi-purpose community center. We have already set next Tuesday as the time to gather together and begin to plan what shall replace Burkham. So, we need your prayers, your support, and your gifts to recover from this loss, and to continue on with the important work we had just begun, using Burkham as the center. I am sure the community shall rally with renewed spirit. Perhaps out of tragedy comes hope. We never know the why of something so terrible, but to paraphrase Uncle William Creech in perhaps a slightly different context, we do not know if it was for good or for bad, but we can choose to make this for good — for the right.

P. 4

FACTS ABOUT
PINE MOUNTAIN SETTLEMENT SCHOOL, INC.

  • Non-denominational Christian, privately endowed, non-profit, educational institution located in Southeastern Kentucky;
  • Founded in 1913;
  • 800 acres, including forest and farmland;
  • Environmental education staff teaching concepts of land stewardship and cultural awareness through exploration and discovery;
  • Many miles of maintained trails for educational purposes under the guidance of interpretive staff;
  • Interpretive classroom building for individual and group classes;
  • 65 bed dormitory (“West Wind“);
  • Dining Hall (“Laurel House“), including conference rooms, guest rooms, meeting area, and large living room with stone fireplace;
  • Non-denominational chapel with historic pipe organ;
  • Library offering a special collection of Appalachian materials;
  • Gift shop for the sale of local crafts;
  • Swimming pool built in 1922-23 and still serving the community;
  • Playground and picnic area;
  • Serving 2000-3000 students (elementary, high school, college and adult) each year in environmental education, offering courses in Ecology, Man in Kentucky, Observation, Conservation, Physical World, Recreation and Skills, and offering evening activities including Astronomy, Night Hikes, Folk Games, Folk Dancing, Library and Storytelling, Movies and Slides, Environmental and Nature Games;
  • Offering continuing education classes for the community, including Exercise, Adult and Children’s Music, Art for Children, Quilting, Choir, and sponsoring activities including Soapmaking, Breadmaking, Christmas Crafts, Community Dances and Holiday gatherings;
  • Additional uses of facilities include conferences, reunions, weddings, concerts, retreats and work camps;
  • Dedicated to education and community service, continually adapting to the changing needs of our region and its people.

P. 5

A SPECIAL INVITATION

The need for additional funds to maintain and operate Pine Mountain Settlement School in the manner befitting the words of William Creech continues to grow with each succeeding year. Most of our buildings, constructed 50-70 years ago, are service worn and in great need of repair and renovation, not only to meet the needs of an expanding program but provide for increasing educational and service demands as we attempt to reach out to mountain children and adults. It is only through your generosity that we are enabled to continue reaching forward to grasp that illusive goal of truth concerning our earth and our role in its future. Your gifts in terms of dollars challenge us to more creatively offer mountain students, young and old, the opportunity to learn from the earth and to understand and appreciate better the rich heritage of our region, and their role of responsible stewardship in its future. We serve and teach through involvement and discovery but we cannot be successful without your enabling generosity, care, and concern. All of us at Pine Mountain Settlement School extend our profound thanks and gratitude for your support in the past and invite you to participate generously in the present.

[Image: Small sketch of two pine trees in mountain setting.]

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Nativity Play  December 11, 1983
January Term  January 3-27, 1984
Elderhostel  March 4-10, 1984 
Wildflower Weekend  April 13-15, 1984
Black Mountain Weekend  May 4-6, 1984
Alumni Work Weekend  May 24-28, 1984
Edible Plants Workshop  June 15-17, 1984
Elderhostel  July 15-21, 1984
[Medicinal] Plants Workshop  August 3-5, 1984
Homecoming  August 11-12, 1984
Fall Color Weekend  October 19-21, 1984 (tentative)

Previous:
NOTES – 1982
Next:
NOTES – 1984

See Also:
ALUMNI RELATIONS 1983 Newsletter
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION 1983 EE Operations 

HISTORY PMSS Summary 1982-1983
HISTORY PMSS Summary 1983-1984

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