It Was Go-To-Meeting-Day in Oysterville!

Inside the  vhurch — Oysterville’s Meeting House

Today is Memorial-Day-Weekend-Saturday — traditionally when the people of Oysterville gather at the church, using it as a “meeting house” in the traditional sense of the expression.  The tradition began in the 1950s or 1960s when family members returned to their local “roots” to join with others in placing flowers at the cemetery in preparation for “Decoration Day” as it was called early on.

Soon it became a time for talking about town concerns in the “now that I have you altogether” sort of way.  And, as those “concerns” grew and we became more organized, the various “organizations” began to establish times and agendas and encouraged every household to send at least one representative.  Today’s meetings included:
9:00 a.m. Oysterville Water
10:00 a.m.  Oysterville Restoration Foundation
11:00 a.m.  Oysterville Cemetery Association

Some of us, but not all, attended all three meetings.  Every single one was interesting, informative, and civil — I enjoyed them all.  That has not always been the case.

Entrance, Oysterville Cemetery

Of course, we haven’t had Saturday-Go-To-Meeting-Day in Oysterville since before the onslaught of Covid.  And the last two we had before that were a bit tense — one involving a “take-over”attempt by a group of newcomers and outsiders and the next year the promise of Security (with a capital S) should things get out of control.  I doubt that I was the only one who wondered how today would go.  But it was smooth as Willapa Bay becalmed!

For the first time in quite a while, I felt a glimmer of hope for our little community —  the Historic District and our Douglas Drive Neighborhood and the folks out towards the weather beach and Leadbetter Point.  Perhaps — just perhaps — we can keep our indivduality, our sense of history and purpose, and incorporate the best parts of the future as they come along.  We can but hope…

 

Leave a Reply