Organization Description
Created in 1938, the Fort Henry Guard was the brainchild of Ronald Way, the Director of Fort Henry from 1936 to 1965. His revolutionary idea to put costumed interpreters on the site to inform and entertain visitors was new at the time and is now considered an essential part of virtually every major historic site.
For more than 85 years, the Fort Henry Guard has earned an international reputation for its performance of precision military drills. During the famous Sunset Ceremonies that take place at Fort Henry each summer, the Drums, Squad, and Artillery come together to bring the fort to life.
The Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada (FHGCC) was incorporated in 1988 and serves as the alumni organization of former members of the Fort Henry Guard. The FHGCC operates as a member-based non-profit organization, and a separate charitable arm (the Fort Henry Guard Foundation) provides direct support to the current FHG. Governed by a volunteer board of directors with representation from a variety of industries (arts and culture, law, finance, engineering, audit, government, education, and consultancy), we have members across Canada, the United States, and around the world who have limited access to physical collections and in-person events, but who have a strong connection to Fort Henry.
Project Details
As we enter a new strategic planning cycle, our priorities are to:
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Expand our online presence to provide greater value for both members of the general public with an interest in Canadian heritage as well as our organization members.
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Implement an advocacy strategy to raise awareness among local stakeholders and lobby for increased funding to support historical interpretation at Fort Henry NHS during the summer season.
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Find governance and operations processes to engage club membership in committee work, to expand capacity for events, advocacy, fundraising, member services, and other priorities.
Project Goals
The FHGCC has many valuable Canadian heritage resources in the form of physical and archival materials. How might we:
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Better understand the historical importance of our physical and archival resources?
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Innovatively digitally construct our physical and archival resources in a comprehensive way?
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Showcase these resources for a range of audiences (eg members/public) across different locations (eg local/national/international)?
Project Type: Project submitted by organization
Deliverables: Presentation Report Communication Plan
Estimated number of hours: 10 hours
Frequency of project discussion meetings: Weekly in the beginning, then as needed
Contact Details
Want to learn more about this project or organization? Contact the Experiential Learning & Programming Team asc.el@queensu.ca with your name and the title of the project of interest.