101 people came to this year’s annual meeting/luncheon/social –
if you missed it, you missed a great time!
The Lafayette Society held its 39th Annual Luncheon Meeting and Social on Sunday March 1 at Skyview on Hay in Downtown Fayetteville. Over 100 members and guests visited with each other and enjoyed a lunch of small plates and mimosas, while the smooth sounds of the talented Thiriot family played in the background.
The program began with the singing of the American and French national anthems by Kaitlyn Woodrow and Dr. Gail Morfesis, followed by a letter congratulating the Lafayette Society on its good work from the North Carolina Governor, read by State Senator Kirk Deviere. After a toast to Fayetteville by the Marquis de Lafayette himself, members of the Fayetteville State Black History Scholars Association were recognized by Mayor Mitch Colvin.
Following this, several speakers enlightened and entertained the assemblage with brief, informative talks. Julien Icher from Carcassonne, France, presented information on the Lafayette Trail Project, which will commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lafayette’s much-celebrated visit to America as “Guest of the Nation” in 1824-25. His computer mapping project will be accompanied by a series of highway markers in all 25 states visited by Lafayette. Dr. Lloyd Kramer, former Dean Smith Chair of History at UNC-Chapel Hill, reflected on his work at Cornell University with Stanley Idzerda, who edited Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution. This five-volume set, published in 1981, remains the most complete collection of the letters written by Lafayette. Chuck Schwam from Gaithersburg, Maryland, treasurer of the American Friends of Lafayette, talked about that organization’s activities, including their annual meeting which will be held in June at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. Membership is open to the public and attendees will be able to enjoy special guided tours of the academy and nearby historic sites associated with the Revolutionary War. Lafayette Society members wishing to attend should visit the American Friends of Lafayette website.
There are no requirements to join the Lafayette Society other than a desire to promote Lafayette’s legacy of patriotism, generosity, and leadership in the Fayetteville community and beyond. Everyone is welcome to become a member! The annual luncheon meeting and social is held every year on the first Sunday of March, and we celebrate Lafayette’s birthday every September on the weekend after Labor Day. You can become a member online, or download a paper form that you can mail. We hope to see you at a Lafayette event soon!
Please join us on Sunday, March 1, 2020
for this year’s luncheon social!
If you haven’t received your invitation and dues renewal form in the mail, please let us know! New this year: you can RSVP, renew your membership, and donate securely online via PayPal! (No PayPal account required.)
Chuck Schwam will bring his boundless energy as he invites everyone to attend the annual meeting of the American Friends of Lafayette this June – on the campus of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point! Young Frenchman Julien Icher will give an update on the Lafayette Trail, a project to map Lafayette’s travels in the United States during his 1824-1825 tour as “The Nation’s Guest.”
Doors open at noon with hearty appetizers and complimentary wine and mimosas, followed by an informative, entertaining (and not too long!) program at 1:00. Please join us to hear how Lafayette’s legacy of patriotism, leadership, and generosity is making a positive impact in our community, our nation, and our world!
2019 Lafayette Birthday Celebration
This is North Carolina’s official Lafayette Birthday Celebration, as recognized by the NC General Assembly and the United States House and Senate! Held annually in Fayetteville, NC, the first city to be named for Lafayette (1783).
Most events for the Lafayette Birthday Celebration remain as scheduled. The Lafayette Trail Tour will take place Saturday morning September 7 and there are still some tickets left. Purchase at City Center Gallery & Books or call 910-678-8899 or visit www.lafayettesociety.org. The other events Saturday are free – Festival of Yesteryear: Revolution on the Cape Fear from 10am to 5pm at the Museum of the Cape Fear, and French wine-tasting from 6:00-8pm at the Wine Café. Friday’s events have changed – the French music concert at 7pm has been moved to St. John’s Episcopal Church while Letters from the Battlefield at Methodist University has been rescheduled to Friday September 13 at 5:30pm. Concert tickets are still available online or at City Center Gallery & Books. Please check back with our website and at our Facebook page for the latest event information.
Arias and Artifacts at Methodist University (5400 Ramsey Street)
Changes due to Hurricane Dorian:
Concert will now be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church (302 Green St, Fayetteville, NC 28301), still at 7:00 pm Friday, September 6.
Free reception and program at Davis Memorial Library has been postponed until Friday, September 13 (still at 5:30 pm). Come learn about Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette and Fayetteville native PFC Bill Shaw – two young men determined to fight for liberty on foreign soil. Afterwards, cross the quad for a lively concert of French and American music at 7 pm. Concert tickets are only $10 ($5 for students with ID) and may be purchased online or by phone at City Center Gallery & Books, 910-678-8899
Lafayette Trail Tour
In 1824 and 1825 Lafayette toured America as “the Nation’s Guest.” Join historian Bruce Daws on a guided tour as he intrigues guests with fascinating but true stories about Lafayette’s visit to Fayetteville and the early history of our city. The tour begins at the Museum of the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry with coffee and croissants and a close-up look at Lafayette’s 1825 carriage. After the tour, enjoy a light lunch and a rare glimpse inside Phoenix Masonic Lodge #8, which Lafayette visited in 1825.
Expect some walking along with riding in a comfortable air-conditioned bus. Advance reservations are required. Tickets are $30 ($25 for students, teachers, and Lafayette Society members) and may be purchased at City Center Gallery & Books or by calling 910-678-8899. (Regular price tickets may also be purchased online.) The Lafayette Trail Tour is supported by the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum and the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Want to know more? Check out this preview!
Revolution on the Cape Fear (Museum of the Cape Fear, Arsenal Park)
Focusing on early America, this program features living historians, hands on activities for kids, musical performances, and more. Our special guest this year will be James Armistead Lafayette, an enslaved man who was a double agent during the Revolutionary War. Be sure to check out “Camp Lafayette” under the tents near the performance stage, where there will be free cake and ice cream (while supplies last) at 1:00 pm.
The Wine Café (108 Hay Street)
“Party like you’re in Paris!” with a FREE wine tasting experience at Fayetteville’s premier watering-hole, the Wine Café. Owner Angie Malave will have a great selection of excellent but affordable French wines to purchase after tasting. Also be sure to check out her sleek automatic wine dispensing stations – tres modérne!
Leaving Slavery
In 1775, slavery was legal everywhere in the Americas. By 1890, it was legal nowhere. Key to this dramatic change was the Haitian Revolution of 1789-1804, the most successful rebellion of enslaved people in the history of the world.
On Wednesday February 6, 2019 from 6pm to 7:30pm, the Lafayette Society and the Fayetteville State University Black History Scholars Association will co-host a presentation on the Haitian Revolution by Dr. Robert Taber. We hope you will attend to learn more about the Revolution and to support the Lafayette Society as it fulfills its mission to provide educational opportunities! An RSVP to hankparfitt@embarqmail.com would be greatly appreciated.
Dr. Taber, an Assistant Professor of History at FSU, will introduce his audience to the major events, themes, and personalities of the revolution, the struggles and joys of liberation and reconstruction, and the ways the Haitian Revolution influenced the coming U.S. Civil War. This event is free and open to the public and will be held in the Rudolph Jones Student Center on the FSU campus. Enter at the main campus entrance (near Seabrook Auditorium, across from Bronco Square). The student center is a quarter-mile straight ahead on the left. Parking for the event is free in the commuting student lot directly across from the student center.
Dr. Taber has taught courses on United States, African American, Latin American, and French history since 2016. He is an active member of the Lafayette Society board of directors. The Lafayette Society is proud to partner with FSU in this educational endeavor and we know that Lafayette himself would approve!
Annual Luncheon Social
March 3, 2019
Follow “The Sound of Music” to SkyView on Hay at 12:30 pm on Sunday, March 3 for the Lafayette Society’s annual luncheon social. “The Amazing Thiriots” – Fayetteville’s very own version of the von Trapp Family – will make a musical contribution to the festive atmosphere while we nosh and socialize, then entertain you with a short but captivating program afterwards. Reservation forms will be in your mailbox soon. Can’t wait? (or misplaced your form) – You can download a fresh one here!
Wondering what the Lafayette Society has been up to this year? Check out our Happenings pictorial below!
2018 Lafayette Birthday Celebration
The 11th annual Lafayette Birthday Celebration was held September 7th and 8th in downtown Fayetteville and at Methodist University. (Put the 2019 Celebration on your calendar now – September 6th and 7th!)
Arias and Artifacts at Methodist University (5400 Ramsey Street)
Come celebrate Lafayette’s Polish connections! At 5:30pm, join us to nosh on Polish delights and get a close-up view of items in the Methodist University Lafayette Collection at Davis Memorial Library. The spotlight this year is on the newest letter in the collection, a rare draft of a circa-1830 letter from Lafayette to the Polish support committee in Paris. At 6:00pm, history professor Dr. Lloyd Kramer, Director of Carolina Public Humanities at UNC Chapel Hill, will give a short gallery talk about the letter and Lafayette’s interest in the Polish revolution. For more information, email Arleen Fields. The library program will wrap up in plenty of time for you to stroll across the quad to Hensdale Chapel for the “Arias.”
For the Arias portion of the evening, Dr. Gail Morfesis and Friends will present an hour-long concert of vocal and instrumental music by French composers in Hensdale Chapel. It will include a tribute to Poland’s favorite son Chopin to commemorate Lafayette’s support of the Polish revolution (see above!). Dr. Morfesis, a classically-trained soprano, has designed the program to be an entertaining, fast-paced event.
As usual, Dr. Morfesis has assembled a stunning array of professional talent, including heralded Russian pianist Anastasia Popova Bryant. Other performers include Dr. Larry Wells, trumpeter with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, young musical prodigies, and international pianists Jesse Davis, Lawrence Quinett, and Amanda Virelles.
Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door, but advance purchase is recommended. To purchase tickets, stop by City Center Gallery & Books in downtown Fayetteville or call the shop at 910-678-8899. (Methodist University students admitted free; other students $5.)
Festival of Yesteryear (801 Arsenal Avenue)
Focusing on early America, this program features living historians, hands on activities for kids, musical performances, “The Death of Blackbeard” colonial puppet show, and the Lafayette Birthday cake cutting. Living historians demonstrate various aspects of daily life including spinning, woodworking, crime and punishment, music, toys and games, Native American craft and hunting demonstrations, and militia drills. Be sure to visit Apprentice Alley, where children can participate and learn a variety of trades through hands on crafts and activities. Musical performances by the Cross Creek Pipes and Drums, Life as Art Production’s “African Spirituals: Freedom Prayers,” and musical historian Simon Spalding.
Be sure to check out “Camp Lafayette” under the tents near the Festival of Yesteryear performance stage! There you will find a display on Lafayette in Fayetteville in 1825, fun learning activities, and a Lafayette cut-out for novelty photos. There will be a meet-and-greet and book signing with author Jeffrey Finegan from Finesville, New Jersey, from 10am to 2pm. He has written a series of books for young adults about George Washington from the perspective of other historical figures, including Lafayette. Also, Lafayette “Rock Concert” tee shirts (very trendy) will be available for purchase. And, of course, what’s a birthday party without a cake? Free cake and ice cream will be served (while supplies last) after the cake cutting at 1:00 pm.
Admission to the event and all activities are FREE! Activities take place in Arsenal Park located in the Haymount Historic District, at Arsenal Ave/Myrover Street, minutes from downtown Fayetteville. For more information, visit museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov, find us on Facebook @MuseumoftheCapeFear or call (910) 500-4240.
This project is supported by the Arts Council in part by contributions from businesses, individuals, and through grants from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and the NC Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Cultural Resources. Additional funds provided by the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex Foundation, Inc. For more information, visit www.ncdcr.gov/ncmcf.
City Center Gallery & Books (112 Hay Street)
If you didn’t get to meet him at the Festival of Yesteryear, drop by City Center Gallery & Books between 4:00 and 6:00pm for a reception with author Jeffrey Finegan from Finesville, New Jersey. His historical fiction, which centers around George Washington, has become popular with young adult readers – and grownups too! The narrator in each of his three books is an historical figure and, in his latest, it just happens to be Lafayette! Free refreshments will be served.
While there, check out the area’s largest selection of books written on Lafayette and get a copy of the 1825 “Lafayette Map” of Fayetteville. Also, meet popular artist Caroline Merino and see her unique painting of the Market House on a replica of the Lafayette Map and other “Lafayette Art.”
The Wine Café (108 Hay Street)
After a fulfilling day of history and fun, it is time to “Party like you’re in Paris!” Enjoy a FREE wine tasting experience with the experts at Fayetteville’s premier watering-hole, The Wine Café, and socialize with friends as you compare “notes.” Small plates of French cheeses will also be available for purchase. Adding to your enjoyment will be a musical performance by the “Amazing Thiriot Family.” This talented troupe will get your feet tapping and put a smile on your face. It all adds up to a delightful evening in Historic Downtown Fayetteville.
There is no admission charge and no reservations are required, but come early because this popular event always fills up fast. Be sure to take some wine home with you too! Remember, French wines are actually very affordable – and they are the real thing. Also, ask about store discounts when you buy a six-pack or a case!
The Wine Café is located at 108 Hay Street across from the Market House. Convenient free parking is located around Market Square or just one block away in Fayetteville’s newest, architectural award-winning parking deck (drive in from Franklin Street).
Annual Meeting and Social – March 4, 2018
If you missed it – You missed a great time!
On Sunday March 4, SkyView on Hay in Historic Downtown Fayetteville was the setting for a lively gathering of over 100 members of the Lafayette Society and guests for our 38th annual meeting. Special guests included 12 members of the Fayetteville State University Black History Club. Most attendees began arriving early to enjoy visiting with friends old and new, while sampling a variety of delicious “small plates” along with complimentary wine, mimosas, and iced tea. This new format was devised in 2017 after a survey of members showed the majority favored a shorter program, lighter fare, and more time to socialize.
After a full hour of socializing while “noshing” on a variety of delicious small plates, guests settled in for a short program that included a performance and discussion of early American music by Simon Spalding from New Bern.
After Dr. Gail Morfesis led the attendees in a spirited singing of the American and the French national anthems, the program began with the introduction of board members elected in the past year (Ferd Irizarry, Rob Taber, and Weyher Dawson) and recognition of retiring board member Mithu Chaudhuri. Mithu and her husband Dr. Debi Chaudhuri are founding members of the Lafayette Society.
CSM Robert Teagle and his wife Christy (left), along with members of the FSU Black History Club and club president Douglas Ballard (center, in white suit), talk with professional musician Simon Spalding. He is showing one of several stringed instruments he played for the audience, a replica of the earliest known version of the banjo, which was developed in Africa and brought to this country by slaves.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the introduction of the The Medaille Lafayette, an award for leadership in the military developed by the Lafayette Society. This award was a 2-year project of the Finance and Grants Committee, whose members include Ferd Irizarry, Gwen Melton, Franklin Clark, and Hank Parfitt. Staff from the Noncommissioned Officers Academy at Ft. Bragg (Curtis Price, CSM Robert Teagle, and SGM James Putman) were honored for their invaluable service in helping bring this project to fruition. Ferd Irizarry, who acted as the liaison between Ft. Bragg and the Society, explained that the award is given to the top graduate of an intensive 3-week leadership course for Special Operations Forces. The leadership course is required for soldiers who are eligible for promotion to the rank of Master Sergeant or E-8, the second highest rank for noncommissioned officers.
Simon Spalding, a professional musician and historian from New Bern, entertained the crowd with a medley of songs that might have entertained Lafayette in France or here in this country, along with a running commentary about the history of that music. The audience even sang along during the refrain from an old sea shanty. Simon played authentic stringed instruments from the period, including a replica of the earliest known banjo, developed in Africa and brought by slaves to America.
Society members Linda McAlister and Jan Anderson visited with Simon after the annual meeting. Jan brought in an antique banjo that she had acquired in her many travels to show to Simon. He determined that it has the earmarks of an instrument made in the North Carolina mountains and estimated its age at over 100-years old.
The program concluded at 2:15pm, although many attendees lingered to visit with one another or with Simon Spalding.
If you haven’t renewed your membership for 2018 we encourage you to do so so that you can stay in touch and learn about the upcoming opportunities that give Lafayette Society members the chance to learn and socialize at the same time!
Members of the FSU Black History Club pose with Professor Rob Taber (left) and lecturer Diane Shaw (center). Club president Douglas Ballard and Lafayette Society president Hank Parfitt are on the right.
“I have been so long the friend of Emancipation” –
Lafayette, Slavery, and Human Rights
The Lafayette Society and the FSU Black History Club
host a presentation on Lafayette and slavery
The Lafayette Society has enjoyed a long relationship with Fayetteville’s Methodist University, where numerous Lafayette artifacts and mementos are housed. One year ago, the Society’s Board of Directors also expressed an interest in forging a relationship with Fayetteville State University (FSU). FSU is an HBCU (Historically Black College and University) that was founded in 1867. An ad hoc committee met with Dr. Rob Taber, a history professor at FSU whose specialty is the Atlantic slave trade and Colonial life in the French colonies. With Rob’s assistance, arrangements were made for the school’s Black History Club and the Lafayette Society to co-host Diane Shaw, Director for Special Collections and College Archives at Lafayette College, for a guest lecture.
Diane Shaw and FSU students talk history before lunch in the student center.
On Tuesday February 27 on the FSU campus, Ms. Shaw presented her lecture “I have been so long the friend of Emancipation”: Lafayette, Slavery, and Human Rights to members of the Black History Club, other FSU students and faculty, and members of the Lafayette Society. Ms. Shaw also joined about 10 members of the club for lunch in the school cafeteria, where the students eagerly plied her with numerous questions about a career in history education or library science. In turn, they told her about the club’s recent activities, including a project to coordinate an annual Black History Quiz Bowl for area high schools.
For the Lafayette Society, this was an excellent opportunity to reach a number of young people with a message about Lafayette’s place in history. The response by the students has been very positive and enthusiastic and more projects involving FSU are planned for the future. In fact, a dozen club members joined the Lafayette Society and attended our annual luncheon meeting a week after the lecture!
Our organization’s new relationship with FSU also opens the door to public discussion about Lafayette’s staunch opposition to slavery and other forms of human oppression. It will also provide an opportunity to educate the public about Lafayette’s purchase of a South American plantation and its slaves as part of a noble experiment to eliminate slavery. At a time when issues of race divide our nation, it is crucial that this history be told accurately and that we help people understand why Lafayette was a hero to the abolitionists long after his death.
Long-time Fayetteville Observer staff writer and columnist Myron Pitts wrote an article on Ms. Shaw’s presentation which appeared on March 1st. It is well worth the reading.
(To access the article, you can also type __Myron Pitts Lafayette__ into the search box at the Fayetteville Observer online, or copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://www.fayobserver.com/news/20180228/myron-b-pitts-fsu-speaker-recounts-lafayettes-stance-against-slavery).
2017 Lafayette Birthday Celebration
Click on the slide show below to view photos of some of our 2017 events!
