This summer, NYCHAPS hosted an in-service day for teachers from the Northern York County School District. The visit was part of a continuing community outreach between the two groups. Representatives from NYCHAPS have been working with school district administration to provide resources that will supplement the history curriculum and enrich learning for students in our community.

NYCHAPS continues to be busy through August and September with WWII Day, Big Band Dance, Balderdash, and Ag Day. Keep your events card at hand or keep checking our website to be in the know.

New and continuing projects include a proposed addition to the Dill’s barn that will contain our archaeological relics display, a proposed land development plan for the new plantation property, a strengthened commitment to the Dillsburg Farmer’s Market, development of the proposed access to the property from Route 15, and a number of new events at both Maple Shade Barn and the Dill’s Tavern.

Looking back over 2016, there are many things I am grateful for. We continued offering great events and hands-on educational experiences for school children, all while expanding our events calendar to feature new favorites like Oysterfest and the Honey & the Hog Festival. I am very fortunate to have such a dedicated group of volunteers to call on for any number things. Your commitment to this organization not only fuels my passion, and is infectious to newcomers visiting our properties for the first time.

I want to include a few thoughts in this newsletter as I have seen this organization develop over all these years. My first thought is on volunteers. Our organization needs volunteers — our events are gaining more attention, and we need more help. Our traditional cadre of volunteers is aging and otherwise being slowed down by various maladies. We need young, healthy, and motivated volunteers.

I would first like to thank everyone who came out for Honey & The Hog Festival and made it such a great day for our community. It was great partnering with New Hope Ministries, Ferrante’s Pizza, Waterwheel Tea, Good Keeper Farm, Larsen Meadworks, Metropolis Collective and the Dillsburg Farmer’s Market vendors. This type of collaborative event allowed us to create something greater than our individual efforts could achieve.