Kansas 150: Commemorating Our State's History

Last Friday I attended a planning meeting of Kansas 150, a group planning activities and events to commemorate the Kansas Sesquicentennial in 2011. About 150 people attended (coincidentally!).

The meeting was hosted by the Kansas Historical Society, and the conveners included the Governor's Cultural Affairs Committee, made up of KHS, Kansas Humanities Council, Kansas Arts Commission, and Kansas Travel & Tourism. After short presentations by the conveners, the group divided into regions to talk about ideas. More on that in a minute.

Kansas 150 is called a "commemoration" instead of a "celebration" because, as we all know, there have been people living on the plains long before "Kansas" existed. For them, life changed considerably when settlers moved in during the 1800s, not always for the better. It's important to have their perspectives included as we reflect on the past 150 years and look toward the future.

Back to the ideas generated by the group, which included people from across the state and many walks of life. The Kansas Barn Alliance proposed that its members paint the snazzy 150 logo on its barns, to show the progression of Kansas agriculture. Other ideas included monthly potlucks to talk about Kansas history and the future; essay contests or blogs for school kids; a DVD on important Kansas legal cases or issues; intergenerational programs; a Kansas balloon race; Arbor Day activities at the State Capitol; showcasing the diverse jobs Kansans do; having a statewide school flag-raising ceremony on Kansas Day; touring Kansas films; events along the Kansas Scenic Byways; special geocaching events in our state parks; and more.

What are your ideas? The next meeting is in November and is open to the public, so put your thinking caps on!

Comments (1)

Guy Coffee

Dear Sir/Madam: I strongly urge the Kansas Sesquicentennial Commission to consider having a medal minted to help celebrate this grand occasion. Maybe involve school students in it's design and have a medal advisory subcommittee make recommendations on which design(s) to consider.

This could be a money making project.

Posted by Guy Coffee | September 18, 2009 2:39 PM

Posted on September 18, 2009 14:39

Post your own comment

Name:

Email Address:

Remember personal info?

(To create links here or for style, you may wish to use HTML tags in your comments) We want to know what you think. Feel free to share whatever you'd like to:

Menu

Shortcuts

Frequent Contributors