Emory Grove United Methodist Church is hosting a memory-sharing event on Friday, April 18, from 11am-2pm. The event is a collaboration between Emory Grove UMC, Heritage Emory Grove, and Montgomery Parks.
All are welcome to attend and encouraged to share memories about the Emory Grove community. These could be stories from decades ago or from just a few years ago. Participants can participate in recorded audio sessions, have a photographic portrait taken, and/or bring documents and photos to be scanned. Contributions will strengthen the historical record of Emory Grove and be an invaluable resource for educational projects that share this history with others, including in the upcoming renovation of Johnson’s Park.
Pre-register with this form to donate material. This is not required, but will help staff prepare for the event.
Click here to pre-register for a recording session.
FAQs
Q: What will the recording sessions be like?
A: You’ll be in a quiet room in the church’s admin building with the session facilitator and recording equipment. If you have a story in mind, great. If not, don’t worry, the facilitator will ask you a prompt or two to get things going.
Q: Can I do a recording session with a friend?
A: Yes. We ask that sessions be limited to no more than two participants.
Q: What will happen to my recording?
A: You will receive a copy. Montgomery Parks is conducting the recording but will not be the final repository. The goal is for the material to be securely stored, preserved, and made available to the community, researchers, and for non-commercial educational purposes. It may be deposited in a local archive such as the Sandy Spring Slave Museum and/or Montgomery History. You will be asked to sign a release form that indicates how the recorded material may be used.
Q: What kinds of material should I bring to be scanned?
A: Photographs and documents such as letters, journals, newspaper clippings, posters, etc. Any material that you feel shows life, events, and places in Emory Grove. It could be related to concerts at the dance pavilion in Johnson’s Park or the Du Drop Inn, baseball games, school events, camp meetings, Community Day, or family photos.
Q: What if I have a lot of material?
A: Please feel free to be in touch in advance. We may request that you leave the items with Parks staff to be scanned in the following days. Arrangements can then be made to return the material once the scanning is complete.
Q: What will happen to the digital scans of my documents and photographs?
A: You will receive a copy for your records. Montgomery Parks is administering the scanning but will not be the final repository. The goal is for the material to be securely stored, preserved, and made available to the community, researchers, and for non-commercial educational purposes. It may be deposited in a local archive such as the Sandy Spring Slave Museum and/or Montgomery History. You will be asked to sign a release form that indicates how the scanned material may be used.
Q: What else should I know about scanning?
A: You will be asked to fill out an information form related to the materials you bring. You’ll be asked to identify, to the best of your knowledge, details such names of people, approximate date, place, photographer, etc.
Q: I have digital material I would like to donate. What should I do?
A: Please contact UntoldStories@montgomeryparks.org or call 301.563.7533 with a brief description of your material. Staff will work with you on a secure way to transfer the files and complete related paperwork.
If you have further questions or would like to arrange a time to meet with staff to donate a larger quantity of materials, please contact UntoldStories@montgomeryparks.org or 301.563.7533.