Recap: Business After Hours at the Stuie a Breezy Celebration
Following weeks of inconsistent weather, guests who attended the Chamber’s April Business After Hours at the Stuart Tank Memorial Association’s Museum experienced a real treat – cool and breezy without a cloud in the sky, the weather was perfect for an event which spanned both the exterior and interior of the facility which serves as a tribute to those who served in World War II. The museum was on full display for the nearly sixty guests who stopped in to network and make connections, and that nearly perfect weather allowed the Association’s Board of Directors to do something very, very cool – they opened the Kawneer-built glass doors directly in front of the Stuart tank which is on permanent loan to them from the National Museum of the Marine Corps. This one, simple act made the entire museum come to life, and magnified the experience for all who got lost in their surroundings.
As guests moved across the interior of the museum, they observed the newly painted mural of the production line of AC&F and stood beside a WWII era flamethrower. First time guests of the museum - parents and grandparents alike- could be heard mumbling, “I had no idea…I’ve got to bring the (grand) kids here.” Stopping by to chat with Patti Leighow and Freas Farm Winery and enjoy some of their wine, guests were also enraptured in the tales of the museum benefactors, and how it came to be filled with generous donations from across the community.
At every turn, there was something new and wonderful to see, and once guests walked through museum, they were also treated to a more temporary but no less impressive visual. A 10x10 pop-up tent covered from wall to wall with photos of the restoration of “Lady Lois” (who expects to make her restored debut later this year), adorned the front yard alongside a war-era Jeep.
When Chamber members weren’t talking about the museum itself, or reveling in the stories told by our hosts, they enjoyed discussing the 1940’s attire donned by Stuart Tank Memorial Association Board members donned 1940’s and the goodie bags complete with ‘40’s era candy, and branded M&Ms (complete with tiny tanks in place of M’s)!
Special thanks to all who attended, and especially to the gracious hosts at the Stuart Tank Memorial Association who put on a fantastic after hours in celebration of the first anniversary of this marvelous museum, and the 80th anniversary of the last tank to roll off the line!