As hard as it is to believe 2013 has arrived and the new year is already shaping up to be one of change, restoration, rehabilitation and continued education.

The Richmond Hill Historical Society Officers, Board of Directors and members share a common goal. We all understand the importance of keeping Richmond Hill, Bryan Neck and Bryan County’s history alive and accessible to the public. Our region has an amazingly rich, unique and interesting past. Our marshlands and uplands are filled with stories waiting to be told. We are always on the lookout for new information and old tales.

The Richmond Hill Museum is stewarded by the Richmond Hill Historical Society. Through the hard work of our volunteer docents, members and the largess of the Richmond Hill City Council, the doors are able to stay open to the public five days a week. You can wander through the museum on your own or ask for a guided tour. Our historical records are available for research.

We are constantly looking for ways to improve the museum and its displays. In the last year, the subject of maintaining the building has been at the forefront of our endeavors. We are now on Savannah Tech’s Restoration Programs list of projects for 2013. The start date is in late February of this year.

The speaker line up for 2013 is already filling up. Buddy Sullivan kicks off our 2013 lecture series on Thursday. Buddy will be talking about the Civil War and Bryan County.

Continuing in the Civil War vein for the Feb. 7 meeting, documentary film maker Michael Jordan will be presenting his latest documentary on The March to the Sea and Savannah.

Mar. 7 we have author and speaker Sally Robinson, a native of Dafuskie Island, talking about her childhood growing up on the island and what it was like to be one of Pat Conroy’s students when he taught on the island. Conroy’s experiences were recorded in his book, “The Water is Wide.” Sallie has a recently published cookbook filled with her island recipes. She will be bringing copies along with her for a book signing event after her presentation.

April 4, Armstrong Atlantic State University historian and professor Chris Hendricks will be at the Richmond Hill Museum to discuss Savannah and its’ unique architecture.

January begins our membership drive. Without its members, neither the Historical Society nor the Richmond Hill Museum would or could exist.

I am looking forward to seeing each of you this Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Richmond Hill Museum to watch Buddy start the ball rolling for the 2013 Richmond Hill Historical Society and Museum’s coming year.

As you can see, we are hitting the ground running in 2013.

Sarah Volker is the president of the Richmond Hill Historical Society.