Rookie Chapter of the Year

The Tar Heel Junior Historian Association began the Rookie Chapter of the Year award in 1991 to recognize a first-year junior historian chapter that exhibits enthusiasm for the association’s goals of promoting local and state history. The winner of this year’s award has worked with its local history museum on several projects, including Tea with Emeline, honoring Emeline Pigott, a local Civil War spy, and The Pirate Punch, featuring local pirate Capt. Horatio Sinbad. But the club’s most impressive work has been its partnership with the History Place in interviewing local senior citizens about World War II as part of the History Place’s “Save Our History” grant from the History Channel. Club members have spent time researching the era, developing questions, and conducting oral history interviews. Their work on this project will be part of a museum exhibit about the community’s contributions during World War II. The 2008 Rookie Chapter of the Year is Morehead Elementary School THJHA, Morehead City Elementary School and the History Place, Morehead City, Carol Smith and Dr. Rita Mullins, advisers.