Bicentennial Focus Group Meeting Locations, 2014-2015

Planning for the bicentennial celebration of Missouri’s statehood in 2021 is well under way at the State Historical Society. In an attempt to be as inclusive as possible, SHSMO is conducting a series of focus groups around the state to ask community members for their thoughts on how the bicentennial should be honored. Sessions have been held in Columbia, Hannibal, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield to generate interest in bicentennial events and collect ideas for how to best interpret and commemorate 200 years of Missouri history.

Do you have a great idea? There is still time to participate in the Cape Girardeau or St. Joseph focus group. You can also contribute your ideas here.

In early 2014, the State Historical Society of Missouri’s Bicentennial Committee began holding bicentennial focus group meetings around the state to plan the 200th anniversary of Missouri’s statehood in 2021.

SHSMO’s Bicentennial Committee has planned three more focus group meetings for 2015 and invites the public to attend.

• April 9 at 11:30 a.m. in Kansas City
• June 17 at 12 p.m. in Cape Girardeau
• July 14 at 2:30 p.m. in St. Joseph

We look forward to your participation!

The focus group sessions in Columbia, St. Louis, and Springfield provided for great discussion offering insights into unique regions around the state. These ideas are being compiled and will be compared to what other communities identify as possible bicentennial projects.

This will enable all of us to celebrate what truly makes Missouri so special – our rich and varied history.  Thanks to all shared in the conversation!

On January 24, the State Historical Society of Missouri’s Bicentennial Committee began holding bicentennial focus group meetings to plan the 200th anniversary of Missouri’s statehood in 2021. The pilot meeting, which was held in Hannibal, investigated not only possible statewide initiatives but also potential organizational strategies, community stakeholders, and partnerships.

SHSMO’s Bicentennial Committee has planned three more focus group meetings and invites the public to attend.

• August 19 at 12 p.m. in Columbia
• August 26 at 2:30 p.m. in St. Louis
• December 3 at 11:30 a.m. in Springfield

The Bicentennial Committee anticipates additional focus group meetings will follow. Invitations will be sent electronically, so make sure your information is up-to-date if you would like to take part in the planning. Contact SHSMO at contact@missouri2021.org or 573.882.7083 to verify your email address.

Missouri’s 200th birthday is seven years away as the state officially entered the Union on August 10, 1821. Nonetheless, the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO) is already at work planning for the festivities. SHSMO’s Bicentennial Committee held a focus group meeting on January 24 with Society members and organizations in northeast Missouri. The objective was to begin incorporating the area’s unique history into the statewide bicentennial plans and to develop relationships with local organizations.

“Who better understands the vibrant history of our region than the museums, genealogical societies, and other organizations that help us celebrate it every day?” said Judge Robert Clayton III, a member of the SHSMO board of trustees. “Groups like our host, the Mark Twain Museum, are invaluable resources to help plan a comprehensive approach for the bicentennial.”

The pilot meeting investigated not only possible statewide initiatives but also potential organizational strategies, community stakeholders, and partnerships.

“The focus group was really a fact-finding mission,” Clayton said. “We are glad that so many organizations took part in this exploration of how the state commemorations can support the local ones. A true celebration of Missouri and all its unique facets is complex, but that is the goal. Our diversity is a large part of our story.”

The Bicentennial Committee anticipates additional focus group meetings will follow. Invitations will be sent electronically, so make sure your information is up-to-date if you would like to take part in the planning. Contact SHSMO at shsofmo@umsystem.edu or 573.882.7083 to verify your email address.