It started with a book about a Lemonade War, continued with fourth grade student at the borough’s elementary school setting up their own lemonade stands for a ‘WAR” , and this year resulted in thousands of dollars for the Shrewsbury First Aid Squad and the Shrewsbury Historical Society.
“ This is clearly an expression of interest in the history of Shrewsbury encouraged by their parents and the staff a Shrewsbury Borough School,” said Historical Society president and former Mayor Donald Burden.
“The funds will be used to build new displays showcasing past history of Shrewsbury,” Burden said.
The funds raised by the Fourth grade students at the elementary school are the result of the second year of what appears to be a new tradition started last year when teacher Tanja Larsen introduced the class to Jacqueline Davies’ book, The Lemonade War”.
The book geared to elementary school age children, is the first in the series of Lemonade novels and focuses on feuding siblings who settled their differences by pitting their lemonade stands against each other to see who was superior.
The teacher thought her class could put the theory into practice by staging their own Lemonade Stand Wars to raise money for local groups. The first year it was the Shrewsbury Hose Company and the Police Department who were the recipients, this year the Historical Society and the First Aid Squad.
The students staffed ten tables for two hours one warm day in August scattered throughout the borough, vying for the honor of selling the most homemade summer drink to aid the two agencies.
Through these efforts, and all the work that preceded setting up an organized Lemonade Stand ‘feud’, students in those two hours raised $4,239.14 and presented the Historical Society with $2,120 and the squad with the other half.
Grateful the Historical Society was selected as one of the two recipients of the charitable cause this year, Burden also said he was not surprised at the enthusiasm for helping the historical society.
“The kids love their visits to the Shrewsbury Historical Society. When they see the donation jar, they ask Why. This is always an opportunity to tell them this place wouldn’t be here for you to enjoy without money to support it,” the society’s president explained. “ I’ve seen kids toss in a dime or a quarter saying thank you,” he said, praising them for carrying their enthusiasm to the lemonade stands on a hot summer day.
Both the 4th and 8th grade students make annual visits to the Historical Society as part of their curriculum, Burden said happily. They also visit on their own because of the museum’s proximity to Shrewsbury’s Athletic fields., he laughed.
“Often kids will come to ask, ‘do you have a bathroom?’ Of course we do. But that also has other advantages, he added, growing serious. “More often than not they don’t leave without taking a look at the exhibits. Then they say, “I want to bring my Mom and Dad here.’
The youngsters have a number of exhibits they particularly enjoy, Burden continued, but clearly, the highlight of most is always the collection of yearbooks from the Shrewsbury Borough School dating back to 1954.
“The kids love to see their parents, cousins, and familiar faces.,” he explained. “They love seeing their current teachers and what they looked like 25 or 30 years ago. As they’re looking through the books, you always hear “ “come see this. Can you believe that it is my teacher today. Look at the hair, look at the dress, and so on. It is so much fun to see their reactions.”
There is no doubt these glimpses into their own past involving people they know today heightens the children’s interest in local history, Burden noted. “Yes, they love the stories. When they hear that where they live was once a horse farm or an azalea nursery, it often generates “tell me more!”
The entire experience and making the local museum accessible and interesting to youngsters provides a lesson about change and growing up,” the historian said, “ and it helps the youngsters remember Shrewsbury will always be a special place in their lives., wherever their journeys take them as they become adults.”
Burden welcomes school groups, adults and anyone who wants to know the foundations of the country, visit the museum and see the variety of both standard exhibits as well as special focus exhibits on display for specific periods of time. As an integral part of the historic Four Corners, the Shrewsbury Historical Society plays a prominent role is what has been referred to as “The Cross Road of Civilization in Monmouth County.” , he said.
Persons wishing to become members of the Historical Society do not have to be borough residents, and all are welcome to join. Further information is available by accessing their website www.shrewsburyhisoricalsocietynj.org. Burden also invites calls to 732 530 7974 for additional information.
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