Out with the Old, In with the New

On Tuesday evening, May 21, 2024, I officially became “the old.” At that time, I relinquished the role of Lincoln Group of DC president, handing the gavel (figuratively, since we do not have an actual gavel) to “the new,” President Ed Epstein. In keeping with our long history, we had a peaceful transition.

I get to stay around as the Immediate Past President of LGDC. Lincoln, as you may recall, had the misfortune of being unceremoniously assassinated less than six weeks into his second term. He never got to see the organization carry on after his tenure was completed. Luckily, I will.

I walk away from the presidency after serving three years in that role. Previously, I had served two non-consecutive terms as VP of Education and Outreach sandwiched around one term as VP of Programs. I was fortunate that during my tenure the Lincoln Forum recognized with their Wendy Allen Award the Lincoln Group of DC’s eight+ decades of contributions to Lincoln scholarship. LGDC also organized, and I had the privilege to emcee, the 2022 Lincoln Memorial Centennial celebration on the National Mall. There have been tours, picnics, special programs, and many dozens of superb presentations – both at dinners and via Zoom. I have also had the opportunity to contribute articles to the Lincolnian newsletter in addition to my regular book review column for the last ten years. I have written many posts for the current website news blog and moderated or presented dozens of LGDC programs. And then there was the privilege of sharing one Saturday morning a month for the last ten years with the members of LGDC’s Study Forum as we dug deep into twenty different Lincoln books (and counting).

In short, it has been a wonderful experience.

You can read more about the Lincoln Group and the new board in an article I wrote for Lincolnian.org, from which this piece is derived.

So, what’s next for me?

To begin with, I’ll still be around the Lincoln Group as Immediate Past President. One task going forward is taking on the role of Historian. I’ll also continue to write for the website and newsletter, as well as other Lincoln organizations’ newsletters and journals. I’ll dig into the Lincoln Group’s files and write a full history. Lincoln is still my main focus for the time being.

But I’ll also be exploring the other aspects of my life that need greater attention. As I wrote in my end of year 2023 Travel Post, I will continue to travel the world. Next up is southern Africa. Next year will likely be South America. The following year, Antarctica. I’m also looking at some domestic trips. One area that I’ve been overlooking is the idea of short “excursions,” day trips to local sites or overnighter trips for slightly less local sites. Knowing me, I’m sure there will be more road trips (like the one to Maine coming up).

Then there is the writing. I mentioned in my 2023 end of year Writing Post that I was working on a book proposal, and that work in progress continues. I’ll also be putting out expanded and updated second editions of my earlier e-books as softcover print books – complete with a ton of new material. With more time, I’ll focus on getting the other partial books completed and out the door. And I already have new ideas for the next books, plus some articles for both Lincoln academic journals and popular media.

With so much more to do, I don’t expect to get bored anytime soon.

[Photo credit: Bruce Guthrie, taken at Lincoln Memorial Centennial, May 22, 2022]