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August 2022  

Welcome Friends and Family!  

Every three years it always seems that something 'magical' happens in Greencastle-Antrim. It is something that has happened every three years for the past 120 years since 1902. It is something that is difficult to describe to people who do not live here and who have never attended or participated in any of the week-long events. I've tried to explain it to others not from this area and they just smile and nod their heads, not really understanding.  I have likened it to "Brigadoon," that sleepy, little town, which comes alive every 100 years.  That's not quite it either.  When I read in the Echo-Pilot an account of Old Home Week 1905, it became quite clear, in one word, what Old Home Week is and what makes it so special. The author mentioned the word 'spirit.'  There is an Old Home Week Spirit. It is akin to the Christmas Spirit that everyone feels at that time of the year. It is anticipation. It is anxiousness waiting for the day to come. It is being remarkably busy preparing for family and friends. Everyone has a smile on their face and is cordial. It is looking forward to seeing old friends from childhood – that time in everyone's life when the strongest friendships and bonds are made. It makes one feel good inside. The Old Home Week Spirit takes pride in Greencastle’s and Antrim's history and ancestors, always remembering those who came before us. The Old Home Week Spirit honors our past. If we do not remember our past, then our today, and our future will have no meaning or purpose.   

I hope ‘your’ visit and participation, during Old Home Week 2022, helps you make a connection with your community's past. Catch the Old Home Week Spirit and carry it forward for future generations.   

It is a distinct honor to serve as President of the 41st Triennial Old Home Week celebration. 

Bonnie A. Shockey