Camera Club to become part of history?

Helping to take in photography entries for the 163rd County Fair’s Photo Exhibit and awarding a $10 check to each of the four Best of Show winners may have been the Van Wert Area Photography Club’s last community service project.

The VWAPC can trace its roots back to an organizational meeting at the old Wassenberg Art Center on October 27, 1960, when a nominating committee was charged with presenting a slate of officers at the group’s next meeting.

On November 10, 1960, officers were elected, the first and third Thursdays were set for meetings, and a committee formed to create a constitution and by-laws.   

In 2013, the Wassenberg Camera Club moved with Wassenberg Art Center to its present location in the old armory building. In November 2014, the art center severed its 54-year-old connection to the Camera Club.

As a result, the Wassenberg Camera Club became the Van Wert Area Camera Club. As the years passed, two times a month meetings became once a month and its directory names shrank from 27 to 5. Two of those five came regularly from Cridersville, but with Joe Schramm’s demise, Cheryl Knost no longer has a ride to Van Wert, so now there are only two dues-paying members and one life member.

Before long an invitation will go to present and past club members asking them to meet and offer direction in dispersing the club’s assets and the camera collection that the community has donated toward the club’s camera display that now isn’t going to happen. 

Anyone wanting their donation back should call Rex Dolby at 419.238.4545 (leave a name and number if there’s no answer) to arrange a pick up.