2008 Annual CRATOS Membership Meeting
CRATOS members gathered for the 2008 annual membership meeting, the first full meeting of the organization since the June 2008 flooding severely damaged the Wurlitzer and Barton organs.
Members present enjoyed food, music, and conversation prior to the start of the annual meeting. Father Joe Roost provided entertainment on an Allen R211 donated for the occasion by chapter president Darren Ferreter. After the meal, prepared by Jackie MacVey, Darren Ferreter and Ralph McDowell, the meeting commenced.
Darren Ferreter took the membership through a review of pre-flood activities, including the April 2008 Pipe Organ Encounter with organist Steven Ball. After reviewing the business at hand, Darren presented a report on the experiences since June 12, 2008, when the floodwaters of the Red Cedar River innundated downtown Cedar Rapids and changed the focus of CRATOS from preservation to recovery and restoration.
Many of the photos found in the CRATOS Gallery were displayed, along with updates on both CRBI (Cedar Rapids Barton Inc.), CRATOS, and available information from the City of Cedar Rapids on the fate of the city-owned Wurlitzer and Paramount Theatre.
Special recognition for their involvement in the theatre organ, and with the Paramount’s Mighty Wurlitzer in particular, were presented to two long-standing members of CRATOS. George Baldwin and Jim Olver (unable to attend) were provided with commerative plaques in recognition of their service and support.
The meeting closed with the challenges of the organization clearly identified. All members and the public must come together to ensure that the Mighty Wurlitzer and Rhinestone Barton are restored and returned to their original homes so that they might entertain future generations and restore Cedar Rapids to it’s unique place as one of the few cities left in the world with two theatre organs in their original homes.
