Founder's Day Celebrates 100 Years of Civic Association Service

The used its annual Founder’s Day celebration to honor a community group’s 100-year dedication to the borough.

The Haddonfield Civic Association took center stage at the historical society’s garden party Sunday. Members of the society feted the civic association for its advocacy work on behalf of Haddonfield residents. That work runs the gamut from saving the Haddon Fortnightly building from demolition in 1922 to videotaping the borough government meetings today.

“, over a wide range of issues, if there was a need that was in the best interest of Haddonfield residents, more often than not the civic association was either the driving force behind addressing it or supportive of those folks who were,” said Bill Tourtellotte, civic association president.

Tourtellotte noted the close partnership with the historical society, which is nearly as old as the civic association.

“A lot of what we do will make up the historical documents of the future,” he said. “The historical society knows how to archive, ensuring that future generations have access to these materials.”

Historical society archivists even provided many of the materials for the Haddonfield Civic Association to mark its century birthday, Tourtellotte added.

Surrounded by spring greenery and blossoms, Tourtellotte, historical society president Lee Albright and Haddonfield Mayor Tish Colombi spoke to a crowd of about 50 people in the backyard garden of the historical society’s Kings Highway headquarters. Attendees of the Founder’s Day celebration also had the chance to tour the building and take part in the historical society’s silent auction fundraiser.

Honoring the civic association made sense for the Historical Society of Haddonfield, its president, Lee Albright, told the crowd. The group uses its annual Founder’s Day celebration to recognize important community figures, both past and present.

The historical society also uses the day to honor its own volunteers. This year, 105 extraordinary volunteers among more than 400 in total were recognized for their deeds.

Volunteers come in all stripes in Haddonfield, Albright noted, but each person has one thing in common.

“In its purest form, (volunteerism) choices show what you value,” she said.

Mayor Tish Colombi concurred. 

“(Volunteers) make the community what it is,” she said. “I often refer to Haddonfield as a community of goodness. We’re good because of you.”