Dear Elvis Presley Fans of Nashville Fan Club Members:
The former building of Humes High School where Elvis Graduated in 1953 and the new Bravo Academy needs our helps!
Dee O'Brien, the Executive Director at Bravo Academy School for Arts Integration and Industry has contacted us and they need our help to construct a new place for an Elvis Museum at the former Humes High School. There will also be a Historical Maker placed in front of the former Humes High School during August 2013. The marker is already paid for and is being created. Please read her letter below and if you cannot send your support, it is completely understandable. If you would like to make a donation in your name, you may by donating through the website pledgie at the link found at the end of Dee's letter. As a club we could donate together and could have a plaque inside the new Elvis museum with our fan club name. I am not forcing anyone at all to support the project and I will not bombard out fan club again about the project. So, if you would like to donate as a club just send me a private message and we will go from there, easy as pie and nothing to stress about.
Here is the letter from Dee O'Brien:
If you have followed the recent changes that have been ongoing with the Memphis City and Shelby County Schools merger here in Memphis you are aware that Humes Middle School which resides at Humes High School, where our own Elvis Presley graduated from in 1953, was one of 6 schools that will be closing as of May 2013. Principal, Deartis Barber and Music Director, Kenneth Greene implemented a vision to open the very first free standing Memphis City Optional School for Arts Integration and Industry here at Humes High School in August 2013. Bravo Academy School for Arts Integration and Industry will open in August of 2013 with 6th, 7th and 8th graders from all over Memphis, who will learn in an academic environment using blended and flipped classrooms integrating arts in to each of their academic classes. This is a nationally recognized model for teaching that will be implemented here.
We could not be more excited to be located at Historic Humes High School or the relationship of our creative and performing arts minded children that will be attending school in the same school that Elvis graduated from. As most of you may know, Humes High School has an Elvis room that is home to a large collection of his personal property that includes his high school diploma and other school related items but also many other things that have been donated to the school by Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises. With the need to increase school security for the safety of our children over the years it has become increasingly more difficult to allow the public in to view these things. It is an important aspect of not only Memphis history, but also the history of the school. We have come together and created a plan to benefit not only the fans of Elvis who would like to continue to visit the school and spend time viewing these items but also one that will directly benefit the children.
The ROTC Armory building, where Elvis himself took ROTC when he attended Humes is a separate building located directly behind main building. It is a large enough space to properly display all of his personal belongings as well as allow the public to easier access to them. We have been working hard putting together a plan to maintain the building as it was - aiming only to modify what is necessary to meet code requirements. This includes making the restroom facilities handicapped accessible, replacing the existing AC units and making sure that it is safe. When the project is completed, the ROTC Armory will be renamed "The Humes High School - Elvis Presley Memorial Museum".
The museum will be open to the public for a minimal admission fee and operated by a student volunteer program. I will personally oversee the program ensuring a most promising experience for both students and fans. The operation of the museum will be a non profit facility. Above and beyond the operating costs, all of the additional funds will directly benefit the students, faculty and visitors to the school in the form of continued upkeep of the museum and providing educational resources and materials for all.
I am sure you can imagine that the cost to make this happen isn't pocket change. With the school merger taking place officially in the summer of 2013 there have been tremendous budget cuts. We, the council and school have been working hard to secure grants, funding and contributions to help support this project. We have had HUGE commitments, support and endorsement from many Memphis arts organizations however, we are still lacking. Our goal is to have this project completed by the first of August, 2013. This date is important to us for many reasons. Humes High School is registered on the National Registry of Historic Places - recognizing Elvis. We have a historical marker in Nashville that will be here and placed in front of the school in August.
We need all the help that we can get to make this happen. We are asking for fundraisers, contributions and any other support and endorsement from those that would not only benefit from this but also would like to see this happen for the good of the public, community and students. What we would like to offer in addition to the afore mentioned, each contributor, personal or group will have a plaque placed inside the museum for all to see, recognizing everyone who helped make this possible.
I have included links to our school website as well as to www.pledgie.com
where we are currently accepting contributions. Please feel free to contact me at any time for additional information or questions you may have. Thank you so much for your time and support.
http://bravoacademy.weebly.com/
http://pledgie.com/campaigns/19219
Dee O'Brien
901.279.5379
The former building of Humes High School where Elvis Graduated in 1953 and the new Bravo Academy needs our helps!
Dee O'Brien, the Executive Director at Bravo Academy School for Arts Integration and Industry has contacted us and they need our help to construct a new place for an Elvis Museum at the former Humes High School. There will also be a Historical Maker placed in front of the former Humes High School during August 2013. The marker is already paid for and is being created. Please read her letter below and if you cannot send your support, it is completely understandable. If you would like to make a donation in your name, you may by donating through the website pledgie at the link found at the end of Dee's letter. As a club we could donate together and could have a plaque inside the new Elvis museum with our fan club name. I am not forcing anyone at all to support the project and I will not bombard out fan club again about the project. So, if you would like to donate as a club just send me a private message and we will go from there, easy as pie and nothing to stress about.
Here is the letter from Dee O'Brien:
If you have followed the recent changes that have been ongoing with the Memphis City and Shelby County Schools merger here in Memphis you are aware that Humes Middle School which resides at Humes High School, where our own Elvis Presley graduated from in 1953, was one of 6 schools that will be closing as of May 2013. Principal, Deartis Barber and Music Director, Kenneth Greene implemented a vision to open the very first free standing Memphis City Optional School for Arts Integration and Industry here at Humes High School in August 2013. Bravo Academy School for Arts Integration and Industry will open in August of 2013 with 6th, 7th and 8th graders from all over Memphis, who will learn in an academic environment using blended and flipped classrooms integrating arts in to each of their academic classes. This is a nationally recognized model for teaching that will be implemented here.
We could not be more excited to be located at Historic Humes High School or the relationship of our creative and performing arts minded children that will be attending school in the same school that Elvis graduated from. As most of you may know, Humes High School has an Elvis room that is home to a large collection of his personal property that includes his high school diploma and other school related items but also many other things that have been donated to the school by Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises. With the need to increase school security for the safety of our children over the years it has become increasingly more difficult to allow the public in to view these things. It is an important aspect of not only Memphis history, but also the history of the school. We have come together and created a plan to benefit not only the fans of Elvis who would like to continue to visit the school and spend time viewing these items but also one that will directly benefit the children.
The ROTC Armory building, where Elvis himself took ROTC when he attended Humes is a separate building located directly behind main building. It is a large enough space to properly display all of his personal belongings as well as allow the public to easier access to them. We have been working hard putting together a plan to maintain the building as it was - aiming only to modify what is necessary to meet code requirements. This includes making the restroom facilities handicapped accessible, replacing the existing AC units and making sure that it is safe. When the project is completed, the ROTC Armory will be renamed "The Humes High School - Elvis Presley Memorial Museum".
The museum will be open to the public for a minimal admission fee and operated by a student volunteer program. I will personally oversee the program ensuring a most promising experience for both students and fans. The operation of the museum will be a non profit facility. Above and beyond the operating costs, all of the additional funds will directly benefit the students, faculty and visitors to the school in the form of continued upkeep of the museum and providing educational resources and materials for all.
I am sure you can imagine that the cost to make this happen isn't pocket change. With the school merger taking place officially in the summer of 2013 there have been tremendous budget cuts. We, the council and school have been working hard to secure grants, funding and contributions to help support this project. We have had HUGE commitments, support and endorsement from many Memphis arts organizations however, we are still lacking. Our goal is to have this project completed by the first of August, 2013. This date is important to us for many reasons. Humes High School is registered on the National Registry of Historic Places - recognizing Elvis. We have a historical marker in Nashville that will be here and placed in front of the school in August.
We need all the help that we can get to make this happen. We are asking for fundraisers, contributions and any other support and endorsement from those that would not only benefit from this but also would like to see this happen for the good of the public, community and students. What we would like to offer in addition to the afore mentioned, each contributor, personal or group will have a plaque placed inside the museum for all to see, recognizing everyone who helped make this possible.
I have included links to our school website as well as to www.pledgie.com
where we are currently accepting contributions. Please feel free to contact me at any time for additional information or questions you may have. Thank you so much for your time and support.
http://bravoacademy.weebly.com/
http://pledgie.com/campaigns/19219
Dee O'Brien
901.279.5379