...your 2013 Calendar which will be sent to Friends members in early September. It contains Friends events for 2013 and some wonderful pictures that blend past and present as we look back at the 150 years that have passed since those nation-changing three days in July 1863. Important reunions and reconciliations are featured as well as some of the preservation challenges that developed over 150 years. We record with pride the response of Friends of Gettysburg to those challenges. 150 years of reunion, reconciliation, and restoration. It's a great story.

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August:

Caroline's Teas

In the side yard at the Rupp House, 451 Baltimore St., Caroline Rupp will have her friends to tea on August 25. The topic will be "The Jennie Wade story" with author Cindy Small. Tea time is 11:30-1:00 pm; tickets ($26.95) are available at the Visitor Center.

The last tea event for 2012 will be on September 15: "Pinched Waists and Petticoats" - an 1800s Fashion Show.

September:

September 7-8: The annual First Corps member Event, with tours featuring the role of artillery during the battle, and the role of monuments  as "silent guides" to the Gettysburg National Military Park. Cocktails and dinner at the Visitors Center will conclude the event.

September 16-20: Volunteer Service Vacation. A perfect blend of hard work  on the battlefield with a team of Friends and enjoyment of the attractions available in the Gettysburg locality. The $400 cost covers accomodations, meals and several days working in a selected project area.

September 15-16: The Eisenhower Farm will host a living history   encampment September 15-16. This World War II encampment will feature Allied soldiers, a German camp, World War II jeeps and trucks, and (off-site) a United Service Organization dance.

September 20-23: Emancipation Proclamation Event sponsored by Gettysburg College, the Gettysburg Foundation and the Gettysburg National Military Park. Original artifacts from the Gilder Lehrman Institute on display include a Lincoln-signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation and an original Thirteenth Amendment signed by Congressmen and Senators who supported the legislation. There will also be traveling exhibits on slavery and Lincoln. Lectures will be given throughout the weekend.

September 22 at 6:00 p.m: An Evening with the Painting

Sue Boardman, Licensed Battlefield Guide and an expert on the Cyclorama will give a presentation that brings you up close to the country's largest painting.  Extended time on the platform and a journey under the diorama to see how the illusion comes to life conclude the evening.

A similar program "What in the World is a Cyclorama" will be offered at the same time on other Saturday evenings. Both programs begin in the Ford Motor Company Fund Education Center. Single adult ticket price is $20 and youth ticket (age 6 to 12) is $10. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the ticket counter in the lobby of the Visitor Center, or by calling the Reservations Department at 877-874-2478.