Since the founding of the New York Folklore Society, the organization has provided two consistent benefits of membership: receipt of a published journal— since 2000, Voices— and at least one annual meeting.

In the early years, the annual meeting took place jointly with the annual gathering of the New York Historical Association, the organization from which the New York Folklore Society originated. The society’s New York City chapter also conducted an additional midwinter meeting that highlighted folklore activities within this urban core. The first New York Folklore Society meetings focused on papers presented by scholars from New York State, with musical and other performances: Pete Seeger and Frank Warner performed at early New York Folklore Society meetings, and an early meeting in Rochester included music by a local Ukrainian chorus. In the first ten years of the society, meetings were frequently in Cooperstown, but meetings were also held in Ticonderoga, Rochester, and Elmira, in an effort to extend the reach of the New York Folklore Society and to fulfill its statewide mission.

The general format of the annual meeting has consistently remained the same, albeit with a stronger stress on experiencing a region in more recent years. Meetings in the past fifteen years have incorporated an Erie Canal boat ride (Seneca Falls, 1997), a guided walk through a Hudson Valley orchard (Clinton Corners, 1996), and an opportunity to drive at a NASCAR-sanctioned racetrack (Watkins Glen, 2004).

At last year’s annual meeting, held on November 20, 2010, the New York Folklore Society decided to launch a new initiative: a student-only conference. There are precedents for this format, also. In commenting on the 1950 meeting, then-president Moritz Jagendorf wrote, “Another ‘new’ at the Rochester meeting was the suggestion to have an annual contest among students of New York State colleges and universities for the best paper on New York State folklore. The winner will receive fifty dollars, and his or her paper will be read before the members.” (It is unclear whether this suggestion was implemented!)

The 2010 meeting was held at New York University, in conjunction with NYU’s Latin American and Latino studies departments. While the meeting did not offer a monetary prize, many graduate students delivered papers on the theme of “Latino Folk Culture and Expressive Traditions.” In keeping with our own traditions, the conference also included food, music, and opportunities for conversation among colleagues. We thank those of you who joined us in New York City—and we hope to see even more members at our 2011 conference.

Ellen McHale, Ph.D.
Executive Director
New York Folklore Society