214169480

ANNOUNCMENT: I am pleased to announce that The IACP, Inc. now has it's own digest! Ankou: The Officical Digest of The International Association of Cemetery Preservationists, Inc. will be shipping out its premier issue mid-January 2008 If you're interested in advertising, submitting stories or photos or in a subscription, send me a note and I'll send you the information. As with ALL of our efforts--the proceeds from this digest will benefit historic cemetery preservation & restoration. Thank you for your continued support! MISSION STATEMENT: All over the World, thousands of cemeteries on private property are in danger of being destroyed. Many of these cemeteries fall victim to real estate developers or others who are seeking financial or personal goals. These uncaring people destroy many of these historic cemeteries while showing no respect for the dead, or their families. The inscriptions on monuments tell us not only a persons name and date of birth & death, but often where they lived, their occupations and social affiliations, the manner of their death, personal traits that surviving family members held dear, and the names of relatives. These inscriptions provide us with invaluable historical data regarding local, medical, and material history, cultural geography, historical archaeology, folklore, genealogy, and much more data that in many cases may be found nowhere else. The International Association of Cemetery Preservationists, Inc is strongly committed to the protection of these burial sites from unwarranted disturbance by man. We believe that the willful desecration or destruction of these burial sites is unacceptable in a civilized society. It is our objective to highlight their importance and promote an attitude of reverence and respect, while encouraging further preservation of these unique historical resources. We ask that private property owners allow access at 'reasonable times' to legitimate groups to do the repairs and upkeep that is necessary, and to allow descendants and other interested parties the opportunity to visit the graves. It is therefore our goal to correct the wrongs that have been done in cemeteries throughout the World, to set a U.S. National minimum standard for the upkeep of all historic cemeteries. To stop the unnecessary destruction, the wanton vandalism and to enforce the existing laws until a time comes that better laws can be in place. We are also determined to restore and preserve as many of these neglected and abandoned cemeteries as is possible. And to contiue to raise funds for these sites.Please visit our web site at: http://hometown.aol.com/iacpcontact/IntroPageIACP.html