Two new Fellows were elected to the Society at its Annual General Meeting on 18 May 2022, when John Cordes and Karen Smith were recognized for their long and capable service. Their citations read as follows:
John Cordes
Since retirement from the Department of Physics at Dalhousie and before, John Cordes has given freely of his advice, expertise and time to a number of organizations in the Halifax area. The Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society is among the organizations that have benefited from his talents as has the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia. From 2014 to 2019 John served as our Society’s treasurer while at the same time he carried our website through development and software updates and changes. Although no longer in a named position with the Society John has continued to offer assistance and advice whenever asked.
Karen Smith
As a long-serving librarian at Dalhousie University, especially in the role of Special Collections Librarian, Karen Smith has had a deep and abiding engagement with Nova Scotia history. In addition to subject specialties including Costume Studies, Film Studies, Music, and Theatre, her work on the acquisition and interpretation of key documentary collections such as the Webster Medical History Collection (see https://vimeo.com/37690507) has greatly enhanced our ability to understand the history of the province, and especially of how to find meaning in the crucial evidence through which to do so.
Karen has also given generously of her commitment and expertise to the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society, especially through its Journal. Since the Journal’s inauguration almost 25 years ago, she has continuously been an active and essential member of the editorial team. But the quality of her service does not, of course, depend only on its length. As Book Review Editor, she has reliably delivered reviews of the highest quality, based on her unerring ability to find the right reviewer and persuasively urge them to contribute! She has also been an insightful and dedicated member of the editorial board, invariably bringing key perspectives to discussions of all aspects of the policies and operations of the Journal. Karen’s retirement from the editorial team and the board in late 2021 means that she will be very much missed, but also gives an opportunity to reflect on, and recognize, the excellence of her contribution.
This brings the Society’s total number of Fellows to twelve.