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SOHO President's Message
By David Goldberg
January/February 2019
 Photo by Sandé Lollis |
It's hard to believe: SOHO is now 50 years old. Five decades. Where has all the time gone!
2019 is going to be a very exciting year. Many activities are being planned to celebrate this momentous milestone. Be sure to stay tuned! It'll be a year of looking back and reflecting on our history, growth, accomplishments, and even reversals that have made an important and lasting impact.
SOHO has had an incredibly productive and successful first 50 years—sometimes against all odds. Very few organizations or businesses can make this claim. And it didn't happen by accident. It happened because of hard work, starting with our remarkable founders, including Carol Lindemulder, a natural leader and force for good who is featured in this issue. We must also credit dedicated staff and volunteers, a clear vision, staying true to core principles—and a strong and committed membership. Maybe even a little luck thrown in for good measure! There is so much for which we can all be very proud.
It's also going to be a year when we think deeply about and plan for the future. This is an ongoing process and, as always, I welcome your thoughts and ideas. More about SOHO's future in my upcoming columns.
Although I'm not one of SOHO's original members, my 40 years of membership give me something of a unique perspective. Actually, I like to think of myself as one of the relics in the organization! When I look back to the founding of SOHO in 1969, I'm always impressed by how two very different groups of individuals came together with the common goal of preserving San Diego's threatened Victorian architectural heritage.
At one end of the spectrum were young people from teenagers to those in their early to mid-20's, and at the other end were older, established San Diegans. Keep in mind that the late 1960's was a period of great social and political upheaval, the hippie movement, counter culture, the Vietnam War, and turmoil on college campuses and in some inner cities. There was much angst over the so called "generation gap." Conventional wisdom was that young people had little in common with anyone over 30.
Yet, in San Diego, different generations came together with the common goal of saving historic buildings and accomplished just that. The first structure SOHO saved, the Sherman-Gilbert House, helped spark the creation of Heritage Park in Old Town. Other threatened Victorian buildings were moved there, and for many years Heritage Park was the site of the SOHO office.
What isn't always fully understood and appreciated, however, is that the model for SOHO's future growth came from its initial successes, youthful enthusiasm, and commitment to a cause tempered by greater maturity and a practical understanding of how to get things done. This model worked 50 ago, and it still works today.
SOHO has evolved from a small, strictly volunteer group to a professionally managed and staffed organization that operates multiple historic museums and sites, including the SOHO-owned Santa Ysabel Store. Our focus has expanded to include all important architectural movements through the post WWII period, as well as cultural and archeological resources, and will continue to grow as time passes. SOHO has the right people and resources to effectively pursue its mission, a strong balance sheet, and—music to my "recovering" accountant's ears—audited financial statements. Not a bad record for the first 50 years!
On behalf of the SOHO Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers, I wish everyone a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year! I look forward to seeing you at upcoming events.
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