Local County 250 Committee

The process of launching a new and independent government in the Province of South Carolina formally began on July 6, 1774 when leading men in South Carolina met in Charlestown. Tired of British officials not meeting their needs, the group elected five delegates to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. At that same meeting, they created the Committee of 99, which soon became the "de facto" government of South Carolina.

SC American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission (SC250) is encouraging each South Carolina county to create their own County 250 Committee in their honor. There should be only one official committee per county.

Click Here for the County 250 Committee Organizing Handbook

Below are the steps to become the "official" SC County 250 Committee:

Verify Whether or Not Your County Already Has A Committee: SC250 would like there to be only one “official” SC250 Committee in each county. Email info@SouthCarolina250.com to check.
Reach out to SC250: One of the Commissioners or the Executive Director would love to meet with your initial group to review and help with the conceptualization of the Committee as well as later appear before the County Council if desired. Email info@SouthCarolina250.com.
Gather Your County’s Stakeholders:
1. Best Practices when Gathering Stakeholders:
  1. Start with Historic & Heritage Groups in Your Community | Form a Coalition - As we are asking for one group per county, it is going to be imperative that the County 250 Committee has representatives from all local historic and cultural organizations. They are your base. Get more things done together.
  2. Be Intentionally Inclusive - the first step in making sure that all stories are told, even those often traditionally left out of textbooks (African Americans, Native Americans, women & children), is to be intentionally inclusive when forming your committee. Remember sections of your community that may not have been as large in the 1700s such as our Latinx and Asian communities. Celebrating America is something that can unite us all. (See more under the Telling A More Complete Story section)
  3. Diversify Skill Sets - Yes, gather your historians (we love historians) but also find people with other skills such as marketing gurus, business people, community advocates, artists, local media members, tourism industry, recreation fans, influencers, college social media majors, local elected officials, and more.
  4. Remember your Rural Community Members - As we are asking there to be only one official group per county, don’t forget to include members from all townships in your county and even the rural sections of your county. That is often where the action took place.
Complete a Contact Information Spreadsheet:
1. Click here for a sample Contact Information excel spreadsheet. This contact spreadsheet will be required when applying for SC250 grants.
2. Let all parties know that they will be subscribed to SC250 enewsletter.
3. Decide on a primary point of contact.
  1. Primary point of contact will be used internally to share County 250 updates from SC250.
  2. Decide what contact information (from this person or an organization) should be given out externally and placed on the SC250 website as a point of contact for those interested in joining your county committee.
4. Make sure to collect your entire committee's information.
5. Collect a VIP list. Start by asking your local elected officials, celebrities, and media if they are interested in being a part of the committee, but if they are too busy ask them about being on a contact list so they are kept in the loop. While these are countywide committees, do not forget your municipal officials.
Give Your Committee an Official Name: We are suggesting [County Name] County 250 Committee. However, it is your committee.
Pass a County Resolution: Have your county council pass an official resolution designating the committee. Click Here for a sample resolution. This resolution will be required when applying for SC250 grants where only the "official" County 250 Committee can apply.
Register with SC250: Submit your Contact List (Primary Contact, Committee, and VIP) plus your Resolution to info@SouthCarolina250.com to become the official County 250 group, again only one is recognized per County. This will be required to apply for certain SC250 grants.

Learn More About The County 250 Organizing Grant

Local County 250 Committee

Below are the steps to become the "official" SC County 250 Committee:

Helpful Links: