September is the month that we at the Levittown Historical Society return from summer vacation, see kids off to school and hopefully enjoy some respite from the sweltering cauldron of the "three Hs." It's also the month that we think about adding to our ranks those Levittowners who may still be unfamiliar with who we are and what we do.

Established in 1988 by the late Tom Caroll, the Levittown Historical Society is a New York State accredited, nonprofit educational institution dedicated to preserving the legacy of William J. Levitt, the suburban town he founded here in 1947 for homecoming GIs, and the rural communities of Island Trees and Jerusalem that preceded it. We maintain a museum at the Levittown Memorial Education Center (Ranch and Abbey Lanes), issue a monthly newsletter, and have monthly meetings with films, lectures, and exhibits on topics of local interest.

The behind-the-scenes nuts and bolts from actual historical research to the phone calls, correspondence, bill-paying and mountains of paperwork that go into maintaining a nonprofit organization (all a labor of love by the board of directors whose positions are unsalaried) should not obscure the fact that the society is also about fun. We march in local parades, man a table at community events, give tours of our museum and neighborhood to school children, journalists, visiting historians, Scouts, and foreign exchange students. Setting up exhibits stimulates our artistic side. Serving refreshments lets us mingle. We deal with every aspect of our local history from the lighthearted and nostalgic to the serious and academic.

Persons wishing to join our society, or at least learn more about the extraordinary history of Levittown should write us at P.O. Box 57, Levittown, NY 11756, or call us at 735-9060. We have recently established a website for transplanted members and shut-ins that can be found by logging onto www.levittownhistoricalsociety.org.