Our 2014 Keepers will celebrate their 10-year anniversary.  The Office of the Secretary of State and Washington State Keepers of the Capsule Board would like to invite you to a special gathering at the State Legislative Building to celebrate.  This will be an opportunity not only to celebrate our Keepers – past and present - but also an important moment to acknowledge all those involved in the original Centennial Time Capsule Project. Details of the celebration are as follows:
     When: Monday, November 11, 2024 from 1:30 - 2:30pm
     Where: State Legislative Building, Olympia, WA  (The event will begin at the rotunda where the Centennial Time Capsule stands and will conclude with refreshments at the Secretary of State’s office on the 2nd floor.)
     RSVP: Please RSVP at: https://forms.gle/Dx8GzgTWPSnVQA3Q7
           

Please join Secretary of State Kim Wyman and members of the Keepers of the Capsule Board for the 130th anniversary of Washington State November 11th from 1pm to 2pm in Olympia, WA. 

For details, contact Erica Gordon, erica_mortensen@hotmail.com.


More information is available at www.capsulekeepers.org, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/WACapsuleKeepers) or on Twitter (@WACapsuleKeeper).


           

Please join Secretary of State Kim Wyman, State Archives as well as members of the Keepers of the Capsule Board for a celebration of the sealing of the Washington Centennial Time Capsule.  A reception for Keepers and their family and friends will be hosted in the Secretary of State's office immediately following the ceremony.
 
Details for the event are as follows:

 
When: Sunday, February 22; 1pm
Where: State Legislative Building (416 Sid Snyder Ave. S.W., Olympia, WA 98504)


More information is available at www.capsulekeepers.org, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/WACapsuleKeepers) or on Twitter (@WACapsuleKeeper).
           

1989 Keepers and our new 2014 Keepers are invited to the 125th anniversary celebration of Washington State this November in Olympia, WA.  The celebration begins with a Keeper Welcome Reception on November 10 followed by a Ceremony and Keeper Oath with Secretary of State Kim Wyman on November 11. 

For details, contact Erica Gordon, Keeper Recruitment at erica_mortensen@hotmail.com


More information is available at www.capsulekeepers.org, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/WACapsuleKeepers) or on Twitter (@WACapsuleKeeper).


           

OLYMPIA…Members of the original Centennial Time Capsule Keepers are in the final days of recruiting a new generation of replacements in time for the state’s 125th birthday celebration Nov. 11 in Olympia.

Nominations for new Capsule Keepers end Oct. 21. Any child living in Washington state who was born from Nov. 4 to Nov. 18 in 2004 is eligible. Children of 1989 Capsule Keepers are also eligible. Interested children should have a parent or guardian complete a registration form. Parent or guardian permission is required.  

A form is available at http://www.capsulekeepers.org/apply/.

“Our state’s 125th anniversary is a special event, and a big part of it is ushering in a new generation of children to carry forward the tradition of the Centennial Time Capsule,” Secretary of State Kim Wyman said. “We’re looking for kids who will turn 10 years old around November 11 to serve as our next generation of Capsule Keepers. It’s a fun honor, and we hope many eligible kids in Washington apply before the deadline so they can be part of our state’s special anniversary.”

Keepers of the Capsule Chair Jennifer Estroff said being part of this group is a unique experience.
“It’s a great way for a child in Washington to be connected to our state,” Estroff said. “Knowing I am a Keeper has changed my life for the better as I’ve grown up. It’s made me more civically involved, keeps me focused on the future, and honestly, it’s just a fantastic story to share.”

The next generation of Capsule Keepers will be introduced and officially sworn in during a ceremony at the State Capitol in Olympia on Nov. 11. While the swearing-in ceremony is an exciting opportunity for children to meet their fellow Capsule Keepers, attendance is not required, Estroff said. In fact, she was sworn in by her parents in their living room.

The Keepers’ main responsibility is to remind the state (through the Office of Secretary of State) of the existence and location of the official Centennial Time Capsule in 2039. That is when new material will be added to the capsule and another generation of Capsule Keepers is chosen and sworn in.

The Centennial Time Capsule is a 3,000-pound green safe located at the south entrance of the Capitol. The safe contains 16 individual stainless steel time capsules that will be filled with new items every 25 years. During the Nov. 11 anniversary event, the Time Capsule vault doors will be unlocked and a special drawer left for the 1989 Keepers will be opened and shared. All of the individual time capsules and their contents, however, won’t be opened until 2389, Washington’s 500th anniversary.   

As part of the Washington 125 celebration, new content that represents the state’s culture and people will be added to the Time Capsule during a special ceremony on Feb. 22, 2015. The Keepers of the Capsule are gathering materials to be included in the capsule, such as messages from Washingtonians and books that represent our state.

Messages to the Future
The Capsule Keepers are asking Washingtonians to write messages to future generations that will be kept in the capsule. Messages will be microfilmed and sealed in the Time Capsule until its 2389 opening. Messages to the future may be sent via e-mail to message2389@sos.wa.gov and also by printing and sending this form at http://1.usa.gov/1xHDDld.

Book Nominations
Washington residents also are invited to nominate a favorite Washington-related book for inclusion in the Time Capsule. Digital copies of books published between 1989 and 2014 by Washington state authors or books about Washington will be included in the capsule as a representation of the state’s culture. The book must have been published by a traditional publishing house or small press. No self-published titles will be included. Washington residents also are invited to nominate books to be sealed in the capsule. 

Only one book per author will be selected. To nominate a favorite book visit http://bit.ly/1lYX1WU.

For more information on becoming a Capsule Keeper, contact Erica Gordon, Keeper Recruitment, at erica_mortensen@hotmail.com.

More information is available at www.capsulekeepers.org, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/WACapsuleKeepers) or on Twitter (@WACapsuleKeeper).


           

OLYMPIA…When Washington celebrated its centennial in 1989, the state recruited hundreds of 10-year-old Washington children to act as “Keepers” of the Centennial Time Capsule that was created that year, when the first of 16 capsules in the main vault was filled.
Now, those 1989 Capsule Keepers are trying to find a new generation of children to take on this responsibility when Washington observes its 125th anniversary in November.

“Our state’s 125th anniversary is a special event, and a big part of it is opening the Centennial Time Capsule vault and filling the 2014 time capsule,” Secretary of State Kim Wyman said. “We’re looking for kids who will turn 10 years old around November 11 to serve as our next generation of Capsule Keepers. It’s a great honor, and we hope many eligible kids in Washington step up and apply so they can be part of our state’s special anniversary.”  
      
Any child living in Washington who was born from Nov. 4 to Nov. 18 in 2004 (inclusive) is eligible to become a Keeper of the Capsule. Children of 1989 Keepers also are eligible to become the next generation of Capsule Keepers.  

Children interested must have a parent or guardian complete a registration form. (A form is available here: http://1.usa.gov/1kq2bHY.) Registration forms must be completed and returned by Oct. 21. Parent or guardian permission is required.

The next generation of Capsule Keepers will be introduced and officially sworn in during a ceremony at the State Capitol in Olympia on Nov. 11, the state’s 125th anniversary. 

During the anniversary event, the Centennial Time Capsule will be opened. The capsule is located in a 3,000-pound green safe at the south entrance of the Capitol. The safe contains 16 individual stainless steel time capsules that will be filled with new items every 25 years. All of the capsules will be opened in 2389, Washington’s 500th anniversary.  
    
The Keepers’ primary responsibility is to remind the state (through the Office of Secretary of State) of the existence and location of the official Centennial Time Capsule in 2039, 25 years from now. This is when new material will be added to the capsule.

For more information on becoming a Capsule Keeper, contact:
Erica Gordon - Keeper & Watcher Recruitment
erica_mortensen@hotmail.com. 

More information is available at www.capsulekeepers.org, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/WACapsuleKeepers) or on Twitter (@WACapsuleKeeper).


           

OLYMPIA…On Nov. 11, 1989, for Washington state's 100th birthday, then-Gov. Booth Gardner gave an oath to hundreds of 10-year-olds who had volunteered to be Keepers of the Washington Centennial Time Capsule.

The capsule, which sits in the rotunda of the State Capitol, is unique. It is believed to be the first time capsule that can be updated, and consists of a large safe filled with 16 mini-time capsules, one of which is to be filled with new items every 25 years. It is the Keepers’ job to fill the next time capsule in the sequences and recruit a new generation of Keepers. All of the capsules are slated to be opened in 2389, the state's 500th birthday.

It is now time to prepare for the filling of the capsule for 2014. The Keepers – there originally were some 300 of them whose birthdays are on or around Nov. 11 – are being asked to convene for the first time since 1989 to begin the process of planning what will go into the time capsule on Nov. 11, 2014.

By rule, a meeting of Keepers will be held in the Capitol rotunda at noon on Nov. 12, 2013. It will be the first time the Keepers have formally gathered since they were sworn in nearly 24 years ago. The Office of Secretary of State has kept a list of the children – now adults – but the location of many Keepers is unknown. The meeting is an opportunity to reconnect with them in preparation for the state's upcoming 125th birthday.

A nonprofit organization, Keepers of the Capsule, was created in 1990. The board consists of Keepers, chaired by Jennifer Estroff of Seattle. The group is assisted by Putnam Barber, former head of the Washington State Centennial staff, and Knute Berger, writer and former coordinator of the Centennial Time Capsule project. 

The group is working with the Office of Secretary of State, which has the duty of facilitating the Keepers’ work, and is actively seeking to contact more Keepers for participation.
“The state’s 125th anniversary and the time capsule’s opening next year will be a special celebration, and my office is pleased to be part of it,” said Secretary of State Kim Wyman. “We hope anyone who was a Keeper of the Capsule can join the others at the November 12 gathering and help decide what will go into the time capsule in 2014.”        

The Centennial Time Capsule project garnered worldwide publicity for its unique aspects, including the one-of-a-kind Keepers organization. Most capsules are buried, and many forgotten. In 1989, the project was covered by NPR, New York Times and People Magazine, which called it "A Time Capsule Time Won't Forget."

Keeping track of the Keepers over the last 25 years has proven tricky. Keepers come from all over the state and were originally recruited through newspapers, schools, and youth organizations. All Keepers are being asked to attend the Nov. 12 meeting in Olympia. Contact information is being updated and Keepers will be briefed on the time capsule project and asked to assist in preparing for 2014.

The Centennial Time Capsule is a large, above-ground, green safe on the south-side first floor of the Capitol in Olympia. It has a design of Native American origin, an image that represents the "Prophet of Direction" and was created by artist Greg Colfax of the Makah tribe to reflect "those men and women who, through prayer, dreams and personal hardships, went into the future and saw the direction people needed to take to survive." It is the symbol of the Capsule Keepers.
The safe contains some 10,000 messages to the future from ordinary Washington citizens in 1989, plus information and artifacts attempting to give a full picture of life and thought in that time. Those include newspapers, Microsoft software on a CD-ROM, an Indian basket, a Centennial banner taken into space by Washington astronaut Bonnie Dunbar, secret messages from the state's science fiction writers, a cookbook, a Washington state license plate dated 2389, Washington wines from 1989, and much more.

For more information about the Keepers of the Capsule project, contact:
Jennifer Estroff
jenniferestroff@gmail.com
c:  509-859-2012
Knute Berger
knute.berger@crosscut.com
c: 206-669-4950