Jeremy Amick, Missouri high school educator and author of numerous regional history works, including Camp Crowder, Moments on the Moreau, and Beyond the Moreau, will explore the dramatic rise of Camp Crowder, the World War II military installation near Neosho, Missouri, named for Maj. Gen. Enoch H. Crowder. Amick will share how the post became a major Signal Corps training center, housed thousands of soldiers, and even held German prisoners of war—transforming southwest Missouri into a vital wartime community almost overnight. Through photographs, personal accounts and newly uncovered research, the presentation brings to life the people who trained, worked and lived at Camp Crowder during one of the most pivotal periods in American history. The Bella Vista Historical Society will also hold its annual election of officers at this meeting.