[ARC5] Museums

Mon May 28 15:11:06 EDT 2018

Hi All - Another possible route to preserve historical equipment is to
partner with your local "Veterans Hall".

I got Shanghai'd into being the curator of the little military museum at
our local Veterans Memorial Building in Danville CA.  501(c)3, Board of
Directors etc. , 8 Veterans Service Organizations are supported and they
contribute to our operating costs.  The Town pays the building operating
costs since the building was built in 1925 for the American Legion under
Congressional funding/charter.  We also recieve donations and conduct fund
raising events.  We are opened on weekdays with volunteer docents....

We accept donations either unconditionally or "return to originator if no
longer interested", offeror's choice (most agree to unconditional
acceptance).  We must be selective due to display and storage space
limitations but this has worked out really well for everyone.  I have
donated several pieces of smaller Mil radio gear (URC-4, URC-64, TBY,
Foxhole Radio, POW Canteen radio etc) that are on display and the better
pieces I still have will eventually go there.

Some pic's of the display cabinets.
https://vmbsrv.org/lhcc/historical-collections/

As part of a larger display of "militaria", the general public and
especially veterans appreciate the historic value of these items.  We also
hold an expanded display on Veterans Day every year and I set up many
operating radio displays (eg: SCR-284 with hand generator..EE-8's, PRC's
for the kids etc.)  which are well received by the public.  Fortunately we
have great community interest and support.
Some more pic's of radio displays from Veterans Day:
http://www.n6cc.com/veterans-day-displays

It's a possible partnership worth considering if your town and Vet's
organizations are interested and capable...Getting yourself on "the Board"
also helps...

Tim
N6CC

On Mon, May 28, 2018 at 11:27 AM, Dennis Monticelli <
dennis.monticelli at gmail.com> wrote:

> I agree, Wayne.  I also agree with an earlier informative post explaining
> why museums adopt the position of having control of donated assets.
>
> Museums can be a good option for donating artifacts, but one must be
> realistic and properly vet the organisation.  Here are a few questions to
> consider.
>
> 1) Is it incorporated as a public non-profit such as a 501(c)3?  A private
> organization is potentially less stable, such as when the owner dies or
> loses interest.
> 2) Does it have a Board of Directors for governance and guidance?  An
> organization dominated by an individual is less stable long term.
> 3) Is there a clear published charter?  Are you comfortable with it?  If
> not, look elsewhere.
> 4) Are the financials readily shared?  If a public org, they should be.
> Is it on sound footing.
> 5) Does the organization OWN the property free and clear?  I have observed
> that losing the building has been the single biggest reason for a museum
> folding its tent.  Cities have been reclaiming surplus properties,
> especially well-located ones.  BIG problem.
> 6) Does it have a healthy and stable membership base?
> 7) Is the museum well-located where a lot of people can easily visit?
> Many specialty museums are not.
> 8) Speak with one of the leaders.  Do you come away comfortable or wary?
>
> Having said all that, also be realistic.    A museum only requires a
> finite set of assets to fulfill its charter.  It usually does not have the
> luxury of holding onto duplicates.  It is constantly upgrading quality.
> It  needs to raise money continuously.   99% of the time you will be
> expected to surrender control of your assets without preconditions. The
> museum may accept some but not all that you offer.  If some (or all) or
> what you donate are ultimately sold, the receipts will be used to fund a
> organization whose charter you believe in (or you wouldn't be donating
> there).  That's not such a bad outcome.
>
> On the positive side, your donation could end up being part of a wonderful
> story that will be shared with large numbers of people. Now that's a real
> good outcome.
>
> Dennis AE6C
> Board Member, California Historical Radio Society
>
> On Sun, May 27, 2018 at 8:31 PM, <hwhall at compuserve.com> wrote:
>
>> That ought not to have happened.  The museum must have been their
>> personal property instead of an incorporated entity.  Sad, because that
>> sounds like a great how-it-began story for what could have been a
>> long-lasting legacy.
>>
>> Wayne
>> WB4OGM
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Waldo Magnuson <magnuson at mac.com>
>> To: arc5 <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Sun, May 27, 2018 4:52 pm
>> Subject: [ARC5] Museums
>>
>> Hi, Besides radios (and other activities) I’ve been in flying for over 50
>> years. There was a very nice aviation museum near Sandpoint, Idaho. It was
>> dear to the heart of the creator who had gained wealth in the medical
>> field. He married a flier about 30 years younger who shared his enthusiasm
>> for the museum (she was the director of the museum). He died (in his mid
>> 90s) and his wife carried on the museum - until she had an aircraft
>> accident and was killed. Well what happened to the museum? Within a year
>> the relatives sold everything. I guess the moral is that Museums die just
>> like people. My personal thought is to place (sell, give, trade, ...) your
>> treasures in the hands of someone who will enjoy and also treasure them.
>> Skip. W7WGM Spokane, WA ______________________________
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