Rhinebeck Museum trouble

[wingnut]

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Well it was only a matter of time that the caretakers of the Aerodrome, the Board of Trustees would get rid of Ken Cassens. A man with extremely rare talents, honesty, and an honor for me to have worked and laughed with. Scott Mackenzie, another rare talent that knows every nut and bolt on anything mechanical from 1860 to 1960. James Hare, has been there around 20yrs, his multi-faceted abilities were a great asset. Why are these fine people gone? Well, I think it is the Boards unspoken long range plan that is now in place.
Many of you call it the fight with the new regime against the old. Ok, let's call it that. The old regime had extremely dedicated employees and volunteers with only one goal in mind. To preserve what Cole's vision was. This old regime had many ideas on how to promote, preserve, improve, educate, grow, and prosper. All of those ideas that were presented so many times to the board were never considered. The old regime was not stagnant and always open to new ideas.
The new regime was not stagnate either with new ideas. I could go on and on about their ideas that were not thought out completely. I will not talk about the calendars, the priority on the second Standard, no hull insurance on it, then the crash, and now the rebuilding of it with still no business plan for it, firing of directors, treating valuable employees and volunteers like trash and criminals, bad policies for no reason, no term limits on board members, voting themselves back on the board, so many proxy votes, and on and on.
But, really they do not care what you or I think. They are charge and if you say anything against them or even suggest anything, you are blacklisted. And that is that. That's how it has been, and still is.
For all the years this core of board members have been here, there are so few positive achievements. Where is the Annual Achievement Report, Long Range Plan? This group of Dumpster Slime has achieved both to fire and discourage the finest group of people I had the pleasure to work with. Do they care? No. But hey, this is exactly what they wanted. Now GD is back. Influencing them at every turn. Every museum, collector,association, organization that has anything to do with airplanes, should be notified about that Slime Ball.
Now, new to the group is Tom Daly. Well........,everytime he speaks to the press, only solidifies my opinion. Rip Van Winkle is still on the board, saying yes to anything, as is the Flying Pea Brain.
I know this forum is not for bashing. Too bad. I have been around almost two decades here and have seen this place taken over by very influential people with their own hidden personal agenda.Write to all those addresses that this forum has given you. And follow it up. Two, five, or so years from now, if you do not, we will all be sorry we did not put that extra effort in. This is a very bad time at the Aerodrome. Cole is not dead!

[baldeagle]

Good post Wingnut, Cole Palen's spirit is indeed not dead, despite the efforts of this "board of directors" to crush it. Cole inspired so many of us, though apparently not Tom Daly and Co. Incidentally, that story a few pages back about Kermit Weeks being inspired by Cole is true. I worked for Kermit for several years, and he told me of writing a letter to Cole when he was a teenager, and he still had the letter that Cole wrote back. That was like Cole, answering letters from, as he liked to say, "young types".

I've referred Kermit, and Javier Arango (who I first met when he visited the Aerodrome), to this forum, as a research tool, and it's quite likely they are following this thread as well.

[SteveS]

Cole might be gone but he is still inspiring those "young types."
I had finally convinced my wife that my daughter was old enough to take a flight in the New Standard. She had been to the Aerodrome before with the whole family, but for some reason or another due to weather never even seen the show. This year would be different. I usually go alone each year but this time it was just her and me for the day. We spent the day exploring the grounds and hangers. She got to touch and peek into the Spirit of St. Louis. This was a big deal for her. She took in the whole show and got her biplane ride. This was a really big deal for her! She had her picture taken with the Black Baron after the show in front of the triplane. It was a long day for an eight year old and well worth it.
She has finally figure out why her dad escapes away each summer for a full day up at Old Rhinebeck. Back at school, she told everyone about "her" day and showed all the photos she had taken (she used up all my film). The teacher let her tell the class all about her flight in the New Standard. She has shared pix and video I had taken over the years. She loves to read about Harriet Quimbly, Amelia Earhart, and has taken somewhat of an interest in aviation history. She's always up to a trip to the Cradle of Aviation Museum, or the American Airpower Museum both of which are but minutes away. She was Amelia Earhart for Halloween. Just last week she decided after the holidays to start on a model of Cole's Tripe. Her idea! All this from a kid who used to rather watch TV than anything else.

She could be the next Patty Wagstaff, airline pilot, or astronaut. Maybe, maybe not.

Personaly, I've got the feeling she would rather be Trudy Truelove.

Bless you, Cole!

Salute All,
Steve

[Curtiss Jenny]

I have been a volunteer at ORA for quite a few years now. This week I sent out my letters to the addresses listed on this forum. I would like to thank the many people who have already sent letters. I urge everyone who has not yet done so to please add your voice to the campaign to save the Aerodrome.
The posting by SteveS about his daughter’s experience at the Aerodrome and how she went from being only interested in TV to wanting to learn about female aviators is a perfect example of Cole Palen’s legacy. How sad it was this year, yet another girl who loved aviation and played the role of Trudy Trulove was fired. The girl before her who played Trudy left because it was too heart breaking for her to see all the joy sucked out of the place and so many good-hearted people being treated so badly by the present regime.
The Aerodrome is not just the planes, vehicles and hangars, it’s the people. Some of the greatest people I have ever met in my life I met through the Aerodrome, starting with Cole and Rita Palen. They treated everyone with respect, trust and appreciation. Everyone came together as a team and worked so hard because we all became caught up in Cole’s dream through his positive enthusiasm. Also on my list of great people are Jim Hare, Tom Polapink, Steve Cunningham, George Yantz, Karl Erickson, Kurt Muller, Joan Moore, and the families of King, Mackenzie, Ulfik, Scheff, Cassens, Nenadic, Maniatis, Ackley, Johnston, Kopecky, Pritchard, Barker, Potter, Tator, and so many, many more. Why do I consider them so great? Because whether they were paid or not, these people unselfishly put in many hours of volunteer time, had integrity, and tried hard to keep alive Cole’s dream of a living museum preserving the past and supporting aviation.
What is the Aerodrome without these people? Each of them brought unique talents and skills to ORA to continue the Palen Magic. They wanted to see the Spirit of St. Louis completed by Ken, Scott and volunteer helpers. Their craftsmanship as they built this beautiful plane was truly a work of art. We all looked forward with anticipation the day when Ken would fly the Spirit, fulfilling his lifelong dream that we all shared with him.
I was heartsick when I heard that Ken and Scott were fired with the Spirit 90% done, and of the lockdown so that even volunteers could not return to our field of dreams. In a previous posting someone asked how Ken was doing. Ken is being evicted from his home on the property that he had purchased to be the caretaker of the Aerodrome. Despite losing his job, his home and his lifelong dream, Ken still conducts himself with more dignity and respect than any of the present regime ever treated him.
Please, please, keep writing those letters and keep Cole’s dream alive!

CURTIS JENNY, THAT WAS A POWERFUL LETTER. I TOO BELIEVE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE WHAT MAKES THE ORA A SPECIAL PLACE. THERE ARE MANY COLLECTIONS WHICH ARE FULL OF INANIMATE OBJECTS. IT WAS THE ORA CREW THAT BROUGHT IT ALL TO LIFE. BEST OF ALL,IT WAS BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO BE THERE AND ENJOYED BEING PART OF THIS AMAZING PLACE.
THE BUZZ DIDN'T END AT 4 O'CLOCK AFTER THE SAT. AIRSHOW, IT CONTINUED WITH PUTTING CARS AND PLANES AWAY,FLYING PLANES,HOPPING RIDES ,AND THEN ON INTO A LARGE CROWD GOING TO FOSTER'S FOR DINNER. THE SHOW JUST COMPLETED AND WHAT TO DO FOR THE SUNDAY SHOW WAS MOST ALWAYS THE DINNER TOPIC.
THE "CREW" PICTURE TAKEN AFTER THE LAST SHOW WAS ALWAYS OVER FLOWING WITH SMILING FACES. NOW I HEARD THAT THE PLACE IS LOCKED UP AND PATROLED BY THE POLICE. HOW COULD THINGS BE PUT IN SUCH A TAILSPIN WITHOUT AN EXPLANATION? I HAVE A HEAVY HEART.
MANY YEARS AGO,BOB LOVE PREDICTED A TERMOIL LIKE THIS, INITATEDBY SOME OF THE PRESENT PLAYERS

Happy Holidays to all!

May you all have a safe and festive holiday season.

And may the board members find their hearts and their consciences!

God Save the ORA!

I second that with davis

Hello Everyone:

I too have many great memories of ORA as a former volunteer and employee. I am not surprised at the current state of affairs. What has been sown is now being reaped.

I have been in protest of the current administration since the "sugar" event and trashing of John and Pam. The current events are rooted in the past soon after the death of Cole. I am surprised it has taken this long.

I agree with N2911C, Wingnut, Here Kat and the Baldeagle. N2911C is correct in that this is a war.

It must be won, a total victory with no quarter, the black flag has to be flown if the ORA is to survive as we all knew it.

What is the plan to oust the current board? It has started, but how will it be finished?

Who is the standard bearer of this war?

When are the interested parties meeting to plan, execute and win this war?


Rita, Cole and Eddy meant alot to all of us, so it is time to act.

[baldeagle]

Here's some interesting reading from the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York:

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/charities/not_f...fit_booklet.pdf

An excerpt:

DUTIES OF BOARD MEMBERS

While the board is not usually involved in the day-to-day activities of the organization, it is responsible for managing the organization and must make decisions crucial to the life and direction of the organization, such as adding and removing board members, firing and hiring key employees, engaging the auditors and authorizing financial transactions. In carrying out these responsibilities, members of a board of directors must fulfill fiduciary duties to the organization and the public it serves. Those duties are commonly referred to as the duties of CARE, LOYALTY, AND OBEDIANCE. They are primary.


Would anybody say that the current board at Old Rhinebeck has excercised care, loyalty, and obedience? I doubt it.

[baldeagle]

More interesting reading from guidestar.org (take a look around their web site), if you want to know how much money these guys are screwing around with, the most recent IRS form 990 financial report, from fiscal year ending 2001!:

http://www.guidestar.org/controller/search...=1&npoId=611521

Also:

http://www.guidestar.org/controller/search...=1&npoId=669406