Rhinebeck Museum trouble

[tazbat]

Originally Posted by EricGoedkoop

I disagree, however, about field trips during the winter. Can you imagine forty or fifty 10-year-olds in a cold quonset full of dusty old airplanes? They need to see the airshow - the REAL airshow.

Hey Dude,
You are so right about they need to see the air shows. But, the main museum building has heat and one of the reasons there is a heating system that is more than just minimal, is so the Museum could be open all winter. Once the teachers, children, and their chaperone parents see how interesting and important the history is (they also view a tape with a short depiction of the air show) then they will return during the summer for the air shows and the special events, like Jamboree weekend.

One other problem is there is nobody on site during the regular season to tell people about the hangar exhibits. How are they going to get someone during the winter? Maybe the show hostess from this year could... Okay... I was just being silly.

Salute!

P.S. They could dust the planes, too.

[ulpilot]

In addition to being a member of ORA I am also a member of the Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport NY. I just received the latest newsletter in the mail and thought I would pass on my observations
.
The front page story is about the successful flights of their A-1 Triad replica that was built by the museum’s restoration shop over the past 3 years. There is also a story about how Glenn Curtiss got involved with designing travel trailers, and invented the 5th Wheel that is widely used nowadays. Here are some other things that stand out to me as I read the newsletter.

· They have a full 5 member board of directors. One board member is also the museum executive director.
· Thirteen Trustees are named, plus several Honorary, and Emeritus Trustees.
· Listed are the Executive Director, Education Director, Associate Curator, Administrative Assistant, Business Manager, Collections Registrar, Weekend Supervisor, and Weekend Staff member.
· With the exception of the executive director, none of the trustees or board members holds any of the other positions.
· New museum members since the last issue are listed.
· Member donations, with name and amount are listed.
· Donations from non-members are also listed.
· Memorials are listed for deceased members, and Curtiss family members.
· Grants and amounts given are listed as are a thank you for donation of services.
· Reports from the Director, Membership Committee, Museum Educator, Restoration Shop, and the Marketing Committee.
· Reports on several fund raising activities.
· Plenty of information on what will be going on over the fall, with several displays.
· A membership application, with a list of benefits that they actually do carry through on.

Another thing I have noticed is the occasional post card I receive from the museum, reminding me of different upcoming displays or fund raising events. Oh, and if they report they are having a display, group gathering, or away display, it does happen. Did I mention the website is kept updated too?

The museum itself is heated and clean, and open year round. There are Docents availble to give tours, and explain exhibits. Every time I go, there seems to be a lot of friendly volunteers with big smiles around. I also have not needed an appointment to do research in their archives.


Would anyone like to compare this to the “improvements” at ORA?

Oh. Is THAT what a museum news letter is supposed to be. Maybe that is why they call it a NEWS letter.

[tazbat]

Originally Posted by tazbat

The air conditioning units were on the floor inside the building, I am quite sure early in 2003. But, when I looked this year, I didn't see them anywhere.

I was mistaken. What was stored inside the museum building was ventilation fans, not air conditioning equipment. I was also off by a year. It would have been 2002.

Salute!

Originally Posted by Curtiss Jenny

The point I wanted to make is that this grant is not yet fully utilized, and if it had been it would have helped to raise more grant money, just as the completed Spirit of St. Louis would have. The goal of staying accessible to the public year round seems to have been pushed aside by the BOD and Tom Daly's "Homeland Security."

I am wondering if the monies left over from the grants are indeed still there. The 990 forms are always very late, so maybe the leaders think misuse of the grant monies will be shrouded in the mists of time. 2001, when the Thompson grant and the museum fund raising were completed was three years ago. When the financial statements are sent in, if they look okay, then no questions are asked and the papers get filed. It is too bad no audits have been done. Perhaps, nothing would be found but, until then the leaders can get away with anything.

As for the accessibility in the winter time, I think it would be the only way to give students exposure to the most fantastic history of an industry that has affected nearly every square mile of the globe. I cannot imagine that educators have missed the importance of aviation in the history of every nation, but it is true.

I am hoping to here many good things happening for the Aerodrome.

Harris Hawk and Tazbat,
It would be great to see the Spirit of St. Louis fly and to have a melodrama as you have described.

Demoiselle

[Michael]

I took my Cubs to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum last year, but they have a proper program

http://www.warplane.com/pages/education_nightops.html

Coolest thing in the world sleeping in a hangar with several dozen warbirds (we were under the Lancaster).

In the last two years, the progress of the Aerodrome has been one step forward and two steps backwards. For example: when the airshow begins, the Museum building is closed; if you want to know information about a plane in one of the hangars, there is no one around; the demonstration model of the rotary engine (on the wall of the airshow store) has been broken all year; the Camel did not fly this year; the Curtiss Pusher did not fly; the Spirit sits in the museum, doomed to static display without its wing; the Pietenpol didn't fly; the Davis didn't fly; the oldest living WWI pilot was not there. There were some positives: the museum hangars were painted; the museum hangars received new translucent panels; the museum hangars were rearranged.
The negatives outweigh the positives in pushing the ORA to a secure and prosperous future. So, my question for all this and so much more is, where is the law?

If I am wrong about this, where are the leaders' responses? Why is there so much secrecy? Why is there no updated news letter?

Demoiselle

[Harris Hawk]

Originally Posted by demoiselle

If I am wrong about this, where are the leaders' responses? Why is there so much secrecy? Why is there no updated news letter?

Demoiselle

Would YOU want to put in print what will come around and bite you square in the tailfeathers????

[tazbat]

Originally Posted by Harris Hawk

Would YOU want to put in print what will come around and bite you square in the tailfeathers????

You mean... their empennage? Their derriere? Their tush? Their fanny?

Salute!

[Curtiss Jenny]

demoiselle wrote

The negatives outweigh the positives in pushing the ORA to a secure and prosperous future. So, my question for all this and so much more is, where is the law?

If by the law you mean the NY State government agencies, they have been watching the situation closely for quite a while now. Another museum professional told me that the agencies are designed to move slowly, on purpose, because given enough time a problem sometimes solves itself. For example, the present BOD may have decided to resign on their own in lieu of the upcoming lawsuits by individuals. They could save face by leaving, saying they helped to better organize the Aerodrome, and let the state put in a new BOD and museum director.

There are over 300 museums in NY State, and ORA is not the only one with problems. Some of the issues involve the Attorney General's office jurisdiction and some involve the Chartering Program of the Department of Education. There is also the FAA and federal laws. All these agencies consult with their attorneys, who also consult with each other.

Believe me, even though it is taking a very long time, there is a lot of good coming out of all the letters to the state that people have written. Please continue to keep writing, to keep ORA at the top of the list.

In the meantime, it is good to hear what ideas that the Glenn Curtiss Museum and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum are doing. Keep these ideas flowing. When the Aerodrome is regained some of these may come in handy.