Rhinebeck Museum trouble

[SteveS]

Whosaidrats,
Thanks for the link! And you make valid points.

The article brings up some questions in my mind. First, going back through my stack (yes, I save them) of Rotary Ramblings, I see that the Board of Trustees seems to change from time to time. But who are these people? Yes, some names I recognized over the years of being a member, but others I have no idea? How do you get to be a trustee (can I be one)? Not to single out Terry McClinch (I obliviously don't know who he is), but since he is quoted in the article, I'd like to know how he got to be a trustee and President. What is his background? Is it in aviation? Business? Banking? Fund raising? What was his affiliation if any (?) with Old Rhinebeck to get him picked for the board? Or wasn't that a requirement?

I think for too long we members and supporters have sat back, gave with our heart and just enjoyed the show, trusting others we don't know with what we hold dear.

As I'm quite sure that the board and trustees are reading this message board. I offer this to them:

"As a member and long time supporter of ORA I feel that at the very least, we members receive a letter stating what is going on, future intentions and are kept a little more in the "know." Preferably before the "Spring Appeal".

I'll willing to bet that as word spreads of troubles at ORA, people will start to pull their support and then we all lose.

Salute All,
Steve

[Whosaidrats]

Good questions Steve. I wish I knew the answers. I'm not a member, and haven't been up there in a couple of years, but went about once a year before that. Don't know any of the board members, but I heard some stuff and figured this was the place to find out about it.

[StolenCub]

Good post Steve - and good questions.

Firstly, ORA board members have read this thread and are trying to discredit it.

Secondly, and this is for all who read this, not Steve in particular, please be careful about your postings here. Asking questions is reasonable, but innuendo is not. Do not post libelous remarks about anyone here. "Truth" is a nebuous commodity at times and your version of it may not match mine or anyone else's.

Thirdly, if you look at the board now and those who have resigned or were fired, you will see a pattern. Those who have been ousted were those who carried Cole Palens vision and dream forward. They are the members with the most longevity and the closest ties with the history of the Aerodrome. Ken Cassens , Karl Kopecke, Charlie Day, Peter Truesdale, Glenn Guilfoyle among them. Those now on the board are, to be polite, a little more shallow in those waters.

Fourth, the proper question is not who are the board members. They are like us - members of the community, real estate investors, bankers, and tradesmen from a variety of disciplines. The offer their time and effort, ostensibly, to the benefit of ORA. I think the proper question is "What is their plan for the future - if they intend to ensure the Aerodrome's future - How exactly do they intend to accomplish that ? If they intend to expand the Aerodromes finacial base - How exactly do they intend to accomplish that ? If they intend to fly the shows next year without a resident mechanic - How are they going to accomplish that ? How are they going to enlist pilots to fly with them - who are they and where will they come from ? What is their vision for the future and why do they seem reluctant to share it with us ?

Lastly, continue to discuss, ask, inquire and otherwise stir up conversation about the conduct of the current ORA Board of Trustees. They have not delineated a future plan and this is the cause for concern among all who know and enjoy the Aerodrome. I do not think I can top a current Board member's statement when asked about the changes and how they fit in with Cole Palen's vision of the Aerodrome and it's future. He was succinct - "Cole Palen is dead." Of course he is. And if the Board continues with that mind set, so is the dream of the man who began it all.

They could quite easily avoid any misconception about their cause and eliminate speculation as to their intentions with very little effort. Given that they have not, in the last 4 years to my knowledge, ever published a long range plan, I do not expect to see one now or as Mr. McClinch has indicated - 18 months from now. But as Members of the ORA Museum Foundation - we can and should demand concrete plans. After all - it's our money that in part fuels the organization and I for one would like to know how it is being spent.

In the meanwhile, keep telling your friends about this thread. Ask them to read it and comment. We have to all band together on this to have any real effect.

[JohnReid]

My dad and I flew down to ORA in the mid-sixties .It was my first exposure to WW1 aircraft and I have never forgotten it.I am sure that the sights and sounds that I was exposed to that day lives on in the dioramas that I work on every day.This is just one example of Cole Palens dream influencing untold numbers of people to this day. Thank God for the dreamers of this world. Cheers! John.

[LibertyV12]

My first exposure to the Aerodrome was in 1965 when I had a summer job. Luckily, my father was good freinds with Dave Fox. This is when Cole had a Dr1 fuselage in one room, a Bleriot wing in another and an aircraft engine in every corner where furniture usually resides. The upstairs was a mass of World War One articles, from Spandaus to aircraft magazines.After many years I came back to the Aerodrome as a volunteer working with Tom Polapink. I feel very fortunate to have been connected with the Aerodrome when it still had the people with direct links to Cole and strove to keep his personality alive through the Aerodrome. During Tom's tenure , I knew he was going through alot of frustration with the board, but was always very professional and would not disclose any information. Out of frustration, he wrote a letter to the board to try to set the record straight on what was required to get the museum on a better footing. The Boards answer to this criticism was his termination in December. At that point I was going to quit, but Tom asked me to stay on for the good of the Aerodrome. This is after being fired and making sure the Aerodrome News was updated on the web site, which is why there are no more entries after January. When Steve Cunningham took over as Museum Director, the atmosphere went from one of being a kid in a candy store to working for a corporation. Somehow the fun was being sucked out of the place. Then in the middle of the season he quit, the full reason I am not sure of, but it had to be very serious for him to take such a drastic step. Then Tom Daly takes over, the third Director in 7 months, I think Tom is an honest hardworking guy,but if I were him, I would not quit my day job. Ken Cassens getting fired is the last straw. Scott Mackenzie was fired along with him. Scotts' whole family was involved with the Aerodrome, that is how all the cars, trucks and motorcycles keep running week after week, year after year, until now. Tom Daly said in the Middletown Record that the museum will be all volunteer, I don't know how that will work with everyone leaving.

[Mark_Miller]

I have no more information on this whole situation other than what I have read in this thread.
But, this is starting to sound all too familiar.

I’ve worked for corporations for about 20 years now and during this time I’ve seen things go from bad, to worse, to MUCH worse.
There is absolutely NO concern for the employee, and management will do anything and everything they can to reduce costs.
Health benefits go down, salaries are frozen or rolled back
and “reductions in force” is now an ongoing activity.
In other words, the layoff is never over, you’re just waiting until the next one.

They cut back the staffing levels until there is not enough people to do the work, then expect the people that are left to put in unpaid overtime to pick up the slack.
I think they even have a name for it now – “ghost work”

All the while CEO’s salaries keep going up.
It’s all so disgusting

Point is
Sounds to me like this “Board of Directors” decided they were a corporation.
But I think they miscalculated in that volunteers don't usualy put up with being treated like crap.
and, of course, the fact that this is a non profit organisation.

BTW - I live in Connecticut and have been going to Rhinebeck every year since the late 70s.
If there is anything I can do to help .....
Mark

[Whosaidrats]

Write those letters, and spread the word-

[Paul Revere]

What I see at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome:

A Board of Directors without oversight and out of control.

Since Cole Palen died the board has been like a revolving door. They have
hired and fired, or had quit, many directors, none with any experience at
running a foundation, several without much knowledge of antique airplanes.
One can call to mind one "director" who spent the summer selling
kites
at the airshows. He didn't last long, only long enough to embark on a
disastrous fundriser, which cost the the Aerodrome some thousands of
dollars. Another young man they hired as a part timer, also without
experience but who had been involved with the Aerodrome for some years,
worked his heart out, did his best, but was eventually the focus of unproven
allegations and dismissed out of hand with no word of thanks for the time he
had put in. The latest director,(excepting the current occupant) was the
only outsider and he quit after three months when the board micromanaged and
refused to ok his changes in personnel. The current "director" has a full
time job as a helicopter pilot for a police force on Long Island and has only
recently been involved with the Aerodrome. His only qualification seems to
be that he is at hand and acceptable to the board.

They have also given tremendous authority to a woman hired as office
manager/bookkeeper, who now seems to be running the museum..again without
qualifications.

At the same time, the board has supported a convicted felon,who confessed to
knowingly possessing stolen property, who actually threatened to sue more than one of the
board members, and who has been involved in other shady operations over the
years.

The board itself has pushed out at least one board member, who was so
disturbed by the board's actions that he decided to do some background
research, which some regarded as disloyal to the board. (One could argue
that he was doing them a favor.) Others have resigned out of disgust or
despair. The sunshine law does not seem to govern their actions as the last
open meeting was last February.

On Friday 11/7 a coup was mounted. The local sheriff's department was
summoned, as had been arranged beforehand, locks were changed, the mechanics
fired, and all personnel told they had no more access to the property
without the presence of the director or a designated subordinate.
Furthermore, all personal property was to be removed immediately. It was carried
out like a brutal police raid, with no consideration of personnel who had
been at ORA for years. The excuse for such drastic action was that during
the flying season two of the planes had been tampered with. This is a
federal offense, but was not shared with the other pilots, who might have
wished to keep an special eye on their planes. And no one is sure if it was
reported to the authorities either, nor were the specifics revealed.

When I think of the many years under Cole, when a like-minded group gathered
about to fly and enjoy the old planes, a fraternity of antique
aero-enthusiasts, then I know that Cole would be horrified at what is
happening there now. He meant to have what his enthusiasm and hard work had
built continue, not be at the mercy of a cabal of people who seem to regard
his vision as passe. Indeed it is hard to see what their vision is, if they
have one. It certainly has not been well articulated.

This is a shame. I started going to the ORA about two years ago. Even though I lived next to it my hole life I was in the process of getting my A&P and I only had experience on heavies. I went all over the pace trying to find a place that would give me the opportunity to learn no luck. Well one day I was in the dinner and I over heard someone talking about old aircrafts and that they worked on them. Well that’s when I met Ken He took me in under his wing. I learn a lot about old time aviation. At the time I was already working two jobs. I was finding time to go there and work and even calling into my full time job sometimes because I was having such a great time there. I am just afraid that if this keeps up there will be no aerodrome. With out Ken and the other guys it just wont be the same for me. I always tell people about Ken That I wish I new a 1/4 of what he does about Aircraft maintenance. I just hope he stays around there area. I do know some people that work for AIR &space and I have wrote to them and told them what is going on. I think a lot of you hit it right on the head it was like a big family but now it is falling apart. Lets hope some people come to their senses

Chris .M

will start digging for the real story


- ORA fan and journalist