HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-20-2013APPROVED 3 /20/13
White River Valley Historical Society
Board Meeting
February 20, 2013, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Muckleshoot Room, White River Valley Museum
I. Filling in for President Megan Evans, Vice - President Pat Cavanaugh called the meeting to order,
and asked for the minutes from January's board meeting to be approved. A motion was made by Gerry
Honeysett, seconded by Ronnie Beyersdorf, for t he minutes to be approved without changes. APPROVED
Patricia Cosgrove introduced the Museology 101 component of the meeting, a showing of one of
this museum's eight documentary shorts from a series named Auburn Our Town . The video featured life
long Massey's Supermarket employee, meat cutter Ken Bradford. The store opened in 1947 and was a
revolutionary business in the region, the first of its kind to have a paved parking lot. Mr Bradford is a
wonderful story teller and worked for Massey's from most of the year's it was open. Massey's closed in
1989 and this Art Deco building has been preserved and repurposed as the Auburn Justice Center.
II. Committees
Treasurer Jamie Bothell had a work conflict so the February Financial Statement was presented by
Patricia Cosgrove . Essentially, all finances are typical for this time of the year.
The Finance Committee has met developing plans and policies for a new Endowment Fund.
Director Cosgrove reviewed a few of the details, promising that by the March meeting the committee
should be ready to make a preliminary proposal for the full board's consideration.
Curator of Collections, Hilary Pittenger, presented for Collections Management Committee chair
Joan Mason. The board was given a list of all the items reviewed by the Collections Management
Committee with some items brought for show and tell. One interesting item was a Swedish song book for
the Lutheran church; another newly acquired artifact is an early map of the town of Slaughter. There was
ringed book of history of the town of Algona and Pacific which was also a cookbook. A motion was made
to accept the items into the Museum's artifact collection; motion made by Joan Mason, seconded by Mark
Thomason. APPROVED
III. Staff Report
Board member and Farm Liaison Scott Gibbons and Patricia Cosgrove provided an update on work
at the Mary Olson Farm, some accompanied by photographs of construction of the new livestock shelters,
paddocks and manure compost bins. An inventory of the animals on the farm were reviewed. Cosgrove
introduced a draft of a new interpretive panel on the subject of sustainable farming. The headline "Manure
and diligence makes the farmer rich ", was used. This old Swedish saying seemed appropriate given the
Olson homeland. Secretary Beyersdorf provides us with the original Swedish: Godsel och omsorg kommer
att gora en bonde rik.
Ongoing project needs at the Farm were also reviewed, bringing the conversation around to our need for
the Washington State Capital Heritage grant to be approved by the legislature, thus providing funds to
complete all projects.
IV. Vice President Cavanaugh invited Board Members to share reflections around the table. Board
member Doug Lein stated he rented the Museum for a 2 -hour event in June. Doug said there could be a
revenue stream for the Museum through rentals. Doug said he also sees an opportunity for the Mary Olson
Farm for rental . Pat Cavanaugh adjourned the meeting at 3:1013M.
Respectfully submitted by: Ronnie Beyersdorf, secretary
Next Board Meeting: March 20, 2013, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Muckleshoot Room, White River Valley Museum