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Home My WebLink About10/24/2017 - Minutes r r r r r r RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES �ENTON HISTORY October24,2017 MusEUM Attending: Patricia Carroll, Laura Clawson, Pete Kalasountas, Lynne King, Betsy Prather, and Elizabeth P. Stewart. Absent: Alexis Madison,Antoin Johnson, and Colleen Lenahan. Guest: Shane Klingenstein Call to Order In President Alexis Madison's absence, Vice President Betsy Prather called the meeting to order at 5:34 PM. Artifact of the Month Information There was no artifact of the month. Public Comments Information Laura Clawson introduced Edward Jones representative Shane Klingenstein. Shane recapped changes in market and endowment. 2017 was a good year for investments, but it is overdue for a correction. Our rate of return in 2017 is 10.85%; profit since 2009 has been $1.9M, a 9.08% annualized return. Shane explained the cost of investing and Liz Stewart recapped the history of the endowment and policy. Board Communications Information Liz has been appointed by City Council as a commissioner on the King County Historic Preservation Commission on the occasion of the nomination of the F. W. Woolworth's Building as a King County Landmark. Betsy Prather asked if someone could represent her at the next City Center Planning meeting, and Liz agreed to go. Correspondence Information There was no correspondence of note. Consent A�enda (Vice President) Action Item A quorum was present. • MOTION: Laura Clawson moved to approve the Consent Agenda; Lynne King seconded. Motion passed, none opposed, none abstaining. RHSMinutes_10242017_approved Page 1 of 6 r r r r r r RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES �ENTON HISTORY October24,2017 MusEUM Old Business Action Items (1) Fundraiser wrap-up:Trustees discussed catering glitch that left 11 of 114 dinner guests without chicken.The Historical Society had contracted with Nola's Boutique Events for 120 guests, but the sense of the Board was that a refund should be requested for the 11 guests who did not get dinner. (Liz later explained the situation to Nola and she refunded our money for the 11 dinners.) Trustees agreed that everyone enjoyed the food and that Nola and her staff were very helpful and conscientious, so they should be in consideration for next year's event. Lynne suggested the Board consider a buffet for next year; objections raised were the cost (because people take more food in a buffet); the time waiting in line; and the space needed for hot and cold tables. Liz presented almost-final gross and net figures, and the event was the highest earner yet. Income increased from Raise the Paddle (75% more); the Dessert Dash (60% more, thanks to the tables being placed in the center of the room); dinner tickets; raffle; and silent auction. The only decrease was in mailed in donations. Lynne was disappointed that some of the auction items didn't sell for more, although she felt that the formulas used to calculate first bid and "buy it now" price were fair. Laura Clawson described a PEO live auction for gift cards, and other events were discussed. Trustees agreed corporate sponsorships could be an area for growth, but need to be done early in the year. Trustees thanked committee co-chairs Lynne King and Patricia Carroll. (2) Committee Reports:There were no committee reports. Discussion Action Items (1) 2016 990 and 3Q 2017: Treasurer Laura Clawson reviewed the 3Q 2017 financials and the completed 990 tax form for 2016, which trustees had received in their packets for review. In 2016 extra income was pulled from the Renton Community Foundation operating fund, to cover the Historical Society's $37,000 share of the 2016 lobby renovation project. Liz explained that the Historical Society aims to balance the budget every 2-3 years because of the lag in grant income and associated project expenditures. In 2016 total income was $159,664, including investment income. • MOTION: Laura Clawson moved to approve the 990 as prepared by McCorkle & Associates, Lynne King second. Motion passed, none opposed, none abstaining. (2) Budget 2018: Finance Committee had not met; discussion was pushed to November meeting. RHSMinutes_10242017_approved Page 2 of 6 r r r r r r RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES �ENTON HISTORY October24,2017 MusEUM Mission Moment There was no Mission Moment. Adiournment Lynne King moved to adjourn, Laura Clawson seconded. Meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm. Elizabeth P. Stewart substituting for Antoin Johnson, Secretary Renton Historical Society RHSMinutes_10242017_approved Page 3 of 6 r r r r r r RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES �ENTON HISTORY October24,2017 MusEUM MUSEUM REPORT For September 2017 Compiled by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Director Sarah Samson, Collection Manager Kim Owens, Public Engagement Coordinator Nezanet Tewolde, Museum Office Aide Operations Visitors in September: 220 Visitor numbers reflect members and researchers as well as paying visitors. Groups included South King County Cultural Coalition. Administration New Benches: Maureen Briere Huff, daughter of Councilmember Terri Briere, has been working with the City of Renton to come up with appropriate ideas for commemorating her mother's contributions to the City. Ms. Huff has agreed to installing two new benches around the Chief Sealth fountain in the Museum's yard. Councilmember Briere died in November 2014 after a long career in Renton politics. She was a strong supporter of the Museum and of historic preservation in Renton. Major Maintenance Survey: The City's Facilities Division is working with McKinstry to conduct a survey of city buildings, assessing maintenance needs for the future. An engineer and architect with McKinstry came and spent some time in the Museum as part of this process; we showed them the crumbling window surrounds, roof leaks, breaks in the exterior stucco work, and they also inspected the HVAC and other systems. Their report is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, and the projects will then be prioritized for inclusion in the budget. I hope to have some influence in moving our projects forward with the promise of matching funds through grant-writing and fundraising. Exhibits History of Renton in 75 Objects exhibit:A History of Renton in 75 Objects remains on exhibit until January 2018. A September program on family history related to the exhibit was very successful and upcoming programs on the "favorite objects" theme include one exploring archaeological artifacts uncovered from a Puget Sound shantytown RHSMinutes_10242017_approved Page 4 of 6 r r r r r r RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES �ENTON HISTORY October24,2017 MusEUM Black& White: Our next exhibit, Black& White, is a fashion exhibit that runs from January 30 through May 19, 2018. Curator Sarah Samson and Public Engagement Coordinator Kim Owens have made great progress in selecting objects and drafting interpretive panels for Black& White, building on the work of a team of UW Museology students.They are also working with local seamstresses Cathy Lim and Bridget Shew on a contemporary component to the exhibition; Cathy and Bridget provided costumes for historical characters during this year's Renton River Days Renton History Live! performances. Renton in WWI: Director Liz Stewart continues to research into Rentonites involved in WWI, on the homefront and on the battle front, including turning up a WWI diary kept by a volunteer's father overseas. We are actively collecting objects and photos of Rentonites in WWI, so please let your friends and neighbors know. Pro�rams, Outreach, and Education Curriculum development: The Renton School District has scheduled a training session for third grade teachers in November for our new Coast Salish curriculum, which meets state standards relating to knowledge of local tribes. The kits are currently in production and will be ready in plenty of time for teachers to start using them in January 2018. Genealogy Workshop: Sarah ran an Introduction to Genealogy Research on Sat., September 30, with a lively group of ten students who had various levels of experience with genealogy. (Two of them were distant cousins who had met through Ancestry.com.) The workshop was successful enough that she will probably offer a Part II in the spring. Events and Outreach Renton Multicultural Festival: Museum staff operated a Storytelling Tent during the Renton Multicultural Festival at the Renton Pavilion and Piazza Park. The festival itself was very successful, but the Storytelling Tent was not well-attended. Kim and Liz are working on other ideas and some possible grant applications to improve on the idea for 2018. Annual History-Making Party: Staff spent a considerable amount of time in September preparing for October's fundraiser, including: designing and mailing invitations; processing ticket reservations; compiling guest lists; keeping track of auction items and donors; and promoting the event. Kudos to everyone who put so much work in to make it a fantastic event; a fuller report will be included in the October Museum Report. RHSMinutes_10242017_approved Page 5 of 6 r r r r r r RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES �ENTON HISTORY October24,2017 MusEUM Volunteers Volunteer Program: In September 18 volunteers contributed 126 hours of service, on such activities as Saturday greeting, Board service, and collections projects.The Volunteer Committee organized an enrichment tour for volunteers to White River Valley Museum, where they were treated toa behind-the-scenes tour of collections in addition to touring the exhibits. Also, in September with the help of veteran oral historian Nancy Fairman, Barb Horton conducted an oral history with Cevin Waffle, owner of Sewing Machine Service. RHSMinutes_10242017_approved Page 6 of 6