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Home My WebLink About11/28/2017 - Minutes r r r r r r RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES RENTON HISTORY November28,2017 MusEUM Attending: Patricia Carroll, Laura Clawson, Antoin Johnson, Pete Kalasountas, Lynne King, Colleen Lenahan, Betsy Prather, and Elizabeth P. Stewart. Unexcused: Alexis Madison Guest: Jessica Kelly Call to Order In President Alexis Madison's absence, Vice President Betsy Prather called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM. Artifact of the Month Information Lynne King presented her mother's well-loved Steiff rabbit and told its life story. Public Comments Information Prospective trustee Jessica Kelly was attending, so trustees introduced themselves. Board Communications Information Laura Clawson and her husband Dan visited Tombstone, AZ in November and visited numerous museums there. Antoin Johnson visited a private Ferrari museum in Miami, FL. Correspondence Information Liz Stewart shared an invitation to the meeting of the King County Landmarks Commission at Renton City Hall on Thurs., Nov. 30 at 5 pm, during which Commissioners will consider the nomination of the historic F. W. Woolworth's Building (now the Cortona Building) as the first City Landmark under the city's new Landmark Ordinance. The meeting is open to the public, and Liz will serve as a special commissioner from Renton. 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. Old Business Action Items (1) Committee reports:Trustees talked generally about priorities for 2018 and how to accomplish them. Among priorities cited were: revision of the now-outdated strategic plan; a formal HR Policy for employees; and increasing membership. Colleen Lenahan volunteered to work on a sponsorship policy to increase fundraising capacity. (2) 2018 Budget:Treasurer Laura Clawson and other Finance Committee members presented the draft 2018 budget for first consideration. Income projections were raised for the Fundraising and Donations line, and decreased slightly for Memberships, reflecting historical RHSMinutes_11282017_approved Page 1 of 5 r r r r r r RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES RENTON HISTORY November28,2017 MusEUM trends. The committee also decreased the draw from operating reserves at Renton Community Foundation by$10,000. On the Expense side, the Finance Committee proposed a range of salary increases and other incentives for the Curator and the Public Engagement Coordinator. Trustees discussed the budget effects of those and future capacity for staff compensation. Trustees agreed to come to final agreement on size of raises at the December Board meeting. Otherwise the 2018 budget was basically unchanged from 2017. The Museum is planning three temporary exhibits and about 30 programs of various kinds, including a talk by prize-winning author Tim Egan. Staff hope to write a grant to cover the extra cost of that program. Discussion Action Items (1) Holiday potluck and Board meeting, Dec. 12: Laura Clawson will host the party at her home. Sign-up sheet was circulated for food. As usual, the evening will start with a brief Board meeting focusing on the 2018 budget and then adjourn for food—families are welcome. (2) 2018 Plans: Trustees would like to hold a Board retreat in late January or early February to begin discussions about future priorities. New Trustee Orientation will be held on Tues.,Jan. 16, 7 pm for all who want to attend. Mission Moment There was no Mission Moment. Adiournment Lynne King moved to adjourn, Antoin Johnson seconded. Meeting adjourned at 6:45 pm. Antoin Johnson, Secretary Renton Historical Society RHSMinutes_11282017_approved Page 2 of 5 r r r r r r RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES RENTON HISTORY November28,2017 MusEUM MUSEUM REPORT For October 2017 Compiled by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Director Sarah Samson, Collection Manager Kim Owens, Public Engagement Coordinator Nezanet Tewolde, Museum Office Aide Operations Visitors in October: 232 Visitor numbers reflect members and researchers as well as paying visitors. There were no tours in October. Administration 2017 Annual Dinner Auction: Staff provided administrative and logistical support for the Annual Renton History Society fundraiser on October 17. � Curator Sarah Samson kept track of incoming � r ��` auction donations before the event and Office Aide � , ' Nezy Tewolde processed donations and other � �� i = , pa yments before, durin g, and after the event. �W �� rf' � �___ ; -- �; r Director Liz Stewart worked with the Board on all �_�°' � � � other logistics. Committee co-chairs Lynne King '�F- �' and Patricia Carroll did an excellent job leading _ , ;�' �.��y- " n_ .� -,, _ organization of the event, and trustees did a Photos by Laura Crisp. fantastic job at soliciting auction items and pitching in on set-up and clean-up. Ultimately the fundraiser was our highest earning event ever, grossing $17,884 and netting$12,355. Earnings were up in every almost every category except - � �� drinks (the Board made a calculated decision not to _ A , ��" �'►'T"�� charge for drinks). The Dessert Dash earned 60% � �• ,� L� more than in 2016, after the decision was made to � r� �1 �� _ "' • � � � � put the dessert table in the middle of the room.The - ` ;;. _}.� only category that was down was pre-event -- - _ a�� ; ��' �� .. donations, down by 30%. ,. w , i � � } � ��4 �rtTM , � �� =, ' y ��. _ y_� �'� Nola's Boutique Events catered a delicious meal, and I'�,� �'�d =�a�1-.�� through a glitch, provided about 13 dinners too few; RHSMinutes_11282017_approved Page 3 of 5 r r r r r r RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES RENTON HISTORY November28,2017 MusEUM she graciously refunded the amount for the missed meals. Aunt Dottie and her nephew Aaron emcee'd and provided entertainment. One hundred and ten people attended, most purchasing tickets at the last minute. Guests included Councilmembers Ryan Mclrvin, Ruth Perez, Ed Prince, and Carol Ann Witschi, as well as State Sen. Lisa Wellman. 2018 Budget: Liz worked with Treasurer Laura Clawson and the Finance Committee to get a start on the 2018 Budget. Laura revamped the five-year spreadsheet to reflect new general ledger codes, and Liz began by talking to staff about planned projects and programs for 2018. The Museum has committed to do three temporary exhibits in-house, one of which is an art installation curated by local artist Mary Clymer. The Museum will also participate in South King County Cultural Coalition's Bookmarks & Landmarks Program, with a talk by bestselling author and New York Times columnist Timothy Egan, talking about his book The Big Burn. Exhibits Black& White: Final preparations are underway for our next fashion exhibit, Black& White, January 30 through May 19, 2018. �;,�s�� Sarah and Public Engagement Coordinator Kim ��,, . `%`�� Owens have completed final text and objects ` _� selections, and are currently designing '�;;`_� interpretive panels for Black& White. Kim is also working on several programs to enhance the exhibit. An Inch in Time: The Thread that Unites Us: Liz and Sarah have been working with local artist Mary Clymer to develop plans for a yarn installation that exemplifies Renton's changing demographics over time. Mary has successfully curated two exhibits for the Renton History Museum in the past, and she brought us this idea for an art installation. The exhibit will be on display from November 20, 2018 through February 2019. Pro�rams, Outreach, and Education A History of Renton in 75 Objects programs: In October ��- the Museum hosted two exhibits on material culture, ` '�`�' � . .�� designed to complement our current temporary . ..�.�.-- ,...��t.; � " exhibit. On Sat., Oct. 21 archaeologist Alicia Valentino _ , ; � ; ' gave a fascinating talk about the excavation of a •��f%� 7' � s. t� Depression-era Smith Cove shantytown, with about 30 __ people in attendance. On Thurs., Oct. 26 anthropologist „"' °''°'`"," ,� Llyn DeDanaan returned to the Museum with a RHSMinutes_11282017_approved Page 4 of 5 r r r r r r RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES RENTON HISTORY November28,2017 MusEUM thought-provoking Humanities Washington talk, "What Does It Mean to Be Human?" which explored the ways in which human culture helps define us. A small but diverse audience of eight people attended her talk. Old-Fashioned Halloween: The Museum participated in the citywide Downtown Renton Halloween event, giving out candy to 57 kids and parents on Sat., Oct. 28. Next year we will also host a spooky storyteller right before the start of the Halloween festivities in the Main Avenue plaza. Volunteers Volunteer Program: In October 25 volunteers contributed 139 hours of service, on such activities as Dinner Auction preparations, other Board service, Saturday greeting, and collections projects. Volunteers from Renton Youth Council and Hazen High School Deca also provided support for the fundraiser, serving meals and assisting with the silent and live auctions and Raise the Paddle. Kim and Sarah have been working with new volunteer Eleanor Boba to train her to serve as the lead on our Oral History Team, which has languished for some years due to lack of leadership. Eleanor has worked as a project manager for several major historical projects at the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society and the Lake Washington Ship Canal Centennial Project, and will be a great asset to our oral history program. RHSMinutes_11282017_approved Page 5 of 5