HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/30/2018 - Minutes r r r r r r RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
RENTON HI�TORY ✓anuary30,2018
MusEUM
Attending: Laura Clawson, Antoin Johnson, Pete Kalasountas,Jessica Kelly, Colleen Lenahan,
Betsy Prather, and Elizabeth P. Stewart.
Absent: Lynne King
Guest: Bruce Minor
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
Liz Stewart presented her dissertation, Who Shall Decide When Doctors Disagree?:A Cultural
History of Scientific Hoaxes, and described her work toward her Ph.D.
Public Comments Information
Guest Bruce Minor was attending, so trustees introduced themselves. Bruce is a long-time
Renton resident and a recently retired Boeing engineer.
Board Communications Information
Liz described a proposed ordinance, #2018-0086, recently introduced to the King County
Council by Councilmember Dave Upthegrove. The ordinance would change the nature of the
King County Council's involvement with 4Culture, the King County arts and heritage funding
agency, in the following ways:
• Council would be able to hire and fire the 4Culture Executive Director.
• Council would have the right to veto the 4Culture budget.
• Councilmembers would appoint nine of the 4Culture Board members, and the County
Executive would appoint six.
Liz had spoken with staff from Councilmember Reagan Dunn's office and from 4Culture.
Geographical equity and maintaining oversight is a concern for Councilmembers; maintaining
independence from political influence is a concern for 4Culture. Liz encouraged Board members
to contact their Councilmembers and later sent them resources about the ordinance.
A public hearing for the ordinance is scheduled for Weds., Feb. 21 at 9:30 am at the King County
Courthouse.
New trustee Jessica Kelly had a series of questions relating to Board and Museum operations,
which Liz Stewart and other trustees anmswered:
• Who is the City Liaison to the Board?That was a position created for City
Councilmember Terri Briere, who had a special interest in history and the Museum, and
we have not filled it since her death. Liz is the City staff liaison, and Community Services
Division Administrator Kelly Beymer is her immediate supervisor.
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• Does the Historical5ociety have its own web site?We used to, but couldn't maintain it
with available resources. We thought it was better to have one well-maintained web
site, but we can discuss at the retreat.
• Who maintains the insurance?The Historical Society has policies with Hub Insurance for
Directors' and Officers' Liability, liability insurance on the offsite storage building, and
insurance on the collection. The City owns the building and is self-insured.
• Does the Historical5ociety have legal counsel? Not currently, although it would be great
to have a lawyer on the Board. The last time we needed legal advice, on an easement at
the offsite storage building, Dan Clawson was kind enough to provide it pro bono.
• Has the Collection Policy been updated recently? No, but we should be able to get to it
by the end of the year. Review and revision is the Curator's and Director's role, with
final Board approval.
• Has the Museum Management Agreement been updated? Not recently.
Correspondence Information
There was no correspondence.
Consent A�enda (Vice President) Action Item
A quorum was present. Jessica Kelly pointed out that her name had been left off the list of
Board members on the agenda.
• MOTION: Antoin Johnson moved to approve the Consent Agenda with the above
change; Laura Clawson seconded. Motion passed, none opposed, none abstaining.
Old Business Action Items
(1) Committee reports:Trustees went through existing committee list and reallocated Board
members to them. Laura Clawson will head up the ad hoc Strategic Plan Committee, with
Colleen Lenahan, Jessica Kelly, Pete Kalasountas, and Liz Stewart. Because the Board is so
small, it is difficult to staff all five committees; goal #1 this year should be board recruitment.
Liz recommended a Meet & Greet for prospective trustees, which has been a good way to
recruit in the past. She will send a Doodle poll to find a good date in February or March.
(2) Leadership succession: President Alexis Madison resigned in December, citing her work
schedule. Vice President Betsy Prather generously agreed to step in as interim President until
June, at which time we may entertain other possible candidates, if Betsy does not want to
continue.
We will have no Vice President until June. Antoin continues as Secretary, and Laura continues
as Treasurer, with Jessica as Treasurer-in-Training. All three of these officers are up for re-
election or change in June; Laura would like to continue for one more year, since the By-laws
require that officers have been on the Board for three years.
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• MOTION: Jessica Kelly moved to approve Betsy Prather as interim President; Colleen
Lenahan seconded. Motion passed, none opposed, none abstaining.
(3) 2018 Plans: In addition to Board recruitment, revising the Strategic Plan and preparing for
the autumn fundraiser are main priorities. Trustees discussed a Board retreat in February or
March, at which trustees will review the existing Strategic Plan. Liz will circulate a Doodle poll
for possible dates and times.
Discussion Action Items
(1) New paid sick leave laws: Liz reviewed the new RCW 49.46.020 and 49.46.210 which
mandate the accrual of at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours of work for part-
and full-time employees. The Public Engagement Coordinator currently receives five days of
sick leave a year, more than the 24 hours the law mandates.The Curator also receives five sick
days a year; her 40 hours of weekly work time mandates one more sick day on top of that,
under the new law.
• MOTION: Antoin Johnson moved that the Renton Historical Society be in compliance
with the new RCW; Jessica Kelly seconded. Motion passed, none opposed, none
abstaining.
(2) Annual trustee document updates: Liz circulated three policies required by the IRS
annually—Whistle-Blower Protection Policy, Conflict of Interest Disclosure, and Code of Ethics
Certification—and explained them. Trustees signed and returned them to keep on file.
Mission Moment
Liz shared an article on The Federalist about Colonial Williamsburg's financial difficulties,
"Americans' Declining Interest in History is Hitting Museums Like Colonial Williamsburg Hard"
(http://thefederalist.com/2017/08/22/americans-declinin�-interest-historv-hittin�-colonial-
williamsbur�-hard-not-one/). The article cited Colonial Williamsburg's declining visitor numbers
(down by 50%from the late 1980s) and huge budget deficit (losing$148,000 a day), and argued
that it suggested that "Americans' knowledge of civics and history is pitiful" and "Americans are
growing incurious." But the Renton History Museum seems to be bucking that trend. 2017 had
our 3rd biggest attendance since 2006 and our highest number of volunteer hours (by 24% over
the next highest year). Liz concluded that small local community museums can be more
successful if they work to understand the community, as we have tried to do.
Adiournment
Laura Clawson moved to adjourn, Liz Stewart seconded. Meeting adjourned at 7:02 pm.
Antoin Johnson, Secretary
Renton Historical Society
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BOARD OF TRUSTEES
RENTON HI�TORY ✓anuary30,2018
MusEUM
MUSEUM REPORT
For January 2018
Compiled by
Elizabeth P. Stewart, Director
Sarah Samson, Collection Manager
Kim Owens, Public Engagement Coordinator
Nezanet Tewolde, Museum Office Aide
Operations
Visitors in January: 187
Visitor numbers reflect members and researchers as well as paying visitors. There were no
tours in January.
Administration
�n �`�, Staff retreat: Museum staff conducted our 2018 retreat on January 29.
�..
Staff spent three hours discussing 2017 accomplishments and looking
;m=�� ��'' ahead to 2018. We discussed how to prioritize our time and resources
_ � _ toward projects highly valued by the public and that meet the
Y���;�~ Museum's own internal goals. The result was a 2018 workplan that will
��
feed into discussions about the longer term Strategic Plan.
� �;;`
J City of Renton web site: Public Engagement Coordinator Kim Owens
, �E,�,�,e;--- took the lead in 2017 on preparing the Museum's web pages for
M�'�`""`'� transfer to the City's new web site management system, with
�w, . .,.. t,
assistance from Sarah Samson and input from the entire staff. The new
web site rolled out in early February. On the new City home page, it is easier for residents and
visitors to find the Renton History Museum; it is also generally easier to navigate all the pages.
New features on our pages include: listing of Museum events on our home page, interactive
maps, social media feed, and two tours.
Exhibits � ' ��
I {� .,,;t
Black& White: Our new temporary fashion exhibit, Thee'� � � y� � . �:'�-��
Black& White, opened on January 31. The exhibit � - _ _� �
features black and white fashions from our � � y"'- �" ' "
i
collection, using them to tell the story about the f" ¢ ` ,-_ .y R� ' � �
;.
significance of color—or lack of color—in the '
.N� i4'4.��
clothes we wear. Black & White has been very
.�����,r� _
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popular so far, and has been enhanced by the interactive color experiment at the end of the
exhibit, as well as the numerous programs that Kim Owens has developed. The exhibit remains
on display until May 19, 2018.
City Hall lobby display: The Renton History Museum had the responsibility for filling the City
Hall lobby case during Black History Month. Director Liz Stewart researched the history of the
arrival of Black miners to King County for a panel exhibit; the research will do double duty as a
quarterly newsletter article in March. The exhibit will be on display until the end of February.
Rentonites in WWI: Progress on the WWI exhibit has been on temporary hold for other
projects, but Liz will continue research into Renton's WWI history next month. Sarah has also
been transcribing Jack Allison's detailed diary of his WWI experience, on loan from his daughter
Sarah Jane Hisey.
Collections
New accessions: Sarah has been accessioning a large collection of Delaurenti and Barei family
photos from Carol Frey, and identifying people in the photos using other photos in our
collection. We have also received some photos and posters documenting the career of boxer
Daniel "Boone" Kirkman, and will hope to conduct an oral history with him soon.
Pro�rams, Outreach, and Education
Black& White programs: On Feb. 8 we hosted an excellent talk by scholar Victoria Williams
about the history of Black women fashion designers. She traced the history of African American
women as seamstresses and clothing makers and designers, from slavery to the present, and
shared why their labor has disappeared from history. Fourteen people attended, including a
large percentage of people of color.
�- Renton History Live!: Staff and volunteers have
'� +� 1 already started working on our next live actor
� k
�' "� ,.; ��� performance during Renton River Days. Using an
` actual 1910 incident as a jumping-off point, Renton
��� ,
� History Live!will explore why three Renton women
-- 'W' spoke out at a Renton City Council meeting to
� oppose the selling of alcohol in Downtown Renton.
�
' ` Scriptwriter Sabella Curtis brought to life Florence
� Guitteau and and Charles Custer for our 2017
� Renton History Live! performance, and she and
seamstress Cathy Lim are again teaming up to bring
this story to our River Days visitors.
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Volunteers
Volunteer Program: In January 29 volunteers contributed 150 hours of service, on such
activities as assisting with exhibit preparation for Black& White, Board service, Saturday
greeting, and collections projects.
Volunteer Oral History Coordinator Eleanor Boba has already spent many hours preparing for a
February 3 oral history training and working with Kim and Sarah updating documents relating to
the program. In addition, volunteer Sabella Curtis has already started researching the next
script for our next Renton History Live! performance during Renton River Days.
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RENTON HI�TORY ✓anuary30,2018
MusEUM
Year End 2017 Report
Operating Account
Laura Clawson,Treasurer
2017 was a very active year. Sorting Out Race was an outstanding exhibit that garnered interest
throughout Puget Sound. The annual upcycle-themed dinner auction was the most successful
held to date. And finally, the lobby renovation was completed.
PROFIT& LOSS 2017 (see "A")
Income
Income in 2017 was $137,244. Fundraising, donations and grants provided 51%of the income.
Membership is trending down, in common with other museums and non-profits.
Admissions and donations skyrocketed in 2017, mirroring the success of the Sorting Out Race
exhibit.
Expenses
The lobby was renovated in 2016, and completed in 2017. Income for the remodel was received
in 2015-2016 (donations, grants, supplemental operating income from Renton Community
Foundation funds) but the expense of$34,510 was paid in 2017.
Exhibit expense related to Sorting Out Race was higher than usual. Also, salaries were higher
due to having a full staff the entire year. Overall expenses were well in line with previous years
and with the budget.The staff is doing an excellent job at containing costs.
2-YEAR PROFIT AND LOSS (see "B")
The 2017 bottom line loss of$22,592 needs explanation, and is due to the $34,510 payment to
the City of Renton for the lobby renovation (account 3.60 Facility Maintenance). It is helpful to
look at both years concurrently. Income accrued in 2016 that was specifically earmarked for the
lobby remodel, and holding costs down also helped result in a budget surplus for 2016. Over
both years there is a positive net income of$14,535, and ultimately it was unnecessary to dip
into the Building Fund (as planned) to help cover the costs of the remodel.
PREVIOUS YEAR COMPARISON (see "C")
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Income was higher in 2016, which is understandable given that about $35,000 was realized in
2016 to cover the lobby remodel. However, in 2017 admissions were up by over 1,000%,
donations by 77%, and fundraising by 24%. Additionally, supplemental income was reduced this
year, from $60,000 to $50,000 while 2016 it was increased from $60,000 to $75,000 (lobby
renovation). Removing supplemental income that skews the picture, income in 2017 was
$23,000 more than 2016.
Grants were high in both years, higher than in any of the previous 5 years. The staff is doing an
amazing job in applying and securing grant funds.
Wages were higher in 2017 due to staff turnover in 2016.Thankfully we have had a full staff in
2017.
Activities and exhibit expenses were higher in 2017. These are related to the successful Sorting
Out Race exhibit.
PROFIT & LOSS vs BUDGET (see "D")
Income
As mentioned above, membership is continuing the unfortunate downward trend that seems to
be universal in museums and non-profits nationwide and we missed budget by$3,115.
However admissions were over budget by$3,365.
Supplemental operating income taken was$10,000 less than budget.
In other categories the budget was exceeded. Income was 115% of budget.
Expenses
Expenses were over budget by$17,785 due to the payment to the City of Renton for the lobby
renovation of$34,510. Removing this one payment changes the difference to $16,724 less
than budget.
FUNDRAISING (see "E")
In the last three years net fundraising income has increased nearly 250%. We lost our volunteer
caterers, Don and Larry's Catering, in 2016, incurring substantially more cost, yet the net
income has grown substantially.
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