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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/26/2019 - Minutes RHS Minutes_112619_final Page 1 of 3 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES November 26, 2019 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 Attending: Laura Clawson, Jessica Kelly, Rhea Kimble, Lynne King, Mike Lennox, Betsy Prather, and Elizabeth P. Stewart. Absent: Doug Brownlow, Denise Dhakal, and Colleen Lenahan. Call to Order, Intro, Guest Speaker In the President’s absence, Vice President Laura Clawson called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM. Trustees shared what they will be doing for Thanksgiving. News, Updates, and Public Comments Information (1) Share-out on donor calls: Trustees shared their experiences thanking fundraiser donors. Most left voicemail messages; a few talked to donors, who were very appreciative of the personal touch. Finding phone numbers was challenging, and if they couldn’t reach donors by phone, some trustees Facebook-messaged people. (2) Fundraiser debrief: Board members had a few final thoughts on the 2019 fundraiser.  Lynne King: Let’s book Rain City Catering ASAP once we have a date.  Jessica Kelly will check with Shirley Anderson about Renton Community Center availability and whether it would be free for us.  Lynne will check the size of the Banquet Room to see whether it is bigger than the Senior Center. Review and Approval of Minutes Action Item A quorum was present. Laura Clawson reviewed the October minutes. There were no corrections or changes.  Lynne King moved to approve the meeting minutes as submitted; Jessica Kelly seconded the motion. All approved the motion, none opposed, none abstaining. Work session Action Item (1) Introduction of 2020 budget: Liz Stewart reviewed the notes for the 2020 draft budget. Budget numbers are based on 3rd quarter 2019 actuals. New expenditures include: rental of a storage unit for exhibit furniture and other non -collection items; possible pay increase for RHS staff; and facilitator and food for the 2020 staff retreat. Budget proposes a small increase in fundraising goal—from $25,000 to $27,000—and corresponding increase in fundraising expenses, from $5000 to $5200. Laura questioned the number for salary and payroll taxes for 2020—it seemed too high. Liz will get more accurate pay increase numbers from the bookkeeper. Trustees will have time to consider the budget until the vote on December 10. (2) Agenda for 2020 Retreat: Trustees discussed possible topics for the planned 2020 retreat. Rhea Kimble asked the purpose of the retreat, and trustees explained that it is a longer, relaxed opportunity for Board members to learn, plan, and work, usually held on RHS Minutes_112619_final Page 2 of 3 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES November 26, 2019 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 a Saturday morning at a location other than the Museum. Colleen Lenahan had already offered that her boss would be willing to help as a facilitator/speaker on diversifying fundraising sources. Jessica suggested that the retreat would be a good opportunity to make some progress on the Strategic Plan, possibly breaking out into committee groups for some planning and brainstorming. Liz will send out a Doodle poll to find the best Saturday in March. Jessica and Lynne said they would look for possible speaker / facilitator able to speak about Strategic Plans. (3) Board attendance: Liz Stewart reminded trustees that after three unexcused absences in a row, a trustee is assumed to have resigned. Denise Dhakal has not attended since June and Colleen’s attempts to reach her have failed, so we assume that she is no longer able to be actively involved. Liz will contact her and thank her for her service. (4) Holiday party plan: Laura gave trustees her address for the December 10 Board Meeting and Holiday Potluck. Liz distributed a sign-up sheet for dinner. Mike Lennox and Betsy Prather will be unable to attend, but they can vote on the final budget by proxy. (5) Chair for Outreach Committee: This topic was tabled for January. Mission Moment Information Elizabeth Stewart reviewed the results of the visitation survey recently conducted by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). The survey asked historical organizations to self-report their visitor numbers from 2013 through 2018, to get a handle on how the public is interacting with museums, historical societies, historic homes and sites, and historic preservation organizations. The good news is that visitation to all sites increased over the period by 5.7%, with history museums showing the strongest growth, at 10.7%. Organizations with budgets between $25,000 and $250,000 (like the Renton History Museum) saw an increase of 13%. Visitation to western museums showed a remarkable 22% growth. AASLH has not yet determined reasons for the increases among small museums, but members of the Small Museums Committee discussed whether it might be that small museums work harder to meet community needs and interests in a flexible way. Post-meeting discussion Information With the extra time at the end of the meeting, trustees brainstormed some fundraising ideas.  Betsy suggested that all or part of the parking lot at the offsite storage building might be rented to people who need places to park extra cars, boats, or RVs. Liz expressed some concern with crime in that area, and Lynne suggested there might be insurance concerns. RHS Minutes_112619_final Page 3 of 3 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES November 26, 2019 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002  Lynne also reminded Liz that the Model A could be deaccessioned and sold, to free up offsite space and gain a little collections income. Jessica has a client in Enumclaw who collects cars and might be interested; otherwise, the Board will need to h ire a professional to broker the sale to ensure we make maximum profit. Liz reminded the Board that the Model A has no clear Renton story and as an artifact cannot be utilized in parades or other events. Trustees would like to schedule a trip to the offsite storage building in the spring. Adjournment _____ Betsy Prather moved to adjourn the meeting, Lynne King seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned at 6:40 pm. Elizabeth P. Stewart for Doug Brownlow, Secretary Renton Historical Society