Don Barlup, AACA Museum President, suggests that we are in an excellent position to assist the Museum in their current capital funds campaign. Any specific suggestions as to how you all plan to do this?<BR>jnp

John,<P>Are you referring to the web site or the local newsletters?<P>Peter

Hi all, My view is that the museum should be self supporting. It has already proven to be a big consumer of $$ and is a long way from a real life place. The museum board should be out there looking for $$ from Ford, GM, D-Chrysler, tire companies, after market parts houses, etc. We as AACA, should not underwrite the cost or we will go under. My 2cents.SalG

BRAVO SAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peter,<BR> As newsletter editors. I find that our local members have very little knowledge of the museum and its holdings. I know that Don is anxious to gain widespread support of the membership for the current capital funds campaign. The companies that Sal mentions are more likely to support this enterprise if the membership shows broadbased support. Most of them don't need another enterprise of their own to sponsor; but will assist if there is strong grass roots participation. The Hershey Fall Meet is an excellent example. With Hershey Region leadership and participation by the majority of AACA members it's a sure win for the commercial companies. We need similar broad based support for the museum. Assuming that there is support of this project amongst the editors, I'm curious as to how they might promote it. Also thought this section of the Forum could use a little activity!<P>jnp

Always a good idea for the local newsletter to provide info to their membership about the local club's activities AND the national's activities.<P>I hope the editors find this site useful for getting more "stuff" for their newsletters.<P>Peter<P>P.S. <a href="http://www.aaca.org/museum/museum.htm">Click here for more Musuem info!</a>

Hi<P>As the former editor of MUSINGS, remember that publication? there was no support there. Articles that should have been directed to that publication were instead put in Antique Automobile. Don't get me wrong Antique Autombile is an important communications tool for the hobby. So how do you expect to get member support when the National Orgainzation does not support it's own museum newletter, which was supposed to encourage financial donations and let people know what the directors were doing in trying to obtain grant monies from both state and federal programs. <BR>

Bravo!!!!! Ruth. SalG

TALK ABOUT NON SUPPORT!!! There is absolutely NO SUPPORT for the Museum Endowment. I know whereof I speak as I am the Chairman of the Museum Endowment Trustees.<P>The Endowment was started almost 5 years ago when a challange to match a $5,000 donation was made at the Annual Meeting. It was matched with $5,500. Then a year or so later a $100,000 challange was issued and approximately $120,000 was raised to match it, but it didn't come rushing in. Since that time there have been small contributions made by members and one of $5,000 and one of $1,000 that I know of. Now add these numbers together and you get $236,500 from a VERY limited number of supporters.<P>As of October 31, 2000, there was $300,993.29<BR>in the Endowment. Much of the difference of $64,000 has come from 4-5 years of earnings on the invested funds along with the small contributions from members, Regions and friends.<P>How can you even consider building a museum when there is NO INTEREST in endowing it. How do you plan to pay the heat and light after you open the doors. No construction of an AACA Museum should even be considered until there is a minimum of $3,000,000 in the endowment. Right now there is 10% of what is needed. An adequate endowment must be in place before any intelligently run museum should consider opening its doors. ~~ Howard V. Scotland, Jr.

Hi all, A couple of items about the AACA Museum. Let's remember that the season is limited, we are in central Pa., not in a year round vacation spot like Fla. We are in a "resort" town, but we are a bit off the beaten path, Rt. 39. We could try to promote it through HERCO, but I understand they only care about themselves. The vast number of visitors would show up the first 2 weeks of October, with the rest coming in summer when the kids are out of school. We would need to have a year round staff, as well as heat, A/C, snow plowing, electric and water. The lights and heat would have to be on wheather one person or 100 are inside. Just my 2 cents worth, lets think about it.<p>[This message has been edited by SalG (edited 11-19-2000).]

Ruth ~ I saw one copy of Musings which I was<BR>able to filch at a Roundtable early sometime last year, I think. (Time & events run together after a bit) It was excellent (as is anything that you do) and I contact the powers that be about getting the issues as they came out. I am sorry to say that was the only issue I ever saw. Were the Region/Chapter presidents and editors on the mailing list? (I think we currently have that same problem with the Wheels newsletter)<BR>But believe it or not, between hubby & self, we get 3 copies of the Rummage Box......President, Editor & Legislative Chair. Go figure. And I have contacted headquarters about this as well. I know the few cents it costs to send out two additional isn't much but it all adds up somewhere along the line.<BR>Patt

Goodness. With all of the money this independent organization, THE MUSEUM is getting out of our pockets, you would think they could afford the "Musings" and its postage, wouldn't you?<P>Now WHEELS and the RUMMAGE BOX are publications of the AACA and as such are paid for from the AACA treasury. The MUSINGS is a publication of The AACA Museum, Inc. and should be paid for in full with MUSEUM funds.<P>This is what I fear. Is the MUSEUM sucking funds from the AACA treasury??? Whose postage meter printed the postage? Who paid the printer? <P>hvs

There were only 2 issues of the Mussings published as far a I know. I was the editor for both issues. <P>As far a mailing list. Ron Barnett would have a better idea as to who was on the mailing list. I know for sure that the newsletters editors were not on the mailing list as I did not receive a mailed copy and as far as I know neither did our club president. SO WHO GOT THE COPIES - ANYBODY WANT TO GUESS?<BR>

Ruth ~~ I made what I consider a substantial contribution to establish the Museum Endowment and I was NOT on the mailing list either. Neither were any of my friends who made gifts to the Endowment. I guess they figured we wouldn't be stupid enough to contribute again, so why waste postage and printing costs on us. <P>I know that in certain circles there is resentment of the Endowment because they would like to have gotten their hands on that money to build the Monument at the Pumpkin Patch.<P>Brilliant Let's build a multi million dollar edifice but not support an endowment to support it when the doors open. Do they really believe admissions alone will support that place?<P>But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. Howard

Who is behind this mess? Why is AACA $ going to pay for Museum expenses?

I'd like to make a somewhat odd suggestion,...since there is so much confusion on this museum issue, why doesn't someone compile a small report on the board, the assets, the progress which has been made, the steps being taken and the staff involved, along with a list of needs and plans to get moving on this.<P>I think Howard has made both his view (a good one)on the endowment pretty clear, he has a valid point. But It is not being communicated well from other quarters what is currently being done, needed or wanted, aside from money. Neither people, nor corporations use the "blind drop" form of funding anymore. Carte Blanche died with endowers like Henry Ford and Howard Hughes.<P>An executive director must be part salesman, part psychologist, part historian and part lawyer to succeed in a non-profit, anymore. They HAVE to be able to delegate research and projects along to a staff to get the right mix of resources, goals, programming and outreach. Personally,..I hate schmoozing,...but I have found it is necessary, from active service on a non-profit board (blech!) I spent three hours, one time, talking to a group of businessmen to get assistance for a cultural event my group was putting on,... It landed me about $500 dollars in food, $1100 for sanitation services, $550 for advertising and a huge sign they donated to us, and they recompensated me $900 of my own money I had to fork out for insurance and rental space.<P>Of course, there was still security, emergency medical personnel, and vendor sales and volunteer training and scheduling to do with a staff of three,... we did ok. Proved we could do it,..but it required the foresight to do everything, and be able to lay out, in advance, both out needs, shortages and a complete list of expenditures. I do know one thing, from that,..I don't envy anyone who gets drafted to chair events. <P>Point? There are three things,..plan, communicate and delegate,..but just make sure there is someone to delegate to,...having enough people around to both talk to, and listen to, saved my butt, not to mention a great deal of out of pocket expenses.<P>R.S.