The Board of Trustees met on Wednesday evening, February 27, 2008, at the Waltz Building -- to which the public is invited. You may download the agenda as a word document HERE, and the agenda of future meetings will be posted on this page usually the weekend before meeting on the fourth Wednesday of most months.

The Blackman House Museum is open on Sundays from 1 to 4PM. Trustee Marcia O'Hair and myself are organizing and moving the Society's records from the Archives Room to the new Membership Office and Gallery -- that odd side room behind the staircase. Please stop by some Sunday, you will be surprised and hopefully pleased by the changes. Or, you could show up in your work clothes on Saturday, March 15th at 10AM for part two of the Clean Crawl Project. Mr. Vice-President Eric will led us laying down the rest of the vapor barrier and replacing broken duct work -- like the one going to the new Membership Office and Gallery! Then we can get our new furnace installation approved by the city.

The Calendar of Events for 2008 was presented, which you may download as a pdf file HERE. It's pretty much what the Society has been presenting for the past few years except for a new Oral History Series that began this month with Bill Bates, called "Stories at the Blackman House." Up next, on March 16th at 2:30 is Middy Ruthruff and the title of her story "A Ford in the Blackman House" -- is a story that goes back nearly 40 years -- and that's all I'm going to tell you -- please join us. On April 13th, Anne Eason will join us with her story of being the first woman on Snohomish City Council! Also coming up on Saturday, April 26th from 2-4PM is the Third Annual High Tea and Fashion Show. If you would like to attend or help out, please contact ARDIE McLEAN who is the committee chair guiding this fun fundraiser for the Society.

Join a Committee! Each monthly meeting will have a major subject for consideration or action, and for the February meeting the subject was Committees -- the butt of so many jokes. Yet, it's where the work of organizations is done then presented to the full board for approval, or not. You do not have to be a board member to join a committee. As you read these letters of our efforts through out the year, please consider joining in some activity that interests you.

The Bylaws Committee presented their first resolution laying out the process for amending our Bylaws and to provide a provision for doing so -- which was evidently missing from our current version updated around 1983. The resolution passed unanimously, and the committee will be bringing forward drafts to be considered by all members; consequently, I am declaring that all monthly Board meetings scheduled for the 4th Wednesday will be considered General Membership Meetings as well. (The distinction between General Membership and Board Meetings will be addressed by the committee.) Please subscribe to the Announce List below to learn more about the dates and agendas of future meetings.

The Membership and Public Relations Committees will work together specifically on a mailing to past members inviting them to renew their membership. If you wish to avoid receiving that mailing please renew online, right now, with our new DONATE button below, a service provided without charge by Google. You can safely use your credit card to pay and avoid printing out a form, filling out a check, finding an envelope, then a stamp... well you get the picture -- online payments these days are safe and easy.

Your Membership makes you a Co-owner of at least a half a million dollars in downtown Snohomish real estate and a priceless collection of historic photographs, memorabilia and objects -- all for the cultural and educational benefit of the community. We receive no public money -- all financial support comes from you and your neighbors -- please consider giving more than the modest membership dues. (I will be so grateful that I will come over to your house and eat dinner with you some evening!)

Next Meeting is Wednesday March 26th at 6PM in the Waltz Building, we will be hosting a visit by Nicolette Bromberg, Visual Materials Curator with UW Libraries, Special Collections. I met Nicolette while researching my book Early Snohomish, and asked her if she could advise us on the care and cataloguing of our photo collection. Nicolette accepted, and it has taken just about a year to arrange this visit. We will provide food and drink for this reception and round table discussion -- please save the date.

Cheers!

Warner Blake, President