The Board of Trustees met on Wednesday evening, April 23, 2008, at the Waltz Building -- to which the public is always invited, but none attended this evening. You may download the agenda as a word document HERE, and the agenda of future meetings will be posted usually the weekend before meeting on the fourth Wednesday of most months.

This meeting featured an extensive report from Marilynn Willard and Trustee Edie Pierson as to the operations and conditions of the WALTZ BUILDING. Marilynn has done a tireless job of managing our Community Rental Hall and along the way has developed a market for an affordable place to host a wedding celebration and/or reception. The hall is also very popular for family reunions, large birthday parties, and even gathering for the popular scrapbooking has found a home at the Waltz. The Board approved a modest increase in rental rates for 2009, and the requirement to require Liquor Liability insurance for those events serving liquor. We tabled action on a small water leak until Trustee Eric Vannice has had an opportunity to check it out, again; we tabled action on the storage of the round tables and the replacement of the chairs. A real nuts and bolts session that ended with another expression of the Board's appreciation of Marilynn's volunteer efforts.

The Membership and Marketing Committees, working in tandem, presented a membership renewal letter and form for approval, and it will be delivered to the homes of former members who have not renewed their membership for 2008. Don't worry, it's ok to use the form if your are a new member as well. Please check the homepage, under Join Us! to download the letter, or simply use our new Donate button to contribute online using your credit card. 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!)

The Bylaws Committee submitted their first draft along with fours pages of "Read Me First" notes explaining their process. Watch future agendas for when discussion of this foundation document is scheduled so that you may join in; and in the meantime, I will check with committee members, Eric Vannice, Allison Merrill, Penny O'Connell and Marcia O'Hair if it's ok to post the first draft online. More thanks all around, but after reading it, I'm wondering if I can get use to the title change from " Trustee" to "Director?"

Taking two giant steps the Board approved purchasing Past Perfect Museum Software that will run on a HP Pavilion laptop donated to the Society by Karen Guzak, a member of our Advisory Board. And the second step was to approve my proposal to contract with Kathleen Lince as the Society's second professional archivist since forming 39 years ago. Kathleen has volunteered with Society since 2001 in the archives room, as well as serving on the board. Kathleen has worked as a Manuscript Librarian for the Library of Congress before moving to Snohomish, and we are lucky she did. Her official title is The Stack Family Foundation Archivist to honor the very generous contribution of $6,200 from Trudy and Harold Stack last year. And my proposal for establishing an educational program in the Blackman House of trained docents where volunteers will develop their own scripts for tours was approved -- so please contact me if you want to learn more about this opportunity.

Next Meeting is Wednesday May 28 at 7PM in the Waltz Building, but first we will be hosting a another round-table discussion with members of the city's Design Review Board about how our two organizations can work together toward the goal of historic preservation, which is honored in the month of May. But, before that even, you are invited to a short ceremony around 5:30, celebrating the opening of the Membership Office and Gallery in the BLACKMAN HOUSE MUSEUM -- featuring an exhibition of Snohomish's own Gilbert Horten's photographs taken around 1885.

Please feel free to contact me with any of your questions via eMail -- that's why I'm paid the big bucks!

Cheers!

Warner Blake, President