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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/12/2019 - Museums BayhamMUSEUMS BAYHAM BOARD AGENDA Bayham Municipal Office, Trackless Lounge 56169 Heritage Line, Straffordville, ON June 12, 2019 7:00 p.m. Call to Order: 2. Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest: 3. Review of Items Not on the Agenda: 4. Announcements: (a) No meeting was held May 8, 2019 due to lack of agenda items (b) June 15th is the Opening of our "60 Years of the St. Lawrence Seaway" Exhibit with special items from Margaret Lang on display; invitations were sent out to Board members and other organizations; Karen Vecchio and Jeff Yurek are booked to attend 5. Delegation(s): 6. Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes: (a) Draft Minutes for meeting held April 10, 2919 (attached) - Review and Motion to Adopt 7. Correspondence 7.1 Receive for Information (a) Curator Report for April and May 2019 (attached) — Motion to receive 7.2 Action Required 8. Unfinished Business Arising from the Minutes: 8.1 Lighthouse Exterior/Interior Condition — MU reports that staff are looking to address the water issues long term. A potential grant has been submitted for the same and once more info is available staff can advise the Board further. 9. New Business: 9.1 Receive for information (a) EON update from Chuck; new brochures available (b) Info item — Students — MU reports that three hired, one is away presently and all are working well (c) Info item- MU reports that the Museum and Lighthouse is getting more interest in bus groups and school groups this year; one on May 16th first day open and the next tour is June 12th and one on June 14th (d) Info item — MU reports that plants were placed at the MM in the two beds by Jennifer and Margaret; more may follow (e) Info item — MU reports that the Children's Program will again be a collaboration with the Fred Bodsworth Port Burwell Library and will start July 9th and run for 6 weeks (e) MU reports that the students will be organizing some Canada Day children's events, as well as, events for Beachfest (f) MU reports that the navigation lights in front of the MM were placed by Ron Bradfield; thank you to Ron for his efforts; as well he was looking after installing the flags on the Wheelhouse mast. 10. Finances (budget): 11. Other Business Next Meeting Date: Wednesday, July 10th 2019 or at the Call of the Chair 12. Adjournment #71� (P �a MUSEUMS BAYHAM BOARD MINUTES Bayham Municipal Office, Trackless Lounge 56169 Heritage Line, Straffordville April 10th, 2019, at 7:00 pm Present: Chair- Bev Hickey Vice Chair- Chuck Buchanan, Albert White, Ally Shelly, Jeff Robinson, Regrets : Bayham Staff Resource: Margaret Underhill Regrets: Matt Schafer 1. Call to Order Bev Hickey called the meeting to order at 6:55 pm Wednesday April 10th, 2019. 2.Introductions- Membership None 3. Action Required None 4. Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest None 5. Announcements None 6. Delegations None 7. Adoption of Minutes (a) Motion to adopt minutes of March 13th, 2019 Museums Bayham meeting. Moved by Chuck Buchanan, seconded Albert White, to accept minutes. All in Favour. 8. Matters of Business 8.1 Receive for Information (a) Curator's Reports for March 2019 (attached) - Curator's report was reviewed by Board Members. Motion to accept Curator's Report as information. Moved by Jeff Robinson, seconded by Albert White. All in Favour. (b) Museum Sidewalk Installation Update Reported by Margaret Underhill via email. The sidewalk is installed — finishing landscaping to be done. Museums Bayham Board Minutes April 10/19 (c) Motor Mounts Project Update- future Motors Display Chuck Buchanan reports that two motor mounts have been made for the Marine Museum. Jennifer has 4 motors to display, but Chuck believes 2 motors can fit on each stand. (d) Humidifiers Tent Update — ongoing conservation of the "Planks" Chuck Buchanan reports that Bev Hickey has put brackets on the wall to mount one of the planks. Jennifer is deciding where to put the other one. Jeff Robinson has discussed with the Bayham Historical Society the removal of their plank. Arrangements will be made to remove the plank before the museum opens. (e) Wheelhouse Restoration Update- verbal report C. Buchanan, PBHS There is nothing new to report at this time. The sidewalk has been moved as it was marked close to a support required for wheelhouse. Sidewalk has been completed. (f) E.O.N. Association Meeting Update — C. Buchanan Chuck Buchannan reports that the brochures for the map guide are newly completed. A lower number has been ordered. A membership drive will be launched to collect outstanding membership fees. (g) Museum and Lighthouse Summer Students : Hiring & Opening Update - M. Underhill Reported by Margaret Underhill via email. Two students have been hired. There has been some difficulty finding a third student as few resumes were received. Opening date remains as Thursday, May 16th_ 8.2 Unfinished Business Arising for the Minutes: (a) Update - Correspondence from R. Bradfield ( former MB Board member) Re: "Hercules" Model Reported by Margaret Underhill via email. Curator will be contacting Mr. Bradfield and the owners of the Hercules Model in the future to discuss further. (b) Update- Request to municipal staff from Ron Bradfield — See Attached Advisory Board & Committee Request Resolution Reported by Margaret Underhill via email - refer to the Correspondence from the Municipality regarding the Board's request to Council to consider a Crosswalk at the Lighthouse. In addition, Municipal Staff are looking at overall signage in the villages and will be considering the Board's request regarding parking signage. Museums Bayham Board Minutes April 10/19 8.3. New Business Ken Nesbitt has sent a resignation email to Ally Shelly. A resolution to "regretfully accept Ken Nesbitt's resignation due to meeting schedule conflicts from the Museums Bayham Board" was passed. Motion to accept resignation. Moved by Chuck Buchannan, seconded by Albert White. All in Favour. 8.4 Action Required a) Lighthouse Paint Albert White suggests that the paint issue on the Lighthouse be revisited. The paint continues to bubble and separate from the wood, due to moisture. Plans to move forward with repairs should be considered. 9. Finances (Budget) None 10.Notice of Next Meeting and Adjournment Next Meeting: May 8th, 2019. The meeting is adjourned at 7:28 p.m. Motion to adjourn made by Jeff Robinson. All in Favour. Date: Ally Shelly, Secretary Bev Hickey, Chair Curator's Report May 2019 Collections The museum has been cleaned and looks very nice. The lighthouse cleaning and painting has made an impressive difference in the visual appeal. The beacon lights have been installed along the new sidewalk and look very good. One needed repair and has now joined the others. They will require a bit of touch-up paint, a job the students can do. The flagpole has had the signal lights attached and been installed on the top deck of the wheelhouse. Ron Bradfield and his brother did this work. The landscaping around the museum has been changing. Two small trees have been removed as they were no longer in good shape. The garden has been cleared of weeds and garbage and has been stocked with free, shade loving plants. Exhibits and Events The new exhibit on the 60th anniversary of the St. Lawrence Seaway was completed on time on opening day. A tour group from Cambridge had arranged to visit at 11 that morning and they enjoyed the exhibit and museum. We have another booking for June 12th for the Port Rowan and South Walsingham Historical Society, along with a home school group coming June 14th. I have sent out the invitations for the opening event on June 15th for the exhibit. The groups invited include members of Parliament, council, staff, Museums Bayham, EON, Vienna Lionesses, Port Burwell Historical Society and the individual who loaned the commemorative china. She is also making a financial donation towards the catering of the event and contributing door prizes. Chuck has built the motor mounts and installed one of the outboard motors in the shed. I will need to arrange some help to set up the rest of the motors out there. Next will be to print up the wall text and install it. I applied for and we were accepted to once again provide an exhibit for the Provincial Parliamentary Building. It will be installed in early August and will show the fishing history of Port Burwell. Staff The students started on May 14th. Two are returning from last year and the other has worked at the Sparta Museum for several summers. They will attend the EON Student Orientation workshop on June 3 d at Annandale NHS. I attended the EON launch of the new map held in Port Stanley and organized by Mike Baker. I took several artifacts and assisted Mike as VP of EON. I'Lhe /a/r9 Curator's Report June 2019 Collections The museum has accepted three donations into the collection —a flag, several photographs, and a pith helmet. They are ready for accessioning, and thank you notes have sent. I continue to save photographs and histories from the Burwell Life Facebook page. We have received two new exhibit cases from the Elgin Heritage Museum. We are waiting for the glass to be delivered, then they can be put to use. They will replace the badly cracked exhibit case housing the Sutherland exhibit, and will impart a very different look to that corner of the museum, as they are tall cases. The students have commenced with accessioning again. The landscaping around the museum has been maturing into a very nice garden. Exhibits and Events June saw numerous events, including the Port Rowan and South Walsingham Historical Society June 12th, a home school group June 14th, and the exhibit opening event on the 15th. When that is added to the opening day bus tour, it has been a very busy start to our season. The opening event for the new exhibit on the 60th anniversary of the St. Lawrence Seaway was held on the 15th. In attendance was the Mayor of Bayham, Ed Ketchabaw, Councillor Susan Chillcott, MP Karen Vecchio, and MPP representative Delany Leitch, along with Margaret Lang, who loaned the commemorative china and sponsored the event. Visitors came and went throughout the afternoon. Bev Hickey came by with his newspaper clipping of his time as a seaman aboard the yacht Britannia as it plied the Great Lakes with the royal couple aboard. The Port Rowan and South Walsingham Historical Society met for a picnic lunch at the park beside the Library, and enjoyed the location immensely. They came to the museum and lighthouse, and had a wonderful time, they said. The home school group came from the London area and numbered over 20 children of all ages. This was my first school group to take the educational program developed two years ago on light and sound, the themes of the grade four science curriculum. It was well received by both parents and children, although a few children found the ship's bell to be a bit loud. The group enjoyed the lighthouse as well, and went to the park by the Library for lunch and again, it was a rousing success. An application was submitted for display at the Provincial Parliamentary Building Toronto. Our application was accepted to display a second time! I completed the research and sent in the text for the exhibit. The artifacts and photographs have been selected as well. The exhibit will be installed in early August and will show the fishing history of Port Burwell. The display will be in place until early December. Curator's Report June 2019 While working at the lighthouse, one of the students reported an infestation of flying insects. There was also a robin that had flown up to the top. While rescuing the robin, I agreed that the insects were too numerous for the lighthouse to remain open. The issue has been attended to. Staff The two students and I were able to, with the help of two of our volunteers and Margaret's able scheduling, work through the period when the third student was attending a course in Italy. Two of the students attended the EON Student Orientation workshop on June 3rd at Annandale NHS. As they were both experienced in accessioning, and last year's instructor was unavailable, I arranged for them to run the accessioning workshop, using reference material and notes from previous workshops. This gave them invaluable experience. The two students also managed the hectic schedule of events on the week of the 10th, when we had three events. They assisted in the tours, programming, and event preparation, including decorating and socializing with guests. As a result of the event, the loaner of the commemorative china asked if I would write a submission for the newsletter of the Monarchist League of Canada on the seaway exhibit and opening event. It has been welcomed by the editor. We have had our first staff meeting of the summer, a practical solution to keep us all aware of the various tasks throughout the summer. All three this summer are led by one of the students, giving them experience in chairing a meeting. I have developed a series of ongoing "to do" lists for the students and they have been assiduously working on it, checking items off as they complete them. On the list for the upcoming month is preparation for the children's activities held on Tuesdays from 1-2 pm, before the Library's program at 2-3 pm, beginning July 9th. Also on the list is general tidying in the storage area and office in order to maximize the space we have, in addition to accessioning and general museum upkeep.