Future Directions, was Storage Space

[NW Mailing List]

All,

Look, before everyone goes into fits of apoplexy, the society is simply taking a long-term look at future options.? This recent rash of high profile deaths has opened our eyes to the fact that none of us are likely to be here 25 years from now. And those that are will be too old and feeble to accomplish anything significant.

No one is advocating the immediate dumping our assets and materials on some unsuspecting, lucky institution or public domain.

We are simply on a fact-finding mission to see where we might light a quarter of a century from now.

The end result is likely to be some kind of worthy affiliation, rather then a wholesale donation of N&WHS assets or amalgamation of some physical structure.? Who can do this?? A church?? The Salvation Army?? The obvious answer, for many, many reasons is found in some local, Western Virginia-area college. 

Our current building is old and continues to be a drain on our assets.? We are obligated to continue searching for a better alternative and we have a committee for that.

And we are not out to ignore or tarnish the reputation or the efforts of those who have brought us thus far.? Jim Gillum, we thank you for your vision and guidance.

But I don't think he would want us to stand idly by and let everything go to seed.
We have made much progress.

To date, we have catalogued more than 230,000 items.

We thank all those who have and continue to labor toward that end. And, under the editorial direction of Ken Miller, we now have have, in THE ARROW, one of the finest publications in our field.

Larry, you have certainly been a part of that process.? But to simply endeavor to scan everything and then destroy precious vellums and other drawings that were viewed by and rolled at the hands of the likes of Frederick J. Kimball, R. H.Smith and other principals -- simply for the sake of space -- is not the way to go.? It ain't gonna happen on my watch.

Again, we are just exploring future options.? Whatever eventually happens is not going to be done tomorrow.

And the BOD and membership will have an opportunity to factor into that ultimate decision.

Tim HensleyN&WHS President