Under wraps

Multitasking is, well,  its pretty much the name of the game. Time is always at a premium so finding ways to include as many activities as possible within a limited time frame and budget is key. When I began as Managing Director, the Board were clear they wanted me to spend as much time as possible at members sites. Knowing whats going on in the museums of province is important for both the Association and myself and the best way to do this is by visiting in person.
So I get creative and combine site visits with meetings and careful figuring of mileage and such. A favourite part of the job for certain.

Christine and the Firefly at Shearwater Aviation Museum

A recent meeting with new ANSM Treasurer, Christine Hines of Shearwater Aviation Museum gave me an opportunity for another sneak peak at the Fairey Firefly they hope to soon return to the air in active flight. Tremendous progress since I last saw it a year ago and I'm looking forward to seeing it in flight.

Christine and I have developed a practice of meeting bi-weekly to make sure she is on top of all things financial and we move forward  in planning for operational policies and proceedures related to finance. There's still lots to do, but we continue to work away and progress is surely being made.

Another recent site visit was to Chester (enroute to a weekend visit with friends) an opportunity to see and hear about recent activities of the Chester Historical Society. Definitely a group on the move, they have several large scale projects in hand or just completed. The Society's base is currently in the old Chester Railway Station which they share with the local area VIC. A CAP site managed by the Society is also housed there as well as the Society's research resources and changing art exhibitions.

A small but mighty crew

Lordly House, a fine Georgian property with a long history with the town, is under going major stabilization and restoration work . The Society is very engaged in fundraising for the restoration of the fabric of the building and is including careful plans for how they will use it as their showcase and exhibition space when the doors reopen. They have strong municipal government support which is key for community participation.

Lordly House "underwraps"