If you are like most people I have spoken to this year, you have probably said several times, "It is already March; where did January and February go?" I was visiting with Susie Goff at an event recently, and we both agreed that "January did not happen this year! The year started in mid-February."

 

2016 is a huge year of transition for SLHF. Later this year we will move from our interim office / museum site to our permanent office / museum. The time frames are still uncertain but most likely the move will be in the fall. As such, this presents some interesting challenges / opportunities. Listed below are some of the ones that we are working through.

 

+ How long do you keep your interim museum open but at the same time focus on the new museum?

Several factors to be considered in this evaluation are that the Farmer's Market is coming into the busy seasons of spring and summer, so lots of folks are on the site each Saturday. The Houston FOTOFEST is taking place from March 12 through April 24. This is a biennial (It happens every two years. Don't feel bad, I had to look it up too!) The City of Sugar Land and SLHF partnered on an exhibit (see this newsletter for more information).

 

+ In the new building, we will have more display space but much less storage. SO, out of the thousands items that range from a small widget to a large piece of equipment: What do you display in the new museum? What do you keep for future displays, research, etc.? How do you dispose of items that will not go forward?

The obvious solution is to sort through all the items and rent offsite storage. However, that can be an expensive option. I would bet that some of you have an offsite storage unit that you have had for several years and the value of the items may have been eclipsed by the cost of the storage fees. Becky and I have fallen into that trap in the past.

 

+ With the two above scenarios in place, what current programs can you suspend, delay, or even stop?

Be mindful that it takes several years of effort to launch / build successful outreach programs. A good investment of time to build a following for an event such as "Turn Back the Clock" Baseball Game at Constellation Field, the marketing of the annual Christmas Ornament, and the monthly Heritage Hike to name a few. So careful evaluation has to take place before ending or suspending an event or program that is fulfilling your mission statement.  

 

 

Additionally, annual fundraisers are a necessity! They require a large commitment of staff and volunteer time. They are needed to provide the funding of programs and operational costs. Very few organizations can survive / operate without annual fundraising.

SLHF will have two fundraising events this year. They are Scavenger Hunt Two on May 15 and Speakeasy Two on November 10. See this newsletter for more details.

 

 

There has never been a better time to volunteer at SLHF. We have existing programs that could use your talents and time:

Saturday docents for the interim museum

evaluating / packing up items to move later this year

Houston FotoFest, See www.signupgenius.com to volunteer for this exhibit.

 

Regardless of your age or station in life, we have an opportunity for you to become a part of the Sugar Land Heritage Foundation.

 

The mission of the Sugar Land Heritage Foundation is to inspire community pride by collecting, preserving, communicating, and celebrating the history of Sugar Land, Texas. Come join us, contact us at 281-494-0261.



Regards,

Dennis