Dave Harvey reminds us that a sense of humor is important and I agree; I
am smiling quietly as I cast these lines of phosphor type.
 
Jim Czarniecki asserts that any profits accruing to a non-profit
"...cannot go to an individual."  That is only partially correct.  I have
participated at the birthing of three non-profit corporations, in two
states.  Members of the boards of directors (or subscribers, in the case
of co-ops, i.e. electrical co-ops) cannot profit from their activities on
behalf of a non-profit while serving on the board.
 
A common problem among non-profits which earn money from activities
outside their basic charter (Articles of Incorporation) occurs when they
are audited by IRS and are told that they owe taxes; just like the rest
of us.
 
Now, ethics are a fine invention.  When one is alone at the bench with an
artifact, ethics are easy. When one is dealing with non-profit
organizations which supplement their income by cutting the salaries of
their conservation staff by cutting their hours, and tell the staff that
they may make up the balance of a living wage by taking in private work
and working on those artifacts using company property, paid for by tax
dollars, I think that the institution is being unethical.  But that is
what is happening in more than one part of the world.
 
The next rung up the ladder from that particular slough of despond is the
conservator working for an institution who supplements a meagre salary by
accepting private work from contacts made during working hours, when a
member of the public or another institution telephones the non-profit
asking for advice.  Sometimes these conservators work nights or weekends
using the non-profit facilities.  This is often overlooked by the
administration, because it avoids awkward salary reviews/upgrades.
 
Professional organizations are not necessarily bad, and that includes AIC
(American Institute for Conservation), but I know a number of highly
competent conservators who are not members of AIC and do not hesitate to
refer inquiries outside my areas of competence to them.  If I depended on
AIC's referal service, I would not be doing justice to those who call on
me for advice.
 
This whole thread reminds me of a time in 1966.  I had stopped in Little
Rock, Arkansas for gas.  Asked the pump jockey how far it was to some
town (I've forgotten the name; it was about 100 miles away) and he
allowed as how he wasn't quite certain.  He called over to a couple of
his buddies who were sitting around the pop machine and asked them.  One
of the boys looked at my license plate and said, "Oregon.  That's up
north, ain't it?"  I allowed as how it was in the Pacific Northwest,
which is a whole different animal, paid for my gas, and left that place.
 
On my way out of town the national news feed came on the radio and I
learned that as I was getting gas and driving away the Little Rock fire
department had been turning fire hoses on black demonstrators marching
through town.
 
Efforts to control traffic on the net, as suggested in this thread, are
no different.  Us private conservators is being told ta stay in ah places.
 
I'm not smiling as gently as before.  But I'm still smiling.  Some.
 
Jack C. Thompson
Thompson Conseravtion Lab
Istor Productions
The Caber Press
Pier Point Instruments
 
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