I generally agree with Ross Weeks's analysis of this issue, although in
practice I have deviated from it occasionally.  When I've been asked to speak
on a weekend, I've kept the honorarium, regardless of the subject matter,
rather than turning the money over to the museum and requesting compensatory
time.  (If travel is involved, I'm usually paying for it out of my own
pocket, although occasionally my expenses may be paid by the outside
organization.)  Since I nearly always have to put in more than a 40-hour week
to get my work done, compensatory time off is more burden than blessing.  If
I speak during the work week, however, I usually do it on company time and
therefore clearly have no choice but to give the honorarium to the museum.
When I had a contract to write a chapter for a book, I did some of the work
(but definitely not all) on company time, so the honorarium naturally went to
the museum.  Although some might argue that my weekend lectures, depending on
the subject matter, should more properly have been arranged through the
museum, with the honorarium going to the museum, the amounts were always
modest, and I feel I've been very scrupulous about the way I've handled these
things.  If a more substantial fee were offered, I would definitely make more
conventional arrangements, rather than appear to be trading on my museum
affiliation in order to get rich.

Last weekend I received a small honorarium for a lecture, but since I paid my
own travel expenses, which far exceeded the fee, I naturally kept it.  And
I'll certainly declare it as extra income on my tax return, while deducting
the expenses from my taxes.  I consider myself lucky if I break even on these
gigs.

Having said all that, I nevertheless am always on the lookout for lucrative
speaking engagements which I can perform on company time that will result in
a "profit" for the museum, since the money can go into our departmental fund
to help pay for official project expenses.

David Haberstich

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