In the case of a 501c3 this would frequently be a requirement of the
constitution and by laws (annual business meeting for members). It may
even be something that the IRS in their revised form 990 examines.  If
you are operating a 501c3 organized museum I would look very carefully
at the legal requirements regarding membership business meetings.  Much
as AAM & AASLH does, these are often part of a larger, more social
occasion where the business component was fit around a dinner.


>>> [log in to unmask] 3/17/2009 12:26 PM >>>
I have never heard of Annual (business) Meetings for members. My gut
reaction is that few regular members would attend. Members want to help
the museum, but they do not want to spend their time in meetings where
they would have little (if anything) to contribute.

As with most museums, Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and
Institute of Popular Science (1939 to 1991) had several members' events
each year. However, the one annual members' event that always received a
huge turnout was at the beginning of November for the annual opening of
Buhl's hugely popular Miniature Railroad and Village exhibit:

< http://buhlplanetarium3.tripod.com/MiniRR.htm >

Most members' events included food and drink.

If you feel there is value to members attending an annual business
meeting, then I would suggest that you couple that meeting with an
annual members' event at the museum.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < [log in to unmask] >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
  < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
  < http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
  < http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: 
  < http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com > 
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://incline.pghfree.net >
* Public Transit:
  < http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >


--- On Tue, 3/17/09, Jennifer Thrailkill <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> From: Jennifer Thrailkill <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Annual Meetings for Members
> To: [log in to unmask] 
> Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2009, 12:14 PM
> Hi,
> 
>  
> 
> A few years ago my museum quit holding Annual Meetings for
> members.  This was before I began my position so I am not
> sure why they stopped having the meetings.  I wanted to do a
> little benchmarking so I have a few questions for
> institutions that still hold these meetings:
> 
>  
> 
> 1)  What is attendance like at your institution's
> Annual Meetings?  Is it mainly board members and high level
> donors attending or do a significant number of general
> members also attend?
> 
>  
> 
> 2)  Do you normally provide food and drink for these
> meetings or hold receptions after the meeting?
> 
>  
> 
> 3)  Do you feel holding Annual Meetings benefits your
> institution with increased donations and/or raises awareness
> of your institution in the community?
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for any help you can give!
> 
>  
> 
> Jennifer Thrailkill
> 
> Membership Manager
> 
> SC State Museum


      

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