>    ... Recently, I have been getting lots of inquiries from museums that
>until now
>     have allowed the use of open flame, fresh flowers, food, etc. inside
>their
>     structures for special events. Many of them are looking for samples of
>     guidelines, regulations, etc. that they could read as they prepare their
>     own policies and procedures, since they are faced with increased pressure
>     from board members, volunteer flower committees, fund raisers, etc. to
>     allow use of the these inappropriate materials.
>
>     I am especially interested in learning how you actually deal with board
>     members and volunteers who do things they shouldn't anyway, even when
>said
>     policies are in place, and also, what alternatives you all have come up
>     with to protect your site, but not appear "hard-nosed" to your co-workers
>     because you got rid of the live Christmas tree for the holiday
>celebration....

First, you have to explain the logic of these prohibitions. It's not so
much that the materials are inappropriate in and of themselves. Your board
members arrange fresh flowers in their own houses and light the candles on
their own dinner tables to great aesthetic benefit and without any apparent
problem. It's just that these materials may be incompatible with preserving
the fabric of an historic structure and its furnishings. So give the board
members lots of literature about insect infestation in collections and what
it costs to undo the damage, and a copy of a letter from the fire marshall
about how he would fine you for creating a fire hazard and yank your
Certificate of Public Occupancy.

Then, when the board members tell you that they always used to do it in the
old days and nothing ever went wrong, tell them that of course you
sympathize, but that the new fire detection system you installed is so
sensitive that their cigarette/fireplace smoke and candle heat will set off
the sensors, activate the sprinklers, bring the fire trucks, and wreck the
event. It's an empty threat but it generally works.

-----
Robert P. Emlen
University Curator and Senior Lecturer in American Civilization
Brown University Box 1892 Providence RI 02912
401.863.3656