Send out press releases and take out advertisements promoting the horse, but
not the fact that it is dead. Let the reception desk deal with complaints.

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Creel, Wesley
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2005 11:46 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Christmas vs. Happy Holidays (VERY friday)

Good Morning Stephen,
Speaking of "Dead Horses," you may be interested in the following:
Conventional wisdom says that when you discover you are riding a dead
horse....the best strategy is to dismount. However, according to today's
generally accepted museum management practices, we often utilize other
strategies when confronted with dead horses.  These strategies include the
following:
1. Buying a stronger whip.
2. Changing riders.
3. Saying things like "This is the way we always have ridden this horse."
4. Appointing a committee to study the horse.
5. Arranging to visit other sites to see how they ride dead horses.
6. Increasing the standards to ride dead horses.
7. Appointing a tiger team to revive the dead horse.
8. Creating a training session to increase our riding ability.
9. Comparing the state of dead horses in today's environment.
10. Change the requirements declaring that "This horse is not dead."
11. Hire contractors to ride the dead horse.
12. Harnessing several dead horses together for increased speed.
13. Declaring that "No horse is too dead to beat."
14. Providing additional funding to increase the horse's performance.
15. Do a CA Study to see if contractors can ride it cheaper.
16. Purchase a product to make dead horses run faster.
17. Declare the horse is "better, faster and cheaper" dead.
18. Form a quality circle to find uses for dead horses.
19. Revisit the performance requirements for horses.
20. Say this horse was procured with cost as an independent variable.
21. Promote the dead horse to a supervisory position.
Happy Shopping Season!
Wesley
P.S. I would be interested in learning how other museum managers deal with
"Dead Horses"......please do not respond off the list.



 
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of VanBuren, Stephen
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2005 8:59 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Christmas vs. Happy Holidays (VERY friday)

I was more concerned over the unthinking remark concerning "beating a dead
horse."  For centuries people observed the equine knocks twice a year,
spring and fall.

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of "Dr. Christian Müller-Straten"
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2005 9:52 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Christmas vs. Happy Holidays

"Rachel Talent" <[log in to unmask]> schrieb:
I always find Christians becoming upset about the use "holiday" vs.
"Christmas" a little amusing. From what I understand, a large number of
Christmas traditions were adopted from older (pre-Christian) pagan winter
solstice traditions, such as bringing a tree into the house and decorating
it. Personally, I've always associated the winter holidays with  human
warmth and generosity, and in that spirit go with the term "holidays"
to
include everyone, not just Christians.

Dear Rachel,

I am engaged, not upset. So what to amuse? Your are right with the pagan
traditions in christendom (as well as in the Old Testament) - and I love
them. It is these pagan traditions, why these ideas are still working that
strong. Summer is still summer and autumn still autumn. You are not right
with the tree. The three is 1st quarter of the 19th cent. - and a protestant
German invention. There is a picture showing "The first German Xmas tree" a
a family with presents sitting near a table. 
"Warmth and Generosity" is also typical for the christian Xmas - and
therefore we invite EVERYBODY to take part in our festivities ("Joy to the
WORLD"). 

Best wishes


Christian
  _____  

From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Alexandra Trumbull
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 1:11 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Christmas vs. Happy Holidays


I work and study at the Milwaukee Public Museum, where the term "holiday" is
used to describe the season's themed events. However, it's not just about
the generic holiday feeling here, since the museum's European Village
immersion exhibit is decorated for Christmas every year (with pieces from
each respective country in Europe--beautiful!). I'm not sure about other
holidays being represented in these decorations, but I know there is also a
Kwanzaa celebration on the 26th.

It's a tough call, though, because I agree with Dr. Mueller-Straten that the
term Christmas is much more evocative and rich for those with this
tradition, but you are also excluding a large population. Do you have ideas
about the demographics of your audience? I can also sympathize with Dr
Mueller-Straten's views, since Christmas is something more than a religious
holiday for most Germans. I grew up there myself and always look forward to
Advent season and to all the festivities surrounding Christmas. Using the
term "holiday" in place of Christmas would seem silly to me in a German
museum. 

In the States it's probably a better idea to use the term holiday though,
especially if the city you live in is pretty mixed in terms of its religious
representations. In this day and age I think it's better to de-emphasize
religion in the public sphere, since it seems to be infiltrating so many
other areas of our lives already...

Alexandra Trumbull
Graduate Student of anthropology and museum studies UW-Milwaukee, Milwaukee
Public Museum

P.S. eine wunderschoene Adventszeit wuensche ich Ihnen, Dr.
Mueller-Straten!

"Dr. Christian Müller-Straten" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: 

Dear Kim,

what an anxious director... The 24th of December is, since more than 1000
years, the official birthday of Jesus Christ (eastern is in their
understanding the "higher" event, of course). Christians of all kinds are
happy about that and give presents to each other. Other religions have other
high events. We do respect their events and expect them to do the same! Do
not retreat to "Holidays". There are many holidays without any religious
content, like bank holidays or independance days. This would soften the
original meaning. Let us defend christmas time, christmas carols and
christmas feelings - against all ods like commercialism or political
correctness.

By the way, now does not start christmas time at all, but "Advent" to
prepare ourselves for the symbolical coming of the Lord. So get back to the
roots.

Christian



"Kimberly Kenney, Curator" schrieb:
Hello all,

My Director has asked me to ask the List what your official position is at
your museum regarding this festive time of year.

We have traditionally called our programs "Holiday"
events this time of year -- Holiday Open House, Holiday Tea, Holiday Hearth
Cooked Dinner, etc. We are fully decorated with about 30 Christmas trees in
our historic room settings and throughout our "Street of Shops" (a life
sized indoor town). We do have an outreach program exploring the origins of
Holiday Traditions, including Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, but most of our events
in house focus around the Christmas decorations, visiting with Santa, and
that kind of thing.

We are wondering if other museums use the word "Christmas" in their events,
or if you choose to say "Holidays."

Thank you for your input!

Kim




Kimberly A. Kenney, Curator
Wm. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum 800 McKinley Monument Dr. NW
Canton OH 44708 * 330-455-7043
* NEW EXHIBIT: "Hearth & Home" now open and on view through April 2006.
* SPECIAL EVENT: Join us for our annual Holiday Open House on December 2.
Members are free, $5 for guests.

"Let us ever remember that our interests are in concord, not conflict; and
that our real eminence rests in the victories of peace, not those of war."
-- 25th United States President William McKinley

















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