Agreed!!! All musuems should have a Friends association, instead of calling them . . . "the volunteers". They are part of the team, part of the staff, and play a vital role in the functioning of any musuem (even artichoke museums!!) At 02:07 PM 5/26/96 GMT, you wrote: >As a responsable for a small museum in Portugal, I think this subject has not >been discussed enough. >Goups of volunteers normaly called "Friends of the museum" or any similar >denomination, play a very >important role in the museum's activities. Anyway they must be treated with >particular sensibility. They >are volunteers, they do it for pleasure and to keep a good atmosphere in the >group is of great importance. >I am now trying to organize such a group and would be very nice to discuss this >subject.Comments, >suggestions of how to start and how to keep it going would be fantastic... > >Emanuel > > John Martinson [log in to unmask] Work: Fort Walla Walla Museum 755 Myra Rd Walla Walla, WA 99364 (509) 525-7703 (Work) Let's not forget our past