Volunteer Connection

Volunteer Connection

April 23, 2010

 

 

Greetings, Friends!

 

Attention All Members…

The Michigan Maritime Museum will hold its annual meeting Saturday, May 22nd, 2010.  The meeting will be held at 1:00 pm in the Padnos Boat Shed on the Museum Campus. All members are welcome and urged to attend. Please read the biographies of those who have been nominated for election to the board of directors below:

 

Information about and Qualifications of

Candidates for the Board put forward by the Nominations Committee

 

15 April 2010

 

                Pursuant to the Michigan Maritime Museum By-Laws, Article III, Section 3, the Nominations Committee puts forward the below persons to serve upon the Board for a three year term beginning in May, 2010:

 

1.  Arlene Dickerson.  Arlene is from South Haven, earned her college degree at MSU and taught school for 30 years.  Arlene is a long time, tireless volunteer for the MMM and is regularly in attendance at events, while offering her experience on the Board and Chairs the Membership Committee.  Just this year, memberships to the MMM have increased significantly, thanks in large part to her efforts.

 

2.  Charlotte Giesler.  Charlotte has served on the MMM Board for three years, while active in the management of All-Seasons, Marine, of South Haven.  She has offered her business experience to assist, quite literally, her neighbor and the relationship has been positive, cooperative and quite often, valuable.  Charlotte also volunteers at the MMM and assists with the logistical needs of many events held on our campus.

 

3.  Bob Hoppes.  Bob is a South Haven resident, has retired from service in the military and has served on the MMM Board for three years.  He is currently the MMM Treasurer.  During his tenure, he has revamped the financial statements, simplifying them for greater understanding on the part of the Board, staff and members.  His analysis of our needs as a seasonal business, the importance of our relationship with lenders, his encouragement to pay down debt and render all of our programs profitable has led to a sustainable business model and a springboard for future, modest growth.

 

4.  Gary Horton.  Gary is from South Haven, after retiring from a career in advertising and marketing with a firm in Chicago.  He has served on the MMM Board and as a dedicated volunteer over a span of years that reveals his dedication to our mission and success.  He currently Chairs the Marketing Committee and has revamped promotional material, assisted with the redesign of the web site, writes, reviews and approves press releases and arranged for bill boards and other inexpensive yet high-impact forms of advertising on behalf of the MMM.  His creative ideas have added to all discussions.

 

5.  Cleo Miller.  Cleo is from South Haven and is President of Mid-American of Three Rivers.  She has served on the MMM Board for three years and is its current Vice President.  While her business perspective and experience is valuable in securing the future for the MMM, her leadership as Chair of the Human Resources Committee and assistance with the employee handbook has been valuable.

 

6.  Eli Thomssen.  Eli spent most of his career at Pharmacia & Upjohn’s Animal Health Division, where he retired as Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Planning.  He is currently President and CEO of Armune BioScience, Inc., a molecular diagnostic company he helped found in 2007.  He has only recently been elected to the MMM Board, where his experience and enthusiasm is already felt in his efforts to assist with a promotional piece about the MMM which can be used in many ways, such as marketing to visitors or assisting with grant applications.  Eli owns property in South Haven, where he enjoys what free time he can manage.

 

7.  Gerald Webb.  Is a South Haven high school graduate and returns to the community after focusing upon mechanical engineering in college.  He has affiliated with several business entities centered in Memphis, TN, but with operations and interests across the country.  Gerald was President, co-founder and board member of Studsvik Processing Facility and is currently Chairman of Equity Holdings, LLC.  His business experience has been helpful to the MMM staff in the redesign of the MMM website.

 

Michigan Maritime Museum Hosts Shipwreck Hunter and Maritime Historian

South Haven, MI.  On Sunday, April 25 at 2:00 p.m., the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven, Michigan wraps up its popular off-season lecture series with a presentation by shipwreck hunter, diver and underwater explorer Jim Kennard of Fairport, New York. 

 

Mr. Kennard will speak about the discovery and investigation of an early 19^th Century schooner, which he and his partner Dan Scoville discovered on the bottom of Lake Ontario. The ship is of the same period as Museum’s replica tall ship Friends Good Will and its discovery confirms the often rumored use of centerboards in such vessels of the time.  Kennard will discuss the technology used in finding shipwrecks, such as the Underwater Remote Operated Vehicle combined with good old fashioned historical research and some luck

 

Kennard and Scoville have been very busy in recent years, finding shipwrecks of historical significance including the schooner C. Reeve, built in 1853 in Buffalo, New York, once a frequent port of call for the original Friends Good Will.  C. Reeve was the victim of a tragic marine accident when it went down at night in a blinding snowstorm.

 

Kennard was also at the center of the excitement surrounding the find of H.M.S. Ontario, a Revolutionary War ship. This find has led to books and television contracts. The ship sunk in Lake Ontario, reportedly with American prisoners of war aboard.  .

 

The presentation will focus on the history of these wrecks, the archeology and science surrounding their discovery, the economics of the search and the current environmental condition of the Great Lakes.

               

The Michigan Maritime Museum is home to the tall ship Friends Good Will and offers daily historic sails mid-May through mid-October.  For more information call 1-800-747-3810.  The public is welcome to the lecture and admission is free.

 

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY…

"Now Hear This" all you wooden boat enthusiasts out there. The Documentation Committee, a subcommittee of the Museum's Collection Committee at Michigan Maritime Museum is attempting to sponsor a class on Surveying Wooden Boats to be held at the museum in September. This class would be put on by the WoodenBoat School of Brooklin, ME, and the Museum. It is a week long class taught by a professional Marine Surveyor with years of experience in surveying wooden boats. The class will be divided roughly 50/50 between class room study (in the Padnos) and field work actually surveying several wooden boats, starting with our own Evelyn S. and Jim Schnieder's Frigate Bird. The cost for the class will be between $650.00 and $700.00 and will result in a certificate from WoodenBoat School at it's completion. Student limit is 12 students maximum, we currently have room for up to six Students in this class. If you're interested please contact Pete Mathews at 269-628-2339, or leave a message at the Museum with your contact information. ~ submitted by Pete Mathews

 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

A hearty thank you to all the Ship’s Company Crew that have worked tirelessly these past several weeks in rigging our favorite square topsail sloop for her sixth season! Friends Good Will is fully rigged and has been busy this week with crew training sails.  In a few weeks she will embark on the busy spring educational tours season.

 

A Call to Arms!

Calling all Friends Good Will crew to defend the honor of our Captain, Crew and Ship. On Saturday, June 5 at 0830 hours in the mess of Friends Good Will, the BLACK POWDER TRAINING for the armament of all able bodied crew of Friends Good Will will commence. Tony Ostenburg, certified National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association Black Powder instructor, will lead training in the art and safety of Black Powder firing of muskets, hand weapons, and cannons. At the end of the training session, each participant will be awarded a national Mussel Association certificate of competency in all aspects of black powder operation and firing. The class is a requirement for assisting with the gun, which should get a lot of "exercise" this ASTA summer! 

 

The class will last until early afternoon and will be necessarily limited to the first 15 persons who enroll with Mary Stephens.  Those already having taken the class last year need not take it again this year.  Certifications earned last year are good through 2013, as indicated on the card.  We will also schedule gun drills at other times, to be announced, for veterans already holding certificates.  With so many new members of the Ship's Company, let's fill up this class and assure that there are an adequate number of us, trained to defend these Great Lakes and respond to commands, "Ram Home and Give Fire!” ~ submitted by Dan Sippel and Jim Spurr

 

Michigan Maritime Museum Blog…

The Michigan Maritime Museum Blog is “back alive again.” The address is http://michiganmaritimemuseum.blogspot.com/

 

Photo Shoot at the Maritime Museum? Check out the current issue of the Kalamazoo Gazette’s Ticket on mlive.com at http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/04/six_voices_same_ship_kalamazoo.html

 

Ship’s Company Training Sails…

Captain Sikkema added the following training sails this week:

 

• Saturday, April 24, 9 AM-2 PM
• Tuesday, April 27, 12:30-3:30 (Please note rescheduled times.)
• Wednesday, April 28, 6-8 PM

 

Space is limited. Please let us know in advance if you are planning on coming by emailing mstephens@michiganmaritimemuseum.org. Thank you.

 

Ship’s Company Meeting This Sunday, April 25 at 12:30

There will be a Ship’s Company Meeting on Sunday, April 25 at 12:30 PM in the Padnos Boat Shed. Captain Sikkema will discuss the upcoming ASTA voyages, crew scheduling, the drug pool membership, FGW crew shirts, and other exciting events this summer.

 

 

Upcoming Activities at the Museum:  

Date:                                                                                        Event:

 

Saturday, April 24, 9 AM-2 PM                                             Crew Training Sail                                                      

Sunday, April 25, 12:30- 1:30 PM                                           Ship’s Company Meeting

Sunday, April 25, 2:00-3:00                                                   Lecture with Jim Kennard, shipwreck hunter, diver and underwater explorer

Tuesday, April 27, 12:30-3:30 PM                                          Crew Training Sail                                                      

Wednesday, April 28, 6-8 PM                                               Crew Training Sail                                                      

Friday, April 30 at 6 PM                                                        Basic I (Padnos Boat Shed)

Saturday, May 1 at 8:30 AM                                                    Basic I (Padnos Boat Shed)

Saturday, May 1 at 8:30 AM                                                    Basic II (Friends Good Will, dockside)

Saturday, May 1 at 12:00 PM                                                   Basic III (Friends Good Will, underway)

Sunday, May 2 at 8:30 AM                                                      Basic II (Friends Good Will, dockside)

Sunday, May 2 at 12:00 PM                                                     Basic III (Friends Good Will, underway)

 

 

For the good of the cause,

 

Mary Stephens

Education & Volunteer Coordinator

Michigan Maritime Museum

260 Dyckman Avenue

South Haven, Michigan 49090

voice: 269.637.8078

fax: 269.637.1594

www.MichiganMaritimeMuseum.org