[vcf-midatlantic] Moving forward

[Chris Fala]

TONY!!! TONY!!! TONY!!! TONY!!! TONY!!! TONY!!! TONY!!

(Anthony Bogan did not approve this message.)




On Wed, Nov 11, 2020 at 8:35 AM Tony Bogan via vcf-midatlantic <
vcf-midatlantic at lists.vcfed.org> wrote:

> Recent discussions have really been liberating, with details many people
> were unaware of finally being brought to light and pent up feelings and
> opinions finally being aired. It’s been long overdue.
>
> As such, I personally am really psyched moving forward. Speaking as
> someone who may not even be on the Steering Committee in another month, I
> couldn’t be more excited for the future of VCF.
>
> Some thoughts and extra details I’d like to share. Adam has said from the
> start of the SC that he wanted his seat to be one of the first up for
> election. Now that he’s moved to South Carolina, he isn’t running for
> election (he’s already explained his feelings previously) Knowing what some
> people were told about me from former management and what others thought
> (and one expressed recently in comments about the state of the vcf
> “business”) I insisted mine be the other of the first two. While I’ve
> enjoyed this first year of the SC, regardless of the outcome of the
> upcoming elections I’m both excited for the future and to see what the SC
> does next, with or without me on it, secure in the knowledge that I will
> continue to do everything I can to help VCF grow as I did before I was on
> the SC and while I’ve been on it. Doesn’t hurt I have the utmost respect
> for the other people nominated for the two seats and am often in awe of
> their knowledge and expertise every time I speak with them or see them at
> workshops.
>
> Win, lose or draw for me retaining my seat on the SC, the future looks
> awesome indeed.
>
> We’ve set up a dedicated fund for warehouse improvements, have a working
> yearly budget with the ability to request additional allocations from the
> Board for the museum, have cultivated a working relationship and repaired
> burned bridges with no less than three other vintage computer museums (two
> on the east coast and a new relationship with one overseas) started the
> process of getting estimates for repairing and redoing the warehouse,
> appointed a liaison to Infoage and the township of Wall, and a whole slew
> of other things that just weren’t possible or feasible in the past. One of
> the benefits of having a group of people working towards a common goal with
> the ability to make decisions and act upon them. We don’t always all agree
> of course, but with a system in place and a framework (now published for
> all to see) within which to work, it’s a pleasure to be a part of.
>
> The difficulties faced by Infoage, along with museums around the world,
> and the financial and political aspects were touched upon by Mike Brutman
> in another thread. Those things are always on our minds along with a dozen
> other things on any given day!
>
> We also have a great working relationship with the other groups at
> infoage, in particular CDL and The Military Technology Museum of NJ.
>
> We have a full time social media coordinator (our social media accounts
> have never been so alive!)
>
> But we need more. We need help at the museum and working in the warehouse.
> We need help getting the artifacts in the museum and warehouse up and
> running (never in the 6+ years I’ve been here have we ever had literally
> almost every machine in the museum running) and just did our first “VCF
> Artifact” workshop to help achieve that goal. We need ideas for new
> exhibits (we now change some things up regularly in the museum to give
> visitors a reason to come back again and again and not see the same exact
> things every time)
>
> We need ideas for improving our current events and adding new ones (like
> the first swap meet we just did. The first of many that is!)
>
> The up front, honest, no holds barred discussion of late was a true breath
> of fresh air. People don’t need to feel stifled or belittled for having an
> idea, even a hair brained one! It’s not about letting the inmates run the
> asylum, it’s about having somewhere to go and know you’ll be listened to
> And your thoughts, ideas, concerns, whatever won’t just be dismissed out of
> hand. Members now have five people they can reach out to, and know the
> person they reach out to will bring their comments to the SC for
> consideration. Sometimes the answer will still be “no,” but it will be a
> consensus decision that was given consideration and discussion by a group
> of people, not dismissed without a second thought.
>
> THAT’S what the Steering Committee is there for, and THAT is one of the
> reasons the Steering Committee was created (only one reason, but an
> important one!)
>
> Tony
>
> Sent from my iPhone