NEWSLETTER: WINTER 2004 Greetings From the Director Seasons Greetings!! During this season of harvest and thanksgiving, the museum is busy implementing many of its long term goals - the fruit of many years of careful planning. Plus, we are all grateful that the museum survived hurricane Isabel intact and now know why we built as we did as the high water mark was nearly 5 feet up on our pilings. Unfortunately Havre de Grace’s Promenade did not fair as well and will require extensive repairs. The museum is helping to sponsor this restoration effort and is accepting donations on the City’s behalf. In the past few months at several retreats, the museum’s Board of Directors and I have revisited the museum’s strategic plan and have charted a new 5 year course. Highlights of this plan include a new facility for the museum’s Chesapeake Wooden Boat Building School with direct access to the water, a state-of-the-art collections storage room in which to properly curate the museum’s growing maritime collection, an environmental laboratory and classroom for the Susquehanna Flats Environmental Center, and a Library/Conference Room. In addition, the museum’s main hall will become an Exhibition Gallery where the maritime story of this region will continue to unfold. To keep us on course, the museum has brought on Ms. Gretchen Morrissey to utilize her creative talents to help us with marketing, graphic design, and publication. Our destination is set, our horizon in sight, and now we embark for an exciting voyage. I look forward to sharing our progress and journey with you. Looking ahead to our bright future, I enthusiastically invite you to join our Mari*Crew and consider getting more involved with the museum. Would you like to learn more about our maritime history? Interested in sharing your time and talents with us? Becoming a Crew member at the museum will make a lasting impact by helping to preserve our past for the future. We could use your help on one of our working committees: Volunteer & Docent Training, Building & Grounds, Development & Giftshop, Membership & Newsletter, Special Events & Publicity, Collections Documentation Team, Preservation Program Team, and Interpretation Team. We invite you to join us on the last Monday of every month at 7:00 pm for our monthly lectures and Mari*Crew gatherings. Partnerships with community organizations have proved beneficial for the museum. Our relationship with the Harford Community College has expanded beyond sponsoring the Chesapeake Wooden Boat School classes. Recently, the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum was the topic and project for several classes in the Business Department. These classes examined the role of the museum in the community and proposed marketing plans, developed brochures and logos, and created TV and radio commercials. From this collaboration, the museum produced a professional brochure and website at www.hdgmaritimemuseum.com. The museum has also developed a partnership with the Havre de Grace High School through a cooperative work experience program. Through this program high school students are selected to participate in a job training program at the museum. During the past year, Sarah Gengenbach, Sarah Battles, Joseph Jones, and Sarah Massey have joined us as Museum Assistants providing administrative and visitor service support. Along with growing community support, the museum has also developed affiliations with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the Army’s Environmental Program. Both organizations are helping us to develop our (SFEC) Susquehanna Flats Environmental Center’s activities, restoration efforts, exhibits, programs and outreach. Museum members and visitors will be able to take part in this SFEC’s new offerings in the coming year. There is always plenty of activity happening at the museum. The Collections Documentation Team has begun to inventory the museum’s growing collection of significant maritime collections. As well, the last decade of the museum’s administrative papers have been organized and filed. The Interpretation Team is in the process of planning new and improved exhibits – including updating “Gone Fishing” and “Boat Building: Tools and Traditions”, and developing a traveling exhibition “Racing on the Susquehanna”. The museum’s Preservation Program Team is identifying and compiling a list of traditional maritime artists, craftsmen, performers, and scholars – from which specific programs and preservation projects can further be developed. Be sure to drop by and see us at one of our many upcoming Special Events or one of our Maritime Lectures. We have much in store for you in the coming months, so please check our Maritime Calendar and plan a visit. Brenda D. Guldenzopf, Executive Director President's Message I hope this edition of the Maritime Messenger finds our membership in good health and with good spirits. 2003 has been a highly successful year for the museum, despite some of the most unusual weather. Between blizzards, deluges of rain, and Tropical Storm Isabel, the museum survived and continued to keep its doors open to the public. In fact the museum expanded it hours of operation. Our new schedule is September through May: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm and from June through August: 7 days a week from 11 am until 5 pm. The Chesapeake Wooden Boat Builders School continues to be open on Tuesday evenings from 7 until 9:30 pm. The museum has developed a strong and varied Special Event schedule and the public support has been phenomenal. Our most recent Children’s Day drew over 500 visitors, all of whom enjoyed themselves thoroughly with the many programs, games, hands-on exhibits, and festivities of the day. The Maritime Gala was a success due to the help of many. Thanks to the many businesses who offered auction items. The highlights of the evening included delicious hors d’oeuvres catered by Four Point Sheraton, dancing with swing and jazz music by Paul Howshall, and an entertaining auction with Auctioneer Glenn Freeman. Our 2003 Maritime Heritage Festival, while dampened by the rain, was an enjoyable event for all who attended. This year we were happy to have maritime displays from a variety of exhibitors including fossils from Calvert Marine Museum and a Chesapeake log canoe from St. Michaels Maritime Museum. We were also delighted with our line up of musical entertainment – from Lisa Staudenecker, to Dogs Among the Bushes (Celtic shanties), to Janie Meneely and renowned folksinger Tom Wisner. Other special events, like our 1st Director’s Independence Day Deck Party, Halloween Happpenings and our 1st Children’s Camp by the Bay diversified and rounded out the museum’s programs. The number of visitors to the museum continues to grow with the ever increasing tourism to Havre de Grace, the growing support of the public interested in our programs and events, along with our loyal members. We strive to improve and expand our exhibits and educational offerings so there is always something new to see and do. Do you have a great idea for a display or program? We welcome suggestions and input from our membership. So drop by and see us in the near future as we have many special events, lectures, and classes to offer you. I would like to take this opportunity to personally sincerely thank our existing corps of volunteers; we could not have come this far without you all! As the museum continues to grow, so does our need to expand our volunteer base. Would you like to get more involved with the museum? There are many opportunities, with your unique abilities, to participate. Interested in giving tours to the public, helping behind the front desk, inventorying the giftshop, storytelling, send out mailings to the membership? Then please give us a call, we would be happy to work with you! It’s that time of year again to renew your membership and your interest in the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum. The benefits of membership are many and include free admission to the museum, free subscription to the Maritime Messenger, advance notice of special events, discounts on programs and events, and a 10% discount on purchases from Whatknots. Plus your contribution helps to build and sustain the museum facility, our maritime collections and nautical library, our educational programs and outreach, and our expanding exhibitions. We have a variety of member and contributor levels to meet your needs. Don’t forget to renew as your membership makes the difference! Hurst Hessey, President Board News The museum is now accepting nominations for new board members. Specifically we are looking for board members with financial and business expertise, development and fundraising skills, or educational program experience. If you would be interested or know of someone who would be interested in serving on the museum’s Board of Directors, please contact the museum’s Executive Director and submit your resume. Board Member Profile Philip J. Barker Phil Barker is a recognized developer of known business and strategic plans. He is currently Community Relations/Marketing Coordinator for the Citizens Care Center and served in that capacity previously with the Upper Chesapeake Health System. Phil previously also held management positions with the J.M.Huber Corporation, Engineered Materials Division, from which he retired in 1991 after 31 years. While at Huber, Phil helped to develop business plans and strategies with a strong sense of creativity being globalistic in thought for future markets. Because of this experience and having held elective office for 16 years with four (4) years as Mayor of Havre de Grace, Maryland, the Maryland National Guard asked Phil to represent them recently in Estonia in eastern Europe as their Ambassador of Good Will and Public Relations. And, before that trip, the United States Air Force Reserve asked Phil to represent them in another public relations venture, as he flew across the country meeting military and public officials. Phil has served in elected office for 16 years on the Havre de Grace City Council, as Mayor of Havre de Grace, and as District F representative of the Harford County Council. Active in numerous organizations, Barker is serving on the Boards of the Salvation Army, Havre de Grace Chamber of Commerce, United Methodist Church, and the United Way. Barker has served on numerous other boards and commissions such as the Northeastern Maryland Technology Council, as Chair, Harford Habitat for Humanity, as Chair, Harford Cable Network, as Chair and Citizens Care Center. He was appointed by Maryland’s Governor to Maryland 21 Commission and the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Commission. Barker maintains as active speaking schedule and volunteer activities. He has been the author of business articles and publisher of an employee newsletter and helped write several strategic business plans for Harford County. While at Huber as Technology/Facility Manager, Barker managed research and development, quality control, and pilot plant personnel and activities. He interacted with Sales, Purchasing, Production, and Engineering departments and Corporate legal staff and outside counsel in regards to patents, copyrights, and trademarks. He annually prepared the R & D budget and coordinated employee career paths. Barker earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and Public Administration from the University of Maryland. He served in the United States Army during the Korean War era in the Army Security Agency as a Russian linguist.