There is no designated repository for BRHS archival material where members
can access the material to catalog it or to do research. By default various
members/officers/ex-officers have to store the material in their basements,
etc.. There is no formal or informal catalog of archival material "owned"
by the BRHS, but this can be attributed due to a lack of priority setting by
the board to catalog and publish the material on hand, not any fraud or
other wrong doing. The level of member dissatisfaction with this situation
has never risen to the point where people have put pressure on the board to
do something about it or volunteered to do something about it as far as I
know. This issue, while I agree strikes at the core of the existence of the
society (preservation and dissemination of the history of the Burlington),
is not morbidly serious as other points you raised which do need action if
proven....
If there are improprieties in the functioning of the BRHS (as has been
alleged now and by others in the past) then specifics should be raised. The
allegations must rise beyond the
level of disgruntled organizational politics to the plane where factual
information is presented to the membership so that they can recognize the
need for and to organize support for change...... ownership, loss of control
and protection of BRHS assets (beyond the archival material which, as far as
is known is under the control of the Board of Directors of the BRHS) and
operation of the society (in particular paid employees in what most of us
believe is a volunteer organization), and any other fiduciary issues that
need to be corrected. If someone has the resources and inclination to see
this to an end then they should.
But if your concern is the "control" of Bernard Corbin's collection I am not
sure what you see as a solution at this point or, for that matter, what the
problem is. I don't imagine that Mr. Wagner has been selling off the
collection for personal gain, and if indeed the collection belongs to the
BRHS, short of refusal from a notice supported by a majority vote of the
current board to surrender caretaking of same, I don't know what the issue
is.... beyond the general lack of establishing a physical archives in the
library sense of the word.
Charlie Vlk
PS- Just for the record my contribution to the BRHS has been limited to
supplying a few photos and drawings for Bulletins and Zephyrs over the
years. I have attempted on a couple of occasions to get more involved but
due to my other commitments have not been successful in expanding my
activities. I have been disappointed with the lack of establishment of a
true archives and the resultant lack of access to BRHS archival material,
but I recognize it is as more the fault of the BRHS membership for not
becoming more active in the operation of the society than the fault of the
people who have volunteered to do the heavy lifting. There are RR technical
and historical societies that have buildings, paid archivists, and websites
with material available on-line, and extensive technical
publications.....but these happened because people with skills and talents
have stepped forward to secure grants, organize the aquisition and
management of physical properties, coordinate and implement cataloging
efforts, and caring for all the other details. But, on the other hand, we
do have a first-class Burlington Bulletin and we should be very careful not
to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
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