Historical Society approves new Capital Campaign, appoints trustees

Members of the Highland County Historical Society discussed a new Capital Campaign and funding for major repairs to the Highland House Museum, along with electing six trustees and a new society president and vice president at the organization's annual meeting Monday evening.

"This is your society, and this is your meeting tonight," Highland County Historical Society president Michael McCarty told the approximately 50 members of the Historical Society in attendance at the Highland County Administration Building.

Following the reading of the 2013 annual meeting minutes by secretary Paulette Donley, the only new business brought before the membership was an issue regarding the back wall of the Highland House Museum, which McCarty said is deteriorating. The project is estimated to cost approximately $70,000.

Shortly after the current board took over, McCarty said, they noticed that "the floor was sagging."

"The entire wall appears to be slowly moving out toward the south, away from the rest of the house," McCarty said. "A further close examination seems to reveal that the foundations are giving way under that part of the house, and the foundations are actually starting to bow out, along with the wall."

McCarty said that the board has sought the advice of several contractors.

"The board would like to move ahead with the repair of that wall," McCarty said. "The estimated cost that we've had from contractors seems to be leaning in the direction of an estimated cost of $70,000, and I had recommended to the board of trustees to ask for a contingent amount of money in addition."

McCarty also reminded members that according to the society's bylaws, "any expenditure by your board of trustees in excess of $10,000 can only be made with permission from the membership."

On behalf of the building and grounds committee, trustee Avery Applegate made a motion to authorize the Board of Trustees "to contract at a cost not to exceed $80,000 for the repair of the rear south wall of the Highland House."

Larry Addington asked if the board "has pursued grants for the possible decreasing of the expenditure."

McCarty responded that the board has "not formally" looked into grants but may once the membership authorizes them to move forward with the project. During her report, museum director Vicki Knauff reported that she has "made some contacts" with four different organizations regarding grant funding for the project.

In response to a question by Dwight Crum, trustee and finance committee chair John Kellis gave the membership a report of a proposed Capital Campaign to "address a set of identified needs facing the Society."

According to Kellis, the finance committee "found that there were more items on our agenda than just" the repairs to the wall at the museum.

"We knew, as a board, we'd turn around and stare at several other projects that are in need of being done," Kellis said.

Kellis said that the finance committee identified four issues to be included in the Capital Campaign and presented them to the board of trustees.

The four "campaign objectives," as presented by Kellis, are as follows:

• Raising funds to repair/rebuild the back wall of the Highland House Museum, the result of a deteriorating foundation in the 150-year-old structure;

• Raising funds to tuck-point and seal the remaining brick facade of the Highland House Museum, to repair deteriorating windows and upgrades to the Museum and to make needed repairs and perform maintenance at the Scott House;

• Establishing a building and grounds fund to allow and plan for needed maintenance and repairs to the buildings and grounds, to make sure these expenses will no longer compete with operations and programming at HCHS; and

• Raising funds and support for an endowment fund to be created at the society.

"Right now, all of the funds of the society are essentially in a savings account," Kellis said. "There are no endowed funds at the Society. An endowment fund would be dollars that the principal would go in and cannot be spent, unless the Society would disband."

An endowment fund would also provide a source of "income to the Society" as they could spend the interest and dividends, according to Kellis.

Kellis said that the capital campaign can be summed up as a way to identify short-, mid- and long-term goals for the society.

"The biggest thing is that it gives us a short-term, immediate project that has to be done," Kellis said. "The mid-term, with bringing the buildings up to code and where we want them to be so that in the near future there won't be any issues with them, and then the long-term would be to build up an endowment fund for the support of the Society in perpetuity."

A Capital Campaign Committee will be formed in the coming weeks, with plans to launch the campaign "sometime after Thanksgiving," Kellis said. Anyone wishing to volunteer to serve on the committee may contact the HCHS.

Jim Faust asked for further clarification on the financing of the wall project.

"If we contract with somebody to do that, we're going to need cash flow coming in," Faust said. "Do we have enough cash that we can handle that, or do we need financing to take care of that? What was just presented [the Capital Campaign] is obviously a long-term plan. Where are we financially, if the project goes into operation this spring?"

Kellis estimated that the society has "about $365,000" in its investment account.

"We've talked about the possibility of taking a short-term loan if we had to do that, too," Kellis said.

McCarty said "the funds are available, but the trustees would hope that over the long run, that those wouldn't have to be depleted to do this."

The membership voted unanimously to approve the motion to contract for the repair of the wall.

The "slate of officers" presented to the membership were also elected unanimously, following nomination by Anne Rhude. No additional nominees were placed on the ballot.

Elected to the board of trustees for an unexpired two-year term were Justin Harsha and Steve Holland, who have been serving on the board following the resignations of Vicki Knauff and Michelle Stratton. John Kellis, Kati Burwinkel, Tim Koehl and James Rooney were elected for a three-year term.

As presented to the membership in a packet mailed in September, current vice president Arlene Huffman was nominated and elected as president of the society. Mary Jo Copeland was nominated and elected as vice president.

The new officers will begin their terms Jan. 1, McCarty said.

On behalf of himself and Huffman, McCarty thanked the board of trustees for their service in the past year before introducing board of trustees chair Pamela Nickell.

"We have both been highly impressed with the professionalism and hard work," McCarty said. "This is a board of really active, professional people … I commend this board immensely."

Nickell said that "the support of the president and vice-president has been exemplary" as well and praised the board members and all of the society members who have worked hard at the museum.

"The future is really solid because you all keep coming and volunteering more," Nickell said.

Because there has been so much assistance from society members this year, Nickell announced that the board has established the inaugural "Volunteer of the Year" award, with the honor this year going to John Glaze.

"John Glaze has been unbelievable," Nickell said. "He's expanded the newsletter, he's done the gift shop. We have signature candles now [which were his idea]."

Nickell also introduced Knauff, who reported on the events and goals at the museum.

Knauff said that the society's "first goal was to have at least one event a month" this year.

"We've had 18 events in eight months," Knauff said.

Knauff said that the society also reached their goal of raising membership by 10 percent, along with reaching its third goal of increasing the number of museum visitors.

"As of yesterday, we have 991 visitors to the Highland House since March," Knauff announced. "We will break 1,000 hopefully this coming weekend."

Knauff thanked all of the members and guests for their continued attendance at events and at the museum, and said the society will continue to build on their goals from the past year.

Other goals met by the society included opening a year-round gift shop; expanding the society's newsletter, website and Facebook; developing revolving exhibits; and employing curator interns.

In the treasurer's report, Rosemary Ryan reported that there is a balance of $12,500 in the society's checking accounts.

"I want everyone to know that we have not dipped into that investment pool," Ryan said. "We have not cashed in any investments this year."

Ryan said that the society also received approximately $7,000 from the Jack Chaney estate this year, which has helped with expenses, and the two tenants at the Scott House "should help ease the expense on that building."

Huffman concluded the meeting by thanking the membership for electing her as president and asking members to help by volunteering this holiday season.