SCV Offers to Manage MOC

[Dignann]

A new twist to the MOC saga.


Offer made to manage museum
Sons of Confederate Veterans, angered by move idea, float plan

BY JANET CAGGIANO

Richmond Times-Dispatch
February 27, 2007

The Sons of Confederate Veterans, outraged that the Museum of the Confederacy might move out of Richmond, is offering to take over the management of the museum.

"Conditions at the museum have declined steadily for the past few years," said Frank Earnest, state commander of the 4,000-member Virginia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. "The current administration has brought the situation to near crisis."

During a news conference yesterday at the Confederate Memorial Chapel on Grove Avenue, Earnest said his group plans to meet with the museum's board of trustees within a month to offer to take over the board and to discuss the replacement of the museum's president and CEO, Waite Rawls.

Rawls and Carlton P. Moffat Jr., chairman of the museum's board of trustees, declined to comment yesterday.

However, Rawls released a statement that said no decision has been made to change the museum's name.

"Retaining future economic viability and at the same time remaining faithful to the educational mission, identity and historic legacy of the museum is a challenge faced in the relocation," the statement said. "Consideration of a possible renaming of the museum, which might accompany relocation, should be considered speculation at this time."

Rawls announced in October that museum officials were seeking a new home for its Civil War collection, the world's largest, to escape the sprawling medical campus of Virginia Common- wealth University. Officials traveled to Lexington in January to tour a possible site there and are considering other locations. Dropping the word "Confederacy" from the museum's name could accompany a relocation.

"The changes proposed by the current administration are a betrayal to both those who have donated to the collection and to the very spirit of museum," Earnest said. "We aren't saying the Museum of the Confederacy can't be moved, just certainly not out of Richmond."

Rawls has said repeatedly that he hopes the museum can stay in Richmond. The White House will remain at 12th and East Clay streets, its home since 1818.

Should the museum move outside Richmond or change its name, Earnest said he would no longer support the institution.

"We will take whatever steps necessary to maintain both the name and the integrity of the Museum of the Confederacy and to see that it remains in the city of Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy," Earnest said.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149193407912

Eric

[dave81276]

Re: SCV Offers to Manage MOC

Bragg Bowling is always asking to run the Museum of the Confederacy. This is no big deal.

[NYCivilWar]

Re: SCV Offers to Manage MOC

Eric,

Would the SCV just manage the museum or would they take over collections management, archives and the such. I guess I am just wondering why they believe they have the training for such a task if this was to ever happen? I know little about the management of the SCV, just curious.

-Kyle M. Stetz

Thanks,
Kyle M. Stetz

[Tom Ezell]

Re: SCV Offers to Manage MOC

The way the SCV has been behaving the past couple of years, if something ticks them off, it's probably a good thing.

[dave81276]

Re: SCV Offers to Manage MOC

Kyle,

Certain members of the more extreme wing of the SCV have been asking to run the MoC for at least ten years. Apparently, the League of the South types have convinced the majority to back them in this futile endeavor. Considering that all the MoC's problems in some way revolve around money, I don't understand how an organization that is in the financial state of the SCV has the temerity to ask for the collection. The different feuding wings of the SCV can't even pay their legal bills, much less maintain such a vast collection of artifacts. If anyone, and this is only a worst-case scenario, should get the MoC collection, it should be the Virginia Historical Society. The VHS is the only local historical organization that has the resources to conserve the MoC collection.

Eric,

Would the SCV just manage the museum or would they take over collections management, archives and the such. I guess I am just wondering why they believe they have the training for such a task if this was to ever happen? I know little about the management of the SCV, just curious.

-Kyle M. Stetz

Thanks,
Kyle M. Stetz

[Jim Mayo]

Re: SCV Offers to Manage MOC

Dave: Do you know the status of the collection of CS equipment that used to be on display at the VHS on Monument Ave.?

[Dignann]

Re: SCV Offers to Manage MOC

Apparently there are more communities, in addition to Lexington, interested in bringing the MOC to their town.


More sites interested in museum
More than a dozen so far, officials say; some are outside Va.

BY JANET CAGGIANO

Richmond Times-Dispatch
March 1, 2007

Lexington isn't the only city interested in courting the Museum of the Confederacy.

Since January, more than a dozen sites have contacted museum officials with hopes of enticing the troubled cultural institution to their town. Officials would not release the names of those sites or their locations, but a few are out of state.

"We have been swamped with inquiries from all over the state," said Waite Rawls, the museum's president and CEO.

Rawls and his staff mailed each a request for proposal yesterday. The 10-page document includes background information on the museum, requirements for the move, the review process and financial needs.

Rawls said he hopes to begin reviewing the proposals by April 15.

Meanwhile, the museum has yet to hear from the Virginia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. During a news conference this week, the group announced plans to meet with museum officials to inquire about taking over the management of the museum. Museum officials have no comment, they say, because they have not been approached by the group.

The two organizations may not have met yet, but Sons of Confederate Veterans member Brag Bowling said his group already is planning strategy. Should they get their chance to run the museum, Bowling said they would close it for six months, reorganize the staff, keep the museum in Richmond and maintain its name.

He said the new management would also focus exhibits and events on the South instead of trying to be "politically correct."

"They are trying to appeal to the mainstream," he said. "That's not what the museum is about. It was set up to be a shrine to the Confederacy."


Should the museum remain in Richmond and keep its name, Bowling said he would no longer see a need for the Sons of Confederate Veterans to pursue a takeover.

"The museum is a treasure-trove of history," he said. "It should be a piece of cake to promote and raise money for."

Museum of the Confederacy officials announced in October that they were seeking a new home for its Civil War collection, the world's largest, to escape the sprawling medical campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. The adjacent White House of the Confederacy will remain where it has stood at 12th and East Clay streets since 1818.

Since making the announcement, museum officials have been touring possible sites, including the historic Rockbridge County Courthouse complex in Lexington. Like the other interested sites, Lexington officials will receive a request for proposal this week.

The document spells out what the museum is looking for in a new home. For example, a building with about 60,000 square feet will be required, with about half that meeting museum-quality environmental and security standards. New construction is preferred and will cost about $20 million.

Other requirements include convenient dining options, parking to accommodate 150-plus cars and easy road access. The site also should have other historic attractions nearby.

The solicitation asks for a description of potential local government support, a survey of nearby attractions, an overview of neighboring academic institutions, a summary of local financial resources -- including philanthropic resources and foundations -- and a survey of local employment conditions.

"Our preference would be to stay in Richmond," Rawls said. "Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy, it was the epicenter of the whole war, the collection was put together here and it's been here for 117 years."

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149193448639

Eric

[dave81276]

Re: SCV Offers to Manage MOC

Yeah, Jim, I know. But the VHS is expanding their building, and I know they're finally cataloguing and conserving those artifacts. Besides, Charles Bryan, Claiborne Robins, and the VHS Board are more proactive and responsible than their equivalents at the MoC. Things are changing for the better at the VHS, whereas the MoC is stagnant.

[ley74]

Re: SCV Offers to Manage MOC

Several things:

The VHS's collection is expansive. The arms currently on display are approximately 5% of their collection. Cataloging efforts, similar to the Civil War manuscript collection, is underway.

Flags, which used to hang on their original poles in the VHS gallery, were transferred to the care of the MoC upon the completion of the new facility. The VHS does not have the curatorial staff or adequate storage.

The premature squabbling by the many factions is simply that. It would take a significant effort to break the charter of the Confederate Memorial Literary Society. Again, as Dave expressed, the SCV has proven their fiduciary prowess (or lack thereof) over their own organization. They need a new windmill.

[rbrewer]

Re: SCV Offers to Manage MOC

Kyle,

Certain members of the more extreme wing of the SCV have been asking to run the MoC for at least ten years. Apparently, the League of the South types have convinced the majority to back them in this futile endeavor. Considering that all the MoC's problems in some way revolve around money, I don't understand how an organization that is in the financial state of the SCV has the temerity to ask for the collection. The different feuding wings of the SCV can't even pay their legal bills, much less maintain such a vast collection of artifacts. If anyone, and this is only a worst-case scenario, should get the MoC collection, it should be the Virginia Historical Society. The VHS is the only local historical organization that has the resources to conserve the MoC collection.

Mr. Eggleston-
As I am trying to make up my mind if the SCV taking over the museum is a good idea ( or not) , I am following this thread to try to understand all the different aspects of this discussion.
I am curious how you aquired the information in your post-
so I am respectfully asking :
1) who are these certain members of the more extreme wing of the SCV?
do you know them personally? and have you discussed this with them?
have you seen this on some website, maybe it was discussed at a camp meeting ?( you do belong to the SCV dont you? it seems you are very up to date with a lot of the internal workings of this group)
2)League of the South types- who are these individuals? and again, have you discussed this with them personally, seen thier views on a website, or other source of information?
3)Financial State of the SCV, are you currently a high ranking officer in the National Headquarters? how is it you have so much insite as to the current budget of the SCV?
4) "Termerity" ?- are you familiar with Gen S.D. Lees charge? in modern terms the mission of the SCV? , if your not, I can send you the charge , and it may explain why the SCV wants to protect the MOC, and further its missions and very existence.
5) Different fueding wings of the SCV, have you discussed any of these legal battles with any of the participants? ( I have) you seem to be very up to date with an issue that has been old news for some time, where did you get your information on the " latest" development's on this matter?
Again- I am trying to understand all the various ins and outs of the future of the MOC, and would be more than glad to hear your views out, so that I can form my opinion - based on current facts.
If the MOC needs to move, I'd like to know why, and if yes, where would be a good place?, Does the SCV need to be involved? I am still making up my mind, and am trying to hear all the sides/ details.
Most Respectfully Yours
Bob Brewer
Gaithersburg,MD

[dave81276]

Re: SCV Offers to Manage MOC

My dear Mr. Brewer,

I know these folks: http://www.fireeaters3000.com

I also know the SCV is ridden with internecine fighting: http://savethescv.org/Index.htm

I also know that very few SCV camps donate anything to the Museum of the Confederacy, but they somehow think they deserve to run it. If anything, the UDC does much more financially for the MoC.

For the last fifteen or twenty years, Brag Bowling and his League of the South cronies have wanted to get their hands on the Museum. Why Mr. Rawls publicized this particular attempt, I do not know. As I have mentioned before, as a volunteer at and a donor to the Museum of the Confederacy, I agree with the SCV that the Chairman of the Board, Carlton Moffatt, and the President, Waite Rawls, are unfit to lead the Museum and the Confederate Memorial Literary Society. However, I have not seen any evidence that the Sons of Confederate Veterans could, or even would, run the MoC any better than the current regime. They don't have the millions necessary to do so, and they don't have the will to do so. Of course, if it is to become once again a shrine to the "Lost Cause," I reckon the SCV might as well have it. I would prefer it remain a museum with an educational goal.