Museum Tidings

Spring Issue
2003

The official quarterly newsletter of the Tehama County Museum
(WebPage edition)

 

TO THINK ABOUT
"A land without ruins is a land without memories - a land without memories is a land without history." Abrham Joseph Ryan
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Editor's Note

In the last issue of the Museum Tidings, a list of "Thank Yous" went out to those who did such a fine job at the 2002 Jubilee. That is a dangerous thing to do because Murphy's Law says that someone surely will be left out. Sure enough, a very important "someone" was left out. For years, Judy Chamberlain organized and ran the Country Store which featured home made articles and foods, all of which were kindly donated to the Museum for sale. Judy worked tirelessly to make the Country Store an annual success, and I regret failing properly to acknowledge her valuable contribution to the Museum. I appreciate having this oversight brought to my attention because I was able to apologize to her personally before she passed away. I do so now publicly.

"From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life."
-Arthur Ashe

Final Salute

The Museum Foundation extends its warmest sympathies to the families and friends of the following who have recently passed on:
Judy Chamberlain - Both Judy and her husband Dick have been active supporters of the Museum for many years, serving as directors and docents, and providing foundational leadership and insight. Judy was an active supporter of a wide range of museum activities, giving freely of her time and talent.

Ben Knowles - The Knowles family has supported the Museum for many years through membership and help at fund raising events. A finer family is hard to find.

Lewis Zink - Well-known in the community for his tireless love for his fellow man, Lew was involved in a number of worthy organizations. Both Lew and his wife, Artie, served as directors on the Museum Board. He helped us by becoming a docent and lending a hand at the Jubilee.

 

Thank You and Welcome
The Museum Board thanks the departing director Sandy Clarkson for her time, her counsel, her insights and her good works on behalf or the Museum Foundation.

We welcome new Museum Board Director Linda Middlebrough of Los Molinos. She and her family have helped at Museum events for the past year and she brings many organizational skills to the Museum.

"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history - with the possible exception of handguns and tequila." Mitch Ratcliffe

KEEP GOING
by Paul Quinn

I just planted a Royal Ann bare root cherry. They aren't the greatest, but my Nana had one in her backyard in Oakland. I miss her, and the memories of picking handfuls of those white/pink cherries with the tart bite have stayed with me all these years. Put in some grapes and a blueberry too, and it got me to thinking.

What with all the news about orange alerts, war, deficit budgets, unemployment, and SARS, some folks would be excused for feeling like it is futile to do anything for the future. But it's all a matter of perspective.

If you have any background in faith, if you study history, it is clear that other people have gone through rough times in the past. Many have suffered, sustained only by their religious beliefs - and many have died.

We can learn from knowing how people have dealt with adversity in the past. One of the main goals of the Tehama County Museum is to provide the people of the area with an opportunity to learn about the stories of perseverance and innovation and heroism of people who came before us in this county. A scorched wooden ox yoke lies in a case, and if it could talk, it would tell the story of the Lassen Trail and the incredible hardships of the people who took it under the mistaken impression that it was a shorter and easier trail than their alternatives. Many died, and many of those who survived the last leg of the journey had to abandon first their belongings to lighten the load for the exhausted teams, and then they had to abandon the teams and the wagons they could no longer pull, and they finished the trek to Peter Lassen's Rancho with little or none of their belongings.

So let us hold on to our faith, and let us also learn from our local history. There is much we can appreciate about our lives when we see how others have persisted. If they could, they would reach through the mists of time and write in big, bold letters . . . "KEEP GOING"

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"The tree on the mountain takes whatever the weather brings. If it has any choice at all, it is in putting down roots as deeply as possible."
Corrie Ten Boom

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YOUR MUSEUM AT WORK

Just take a look at what the Museum has done in the first quarter of 2003!

- 4 tours including preschoolers and senior citizens
- 1 school project - California Missions currently on display
- 1 fund raising dinner
- 1 special doll show and gun exhibit
- 1 historical program with guest speaker - read about it in the special report elsewhere in the newsletter
- 1 general membership meeting
- 1 maintenance work party (cleaned carpets, cleaned gutters, painted, sealed windows)
- formed a grant committee to research and apply for grant money to leverage and to augment the support of the community in building the annex
- 10 research projects to provide historical and genealogical information in response to inquiries
- provided 3 guest speakers to other community organizations as part of community connection efforts
- provided phone bank workers for PBS KIXE for their pledge drive
- annual membership drive

And, we're working on upcoming events that will create or enhance our connection to the community of greater Tehama County. In May, Delta Cappa Gamma will hold their meeting at the Museum. Delta Cappa Gamma is an educational sorority, and education is a primary goal of the Museum. Also in May, we will focus our efforts on an archaeology presentation, since May is Archaeology month.

In June, the Lassen Division of California Retired Teachers Association will hold its annual, end of the year scholarship meeting and picnic at the Museum. This will involve a luncheon which the Museum will provide both as a service to CRTA and as a source of revenue for the Museum.
Ruth Britt is putting out the call to the Museum membership for salads to serve at the CRTA luncheon. We expect to serve 50-60 people so this is a good opportunity for skilled salad makers to strut their stuff. Please call Ruth Britt at 345-1057. Thanks!!
THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear Museum supporters,

"Thus, the task is not so much
to see what no one yet has seen,
but to think what nobody yet has thought
about that which everybody sees."

Here it is spring already! What happened to the down time this winter, which I was to spend getting caught up?! Well for one thing I had a birthday in February. "Am I really 50, the guy from the generation who doesn't trust anyone over 30?" The big 50 made me think about the different ages of people who volunteer. On one hand we have the "chronologically challenged" - (of course I would call them the "chronologically gifted".) Working with these individuals brings many rewards. They bring a whole complement of life experiences with them and they seldom get excited in a crisis. They bring a loyalty and dedication to that for which they volunteer.

On the other hand we have the youth of our community. Most young people don't see volunteer work as "feel good" work. They see it as a means to an end, a way to create community change. As you can see, we have two very different ideologies for sure. My wish is that we be able to engage both groups in satisfying and rewarding volunteer work. One of the things we must consider is that they both have different life experiences. Not necessarily in quantity but in terms of quality, and as a volunteer manager, I need to recognize those differences and use them in planning their respective volunteer work.

If a volunteer is passionate about an agency's mission, then my responsibility as a volunteer manager is to find a place where that person will best benefit the agency and feel gratified. We need to recognize unconventional areas where people can volunteer. This involves diverse interests, from computer skills to manual labor, from involvement with clients to fundraising. I've always thought that the majority of people work to make a living, and volunteer to follow their passion. When I talk to groups or socialize with friends who don't know where to go to volunteer, I always ask where their passion lies. Their answers, along with some creative brainstorming, will lead them to the right volunteer opportunity

I have found that the youth I am involved with want what we all seek, recognition, friendship, confidence and the knowledge that they are doing something important. While the age of a person is a legal consideration, their abilities and energies are usually only limited by the access we as adults give them. I have seen few groups in our community who interact with young people in any kind of equal partnership. Most only allow limited and often very directed tasks to be accomplished while at the same time complaining that young people are not community service minded.

The best benefits of volunteering seem to come from a healthy mix of adults working with youth, youth working on their own, adults "leading" youth, youth "leading" adults... and being aware of, and responsive to, the individual needs, assets, and interests of each person.

So what do you say! Are you or your children or grandchildren ready to volunteer at the Tehama County Museum to do some interesting and challenging community service! Please call me at 384-2595

Darrell Mullins,
President

SPEAKING OF YOUTH AND VOLUNTEERS

On Saturday, March 15, 2003, your Tehama County Museum Foundation teamed up with the Los Molinos Unified School District to put on one bodacious corned beef and cabbage dinner. In addition to the meal itself which, by all accounts, was the best food we have ever served and was prepared by Faith Bennett with the help of her husband, Ron, Irish music was presented by the school's vocal group under the direction of Lucy Ofinowitz. The newly organized Los Molinos High School Key Club, sponsored by the Los Molinos Kiwanis Club provided much-appreciated youthful hands and strong backs to make light work of everything from set up through serving to cleanup. They were wonderful. Thanks to all, and a special "Thank You" to the Los Molinos Unified School District Board of Trustees, District Superintendent Donald Pike and Principal Dane Hansen for sharing the cafeteria facility and helping to make this event a big success.