Do you have a successful program for working with groups of Scouts  either Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts? Scouts are always looking for activities, whether it is a field trip, service project or badge earning activity. Museums are always looking for new audiences. How do we get these two together?

Share some successful and not-so-successful ideas.

Steven T. Miller, commissioner for tax exempt and government entities at the Internal Revenue Service spoke about why changes are proposed in reporting of nonprofit activity. Basically he said that nonprofits are under a microscope because citizens generally want to make sure a public service happens in lieu of foregone taxes. In a speech a few days later Miller provided some thoughts on trends the IRS sees in the nonprofit sector. He mentions several, but one notes being Ready for the Boom and the other is the troubling blurring of the line between for-profit and nonprofit activity. While nonprofits can benefit from business discipline, it seems that forgetting the mission blurs the line the fastest and the cause of being under the microscope. What’s your take on the commissioner’s comments?

Shortly after acquiring Historic Murphy’s Landing in 2002, Three Rivers Park District began a planning process for the park that resulted in a recommendation that the park name be changed to ‘The Landing’. In March 2007, the Park District Board did approve the name change. As we began the process to implement this name change, our staff took a hard look at the name and its value in depicting the mission of the Park, it’s promotability, and public recognition potential. Our discussions have led us to reconsider the name and prepare a new name recommendation for the Park.

While the name ‘Historic Murphy’s Landing’ will be retained in the Park to represent the historic inn ruins and river landing areas, the entire Park will have a new name.

As some in the local history community were involved in our initial planning process back in 2003 and 2004, which resulted in the development of a Concept Master Plan for the Park along with the recommended name change, and some have been involved with Murphy’s Landing in other ways, I wanted to ask for your feedback.

The names under consideration are:

• Minnesota River History Park
• Minnesota River Historic Park
• Minnesota River Historical Park
• Minnesota River Heritage Park

Two mission statements are relevant to this effort. They are the Park District’s overriding mission statement and the mission statement for the Park itself.

• “The mission of Three Rivers Park District is to promote environmental stewardship through recreation and education in a natural resources-based park system.”
• “Historic Murphy’s Landing (The Landing) interprets how people, for thousands of years, have connected to the Minnesota River and its surrounding natural and cultural resources.”

The name of the facility should effectively communicate the broad mission and range in time periods, resources, and experiences on the site. The Park District Naming Policy states: “Parks or areas and facilities within parks will be named for a geographic, natural, or historic feature of that park, local folk usage, historic events, to commemorate people who have made outstanding contributions to the Park District, or persons of local historic or outstanding civic service.”

The name should:

• be inclusive of all aspects and time periods of the site.
• not emphasize the Euro-American aspects of the site.
• be easily related to the Minnesota River, a constant theme for the site.
• reflect the mission statement.
• be easily remembered and evocative of the site.
• be attractive to the public imagination.
• be unique to the market place.

Responses would be appreciated via email by November 30, 2007. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please email me or call me at 763-694-7640.

Thank you.

Denis R. Hahn,
Outdoor Education Manager - Special Facilities

Guidestar recently carried an article Is Your Organization Ready for “The Boom”? by Christine Litch that notes the impending retirement of the Baby Boom generation and its potential impact for nonprofit organizations. AASLH’s “History News” Summer 2007 issue has an article “A Golden Age for Historic Properties” by John Durel and Anita Nowery Durel that highlights intriguing possibilities to involve Boomers in years to come. No question about it: Boomers will shape local historical organizations for many years to come. Both Litch and the Durels see the influx of Boomer volunteers and users as a structural issue. Litch foresees difficulties in accommodating so many potential volunteers, while the Durels call for reorganizing how programs work. What are some of the issues you are noticing as Boomers more frequently use or volunteer for your organization? What are some of the ways that you are adapting to new demands? How has your organization adapted to new realities in the past?
Any lessons there?