MINI NEWSLETTER Number 36.1 Jan 28, 1990

THE CANADIAN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT AND TRANSPORTATION

13527 Crescent Road
Surrey, B.C. V4A 2W1

Phone (604) 531-3744, FAX (604) 531-4293

Newsletters are published quarterly (or as close as possible to that ideal), and contain original articles and reprints in addition to news on the Museum. “Mini’s are produced as and when the need to get in touch with members arises-usually about three or four times per year. It is free to paid up members.

Editor pro-tem is Rose Zalesky, but we’re looking for a someone to take over all or part of the production.

CHECK YOUR MEMBERSHIP EXPIRY DATE

The address label lists your expiry date at the top right hand corner. If it’s due or overdue, please send your renewal in right away.

If there is a mistake in your name, address or expiry date, please call or drop a note, and include your label so we know what has to be fixed. We have recently transferred the names over from one data base to another and some problems have come up that we won’t know about until you tell us.

HOMESITE NEWS

The good news is that Surrey responded to our request to provide services to the site as their share of the cost-sharing formula for government funding by assigning staff to produce a report on the costs of providing that service and how to expedite the relocation of the Museum to the new homesite in Cloverdale. This report should be ready by the end of January.

The all-important lease on the property is in the draft stage and should be ready to sign by the time you read this newsletter.

Surrey staff have provided a great deal of support and assistance in helping to produce a presentation on the relocation. David Jensen of D. Jensen and Associates, and Tony Boni, of Boni Maddison Architects and the entire staff of both those organizations, Robert Ballantyne of Ballantyne and Associates Consultants and Rose Zalesky all have spent many long hours helping to prepare a series of information boards and an accompanying written proposal.

This 30 minute presentation was made to an assemblage of representatives from all levels of government as an prelude to applying for funding. The meeting was set up through MP Benno Friesen’s office, and we are grateful to Benno for arranging for the following Federal representation: Besides Mr. Friesen, Laurel March representing Wally Kozar, regional Director, Communications Canada, Tara Douglas, Administrator, Museums Assistance Program, and Mark Von Schellewitz, Special Assistant to the Minister responsible for the Western Economic Development Initiative were on hand.

Provincial representatives included MLA Bill Reid, Hans Schinz, on behalf of Cliff Michaels, Minister of Tourism BC and Rick Mowles, VP Marketing and Sales, B.C. Pavilion Corporation.

Alderman Bruce Ralston represented Mayor Bob Bose, Mike Jones, Manager, George Samson, Deputy Manager, Lance Jefferson, Land

Agent, and Steve Forrest, Property Manager represented Surrey.

The same presentation will be made to Surrey Council at the first opportunity, and will likely be presented to the membership at the CMFT Annual General Meeting on April 19th.

The proposal describes the construction of the facility in three stages, the first of which will cost almost $3 million, Including nearly $1. million for site services.

At this point, we don’t have $3. million to run right out and start construction. We have just begun the process of applying for Federal and Provincial support.

TIME FOR A COMMITMENT

The time has now come for each of our 1,600 members to help out with the fundraising process. There are many ways you can help:

If you or your company can provide “in-kind” assistance (services, materials, supplies), please let us know now, so that we can include the value of the service or item in our list of funds.

Lobby your friends, your boss, your relatives and your co-workers to support the museum, by providing either one-time gifts in any amount, or commitments for a monthly or annual amount.

Write personal letters-one each to Surrey Council, to your MLA, to your MP, and to the provincial Minister of Tourism. Tell them that the Museum is a worth while organization, providing an important service to the community, and a generator of tourism revenues to the community and deserves their support. These letters have powerful impact, especially if there are lots of them.

FREE MEMBERSHIP EXTENSION

For each new member that you recruit during the period February 1 to April 19, 1990, you will receive a free extension to your own membership as follows:

• Recruit one new Lifetime membership ($300) and receive a one year extension to your present membership.
• Recruit one new General membership ($20) and we’ll extend your present membership by 6 months.
• Recruit one new Family membership ($30) and we’ll extend your present membership by 8 months.
• Recruit one new Friend membership ($10) and we’ll extend your present membership by 3 months.

All memberships Include a subscription to the newsletter and free admission to the museum during open season. All except the “Friend” category also include a 10% discount on most goods purchased in the Museum gift shop.

A tax deductible receipt is available for Lifetime membership fees.

Two special application forms are included with this newsletter- ask for more or photocopy extras required.

HAMPDEN PROJECT PROGRESSING

The Federal Job Creation program which provided three apprentice helpers ended in August last year. Since then, Fred Gardham has been volunteering almost full time to complete the centre section, along with help from John Gilmore, Ray Brown, Earl Gerow, and others. Long time member Bert Prothero has joined the crew and arranged for some very welcome assistance on tube bending from Aggressive Tube Bending.

The project is taking up a lot of space in Jerry Olsen’s bodyshop and costing him considerable time and money, but it is looking great! One more panel to finish up and the centre section is ready for painting and transporting out to the Museum to join the rest of the restored sections

Next is the tailboom. Easy compared to the sections already restored. Anyone interested in helping out, please phone Fred Gardham at 681- 6886 in the late afternoon or evenings.

MEETINGS SCHEDULE CHANGE

The more members we get, the fewer come to monthly general meetings. We can only surmise that members cannot spare the time to attend. Accordingly, we will no longer meet on a monthly basis. Please note the following schedule of meetings for the year 1990:

• January 18 Movie Night, at Elgin Centre, 144th and Crescent Road, Surrey
• April 19 Annual General Meeting and Spring Dinner
• July (date to be set)Outdoor barbecue at the Museum
• October (date to be set) Fall Dinner

SPRING DINNER ANNUAL GEN MEETING

This will be a sit down dinner, with a guast speaker, and will probably include the 30 minute presentation outlining the plan for the new homesite.

Next Newsletter or Mini Newsletter will quote date (if other than the 19th, place, time and cost).

It’s important that you vote to help choose a new Board of Directors, and on the Life Governor Motion. If you can’t make it in person, please return the Proxy included with this newsletter appointing someone to vote in your place.

MAGAZINE SALE FEB 17 AT MUSEUM

Hundreds of aviation magazines will be put on sale for one day only. Now is the chance to fill in the missing items from your collection, or to get a young friend interested in aviation by gifting a year’s worth of “Canadian Aviation” back issues (cheap) or one of the other popular magazines.

USED BOOK SALE

No date set, but will go ahead as soon as enough books are on hand. Plan is to offer all kinds of books, Including aviation titles. We have very few on hand now, so pass on your old pocket books or hard cover books on any subject. We’ll organize them and hold a public sale, hopefully about mid April.

SPRING YARD SALE

Here’s a chance to clean out your basement this Spring; save little more on your taxes; and help CMFT at the same time. Book a free sales table at the Spring Yard Sale.

Plans are tentative at the moment but here’s the general idea:

Sale to be held in late April

• Each participant prices, brings and sells their own items
• Tables will be provided
• Participants will donate their day’s proceeds to CMFT and a tax receipt will be issued to each donor

We will end the day with a hearty supper at which we can exchange stories of the craziest items we managed to unload!

We would like to hear from all of you who are interested in joining in the fun. Contact us soon so we can Iron out any problems in the arrangements early so they suit everyone wishing to participate. We will keep you informed of developments.

Contacts are: Jane Robinson 536-3287 (eves) Rose Zalesky 531-3744 (days)

NEWTON LIBRARY SLIDE PRESENTATION

Jerry Vernon will be presenting a slide presentation on the Museum on Wednesday evening from 7 to 9 p.m., Feb. 14th, at the Newton Library (same complex as the Newton Wave Pool). Admission is free. A small Informational exhibit will also be at the Library from January 29th through February 14th.

LANSDOWNE MALL DISPLAY, FEB 7,8,9,10

The Museum will be putting on a display at Lansdowne Mall In Richmond on February 7, 8, 9, and 10th. It will likely consist of Archie Fraser’s skeletal model of an SE5a in its glass showcase, and Maxse Tayler’s beautiful Stinson SR5, a “bang” (ejection) seat from a jet, cutaway aircraft engine (if the Air Cadets can get it ready in time), and perhaps some or all of the informational panels used in the Relocation to Cloverdale” presentation.

As of now, we don’t know if we will be allowed to sell anything. If we are, it will only be lapel pins and perhaps one or two other items.

The exhibit will have to be manned from 9:00 a.m. through 9:30 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and from 9:30 to 5:30 on Saturday. We’ll also need help to haul, set up, and dismantle. Please phone In if you can help. Shifts are short (9:00 to 1:00, 12:00-5:30, and 5:00 to closing), while set up and take down takes an hour or two extra. Can anyone offer a largish van to haul the stuff? Phone Rose at 531-3744 or Mike Gatey at 538-0694.

‘WINGS & WHEELS’ MEETING” MARCH 22

If you would like to help out with the planning and carrying out of this festival, please attend the first planning meeting set for Mar 22 at the Elgin Centre, 144th St. and Crescent Rd. There Is much to be done, so let’s share the work. It will be a Spaghetti feed, starting at 6:00 pm. Definite reservations required. Phone 531-3744 by March 15.

WINGS & WHEELS” JULY 14 AND 15

Please note the date on your calendar and plan to help out. We’ll be phoning you when the time comes to help out with preparations, and the many things that must be done on the two days of the event itself.

We know we’ll be able to count on many of you, and as Ed says “This gives those of you who always have a ready excuse as to why you can’t help lots of time to think up a good one”.

In the meantime, there is much PR work to do, some of which has to start right away. This includes sending in notices to trade publications, sending out the first invitations to the many organizations and clubs that participate, organizing tents and other equipment needed, and lots of work connected with recruiting and organizing the more than 120 volunteers who make the event such a success.

If you can help out a few hours or one or two days a week, please phone Rose at 531-3744.

THUNDERBIRD CLUB CAR MEET JULY 29

Circle the date on your calendar to come out and check out Thunderbird cars and their owners. Regular admission rates will apply. Members get free admission.

BRITISH AND EUROPEAN CAR MEET SEP 9

Third annual meet will be the same format as last year. Lots of great collectors cars to check out (more than 70 last year), as well as the usual displays. The Warbirds will do a flying display if they are not booked elsewhere, a flyby of ultralights, face painting, and a few other special items. Regular admission. CMFT members free.

WELCOME TO TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS

The two vacancies created by the resignation of Doug Girling and Jane Etzkorn have been filled by the appointment of two interim members who will serve until the end of the current term.

Welcome to new member Mike Bethell, Vice President, Reed, Stenhouse Insurance brokers, and Ken Danyluk, a long time member presently serving on the Displays/Buildings Maintenance Committee.

GOVERNING BOARD CHANGES TO COME

At this time, our board is working board. This system has functioned well as the governing body, but demands a heavy commitment of time and effort from board members. As a result, the Nominations Committee probably has the most thankless job that anyone could take on.

In time, the Museum will have two boards-a traditional Board which is made up of influential individuals whose main job is fundraising and advisory, and who do not involve themselves in the day to day operations of the museum, and a second, working board which is essentially what we now have, to advise and assist with daily operations.

Until that time comes, we still need members who are willing to make the effort to attend meetings and provide input as Directors of our present working board. Elections for a new Board will be held April 19.

The following submission by current board member and long time general member lan Morrison is timely, and we urge you to read it carefully. Change comes about by consensus. Apply for membership – it only takes a phone call or a note to the office, and your name will be passed on to whoever takes on the onerous job of Nominations Committee Chairman, who will contact you.

SELECTION AND ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The Museum has experienced problems over the last few years in maintaining a full Board of Directors. The Board has recently had to appoint two interim Directors to complete the terms of Directors who have resigned. There are also occasions when a quorum does not exist, effectively stalling Museum business. The reasons for these difficulties are varied, but proposals have been made to solve the major problems.

The Board of Directors is made up of twenty positions. Five Directors, being founding members, have permanent positions. The remaining fifteen positions are filled by election from the membership at large at the Annual General Meeting. A Director may not serve more than three successive terms (years), although may be elected to Directorship at some subsequent time.

The most suitable and practical method of selecting suitable Directorship candidates from the Museums large and widespread membership is through a Nominations Committee. This committee accepts nominations, assesses qualifications and prepares a slate of candidates for election by the membership. The committee should ideally consist of five members. The work is tedious, time consuming and sometimes requires almost clinical decisions.

The lack of response in nominations has placed the Committee In the position of having to generate nominations, rather than assess them. This Is a monumental task, even if some Directors agree to stand for re-election. It would appear that with our large membership candidates would be easy to find, but in fact the number of qualified persons who are not constrained by time and distance is surprisingly few. Thus, if only fifteen candidates are available the slate is considered as elected by acclamation.

The following proposals have been made with a view to alleviating the problems and improving the function of the Board:

• Creation of Position of Life Governor This Is to provide recognition to members who have devoted much time and energy to Museum affairs over the years, but who may now wish to have a less active role. The position will have full voting privileges but will not form part of the quorum. The Life Governors will act as a “Senate”, providing a “second look” at activities at the Museum and the Board’s proposals
• Reduction In Number of Directors The establishment of the position of Life Governor, with full voting privileges, could result in the reduction in the required number of Directors. This reduction suggested would be to 15 Directors. A quorum would then be eight Directors, plus any Life Governors in attendance.
• Alternate Year Elections This proposal aims to provide better continuity within the Board, while easing the burden placed on the Nominating Committee. The five permanent Directors provide some continuity to Board activities. As no Director can serve more than three consecutive years and as some Directors commonly serve for two or three years it seems superfluous to elect, or re-elect, the entire Board every year. The suggestion is to elect five new Directors each year, or more if necessary. Hopefully this will also mean there will be more nominations for the available position.

These proposals, if adopted, should improve the effectiveness of the Board in administrating the Museum’s affairs and also provide for greater participation from the membership.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Any such changes must be voted on at a General Meeting, and their must be a Notice of Motion made a full 30 days prior to the meeting at which the proposal is voted on. The Life Governor status motion was placed before the membership In October, 1989, and will be voted on at the General Meeting in April. Other suggestions can be discussed at the Annual meeting, and a Notice of Motion made at the meeting for voting at the next general meeting. All such changes must be included as an amendment to the By-Laws, which is a fairly complex and expensive procedure, so great care must be taken to make the best decision.

LOGO CHANGE

The Tiger Moth (sort of) logo has served us well for 13 years, but there is pressure for a change. We have tentatively introduced a simpler logo featuring a line drawing of the Fleet Finch (same as featured on the cover page of our brochure) without the background roundel, but retaining the name of the Museum encircling the aircraft. This logo already appears on our Golf shirts and on a satin wall hanging, and looks good.

SENIOR’S WING (NEW HORIZONS)

Fred Gardham’s Senior’s wing projects are on going work on the Hampden (see report elsewhere this newsletter), completing a recovery trailer (nearly done), obtaining parts for the Stampe to complete its restoration (coming along), catalogueing photos (an ongoing process), and helping out at special events.

The Senior’s Group has done a great job, and the Museum owes a debt of gratitude to all the people who help, and especially to the ten people who make up the Board. Thank you Fred, lan Anderson, Norm Helmer, Ray Brown, Roy Willis, John Gilmore, Hank Koehler, Earl Gerow and Rose Zalesky.

We sadly report the death of board member Frank Coulter (see elsewhere). Frank will be sorely missed. He, along with Fred Gardham, were the principal volunteers at Expo 86 when the Stampe restoration was done, a project that will go down in history as one of the most successful any team of Seniors has ever undertaken.

Remember, that as a Senior’s Wing member, your time counts twice-once as a regular volunteer of the museum, and again as an automatic member of the Senior’s Wing. Members are reminded that to help out on these projects, you need not be a senior, so don’t delay just because you haven’t hit your 50th birthday.

SENIOR’S BOOK PROJECT

Arnold Feast is organizing a second Senior’s project with the object of publishing a book based on interviews with aviation pioneers. He has assembled the required Board of 10 members, and is now looking for assistance with editing, photo search and selection, and other chores associated with getting the book into print. Call Arnold at 946-5062 if you’d like to help.

PHONERS NEEDED

Someone needed to phone members to get them out to the Annual General Meeting/Spring Dinner, and other events before they come up. We provide lists in telephone number order and while it is time consuming it isn’t hard. You can do it at home, provided that you pick up the lists In person from the office.

PART TIME SECRETARY

(4 hours daily, five days per week, or 6 hours daily 3 days per week. Job is word processing Ana (correspondence, form letters), mailing, some filing and maintaining several small data bases (volunteer hours, etc.). Prior experience an asset. Typing speed of at least 50 wpm a must. This should be a voluntary position, but could possibly be paid.

PART TIME GIFT SHOP MANAGER WANTED

3 or 4 hours daily, five days per week, preferably including weekends. Job includes ordering inventory, processing incoming invoices and pricing goods, maintaining computer Inventory on over 3,000 Items, physical Inventories, and some sales. This could be a paid position but prefer volunteer.

TYPIST WANTED (VOLUNTEER)

We still have several taped interviews that need to be typed out (transcribed). Prefer someone with a knowledge of word processing, but we’ll teach, provided you can type at least 50 wpm and are willing to commit enough time to justify the trainer’s time required. Work can be done at your home using your computer or ours.

TRANSCRIBING MACHINE REPAIRER

We have several old and worn machines which need repairs. Please phone Rose at 531-3744 If you can help.

DATA ENTRY VOLUNTEER NEEDED

Thousands of items need to be entered into the computer data base, including photographs, artifacts, and other Items which have been donated or acquired by the Museum. One or two part or full days per week (or more) preferred as otherwise too much training is needed.

Check your membership expiry date! See the mailing label, also the note on page 1.

NEWSLETTER EDITOR WANTED

We still need someone to take over all or part of the production of the newsletter. A knowledge of “Ventura” desktop publishing would be a real asset. Call Rose at 531-3744.

FUNDRAISER STILL WANTED

It appears that we have been expecting too much. In our innocence, we put out the word that we needed one person who is knowledgeable in raising money from traditional sources such as the corporate sector, annual campaigns and such, applying for Government and Foundation grants, and for PR. What we didn’t know was that these are considered to be three very separate Jobs, and further that we have the titles all wrong. We find that the names of the individual and separate jobs are Fundraising, Grantsmanship, and Public Relations and Promotion, and that anyone who does more than one of those jobs is called a Director.

So. We still want a fundraiser, but we will call the person a Director of Development or whatever the proper title is considered to be..

Salary is good for the right person with a proven track record. Serious enquiries only to Rose Zalesky at 531-3744 or mail or FAX your CV to 531-4293.

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!

The final numbers are now in-except for those of you who have yet to turn in your time for 1989. We’ve done it again. The 1989 total is a whopping 17,565 hours. Thanks to each and every one of you, from the person who put in two hours guarding an airplane at a special event, to people like Fred Gardham, who put in 1,081 hours in 1989 alone.

Special thanks to Ingy Wikene and Colin Hamilton who come in several days each week to work on the historic and current photo collections respectively, and to Brian Stacey who shows up on weekends and who is producing several promotional videos, including one on the Senior’s Wing and their activities.

TAX DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPTS

If you made a donation of money or goods to the Museum in 1989 and have not yet received your tax deductible receipt and want one, please phone immediately.

GOOD BYE, FRANK

We are saddened to report that Frank Coulter passed away on December 20th at his White Rock home, after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Anne, sons Rick and Frank, daughter Sandra Miller, 8 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

Born in 1914, Frank began his aviation career with Canadian Airways in Winnipeg and Northern Ontario, moving West in 1938. During his long and colorful career in aviation, he also worked for Canadian Pacific Airlines and Central B.C. Airways which later became Pacific Western Airlines. Condit’s book “Wings over the West” the story of P.W.A., has several reference to Frank.

Frank freely shared his considerable knowledge and expertise, and was a great asset to the Museum. He is especially remembered for the work that he and Fred Gardham carried out during the Expo 86 Stampe aircraft restoration, and appears along with Fred in the centre page of the “Expo Story” book.

TITO (MONTY) MONTEZUMA

Monty passed away in Surrey Memorial hospital on January 16th in his 57th year. He worked as a mechanic for Pacific Western Airlines, on both fixed wing and helicopters, at various bases in Northern B.C. and the Arctic, fulfilling a boyhood dream of working with airplanes.

A long time member of the Museum, Monty loved airplanes and volunteered many hours at the Museum, willingly doing whatever needed to be done. He was a member of the recovery team who recovered the Museum’s Blackburn Shark from a peat bog near Prince Rupert, BC. The week long 1983 effort involved the Coast Guard, B.C. Tel, Rivtow Straits Towing, City Trucking and others.