We Are Open!!!!

It has been a while since I have blogged.  I was busy getting everything ready so we could open on May 19, 2012.  Yeah!  We did it we are now open. 

We have set up a few small temporary exhibits and added a few items to our permanent exhibits.  The "Electricity Comes to Dickson" exhibit will remain up for the 2012 season.  Drop around and learn what life was like prior to electricity. 

This week we are starting to conduct school tours. Although it is a busy time it is also fun and enjoyable. 

We are planning a royal garden party hosted with a Dickson flare on Sunday, June 3, 2012 from 2:00-4:30pm.  We will not only be celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and the Ruby Jubilee of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, but we will be crowning the royality of Dickson.  Come and join us for an afternoon of celebration, fun, and laughter. 

We are open daily Mon-Saturday 10:00-5:30pm and Sundays 12:30-5:30pm.  Admission by donation.  For more information check out our website at  www.dicksonstoremuseum.com

Hope Everyone Had A Happy Easter!

Well after a few days off it is time to get back into the swing of things. When I came to work this morning and walked into the office it hit home how many things need to be taken care of. We are busy interviewing staff, ordering for the gift shop, and working on our storage project. As well as booking school tours, publishing brochures, and submitting our annual events to surrounding tourism. Opening day, May 19, 2012 is fast approaching. The spring cleaning needs to be done and this years exhibits put up. That will take some time, but it is always fun to open the windows and let in the fresh air. I always look forward to opening day and having visitors from all over the world along with the regulars who come each season. The atmosphere here is old school with the store remaining as the local gathering place. Many conversations and much laughter fill our museum when it is open to the public. We continue with the same hospitality that the Christiansen's offered for the 71 years the store was open. We look forward to seeing you in the 2012 season. If you have never visited make a point of dropping by and pay our 103 year old unique museum a visit.

On the go.........

Everyday brings something unforseen to our museum. Recently I took a mini course that consisted of four sessions. I learned in this course that if you don't clear up the clutter it will dictate what you are going to do that day. So I came back and I cleared up the clutter. This meant everything should be smooth sailing. Right?! I figured out in one big hurry that even without the clutter, things happen throughout the day that change the direction I was headed.

For instance, we are busy here at the museum putting in new shelving to house some of our collection. First we had to tear out the old shelving. Guess what we find behind it? An unpainted wall. Didn't really plan to paint the wall today but I guess. The paint brushes were out in the lumbershed, so I got to wade through knee high snow and hurdle several drifts to get them. Lucky for me I managed to stay on my feet. However, my feet are cold and wet. Now that I have begun painting I realize it is going to take far more than one coat. Three coats later the wood is still sopping it up. We have begun putting the shelves together with basically no directions. With the brains of a volunteer they are coming together nicely. This is just one example of what we all face on a daily basis. These issues tend to have a bearing on what you thought you would accomplish that day and what you actually do accomplish.

Do you ever have a day like this? We would like to hear from you.

Done!!!!

At last, the Annual Report is ready to go to print. This project and the weather being uncooperative have taken up alot of time that could have been spent blogging, etc. While writing the annual report it is always a time to reflect upon last year. We always put some photographs in the report and it is always fun to see the character of individuals come out through photography. Speaking of photographs we are in the process of writing a grant to catalogue all the photographs at the Dickson Store Museum. If we are successful getting the funding it will organize and protect these photographs so they can be easily accessed and preserved. It is amazing the information and stories that a photograph can tell. If you have any photographs of the areas, events, schools, clubs, etc of Dickson we would love to have a copy for our archives. Hope to hear back from someone. These pictures help us to tell all kinds of stories and engage a worldwide audience. Until next time happy picture taking.

Getting Ready for the Annual General Meeting

Writing reports for the annual general meeting makes me look back on the previous year. Do you ever stop at the end of the day and feel like you accomplished nothing? There were a few days when I felt this way. Now I realize with all that has happened I must have accomplished something.

When we compile everything that was done throughout the year at the museum it is amazing how many events, projects, exhibits, and collections have been completed. None of these would be nearly as successful without the help of staff, volunteers, and the board of directors. Many would not have even been attempted without financial support from the Federal, Provincial, and Municipal Governments and our sponsors.

Once again this year we have managed to fulfil our goals of operating the Dickson Store Museum, educating the public about the history of Dickson and the surrounding area, and promoting an appreciation of local heritage and culture. We maintain a well groomed site, conduct education programs and other group tours, install temporary exhibits, and host many special events through the year. As well as care for a collection of approximately 8000 artifacts.

We invite visitors and tourists old and new to visit us in the 2012 season that will commence in Mid-May. In the meantime continue to read our blog and check out our website at www.dicksonstoremuseum.com .

Happy New Year!!!!!!!

It's hard to get back into the swing of things. The weather is so beautiful who wants to be inside. However, there are many tasks that need to be done this time of year at the museum. 2012---starts the plans for a brand new season. We are planning some new activities at the museum along with continuing with the old. The new year states out with old and in with the new. Not true here because we are continuing with the old. Why get rid of things that work? Besides if we got rid of all the old we would have cease operating as a museum. What is a museum without old things and history? You comment and tell me...

Museum is the information booth all year long....

Many times when the phone rings through out the winter it is someone looking for information. We get questions such as "Are you open today", "How thick is the ice at the trout pond", "Are they tobogganing down at the dam", "Is the pottery shop open", "Do you have such and such in your gift shop and can I purchase it", "There is a house for sale in Dickson do you know who owns it and who is selling it. I need the number of the realtor can you go get it", and the latest being "I think there is a used saddle store in Dickson do you know the number". I have said for many years that we are not only a museum but the information center in Dickson. Even though our doors are closed in the winter these are just a few of the questions that we receive each week by telephone. When our doors are open in the summer it is continuous with giving directions, answering what other services are around, etc. Some days you just want to carry on with the museum business, but for the most part being the information center is pretty interesting. You not only meet some great people but you get many laughs and never know what question might be asked next. My phone message says that the museum is closed for the winter maybe I should add so is the information center. I guess I will leave it the way it is. After all if no one answers I guess they will look for another source of information. When I am in the office I always answer the phone and will help with whatever I can.