Dear Editor:
It has come to my attention that the SD&G Historical Society, which has a lease agreement with the City of Cornwall to operate the Cornwall Community Museum, will be holding its AGM on Saturday March 31 at 1 p.m. at the museum.
Unfortunately, it appears that board members of the Historical Society have decided to not advertise the AGM to the public but to rely on word of mouth for new members. Apparently, the public will not be informed of the AGM information such as date/time, new membership & nomination forms and rules, the agenda, and constitution and by-law amendments.
Since the museum is publicly funded, interested people should have the opportunity to become members, serve on the board of directors, discuss the direction of the museum and the Historical Society, vote on the amendments to the constitution and bylaws, and vote on the actions of the board in 2017. The board is accountable to the membership.
For those interested in ensuring that the past history of Cornwall is preserved and available for all to enjoy and in attending the AGM, you should know that membership applications are available at the museum and must be submitted by 3:30 p.m. on Thursday March 1 and approved by the present board. There will be no nominations from the floor as in the past. Nomination forms for the board are available from the staff person at the museum and must also be submitted at the museum by 3:30 p.m. on March 1.
In 2017, the following board members- Christopher Penney, Marie Penney, Sue Holland-Lalonde, Rick Lalonde, and Ron Begg- failed to put in place an open and fair competition to hire a qualified curator, thereby denying several qualified persons the opportunity to apply for the position.
With its unfair hiring practice and lack of transparency to even advertise their AGM to the public, the board has done a disservice to the Cornwall Community Museum, the Historical Society, and the community.
We deserve better.
Yours truly,
Brian Lynch,
Member of SD&G Historical Society
