BAFM NEWS - 1
Garden Party at Buckingham Palace
The Lord Chamberlain, commanded by Her Majesty, invited on separate occasions, Alan Denney, our Treasurer, and Jean Knight, our Editor to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. There were four of these parties held this year, one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and three at Buckingham Palace to which over 4,000 people were invited. These, for both Alan and Jean, were magnificent affairs with music from two separate bands being carried on a light warm breeze across the stunning garden. At 4.00pm, Her Majesty The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, other members of the Royal Family with their entourage appeared on the terrace. After the National Anthem had been played they descended and mingled with the crowds. Tea was served in marquees, on the east side of the vast lush sward, to the general public and, on the west side, to the Royal tent and ambassadors’ marquee.
Our Editor was extremely fortunate that, at the Garden Party on 29th June, the other members of the Royal Family attending were The Duke of York, The Countess of Wessex, The Duke of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Jean was extremely pleased to be able to talk to our Patron, HRH The Duke of Gloucester, in the company of an Australian news reporter and a broadcaster from the CNN television channel. The Duke displayed an excellent sense of humour, somewhat out witting our newsmen. He had also read the Journal which had just arrived that morning. It is hoped that The Duke will be able to be present, at some point, during our 39th AGM and National Conference at the Towner Museum next year.
[Autumn 2011]
Certificate of Merit - World Federation Honour
The World Federation of Friends of Museums (WFFM) General Assembly began with this prestigious award to the organisation’s founding President, David Mawson. In presenting this award Danny Ben-Natan read the citation: ‘for leadership, wise counsel, objectivity and remarkable diplomacy.’ How true of David Mawson. David was also BAFM’s founding Chairman and we are indeed fortunate to have his continued input and wise counsel to our proceedings.
Honour For BAFM VicePresident
MBE for Dr Elizabeth Mackenzie
By Isobel Straw, BAFM Journal Editor
Many BAFM members were delighted to learn that Dr Elizabeth Mackenzie, Vice-President BAFM, had been honoured by Her Majesty The Queen with the award of an MBE for service to museums.
Dr Elizabeth Mackenzie was a distinguished consultant cytopathologist, but to BAFM members she is Liz, Vice-President, much-loved and admired past Chairman and indefatigable battler for museums, art galleries and all aspects of the Heritage sector. She is the champion, par excellence, of all Friends’ and volunteers’ groups and organisations and her enthusiasm has inspired many to try to emulate her.
She became involved with Bristol museums when she first moved to Bristol over thirty years ago, and was the Chairman of Bristol Magpies for ten years; she has also been a Trustee and member of the executive committee of the ss Great Britain. She became involved with BAFM, serving first as Co-ordinator for the South West, then as Vice-Chairman, then Chairman and is now a Vice-President of our organisation. She has served on many advisory bodies and been involved in various campaigns, including the ‘Campaign for Museums’ and ‘Kids in Museums’ and she has been one of the judges for the Gulbenkian prize. Never was an honour more justly deserved!
On receiving our congratulations, Liz paid tribute to all those in the Heritage sector, Friends, volunteers and professionals, who have worked with her and offered their assistance along the way. “I could not have achieved so much without their support” she said, continuing, “An added bonus is the friendship I have found throughout the museum world and from all those who have an interest in caring for our heritage.”
We, as her friends in BAFM, send her our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes; we are all proud of her achievements and rejoice in the fact that these have been officially recognised.
Farewell and Thank You to Sue Drought
By Rosemary Marsh, BAFM Vice-President
Over the years, BAFM has been extraordinarily fortunate to have the loyal support of a number of hard-working volunteers. Sue Drought, who steps down from her ‘job’ as our International News Editor and WFFM Representative, first surfaced almost twenty years ago, when she was Chairman of the Friends of Surrey Heath Museum, as one of the South East Regional Representatives, as they were then called.
Her charm and networking skills soon brought her to the notice of the then officers who, when they discovered that she also had office skills, lost no time in recruiting her to higher office: she became Honorary Secretary in 1993 and the rest, as the saying goes, is history.
A lot of hard work was involved, especially during the difficult time following Robert Logan’s unexpected death, but Sue always managed to get the minutes out on time, the envelopes stuffed and the enquiries answered. Her diplomatic skills came in useful at WFFM meetings too. She ‘retires’ with our thanks and best wishes and let’s hope she will keep coming to the annual meetings.
NEW BAFM VICE-CHAIRMAN - SUSIE DAWSON
When Lesley Taylor felt she was unable to continue as 1st Vice-Chairman and would have to resign, BAFM was lucky enough to be able to appoint Susie Dawson to the post. Susie is no stranger to BAFM having, at one time, served as Co-ordinator for the London Area and she has had a distinguished career working in the Heritage sector. When asked to tell us something about herself, she sent us this.
Australian by birth but resident in England since 1970, I have a Master’s degree in Art and Design History from Middlesex University and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
I taught various under-graduate courses at the University of the West of England in Bristol before joining the staff of the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 1984 to work with their quite recently formed membership scheme. Over eighteen years and via a series of ground-breaking blockbuster exhibitions, we built the Friends of the Royal Academy into one of the largest schemes in Europe with, by 2002, 85,000 subscribers. I joined the staff of Tate in 2002 as Membership Manager, now Head of Membership. In the seven years since then, Tate membership has grown from 42,000 to 93,000 Members and satisfaction amongst Members has risen to 94%. Tate Members’ contribution, after costs, has grown from half a million pounds in 2001/02 to £5.39 million in 2008/09.
I believe in the museum or gallery as community centre, a meeting place and place for people to go; in breaking down the barriers that might deter people; in removing any sense of exclusiveness; in diversity of age and background; in understanding and delivering what people really want from their association with the gallery or museum as a Member or Friend.
I have a long association with the British Association of Friends of Museums, having travelled to Toronto in the early 1980s with Pat Prestwich and Rosemary Marsh for the WFFM Conference. I also attended conferences in Treviso and Sydney where I chaired a session. I was, for a number of years, an area co-ordinator. My most recent contact with BAFM was last summer, when I facilitated a session on what constitutes success in a membership scheme. I would be honoured to be further involved, which my impending retirement from full-time work makes possible. |