Museum board prepares for the future

During their July meeting, the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum Board members voted and approved their new officers and discussed the future of the museum should the Holiday Village Mall close suddenly.

H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation Chair Elaine Morse discussed with the board what they will do if the mall does have to close with the closure of two anchor stores in the Holiday Village Mall.

“We need to think about what we will do if the mall closes on short notice,” she added.

Both Herberger’s and the Sears Hometown Store in the Holiday Village are in the middle of close-out sales.

Morse added that the museum is on a month-to-month lease with the mall and if it closes suddenly, the board and foundation board may be able to do concentrated work on the main floor of the future Havre History Center building to make it usable as a museum.

The foundation purchased the building from the Griggs family with the understanding that Jim Griggs could continue to run Griggs Printing in the location as long as he desired.

It would not be an ideal situation, Clack Museum and Wahkpa Chu’gn manager Emily Mayer said, but it would definitely be the best option.

Morse also said she talked to Griggs about taking down the sign on his building, adding that she pointed out it was old and worn out and the foundation members had found a plastic Griggs sign in the basement when they were cleaning that they could use to replace it.

A work party took the old sign down and put up the plastic sign, Morse said, adding that they purchased a temporary vinyl sign which will let the community know that the Havre History Center will be housed in the building.

The center also received a donation of a baby grand piano from the Clack family, which is thought to have belonged to Margaret Clack, Morse said.

A new member, Monie Witt, joined the foundation, Morse said, adding that Witt used to be a member of the community and recently moved back.

The foundation board plans to host its Digging Up History during Festival Days, she added, and will hold its annual meeting sometime in October.

Summer at the museum and

buffalo jump

Mayer said she is very happy with the three guides at Wahkpa Chu’gn Buffalo Jump who have been giving tours this summer.

“I can’t say enough about our guides,” she added.

One of the guides, Mayer said, was offered a teaching job out of state and will need to leave in early August.

The guide who will be leaving, though, recommended another former guide, who will finish out the rest of the season being a guide at Wahkpa Chu’g’n, she said.

Wahkpa Chu’gn recently had a group tour of 38 people visit the buffalo jump, Mayer said, adding that the group seemed to “be tickled pink.”

The members of the group who didn’t want to go on a tour of the jump because of the walking, she said, were sent to visit to the museum so they wouldn’t just have to sit on the bus.

“They seemed to enjoy it,” Mayer added.

“The museum is doing very, very well,” Mayer said, adding that community members John Kelleher and Margaret Stallkamp have been helping at the museum during times Mayer needs to be at the buffalo jump.

The board also talked about how to finance temporary workers, when Kelleher and Stallkamp weren’t available, to cover the museum when Mayer is doing tours at Wahkpa Chu’gn. It was suggested by members to have retired members of the board volunteer to cover the hours when Mayer had to be away.

Board Member Valerie Hickman said she would like Mayer and herself to meet with Hill County Clerk and Recorder Sue Armstrong soon to talk about a budget.

“We have to set up our budget for next year,” Hickman added.

Donations, dedications and speeches

Some of the donations that came in since the last meeting, Mayer said, were a box of old office supplies and a set of Festival Day pins, and from the First Baptist Church of Havre the museum received a hymnal, two bibles and a larger pastor’s Bible, wooden collection plates and a plaque of names of people who donated to the church.

The next speaker in the museum’s summer series is Mayer, Dritshulas said, adding that it will be during the fair at the Faber Schoolhouse on the Great Northern Fairgrounds, and the board will be having a cleanup of the Faber Schoolhouse Saturday at 9 a.m.

After the last speaker in the series, Jim Magera’s presentation Friday, Sept. 21, at Havre Inn and Suites, Dritshulas said, Mural Park at the hotel will be dedicated.

The two benches at the park around the mural depicting Wahkpa Chu’gn are now installed. Although the engravings are not finished yet, they will be done by the dedication, she added.

“(My husband) Bill has seen people up at it sitting on the benches … looking out over the city,” Dritshulas said, adding that the two Austrian pine trees should be coming soon and the board would like to add two more benches if possible.

People who would be interested in purchasing a bench to dedicate at Mural Park can contact Patera at 262-4176.

The board unanimously approved Lela Patera for chair, current chair Judi Dritshulas for vice-chair and Kathy Shrauger to continue as secretary. The new assignments which will begin from the August meeting.