The “Monday Morning Museum Update” is here to keep you updated on what staff and volunteers are doing in your community every day in serving and celebrating the history of Lindsborg and the surrounding region. This weekly update both looks back at what happened last week and look ahead at what’s coming.
(One side note: This is not a 100% comprehensive list. There is a lot of time-consuming detail under some points here that are very quick and easy to describe; a number of “behind the scenes” work that isn’t ready for public announcement yet; and all of the little small but necessary tasks that don’t necessary get recorded! There’s a lot happening here at the museum!)
For December 5-11, 2022:
- We’ve reached a fourth of the way through our $50,000 Match Challenge! We also know that a number of memberships and one-time donations were made over the weekend, but we are still adding up those totals to include into progress toward the Match Challenge.
But we’re nearly halfway through the month of December, and we don’t want to leave any part of this generous gift unclaimed!
Make your one-time donation through December 31, and the donor will make a Double Match to donations of any amount (so, for example, a $100 gift will also secure $200 matching funds). They will Triple Match new and renewing individual and family memberships!
- Thank you to everyone who came out to Heritage Christmas last Saturday! Approximately 350 enjoyed music, crafts, dramatic performances, tasty treats, tours of the mill and more. Thank you for being part of this wonderful annual Lindsborg tradition!
- We have been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Barbro Osher Foundation for work on the Swedish Pavilion!
All Staff
- Prepared for Heritage Christmas, ran the event, and cleaned up afterwards.
- Attended and presented at the Board of Directors meeting last Thursday.
- Signed and sent Christmas cards.
Lenora Lynam, Executive Director, and Caroline de Filippis, Community Development Director
- Worked with a consultant on HR forms.
- Worked with staff on strategic direction from the Board of Directors.
- Emailed past attendees of online Swedish Genealogy Workshop about the $50,000 Match Challenge.
- Prepared and sent a year-end letter to descendants of previous mill owners.
Caroline de Filippis, Community Development Director
- Process new donations and memberships.
- Meet with city, board members, and staff on museum’s strategic planning and vision.
- Contact potential business donors and previous donors on year-end contributions under the Match Challenge.
- Attend CVB board meeting.
- Set up multiple upcoming meetings, on multiple important topics.
- Tasks related to Swedish Pavilion grant application.
Adam Pracht, Marketing and Communications Director
- Social media posts (more than a dozen across multiple platforms).
- Updated progress trackers on Match Challenge.
- Added and promoted two new gift shop items: The “Sweet Smilin’ Kansas Pin” and the “Valkommen to a Lindsborg Christmas Ornament.”
- Updated online calendars.
- Added a sitewide search bar to website.
- Created a tracking spreadsheet for Match Challenge progress.
- Answered questions to Lindsborg News-Record about the 125th anniversary coffee table book.
- Purchased local newspaper ad.
- Resolved an issue with Facebook targeted advertising.
- Communication with a Chicago artist on purchasing rights to artwork for use in marketing and gift shop items.
- Personal tour on Wednesday to two homeschool groups.
- Delivered Heritage Christmas posters and handouts to multiple locations in Lindsborg.
- Replaced smoke detector batteries in two buildings.
- Provided transcript of Retro Audio tour to rest of staff.
Adam and Lenora
- Adam arranged with a KWCH-TV reporter interested in doing a story about the $50,000 Match Challenge (Watch it HERE.) Lenora interviewed on-camera.
Adam and Caroline
- Attend weekly AdHoc.
- Clarifying agreement via phone with anonymous donor.
- Fixes to online payment links (now working!)
Volunteers
- Jerry Sperling, Ron Wilson, and Carol Gusenius: Monday front desk coverage.
- Mike Koch: help with setup on Heritage Christmas Tuesday and Friday.
- Trish Kinkel: Saturday afternoon front desk coverage.
So many people helped with Heritage Christmas! If we miss mentioning you in the list below, please know that we appreciate all of the ways you have helped and made the museum successful!
- Kirsten Bruce: Front gate coverage.
- Holly Malm: Organizing Old Mill tours.
- Amber Pracht & Pracht kids: Crafts in the schoolhouse.
- Bank of Tescott: Cookie decoration.
- Circle of Friends: Refreshments benefitting Operation Christmas Child.
- John Presley: A Shepherd’s story of Christmas.
- Mill tour guides.
- Music performers in: Front Porch Pickers, Formal Flutes, Men in Harmony, Mennonite Chorus, and Old Man Lingonberry.
Wonderful progress.