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ACROSS THE BOARD
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Above:
Seated, left to right: Beth Fitzgerald, president; Mary Kullman,
secretary; Sally Schoenecker; Kathy Millins; Laura Reeves, treasurer;
Nancy Diemer; Bob Virgil, chairman of the board.
Standing, left to right: Bill Cronin; Kathryn Love; Barbie Freund;
Linda Finerty; J.J. Stupp; Jim Berthold.
The Magic House St. Louis Children’s Museum
Generations of Fascination
By Pam Droog
What’s so magical about The Magic House St. Louis Children’s Museum?
Certainly the list would include its fascinating exhibits, educational
programs and special events. But equally important is the museum’s
timeless appeal. Parents who visited The Magic House as children
15 or 20 years ago, today can rediscover the wonder with their own
children. That’s true for many dedicated board members who work
hard to keep the magic in The Magic House.
“For several of our board members, their children provided the incentive
to join,” says Beth Fitzgerald, executive director since 1979, when
The Magic House opened in Kirkwood. “Even parents with grown children
have heartfelt memories of experiencing The Magic House with their
kids when they were little. It made such a strong impression, they
wanted to join the board as a way to give back.”
Magic House Board Chairman Bob Virgil agrees. “So many board members
brought their kids here. It was an important family outlet. That’s
the starting point.”
A partner at Edward Jones, Virgil had never been to The Magic House
when he first became involved with the organization. “Of course
now I’ve been there many times with my grandchildren,” he notes.
“I have more fun on this board than with anything else I’m involved
in.”
The enjoyment derives not just from visiting the museum, but also
from working with his 25 fellow board members. The board used to
be much smaller—in fact, it more than doubled when The Magic House
itself grew from 11,000 to 25,000 square feet in 1993. Fitzgerald
explains: “When we knew we were doing a major expansion and our
first capital campaign, the board felt it needed to expand to include
more people who had fundraising experience. As a result of the expansion,
the organization dramatically changed and became much more focused
and mature. Then it just made sense to keep the board at that size
and go from there.”
It’s a “hands-on” group, Virgil notes. “They’re not on the board
because it’s the thing to do in St. Louis, or to have their names
on a marquee,” he says. “They’re committed and dedicated to The
Magic House.”
Board members include educators, corporate executives, financiers,
attorneys, journalists, retailers, civic volunteers and others.
“We look for broad representation to make sure we serve the community
by gender, ethnic diversity and geography,” Fitzgerald says.
Board members serve three-year terms and meet every other month.
In between are committee meetings, including finance, development,
nominating, facilities, education, marketing, Friends and strategic
planning.
At the moment, the board is winding up a $2.5 million capital campaign
for The Magic House’s new outdoor exhibit, Backyard Magic, which
features an education pavilion and an exhibit patio, a children’s
sculpture garden and extra parking.
“Basically, The Magic House has gone through a major capital campaign
and expansion every five years,” Fitzgerald says. Without a major
project on the horizon, the board has had a chance to complete its
Five-Year Strategic Plan, “the first one with no expansion,” she
adds.
The plan, Virgil says, “identifies a number of priorities we want
to work on. So there are things that have stepped in and replaced
the capital campaign. Some exciting things are coming up.”
For example, the board plans to increase its educational outreach
activities. “Most people consider The Magic House a place to go,
but I think one of its distinctive qualities is the educational
function it performs for teachers and schools in the early childhood
ages through experiential hands-on learning,” Virgil says.
“That’s an area that deserves further attention and it’s one of
our strategic priorities.” To assist its outreach efforts, the board
recently created an Education Advisory Committee, made up of individuals
representing the educational spectrum of the region.
In addition, not dealing with a capital campaign allows the board
to focus more on development in terms of revenue—not construction
financing—to finance outreach and other activities called for in
the strategic plan. “In the past, development efforts have focused
on special projects like scholarships, education, support for specific
exhibits or programs,” Fitzgerald says. However, this fall, The
Magic House will kick off an annual giving program. The funds will
supplement admissions and gift-shop sales, which currently provide
about 90 percent of the museum’s $2 million operating budget.
“All of my experience suggests the key to successful fundraising
is to build something comparable to a friends group, which we have,
and to get people involved at the early stages,” Virgil says. “Then
over time, their support grows as they become more committed.”
Board members also are considering creating a Magic House traveling
exhibit that would tour the country to give the museum greater visibility
and added income.
In the short-term, Magic House board members continue to take pride
in the fact that the museum attracts more than 400,000 visitors
annually, and placed third in FamilyFun magazine’s 2002 rankings
of “Top Museums in the Midwest.” This is the third consecutive year
that The Magic House has been recognized as a “must-see” attraction
in the national magazine. In addition, The Magic House recently
was recognized by the Institute of Museum and Library Services,
a federal agency, for exemplifying the best in museum operations.
“It’s been an exciting 23 years for The Magic House because we’re
always working on something new, creating a new vision to aspire
to,” Fitzgerald says. “And I’ve been very lucky to work with great
boards.”
Free-lance writer Pam Droog is a frequent contributor to St.
Louis Commerce Magazine. |
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