<VV> Corvair Museum

[Mark Corbin]

Some interesting thoughts have been expressed on this subject. Let me add
some more fuel to the fire.

On the lotto tickets proposal, I think it was meant as only a half-hearted
joke. But then again, stranger things have happened. And IF we were to do
it, even as a half-hearted joke, I'd say that 1) half the money collected
should REALLY go to the CPF operating fund, and 2) the CPF (because of the
tax status) be the sole owner of the lotto tickets. (Note that I fully
realize that any kind of gambling is stacked in the house's favor. To
paraphrase the Ohio Lottery's motto: "Odds are, you'll lose money.")

As to that $10K your club has earmarked for the museum, I'd recommend that
you designate it for the ENDOWMENT fund, so that the interest off of it can
continue to benefit the CPF indefinately.  Any amount given to the
operating fund will only last as long as it lasts, then it's gone forever.
And just the interest off $10K is nothing to sneeze about (for sake of
figuring, investments usually pay about 5% a year on the invested amount,
so about 5% of the endowment fund would be available to spend every year),
so the CPF will ultimately get more benefit from that kind of lump sum when
put in the Endowment Fund. And the Tidewater club will be forever
remembered, and appreciated, no matter what the future brings. BTW, my hat
is off to you in this effort!

I think that it WILL happen, eventually. Maybe I won't live to see it. But
then again, if Bill Gates, Jay Leno, or any one or more like them were to
open their wallets our way, who knows what could be?

For sake of conversation on the building maintainence subject, my lodge's
Temple Company inherited as an endowment about $700,000 in a brother's will
about 10 years ago. The interest off this fund has allowed us not only to
maintain the building (built in 1965), but to upgrade it with such things
as modern windows, handicap accessable equipment, etc. And all with only
token "rent" from the lodge and chapter bodies. (I serve on the Temple
Company board.) So I feel that with a decent endowment, a paid-for
building, and proper volunteer staff, we COULD very well have a
self-sustaining museum.

-Mark


> [Original Message]
> From: George Jones <65crownv8 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: <VV> Corvair Museum
>
> James,
>
> I appreciate your thoughts, wisdom and insight on this topic. One thing I
am
> concern about is that if enough people say "it can't be done because..."
> then people will start believing it (not that that is what you were
saying).
> I believe a dedicated Corvair museum can be had. If it is in cooperation
> with the YHM, that's fine. If it happens to be next door to the YHM, and
> administered by the YHM/CPF organization, that's an added draw (visit 2
car
> museums in one afternoon!). I think the Lottery ticket approach is just
> foolishness. It's a great way to loose what money CPF has.
>
> A dedicated CPF museum won't come about this year, next year, or
> possibly even in my lifetime, but it can happen. 
>
> The Tidewater Corvair Club has been working on a fund raiser to benefit
CPF,
> and has raised in excess of $10K towards this goal. Yeah, $10K is a drop
in
> the bucket, but it's a start. If one or two clubs each year could repeat
> this effort, in 10 year, we could have a serious start. Maybe an
> unsolicitied request from CPF to Jay Leno and Tim Allen (the only two well
> known Corvair owners I know with deep enough pockets, and who may need a
tax
> write off) for possible donations is in order. Maybe they will buy the
> naming rights? "The Jay Leno/Tim Allen Corvair Preservation Museum" has a
> nice ring to it.
>