Where Does the Money Go?

Friends (my gosh, I sound like John McCain! I am not running for President- yet!)

A few weeks ago there was a comment placed on this blog regarding contributions to the Geological Museum for reopening, which reminded people that they can send a check to the Foundation if that is something they have done before in contributing to the University of Wyoming, with a note attached stating the funds are to be used for the museum.

In light of the press release from President Buchanan this past Saturday morning, I feel compelled to warn you that while your check to the Foundation may be placed in an account which pays for the museum, at this time there is absolutely no guarantee that the money will be used in combination with other contributions to reopen the museum as it was, fully operational, with a curator. As the plan currently is to reopen the museum on August 24 part-time, with funding for a security guard, you cannot be certain that your check will be used for anything more than that guard's hourly pay.

On that note, Friends met this afternoon to respond to and strategize around this latest development. We would like to make perfectly clear that all contributions to the Friends of SH Knight Geological Museum are held in a community benefit account and will not be used to fund this temporary situation that is wholly inappropriate to the proper function of a scientifically, educationally and historically significant Wyoming institution.

As declared in our mission statement, we seek to raise awareness and funding in the effort to reopen the museum. "Reopen" refers to a situation in which the museum is fully operational for the use of the university and wider community, in keeping with the message in that statement that the Geology and Geophysics Department will work with the administration to find a permanent funding solution which includes a curator/director.

We thank you for your continued support of a fully functional SH Knight Geological Museum on the University of Wyoming campus, and look forward to hearing from you here, by e-mail, and in your continued writing of letters to editors and leadership around this issue.

Respectfully,
Lisa