Fundraising

Introduction

Patrons and  Directors

Foundation Business Plan

Fundraising

Minutes of Meetings

Events 
Calendar

Privacy Statement

Frequently
Asked
Questions

Return to Museum

18 June 2007

Dear

As one of my first duties as Foundation Chairman, I would like to update you on our Museum and some of its initiatives, plus reinforce the need for your continued support. I am indeed honoured to take the Chair from George Simpson, who, along with a dedicated team of Board members and Museum staff, has done a magnificent job in putting the Museum on a stable footing and with a plan for the future. It has truly become a rallying point for the C&E family.

My first message is that the Museum has in fact become an active, integral part of the Branch and broader military and national communities. It is much more than a place to archive and display our history, and is growing to play a vital role in the support of our serving and retired soldiers. As our troops face demanding operations, the support we provide them very much includes the fostering of their identity and esprit as they add to our history and achievements. The Museum truly reflects our heritage and memories but at the same time is looking ahead to the future. This is not just of benefit to Kingston and Home Station, but rather across Canada and the entire C&E community. Our Museum is becoming a true national institution.

I can report that thanks to our collective efforts the Museum is in reasonably good financial state in terms of the General Fund and ‘keeping the doors open.’ Thank you, the retired community, for your contributions and continued support. The serving members, Regular and Reserve, have also stepped-up with monthly contributions and donations. We continue to sponsor various events with the hope that these functions will generate greater visibility and awareness among industry, government, and financial institutions thus leading to future financial support. A Museum reception held in conjunction with the ceremony to dedicate Drill Hall Alpha to Stan Reading was the first of similar events to raise the Museum’s visibility with business, education and civil leaders. We are also making some progress, but have along way to go, in building the Endowment Fund to $3M, which is essential to ensure the Museum’s future.

In addition to maintaining operations and building an endowment, the Museum had embarked on other major initiatives. First, the Education Program has enjoyed excellent success with several schools, colleges and our own military units, but is now looking to enhance its delivery of historical education through distributed learning, improved research and a quality library. We have set a goal of funding $1M over 10 years to focus on education and have engaged several educational foundations to cooperate in this venture. The second focus is collaboration with major industry partners to fund up to $2.3M which will form the basis for the much needed expansion of the Museum. This expansion would also allow us to establish interactive demonstrators to showcase new C&E capabilities and properly recognize the sacrifice of our people who have so honourably represented Canada in places like Afghanistan and other areas of the world where our nation has asked them to serve. All of this will require the Museum to double in size to provide infrastructure for displays, conferences, teaching and technology in order to reflect our history, current operations and future endeavours. Our website at www.c-and-e-museum.org has more of the detail plans.

So, as you see, the Museum has made remarkable progress in establishing its roots and proving its relevance; however, to move forward and truly make it a national institution that supports the past, present and future, it needs to grow. Your continued support is essential. Though we may be pursuing larger corporate or public support, it remains the ongoing donations by the rank and file across the C&E family that make the difference. Of note, the Museum has just recently benefited from a very significant and much appreciated donation bequeathed by Bill Chew – a soldier very devoted to his Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. In this regard, I have also enclosed information on planned giving; please give it some consideration. There is, no doubt, considerable competition for donations; however, our Museum has equally become a very worthy cause. Though the Foundation’s goals may be ambitious, I am confident that we are right in striving to protect our heritage, remain relevant to today’s military operations and communities, and look to take a lead in the development of future professional capabilities.

As a final appeal, I urge you to confirm your address with the Museum, Home Station or Branch office and forward this letter to a C&E colleague or send us their address. As communicators, our biggest challenge remains keeping in touch.

My sincerest thanks, and I look forward to your ongoing support.

VVV,

Kevin O’Keefe
Brigadier-General (Retired)
Chairman, Museum Foundation

|French Translation to follow......