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Become a Friend of the 1881
Courthouse
Museum
Friends of the Museum support exhibit
maintenance and the cost of daily operations. All levels receive a subscription
to the Museum's newsletter and a free gift. They also get a discount card for
the Museum Bookstore.
The Custer 1881 Courthouse
Museum had a great year in 2009
thanks to donors, visitors and our
volunteers. Our Friends of the Museum program has been essential in keeping the
Museum going and moving forward. As we are not an entity of
Custer
County and we rely solely on our
admissions and fund raising. The Museum is a nonprofit 501 C3 organization with
a small budget and has major expenses. After 128 years the building is facing
challenges, such as soffits, gutters, windows and heat on the third floor. We
grateful for the support we have received and hope to receive support from the
community in the year to come.
Our goals are to make the Museum a greater part of the Custer community and keep
our history alive. A benefit to Custer
County resident is they receive free
admissions to the Museum. Over the years, we have developed free or low cost
programs such as the Old Time
Country Fair, the Haunting in conjunction with the Halloween Carnival and
Christmas Festival. Our year round Youth Activities program entertains while
teaching our children about our past. An exciting and rewarding new activity is
the “Behind the Scenes” program aimed at involving our young people in the
Museum. These “Junior Docents” had a great deal of fun while, at the same time,
providing much needed assistance to the Museum. They did everything from
creating displays doing computer work to dealing with patrons. This program was
as rewarding for us as we are sure it was for them.
We are asking you, the community, for your
support. It is our hope that you will find the Friends of the Museum an
excellent way to provide this support.
Friends of the Museum support exhibit, programs,
maintenance and the cost of daily operations. Your tax donation will
enable us to plan more effectively based upon available resources. There are
five levels of donations, Copper $50+, Bronze $125+, Silver $250+, Gold $500+
and Platinum $1000+. All levels receive a subscription to the Museum's
newsletter and a free gift. They also get a discount card for the Museum
Bookstore. Any donation will be greatly appreciated.
Some donors will give in- kind donation such as
the Museum's new look at night.
Thanks to Gerald Baldwin for his generous donation of lights that outline the
front windows. The lights will be turned on all year to highlight the building.
Jerry also donated his own labor to hang them. He will quickly point out
that Black Hills Co-op helped him with the second floor windows. Many other
donors have been helping to modernizing the Museum's office equipment, such as
computers, printers and a office copier from Baldwin Law Office. Every bit of
assistance the Museum receive helps
us keep our doors open for the community and visitors.
Other
ways people can give to the Museum is by volunteering. During the Summer people
can volunteer to greet the visitors and operated the Bookstore. Though out the
year, people can help with the
annual events, handy man jobs, office duties, research for grants and history
projects. Volunteers can give their time weekly or once a month. If you would
like to be a part of our team please call the Museum.
Please think about donating to assisting the
Museum to be a major part of Custer community and to maintain our rich history.
If you need further information please call Sandy
at the Museum 673-2443
or e-mail at info@1881courthousemuseum.com.
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