KB8WFH
09-02-2005, 02:22 PM
This statement has been prepared by the officers of the Westcott Wireless Preservation Association and received unanimous approval from the officers and membership on September 1, 2005.
The Westcott Wireless Preservation Association (WWPA), W8AGA of Springfield, Ohio regrets to announce that they are withdrawing all offers of services and exhibits in support of The Westcott House Foundation (WHF). The Westcott House Foundation Board of Directors has declared that the agreement, signed January 2005, by the then WHF executive director to be null and void.
Historical research found that John Westcott was an amateur radio operator in the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Westcott house in the early 1920's. As a result of this, the WWPA formed as a small club and began working with the WHF to develop some services to assist in creative modern tourism programming and historically accurate exhibits. The WWPA received encouragement from the WHF to proceed with several coordinated special events at the house, including having our proposed station on the air and conducting hard-hat tours for visitors to the Dayton Hamvention.
WWPA approached WHF's then executive director, John Zukowsky and developed an agreement after years of coordination with the Westcott House Foundation Board of Trustees and other committees as a support resource for the house and its promotion and overall benefit, as well as a community involvement resource for historic amateur radio. This agreement was signed by then WHF Executive Director John Zukowsky on January 31, 2005. Following Mr. Zukowsky's resignation, WHF Board President Rob Kearns issued the WWPA a letter on May 17, 2005 stating that “The Westcott House Foundation has signed an agreement with the Westcott Wireless Preservation Association…” and that WHF endorsed and agreed with technical and programmatic proposals: to whit "The equipment and its use will be used for tourism and educational programming and will be integrated into the highest and best possible use of the house as deemed appropriate by the WWPA and the WHF executive director and curator." The WWPA worked with the WHF in good faith and has been working on a vintage exhibit and modern exhibit, expending considerable amount of member-donated dollars and countless engineering man-hours, in order to be ready for the grand opening of the house.
However, on August 12, 2005, WWPA received an e-mail from WHF President Rob Kearns that the WHF board had no knowledge of the agreement and that Mr. Zukowsky was not authorized to sign such an agreement. The WHF offered no explanation regarding the letter of Mr. Kearns of May 2005. We, WWPA, were informed in a follow-up meeting that Westcott House Foundation does not recognize the agreement. Both documents are available for public viewing at the WWPA web site, www.w8aga.org .
At a recent meeting with WHF Board President Rob Kearns, Director/CEO Lin Erickson and other WHF staff, the WWPA leaders attempted to resolve the situation and find any common ground with WHF for a future relationship. WHF stated that, at this time, they would not commit to any formal relationship, even in concept. They, WHF, indicated that they might want to do something with us in the future, but that a time line could not be established, even for a concept commitment. Should they ever do so, it was unlikely WHF would utilize the exhibits and the WWPA's resources in the way the agreement had stated.
Considering the history of broken agreements with the WWPA and the unwillingness of the WHF at this time to make a conceptual commitment to WWPA's clearly stated and approved intentions, and despite some last minute efforts to try to establish an agreement with WHF, WWPA members have come to the consensus that it is doubtful that WHF and WWPA will ever commit to an agreement that would be mutually acceptable and satisfying. Additionally, considering the lack of commitment at this time, WWPA is not confident that WHF would not, in the future, arbitrarily reverse its position. Thus, it is not in the Westcott Wireless Preservation Association’s best interest to pursue this relationship. The WWPA is deeply disappointed by the dismissal of the agreement and the inability of WHF to work with the club and develop this relationship in a reasonable manner. This is a loss to Springfield, the Westcott House, its visitors and the Westcott family.
www.w8aga.org (http://www.w8aga.org)
The Westcott Wireless Preservation Association (WWPA), W8AGA of Springfield, Ohio regrets to announce that they are withdrawing all offers of services and exhibits in support of The Westcott House Foundation (WHF). The Westcott House Foundation Board of Directors has declared that the agreement, signed January 2005, by the then WHF executive director to be null and void.
Historical research found that John Westcott was an amateur radio operator in the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Westcott house in the early 1920's. As a result of this, the WWPA formed as a small club and began working with the WHF to develop some services to assist in creative modern tourism programming and historically accurate exhibits. The WWPA received encouragement from the WHF to proceed with several coordinated special events at the house, including having our proposed station on the air and conducting hard-hat tours for visitors to the Dayton Hamvention.
WWPA approached WHF's then executive director, John Zukowsky and developed an agreement after years of coordination with the Westcott House Foundation Board of Trustees and other committees as a support resource for the house and its promotion and overall benefit, as well as a community involvement resource for historic amateur radio. This agreement was signed by then WHF Executive Director John Zukowsky on January 31, 2005. Following Mr. Zukowsky's resignation, WHF Board President Rob Kearns issued the WWPA a letter on May 17, 2005 stating that “The Westcott House Foundation has signed an agreement with the Westcott Wireless Preservation Association…” and that WHF endorsed and agreed with technical and programmatic proposals: to whit "The equipment and its use will be used for tourism and educational programming and will be integrated into the highest and best possible use of the house as deemed appropriate by the WWPA and the WHF executive director and curator." The WWPA worked with the WHF in good faith and has been working on a vintage exhibit and modern exhibit, expending considerable amount of member-donated dollars and countless engineering man-hours, in order to be ready for the grand opening of the house.
However, on August 12, 2005, WWPA received an e-mail from WHF President Rob Kearns that the WHF board had no knowledge of the agreement and that Mr. Zukowsky was not authorized to sign such an agreement. The WHF offered no explanation regarding the letter of Mr. Kearns of May 2005. We, WWPA, were informed in a follow-up meeting that Westcott House Foundation does not recognize the agreement. Both documents are available for public viewing at the WWPA web site, www.w8aga.org .
At a recent meeting with WHF Board President Rob Kearns, Director/CEO Lin Erickson and other WHF staff, the WWPA leaders attempted to resolve the situation and find any common ground with WHF for a future relationship. WHF stated that, at this time, they would not commit to any formal relationship, even in concept. They, WHF, indicated that they might want to do something with us in the future, but that a time line could not be established, even for a concept commitment. Should they ever do so, it was unlikely WHF would utilize the exhibits and the WWPA's resources in the way the agreement had stated.
Considering the history of broken agreements with the WWPA and the unwillingness of the WHF at this time to make a conceptual commitment to WWPA's clearly stated and approved intentions, and despite some last minute efforts to try to establish an agreement with WHF, WWPA members have come to the consensus that it is doubtful that WHF and WWPA will ever commit to an agreement that would be mutually acceptable and satisfying. Additionally, considering the lack of commitment at this time, WWPA is not confident that WHF would not, in the future, arbitrarily reverse its position. Thus, it is not in the Westcott Wireless Preservation Association’s best interest to pursue this relationship. The WWPA is deeply disappointed by the dismissal of the agreement and the inability of WHF to work with the club and develop this relationship in a reasonable manner. This is a loss to Springfield, the Westcott House, its visitors and the Westcott family.
www.w8aga.org (http://www.w8aga.org)