OK – finally back in Cody after a whirlwind trip to Idabel, Oklahoma and Kansas City, Missouri. I had great fun at the Museum of the Red River and at the Mountain-Plains Museums Association Conference.

The last couple of weeks being the blur they were, I am still processing some of the information. Besides spending all of one day presenting on Firearms and Museums (with assistance from my friends in the BATFE), I had the opportunity to talk and listen to a number of other museum professionals about what we do for a day job. Talks about Board Development, Technology, Facilities, Conservation, and Exhibit Planning were par for the course. The evenings included trips to many of Kansas City’s best museums (and they really are great!). Next year’s MPMA conference will be in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Should be a fun one.

It wasn’t all fun and games, however. While driving through Oklahoma, we heard about the untimely death of our longest-serving Advisory Board member. John Riner Woods passed away on October 16, 2008, as the result of a terrible traffic accident.  I can’t fully express my feelings on the subject. John and I were just getting to know one another and I was looking forward to the insights gained by his wisdom, his collecting knowledge, and his business acumen. He will be missed.

And with that, I have to get back to work.

Cheers,

Dave K.