Dear Washington Conservation Guild Members and Former Members,
My tenure as President of the Guild is coming to a close, and I would like to start by thanking the membership and Board of Directors for giving the opportunity to serve you. I have spent six years on the Board and the effort has been very rewarding. WCG is a fairly small local organization, but through the efforts of volunteers, we are able to have NINE meetings per year that consistently bring 50 members each time. Our December and January meetings draw many more of you, even through government shutdowns.
WCG attracts a diverse group of conservators and related professionals who are at different points in their career. Our networking receptions at great local venues (with excellent food and beverages thanks to our Logistics Coordinators) are one of the regular highlights, and bring together private practice and museum conservators, students, collectors, and the public to engage with one another. This season, we heard from 23 speakers by my count, and through them, each of us were able to learn something new and relevant about conservation. I am proud that as President I was able to bring philanthropist David Rubenstein and Dr. David Skorton, Secretary of the Smithsonian to our Holiday Meetings, but I am also grateful to and incredibly impressed by the many other speakers we hear from through WCG. Our workshops, outreach activities, special tours, and intern events are excellent, too, and all brought you by our incredible volunteers.
I hope you will agree that membership with the Washington Conservation Guild is relevant to you and worthy of your support. For an annual contribution of $35 or just $25 for students, we are able to bring you so much. Please remember to renew your membership early at the Business Meeting and Garden Party on Thursday, May 2nd. Your membership lapses on July 1.
I hope to see all of you at Dumbarton House for the Membership Meeting on May 2, where you are able to influence our coming season by voting for colleagues to join the Board of Directors. It will be a fun time, too, with a craft station, refreshments, and our famous raffle!
As always, I will remind you that we welcome comments and suggestions for speakers, events and venues and we are always looking for hosts for our meetings. Also, everything the Washington Conservation Guild does is made possible through our all-volunteer Board. The slate for the coming season is closed, but there will be many appointed positions open soon, and we welcome you to join us in making WCG the incredible organization it continues to be.
Sincerely,
Diana Galante
President, Washington Conservation Guild
President@washingtonconservationguild.org
