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Hi, Charlie:

I'm not sure I understand your concern, but let me try to rephrase it,  
and let me know if I am accurate.  You think it is OK to draft a  
statement (or at least not un-OK), but you are worried about the  
negative effect such a statement might have on your science center if  
the media gets a hold of it?

If I do understand your concern correctly, I am sorry to hear that Ann  
Arbor is yet one more place where you have to be worried that a  
carefully modulated statement of support for the theory of evolution  
will cause you to go "down in a blaze of glory."  It must have changed  
a lot since I was an undergraduate there.  If I misunderstand (as often  
happens with email exchanges) please clarify when you get a chance.

A second concern you express--I think-- is about the efficacy of such a  
statement in isolation from a larger strategic plan to address this  
issue.  I agree that we could craft a larger strategy to have a greater  
impact.  However, deferring an action until there is a "higher level  
discussion of strategy and tactics" reminds me of the old brit com "Yes  
Minister" in which the civil servant is always finding plausible  
sounding reasons not to do something. I learned a great deal from that  
show that has helped me in my quarter century in the museum racket ;^).


Eric Siegel
Executive VP
    Programs and Planning
NY Hall of Science
47-01 111th Street
Queens, NY 11368
www.nyscience.org
On Apr 14, 2005, at 11:28 AM, (Charles Stout) wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> *********************************************************************** 
> ******
>
> Eric, Clifford et al.:
>
> I wouldn't suggest that you (or some collaborative of we) should not  
> draft a statement ON(as opposed to ABOUT) evolution, but I have  
> reservations about the effect and effectiveness any such statement  
> might have without a higher level discussion of strategy and tactics.
>
> Refering back to Phil's message of earlier today, the statement is  
> reactive and political by intent. These aren't bad reasons to write it  
> and post it prominantly. But they are reasons to look at the stratgies  
> and tactics used by those we would be reacting to. By and large,  
> political debate is in the media, and science centers generally and  
> collectively have a great deal of access to media and therefore to  
> reading, viewing and listening populations long before they ever reach  
> our doorsteps to read the statement. We should want to look at  
> scenarios of desired and likely outcomes for actions we take in regard  
> to our statements as well as our actions and programming.
>
> I think these larger issues might provide the framework for a  
> concerted strategic plan that could frame any statement and also serve  
> to focus and coordinate other efforts -- because other efforts will be  
> required. One assumes that we all have a passionate desire to provide  
> science information and experiences in perpetuity rather than going  
> down in a blaze of glory.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Charlie
>
> Charles Stout
> Media Arts Manager
> Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
> Ann Arbor, MI

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