The bell on my office door dinged several times as I put my key into the lock, swung it open and walked into my office at the beginning of another day. I flipped on the coffee pot, set my briefcase on my desk and turned on my desktop computer. After another minute Mozart was playing softly in the background and I was sitting down with a pencil and paper to jot down some notes for the day. Much has happened in the days since then.
Before long I began to hear the clicky clack of two pairs of high heels approaching and passing my office door accompanied by an ongoing conversation that faded away. I missed most of the details but heard the words ‘governor’ several times along with ‘approaching centennial’ and ‘fixation.’ I should have seen this as foreshadowing. About an hour later I was summoned to a meeting with about half a dozen people including the governor.
In the past few month's rumors have been circulating around the governor's office which is in the same building where I work in Juneau Alaska. Although nothing official had been declared, various sources had let slip that the governor had frequently mentioned history and ‘a special event,’ in conjunction with the upcoming centennial celebration of Alaska's statehood. And now rumors had morphed into fact. The Govenor's office has officially requested of the state libraries, archives and museums, to head up the commemoration of this centennial event.
It has fallen to me, the person most involved in the financial affairs of libraries, archives and museums, to undertake the planning and execution of a special historical exhibition that would span 6 months. I have an office to myself though I spend more time in the office space for those under me who work in this department. It is for this reason that I am now presenting this project budget. It is important to note that this Project budget was not written in one day or one week but has been a work in progress. It is possible that developments may occur in the middle or near the conclusion and could possibly alter the prospects of the points herein or the outcome itself. Hopefully for the better.
It is my hope that this effort will succeed in procuring the funds needed for this venture. To nobody’s surprise, much of the funds needed were not available, hence this grant request. As wonderful as history is, it does come after louder voices such as roads and transportation, the drug problem, the national parks and the police force, to name a few needs. As a public historian with some experience in financial and business matters, I was chosen to lead this project though I did not put myself forward for the idea and whoever suggested me a candidate is irrelevant.
The next step was to approach the staff occupied in the space reserved for those who worked in the department comprising libraries, archives and museums which I oversee. After a cordial and informal meeting, it was decided to center this project budget around the prospecting and mining aspects of state history. I had brought this up because, like some of the staff under me, I had lived in Alaska since I was young, though not in the capital but about an hour and a half north of Anchorage. It was felt that mining and the gold rush would be a good topic that would appeal to all ages and one of the more notable eras of Alaska’s history would be the gold rush during the late 1800’s.
There is healthy potential in considering the objectivity of the destination or the journey. For miners and prospectors, one would think that it was completely the former and that was mostly the case. In the gold rush, most people went to Alaska (and the Yukon) to get rich, and the rigors that many encountered are immortalized in the many ballads, songs and movies such as ‘North to Alaska.’
Truth be told, most ballads about the gold rush are not of the most uplifting nature but not without interest. Getting rich was not the whole story and it was not the outcome for the majority of the people lured to the Yukon and Alaska in search of wealth. Are miners and prospectors in greater abundance within the pages of history than in the streams and rivers of Alaska today? Perhaps, it is not a risk to answer in the affirmatory. In the time I spent prospecting, which was very brief, I could say that this is true.
There are quite a few museums in the city of Anchorage and the surrounding area regarding the history of Alaska as well as some educational forays into mining. I remember these educational historical entities as being interesting for the most part and I would have no qualms about revisiting them.
There are many who believe that Alaskans in general live in igloos and travel by dogsled. Those who live there do not entertain such notions though they may have experienced one or the other. I have had more than several people ask me questions of this nature. Anyone who is acquainted with history will know about the gold rush but even for some Alaskans, a rudimentary knowledge of the gold rush and mining will be lacking although gold panning is still considered a recreational activity in the state.
If you go to Anchorage or Wasilla or to Fairbanks or to almost any place in Alaska, you are going to find historical remnants of a mining and prospecting culture whether it be in taverns, in restaurants, in museums, in gift shops or even in some grocery stores. Alaskans are often reminded that Alaska is the last frontier. The prospecting culture never made a definite exit even though prospecting and mining largely have. Mining and prospecting are in essence a part of state history and state culture.
A physical locality and example of the gold mining and prospecting history of Alaska can be found, among other places, in the Matanuska Vally in south central Alaska. Hatchers Pass is a very interesting historical attraction. This pass encompasses a small ghost town in the Chugiak mountains adjacent to several boarded-up mines in the immediate vicinity.
It ceased to be a mining community at the onset of World War II and was deserted not long thereafter. As such, it is what could be called an indoor and outdoor museum encompassing what was known as Independence Mine. An informative understanding of the history of the gold rush can be found by visiting Independence Mine and various museums within the state.
This project budget is of course going to be quite an operation and laying it out is a primary step. It would be accurate to say that most of the expenses will cover human capital in that extra staff will need to be hired for about five different locations and entities as well as other extra staff. This would comprise those who conduct research, organize logistics, conduct tours as well as those who will be procuring materials for the construction and organization of the exabits in question.
Collecting feedback from stakeholders is another duty that will likely be carried out by those positioned in five different areas throughout the state. More about this in a moment. There are likely to be other duties assigned to the extra staff not employed at one of the five locations in question. An example would be that a documentary is going to be produced about this centennial event.
I would not, generally speaking, encourage the hiring of volunteers as a first course of action. It is possible that we may not have copious alternatives. Recent informative input encourages me that interns would be a better alternative and that in hiring them, the staff at the different entities will not be swamped or overly frustrated though they would assist the short-term interns from time to time.
Included within the consideration of the staff to be hired would be the expenses required to house, transport and provide for the temporary staff during the 6-month exhibition. As such, within the bounds of financial and operative considerations, this budget project will be, metaphorically speaking, clipping every single discount savings coupon from the daily newspaper.
There are of course other expenses that fall outside the realm of human capital and several preliminary examples will suffice for the moment. A strong marketing campaign and internet presence will be vital in getting the word out. Sending the right message versus just sending any message will be important. There will be costs for the materials needed to construct the most ideal exhibits that will be specific to each location and entity.
There will be five locations chosen. In the case of Independence Mine in Hacher’s pass, it is a prominent consideration due to its being an indoor and outdoor museum. Another would be the Alaska state Museum in Juneau. Another would be the Museum of the North in Fairbanks. Another would be the Anchorage Museum and lastly, the Knik Museum and townsite near Wasilla. These different locations center around the most populous areas in Alaska and thereby promise the greatest exposure for the project, especially when these different areas have been blanketed with flyers, signs and advertisements regarding this centennial celebration.
For the five locations, funds that are provided, once the grant is approved, could be allocated for one intern to be assigned to each location in addition to regular staff. That would be 5 interns who would be in daily deliberations and planning over the internet. While this budget calls for thrifty financial decisions, skimping on the comfort and sustainability of the interns will not be a corner that will be cut. Several examples of not cutting corners for the comfort and convenience of the workers will be touched on in a moment.
The probability of attaining ideal interns would hinge in part on perceived convenience, and these perceived conveniences could brighten an otherwise dim outlook on the part of the intern's potential assessment of whether the program would be something they would want to be a part of. Interns who have very little to worry about when it comes to domestics will be enabled and more likely to carry out unimpeded progress in their work on the project.
The needs of the interns will be merged with a plan that will be beneficial to the state and the interns who will be employed for 6-7 months. More on this in a moment. One convenience or perceived lack would be accommodation. Interns would be encouraged to select an Airbnb of their choice with good ratings, a good location and unimpeachable customer service reviews. Airbnb's would be encouraged to charge less than normal for the knowledge that their Airbnb would be featured in a very positive light on the documentary that would be produced on this project and aired statewide. It would be good advertisement and good business.
Another convenience would comprise goods and services. This would be businesses providing services to the interns in question and at a discount. Since Airbnb’s would benefit by offering a lower price to the interns, so would services that range from communications to laundry, to personal needs and foodstuff. Once the intern positions have been advertised by my department (Archives, museums and Libraries) there will be a committee set up from this department to hire interns and field questions and process applications.
Before the interns are hired, they will of course be informed of the financial aspects of their employment. Beginning in early March when they arrive, the interns will receive a preliminary amount of funds to carry them through to their first paycheck in early April. This preliminary amount will be deducted incrementally from each paycheck so that they will not be stretched too much and so that there will be a fair give and take.
As Alaska is not in the lower 48, when the interns arrive, they will be lent the use of a car. Typically, the rental fee for a car, in the space of 7 months, would be about $8000.00 which of course would run the budget off course into the red. Fortunately the state of Alaska has a small fleet of fuel-efficient corporate cars that will be lent to the interns. The gas and insurance would be borne by the intern at a discount by the service in question for special recognition in the documentary that would be in the works from the start. Again, this would be a good advertisement and good business for those offering services and materials.
The preliminary amount of funds mentioned earlier will be disbursed in early March when they arrive. With discounts for food, accommodation, domestics and their transportation costs, the interns will not need to worry about gas, groceries or funds for personal needs as they will be provided with preliminary funds to take care of any domestic issue. In addition, the project will provide five hundred dollars to each intern for flight expenses to Alaska.
Each entity or Museum will also be prominently featured with visuals and information on it within the documentary so that would be a worthy incentive for those organizations as well. As for the exhibits that these different entities or locations would be housing, it is estimated that the exhibits would be, on average, about five per location with each not costing more than $100 as far as materials go.
The interns will be required to conduct research and procure the materials for the exhibits they will organize and construct according to what their research calls for. They will also be responsible for guiding tours after the preliminaries of completing the exhibits and finalizing their research. Getting feedback from stakeholders will also be an important aspect of their position.
Each intern will be given a different aspect, local flair, location or timeframe to concentrate on for their location and the entity where they are temporarily working. While the commemorative event is 6 months, the extra staff (aka interns) would be required and compensated to come to Alaska about a month earlier than initially estimated to conduct research, acquire materials, organize and build the exhibits. They would also meet the permanent staff of each entity so that smooth and early cooperation would be more likely.
Not to be redundant, it is the intent to create a short documentary at the conclusion of the 6-month commemoration with filming being undertaken throughout the 7-month period. It would be a documentary that would encompass all the information contained in the displays resulting from the research of the interns. It is likely to be aired on Public Broadcasting or locally known as channel 7 in south central Alaska and of course on the internet.
With this basic preliminary information in hand, it is fitting to consider the specific financial needs that this project would entail. The five interns at the five locations mentioned will be joined and assisted by an intern specializing in logistics and media. This intern will report directly to myself and keep track of the progress each team member is making. This intern would arrive first and be required, along with another intern specializing in social networking with experience in marketing, to help make the documentary.
Overall, this would be seven interns, the procurement of which might seem daunting. It is fitting to consider that this would be an amazing opportunity for any scrupulous and ambitious intern and the overall advantages and unique working environment of this program would be difficult to find elsewhere. The experience, compensation appropriate for interns and the benefits are weighty and such a temporary job would be a feather in their cap and look impressive on their resumes.
This is a temporary position many young interns would find hard to pass up. Minimum wage in Alaska is $10.85 and with all the discounts, financial assistance and services considerations, my team believes that this could work for the interns, the state and this department. It is important to consider one more financial detail the governor mentioned and that is that Alaska, as an oil rich state, could possibly, due to funds in oil production, provide funds, on approval to help.
In what is essentially a reverse tax, the citizens of Alaska are paid about $3000 per year in October for being citizens. It is not only that. The practice is a tremendous boon to the economy during this time of year. Other past governors have dipped into the oil funds that were supposed to be paid to Alaskan’s, so the issue is a tenuous one, but not out of the picture. I am still waiting for further word from the governor about this promising development and the likelihood does not seem to be a bleak one.
The program can be thought of as a wind-up toy train. Twisting or winding the lever or handle is one part, and making sure the toy train does not go into a wall is another. The interns would first need to twist the handle. They would come to Alaska in early March to begin the research in earnest.
After some preliminary research, they would then go shopping for the materials to build the exhibitions, which would be based on their research. Naturally this could take a while, but with the logistics intern and the social media intern helping them, and with input and help from the five entities and localities as well as the staff in my department, they can be assisted in setting the project on the right foot.
Then comes the part where they must ensure that the ‘toy train’ does not run into a wall. That would be setting up the exhibits in their respective locations, printing out banners and signs to hang around the respective locations, setting up the tours and putting mechanisms for the feedback of stakeholders in place.
Our logistics intern and social media intern will be going from place to place making sure everyone is on queue and operating smoothly as well as filming and putting out the word on the internet and social media. They will also help distribute advertising, flyers and signs. This project will be included as a must-visit item for every tourism effort or cruise, whether on the internet, on television and radio. With that said, we will consider the costs in terms of human capital and material capital.
Gold Mining Glory~ Celebrating Alaska’s Centennial! | ||||
Finance Department of Libraries, Archives and Museums | ||||
Brent Stone | ||||
| Human Capital |
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| Current MW | 7 hours a day | 1 week | 1 month |
1 intern | $10.85 | $75.85 | $380 | $1,520 |
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| 7 months | $10,640 |
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| 7 interns | $75,000 |
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| Material Captial |
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Materials and service cost | Exhibit | Media/Market. | Airline fees |
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| 1 Exhibit-$100 | 2 laptops | 7x $400 |
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| 5x $100 = $500 | 1 high end camera & acc |
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| 5 entities $2500 |
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| 1Drone & acc. |
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| $2500.00 | $4500.00 | $3,000.00 |
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Total Material cost $10,000 | ||||
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Total Cost of Gold Mining Glory: $85,000 | ||||
Of course, 85,000 dollars is a hefty sum. Various organizations have been contacted and it seems likely that a portion of these funds may come from the Alaska oil reserves. I have word that this is going to be decided soon. Since it is about education and Alaska state history, the governor's office is optimistic, and my team is hoping for the best.
Three other organizations have been contacted so far. One is the National Endowment for the Humanities and the other would be the National Endowment for the Arts. Both organizations are frequently mentioned on public television and have been one of the more popular channels for those who used to only get 2 or 3 before the advent of the internet. There have been other organizations we have reached out to such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services, but so far, only the two organizations mentioned have confirmed that the processing for the grant requests has begun, which is better than a flat no.
I have just received word which has been incoming for several hours and that is the board of directors for Alaska oil reserves have awarded $35,000 for this project. In providing further information as requested by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, the news of the $35,000 will be shared with the two grant funding organizations mentioned as confirmation of how important the project is and the fact that, as per usual, these organizations will also be mentioned in the documentary that will be produced.
This is a project that is certainly worthy of any financial assistance whether from grant funding organizations or from other sources such as the Alaska Oil Reserves. It is very easy to imagine families going to each of the five locations mentioned in this grant proposal whether it be in Wasilla, Fairbanks, Independence mine, Anchorage or Jeanea. I can easily picture people gathered around the exhibits in each location, with an informed and friendly intern who loves their job, explaining the intricacies of each exhibit, every one of which has to do with some historical aspect of Alaska’s gold rush history.
One such exhibit, in Independence Mine, for example, would have a boot (borrowed with permission from Independence Mine) from one of the miners on display along with a diary and the digital copy that stakeholders could go through on a secured tablet. It might include various items such as an early headlamp. It might also include the faded menu that the miners working there would typically have chosen from during mealtimes.
There is much that an informed imagination could come up with for a display that would be interesting and educational regarding the gold rush in Alaska as well as the prospecting and mining history and culture. The tourism industry of Alaska is going to be arm in arm with what we are doing here in the finance department of Libraries, Museums and Archives.
I have been told that the details have met with the governor's approval and appreciation. At this point we are waiting for word from the two organizations mentioned, which were provided with almost all of the preliminary information needed to begin processing the grant proposals. And as for the organizations we have yet to hear from such as the US Department of Education, this Grant proposal will of course be included with the updated information.
So, I am concluding with this Grant proposal in the hopes of being able to secure the needed $50,000 and thus far I am optimistic. I will inform the governor and send further word once I have heard more from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as the other grant-funding agencies we have contacted. Due to the nature of this project, I am expecting a more palpable response from the Department of the Humanities than the Arts. Thank you for your consideration and time.
