Here is the report on the 'Grand Reopening' of the Museum. It went off better than expected, having an estimated 50 visitors with more than half wanting tours. We had many who just came to have a hotdog and visit and didn't need the tour. A big thank you to the three FFA members – Dayson Cash, Reese Coleman and Brayden Cowan who volunteered, they are great kids.
A new member signed up and our Facebook page went from 436 to 441 followers. Thanks to Red Carpet Country and Discover Oklahoma our other Facebook stats are also increasing. A number of good connections were made with the community and visitors donated and many have offered to volunteer for upcoming events and work around the Museum.
The biggest news of the day is that Terry McGraw has donated the use of a 15 x 22 foot storage unit. Monetary value aside, this donation is huge for the organization. This unit will allow us to 'Unclutter' so many areas in the Museum by organizing the 'Non Historical' items in that unit, like the seasonal decorations, file cabinets and the farming implements that are outside and exposed to the weather. Additionally, there are many items in the jail house that can be moved to that location, allowing us to begin rotating the collection so that pieces can be highlighted and themes explored.
The wonderful weather invited many visitors to sit on the front porch and enjoy the breeze and sip some iced tea, just like the Fergusons and their visitors must have frequently done. It was a wonderful day and an infusion of hope for the future of the Ferguson Home and Museum.