Having always loved children’s museums, taking my kids (now 30, 27, 24, 16, and 15) to one whenever we went to a town that had one, imagine my elation when the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum opened its doors in 1996. I became one of the first members, and a year later when I asked if there was any way I could help, I was invited to join the board of directors.
Board service was fun, interesting, and challenging. I remember being at a strategic planning retreat in 1999 or so, when we were asked about what we dreamed to see in the future. My response was that I wanted to see my name on the plaque of a new museum building! I had no idea that not only would that dream come true, but that I would still be involved in the museum many years later.
I was the board president when we signed the contracts with the designers and builders of the new museum. As my children grew, my personal activity with the museum decreased, but I always remained a supporter. One of my daughters volunteered at the museum, and I have recently become involved again myself. Though I don’t have any grandchildren (yet!) and my kids are too old for most of the museum’s activities, I know the importance the museum played in my family’s life and in the lives of all the families who have walked through the doors.
I am sure that there are many of you whose lives the Discovery Museum has touched. If so, we want to know about you. If you have been involved in the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum in any way, shape, or form any time in the past 20 years, please let us know. We not only want you to celebrate the Museum’s 15th anniversary with us on Jan. 27, 2012, but we want your valuable memory and insight to help us build the historical timeline of the museum’s past and to plan for the future.
Suzanne Levy compiled this edition’s Discovery Corner, a weekly column in the Sun, highlighting events, science activities, and more for the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum at 705 S. McClelland in Santa Maria. Send comments to discoverycorner@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 8-15, 2011.
