Provincetown History Summit

 

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

 

 

 

Meeting called to order at 10:00 a.m.
Historical Commission Members present:  Taylor Polites, Steve Milkewicz,
Eric Dray, Stephen Borkkowski, Polly Burnell and Char Priolo.
Members absent:  Stephen Desroches (excused).

 

 

Notes from the Tear Sheets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Do You Define Provincetown’s History?

 

Architectural

Interconnectedness/Layered

Historic Beginnings

Abundance – But taken for granted resulting in neglect/loss

Timeline – Past to present and continuing to grow

Cultural

Physical Natural Resources/Nature

Stories

Living History to use/add to on a daily basis

Economics – How people made their living.

 

 

How Do You Use History?

 

To bring people to Town/Organization/Program.

Building itself/sense of place.

Insure accuracy of present as it relates to the past.

To educate.

To protect the past/present when possible.

To connect one organization/program with others.

To show individual’s contribution to different organizations/programs.

To get information to enhance organizations timeline/history.

 

 

Common Drawbacks to Be Addressed in a Later Session

 

Lack of funding.

Where to go to get missing/needed information?

Lack of education/knowledge.

No central “Clearinghouse” for information.

Duplication of work.

Lack of leadership.

 


Break Out Groups

 

Group #1

What makes collaboration work?

 

1.      Attitude

2.      Process/Tools

3.      Cooperation/Teamwork

4.      Communication and Respect

5.      Common Goals

6.      Leadership/Organization

7.      Celebration and Acknowledgement

8.      Follow-through

 

 

Group #2

What individual attributes help make a collaborative effort work?

 

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

Reliability

Passion

Commitment

Open to outside resources

Clear respectful communication

Common Goals

Open mindedness

Flexibility

Knowledge and Skills

Equal participation

A sense of fun

 

Five solutions to make collaborative a success

Leadership

Money

Star Power

Wow Factor

Statement – Something tangible to show for efforts.

 

 


Group #3

What individual attributes hinder a collaborative effort?

 

Ego

Personal agendas

Competition

Distrust

Disrespect

Power Struggles

Conflict

Fear

Not open to options

Laziness/Indifference

Lack of leadership

No clear goals

Lack of knowledge

Disorganization

Failure to participate

Poor Communication

 

Five solutions to make collaborative a success

Empowerment

Leadership

Education/Communication

Transparent clear goals/agenda

Commitment

 

Five Ways to Educate About History

Awareness of resources (web links/lists)

Through the arts: Movies/Paintings/Literature

Walking Tour

Outreach to Schools

Personal contact – sharing stories

 

 


Common Goals (derived from individual organization goals)

 

Education

Restoration

Expansion

Collaboration

 

 

Individual Organization Goals

 

Historical Commission

Expand Provincetown History Preservation Project

Expand Historic Building Survey

Oversee Restoration of Town-Owned Buildings

Educate public

Collaboration with other historical organizations

 

Art Commission

Preservation/Restoration

Expand Collection/Exhibits

 

Historic District Commission

Develop educational materials

Expand district

Create a database of information

Renovate historic buildings

Integration with other regulatory policies

 

Fine Arts Work Center

Renovate historic buildings

Collaborate on cultural heritage/tourism

Publish oral histories

 

Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum

Restoration/maintenance of buildings

Refine/edit/add to collection

Digitize collection

 

Cape Cod National Seashore

Restoration of buildings

Expand inventory, including archeological sites

Better document Dune shack District

 

UU Meeting House

Restoration of building

Expand membership history (photos/stories)

Provincetown Public Library

Restoration of buildings/grounds

Education

Expand historic programming

Oral histories

 

Nautilus Club

Document/Revive traditions

Expand membership

 

Provincetown Historical Celebrations

Share heritage

Better communication

 

School

Develop historical walking tour

Collaboration between Town and Schools for history programs

 

St. Mary’s of the Harbor

Develop educational materials/programs

 

 

 

How Can We Help Each Other Reach Our Goals?

 

Create a “next step” to today’s Summit

Maintain relationships

Create a “List Serve” to keep informed/connected

Create a clearinghouse for information

Develop a game plan for how to incorporate the media

Develop a small doable collaborative idea (Example: Walking Tour)

Think collaboratively – not competitively

Material distribution that is free/available/informative/useable

Coordination of information at existing established functions (Example: Portuguese Festival)

Advocate for central location for heritage/promotional/information (prime location: Freeman Street Building)

Create a shared inventory of what organizations have available

Develop an organizational listing of websites and linkages

 

Next Steps

Plan for a second meeting in the Fall