Tehama - The Magazine

"The original plan was to buy the old building, set it up as a museum, and gift it to Tehama County," said Tehama County Museum (TCM) President Chris Bauer, whose parents were among the founding members in 1980. However, the County declined the gift because of financial concerns. "The name Tehama County Museum reflects the founders' intent that it be county- operated," said Bauer. "The Museum of Tehama County History would have been a more appropriate name as our mission is to preserve and exhibit artifacts that represent the cultural heritage of the area." Bauer believes the County's refusal of the gift was most likely a blessing for the museum, as the County may have been forced to close the museum when faced with tough economic decisions. Bauer pointed out that it takes a lot of time and money to operate a museum, especially one in an old building desperately in need of major repairs. The County understood it did not have the resources to maintain the museum when the economy was struggling. "The museum still exists today thanks to countless volunteers, donations, and community support," said Paul Quinn, who serves on the board of directors. Operating as a 501c non-profit corporation, the museum relies on volunteers for almost all functions including marketing, accounting, tours, exhibit design, artifact acquisition, and grant writing. A CSU Chico accounting student is in the process of computerizing the museum's antiquated accounting system. Another volunteer is actively engaging the community through social media. 30 to 50 volunteers each year, including May 2017 , TEHAMA - THE MAGAZINE 9 "The original plan was to buy the old building, set it up as a museum, and gift it to Tehama County," said Tehama County Museum (TCM) President Chris Bauer, whose parents were among the founding members in 1980. However, the County declined the gift because of financial concerns. "The name Tehama County Museum reflects the founders' intent that it be county- operated," said Bauer. "The Museum of Tehama County History would have been a more appropriate name as our mission is to preserve and exhibit artifacts that represent the cultural heritage of the area." Bauer believes the County's refusal of the gift was most likely a blessing for the museum, as the County may have been forced to close the museum when faced with tough economic decisions. Bauer pointed out that it takes a lot of time and money to operate a museum, especially one in an old building desperately in need of major repairs. The County understood it did not have the resources to maintain the museum when the economy was struggling. "The museum still exists today thanks to countless volunteers, donations, and community support," said Paul Quinn, who serves on the board of directors. Operating as a 501c non-profit corporation, the museum relies on volunteers for almost all functions including marketing, accounting, tours, exhibit design, artifact acquisition, and grant writing. A CSU Chico accounting student is in the process of computerizing the museum's antiquated accounting system. Another volunteer is actively engaging the community through social media. 30 to 50 volunteers each year, including

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