It has been more than a year since the Source responded to readers who were concerned that Whim Museum has not been touched since the damage of the 2017 hurricanes, and not much, if anything, seems to have changed since then. Indeed, the St. Croix Landmarks Society administrator and trustees remain silent and unresponsive to its members.
A group, Save Whim Museum, has written a letter to Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach and directors of V.I. Property and Procurement and the Office of Disaster Recovery, asking them to intercede.
The Source received a letter from a Landmark member, talked to the writer and around a dozen other members who all expressed dissatisfaction with the board of trustees and leadership of the non-profit organization.
The Save Whim Museum group continues to ask for the reports required of all 501c3 organizations, especially financial documents. They want to know the status of Whim Museum and other buildings on the 11-acre historic estate, and when they will be repaired. They also complained about a membership meeting in May that failed — the only attempt at such a meeting in three years, they said.
UVI professor Olasee Davis, a well-respected historian and ecologist, told the Source it is important to repair the museum as soon as possible for several reasons. The longer it remains in its present condition, the faster it will deteriorate and the more money SCLS will lose, he pointed out. Davis recommended a mediator, such as Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett or Roach, deal with those involved.
“The government has the responsibility. People should hold the government responsible,” he said. “Instead of moving forward, they’re moving backwards.”
Other complaints and questions from SCLS members were based on 990 tax forms found online but not shared or explained by the executive director or trustees.
There are also questions whether the non-profit has maintained its tax-exempt status since no 990s for 2019, 2020, and 2021 were found on the propublica.org website. Without the non-profit designation, donations are not tax-exempt. The trustee who agreed to speak with the Source said the 501c3 status is active and the 990s had been filed but maybe were not recorded.
“I don’t have evidence that we’re not in compliance,” he said.
Other concerns of the members include:
What happened to the $1,217,226 in assets reported in 2007 that dwindled to $18,107 in 2018, according to tax filings? Were these funds endowment/permanently restricted and were they re-classified as unrestricted, and by whom?
Based on the amount of damage that still has not been mitigated, the members want to know how the Whim structures were secured before the 2017 hurricanes. Where were the collections and furniture stored during the storms?
“I’ve made promises to donors, furniture worth tens of thousands of dollars have been donated to the collection. I feel responsible for it,” Michael Connors, a SCLS life member, said.
Has Whim been secured to prevent further deterioration? Save Whim said no accounting of the assets has been disseminated to members. The property includes the Whim Greathouse, three mills and outbuildings.
“The biggest waste of all is the Great House. It has needed a roof since 2014,” Maresa Fanelli, a longtime member, said.
Having received no financial documents for years, the members also asked who approved salary increases for the executive director from $40,000 in 2009 to $57,0000 in 2016 and 75,000 in 2017, as reported on the 990 tax records.
The annual meeting attempted in May was canceled after members waited for 90 minutes because of a lack of a quorum of 30 members. Fanelli reported only six of 15 trustees attended.
Some members were not sent a link to join the Zoom meeting, so other members shared links. When that was discovered, the members were not allowed to identify themselves, nor were some let into the meeting, they said. Before the meeting, an agenda, reports and financial documents should have been sent to members, as required by the bylaws. No documents were provided during the Zoom meeting, those interviewed by the Source said.
Patty Meyer is a new resident of St. Croix and a new Landmarks member. She participated in the Zoom meeting but had several questions afterward. She asked if the Landmark’s mission changed or if it was still to preserve Whim. She wanted to know what was happening since no reports were given and also wondered when the meeting would be rescheduled.
“Good things may indeed be happening there, but how would we know,” she wrote.
Those attending the meeting said there was an attempt to pass amendments without prior notice or discussion. According to the bylaws, two-thirds of the members are required to vote on changes to the bylaws. Members don’t know who or how many members were there or are on the membership list.
The Save Whim group alleged new members were excluded from the meeting and at least two life members said they did not receive a registration link to the meeting. There were fewer than the required 30 days between the meeting announcement and the meeting itself, they said.
More than one member said the executive director was directed by the board chair to let everyone into the meeting, but she did not. Others said a quorum could have been reached if she had followed directions.
Comments from members who tried to participate said the meeting was “a sham,” “a debacle,” “a waste of everyone’s time,” “profound dysfunction,” “deliberate exclusion,” and “an embarrassment.”
The board member who spoke to the Source, on the condition of anonymity, agreed with some saying the “mindset” was geared not towards a successful meeting but control of the meeting. He has offered to direct the next meeting — a hybrid — in-person and virtual.
“I want people on the board who make the time to try to build the board, so quorum is not an issue. This one (board) looks hand-picked,” he said. “We need far more transparency in the way we operate,” meaning that the financial report should have been sent out before the meeting.
Questions from Save Whim prior to the meeting were names of trustees and their terms, the executive committee and a list of officers. Were there any meetings of any kind after 2019? What is the status of the government lease that expires this year? Were there any events and how many attended?
“Best thing is for all the trustees to resign and have a new election without a nomination committee. Then reorganize SCLS — it needs to be preserved. Restore Whim rather than save Whim,” one member told the Source.
Fanelli said the Save Whim Museum comprises “200 disaffected current and former members, including life members, volunteers, staff and even former officials and trustees.” The advocacy group was spearheaded by Fanelli and Connors.
The Source sent an email to Executive Director Sonia Jacobs-Dow (after phoning) and the Landmarks trustees on June 7 with the concerns of the members. We want to cover both sides, the email said. Jacobs-Dow responded, asking for another week to address the questions, and The Source agreed to hold the story until June 15. To date, nothing has been received from either the executive director or the trustees.
