May 29, 2018
Dear Members, Trustees, and Friends,
I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying Spring! I am writing to provide an update on the activities of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center (MCHF & WHC) Board of Directors in our continuing effort to establish a home for our organization.
As most of you are aware, at our Annual Business and Trustees Meetings, held February 3, 2018, in Great Falls, members and trustees in attendance voted to allow our Board of Directors to explore options for the home of the MCHF & WHC. Our Board developed a process that was notably less formal than the one we undertook in 2011-2012, based on our currently limited resources. We solicited letters of interest from interested communities.
We asked communities to think outside the box and to present their best ideas, regardless of any preconceived notions they might have about our project. We explained that we were seeking the “whole package” and highlighted topics for discussion that we were most interested in such as: building/land; staff/volunteers; funds/fundraising; timeline to open; and sustainability.
We received six letters of interest from Big Timber, Boulder, the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Choteau, Dillon, and Glendive. The proposals demonstrated passion for each local community as well as the MCHF & WHC’s mission and vision.
The Board of Directors evaluated the letters of interest according to our needs moving forward. We have decided to pursue further discussions aimed at the development of strategic partnerships with the C.M. Russell Museum and the Dillon community. We are very excited about the prospects of these two proposals individually, and potentially together.
Our board decided to explore the C.M. Russell Museum’s proposal further because it would offer us the opportunity to participate in crafting and shaping their planned permanent exhibit to the Montana Cowboy in the very near term. The Museum’s proposal includes access to the Museum’s talented curators, exhibit designers, and staff in an existing facility with established traffic flow.
We concurrently decided to explore the Dillon proposal for the long-term development opportunities to aim toward the achievement of our original vision. The Dillon group proposes to develop a facility that would house our organization, a community event center, educational and interpretive sites, and other like-minded organizations on a 45-acre property bordering I-15. The site has an existing 16,000 square foot building ready to be finished. The Dillon group hopes to create a premier destination facility focused on preserving Montana’s Western heritage, ideally with the MCHF & WHC as its centerpiece.
The C.M. Russell Museum and Dillon proposals stood out because they gave our organization options to move forward with little to no immediate or up-front cost. Their proposals included partnerships with existing or soon-to-exist non-profits that could hold the financial risks to getting us up and running in some fashion.
We have not made any permanent or final site-selection determination. We are moving forward with discussions with the C.M. Russell Museum and the Dillon community to attempt to determine the feasibility of each path forward. Any proposed final decision(s) will be presented to our membership for approval.
As we move forward, our Board continues to focus on achieving our mission to “To honor our cowboy way of life, American Indian cultures and collective Montana Western heritage,” and our vision to “to be the state’s premier destination attraction that celebrates and passes forward Montana’s unique western culture and heritage.”
Thank you for your ongoing support and patience as we engage in these important discussions.
Sincerely,
Bill Galt, President
On behalf of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center
Board of Directors
Photo: MT Cowboy Hall of Fame
