“Don’t be afraid to let go. You have people rooting for you who you can’t even see. And if you come up short the first time, you’ve only lost the battle. You can still win the war, so go for it.” – Rob Buyea

The collective spirits of everyone involved with the Historical Society of Martin County are being consistently lifted by the momentum created by our commitment to giving our community what it truly wants. The road to today has had some bumps and boulders in it, but our way has been smoothed by the knowledge that the community is rooting for us.

This institution has been stewing for nearly 67 years, and we continue to tweak the recipe to find a happy combination of ingredients. When the “Pink” Elliott museum was replaced by a more modern façade in 2013, there was some degree of rumbling about the look, the location, and the perceived loss of artifacts. Nearly a decade later, the dust has settled, the skies have cleared, and everyone seems to be quite pleased with the relentless level of activity on the campus. The credit for the HSMC’s “reboot” success lies squarely on the shoulders of everyone who continued to encourage the organization through thick and thin. From the very bottom of our collective hearts, we offer a hearty thank you.

“Unity is achieved when a community of diverse beliefs finds common ground to work together for a greater vision.” – Wayne Chirisa

I believe in this community. The level of collaboration among local non-profit organizations is inspirational. During my short tenure here, I can cite dozens of times that leaders from other non-profits have called to offer help and support. I don’t think a week goes by when we are not involved with at least one other organization on a collaborative project.

We are all so fortunate to have an endemic culture of collaboration. All of the non-profit leaders I have had the pleasure of working with are always looking for ways to avoid overlap and to find scale economies through cooperative efforts. Trust me when I tell you that this is not standard operating procedure everywhere in the country. The remarkably high quality of life we all enjoy on the Treasure Coast is directly attributable to the excellent work of these organizations. It is an honor for all of us at the Historical Society of Martin County to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.

“Great things are brought about, and burdens are lightened through the efforts of many hands anxiously engaged in a good cause.” – M. Russell Ballard

The highlight for all of us here at the HSMC last week was the annual volunteer banquet 2022. Our burgeoning volunteer base was treated to a wonderful dinner from our in-house restaurant, Philly Down South. The delicious meal tasted particularly grand because it was served by members of our board of directors!

I couldn’t help being moved as I looked at the beautiful smiling faces of our volunteers celebrating their accomplishments. We have all experienced that intangible feeling when we enter a building that “the energy is good here.” I have spent a good number of years considering this phenomenon from all angles. I am satisfied that the good energy is, in every case, the direct result of the cumulative attitudes of the people that work there. Our hard-working and loyal volunteers are an integral part of the feeling you get when you cross our threshold. Our volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, and they come from every corner of this country and a few other countries. They are entirely dedicated to making all of our guests feel welcome and that they fully enjoy every nook and cranny of our unique museums.

All the best,
Rob