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Here is an update on the 1st virtual community outreach meeting that happened on Monday, August 15.
We were split into five breakout rooms (participants had no choice of room or who they would be grouped with), each with a different topic:
1. So far, about 55% of survey respondents think a ceremony at the site would be a good way to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Mr. Wakasa’s killing. What kind of ceremony should it be? Who should lead it? Who is it for? Would you attend? What types of activities would it include?
2. So far, about 25% of survey respondents think that presentations or lectures would be a good way to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Mr. Wakasa’s killing. What types of presentations would you attend? What should they be about? Which professionals or organizations would you want involved?
3. A community archaeology project has been suggested at the site where the Wakasa monument was buried. What do you think the value of such a project would be? Would you participate?
4. What questions do you have about Mr. Wakasa's killing? What questions do you have about the monument? What questions should be answered by interpretive displays/programming about the Wakasa monument? What questions should continue to be researched?
5. Do you value the stone and the site differently or is one more important to you than the other? If you saw the original stone monument at the museum, would you still visit the site?
Each breakout room was given 15 minutes to discuss the pre-designated topic and then the facilitator would disappear and another one would show up with the next topic. Some facilitators would not let the participants deviate from the topic at all and some were willing to just listen and record participants comments. After the breakout rooms were finished, the meeting just abruptly ended with no chance to come back together with the whole group to have a discussion.
Here are some comments from participants:
“But generally, this was the worst zoom meeting I have ever attended.”
“All in all, very disorganized and there was no hint that the true feelings and considerations of the groups were being recorded nor would be transmitted.”
“I don't know how the rest of the community meetings went but I gotta say it was really odd and unprepared.”
“We were not able to hear what happened in other groups.”
“I hope there will be a debrief-- For all of us who participated! It was very frustrating. There was a museum professional [in the meeting]...who has thirty years of museum work behind her, who said she's never seen anything remotely like it in terms of disorganization and lack of professionalism.”
We would like to ask everyone who has time to register and attend the final virtual session on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at 2p HT / 5p PT / 8p ET:
Please come and witness for yourself the kind of community outreach the Topaz Museum Board thinks is effective.