The Powell-Cotton Museum in Kent faces the potential resignation of another governor amid continued concerns over the museum's governance.
Four of the five local authority governors at the Powell-Cotton, formerly the Quex Museum, have already quit, although the museum's curator, Malcolm Harman, said that while one of these governors was not attending meetings, he was not aware that he had formally tendered his resignation.
A fifth governor, Alan Pool, who represents Kent County Council on the board, said he was "seriously thinking" about not seeking another term of office at the museum when he reaches the end of his second four-year term in June.
"The Powell-Cotton is a great museum and the collections are second to none, but the management and governance structure need sorting out," he said. "They need dragging into the 20th century, never mind the 21st century."
The museum already faces complaints to the Charity Commission about the structure of its board, with the Powell-Cotton family holding a "golden vote" allowing it to overrule the governors. But a formal investigation has not been launched.
A former governor of the museum, Alasdair Bruce, a palaeontologist and member of Thanet District Council said the museum had cut the number of places on the 13-strong board for local authority representatives to two and appointed the estate's farm manager as a governor.
"Conflicts of interest are bound to come up when you have an employee sitting as a governor," he said.
The Powell-Cotton faces an industrial tribunal on 23 February brought by its dismissed former director Julia Walton. Pool said the governors of the museums were not consulted over her sacking, which led to the resignation of the four members late last year.
Bill Ferris, chairman of the Association of Independent Museums, said: "This shows how important it is to get the governance structure right and to see what the roles and responsibilities are."
Keith Dunmall, the Powell-Cotton's education officer, said that any changes to the makeup of the board would follow the industrial tribunal, before being presented to the Charity Commission for approval.
Four of the five local authority governors at the Powell-Cotton, formerly the Quex Museum, have already quit, although the museum's curator, Malcolm Harman, said that while one of these governors was not attending meetings, he was not aware that he had formally tendered his resignation.
A fifth governor, Alan Pool, who represents Kent County Council on the board, said he was "seriously thinking" about not seeking another term of office at the museum when he reaches the end of his second four-year term in June.
"The Powell-Cotton is a great museum and the collections are second to none, but the management and governance structure need sorting out," he said. "They need dragging into the 20th century, never mind the 21st century."
The museum already faces complaints to the Charity Commission about the structure of its board, with the Powell-Cotton family holding a "golden vote" allowing it to overrule the governors. But a formal investigation has not been launched.
A former governor of the museum, Alasdair Bruce, a palaeontologist and member of Thanet District Council said the museum had cut the number of places on the 13-strong board for local authority representatives to two and appointed the estate's farm manager as a governor.
"Conflicts of interest are bound to come up when you have an employee sitting as a governor," he said.
The Powell-Cotton faces an industrial tribunal on 23 February brought by its dismissed former director Julia Walton. Pool said the governors of the museums were not consulted over her sacking, which led to the resignation of the four members late last year.
Bill Ferris, chairman of the Association of Independent Museums, said: "This shows how important it is to get the governance structure right and to see what the roles and responsibilities are."
Keith Dunmall, the Powell-Cotton's education officer, said that any changes to the makeup of the board would follow the industrial tribunal, before being presented to the Charity Commission for approval.
Links
Quex Museum is hit by a claim of unfair dismissal, MJ news, January 2009, p7
Quex Museum is hit by a claim of unfair dismissal, MJ news, January 2009, p7
