When A Board Goes Rogue: Most historians want to get all sides to every story because understanding the many sides of past events gives us a stronger understanding of what really happened.
|
|
A very kind friend gifted me an original 1957 Dock Marston Christmas Card with competing narratives about the death of St. John of Nepomuk, Patron Saint of those who face danger by water.
I am reminded of a Board meeting of the Grand Canyon Historical Society held in October, 2023. One Board member demanded the others discipline another historian using outright lies and half truths while the historian in question waited in an adjacent room to defend himself against those very falsehoods.
The group never allowed him to defend himself against their claims and passed a disciplinary action against him. They also decided to not inform him of their actions until after an event they admitted he would play a key role in. Adjourning the meeting, they left the building while he still waited to defend himself.
Marston knew full well that if there are two sides to every story, both sides need to be heard before any judgement is made. The facts, all the facts, make for the strongest history we can generate. Relying on one person's accusations while disregarding another's side of events makes for very poor history and management decisions.
I am reminded of a Board meeting of the Grand Canyon Historical Society held in October, 2023. One Board member demanded the others discipline another historian using outright lies and half truths while the historian in question waited in an adjacent room to defend himself against those very falsehoods.
The group never allowed him to defend himself against their claims and passed a disciplinary action against him. They also decided to not inform him of their actions until after an event they admitted he would play a key role in. Adjourning the meeting, they left the building while he still waited to defend himself.
Marston knew full well that if there are two sides to every story, both sides need to be heard before any judgement is made. The facts, all the facts, make for the strongest history we can generate. Relying on one person's accusations while disregarding another's side of events makes for very poor history and management decisions.