All volunteers must accept the terms of agreement as part of participation in our program. Also, in accordance with the Lane Motor Museum’s Human Resources Policies, all volunteers must read and agree with the Volunteer Code of Ethics that can be found below. Thank you for your cooperation.
Lane Motor Museum Volunteer Agreement:
I realize that acceptance as a volunteer is based on the combination of my interests, my availability, and the needs of the Lane Motor Museum. I understand that the Lane Motor Museum volunteer program requires a service commitment and that I must pass a background screening. I realize that specific opportunities may not be available at a given time, but that my application will be held on file for future openings.
Lane Motor Museum CODE OF ETHICS:
I. INTRODUCTION
The Lane Motor Museum exists and operates as a public trust. The Lane Motor Museum has a duty to conserve, manage and utilize its resources for the public good within the scope of its mission. The mission of Lane Motor Museum shall be to collect, preserve, document and interpret an eclectic and technically interesting collection of cars and other transportation-related objects for the purposes of educating the public about the history of transportation. This Code of Ethics is the foundation for the work of the Board of Trustees; employees, including full, part-time and temporary employees; consultants, including independent contract workers; and volunteers, including interns, in fulfilling the Lane Motor Museum’s mission through conduct characterized by the highest standards of ethical practices.
II. GOVERNING PRINCIPLES
Advancing the Lane Motor Museum’s mission and goals requires an organizational culture built upon the following governing principles:
A. Integrity
The Lane Motor Museum shall conduct its work with the utmost integrity, including, but not limited to, avoidance of any conflicts of interest. In all its work, the Lane Motor Museum shall comply with laws and regulations applicable to it, adhere to its contracts and commitments, act consistently with its policies and procedures and strive to understand and consider the professional ethical standards expressed in the Code of Ethics of the American Association of Museums and of the International Council of Museums.
B. Responsibility
Each person working for or on behalf of Lane Motor Museum has a responsibility to advance the institution’s overall success. All such persons should strive to conscientiously fulfill the duties of their positions and to consistently act in the best interests of the Lane Motor Museum.
C. Teamwork
Each Trustee, employee, and volunteer is important to the success of Lane Motor Museum. Each person brings different talents and experiences and Lane Motor Museum expects its Trustees, employees, and volunteers to work together toward a shared vision and common goals.
D. Constituent Focus
The Lane Motor Museum strives to be oriented toward its constituencies. This responsibility includes providing prompt and courteous responses to inquiries and requests and putting constituent service before personal preferences.
E. Commitment to Diversity
The Lane Motor Museum is committed to promoting respect for diversity and acceptance of different abilities, experiences, and perspectives within the organization. The Lane Motor Museum’s leadership, employees, and volunteers shall exhibit respect toward the values, beliefs and opinions of others.
F. Programmatic Philosophy
The programs of the Lane Motor Museum shall support its mission and be responsive to the communities it serves. The trust by the public of the Lane Motor Museum is earned through its commitment to thorough research and scholarship, community involvement, educational outreach and programs, access to the widest possible audience, and respect for individual points of view. Programs shall be evaluated to assess scholarship and effectiveness. Thoughtful and respectful involvement of the constituencies served by the Lane Motor Museum must be included in the development and implementation of programs. Revenue-producing activities and other activities that involve partnerships with other organizations or community groups must be compatible with the mission of the Lane Motor Museum.
G. Equal Opportunity
The Lane Motor Museum shall adhere to legal employment practices. In matters such as Board and personnel selection, management practices, volunteer opportunities, and relationships with the public at large, the Lane Motor Museum shall ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. The Lane Motor Museum prohibits any such discrimination or harassment.
H. Fiscal Accountability
The community entrusts the Lane Motor Museum with resources in order to fulfill its mission. The Lane Motor Museum is committed to the prudent and efficient use of all of its resources.
The Lane Motor Museum shall cause to be conducted an annual independent audit and make audited financial statements available to the public.
III. APPLICATION
A. Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is the legal governing entity of the Lane Motor Museum and shall provide vision, continuity of purpose, policy direction, leadership, oversight and accountability to the public. The Board is responsible for establishing the organization’s mission and vision and approving strategic plans for ensuring continued progress toward that mission and vision.
Trustees shall work corporately, neither as individuals nor as advocates for particular activities or divisions within the Lane Motor Museum.
The working relationships among Trustees, employees, and volunteers shall be based upon fairness and mutual respect; their shared roles shall be recognized as collaborative and their separate responsibilities respected.
B. Employees
Employment by the Lane Motor Museum places each employee in a unique position. The Lane Motor Museum maintains high public visibility and esteem, and, to the Lane Motor Museum’s constituencies, the employee is never wholly separate nor his or her activities independent from the Lane Motor Museum, despite any disclaimers that may be offered. Employees, therefore, shall always act in a manner that will not reflect adversely on the Lane Motor Museum. In all activities employees shall act with integrity, in accordance with ethical principles and the highest standards of objectivity.
C. Volunteers
Volunteers, as an integral part of the Lane Motor Museum’s organization, have a responsibility to comply with the policies and procedures of the Lane Motor Museum. Those volunteers with access to Lane Motor Museum exhibitions, programs and privileged information shall adhere to the same ethical standards that apply to Trustees and employees. Volunteers shall work toward the growth and development of the institution and not for personal material gain.
IV. COLLECTIONS
A. Management, Maintenance, Conservation
The Lane Motor Museum’s exhibitions are an essential part of the cultural fabric shared by our community and nation. Objects and collections in the Lane Motor Museum’s custody shall be protected, secured, cared for, and preserved. The Lane Motor Museum will exercise the same care with respect to borrowed objects and collections, as it would do in the safekeeping of comparable property of its own. The Lane Motor Museum shall strive to follow best practices agreed upon by the national and international museum community.
The Lane Motor Museum shall provide adequate staffing for the protection of borrowed collections.
B. Provenance research
It is the position of the Lane Motor Museum that in its role as temporary custodian of objects on loan, it has an ethical responsibility to consider the status of borrowed material as well as the possibility of claims being brought against a loaned object in the Lane Motor Museum’s custody.
If credible evidence of unlawful appropriation without subsequent and appropriate restitution is discovered, the Lane Motor Museum shall notify the lender of the nature of the evidence and shall not proceed with the borrowing of the object until action is taken to resolve any issues. Depending on the circumstances of the particular case, prudent or necessary actions may include consulting with qualified legal counsel and notifying other interested parties of the Lane Motor Museum’s findings.
C. Commercial Use
In arranging for the manufacture and sale of replicas, reproductions, or other commercial items adapted from an object exhibited at the Lane Motor Museum, all related activities must be carried out in a manner that will neither discredit the integrity of the museum or the lender or lending institution nor trivialize or damage the original object. Care must be taken to identify such objects accordingly to ensure the accuracy and high quality of their manufacture. Copyright laws are always followed in obtaining rights for image or other reproductions.
D. Appraisals
No Lane Motor Museum staff member or volunteer shall perform appraisals. The Lane Motor Museum may maintain a list of appraisers but shall not provide an endorsement of anyone on the list. The exceptions to this prohibition of staff appraisals are appraisals for Lane Motor Museum use (e.g., insurance evaluations for loans), or, with written permission of the President/Manager, for other non-profit organizations for similar purposes. Any such appraisal must represent an honest and objective judgment and must indicate how the judgment was reached.
E. Personal Collecting
The Lane Motor Museum may not be used to store the personal collections of members of the Board of Trustees, employees, or volunteers. Employees may not conduct research on personal collections during normal work hours.
F. Loan of Objects
While loans of objects by Board members, employees, volunteers, or members of their families can be of benefit to the Lane Motor Museum, it should be recognized that inclusion in an exhibition can enhance the value of the exhibited object and consideration should be used in such cases. Any such loans must be approved in advance by the President/Manager.
Loan requests are made solely for the purpose of their inclusion in exhibitions that enhance the mission of the Lane Motor Museum.
G. Truth in Presentation
It is the responsibility of Lane Motor Museum to present the best current information about the cars that Lane Motor Museum displays. Therefore, the Lane Motor Museum expects from its employees intellectual honesty and objectivity in the presentation of objects.
V. FACILITY
Lane Motor Museum is housed in a former Sunbeam Bread Bakery, a building of historic, architectural, and community significance. The Lane Motor Museum recognizes an ethical responsibility to preserve and protect the facility.
I acknowledge that I have received, read, and understand the Lane Motor Museum’s Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct. I understand that behavior that creates the appearance of impropriety embarrasses the Lane Motor Museum, or otherwise damages the Lane Motor Museum’s reputation in the community can lead to discipline or possible discharge.