In assessing their rescue efforts on behalf of the Pennsylvania Academy of Music (PAM), few will accuse Chairman Dr. Holmes Morton, Executive Director Dr. Tom Godfrey, and attorney Jacque Geisenberger, Jr. as pandering or even seeking to be ‘nice’ as is expected by members of the Lancaster ‘Establishment’ in dealing with their peers. Nor are they particularly adept in their public outreach, at least not at the outset.
But one thing they are determined to do and appear to be accomplishing: To assure the continuation of PAM as a viable school of music and cultural center.
Art Mann, then head of PAM’s business committee who was brought in to help save the school, sagely noted that PAM consists of two elements: A building, which has subsequently been taken over by UNCB Bank and is tenanted by Millersville University, and a school of music. It was painful to lose such a magnificent, albeit impractical structure, but the latest leaders are carrying forward the work of Mann and his committee. (When it was apparent that PAM was at a point of collapse, Dr. Bob Falk took over the chairmanship from Paul Ware and Mann and his committee became the de facto leaders. NewsLanc’s publisher, Robert Field, was appointed to be their advisor.)
If Field’s advice at times had seemed too tough for the Lancaster environment whereby no one wants to face ‘social ostracism’, the team of Morton, Godfrey and Geisenberger does not suffer from such inhibitions.
It is not a popular action to sue past supporters for unpaid pledges. A long time, generous supporter is quoted by the Intelligencer Journal / New Era as saying “They’re going to have a very difficult time getting donors when they have a history of suing them.”
Perhaps, perhaps not.
First of all, the Bankruptcy Court has charged the leadership with collecting funds legally due the school. It is their responsibility.
Second, it is not unusual over the course of a career for people with money to make bad investments. But they meet their legal obligations. (Of course some ‘pick up their marbles and run ‘ and seek and achieve public bail outs.)
Last, the original backers of PAM and others loved what it was accomplishing for music and the local culture, and envisioned the potential for far greater things in the future. If many now sit on their wallets, it is because they fear continuation of leaders unwilling to make competent and unpopular decisions that are in the Academy’s (and the community’s) interests.
PAM will operate this fall out of its former Liberty Place facilities which are adequate for its immediate needs.
Suing donors is outrageous and will effectively bring PAM to an end. PAM has not lived up to its fiduciary responsibilities–no business plan, failure to deliver on the building, damaging infighting, ruined reputation, and failure to adhere to the bankruptcy court’s orders. Not to mention the damage to the overall nonprofit community.
It should be shut down.
Filing lawsuits against donors who failed to fulfill their pledges after PAM failed to fulfill its own is a guaranteed way to drive away future pledges.
The Pennsylvania Academy of Music may have just written its own epitaph.
The donors asked to see a business plan. Is that too much to ask?
Within hours, PAM had begun the lawsuit.
EDITORS NOTE: Since PAM is operating under the supervision of the bankruptcy court, we believe any formal business plan will first need to receive court approval.
At first, I thought this article was a joke, you weren’t serious.
If the board members feel so strongly about this strategy then let them list their names and other nonprofit involvements. That way, people will have fair warning. They can stay away from pledging to the board members’ other projects. After all, they don’t want to risk being sued at those too.
The donors should not have to follow through given the completely fraudulent statements by PAM prior to the new “leadership”. They were lied to, PAM didn’t fulfill its obligations, there is no plan, there was never a plan, and there were no financials until after the founders left. The donors should be suing PAM for misappropriation of funds and fraud. Where’s the AG?
The Academy’s vision was a good one — to provide high-quality music education to area residents, so they wouldn’t have to travel to New York, Philadelphia or Baltimore for lessons.
While the Academy failed financially, they were successful in identifying many fine music teachers in the area, and attracting others to the city as well. The good news is that most, if not all, of these teachers still remain here. Many teach elsewhere. Several now teach at the Lancaster Conservatory, adding to an already-fine faculty. The Conservatory has seen its share of students go on to Juilliard, Peabody, Curtis and the like. Here’s an article about that school: http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/282070 (I do not work for the school, by the way, but know teachers there.)
I urge readers to take a look. This little conservatory has a lot to offer potential students. And now it has something special to offer donors: as far as I know, it doesn’t sue them.