Editorial: On the Dismissal of a Gesture – A Charred Splinter and the Withering of Collegial Goodwill
Filed under: Interinstitutional Relations, Outreach Disappointments, Ledger Ref. 11.17-c
Submitted Anonymously (but plainly authored)
It is with no small measure of diplomatic hesitation that we record the events of the past fortnight concerning our well-meaning engagement with the Wisconsin Shipwreck Museum in Manitowoc—an institution we once regarded with cautious optimism and the potential for gentle alignment, if not direct alliance.
As those within the Order are aware, it has long been the tradition of Concordants conducting Shoreline Field Walks to preserve and submit items of potential historic interest for further interpretation. On such an expedition earlier this season—specifically along the sediment-churned shoals north of Rawley Point—a most singular fragment was discovered: a partially charred and water-worn section of plank, bearing, to the trained eye, notable signs of historic distress, iron nail patterning, and exposure to high-temperature combustion, consistent with documented eyewitness accounts from the 1912 “Christmas Tree Ship” wreck event.
Said artifact, cataloged provisionally as Item 21-B: Charred Plank (Suspected Origin – Schooner Rouse Simmons), was prepared, documented, and ceremonially offered as a gesture of inter-institutional outreach to the aforementioned Museum. It was, we believed, a humble but meaningful overture—a symbolic olive branch extended in the spirit of regional cooperation, shared inquiry, and mutual reverence for the Great Fifth Sea’s often-overlooked histories.
What followed has left us—how shall we phrase this?—arch of brow and cold of heart.
The item was returned to us, unceremoniously, with an accompanying note that read in part (and we quote directly):
“After brief review by our exhibits team, the submitted wood appears to be modern MDF board of no historical significance. We are therefore unable to accept this item into our holdings.”
Modern.
MDF.
Board.
This diagnosis was delivered without further inquiry, without invitation to discuss provenance, and with all the grace of a state-issued refund check. The returned plank bore a new label—"Non-Accepted Item"—penned in blue marker on adhesive tape. The Order does not, as a rule, traffic in outrage. But we do keep ledgers. And they are long.
Let it be stated clearly: the Order does not seek fame, nor favor, nor press coverage. We operate beneath the fold, beside the fog, and between the pages. But when an honest offering is met with institutional derision—when a gloved hand is swatted by a digitized form letter—one must take note.
To be clear: we are not suggesting malice. But we are suggesting discourtesy, and worse—intellectual myopia.
We now find ourselves in the unfortunate position of considering whether the Manitowoc Shipwreck Museum should be added to the Ledger of Active Institutional Rivals, joining the likes of the Great Lakes Research Consortium.
A formal vote will be held at the Autumn Concord Session.
In the meantime, the plank—regardless of origin—shall be re-catalogued and re-honored, and placed on display in the south alcove of the Chapter House, beneath a modest plaque reading:
"Rejected but Not Forgotten – In Memoriam of Collegiality"
We would have preferred collaboration.
Instead, we are left with MDF and memory.
Editor’s Note:
The views expressed herein represent the sentiments of a majority of respondents, if not a quorum. The plank remains available for inspection (gloved, supervised) during standard ledger hours.