BOARD MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION
Board Meeting and Cultural Program in Bauska and Rundāle
On February 18–19, 2018, the board of the Association of Castles and Museums around the Baltic Sea gathered in Latvia for a meeting. The event kicked off on February 18 with a board meeting held at the historic Bauska Town Hall. Following their discussions, the participants enjoyed a guided tour around the Bauska Old Town. The evening program and group dinner took place in the atmospheric setting of Bauska Castle. The following day, February 19, the delegation concluded their visit with a tour of the Rundāle Palace.
Financial Health and Fee Adjustments
The Association remained in a strong financial position, noting that 37 member castles had finalized their 2017 dues. To sustain ongoing operations and growth, the Board finalized a recommendation to the General Assembly to adjust membership fees starting in 2019, proposing a rate of €100 for main members and €40 for branch members.
Website Modernization and Tourism Route Planners
Under the leadership of Ina Line, the Association’s website underwent major updates. To boost tourism across the Baltic region, a newly formed working group, consisting of Grzegorz Stasielowicz, Jouni Marjamäki, and Kristine Ozola, focused on developing interactive content. The upcoming features planned during this meeting included: Curated route planners for one-day and multi-castle tours. A dedicated "Conferences" section to aggregate regional research, seminars, and presentations.
Regional Growth and New Publications
The Association’s regional footprint continued to expand, with eight potential new member candidates announced across the Baltic states: Kwidzin Castle and the Historical Museum of Gdańsk (Poland), Louhisari Manor and the Hamina fortification (Finland), Kuressaare Castle (Estonia), Āraiši Lake Castle and the Medieval stonecastle (Latvia), Medininki Castle (Lithuania). All candidate venues were invited to attend the next General Assembly. At the same time, production was launched for a revised edition of the Association's book, featuring an introductory text by Marek Stokowski outlining the organization's updated mission and goals.
Looking Ahead to Elbląg
To wrap up the meeting, the Board finalized the dates for the General Assembly and Conference in Elbląg, Poland, scheduled for September 19–21, 2018. The upcoming event program was set to feature a presentation of the Elbląg Museum, a specialized conference titled "Museum of the Future," and a cultural excursion day. The Board also initiated plans to present the next recipient of the prestigious Amber Award during the assembly.
