Owner of dinosaur relics demands new board of directors, business plan at Bollinger County Museum

MARBLE HILL, Mo. — The owner of Missouri’s dinosaur bones has given an ultimatum if the Bollinger County Museum of Natural History wants to keep his fossil collection and displays there.

Guy Darrough outlined his conditions in a letter at a joint meeting of the Will Mayfield Heritage Foundation and the Bollinger County Museum of Natural History last week.

Darrough owns the Missouri dinosaur and other dinosaur relics that have been on display for nearly 20 years.

Darrough told the two boards in the letter he wants the museum’s current board of directors to step down and be replaced by a new board or else he will begin to move out his fossils in February.

On Monday, Bill Teeters of the museum board sent an email memo to the people who had expressed an interest in keeping the museum open. The memo was obtained by the Banner-Press from a confidential source. In Teeters’ memo, he included a lengthy letter from Darrough outlining his requirements and setting a deadline.

The two boards held a public meeting Sept. 28 to gather ideas about how to keep the dinosaur museum afloat. From that meeting came a list of community members who volunteered to serve on the museum board and the Mayfield Foundation board. Erin Schulte of St. Louis also suggested a new board with fresh ideas might be the ideal place to start.

Darrough was not at that meeting, but in his letter, he laid out his requirements, as it relates to him and his wife, Doris:

“If​ the​ ​Darroughs​’ ​involvement​ with​ ​the​ ​Museum​ ​is​ ​to​ ​continue​ ​we​ ​must​ ​have​ ​the following​ ​done: 1) ​The​ ​current​ ​board​ ​will​ ​step​ ​down​ ​and​ ​a​ ​new​ ​board​ ​be​ ​formed. 2)​ ​A​ museum financial statement​ and​ ​a​ ​WMH Foundation​ financial​ statement ​has to be ​​provided​ in​ ​order​ to​ analyze​ ​the​ health​ ​of​ ​the​ account​​. 3)​ ​Create​ ​a​ ​business ​plan​ for ​the​ future of the ​museum and​ an​ agreement​ ​to respect our ​involvement.​ Our​ resources ​come at​ a cost​ ​to​ our​ ​time​ ​and ​pocketbook.”

In the letter, Darrough stated he and his wife were notified the museum’s finances reached “potential jeopardy level.”

“We,​ ​Guy​ ​and​ ​Doris​ ​Darrough,​ ​​were​ ​recently​ ​informed​ ​that​ ​the​ ​Museum’s​​ ​​financial status​ ​has​ ​reached​ ​a​ ​potential​. These​ ​combined​ ​debts,​ ​poor​ ​promotion and​ ​a​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​respect​ for​ ​our​ ​involvement​ ​with​ ​the​ ​museum has​ ​set​ ​the​ ​course​ ​for​ ​these events.​ ​The​ ​present​ ​board​ ​is​ ​solely​ ​responsible​ ​for​ ​this​ ​dysfunction.​ ​They​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to put​ ​the​ ​blame​ ​elsewhere,​ ​but​ ​if​ ​you​ ​examine​ ​the​ ​facts,​ ​the​ ​big​ ​red​ ​arrow​ ​points​ ​directly to​ ​them.​ ​I​ ​do​ ​not​ ​believe​ ​these​ ​are​ ​bad​ ​folks,​ ​but​ ​they​ ​have​ ​not​ ​handled​ ​the​ ​museum​ ​in a​ ​proper​ manner.”

Darrough is the owner of Lost World Studios in Cadet, Missouri, and said he has profitable dinosaur exhibits throughout the country.

He oversees a dig in Glenallen, Missouri, and, according to his letter to the boards, he has discovered another dinosaur skeleton at that dig.

He is building a new exhibit at a museum in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.

“We​ ​were​ ​informed​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Sept.​ ​28​ ​meeting​ ​held​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Mayfield​ ​Cultural​ ​Center,​ ​it​ ​was attended​ ​by​ ​people​ ​in​ ​the​ ​community​ ​that​ ​expressed​ ​an​ ​interest​ ​in​ ​seeing​ ​that​ ​the museum​ ​continue​ ​with​ ​our​ ​involvement​​ and​ ​exhibits,” Darrough wrote.​ ​“After​ ​that​ ​meeting​ ​we​ ​got​ ​so​ ​many phone​ ​calls​ ​and​ ​emails​ ​from​ ​those​ ​that​ ​have​ ​insight​ ​into​ ​what​ ​has​ ​been​ ​going​ ​on​ ​at​ ​the museum,​ ​I​ ​did​ ​not​ ​realize​ ​that​ ​so​ ​many​ ​others​ ​have​ ​had​ ​bad​ ​experiences​ ​at​ ​the museum.​ ​When​ ​even​ ​teachers​ ​say​ ​they​ ​will​ ​never​ ​bring​ ​their​ ​kids​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the​ ​museum again,​ ​something​ ​is​ ​very​ ​wrong.”

Darrough also noted the museum is not open often enough to make it profitable for him to keep his exhibits there.

Teeters said in his memo he had contacted the University of Missouri Extension to see whether it has a course designed to help not-for-profit organizations learn how to build their boards of directors.