comparison

A COMPARISON TABLE

The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Regimental Collection

Due to recent criticisms and comments made about the Museums service under South Lanarkshire Council, it has been decided to present an illustration of the changes made since the Cameronian collection came under the care of the council. It has been suggested, amongst other things, that the Cameronian Collection and traditions of the Regiment are neither respected nor cared for as they should be by our staff. We hope that this comparison will answer such queries and correct some of the unqualified misinformation currently circulating about the service.

2007 (Council controlled)	1983 (MoD controlled)
In 1983, the Council stepped in to save the Cameronian Museum, not only from closure, but saving the collections from being dispersed. The Council provided a caretaker and cleaner to ensure that the separate Cameronian Museum remained open as the MOD withdrew support. Soon after, recognising that the museum also needed curatorial input, the Council upgraded the caretaker post to curator and also created a full time receptionist post. The Council also took over maintenance of the RidingSchool, housing the Cameronian display and paid for rates, heating and lighting, repairs and metered water charges. In addition, out of hours call-out for emergencies was provided. The council has continued to support the Cameronian collection in the period since 1983.	In 1983, MOD withdrew staffing and financial support from the CameronianMuseum
Tells a well-thought out story	You had to know the story to make sense of the display
Devised for general public as well as Cameronians	Devised as a training aid for Regular Army and TA recruits. Not meant primarily for the general public
Has around 4,400 words of explanatory text with about 100 supporting and captioned images	No text. Basic object labels. Photographs mainly formal groups of officers or men
Specially commissioned video (on Gallipoli) from TV company	No specially commissioned movies on show
Additional linked display on the Covenanting background to the origins of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). This has been strengthened recently by a new DVD on the Covenanters at Low Parks Museum. The existing Covenanters display panels have been moved to John Hastie Museum, Strathaven.	Very little on Covenanting background
Thoroughly researched	Unknown
Study room available free of charge by appointment.* Access provided to all our research resources. * At 116 Cadzow Street, Hamilton.	No study room
Full consultation on displays amongst Regimental Trustees, external designers and council staff	No new displays
Dedicated Cameronian temporary exhibition area	No temporary exhibition area
Supporting temporary exhibition on a Cameronian theme each year (in consultation with Regimental Trustees)	No temporary exhibitions
Full enquiry service – about 400 research enquiries from all over the world undertaken each year on Cameronian subjects – mainly family history. Other enquirers include: BBC and other media; overseas armed forces; authors of best sellers such as Hugh Sebag-Montefiori’s Dunkirk and Meg Henderson’s A Scent of Bluebells; other museums.	Public enquiries referred to other agencies
Professional advice to other museums, military museums and organisations.
Our service is a “centre of excellence” on digitisation projects. Lanarkshire Family History Society (LFHS) transcribed WW1 War Diaries into searchable files for public and staff access. Friends of Low Parks Museum Society (FLPMS) are carrying out the same massive task on WW2 War Diaries.
Digital collections gallery on site giving access to about 100 images not on display	No additional images on show
Story Boards on computer kiosk giving additional fascinating stories such as Regimental music, the Oman campaign, etc	No story boards
Enormously increased range of Cameronian-linked items on sale in the shop	Small range of items on sale
Mail order shop services with a large stock.	Mail order shop service
All Cameronian medals on display in dedicated medal drawers allowing visitors to see the detail. Index to medals on show	Minimal labelling on medals mounted in wall cases. Difficult to see details. No index.
Recently completed Lottery funded project (thanks to Scottish Museums Council (SMC) and Heritage Lottery Fund) has resulted in the addition of about 6,000 scanned photographs both Cameronian and non-Cameronian to our collections database.	Technology not available so no equivalent possible
Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network (SCRAN) projects have resulted in over 100 Cameronian objects not on display being featured on the Internet.	Technology not available so no equivalent possible
Video interviews with Cameronian veterans of WW2 on display	No interviews
Volunteers from Lanarkshire Family History Society (LFHS) and Friends of Low Parks Museum Society have transcribed all the Regimental War Diaries we hold from WW1 and are working though the Diaries from WW2. Total transcribed currently (May 2007) and searchable: 646,400 words (Tolstoy’s War & Peace 552,000)	No transcriptions.
Since 2001, volunteers have been working almost exclusively on making previously virtually inaccessible Cameronian archives available for research and enquiries	No volunteers.
Professional care of collections	No trained curators
Damage to collections particularly textiles: uniforms, banners and flags from over-exposure to light means that much of the collections is in store and rotated by means of temporary exhibitions. The damage suffered in the past by the iconic Covenanting banners is catastrophic.	Banners left in direct sunlight for years. Museum Association code of ethics not adhered to and little understanding of curatorial requirements.
New collecting continued with financial support and advice from Regimental Trustees	Collecting by the Regiment from the earliest years has created a first class collection and archive
Continuing advice and support from Regimental Trustees in shaping the uses of the Cameronian collection The Cameronian Trustees have been key partners in developing all our new Cameronian displays and making generous funding towards the enlargement of the old buildings into the new museum at Low Parks opened in 2000.
New initiatives being developed continuously e.g. new VC display under development showing replicas of all Cameronian and linked VCs.	Static basic service.
The Cameronian collection was gifted to South Lanarkshire Council by the Regimental Trustees. The Trustees petitioned the Court of Session, Scotland’s supreme civil court, to allow the gift to go ahead.
Consultation: South Lanarkshire Council is proud to have gone beyond the terms of the formal agreement on managing the Cameronian collection and displays and engage in the fullest cooperation with the Regimental Trustees.
The announcement in 2007 that all three South Lanarkshire Council museums have achieved full Museums Accreditation status with the MLA shows that the UK museum community at the highest level recognises that the Cameronian and the other collections the council owns and manages are in safe hands.

We are unique in being the only Regimental museum in Scotland run by a Local Authority.

We always strive to maintain the highest standard of temporary exhibition. We have in past exhibitions highlighted the horrors of the Crimea, as well as the injustices and inhumanity of the Second World War. Our current temporary exhibition Without Glory illustrates the resonance that past Cameronian campaigns have with current military engagements. None of this could be considered shying away from difficult military subjects or indeed themes of war.

We consider ourselves honoured to be able to tell the story of The Cameronians and have the utmost respect for the Regiment. We believe we have a responsibility to uphold the Regiment’s legacy by presenting their story to all our visitors in as accessible a way as possible.

The public is probably unaware of the warm, strong and close partnership which has existed for many years between the Cameronian Trustees and the Council. This relationship reflects the strong roots that the wider Cameronian family has put down in our local communities.

The most inaccurate and unfair comments of all are that our staff members do not care. The file full of thank you letters from our world wide public in appreciation of our hard work and dedication to the history of the Regiment shows how untrue that is.