By Marcus Wilder
The first shots of yet another Battle of the Alamo clip branches from trees on Alamo grounds.
This one is a girl fight. Men will be wise to stand back.
The Shrine of Texas Liberty, the Alamo, is owned by the State of Texas. For 105 years, the Alamo has been managed and maintained by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas…The DRT…The Daughters.
The Daughters are 7,000 women descended from Texans here in 1836.
To their enduring credit, The Daughters have operated the Alamo shrine and museum without state aid, without deficit, and [almost] without scandal. The future is the issue.
In 2007, a $60 million plan was unveiled to enlarge Alamo grounds and provide future support. Capital would be raised through membership fees, product merchandising, museum accreditation, and high-dollar donors. [If you have a high-profile business in San Antonio and the Daughters ask for a donation, you will write a generous cheque.] The plan has been modified and slightly reduced, but remains largely as originally presented. The plan is not controversial.
Then…two Daughters challenged the ability of The Daughters to manage this effort. These two Daughters formed a separate non-profit organization they - and others - say is better qualified to manage the Alamo through this expansion and into the future.
The new organization - Friends of the Alamo - has 1,400 friends on Facebook. Fund raising begins next week. [Which high-profile San Antonio businessmen will take sides by contributing to the rebels?]
Charges and counter-charges fly. The rebels received letters from the DRT variously described as warning letters, letters of expulsion, and unspecified threats. Stories get better with telling. Attorneys are involved.
If you think this article short on names and specifics - juicy details - you are correct. I live in this town. The Wall Street Journal has everything you want to know.
Researching books on Pakistan, Spain, Israel, and Mexico, I learned there a minimum of two versions of every story. Which of these stories - and stories not yet told - are true will never be known.
In the meantime, the Alamo is an inspiring place to visit whether you are Texan or not. If you love liberty, you love the Alamo.
San Antonio hotels are seriously stressed. Business for big names is off 40%. Revenue for smaller properties is off 20%. Deal directly with hotels. You can cut a deal. Ask how much they can give you off the rack rate. Saying rack rate makes you sound like you know what you are doing.
Do not take the first offer.
The Riverwalk is heavily shaded and pleasant even during the heat of the day. The Riverwalk is one of the great people watching places.
San Antonio has Fiesta Texas, Sea World, and a water park. San Antonio is the Mother of Mexican food.
Learn more about Marcus Wilder, his books, and his travel, at NaiveAbroad.com. A screenplay is in progress.
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