Tom and Janet: Very nice to meet you Mrs. Peabody.

Jen and Brent: Nice to meet you Mrs. Peabody.

Peggy: Well, nice to meet you all. Stick with this Porter, she’s a mover and a shaker. I knew it from the first time we met, she’s one to watch.

Bette: Peggy stop it you’re embarrassing me.

Peggy: Dear has embarrassment ever stopped me before? I’ll see you for my guided tour later.

Bette: That ladies and gentlemen is the whirlwind known as Peggy.

Tom: She is a pistol and definitely in your corner. I’m taking her advice and sticking with you Porter.

Brent: Once again you’ve rendered me speechless; you rock Bette.

Bette: Oh stop it and go eat and grab a drink before we start the program.

Ten more minutes of greeting and Bette is given the sign to start the program.

Bette: First let me wish everyone a happy and healthy 2010. We are about midway through our fiscal year and thanks to patrons, donors and friends like you we are having an amazing year. It is with great pride that I introduce today’s out new exhibit, Martin Luther King Relevant Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Reverend King’s message is one of inclusion, fairness and opportunity. We have taken that theme to reach out to the youth and families of the New York and are welcoming them to our museum in record numbers with our school programs, family Sunday events and tomorrow we look for lots of families and new visitors to join us for our Whitney After Dark program to unveil this limited engagement. Please take your time through the exhibit after the program. It is in the spirit of inclusion and hope for our youth that I introduce the Boys Choir of Harlem.

The boys file into the rotunda to a thunderous round of applause. They begin with Lift Every Voice and Sing, perform a number of popular American tunes ending with Sinatra’s New York, New York. The crowd is in a proud and jovial mood after that number and move through the exhibit in droves. Prior to tonight’s event Bette had spent about and hour giving the choir a tour of the exhibit and answering questions about the exhibit, the museum, careers in art and what it was like to live in Los Angeles. Bette was sure to thank the boys for coming to perform today and to let then know she was proud of them not just because they could sing, but because they were good citizens and represented themselves, their families, New York and the United States is a very respectable fashion. Finally she encouraged them to come back to the museum with their families to see this exhibit and the rest of the museum.

Bette made herself available to the patrons and guests inside the exhibit hall answering questions and charming the guests. Her friends marvel at how eloquent, yet down to earth Bette was with each of them and how people really seem to hang on her every word. Jen finally slides up to her.

Jen: This has been an amazing night. I know you have to get home to prepare for Tina and Angelica to come tomorrow, but we’d really like to take you out for a drink or a coffee when you are done.

Bette: You know I’d actually like to hang out with you guys for a bit tonight. Let’s just walk across to the diner.

Jen: We’ll just wait for you and walk over together.

Bette: I’m just about done, just need to get my coat and head out.

Thirty minutes later they are in the diner having coffee and pie.

Brent: Well I’m not much for art, but wow that was pretty cool tonight.

Jen: I was blown away by the choir. I’ve seen them on television but live they are amazing.

Janet: Bette you are amazing at your job. I can see why the museum didn’t give up on getting you here.

Tom: I’m still caught up on grandma Peggy. Angelica is a very lucky little girl.

Bette: Well the art world brings people from various walks of life together. The art world introduced Peggy and I and for some reason she took a liking to me and that’s followed through to Angelica. She’s been like a guardian angel for us really. But she is pistol and keeps me on my toes as well.

Janet: Well we just appreciate you inviting us tonight to see your accomplishment, we are really proud of you. We raise our coffee cups to you.

They all laugh and clink their cups in Bette’s honor. Tom gets the bill and they head outside to grab taxis. Bette says she’ll just walk home, but Brent and Jen draw her into their taxi and drop her at her front door. They promise to call when they get back in town. Bette heads up and can’t wait to call Tina and Angelica on the web cam.