Membership programs will undoubtedly suffer after the termination of the staff person responsible for them. Astronomy, until recently a keystone program, is being slashed. The staff astronomer was terminated, many of the outreach and theater programs have ended, and astronomy exhibits are being downgraded or eliminated. All of these are worrisome signs that after 25 years as a flagship institution for science education in the commonwealth, the Science Museum of Virginia is being crippled and may well become a second-class sidelight of Virginia’s education program. This would be a tremendous loss. The need for increased emphasis on science education to maintain Virginia’s competitive place in commerce and manufacturing is seemingly being met by reducing opportunities.