History & Archives
John Peterson - Chair
Lebanon
Purpose: Gather from all possible sources, historical material on the genealogical development of the clubs in District 6510. Develop and preserve all historical material pertaining to the District. Encourage clubs to maintain a historical record of their club's development, activities, and achievements.
Goal: Organize and publicize competitive displays of club scrapbooks, albums, and historical material at the District Conference. Complete District Club/History as Centennial Project
Assembling History and Artifacts - Club Level
Distributed by Fred Sloan, Rotary Club of Carbondale-Breakfast, at the 2004 District Conference at Rend Lake
Club secretary
- is responsible for storing and preserving artifacts and historical materials
- may assign to someone who has a special interest in club history, but secretary is ultimately responsible
- club annual reports helpful as source for club history
- use visual history in orientation of new members
- club display for district conference grows out of club history, using photos, historical material, and appropriate artifacts. Appoint someone with interest in the dispaly to head project.
- clearly identify each item with date and significance
- secretary send annual club reports to district office, with additional copy for district historian. Locate and send as many old annual reports to district office as possible.
- not every piece of information is important to district. Carefully screen what you send.
- clearly identify each item sent to district office with date and significance.
Photographs
- frequent picture-taking a must
- must designate someone as photographer
- expenses paid by club
- document club activities, special programs, awards, social occasions
- keep only the most significant photos; disregard the rest
- write names, dates, and participants on back of each, using acid-free pen
- prepare album at year's end (using only acid-free materials)
Safe Storage
- storage space should be clean, organized, and lockable
- only the president, secretary, and sergeant-at-arms should have keys
- Do you know where your club Charter is? Take good care of your Charter?
- inventory all stored items at year's end and find all missing items
- clearly label all boxes
- Borrowers of archival items must sign a permanent card showing secretary's approval, when borrowed, and when returned.
- Keep permanent, cumulative file of minutes. If incomplete, appoint former secretaries and/or presidents to research and assemble missing minutes, which are of great historical importance. If all efforts to find missing minutes fail, reconstruct the critical events and decisions of missing years to the best of your ability. Memories will dim even more with time.
- Keep complete, permanent file of members, with essential membership information. If incomplete, appoint former secretaries and/or presidents to research and reconstruct missing membership records using whatever other records are available.
Web Site
- post the highlights of your club history on the club web site and keep it current
- e-mail updated club history to district web site and keep current
- assign responsibility to a small committee headed by the secretary and the club webmaster
Written History
- When was your club history last updated? It should be done every 5 years.
- The history need not be expensive but should summarize events, accomplishments, and awards given by and won by the club.
- Start now and work backward. You may lose heart if you start at the beginning and work forward. In the meantime, be gathering any and all historical material.
- Immediately attach date and other identification of every item when you find it. Don't trust your future memory.
- Club should budget for cost.
Assembling History and Artifacts - District Level
- District historian/archivist works under Deputy Governor for Operations. Would be helpful for historian/archivist to have the assistance of a committee to promote development of histories and identification and collection of archives.
- Assistant governors should also promote
- Governor's newsletter should carry occasional reminders to encourage clubs to write histories and organize and preserve artifacts.
- Best club history could become a district award category.
- Archivist and district office share some responsibilities and should cooperate.
- If a club is terminated, a team from the district should collect all relevant club documents.
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