Current through Register Vol. 18, September 20, 2024
(1)
Organization of the Montana Historical Society
(a)
History The
Montana Historical Society was organized under the provisions of an act of the
legislative assembly of the Territory of Montana entitled "An Act to
Incorporate the Historical Society of Montana" approved February 2, 1865, and
thereafter made to become the Historical Society of the State of Montana by an
act approved March 4, 1891, entitled "An Act Concerning the Historical Society
for the State of Montana and Making an Appropriation Therefore" and by "An Act
to Perpetuate the Historical Society of the State of Montana", approved March
1, 1949. It was also implemented under the provisions of Section I, Chapter 3,
Title 22, Montana Code Annotated 1979. Section 2-15-1511, MCA, 1979 allocates
the society to the Department of Education for administrative
purposes.
(b)
Programs The society consists of the following six
programs.
(i) Administration
(ii) Library
(iii) Museum
(iv) Publications
(v) Historic Preservation
(vi) Education
(c)
Board of
Trustees The government and administration of the society is
vested in a board of trustees. The board consists of 15 trustees appointed by
the Governor, by and with consent of the senate for five year terms.
(d)
Director The
director of the society is appointed by the board of trustees. The director is
responsible for the immediate direction, management, and control of the
society, subject to the general programs and policies established by the
trustees.
(e)
Membership Membership in the Montana Historical
Society is available to the general public subject to the guidelines
established by the board of trustees. The board of trustees is enabled by
section 22-3-107 (4), MCA, 1979 to create such classes of memberships in the
society as they deem desirable, to determine the qualifications for any class
of membership and to set fees to be paid for such memberships.
(2)
Functions of the
Programs The functions of the society's programs are as follows:
(a)
Administration
The Administration Program provides administration and coordination support to
the society, responsible for the effective management, planning, direction, and
leadership of the society. Its activities include central financial control,
coordination of policies and procedures, development of new programs and
services, purchasing, accounting, budgeting, payroll, property control, grant
and proposal writing, security, and public information. Also, the program
administers a museum store which provides an outlet for the sale of educational
and artistic books and products.
(b)
Library The
Library Program has the responsibility to acquire, organize, preserve, and make
accessible to the public published materials, private manuscripts, historical
records, and photographs documenting the history of Montana, the surrounding
region, and the trans-Mississippi west, and to assist researchers in the use of
these materials. Its activities include systematic acquisition of materials,
processing of the collections, consultation and assistance to researchers and
the general public.
(c)
Museum The Museum Program is responsible for
collecting historical, archaeological and ethnological artifacts and fine arts
which pertain to the state of Montana and the general geographical region. Its
activities include cataloging the artifact and art collections, preparing and
mounting exhibits and preservation of the permanent collections.
(d)
Publications
This program is responsible for creating and circulating the state historical
quarterly magazine MONTANA, the Magazine of Western
History. It also creates and circulates a quarterly newsletter and
assists in creation of brochures, and promotional materials for society
programs. The program also operates a state historical press which edits and
publishes books and monographs on Montana history.
(e)
Historic
Preservation The Historic Preservation Program is responsible for
implementing the National Historic Preservation Act and the State Antiquities
Act. Its activities include nominating sites to the National Register,
reviewing tax certification projects, administering federal grants-in-aid,
reviewing federal projects to determine and comment on any impacts to historic
and cultural properties and coordination with local governments, state
agencies, federal agencies and the public on matters relating to historic
preservation.
(f)
Education The Education Program is responsible for
effectively combining and distributing the information resources available in
the other society programs, by gathering and synthesizing historical
information for dissemination through state-wide public programs in venues such
as public schoolrooms, county museums, and other public spaces, activities
include coordinating the traveling education trunks on various heritage themes,
coordinating and distributing other educational tools such as DVDs, books, and
specially prepared literature, and in scheduled teaching assignments and
consultations and conducts tours of the exhibits and the Capitol
building.
(3)
Board
(a)
Historic Preservation Review Board The preservation
review board acts in an advisory capacity to the Historic Preservation Program
and to state agencies. The board consists of nine members appointed by the
Governor to four year terms.
(4)
Information or
Submission General inquiries regarding the society may be
addressed to the director. Specific inquiries regarding the functions of each
program may be addressed to the head of that program. All requests for
hearings, declaratory rulings and for participation in rulemaking may be
addressed to the director.
(5)
Personnel Roster Addresses of the director and each
department are as follows:
Director, Montana Historical Society, Veterans' and Pioneers'
Memorial Building, 225 North Roberts, Helena, Montana, 59620
Library Program, Library Services Manager, 225 North Roberts,
Helena, Montana, 59620
Museum Program, Museum Program Manager, 225 North Roberts,
Helena, Montana, 59620
Publications Program, Editor, 225 North Roberts, Helena,
Montana, 59620
Historic Preservation Program, State Historic Preservation
Officer, 225 North Roberts, Helena, Montana, 59620
Education Program, Education Program Manager, 225 North
Roberts, Helena, Montana, 59620
22-3-107, MCA;
IMP,
22-3-107,
MCA;
