(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
(6)
Chart of Agency Organization A descriptive chart of the
Montana Historical Society is attached as the following page and is incorporated in
this rule.
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