Published: March 17, 2008 08:51 pm            

BROMAN: Historical Society and its mission

Preserving history, fostering community

It’s just one of the stories safely ensconced in the archives of the Howard County Historical Society – a story of one school teacher in one small Indiana town. It is a bundle of simple letters from past students, telling of their experiences in World War II. In a larger context, though, the Helen Ross Collection is a reminder of the cost of totalitarianism, and the sacrifice, both individual and collective, that brought our country together. Those are lessons that we can ill afford to forget. There is the lesson of Continental Steel, and the human and environmental destruction wrought by the heedless pursuit of financial gain. There is the story of the Ku Klux Klan and the suffering it caused in the name of race and religion, or the story of a young boy caught in a maelstrom of public confusion over a deadly disease.

The historical society is the public trustee of these and other stories, along with thousands of historical artifacts that help us understand and remember.

The members, volunteers and staff of the historical society are dedicated to preserving these stories and artifacts. Recognizing the vital lessons to be learned from our past, we have embraced our responsibility to keep them alive. Our commitment has led the society’s board of directors, in a seeming contradiction, to spend most of its time looking to the future. From financial resources, to facilities management, to collection management, our goal is to ensure the long-term preservation and study of Howard County history. The economically and politically fractious times we live in only amplify the board’s responsibility to plan for tomorrow.

In 2007, the Community Foundation of Howard County, in cooperation with the Indiana Youth Institute, offered local not-for-profit organizations the opportunity to participate in a capacity-building program. The program seemed custom-made for our needs. We have since gone through a series of training seminars, received a grant to hire a development consultant, and spent countless hours in candid discussions of our role in the community, our goals, and our human and financial resources. Concurrently, the collection management committee has been hammering out a carefully considered plan for our collections, which will be tied to a new exhibit plan and a financial plan that supports both.

Perhaps the most challenging discussion was a re-evaluation of the society’s mission. Our mission statement has worked well for many years, providing a sense of common purpose and a guiding light to the staff, board and committees. But we saw the statement in a different way as we progressed through the capacity-building program and began to reconsider its relevance outside of the society membership. The meetings were animated, sometimes heated, and certainly passionate (fortunately, they were also open-minded and civil). The result was a new statement of mission, which I introduce to you now:

“The Howard County Historical Society believes in the daily relevance of history. As the custodian of Howard County’s unique heritage, the society preserves our community’s collective experiences. In sharing that history, we foster a sense of community – connecting us to our neighbors, the past to the future, and our home to the world.”

It seems simple, in retrospect, although it didn’t during the heat of argument. This is why we should continue to exist. This is why the community should support the society’s efforts to preserve our stories and artifacts – our history, heritage and memory.

Dave Broman is president of the Howard County Historical Society.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.