Chapter Positions / Historian

[LIL3L3PHANT]

We just had chapter elections, I was elected as chapter historian. However, historian is a fairly new posisition in my chapter. I'm only the third one to hold this posistion! I really want to expand this position. Does anyone have any advice you can give me?

[SnowLady]

DO you have a chapter manual from your HQ that suggests what this position entails? That would be the first place to start.

Next, is there anyone in the chapter that creates a scrapbook of events throughout the year? If not, then I'd start there! Take pictures, ask for doubles, etc. You do not have to be the best scrapbooker in the world, just so that you are creating a historical perspective of what your chapter did throughout the year. Don't forget to write about the events. Pictures speak a 1000 words, but actual words will leave an impression for years to come.

Keep track of events! YOu could do a time-line, too. Put in there awards your chapter earned or even applied for.

Does your Secretary keep hisorical minutes? If not this is SO important for your chapter. YOu could start this year if not. You keep these as they are the official record of the business of your chapter. Establish a file system that maintains that history so that future officers can go there ideas.

Best yet, ask your chapter why they created this position and what their expectations are for it!

Good Luck!

[PhoenixAzul]

I am our Historian, and I must prepare a scrapbook for recruitment, (and subsequently block out any Rho Chis during recruitment, which, ironically, is me). I think I'm also in charge of building our website, which I might pass off to my wonderful web designer boyfriend. I have to photograph and record important events.

[Boodleboy322]

Our Chapter historian mainly did a lot of picture taking, archiving appreciation letters from Philanthropy events, and keeping copies of the secretary's/treasurer's minutes report.

As tempting as it may be to video tape your initiation ritual or activities that involve your rights of passage I would highly advise against it.

Our National Historian, while in this office, put together a centennial book that talks about the history of our brotherhood through the generations. It talks about the founding fathers, the ideals, the years when hazing was out of control, etc.

Originally posted by LIL3L3PHANT
We just had chapter elections, I was elected as chapter historian. However, historian is a fairly new posisition in my chapter. I'm only the third one to hold this posistion! I really want to expand this position. Does anyone have any advice you can give me?

[chideltjen]

Our historian also takes pictures at all events. She is also in charge of a scrapbook for the semester and a semester video/slide show to be used at Recruitment the following semester.

She is also in charge of alumnae relations. She sends out the weekly updates to alumnae. But this may not apply to you if you already have an alumnae chair.

I started something when I was historian. I would develop my pictures from the events and let girls order them. Kind of like a makeshift Party Pics. I would charge about .30 a copy or something. Be warned though... have the girls pay up front. I think one sister was still owed $15.00 because sisters wouldn't pay for their prints. It takes a system and some organization on your part, just to make sure you aren't getting jimped.

[Corsulian]

Make a giant family tree of your chapter, nay, your entire Greek community

[JupiterTC]

Does your national headquarters require a chapter history to be written every semester? Tri Delta requires every chapter to write a history for every term, and it must be submitted to them by a certain date. It's basically a concise summary of what happened over the course of the term (socials, mixers, Greek Week, recruitment, etc). Not only does the chapter keep an ongoing history, but the national headquarters also keeps an archive of every chapter ever existed.

I wrote the chapter history this term, which was really neat because we are a brand new chapter and I was the first to write the history .

[KSigkid]

Congratulations on getting the position. Some things that our history chair generally did were to take pictures at functions (rush, chapter events), schedule composite appointments, make photo collages for each of the semesters, and keep a plaque updated that tracked each semester's initiated class.

If you have a chapter library, keeping that library organized and current would be another taks that the historian could fulfill.