(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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