SMHS
SMHS
Many of us who look in on this site from time to time are members of the Superstition Mountain Historical Society (SMHS). Does anyone have any information on the status of this organization and when the next SMHS Journal is due to be mailed ? I have not received a journal in two years. Have they discontinued this ? I always looked forward to the articles and information in the journals. Come to think of it, I can't remember when I got the last newsletter. Anybody on the board listening in ?
I receive my newsletter at sporadic intervals. Last time I asked (several months ago) I was told they were doing final editing on the two late journal issues, and it was taking a long time due to the volume of material. So now they should be sending out 3 journals (2000, 2001, 2002). <br>I'm getting a little impatient too, especially since our membership fee went up.
Seems to me you folks need some sort of "editor-in -chief" person to be responsible for editing and putting together the journal. This can be a daunting task for someone doing this in their spare time, or who needs to handle a half-dozen or so other chores and still worry about the tedious work of "journal preparation". <br> <br>Any volunteers?
I inquired about the journal last December and was told the staff had too much work to do and they were trying to edit and proofread the materials for printing. That was 6 months ago. I gathered the staff was busy with other things and the journal took the back burner. This doesn't present a good image of the SMHS. The journal has been a big part of the membership in the past, many folks signing up just to get the journal each year. Two years of no publication of the journal while taking the members dues, AND EVEN RAISING THE DUES THIS YEAR BY 66% doesn't speak well for the SMHS board or journal staff. I realize this is a volunteer staff but the point is, the Society collects the dues and promises a journal to each member. How one part of an organization is run is a good indication of how the overall organization is managed. The Society gets a bad reputation and the journal, which once was a good source of information and resources, gets a bad reputation also. If the staff is too busy or no one seems to volunteer to do the journal work, there are plenty of places that specialize in collecting, editing and printing small publications for groups and organizations. What about the people who were members and quit and never got their journals the past two years ? It would be good if someone from the board or staff could reply and answer some of the concerns.
We have the newsletter back on track and it is coming out quarterly. Volume 19 Number 1 Jan-April 2002 was sent in January 2002, Volume 19 Number 2 April-July was sent mid-April. I am currently working on Volume 19 Number 3 that will be coming out In late July 2002. <br> <br>The Volume 18 SM Journal 2000 is definitely at Ray's Printing. I talked to him on May 17th and he has assured me he will have the jounral printed and in my hands to mail out the week of May 27-31, 2002. <br> <br>Lanna Mesenbrink and Gregory Davis(Board Members) have enlisted the aid of Jack Carlson and Elizabeth Stewart to help with finalizing Volume 19 2001 journal. It has been typed but does need to be proofread and corrected before it goes to the printer. <br> <br>Gregory Davis(board member) is also working on compiling information for the Volume 20 Journal for 2002.
I have read your comments and made a copy of them to take to the SMHS Board Meeting at 6:00 pm Tuesday, May 21, 2002. If any of you would like to attend and also voice your comments the meeting will be held at 575 N Idaho Road, Apache Junction, AZ in the County Supervisors Board Room. <br> <br>If anyone of you would like to volunteer your services to help with the journal using the progam "pagemaker' we would be happy to have your assistance.
The next SMHS Board Meeting is Tuesday, May 21st at 575 N Idaho Road, Apache Junction. Our Board Meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of every month for those of you wanting to attend them. <br>If you would like to be on the board please contact us and we will send you an application. <br> <br>The last newsletter was mailed to all members in mid April 2002. The previous one was mailed in January 2002. <br>If anyone has articles they would like to share with other members please submit to [email protected] or mail them to P O Box 3845, Apache Jct, AZ 85217, andwe can put it into the next newsletter. The next newsletter will be sent the end of July 2002. <br>We apologize for the delay of the journals being completed. HOwever the Jounral for 2000 is at the printers now and I am to have it the week of May 27-31 for mailing per the printer. <br> <br>If any of yyou ahve comments to make, please feel free to direct to our email of [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.
I'd suggest that we could try to think of a constructive way to help fix this problem. Isn't the SMHS composed of all volunteers? So if there are problems getting the journal and newsletter out, maybe some of us could spare some time to help out (assuming that the problem is lack of resources). <br> <br>I see Shirley has suggested one way to help out above, for anyone who knows how to use Pagemaker. Are there any other ways in which a few volunteers could help out? I'd guess that most of the participants on this bulletin board are reasonably handy with a computer. Or is the main problem getting enough submissions in order to fill out the journal?