It takes the efforts of many individuals to run the Historic Brass Society. There are numerous opportunities to participate in our organization and help it continue to lead our community into the future. Leadership, editorial and staff positions as well as several committees offer exciting possibilities for those interested in serving.
This document contains descriptions for all elected positions and many of the appointed positions as well as some of the committees. The new By-Laws of the Historic Brass Society contain further details on the organizational structure of the HBS as well as all elective and many staff positions and some of the committees.
The Nominating Committee is now taking applications for the following positions (all are volunteer positions with no compensation).
You can view the current candidates for each position here: 2021 Elections Candidates.
- Elective Positions:
- Vice President
- Director (1 position)
- NEW!! Member, Editorial Board of the Historic Brass Journal
- Appointed Positions:
- Committee Memberships:
- Membership Committee
- Events Committee
- Staff Positions:
- Assistant Secretary
- Technical Assistants for website and virtual office management
- Committee Memberships:
If you are interested in serving in any position or on any committee or simply want more information, please email the Nominating Committee at nominations (at) historicbrass.org. Preference for candidacy to elected positions will be given by the Nominating Committee to current Members who have been Members for at least three years. Deadline for elected positions for the November 2021 election of Vice President, Director and Editorial Board member was November 7, 2021.
Executive Committee
President
The President is the chief executive officer of the HBS and leads the organization. The President shall serve a term of two years upon completion of a two year term as Vice President. After his or her term ends he or she may not run for re-election as Vice President until a full term expires but may serve in an advisory role to the new President and the Board in the role of Past President for a period of up to one term.
The President is a member of the Board and shall have one vote on the Board. The President acts as Chairman of the Board and conducts the Board meetings but may designate another Board member to conduct meetings.
Vice President
The Vice President is elected by the Membership and serves a two year term or until the end of the current term of the President and automatically becomes President at the end of the term or when the President steps down. The Vice President works with the President to ensure a smooth and continuous running of the Society and learns the responsibilities of the office of President. The term of Vice President ends when the term of President ends at which time the Vice President assumes the position of President for two years.
The Vice President is a member of the Board and has one vote on the Board.
Secretary
The Secretary assumes responsibility both for Membership management and for taking and organizing minutes at meetings of the Membership and the Board. Responsibilities of the Secretary include:
- Processing new memberships to the HBS and membership renewals.
- Serving as Chair of the Membership Committee.
- Taking minutes at meetings of the Membership and the Board of the Directors
- Provide oversight and the organization of HBS Elections
- Serving as Chair of the Nominating Committee.
The Secretary is elected by the Membership and serves a two year term. The Secretary is a member of the Board and has one vote on the Board.
Treasurer
The Treasurer oversees the finances of the HBS which includes the following duties:
- Helps to manage the HBS bank accounts.
- Prepares and files the state and federal tax forms.
- Prepares and presents the annual financial statement of the Society to the Board and its Membership.
- Advises the President and the Board on matters of the HBS finances
- Other duties related to the finances of the HBS as designated by the Board of Directors
The Treasurer is appointed by the Board and serves at the pleasure of the Board with no fixed term length. The Treasurer shall be a member of the Board and shall have one vote on the Board.
Technical Director
The Technology Director oversees the selection, installation, management, policies, compliance and use of all Information Technologies (IT) used by the Society. Areas of responsibility include but are not limited to:
- The HBS website, databases, technologies and structure
- Membership data management systems
- Technical oversight of the posting and cataloging of Journals, articles and other content
- Virtual office and collaboration technologies including conferencing platforms for meetings and webinars
- Online storage of documents and intellectual property
- Online security
- Compliance with privacy regulations
The Technology Director, in collaboration with the President and the Board, may establish and oversee additional volunteer staff positions to assist with the responsibilities of this position. The Technology Director, in collaboration with and with the permission of the President, Treasurer and the Board, may hire outside contractors and service providers to assist with and manage technology needs for the Society. The Technology Director shall be appointed by the Board and serves at the pleasure of the Board with no fixed term length. The Technology Director will attend Board meetings in an advisory capacity but will not be a voting member.The Technical Director may hold another position in addition to this role, however, that does have a vote on the Board. The Technology Director need not be a Member of the Society and may be a paid position or consultant as determined by the Board.
Editorial Positions
Executive Editor
The Executive Editor is in charge of all editorial content and the editorial process, particularly for the Historic Brass Journal, and leads the Editorial Board. The Editorial Board has at least four members.
The Executive Editor, with the approval of the Board of Directors, may add additional members to the Editorial Board with specific titles and responsibilities
Production Editor
The Production Editor shall coordinate with the members of the Editorial Board to lay out the HBS Journal and submit it to the printer for publication. The Production Editor also ensures that all artifacts produced in the process of creating the Journal (i.e., original documents, photographs, charts, emails, production files and final output) are stored in the assigned cloud storage location for each publication to ensure the safekeeping of HBS intellectual property.
The Production Editor is appointed by the Board and serves at the pleasure of the Board with no fixed term length.
Web Content Editor
The Web Content Editor works with the President, editorial staff and the Technology Director to post news and articles on the website. The Web Content Editor is appointed by the Board and serves at the pleasure of the Board with no fixed term length.
Staff Positions
Advertising Manager
The Advertising Manager is responsible for both print and online advertising, working with the Officers, Board, Technology Director and editorial staff. The Advertising Manager assists with developing advertising and pricing policy and expanding revenue sources from advertising. The Advertising Manager is appointed by the Board and serves at the pleasure of the Board with no fixed term length.
Archivists
Archivists of two kinds are needed. One Archivist is needed in the New York City area to work to manage physical documents in our New York office in Manhattan. Additionally, this archivist scans documents for storage and sharing with other officers and staff into our virtual office cloud storage account.
Archivists are also needed to work with the Technology Director to post and catalog the Historical Brass Journal articles and other artifacts on the website among other tasks.
Archivists are appointed by the Board and serve at the pleasure of the Board with no fixed term length.
Standing Committees
There are several committees upon which you may serve. All committee positions are by appointment by the Board.
Editorial Board
Members of the Editorial Board work with the Executive Editor to assist in the selection, review and editing of articles for the Historic Brass Journal.
Events Committee
Members of the Events Committee plan HBS events. These events may be presented solely by the Society or may be in collaboration with other societies or institutions and may work with a local organizing committee for any particular event. Members of the Events Committee serve at the pleasure of the Board with no fixed term limit.
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee has the responsibility to explore avenues by which the HBS membership can grow. It reviews our current membership makeup and policies, conducts surveys and advises the Board on areas where we could improve and increase our membership.The Committee will consist of members appointed by the Board and will be chaired by the Secretary. Members of the Membership Committee serve at the pleasure of the Board with no term limit.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee acts as an advisory board for the purpose of accepting nominations and actively searching for potential Board members, Officers, and committee members. The President makes all appointments under advisement from the Nominating Committee, with approval by the Board. The Nomination Committee is chaired by the Secretary.
Board of Directors
There are nine members of the Board of Directors. Four of these are Officers -- President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer -- and the remaining five are elected by the Membership for three year terms.