Newsflash #4--Published 11/27/2023
To Members and Friends of NBHS,
We hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and welcome to the fourth edition of the NBHS Newsflash. It has been four months since we last "flashed" and your Board of Directors have been working very hard to build up the museum, your membership and our future. PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THIS NEWSFLASH AS IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT MEMBER INFORMATION. In the event this wound up in your spam folder, make sure you allow emails from titusvillehistory@gmail.com.
INDOOR SIDEWALK SALE AND GARAGE SALE
On September 30th we had an Indoor Sidewalk Sale at the Museum. This was our only fundraising event this year and it was a success. Our deepest thanks to all of you who took the time to support us throughout this event with your donations and purchases. Special thanks to Dr. Clark for his generous donation of his woodworkings to the event and also to Maureen Phillips for the lovely gift baskets she put together and donated for our raffle. Since we had some nice items left over from our Indoor Sidewalk Sale, we decided to have a Garage Sale on November 17th & 18th. Mother Nature did not cooperate with us on the 17th, however she gave us a break on the 18th and we were able to raise some more money for the museum on that day. Thank you again to all who supported us with your donations and purchases on that day. We can not leave this topic without giving a BIG SHOUT OUT to Susan Nelson for her unwavering dedication to the organization of both events. She went above and beyond to ensure that these events were well organized and successful.
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GIFT SHOP
Just in time for the holidays, we have a new addition to our gift shop. Be sure to stop by and get an NBHS Christmas Ornament designed and made by our very own Lynda Siems. And while you are here, be sure to look at our other items which can make great gifts and stocking stuffers. The best part is that your membership gets you special member pricing on most of our items and we accept cash, credit cards and Paypal.
WORKSHOPS
Dr. Debbie Coughlin, our Vice-President, is a retired educator who is conducting HiSTORY Workshops for kids at the museum. These are very fun educational workshops covering different themes. The feedback from these have been outstanding! If you have a child between the ages of 5-9, check out our workshops section of our website to see what is available.
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MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS AND DUES
The Museum has been able to keep its annual dues at the same level for quite a few years. However, as is the case with a lot of us and other businesses and organizations, expenses have increased. As the Board was reviewing our current annual operating expenses and our current level of memberships, it became clear that in order for us to insure the future of our organization--to be able to provide a viable operation, education for our youth and preservation of our history--we would need to increase our dues. We know this is not something people want to hear, especially this time of year, but it is a necessity. We wanted to keep the increase as small as we could, but we also didn't want it so small that we would have to keep increasing it every year. As you know, we are strictly funded by our membership dues, donations and fundraisers. As long as our membership base and donations retain their current level, or hopefully improve, and we have a couple of successful fundraisers during the year, we should be able to maintain our organization (providing operating expenses remain fairly steady). Therefore, the Board has approved the following new dues levels,effective January 1, 2024:
Single $30 per year
Family $40 per year
Business Sponsorship $60 per year
Single Lifetime $500
Family Lifetime $600
Now what does this mean for you? The majority of you will be renewing your memberships in December. You will be receiving your renewal notices by email or US mail in the first week of December. Please make sure that you get your renewal in by the end of December before the increase in dues takes effect. The easiest way to renew is through our website, www.northbrevardhistoricalmuseum.org. You can pay with credit card or Paypal. If you prefer cash or check, you can also print off the renewal form and send it to us through US mail. For those of you that receive your renewal in the mail, a form will be provided for you to complete and mail back to us with your payment.
For those of you who are not up for renewal until 2024, we have decided to give you the opportunity to renew in December at the current dues level. If you choose to do so, we will extend your membership one year from the expiration date that is shown on your membership card (i..e. into 2025). Please note that you will not be receiving any notice of renewal in December. Check your membership card for your expiration date, and if it is in 2024, and you want to renew now, please go to our website to process your renewal prior to January 1st.
We value your support and hope that the dues increase of less than $1 per month does not dissuade you from continuing your support. Besides supporting the preservation of history, we are in the process of planning events for 2024 that should be educational and fun and give you more for your membership.
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2024--WE NEED YOUR HELP
The Board of Directors is responsible for the management of the North Brevard Historical Society & Museum. We have done a lot in 2023--our "Year of Rebuilding"--and are now working on projects for 2024. However we are "stretched pretty thin" with all we are trying to accomplish for the museum, let alone our personal lives. We really need your help for us to be successful. That help can be in a variety of different forms--working as a docent, helping out at events, being on a committee. Your time commitment is totally up to you. We want 2024 to be a fun year for our members and in order to do that your help is critical . Review the next section--VOLUNTEERS--and see what might interest you. You can express your interest by replying to this email (MAKE SURE YOU HIT REPLY AND NOT REPLY ALL), contacting us through our website, www.northbrevardhistoricalmuseum.org,, or sending a message to our email, titusvillehistory@gmail.com.
VOLUNTEERS
Events Committee
Thank you to those of you who responded with some excellent feedback on events you would like to see the museum put on next year. This is one of our top priorities and where we currently need the most help. We need people who are willing to help us plan and organize a variety of events for our members. Our goal is one "major" event per quarter with possibly a few smaller events in between.
Docents
This is a fun job. If you love history, like talking with people and are willing to work one four hour shift per month then this is for you.
Treasurer
We don't want to use the term "desperate",yet, but we are really in need of someone who would be interested in becoming our Treasurer. You would be an Officer on the Board of Directors involved in the leadership of this organization. You would be responsible for the safe-keeping of the Society funds and financial records. You would deposit all monies received and disburse all funds that are owed. You would attend monthly Board of Directors meetings and present the latest financial statements. You would process and complete all financial and tax reporting forms. This job is not as daunting as it sounds and a lot of the work can be done from home. You will be fully trained by the current Treasurer. If you have an interest, know of someone who might be interested, or want further information, please contact us through our website.
Artifacts Committee
One of our goals for 2024 is to begin a "refresh" of the museum. This involves fixing and updating signage of our artifacts, updating our displays, adding new displays, and other tasks as needed. Members of this committee would be responsible for completing these tasks throughout the year.
WEBSITE
Be sure to regularly check our website,www.northbrevardhistoricalmuseum.org,to keep abreast of our events, workshops, volunteer opportunities and other museum information.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS
The Board of Directors meet monthly, typically on the third Monday of the month, starting at 10am. Visitors are welcome to attend these meetings. We only ask that you let us know ahead of time if you would like to attend. Meeting space is limited and this way we can ensure there is room for you. Contact us through the website or our email if you would like to attend.
That is it for this issue of NBHS Newsflash. If you have any questions or concerns, contact us through our website or email us at titusvillehistory@gmail.comand we will respond as soon as we can.
Thank you again for all of your support. It is deeply appreciated. Since this is the final Newsflash for 2023, we wish all of you a Happy Holiday Season!
TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'VE BEEN