Minutes of the Annual Meeting
of the
Nevada Judicial Historical Society
Carson City, Nevada
September 20, 2013
The annual meeting of the membership was called to order by Chairman Michael Fondi at 12:20, there being a quorum of the paid membership present. Present were Secretary Susan Southwick, Treasurer Janette Bloom, Vice-Chairman Jeff Kintop, trustees Patricia Cafferata, Donald Klasic, and Justice Mark Gibbons. Also present was member Christine Timko, with trustee Jim Smith arriving later.
The minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Membership of September 14, 2012 were approved as mailed. Gibbons/Klasic.
Treasurer Janette Bloom noted that the report dated August 6 represents the status to date, with a balance of $5,815.50, not including any 2014 dues. The report was approved.
Chairman Fondi presented the “Annual Report” required by the By-laws, noting that most of the content would be covered in the individual project reports to follow.
Susan Southwick reported for both Patricia Cooper-Smith and Peter Smith on the status of the Joint Oral History Project. Nine pending oral histories were edited by Ms. Cooper-Smith into final format and put on line at the web-site of the University of Nevada, Reno’s Special Collections Library. Copies were also printed and spiral bound with plastic covers for each of the Project’s participants and for each of the interviewees or their families.
Peter Smith not being present, various members discussed the Lyon County plaque dedication, which is to be held in Yerington on November 14, following oral arguments by the Northern Panel of the Nevada Supreme Court. The high school will be involved and Peter Smith intends to make a presentation on Justice Horatio McClean Jones, the first Nevada judge for Lyon County, riding circuit as a justice of the Territorial Supreme Court. Justice Gibbons suggested that since Patricia Cafferata had written an article on the Lyon County Courthouse, she also make a brief presentation on that topic. Justice Hardesty will introduce the NJHS members present, and local dignitaries and judges will be invited to attend, also.
Jeff Kintop reported that he had been working with Peter Barton of the State Museum to find a source to improve the presentation of the “Ten Cases” exhibit located in the old Supreme Court chambers in the Capitol. He said that Pacific Studio in Seattle has a system to copy each CD into a digital repeater which would work well, except at present the system cannot handle the 12 CDs in the exhibit. Since the price is very reasonable, he hopes that they will be able to accommodate the higher number soon. They might also be able to update the existing exhibit panel. He will report back at the March, 2014 meeting.
Regarding the justices’ memorials from the Nevada Reports being available on-line, Mr. Kintop noted that the Legislative Counsel Bureau has scanned all of the Nevada Reports including the memorials, but that none of the portraits are included. He has converted those to a PDF file available through the web-site of Cultural Affairs, but they are not easily found using a browser. He and Paula Doty of the Supreme Court Library are working to find copies of the Reports that can be easily scanned into digital form which would be searchable. Janette Bloom suggested contacting the State Printing Office to determine whether they have any of the files available. When the memorials are available, they will be linked from the State Library and Archives site to the NJHS site at the Supreme Court.
The date for the 2014 annual meeting was set for Friday, September 19.
There being no new business, the annual membership meeting was adjourned at 1:20 p.m.
Minutes of the Annual Meeting
of the
Board of Trustees of the Nevada Judicial Historical Society
September 20, 2013
Board Chairman Michael Fondi called the meeting to order at 1:25 p.m., there being a quorum present.
The minutes of the annual meeting of September 14, 2012 and the Board meeting of March 15, 2013 were approved as read.
Susan Southwick updated information on the Belmont Courthouse restoration efforts. She spoke with Chief Justice Pickering, who is very interested in the project, and learned that current efforts are to replace 29 of the windows, with 9 already completed. The Courthouse Society also is in need of information on the building, especially photographs. There was some discussion as to where records not already researched might be found, but Jeff Kintop, State Archivist, believes that almost everything known has been covered. There was general agreement that, at present, the Judicial Historical Society’s limited resources should go to completing projects already underway. Justice Gibbons said he would act as a liaison with Chief Justice Pickering on the matter.
Susan Southwick reported that Brad Williams, representing one third of the Joint Oral History Project, would like to see that the 12 histories now completed be published in hard-bound format for distribution to libraries in the state. She said he had contacted Silver State Industries (the Prison printing service) and determined that each history could be printed and bound for about $12.00 apiece. A quick review of the Nevada Library directory indicates that there are about 61 libraries which could be recipients. That number does not include the branches of public libraries, nor any school libraries. Many of the special libraries (such as hospitals) would not be interested, so could be dropped from distribution, while large branch public libraries could be added, if desired.
There is about $16,000 remaining in the grant to print and distribute the existing histories and the remainder should be used to finalize any still in the pipeline. A list of new candidates for interviews would have to be developed before the project could go forward. It seemed to be the consensus that the Ad hoc committee (Brad Williams, Peter Smith, Jeff Kintop, Susan Southwick) would continue to iron out the details. Jeff Kintop noted that Alicia Barber was still in the area and might be available to assist, as well as Patricia Cooper-Smith. UNLV also has an active oral history program and might want to partner with the NJHS and the Ninth Judicial Circuit in future endeavors.
Under new business, Jim Smith put forward a resolution that the Board direct a letter to the State Bar of Nevada requesting that the Nevada Judicial Historical Society be included as a donation “check-off” in the annual dues renewal statement to membership. Justice Gibbons suggested the donation be $20.00. This was approved and Mr. Smith said he would provide a draft of the letter.
There being no further business for the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 1:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted:
=-=-=- Unsigned Draft =-=-=-=-, subject to correction and adoption at the next meeting
Susan Southwick, Secretary
